Booking Ahead | The Joy Formidable, Emmylou Harris, the Black Angels and Joe Lovano
The Joy Formidable blew us away at Lollapalooza a couple of years ago, and now the band is set to clobber us again in support of a new album, Wolf's Law. (An album teaser arrived a few months ago.) A handful of lucky fans got to see the U.K. trio deliver an intimate and undoubtedly intense set to the Metro's Top Note Theater last November, and the group follows that up with a gig at the Vic Theatre April 2. Later that month the Vic opens its doors to another Lolla vet, the Black Angels, out behind a new one, Indigo Meadow. Americana diva Emmylou Harris also has a new disc on the horizon, Old Yellow Moon, on which she shares co-billing with longtime sideman Rodney Crowell. The duo celebrates with a date at Symphony Center March 20, which features an opening turn from British guitar hero Richard Thompson. Sax heavy Joe Lovano visits Evanston's SPACE in April, playing behind Cross Culture, the latest from his combo Us Five. Find these and many other new concert announcements below or visit timeoutchicago.com/bookingahead for a more extensive list of upcoming shows.
Freelance Whales at Lincoln Hall | Photos
The Freelance Whales performed at Lincoln Hall on Jan 19 for the Tomorrow Never Knows Fest along with Hundred Waters and Snowmine. This indie rock band from Queens, New York, released their album Diluvia in October and are continuing their 2013 tour.
Best concerts this weekend | Jan 25-27
There's plenty of concerts to choose from this weekend; now all you have to do is pick one. The Darkness performs at the Vic Theatre to show off their take on heavy metal. Buddy Guy is nearing the end of his string of performances, and Bobby Brown concludes his concerts on Sunday.
Friday January 25
Geoff Farina
6pm, The Whistler, Free
The former Karate frontman brings his signature guitarwork to the Logan Square cocktail lounge.
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
7pm, Old Town School of Folk Music (Maurer Hall), $20-$22
In lesser hands, Louisiana music can veer toward kitsch, which is what makes Steve Riley’s traditional approach to Cajun folk (often sung in regional Cajun French, no less) that much more impressive. Get there early for free dance lessons!
Eddie Shaw + Joanna Connor
7pm, Kingston Mines, $15
Eddie Shaw probably wasn't the first sax player on the Chicago blues scene, but as a former sideman with Howlin' Wolf, he definitely made that singular sound stick and stay. He's got the personality to front a band as well, scoring high marks as both a singer and songwriter.
Music of the Baroque
7:30pm, Harris Theater, $27-$75
It's a double celebration for Music of the Baroque as the ensemble gives kudos to its maestra, Jane Glover, for ten years on the job as well as honoring Mozart on his birthday. Vladimir Feltsman and Arianna Zukerman are the featured soloists in the all-Mozart program.
Brooklyn Rider
7:30pm, University of Chicago (Mandel Hall), $35; students $5
Don't miss this chance to catch one of the country's most adventurous and dynamic young quartets. Known for their eclectic choice in repertoire, the NYC-based gents make their "University of Chicago Presents" debut with a versatile program that includes Mendelssohn's early String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 12, and a recap of wildly imaginative works from the "Brooklyn Rider Almanac."
Free Energy and Orwells at Schubas | Photos and review
Going head-to-head with the double bill of the Walkmen and Father John Misty down the street at the Vic, the programmers of this year's Tomorrow Never Knows festival stacked Schubas' Friday night lineup with four disparate groups—striking upon a combination that managed to draw a sold-out crowd. The native Chicagoans of Wedding Dress kicked off the night, digging into a collection of earnest tracks that prominently featured members of Maps & Atlases and Joan of Arc. Shortly after, Canadian indie pop outfit Boats lived up to its buoyant name with an assortment of upbeat, synth-ridden odes anchored by Mat Klachefsky's exaggerated vocal stylings.
The Walkmen and Father John Misty at the Vic | Review and photos
The Walkmen just can’t get enough of Tomorrow Never Knows. They played a sold-out gig at the Metro last year as a part of the festival, and this year they sold out the Vic with ex-Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman, who now tours as Father John Misty.
