ACT OUT OPENING: The Last Ship Begins TONIGHT #BroadwayInChicago

PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF 

THE LAST SHIP

ANNOUNCES RUSH SEATING

20 SEATS AT $25. AVAILABLE THE MORNING OF EACH PERFORMANCE DAY

Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ ChiIL Mama we've been eagerly anticipating the opening of Sting's show for months!  At last it's HERE. Got your tickets yet?  We can not wait to check it out!

PERFORMANCES BEGIN TUESDAY, JUNE 10

The producers of the Pre-Broadway World Premiere of THE LAST SHIP will offer special rush tickets for all performances.  Ten pairs, 20 tickets, will be available to patrons, on the day-of-show, for $25.  These rush tickets will be available at the box office only, on the day of the performance, when the box office opens at 10:00 a.m. except for Sunday at 11:00 a.m.  

THE LAST SHIP, the new musical with music and lyrics by 17-time Grammy winner Sting, and book by Tony winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Yorkey – will begin previews on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52 St.) on September 30 prior to opening night on October 26, according to producers Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker.  THE LAST SHIP is directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello and has choreography by Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Steven Hoggett.

THE LAST SHIP will travel to New York following a pre-Broadway tryout June 10 to July 13 in Chicago at Bank of America Theatre.  Inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences, THE LAST SHIP marks the renowned musician's Broadway debut as a composer. 

THE LAST SHIP is set in the English seafaring town of Wallsend, a close-knit community where life has always revolved around the local shipyard and the hardworking men construct magnificent vessels with tremendous pride.  But Gideon Fletcher dreams of a different future.  He sets out to travel the world, leaving his life and his love behind.  When Gideon returns home 14 years later, he finds the shipyard's future in grave danger and his childhood sweetheart engaged to someone else.  As the men of Wallsend take their future into their own hands and build a towering representation of the shared dream that defines their existence, Gideon realizes that he left behind more than he could have ever imagined.

THE LAST SHIP is a portrait of a community so bound together by passion, faith and tradition, they'll stop at nothing to preserve the only life they've ever known.

Performances of THE LAST SHIP will begin at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street) on June 10, 2014 for a five-week-only limited engagement through July 13, 2014.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.  Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

March Fourth Montage LIVE at Martyrs Chicago 6-2012 AND Current 2014 Tour Dates #OriginalVideo #LIVEShowFootage #HDVideo

March Fourth Montage LIVE at Martyrs Chicago 6-2012.  ChiIL Live Shows went back in the archives to bring you nearly a half hour of never before seen footage from March Fourth LIVE in a small club in Chicago. Check out their hula hooping, circus pole act held by a stilt walker, and much more. This circus, punk, gypsy, brass, funky, freaky band defies easy description and they are too much fun to see live.  Footage by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows.






On Tour NOW:
Spring 2014

*Tue. Jun 10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Wed. Jun 11 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Center  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Thu. Jun 12 Davenport, IA River Music Experience  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Fri. June 13 St. Louis, MO 2720 Cherokee  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Sat. Jun 14 Kansas City, MO Boulevardia (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Sun. Jun 15 Columbia, MO The Blue Note  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Thu. Jun 26 Durango, CO Animas Theater  (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Fri. Jun 27 Louisville, CO Louisville Street Fair (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Sat. June 28 Salt Lake City, UT Utah Arts Festival (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

Sun. June 29 Salt Lake City, UT Utah Arts Festival (JOIN/SHARE on Facebook)

March Fourth LIVE at Martyrs Circus Pole & Stilts Act #OriginalVideo

March Fourth LIVE at Martyrs Circus Pole & Stilts Act Nov 3 2012. Shot by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows.


Check out this wild duo on stilts and circus pole HELD by the stilt walker! We adore Portland's March Fourth and catch them every chance we get. We'll be shooting their show this Tuesday at Lincoln Hall with another favorite of ours, Liquid Soul!


Click here for the full show details.

Here's the basics:

