Results tagged “rock”

Glenn Kotche, drummer for Loose Fur and some other little local band named Wilco, plays percussion tonight with local avant-classical sextet eighth blackbird at The Harris Theater. Kotche's solo drumming is truly mind-blowing -- go on, watch one of his performances -- and we're told he will be debuting a brand new piece amongst some other familiar material.

              

The cooking demonstrations at Chicago Gourmet were easily the more popular events, despite the fact that tasting the prepared food was a no-no. Since tasting food at the entire event was a seemingly rare experience, who cares? Viking set up two pretty sweet kitchen counters and induction stovetops side by side, so that two chefs could simultaneously prepare dishes, taking turns describing their process and dishes. The Pritzker stage was very effectively transformed into a cooking studio. The induction ranges meant that water boiled at lightning speed and sauces sometimes bubbled over the top of pots but that dishes were completed in the 30 minute allotted time slots. Large, tilted mirrors above the kitchens allowed guests to see the action as it took place.

Losing a pet is a traumatic experience, and finally having to get rid of your pet supplies is a painful reminder of all the good times and happiness the little booger brought. Luckily, you can always take solace in the fact that someone else can surely create their own joyous memories with your carton of irregular cat hats.

For a while it seemed like Pegboy only played one show every two years, but recently the band has made a welcome return to regular appearances, at least in our area. We think it's fair to say they're the epitome of Chicago punk rock, especially since John Haggerty's buzz-saw guitars created the template from which a million other bands took their cues.

Los Dynamite hail from Mexico City, but if you heard them without knowing that tidbit you'd be more likely to think of them as either being based in Brooklyn or London. The band rarely sings in Spanish, and their songs sound way more like Interpol and their ilk. And when they do sing in Spanish, it's over angular art punk that renders the vocals importance more as an emotive instrument than a lyrical delivery system. What we're trying to say is that while Los Dynamite is technically a "Spanish Rock" band, they don't sound like anything you would expect to sprout up south of our border.

Honestly, we were once huge Smashing Pumpkins fans, we swear. But this weekend's vague announcement of a forthcoming Gish box set/anniversary re-release has snapped our last nerve. We refuse to plug Corgan any more until he actually talks James and D'arcy back into the band. That would be newsworthy.

The Black Hollies take the past so seriously it's hard to believe they exist in the present at all. The band is caught somewhere where it's perpetually 1967, The Marquee is still serving up maximum R-and-B, and scooters choke the streets and cause road hazards as forests of mirrors sprout out from the body of each bike. Sitars still count as "rawk" and even the most die-hard pill head isn't afraid of breaking into an occasional skiffle beat, hackneyed though it may sound.

After a waaaay too long delay, the Switches debut album Lay Down The Law is finally available in the U.S. Their song "Drama Queen" ensnared us last year with it's stomping glam beat, sneering Dandy Warhols-esque verses, and it's over the top Queen-sized chorus. The rest of the album took the promise of that original salvo and decimated our expectations in the best possible way.

It's been that kind of day over at the Bright One. First they find out that their Sam Zell video contest was won by a Tribune intern. Now they just discovered that Cal's, that venerable hole in the wall on Van Buren and Wells, is a great place to see a badass rock show (apologies to Wesley Willis).

Thomas Jefferson was good for lots of stuff, but Midwest state naming? Let's just say "Assenispia" isn't quite as catchy as "Illinois." This 1784 map shows Jefferson's proposed divisions of the land that eventual came our beloved region. From the amazing Strange Maps:

The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association wants us all to “Feel Magnificent,” and this month apparently that means knocking back the bubbly. Throughout February, businesses on the Magnificent Mile and its surrounding area have been serving champagne to diners and shoppers all along the Avenue, which means we have T minus 7 days to score some free (or reduced) sparkling goodness. The Mag Mile web site can fill you in on everywhere that’s filling flutes, but here are our suggestions on where to stop along your own personal “Champagne Crawl.”

Jay Reatard is playing Reggie's Rock Club tonight and we've got a pair of tickets for one lucky Chicagoist reader. Reatard lives in some glorious time warp where rockabilly cuts itself with broken glass and bashes headfirst into Dischord records. His songs throb with a spasmic energy and their anarchic structure is guaranteed to get the crowd spinning in circles, and the fists pumping the air.

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."

