Category > Interviews
In the spring of last year, Adam Barnett — then, a first year sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (he transfered from Drexel University in Philadelphia) — saw the need for a true college radio station on campus, and set out to satisfy it. Within the next few months, Pizza.fm is slated to evolve into the University of Illinois’ only student operated free-form non-commercial radio station. “College radio is like the hub of independent music … it was …
Thursday, March 8, Mike 'N Molly’s will be the scene of regalo por korazon, a gift for Kora. Several C-U bands and musicians will come together to perform during the benefit concert, with proceeds going to the Korazon Ferguson fund, a fund set-up for three-year-old Kora Ferguson, whose mom, Annie Ferguson, passed away suddenly in February at the age of 29. The line-up scheduled for the benefit starts off with Kayla Brown and Mike Ingram, followed by Ryan Groff, then …
Electronic games are big business. Sixty-five percent of current American households play some sort of electronic video game (console or computer), and the financial stakes are huge. These days, the creative output of the game companies rivals any action movie coming out of a Hollywood studio. With the release of Saints Row the Third, local entertainment software/game company Volition is taking the players of the SR franchise further than ever before; giving them game play like never before and making …
"We ain't got no pride, really. We just haul in on an ol' truck and kick ass." -- Billy Joe Shaver Billy Joe Shaver, perhaps the most underappreciated songwriter in the history of outlaw country, will take the stage at the Historic Rose Bowl Tavern in Urbana at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. It's great to see a WWHP-sponsored show back at the Rose Bowl; tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Shaver, with whom I spoke on the …
Under the dim glow of far-off streetlights on the concrete steps of the Krannert Center ampitheatre on Sunday night, 15 or so members of the C-U Collective put the finishing touches on their plans for last night's benefit show at Mike 'N Molly's. The group also discussed t-shirt designs, bake sales, album distribution, house show publicity, and other ephemera that go along with their wide-ranging goals. According to their website, the C-U Collective "is a group of Champaign-Urbana residents involved …
Honey & Glue | Iron Post | Sunday | 3-6 p.m. This Sunday, from 3-6pm, the Iron Post in downtown Urbana will host the first-ever “Honey and Glue” show. “Honey and Glue” is a collection of eleven local and nationally based lyricists and composers collaborating to write multiple songs using the same set of lyrics. I had the opportunity to speak with project founder, Steve Davenport. Here’s what he had to say. Smile Politely: What inspired the creation of the …
God-Des & She have been a hip-hop duo since they met in Madison, Wisconsin in 1999. Since then, they've moved to New York and become known all over the world due to being featured in the documentary Hip Hop Homos and their appearance on The L Word (where they sang their irreverent and thrillingly sexy song "Lick It"). Their song "Love You Better" held the number one spot on MTV LOGO for fifteen consecutive weeks. And this month, they were …
Nashville sweethearts Those Darlins have quite a reputation. The southern quartet ― a trio of fiery females and their lone male counterpart, drummer Linwood Regensburg — emerged out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee nearly five years ago, playing rough-edged rock with a country twang. Since then they've released two albums and toured extensively, lighting up crowds with grit and gristle, leaving stages in sweaty disarray. They're loud, they're uncouth, they're sometimes off-key and off-kilter, but there's no doubting their authenticity.
My first exposure to Gang Gang Dance was at this year's Pitchfork Festival, where I happened past their stage on my way to another show. I stuck around for a bit simply based on the fact that any band with as many percussion instruments as Gang Gang Dance has to be worth watching. I was pleasantly surprised when they went into a slow-building synthesizer jam, gradually adding more and more instruments and echoed-out vocals until they hit a huge, booming …
Washed Out comes to Canopy Club Friday night in the midst of an "exhausting" worldwide tour that's spanned about the past two months. Perhaps more importantly though, Ernest Greene comes to town in a constantly evolving state, thinking about what he can do to make things sound better and how he can change things up the next time around. He's really just starting and we get to see some of the early stages of his growth. Greene, 28, has taken …
Most Recent Music Comments
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
That article almost looks like something out of The Onion
Thanks! I’m looking forward to writing even more….
Yay! Love this! Welcome to the family!
that last photo’s a doozie, Chris. good work.
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Most Recent Comments
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
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Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/