Tues 6/10 at Lincoln Hall 8:00 PM   21+  $14.00

TOMORROW: Liquid Soul and March Fourth at Lincoln Hall (21+) #HighlyRecommended

INCOMING:   Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar Tues 6/10 at Lincoln Hall 8:00 PM   21+  $14.00 ChiIL Live Shows will be there shooting stills. It's our 14th wedding anniversary and we're way beyond jazzed to get to spend it with two of the most fun bands to see LIVE. We can't wait!  Highly recommended. Here's some crazy cool partner acro on STILTS that we shot when March Fourth played Martyrs last year!  Check it out. Then go see them LIVE already. MarchFourth Marching Band Liquid Soul Click the links below for loads of our past original photos, videos and coverage on BOTH bands. March Fourth Liquid Soul A kaleidoscope of musical and visual energy mere “mortal” bands cannot compete with, Aside from their marching band themed costumes, and multi member drum and brass corp, M4 is far from a “marching band” in any traditional sense (though this group of about 20 has been known to parade down Main Street before taking the stage). The show will take you on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the gypsy camps of eastern Europe and through the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz then boiling it all together in cinematic fashion with high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dazzling dancers. They’ve headlined too many major festivals to name, multiple times, as well as playing prestigious venues from The Kennedy Center to a cultural exchange tour of China. (We've been huge Mars Williams fans since back in the Psychedelic Furs days.   Here's Mars in orbit at Chicago Folk and Roots Fest 2011 with Soul Sonic Sirkus.) Liquid Soul, the Grammy-nominated combo that has built its reputation on a compelling mix of jazz, hip-hop, funk and hard-bop, makes its Telarc debut with the release of One-Two Punch. Pioneers of the acid-jazz movement during their early days in the Chicago club scene of the mid-1990s, Liquid Soul has evolved over the past dozen years into a musical compendium of sounds and styles that starts with jazz and embraces hip-hop, R&B, dance, funk, techno, world, spoken-word and much more.  Led by innovative saxophonist/composer Mars Williams, the eight-piece collective has conquered nearly every corner of the U.S. and is looking to turn up the juice in Europe and other parts of the world via their Telarc debut. 2014 US Tour Dates  Fri. Jun 6 Omaha, NE Omaha Summer Arts Fest   Sat. Jun 7 Wichita, KS Wichita River Fest   Sun. Jun 8 Madison, WI Marquette Fest   *Tue. Jun 10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall   with Liquid Soul Wed. Jun 11 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Center   with The Brass Messengers Thu. June 12 Davenport, IA River Music Experience with The Winter Blues All-Stars Fri. June 13 St. Louis, MO 2720 Cherokee with Hellzapoppin Sat. Jun 14 Kansas City, MO Boulevardia    Sun. Jun 15 Columbia, MO The Blue Note    Thu. June 26 Durango, CO Animas City Theater  Fri. June 27 Louisville, CO Steinbaugh Pavilion   Sat. June 28 Salt Lake City, UT Utah Arts Festival  Sun.  June 29 Salt Lake City, UT Utah Arts Festival  Fri. July 4 San Rafael, CA Marin County Fair  Sat. July 5 Reno, NV Cargo   with Diego's Umbrella Wed. July 9 Seattle, WA Westlake Park    Wed. July 9 Bellingham, WA Downtown Sounds   Fri. July 11 Veneta, OR Oregon Country Fair    Fri. July 18 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Big Room    Sat. July 19 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Sun. July 20 San Diego, CA Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tue. July 22 Vail, CO Bud Light Hot Summer Nights Wed. July 23 Glenwood Springs, CO Summer of Music Thu. July 24 Frisco, CO Concerts in the Park Fri. July 25 Denver, CO Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Sat. July 26 Ames, IA DG's Tap House with Dead Larry Sun. July 27 Chicago, IL Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tue. July 29 Hamden, CT Spaceland Ballroom Wed. July 30 Wilmington, DE World Cafe Live at the Queen with Zach Deputy Thu. July 31 New York, NY Watermark with Philly Bloco + Brother Joscephus & The Love Revolution Fri. Aug 1 Portland, ME Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Sat. Aug 2 Philadelphia, PA  Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Sun. Aug 3 Mills River, NC  Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Fri. Aug 8 Nevada City, CA Miner's Foundry Cultural Center Sat. Aug 9 Ashland, OR Ashland Armory with SambaDa Fri. Sept 12 Walla Walla, WA Gesa Power House Theater Sat. Sept 13 Spokane, WA Bing Crosby Theater Mon. Sept 15 Portland, OR Mondays on the Mall

Here's the latest Via March Fourth: My, what a busy summer! MarchFourth is on a mission to visit each and every one of you this year it seems (more info about the US fall tour coming soon). Seriously. It will take a lot of scrolling to get to the bottom of this show list! From San Diego, California to Portland, Maine to Tampa, Florida, and from the mountains of Telluride, CO (8700 ft) to the streets of New Orleans, LA (0 ft) and everywhere in between, there's a pretty good chance we're headed your way (except maybe the southwest, since we just returned from there). Let's hope the A/C in the bus is fixed for good this time, because this summer is going to be HOT!!! For a little taste of life on the road with M4, I suggest you check out stilter/stunter Phill's blog. He's kind of new to M4, joining after stilt veteran Sid Simpatico retired last summer due to a knee injury. Phill's been writing these great tour recap posts on Facebook for a while, but now he's taken to the blogosphere. I'm sure there will be much to write about this summer, so keep an eye there to follow our adventures! Here's a video from our birthday show this year of Phill and the gang doing stilt acro to "Surfunk" (a newish song by Taylor Aglipay).

