Can You Shame That Tune?

By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 9, 2010 7:30PM

Born out of the minds of two musicians with a penchant for whacked-out comedic stories, Abraham Levitan of the band Baby Teeth and Chicago Reader writer Brian Costello created a game show like no other: Shame That Tune. Hosted by Levitan and Costello and co-hosted by "The Coach," a.k.a. Time Out Chicago Books Editor Jonathan Messinger and "The Intern," a.k.a. Jeanine O'Tolle of the Chicago chamber-pop collective, The 1900s.

An obvious spin on the '50s game show, Name That Tune, the game consists of three contestants who each spin the wheel with varying musical sub-genres such as Bob Dylan's Christian Phase, George Jones/Tammy Wynette or J-Lo and Ja Rule. Once the genre is determined the contestant, or victim as the case may be, reads an amusing and/or embarrassing anecdote from their junior high or high school diary for no more than three minutes. Then Costello interviews the contestant upon which Levitan performs a song he has composed on the spot about the diary entry in the style of the music genre chosen by the wheel. The audience's response determines the winner and then they are awarded a prize donated by local businesses.

In this particular installment of the show young-adult-novelist James Kennedy and Chicago-by-way-of-New-Orleans resident Nicole Freeland are featured. We think all of this public humiliation and demented music should prove to make for an extremely entertaining evening, and for only $5 it is a must-see spectacle. Check out a video preview of Shame That Tune after the jump.

Friday, September 10, at The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, 6:30p.m., $5, 21+