Tillman recorded FJM’s debut Fear Fun after moving from Seattle to L.A. and shedding some of the mystic folkie aura that surrounded him as a Fleet Fox. Last night, his opening set drew heavily from that album, a mix of rambling country rock and back porch folk fronted by newly funny lyrics. FJM played a loose, punchy set that fit their sound much better than the recordings do on Fear Fun, which still sounds a little buttoned up for the music. The clear highlight of FJM’s set was the morbid single “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings,” which included a noisy interlude where the lithe Tillman pretended to choke himself with the mic stand. If this hadn’t been preceded by a whole set of him parading around the stage and trying to goofily dance like a pop singer, I would have been more concerned.
Booking Ahead | Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago, Chicago Jazz Festival, Animal Collective and Bad Religion
Last week we learned the dates of the Spring Awakening Music Festival and now another fest devoted to EDM has announced its foray into the Chicago market. Promoted by L.A.-based Insomniac, the Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago takes place Memorial Day weekend—less than a month before Spring Awakening—at Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway, a venue known for NASCAR more than music. That's a bit of a hike for city dwellers, though a camping pass is being offered. Earlier today the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events revealed some details about the Chicago Jazz Festival. As in the past, the event is free and takes place Labor Day weekend, however this year's event moves from its longtime base of Grant Park to Millennium Park, with select performances taking place at the Chicago Cultural Center. The festival, now in its 35th year, will continue to offer programming on multiple stages, with brilliant percussionist Hamid Drake serving as this year's Artist-in-Residence, though no other artists have been revealed yet. Other new calendar additions include Animal Collective, who visit the Riv March 16 behind last year's Centipede Hz, and Bad Religion, who play from the new True North at the Congress Theater April 5. Find these and many other new concert dates below or visit timeoutchicago.com/bookingahead for a more extensive list of upcoming shows.
Merchandise at Schubas | Photos and review
Tampa, Florida trio Merchandise has been generating a good deal of buzz for the past few months, largely thanks to favorable reviews from the tastemakers at Pitchfork. Rightfully so: their 2012 release Children of Desire beautifully merges guitar noise and drum machines with Carson Cox’s almost anthemic songwriting and Morissey-esque croon. It’s an unlikely mix without one good genre tag, though punk tends to be what most writers talk about because of the trio’s DIY punk and hardcore roots.
Best concerts this weekend | Jan 18-20
There's a full list of so many great concerts coming up that we had to start our weekend early. Everything from the Tomorrow Never Knows winter fest to orchestral pieces and dance parties. If you can bear the cold, these shows are worth seeing.
Friday January 18
Geoff Farina
6pm, The Whistler, Free
The former Karate frontman brings his signature guitarwork to the Logan Square cocktail lounge.
Baroque Band with Piers Adams
7:30pm, Music Institute of Chicago (Nichols Concert Hall), $35; seniors $30; students $15
Early music legend Piers Adams, a top-notch recorder player and member of British baroque crew Red Priest, joins Baroque Band in its continuing series inspired by classic movies. Gone with the Wind features some of the recorder repertoire's most dazzling and stormy pieces: Telemann's Recorder Concerto in C, Sammartini's Recorder Concerto in F and Vivaldi's Recorder Concertos in C major and C minor.
Bear in Heaven at Schubas | Photos
Brooklyn-based rock band Bear in Heaven brought their ethereal electro-pastiche to Schubas on Wednesday as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival.
Green Dolphin Street reopens as Dolphin | Photos and interview
Nightclubs, even the popular ones, need periodic revamps to stay au courant and on the clubber's go-to list. This Friday the venue once known as Green Dolphin Street unveils a new look, which may seem like a risky investment in a city fairly well-stocked with dance rooms. But it also feels like a now-or-never proposition considering the current boom of interest in EDM. Curious about the plan for the club, I pressed music director "Just Joey" Swanson for more details.
How did the Dolphin makeover come about?
The remodel was something we had been kicking around for several years and about a year ago we had several building code issues we had to address, so we decided to go all the way with the revamp.