SPOON: NPR FIRST LISTEN LIVE TODAY AT 12:30PM Chicago Time

Tune in to NPR at 12:30pm CT to hear Spoon debut a new song via First Listen Live: http://www.npr.org/event/music/318886316/spoon-premieres-new-song-live Spoon: R.I.P.

INCOMING: Empires at Chicago House of Blues 6/24, Letterman 6/17 and More

EMPIRES TO PERFORM ON THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN STEREOGUM PREMIERES NEW TRACK PLEASE DON'T TELL MY LOVER GQ MAGAZINE'S 25 BEST SONGS OF THE SUMMER BAND PERFORMING AT BONNAROO, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS & MORE NEW EP HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL OUT JUNE 17TH ON CHOP SHOP / ISLAND RECORDS      Empires are thrilled to announce they'll make their TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 17th! That same day, Chop Shop / Island Records will release the band's new EP How Good Does It Feel - a collection of songs that will appear on their major label debut Orphan out later this year. A band hand-picked early on by NPR Music as one their 100 acts to see at SXSW this year, Empires new single "How Good Does It Feel" was recently named one of the 25 Best Songs of the Summer by GQ Magazine. Stereogum is now streaming "Please Don't Tell My Lover" - a new song from the EP which they rave, "Empires make timeless music - upbeat yet melancholy, pleasant but not saccharine, lyrics tangled up in the messy business of romance ... these guys have their own thing going, though, and that thing is highly appropriate for the summer that is about to unfold before us." Empires have already played the Hangout and Bottle Rock Music Festivals, toured with Margot & The Nuclear So and So's and are looking forward to performing at this year's Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits Music Festivals. The band will also hit the road with The Chain Gang of 1974 this July. The EP (and upcoming LP) was produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, The War On Drugs and The Black Angels) and will be available in digital and on limited edition 10" vinyl. Visit iTunes, Spotify and www.weareempires.com for more info. Pre-Order EP How Good Does It Feel here: http://www.myplaydirect.com/empires Stay tuned for more news! Remaining Tour Dates (more to be announced): June 5                         Barboza                                               Seattle, WA                June 6                          Doug Fir                                              Portland, OR              June 7                         Neurolux                                             Boise, ID                    June 9                          Kilby Court                                        Salt Lake City, UT     June 10                       Lost Lake Lounge                               Denver, CO                June 12                       Bonnaroo                                            Manchester, TN June 18                        Mercury Lounge                                 New York, NY           June 20                       Musica                                                Akron, OH                  June 21                        Musica                                                Akron, OH                 June 24                        House of Blues                                   Chicago, IL June 25                        Summerfest                                         Milwaukee, WI July 12                        Common Ground Music Fest            Lansing, MI *     July 16                       Crescent Ballroom                              Phoenix, AZ *     July 18                        The Roxy                                             West Hollywood, CA *             July 19                        Observatory                                        Santa Ana, CA *            July 21                        Bottom of The Hill                             San Francisco, CA *   July 23                        Bunk Bar                                             Portland, OR *   July 24                        The Imperial                                       Vancouver, BC *            July 25                        The Bartlett                                        Spokane, WA *               Sept 6-8                      LouFest                                               St. Louis, MO                         Oct. 3-5                      Austin City Limits                             Austin, TX     Oct. 10-12                   Austin City Limits                             Austin, TX    * With The Chain Gang of 1974    http://weareempires.com http://www.youtube.com/weareempires  https://www.facebook.com/weareempires https://twitter.com/weareempires https://soundcloud.com/weareempires

AMERICAN IDOL WINNER LEE DEWYZE, 80'S ALT-ROCKERS 10,000 MANIACS TO PLAY UNDER THE STARS, JULY 5 AT AURORA'S RIVEREDGE PARK

  

American Idol season nine winner and Mount Prospect's own Lee DeWyze and 80's alt-rockers 10,000 Maniacs are paired for a special double bill, Saturday, July 5 at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway in downtown Aurora, one of Chicagoland's nicest, newest outdoor concert venues.

The park opens at 6 p.m. DeWyze performs at 7 p.m. 10,000 Maniacs take the stage at
9 p.m.
Tickets are only $12. To purchase, go to RiverEdgeAurora.com, call the RiverEdge box office, (630) 896-6666, or visit RiverEdge's satellite box office, the Paramount Theatre,
23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

The RiverEdge box office is also open at the park for day-of sales from Noon until show time.   