Baby, it's cold outside ... but Chicago's brightest musical talent is on display at a cozy venue near you. Here are some solid bets for this week:

At the risk of feeding the hype machine, we still have to offer a congratulations to Mr. Kanye West for pulling in some Grammy gold last night. While we still don't buy the Grammys as an accurate barometer of the music industry and what's actually, you know, good in music these days, it's still the industry's main award show so there's something to be said for coming away with multiple trophies. While the night's big winner was Amy Winehouse, Kanye still managed to pull in four awards, as well as one of the night's most memorable acceptance speeches (surprise!) when he gave producers the verbal smack-down for trying to run him off in the middle of a tribute to his mother.

Some say that all great works of art are inspired by something or someone: the ever elusive muse. For many, the muse is a real person, be it someone to impress or just someone to one up. Many times these people are the stories behind the story, which is why "For Whom" is the theme for tonight's reconstruction room reading.

While we’re still waiting for today’s high temperature, the forecast calls for things to warm above freezing -- a welcome relief for dog walkers and CTA commuters in every neighborhood. Tomorrow’s temps will be well above freezing, melting all the snow, and creating the possibility of ice jams and flooding on the Rock and Kankakee rivers.

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If you're anything like Chicagoist, you're counting the days (only 382!) 'til Shrub is out and new leadership is in. And hey, America, let's not screw it up this time.

Tomorrow night kicks off Metro's "Home For The Holidays" weekend with a veritable who's who of Chicago-based bands that have had big 2007s. We've waxed ecstatic about OFFICE and the 1900s plenty in the past, so now we'd like to direct your attention to our favorite part of the undercard and encourage you to get out there early.

Sixty years ago today, David Mamet was born, and we get a kick imagining the first word out of his mouth once he acquired the ability to speak being "fuck." To be fair, anyone who watches The Unit on CBS 2 Tuesday nights knows that Mamet doesn't need to swear to get his dialogue across. But sometimes it's just funner. In honor of Mamet's birthday we look back at one of his classic scenes:...

Is it just us, or is this one of those weeks that never stops? Looking ahead at our weekend musical calendar, we're realizing we're not going to get any sleep until we fall into a Thanksgiving dinner-induced coma next week. Oh music, we do it all for you.

Yesterday we learned that almost all of us have toxic chemicals hanging out in our bodies, and artists and musicians are no exception to the rule. Visual artists are often exposed to harmful chemicals on a long-term basis. Musicians risk hearing loss and/or vocal chord strain after a long career playing in loud clubs. And both groups risk repetitive motion disorders such as carpal tunnel. The upcoming Musicians at Work forum at the Cultural Center...

A recent agreement between the National Lacrosse League and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association prevented a cancellation of the 2008 indoor lacrosse season. Yesterday, the Chicago Shamrox, Chicago's indoor pro lacrosse franchise, announced their 2008 schedule . The Shamrox will host seven Saturday night games and one Sunday afternoon game. They will kick off their season at home on January 5 against the Toronto Rock, and the 16-game regular season runs through April 26. They play their home games at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, and individual tickets for this season start at $15 a game.

In a move sure to send ripples throughout the video game community, Electronic Arts, aka EA, is shuttering its Chicago office effective immediately. In case that leaves you scratching your head, EA is responsible for such gaming franchises as Madden NFL, The Sims, The Orange Box, and the upcoming Rock Band. The now former studio was located at 215 W. Ohio. According to EA Games president Frank Gibeau, shutting down the Chicago branch was “the...

Since its restoration in 2005 the Portage Theater has become a popular destination for music, movies (it's the home base for the Silent Film Society of Chicago) and live theater. This time of year, Portage Theater management and the folks at the Six Corners Association use the theater to screen some classic scary movies. This year's line-up casts a wide net across silent film, the classic Universal monster movies, modern horror, and a little bit...

We hope you're ready to hop to it because this week's EOYW includes shows that have tickets going on sale within the next 24 hours. Get ready to spend some quality time sitting in the Ticketmaster queue.

Intonation is back! And they’ve partnered with the MCA to put on a big ‘ole party as part of the museum’s 40-year celebration. Even better? The whole show is as free as air. Intonation’s Rock/Art kicks off on tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a whole slew of local bands, representing some of the most notable sounds to come out of Chicago in the recent past. When you get there, check out the new Sympathy...

This is part of Chicagoist's continuing coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival.