Tim Larson & The Owner Operators first record together, A New Deal, comes out April 15, 2011. This record follows Larson's earlier release, No Weapons, No Allies, a largely solo effort. The band will play the new record in its entirety at a record release show at The Beat Kitchen in Chicago (also April 15). The opening band on that bill is also worth a listen, Wolf Ram Heart. In addition to touring bands (like those below these photos) there will beChicago bands featured here from now on. All you folks who live elsewhere should hear about the bands from the area--there are lots of good ones. You can say you heard of them first here. Reggies is a venue on South State Street in Chicago. People who live on the North side of the city will not go here. They act like anything south of the loop is on the dark side of the moon, and utterly impossible to get to without assistance from NASA. Reggies has a 17+ venue, Reggie's Rock Club and a 21 and up venue as well. There is also a super cool record store on site too. It is well worth putting on your G-suit and blasting off. Tim Larson & The Owner Operators will likely be playing shows outside Chicago to support the record. Larson will also play solo in support around the country. Check the band website (linked above) for updates.
0 Comments
Tony Lucca played a show on March 1st at Space in Evanston, a small, but not too small, venue in one of the few Chicago suburbs worth visiting (no offense Schaumburg!). Lucca has six studio records out and his latest is, Rendezvous With The Angels, features Sara Bareilles. Lucca opened for her on a recent tour. Lucca's three-piece band are not going to appeal to all you punk rockers out there. They are a three piece who infuse a great deal of acoustic (be it guitar or piano) songs into the set and have an almost bluesy tinge. For info and tour dates www.tonylucca.comLucca also did something many might think impossible; He played a cover of Billy Joel's Vienna and I didn't run screaming from the room. His version was so emotive it made me think not only "Billy Joel did actually write some good songs" but "I should listen to some old Billy Joel records." NOW, if you do not want to go back to the works of Joel, fair enough, but Lucca's new record also includes his version of, Vienna. A little tidbit of information Tony Lucca is probably sick to death of having disseminated is that, as a kid, he was on the Mickey Mouse Club, sharing the stage with the likes of Justin Timberlake. The thing is, there really is no connection between Lucca and that any more than there is between Tom Hanks being the co-star on that show where he had to wear a dress with Peter Scolari (who now does ED commercials). I did some interviews with a clean-shaven Lucca a few years back about his music gear. He was pleased to be talking about gear and not all the starlets he'd dated or known. Space is a non-profit (The Society For The Preservation of Art & Culture in Evanston). The venue is all ages and caters to a pretty wide variety of bands but with a definite slant to the singer/songwriter, folksy, blues and lighter rock varieties. It isn't a good bet for Death Metal.
Fences are really worth seeing if you are into slightly, SLIGHTLY morose, indie rock n roll. Initially I thought to myself, “They remind me of the better parts of latter day Bright Eyes.” But as the set went on I started thinking about Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon or even Mark Eitzel. Certainly they are not as morose as the first few on that list hence the emphasis on the word “slightly.” Their show at Beat Kitchen was an extended "opening band" set. They are certainly a band to watch and if they were to get some exposure, let’s say at a big festival in a large city like Chicago, they could be a band you will hear a lot about in a few months. Remaining tour dates- 2/18 Hoboken @ Maxwell's 2/19 NYC @ Mercury Lounge 2/20 Washington, DC @ Red Palace 2/21 Philadelphia @ KungFu Necktie 2/23 Boston, Ma @ Middle East Upstairs 3/16, Mission, TX @ Las Palmas Race Park 3/17-3-19 SXSW Black and white worked better in the light conditions, although maybe not all that well. The last three color photos are pics I thought were interesting accidents. I have a large number of variants on these pics, most of these were chosen in the usual Zen way. Not Specific To This Show But What The Hell? Why is it that people, especially during artists who are not playing speed metal, feel the need to talk incessantly? I saw several people, small groups, two together--TALKING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS. And, since I could hear the conversations as I circled around I could also tell that they were TALKING ABOUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. If you want to talk, go out to the bar. Otherwise, shut the fuck up, you self-absorbed idiots. Under different circumstances I might feel pity that you have such a hole in your soul that you cannot, under any circumstances, shut UP. That you have to gibber constantly about nothing to remind people you are there.
But when other people are trying to listen to musicians? I withhold my pity. I am sure these same people, some of whom didn’t pay any attention whatever to the band, will tell people they saw a “great” show. The Church Play New Record & Two Classics In Their Entirety The Church's latest tour consists of the band playing three albums in their entirety. First they play their latest record, Untitled #23, and follow it, in succession, with Priest=Aura and Starfish. The latter two are arguably the bands two classic recordings (although Remote Luxury or Gold Afternoon Fix might be in the mis for this too). This does them a bit of a disservice as The Church have produced thoughtful and engaging music all through their career. This is part of a trend, a lot of artists are playing complete albums, from Lucinda Williams to Cheap Trick. It isn't a bad idea but there is something to seeing a show where you don't know what record the next song is from. It also excludes a lot of great material from a band as prolific and as long standing as The Church. On a non-musical note, the folks at Park West in Chicago, the staff, are the most pleasant at any venue in the city. Sure, most of the venues have professional staff (and some, who shall remain unnamed, have staff that act is if patrons are a terrible inconvenience) but it is noticeably a step above even the good ones at Park West. Above I include pictures of drummer, Tim Powles, because everyone always ignores the drummer. Which is totally unfair and even though I have been known to tell the odd drummer joke (What do you call someone who likes to hang out with musicians? A drummer!) I have great respect for our stick wielding brethren. As a note on the photography, there was no flash used on any of these, just a monopod, varied shutter speeds and ISO. Why is this? I would like to say it is totally an aesthetic thing. BUT there is one, purely inartistic, reason--It is obnoxious to blast someone in the face with a flash at close quarters while they are working. And while I may be obnoxious, I am not that obnoxious. One of the records, often overlooked, by The Church, that will stand as a classic, as some years pass, is After Everything, Now This. To hear songs live you will have to wait until another tour. Below Are Photos That Are Blurry But I Liked Them Anyway. Lets Pretend they are artistic. REMAINING DATES
Feb 15 - Philadelphia, PA. - The Trocadero Feb 16 - New York, NY. - Highline Ballroom Feb 17 - New York, NY. - B.B. King's Feb 18 - Foxboro, MA. - Showcase Live Feb 21 - Greenville, SC - Handlebar (acoustic) Feb 22 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse photos in gallery above by David DeSanto (during set up) David J DJs With Scary Lady Sarah & William Faith "There's nothing to SEE here, you can dance if you want too..." said David J. And, although the crowd at the Bottom Lounge was not massive (two days after 2 feet of snow this is not surprising) they eventually complied.
Was the set a DJ set in the respect that everyone is accustomed to these days? Probably not. It was more like, as J said, you sitting around in his living room while he played some music for you--kind of a nice evening for any Bauhaus or Love & Rockets Fans. I wish he had been at tad more egotistical and played some of his own tunes but complaining about someone not being egotistical is pretty silly. He also appeared the next night to spin a song or two and do a meet and greet at Late Bar in Chicago. I didn't go so now pictures. |
photos by Patrick Ogle (excepting where noted)
This section is based around photos. Cannot promise they are all going to be GREAT photos but we will do our best. If you want to USE these for a NON COMMERCIAL* purpose? Feel free (except where noted) but do link back and give us credit as "photos by mapanare.us" These are under copyright and your use is restricted. Get permission. Categories
All
Archives
August 2013
|