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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
ABIOTIC Debut Album SYMBIOSIS Streaming Now--Available October 22nd on Metal Blade Records
Ex Friends To Release 7" Sept. 18 Song Streaming Now
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KAMELOT New Single Available Today! Playing Congress 9/24
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Sunday, September 2, 2012
ChiIL Live Shows Saturday At North Coast Music Fest #photo filled feature
Check out ChiIL Live Shows Photo Filled Recap of North Coast Music Festival 2012--Saturday
We're rockin' NCMF for the 3rd year. Of course the people watching is prime.
We ran into old friends and made a few new ones.
Predicted thunder storms held off for the most part. Hope we're as lucky for Sunday.
The sets we caught were Future Rock, The Rapture, Atmosphere, Girl Talk and Umphrey's McGhee.
We had another annual Shreddy Shirt Boy (AKA: Mat with 1 T) Sighting!
Highlights were The Rapture, who blew away the Coast Stage with sweet sax, cow bell, and rockin' vocals reminiscent of P.I.L. We really dug them live and would catch them again in a second.
Girl Talk wasn't as stellar as the last time I saw him, but his sets are always a big dance parTAY, and yesterday was no exception. He hand picks dancers throughout the day, to join in on stage, so there was an enthusiastic, colorful crew of eye candy.
UM played a rockin' fest finale that was the icing on the cake. We've watched them grow over the years from a semi-interesting, minor jam band to a force to reckon with.
NCMF hosed us this year, and instead of all access & pit photo passes like the past 2 years, we were stuck with GA. There have been some management changes behind the scenes at NCMF and they seem to have forgotten who their friends are. So, we don't have any close headliner shots this year--their loss.
We do, however, have loads of close pit photos of Umphrey's McGhee from Summer Camp Music Fest 2011 & 2012 we'll work up into an all UM feature and share here, with our readers. So, if you're an old UM fan or someone new whose mind they blew last night, check back with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We'll have more sweet, photo filled features, tour news, free downloads, and reviews for you, in the very near future.
The line for the Groupon Silent Disco was massive. And we didn't see too many people over doing it on the party favors to the point of needing a police escort or an ambulance ride. We only saw a few children, less than past years, despite the official party line-- kids welcome-under age 10 free.
I must say though, the NCMF litter was crazy over the top and we hit a LOT of music festivals. Despite a recycling nod on the NCMF site and signage, the crowd trashed Union Park and seemed to not use the garbage and recycling cans much at all! That said, there was a huge lack of garbage cans outside of the VIP lounge and by Groupon, so people were just dropping their empty cups and food trash in piles.
We split the headliners, catching half a set of Girl Talk and half Umphrey's McGhee. A huge, enthusiastic crowd was gathered for both. There were more "toys" at UM--glowing poi balls, hoops, and the ubiquitous glow finger glove wielders.
Seems like even the newbies without spinning talent can now get in people's faces and wiggle their fingers around, and find an appreciative audience. We got some stellar hoops shots this year.
We'll be back today covering NCMF from Mathien and IndigoSky at 2:30, till the final notes of Pretty Lights fade out at 10pm. Check out our must see list right here and our sweet Camaro SS loaner from Chevy--NCMF12 Sponsors, right here. See you out there. And once again, check back like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We'll have loads more NCMF recaps, Riot Fest previews and features, and more.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
ChiIL Live Shows, Camaro SS & North Coast Music Fest--Life Is Good! @northcoastfest #NCMF #chevy #ourtownourheroes
Thanks Chevy! The red-orange Camero SS Convertible ROCKS!! So stoked I get to drive it for a week. Thanks to all our readers, friends, & family who voted for me as one of GM's Our Town Our Heroes finalists. Swing by and see the Chevy street team at North Coast Music Fest and nominate your own hero for a shot at winning a week in a car of your choice for the hero AND the nominator!
CHI, IL LIVE SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: Greensky Bluegrass at Abbey Pub 9/8
Greensky Bluegrass Perform Abbey Pub on 9/8 - Release 192g 2xLP Version of New Album, Handguns
Offer Fans Free Streaming 5-Song EP taken from New Album
3420 W. Grace St. Chicago, IL | www.abbeypub.com | with Sexfist | $15 advance & $18 doors | ages 21+ | 8:00PM | two sets
As a bonus for all, Greensky Bluegrass is giving away half of Handguns for free. This five-song Handguns EP is available on the Greensky Bluegrass website for anyone who wants to listen.
Come check out Greensky Bluegrass rockin' everything from mandolin to dobro, banjo to guitar – all of them are very skilled pickers! (so much so that Sam Bush sat in with them on 2 songs at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June!).
They're touring in support of their new album, Handguns, which we'll be reviewing here at ChiIL Live Shows in the near future. (released as a special, 192-gram double-vinyl).
As their name might suggest, Greensky Bluegrass utilizes traditional bluegrass instruments – dobro, banjo, guitar, upright bass and mandolin. However, the music that they make is anything but reversionary and the new album, Handguns is a brave expression of what separates their original music from the rest of the bluegrass genre.
Handguns was recorded in between tours this winter as the band holed up in a studio in their home state of Michigan, committing the songs straight-to-tape on the exact recording console that originally birthed Lynyrd Skynyrd’s infamous track "Free Bird” decades earlier. Matching the warmth of the analog sound, vintage microphones were utilized alongside state-of-the-art studio equipment to create a truly blended and artful sonic experience.
Greensky has continued to gain national momentum since they won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s coveted Band Competition in 2006 and have been invited to play at last summer’s Northwest String Summit, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival and NPR’s Mountain Stage, while also playing at Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. As these diverse festivals would suggest, they’re a bluegrass band but they’re not. Bluegrass doesn’t have distortion, or horns for that matter. Greensky does.
Of course, none of this happened overnight or without sacrifice. Greensky is just as much a grit of the asphalt band as they are a salt of the earth band, having played over 160 shows nationwide, every year, for the last six years. It was by winning over folks on the band’s never-ending tour that got them where they are today – not by a label, syndicated radio play or being on the shelves at big box stores.
The motive? To be heard. For musicians, the model has changed with satellite radio where the F word flies free and name-your-own-price record releases. One thing remains true, however: when the music is great, people will listen.
Greensky Bluegrass is Anders Beck (dobro), Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), Mike Devol (upright bass) and Paul Hoffman (mandolin).
Act Out: Reduced Gold Star Tickets To Highly Recommended Sweet and Sad and Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride
| We caught both of these excellent productions on their opening nights and highly recommend checking them out. Read our recap of Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride right here. Explore the Ever-Changing State of the Nation in Sweet and Sad Profiles Theatre (Chicago, IL) | ||||||
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| Experience Swashbuckling Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride Lincoln Square Theatre (Chicago, IL) | ||||||
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