Category > Locally Grown
Rarely is a record just a record to a DJ. There are many names and terms DJ uses to describe their records. Wax. 12-inches. 7-inches. 45s. Dubplates. Acetates. But the name that seems to sum up the relationship some DJs (myself included) have with vinyl is "black crack." Unlike digital music, which can be duplicated an infinite amount of times, vinyl carries with it the fun, and frustration, of scarcity. The exhilarating hope of being able to find something great …
Record producers are nuts. Perhaps the quintessential maniacal record producer is Phil Spector, originator of the "Wall of Sound," who was convicted earlier this year in the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson resulting in a prison sentence of 19 years to life. He brandished firearms in the studio on multiple occasions and may or may not have taken aim at John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and members of the Ramones (among others) while recording. The list could go on. Guy …
Jonathon Childers has one major problem to face Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 – he is finally happy. When a family member dies or a girlfriend walks out on him, it is much easier to scrawl a few angry words and work them into a song. Somewhere along the line his muses changed, the songs were still written, and he continued to move through bizarre and unsteady territory as a new musician in Champaign-Urbana. Childers' musical …
When I was a wee tyke of six years, I went out on the porch to watch Jack, our lawn mower, do his work. Jack always wore the same thing - jean overalls with blue flannel underneath. I was already drenched from the heat by my salty secretions, but somehow Jack always worked outside in that flannel. I was drinking my cherry Kool-Aid on the porch, when he began to walk toward me. As he meandered up the stairs, he …
This story is not about how Nic Dillon almost died last summer. It's a story about how Nic and his wife Heather (who make up the Champaign-Urbana duo, Casados) choose to live a quiet and idyllic life together in this charming town. I pulled up to their yellow stucco abode on an unusually warm day. Stunning. Nic scooped up their loveable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Sadie, before she got the chance to pounce. "You're not allergic to dogs, are you?" …
A quaint Laura Ingalls Wilder-style town in the middle of the woods serves as the perfect inspiration for novels of throbbing heartache and a Bon Iver album, but it's not the ideal place for a break dancing 10-year-old to grow up. By the time the late '90s rolled around, local musician and DJ Larry Gates knew that greener pastures were located far from the fields of Indiana. As a kid, Gates escaped the covered wagon festivals of his Indiana hometown …
The microphone drips with a foul mix of sweat and PBR as it teeters and jolts among a cacophony of cymbals. A crowd of drunken friends scream along with their favorite songs and beat each other to the point of fresh pink bruises. The air is tight and hot as the teens suck down volumes of secondhand smoke. Cigarette butts burn arms and ears, a friend is hooking up with the merch girl out back and the band is slowly …
You’ve been there. You’ve shoved in the fluorescent orange ear plugs, saddled up to a Long Island iced tea, braved the crowds to catch your favorite band and maybe even seen a comedy show or two. The Canopy Club is Champaign-Urbana’s sole strictly music venue, but how much do you know about its 10-year history and what’s to come? Believe it or not, it all started at Brother’s — well, sort of. Throughout the ‘90s, Ian Goldberg promoted shows at …
For some, music is simply a way to pass the time – a few sound waves slipping through the headphones to entertain their ears. For Jake Fleischli, music is audio nicotine, filling a craving for the hard stuff (Bob Dylan) he’s had since childhood. Music is both therapeutic, addictive and the reason he started the band Tractor Kings in 1998. Tractor Kings has seen a complicated web of local musicians in its 10-year history. It all began with a two …
A law school student and a maker of dental bridges seems like an unlikely pairing for an ethereally hypnotic band. Then again, Common Loon isn’t your run-of-the-mill pair. Their band is only one piece of a cryptic life puzzle for two of Champaign-Urbana’s most reserved men. Matthew Campbell and Robert Hirschfeld are the guarded duo behind the band Common Loon. The two have spent years together and apart, and worked odd jobs in odd places along the way. They balance …
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/