Results tagged “elviscostello”

A little historical perspective never hurt anyone, and we're especially big fans of the photographic kind.

Ah, late February in Chicago. Cubs tickets go on sale today, there's a forecast for a high temperature above 35 degrees next week, and thousands of indie rock kids around Chicago will soon be shedding their parkas for high-priced hoodies bought from Wicker Park boutiques (tip: ours cost us $12 at Target!) for several worthwhile shows around the Chicago area. Lots of tickets go on sale this weekend. So, despite this crappy weather, there is, in the words of Spoon, "something to look forward to."

Here we go again ... The Police are coming back to town, playing Allstate Arena, with Elvis Costello opening. We enjoyed them immensely last time they came through town, but we'll probably pass on seeing them again, although Costello is a much more enticing opening act than Sting's son. But we reckon Costello was brought in to counter the fact that the immediate mix of nostalgia and excitement will probably make it harder to move tickets this time.

As music writers, we get the opportunity to hear a lot of stuff that flies under the radar for the average fan. There’s a little sense of pride in having a friend stop cold in the middle of a sentence, point to our car stereo, and ask “Who is this? This is really cool!” Never have we had that happen more often than when playing Jim Bianco’s 2004 release, Handsome Devil. Recorded with a 19-piece big band, including members of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, it’s a brainy, wildly creepy concept album about the disturbing power of the male libido. Weird, right? But it works, and if Elvis Costello and Serge Gainsbourg had a “what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas” kind of weekend with Tom Waits, Handsome Devil would undoubtedly be the soundtrack. It’s full of boozy, New Orleans-jazz tinged ballads and rollicking ragtime pop numbers, each one dripping with a come-hither sarcasm that makes you feel like Bianco’s got a few riverboat gambler’s tricks up his sleeve.

"Solitude." "Mood Indigo." "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing." Even Mary J. Blige covered "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me." These are all standards composed, of course, by Duke Ellington, arguably the greatest American composer of the 20th century. Yet he did not write his band's theme song, "Take the 'A' Train." That composition is by Billy Strayhorn. For 29 years he worked with Duke, shunning the spotlight even as he created or co-created some of the Ellington's greatest moments on record. Strayhorn was only 51 when he died of esophageal cancer. His best-known song "Lush Life," which he wrote while still a teenager, continues to live on in versions by the likes of Queen Latifah.

Gunther Murphy's, Tonight, 9 p.m., $8-10, 21+.

Though Chicago venues for genuinely soulful jazz and blues are dwindling, city denizens could always count on Chicago Public Radio’s WBEZ for their fix of these American art forms. But come 2007, none of the three CPR stations will carry blues, jazz, or any other music programming thanks to a switch to an all-talk format.

We here at Chicagoist sometimes get caught up in the latest, fastest and shiniest things, but every once in a while it's good to remember that there are old standbys that deserve our attention as well. Ravinia Festival released their summer schedule and from the CSO to jazz to blues, country and rock there is most definitely something for everyone. It's always nice to head out of the city with a picnic basket and a blanket to enjoy some entertainment with friends.

As Chicagoist walked through the cutting winds and cursed winter for overstaying its welcome, we tried to think happy thoughts about warmer climates. Since we've been listening to the torrent from South by Southwest, our minds drifted down to Texas and we imagines we were there sitting in the warm sun as we dined on BBQ and ice cold beer and listened to that sweet, sweet music. Then the dudes from ZZ Top showed up...

As Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols and others are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight, we’re wondering how important such an institution is in a time when a “Top 100 Fill-In-The-Blank Bands Of All Time” list pops up every time we turn on the television. After all, the best AP writer David Bauder can do is to masquerade this mash note to Debbie Harry as a news story about the ceremony.

We’re still suffering from a White Sox hangover so the very thought of staying out all night to see live music has us feeling a little nauseous. But if you’re a Cubs fan or looking for some good live music with your Halloween festivities then there are plenty of options this weekend. We love a good cover song and the notion of bands masquerading as other bands is a natural for Halloween. Beat Kitchen hosts...

When is a look back also a step forward? When an artist taps into the verve of his earlier work and uses it to re-assert his relevance almost thirty years after his debut. And so it is with the recent Graham Parker album Songs of No Consequence.

The darkness of Martyrs' contrasted the indie-pop stylings of David Singer and the Sweet Science this Thursday evening. The lyrics of the songs, however, wryly remind us why we're in the dark. David Singer's songs cover the range of human emotion. His Elvis Costello-esque voice relates the everyman's inner turmoil from dealing with crass commercialization or insecurity or love. The Sweet Science combine piano and guitar perfectly for their songs. Sitting at the tables around...

If you're heading down to sample all the tasty pre-cooked goodies at the Taste this weekend � Chicagoist once heard that pizza stand Bacino's starts prepping, and freezing, pies in January for the event � you may want to skip the food and just check out the free music acts at the Petrillo Band Shell instead. As with any Taste line-up, there are a fair number of uninteresting bands � in years past, that's included everyone from a past-their-prime Hootie & the Blowfish to the once-tolerable local mainstays Poi Dog Pondering. This year is no exception, with performances by not-bad-just-unspectacular musicians like Melissa Etheridge (tonight) and the Counting Crows (Sunday).

With the Jonathan Richman show postponed, the best musical bet this Friday night is over at Metro, where Austin's Spoon will perform. Combining some of the best elements of Elvis Costello and Wire, Britt Daniel�s band writes simple, infectious rock songs that make creative percussive use of handclaps and breathing sounds. (Chicagoist firmly believes that handclaps can make any good pop song great.) Spoon put on a solid live show, to boot, doing strong...