Lee DeWyze 

There's no doubt that winning American Idol season nine in 2010 rocketed Lee DeWyze's career. Not only did DeWyze demonstrate his versatility singing "Ain't No Sunshine," "It's a Beautiful Day" and "That's Life," four years later, people are still talking about his amazing rendition of "Hallelujah."

But that's nothing compared to what happened after the Mount Prospect native got to write and record his own music, peaking with his latest CD, Frames. Frames is filled with critically-acclaimed, emotionally-charged songs including the recent Top 40 charter "Fight," which was featured on The CW's Hart of Dixie. Likewise, DeWyze wrote an original song  "Blackbird" exclusively for AMC's hit series The Walking Dead, which aired in an episode last March.

For more information, visit leedewyzeofficial.com.

Lee DeWyze "Fight" Live In-Studio

10,000 Maniacs

 

10,000 Maniacs helped define the alternative college rock sound of the 80s. With hits like "Candy Everybody Wants" and "These Are the Days," 10,000 Maniacs sold millions of records and entertained millions more touring the world. 

Over 30 years from when they first took the stage, 10,000 Maniacs is still packing live shows that leave audiences buzzing. Violinist/vocalist Mary Ramsey, wife of 10,000 Maniac's original co-founder John Lombardo, is the new front woman for the band. Their latest folk-alt-rock album "Music from the Motion Picture" was released in February 2013. 

For more information, visit maniacs.com.

10,000 Maniacs "These Are Days"

  

About RiverEdge Park

 Chicago and Chicago's western suburbs have a beautiful, new outdoor concert venue to enjoy after last summer's grand opening of the new RiverEdge Park in downtown Aurora - Illinois' second largest city.   

In addition to Lee DeWyze and 10,000 Maniacs, national acts playing RiverEdge this summer include 18^th Annual Blues on the Fox headliners Jimmie Vaughan, Los Lonely Boys and Taj Mahal (June 27 & 28), Under the Sun Tour with Sugar Ray, Blues Traveler and Uncle Kracker (July 6), Lady Antebellum (August 7), Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (August 29) and one more major concert TBA (August 10; announcement and ticket-on sale date is June 22).

Community festivals also will attract all ages to downtown Aurora including the ColorVibe 5K Race (June 15), Aurora's Fourth of July Celebration, the Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival (July 26 & 27) and the Fox Valley Irish Festival (August 2).   

RiverEdge Park is inspired by outdoor entertainment facilities in Chicago's Millennium Park and Northerly Island, and Milwaukee's Summerfest. Anchored by the striking John C. Dunham performance pavilion, RiverEdge features 30 acres of beautiful riverfront grounds, state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting, and a full array of concessions. RiverEdge has a capacity of 8,500.

Anyone who has been knows RiverEdge is clean, staffed with friendly people, and is easy to get to. RiverEdge Park is accessible via Metra's Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) line. Paid public parking is available in the Metra lot, additional private lots surrounding the park and in downtown Aurora just a few blocks from RiverEdge.

All events at RiverEdge are general admission. There will be limited bench seating on and event-by-event basis at RiverEdge in 2014. Guests are encouraged to bring folding bag chairs (shoulder height) or blankets. Some shows like Lady Antebellum and Jennifer Nettles will have standing room only in front of the stage with a designated area for chairs or blankets behind the sound tower. Visit RiverEdgeAurora.com for specifics about each performance.

Food and drink are available for purchase inside RiverEdge Park. No outside food or drink (except sealed water bottles) are allowed in the park. RiverEdge concessions offer a diversified menu from official food vendor Two Brothers Roundhouse, along with a bar featuring domestic and craft beers, wine, sodas, bottled water and more. A busy row of festival food vendors also set up tents to sell everything from hot dogs to funnel cakes. 

Events take place at RiverEdge rain or shine, unless conditions endanger the safety of artists and the public. Concertgoers are advised to call the RiverEdge Park Weather Line, (630) 723-2480, to check status if inclement weather is pending.

 The 2014 RiverEdge Season is sponsored by The Dunham Fund, City of Aurora and Paramount Arts Center Endowment (PACE).

 RiverEdge Park is managed and programmed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees operations for Aurora's historic Paramount Theatre. Under the guidance of President and CEO Tim Rater, ACCA has a proven track record of attracting audiences to downtown Aurora, with first-year attendance at RiverEdge estimated at 100,000, and annual attendance at the Paramount Theatre having grown from 55,000 in 2010, to more than 250,000 for the recent 2013-2014 season.

For more information, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com or call the RiverEdge box office, (630) 896-6666.