Modern Estrojams

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 22, 2005 5:37PM

One of the best weeks for live music in the city wraps up this weekend with two fests: Adventures in Modern Music at Empty Bottle and Estrojam 2005.

Adventures in Modern Music has had a rough go of it over the last couple days. First, Acid Mother’s Temple was forced to cancel their appearance due to visa issues. But no matter, as the mysterious Jandek stepped in to take its place. But with Hurricane Rita threatening Texas, Jandek and his Houston-based Corwood Industries record label suddenly had greater concerns than a show in Chicago. So now he’s out too.

As a result, AIMM lowered the ticket price to $10 for tonight’s show at Empty Bottle featuring Eats Tapes, Akron/Family and Harris Eisenstadt’s “The Soul and Gone” project. Everything you need to know about the music of Eats Tapes can be gleaned from their website’s homepage: they’re a twisted, psychedelic, electronic affair that’s equal parts confusion and head trip. Check the Empty Bottle website for more information on this weekend’s AIMM acts including Germany’s Isolee tomorrow, Earth on Saturday and Four Tet on Sunday.

Would it surprise you to learn that Estrojam’s program has a distinctly female bent? If so, perhaps it’s better if you spend the weekend brushing up on your cunning linguistical skills instead of seeing their lineup of female-fronted bands, vaginariffic films and thought-provoking workshops. Tonight’s early show at the Bottom Lounge features Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls while the late show is a record release party for the band Numbers, hosted by Tamale, the burlesque performer and flame-twirler (that is not a euphemism).

Saturday’s Estrojam film fest is up at Chicago Filmmakers in Andersonville (another shocker!) and is worth attending to see Go Fish director Guin Turner’s short film Hung, whose tag line is “five lesbians, a magic potion, something they never expected from sunrise to sunset.” Check out the Estrojam website for information on their street dancing and activism workshops.