Author Archives: Eric Slager

Unfortunately, due to some crazy scheduling this week, I wasn’t able to put together a Weekend Shots! for Chicago. Very fortunately however, I have one killer show on the calendar that you’re not going to want to miss. Tomorrow night, Lafayette quartet, Brass Bed, will be in the Windy City to play the Beat Kitchen with Landmarks.

On tour in support of their upcoming 7” release, Brass Bed has two full length albums already under their belt. On top of 2008’s Midnight Matinee and 2010’s Melt White, the group has also tried their hand at interpreting the work of Feufollet and Harry Nilsson including the track “Don’t Forget Me”.

You can grab all of the details that you’ll need about the release and tomorrow’s show, as well as hear the title track to the upcoming record, below.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

NORTH COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL at Union Park, 8/31 – 9/2

Well, it’s that time of the year again. It’s time for “Summer’s Last Stand” otherwise known as the North Coast Music Festival. Taking over Union Park for the holiday weekend, North Coast is known for bringing electronica, hip-hop, rock, and dance music together for one massive festival. This year brings us perhaps the most ambitious outing to date with the addition of another stage and a largely expanded “Silent Disco” with 50 artists broadcasting into a sea of headphones.

The impressive lineup includes headliners Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, STS9, and other top name musicians like Big Boi, Paul Oakenfold, Yelwolf, along with one of my personal favorites, The Rapture. Head over to North Coast’s official site for the full lineup and festival schedule. Unfortunately, Sunday is completely sold out, but you can still pick up single day tickets for Friday and Saturday online.

If the festival scene isn’t your thing, you can still catch some of North Coast’s performers at the official after-shows throughout the city. Check out the weekend list below for details.

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Chicago dream-pop quartet, Panda Riot, kicked off the summer right with the release of their hypnotizing 7”, “Serious Radical Girls.” Now, they’re kissing summer goodbye with a co-headlining show at the Hideout this Saturday, 9/1.

Panda Riot formed as a duo in Philadelphia and after the release of the bedroom-recorded She Dares All Things, the band moved to Chicago. With the addition of two members bringing bass and drums to the table, last year saw the release of the Far and Near EP. On top of the recently released 7”, Panda Riot is currently working on their new record, Northern Automatic Music.

You can hear a few tracks off of the upcoming record at the Hideout on Saturday along with a promised “crazy R.E.M. cover.” If the new album sounds anything like the dance-infused dreamy rock and ghostly vocals of “Serious Radical Girls,” then we are definitely going to be keeping our eyes and ears on Panda Riot.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

MURDER BY DEATH at the Metro, 8/25

Bloomington, Indiana’s five piece alt-country group, Murder By Death, is taking over the Metro tomorrow night. The band recently ran the third most successful Kickstarter music campaign to fund the vinyl pressing of their sixth studio album, Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. The album is currently available for pre-order, shipping September 17. Check out the video for “White Noise” from 2010’s Good Morning, Magpie, below.

The 18+ show kicks off at 9:00 PM tomorrow at the Metro – 3730 N Clark Street. Murder By Death will be supported by Ha Ha Tonka and Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons. You can grab your tickets online for $18, or $20 at the door. You can also grab a seriously intimidating amount of 12”, 7”, and vinyl packages from Murder By Death’s online store.

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Chicago’s very own Rock & Roll Pig Roast is back for seconds after it’s inaugural run last September. Start eating light now, because you’re going to want to be hungry for this Saturday’s all-you-can-eat roast. Whole roasted pig, veggies, and cheap drinks might be the anchor of the festivities, this year’s roast will feature live music performances by ten of Chicago’s finest.

Among the event’s top-billed are psych-rockers, Secret Colours. We’ve recommended that you check out their live show before, and this time is no different. The group has their sophomore LP on the way, and a vinyl re-release of their debut full-length planned. You can still grab a copy of their limited run EP3+ on vinyl through DREAMOVER Records. Did I mention that every copy is a unique color?

Grab the full lineup and all of the Pig Roast details, including how you can enter to win a $50 gift card to the incredible Reckless Records, below.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

BEN MILLER BAND at the Beat Kitchen, 8/17

Joplin, Missouri trio The Ben Miller Band blends bluegrass, soul, and Appalachian mountain music into a unique and dynamic sound that they’ve been crafting since their formation in 2004. With eight years and over two hundred shows under their belt, The Ben Miller Band has been making waves across the country.

The 17+ show kicks off at 8:00 PM tonight at the Beat Kitchen – 2100 W Belmont. Ben Miller Band will be supported by Pistols at Dawn and Majors Junction, and you can pick up tickets at the door for just $7.00.

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Every month, Schuba’s Tavern plays host to a Monday night residency program. I’ve been a big fan of the residency in past months, and August is no different. While we’re already halfway in, you’ve still got two more chances to catch this month’s headlining group, The New Folk.

What began in 2005 as a solo project for singer/songwriter Todd Kessler, has evolved into a full band effort performing under the name The New Folk. In its various forms over the last seven years, Todd Kessler and the New Folk have released a substantial amount of music in the form of singles, EPs, and albums, but this month will mark the official debut release under The New Folk moniker.

Monday 8/27, the last show of the residency, will also act as the album release show for the debut, Sea Fever. In the works since the summer of 2010, the album is being released on Kessler’s Wyzguy Records label. You’re going to want to head out to at least one of the two remaining nights, so get all of the details on the shows below.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

SOUTHEAST ENGINE at Schuba’s Tavern, 8/11

Ohio quartet Southeast Engine, has blended the influences of their Dayton and Athens roots into a unique underground Appalachian folk sound. Together for more than a decade, the group was hooked up with Misra Records in 2006 and released their acclaimed From the Forest to the Sea LP in 2009. Check out a live video for “Ruthie” below, with Southeast Engine busking in the subway.

The 21+ show kicks off at 10:00 PM tomorrow night at Schuba’s Tavern – 3159 N Southport. Southeast Engine will be supported by FETCH and Kerosene Stars. Pick up tickets at the door for $10, and pick up From the Forest to the Sea on vinyl for just $15 from Southeast Engine’s online store.

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Legendary punk rock outfit, Strung Out, is bringing their Twisted In A Suburban Wasteland tour to Chicago this weekend. The group, who over the past 20 years has successfully blended melodic punk, hardcore, and metal, will be taking over the stage at Reggie’s Rock Club on Saturday night.

What makes this tour so special is that Strung Out will be performing both of their landmark albums, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues (1996) and Twisted By Design (1998), back-to-back in their entirety.

Strung Out will be heading back into the studio in the coming months to work on a new record, and as lead vocalist Jason Cruz put it, “It feels right to do one last retrospective before we head into the making of another album. I think people will really enjoy these older songs played back to back.”

This is a must-see show for punk rock fans, and we’ve got your ticket hookup! Grab all of the details on the show and how you can score a pair of tickets, below.

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Well, it looks like Chicago survived another year of Lollapalooza. A little worse for the wear after massive storms, park evacuations, and rain delays on Saturday, but you better believe that we’re still standing strong. (I’m sure that Jack White’s unbelievable headline set on Sunday didn’t hurt any either). If you’re in the city today, and somehow still looking for live music, there’s some pretty killer things happening to help you get your fix.

Specifically, an in-store performance from Oregon based electro-pop artist Melanie Valera AKA Tender Forever at Saki Records. Touring the country playing all ages, “queer-friendly” shows, Melanie is in Chicago today to play Saki and, later tonight, Township.

Last year’s “Where Are We From” EP marks Melanie’s fourth release with the Washington-headquartered K Records since 2005. Started in 2003 as a means to simplify and concentrate her music, the solo project has evolved from energetic dance tracks, to more dense and mature sounds and songs.

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Well this is it folks, Lollapalooza weekend. If you weren’t able to get your hands on tickets to the massive sold out festival, or any of the official (mostly sold out) after shows, you still have options! That is, assuming you’re crazy enough to brave the streets of Chicago with roughly 270,000 concert-goers drunk on good music and overpriced booze.

Check out this weekend’s non-Lolla featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

RIVER CITY TANLINES at the Crown Tap Room, 8/4

River City Tanlines’ new record, Coast to Coast, was released this past Tuesday, 7/31, on Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum Records. The Memphis group’s first LP since 2006, Coast to Coast showcases singer Alicja Trout’s eclectic energy. Check out the Trout-directed, roller derby-themed video for “I’m Your Negative”, below.

The 21+ over release show kicks off at 9:00 PM tomorrow at the Crown Tap Room – 2821 N Milwaukee Ave. River City Tanlines will be supported by Party Bat and a special guest TBA. You can pick up the LP at the show or online through Fat Possum Records for just $10.

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Alt-folk rock group, John Michaels & Seven Ships, led by none other than John Michaels himself, has recently released a serious and seriously enjoyable sophomore record.

The Chicago folk outfit puts the depth of their eclectic and seasoned musicians on proud display for the latest release, Other Side of the Stars.

Other Side of the Stars will be out on limited edition vinyl later this year, and the band will be performing tracks from the LP tonight at Uncommon Ground. Grab all of the details you’ll need below.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

WICKER PARK FEST on Milwaukee Avenue from North to Paulina, 7/28 & 7/29

Started as a small neighborhood gathering nine years ago, Chicago’s Wicker Park Fest has expanded into an impressive showcase of local and national talent. Local favorites like Archie Powell & The Exports, Soft Speaker, and The Shams Band will be setting the stages for national talent including Cursive, Kill Hannah, and Lucero. Wicker Park Fest runs from noon to 10:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday, and costs just $5 to get in.

There really isn’t anyone performing at Wicker Park Fest that I wouldn’t recommend checking out, but one band in particular that you should be familiar with is YAWN. The DIY Chicago quartet plays atmospheric, digital, pop rock, and recently ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to press their latest record, Open Season, on vinyl. Check out the video for the track “YumYum” above, and the full Wicker Park Fest lineup, below.

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Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

PANORAMIC & TRUE Record Release Show at The Hideout, 7/20

Chicago’s own orchestral-pop eight piece, Panoramic & True, is releasing Wonderlust, the follow-up to their self-titled debut, 7/24 on Raymond Roussel Records. Singer/Songwriter, John Lennox, uses his five years of experience writing for a string quartet to create the 14 incredible orchestral rock tracks. Check out the Wonderlust track, “Product On,” below.

Panoramic & True will be celebrating the release of Wonderlust tonight, 7/20, with a headlining show at The Hideout – 1354 W Wabansia. The 21+ show kicks off at 10:00 PM, and P&T will be joined by Reds and Blue and Arc in Round. Pick up your tickets online or at the door for just $8.

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This weekend, the annual Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival will be taking over the Logan Square neighborhood for three days and transforming it into a full-blown arts district complete with theatre, dance, and performance arts.

The festival will run from 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM on Friday, and 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. With constant live music running across multiple stages, there will be plenty to keep your eyes busy and your ears happy. Check out our recommendations for each night as well as the full weekend lineup, below.

I’m sure that you can all see this coming from a mile away, but my major recommendation for Friday has got to be Chicago’s Mutts. Following their massive and successful Kickstarter campaign to press a new double LP, the heavy, piano-infused trio is made up of Mike Maimone on keys/vocals, Bob Buckstaff on bass, and Chris Pagnani on drums.

The first of two upcoming LPs, Separation Anxiety, will be released on August 2, and you can pre-order the the record on split color – clear/green – vinyl for just $12.

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