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Smile Politely highlights the best events in the Champaign-Urbana area.
During the original flourishing of what is often referred to now as Americana or “old-time” music, the American south was rife with a musical integration that stood in sharp contrast to the strictest segregation in the country. Musicians both black and white played country music, and prior to its codification in the commercialism of Nashville, certain old-time country songs were indistinguishable from the blues and gospel that heavily informed them.
Sleepy downtown Urbana is a diamond in the rough around these parts. The fact that you can always get a table at Crane Alley or squeeze into the Iron Post for a jazz show may be troubling to the owners of the joints at times, but to consumers, it leaves a lasting impression; these are places where everybody might literally know your name if you give them your time (and money).
Lincoln Square Village will be crawling with hundreds of audiophiles starting as early as doors will allow, this Saturday, May 17 at 8 a.m. The annual Vintage Vinyl sale begins at the crack of dawn (for those the love to r-a-w-k). Those waiting in line usually can be found scanning their prepared list of records to hunt for as soon as they step foot in the sale.
The folks at the Canopy Club love local music. And so do we.
Tonight the Canopy will host an evening of local performances, dubbed "A Tribute to Local Bands." The schedule features nearly everyone that can play an instrument in town — and their mothers. (Well, maybe not moms, though given the weekend it wouldn't be a bad idea.) If you can't find something in this lineup to appeal to your ears, well, you just aren't listening. So away we go with the enormous roster.
Anyone who grew up in these "twin towns" knows about the Chester Street Bar. During Reagan's first and second terms, when tolerance about the LGBT lifestyle was far lower than it is now, the bar was uniformly stereotyped as such: a gay bar. Now, since Ellen came out of the closet on television and people like RuPaul and Carson Kressley were almost universally embraced, Chester Street has become what it was always meant to be: simply, a tolerant club that offers central Illinois the best place to dance in 150 miles.
Nekromancy on Monday nights are no exception. The residency is held by DJ Sorcerykid (pictured above on the left) is the longest running industrial and electronic club night in the state of Illinois. Considering the fact that Chicago is arguably home to the strongest industrial scene in the western world, that is saying a lot.
What could get you out and about tonight, despite the thunderstorm warnings?
How about a show at friendly downtown hub Mike 'N Molly's?
How about local hip-hop hero Krukid (feat. The Sugargliders) headlining, following sets by fellow Broke Rappers Text and Cornbread?
What if we threw in Kristovs Agenda and fantastic electro-pop act Eureka Brown?
That's what is offered to you, folks, and admission's not going to cost you ten dollars. It's not going to cost you five dollars, or even two dollars, or even one single dollar.
All this is available for you tonight absolutely free of charge.
The free show begins tonight at Mike 'N Molly's, 105 N. Market St. in Champaign, at 7 p.m. Click the jump to experience Eureka Brown and add some sunshine to your Friday.
The Link Gallery at Krannert Art Museum is exactly that: a hallway that essentially serves as a link between the School of Art + Design and the art museum that houses the university's permanent collection, as well as touring shows and exhibitions. Tonight, May 1, the Link Gallery will reprise its role as one of the newest and most welcomed venues in the local music scene.
Oceans, who have been known to throw a house party or two, will take to the stage starting at 5:30 p.m. to support the Animation Festival that is being showcased by students of FAA.
This show should be an excellent warm-up for the band, who plans to spend part of their summer on the road. Check out their MySpace link above for the dates.
The genre tags on Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s MySpace read “Indie/Psychedelic/Alternative.” Rarely do these meaningless little signifiers communicate so effectively a band’s inherent dilemma. Peter Hayes, Robert Turner, and Nick Jago have spent their career as a band sort of gingerly straddling these three genres and the attendant fan bases, resulting in a somewhat muddled oeuvre marked by moments of transcendence, but also a persistent hesitancy. They never quite go the whole nine yards in any one sonic direction, and one result of this tendency has been mercurial and occasionally awkward departures from album to album. They always seem a bit too self-consciously stylized for the indie kids, a little too rough for mainstream alternative, and nowhere near as oddball as hardcore psych fans would require. The result has been a band that is constantly on the radar, but who no one can really claim as his or her favorite. Perhaps it’s in the name.
Programming at the Urbana Free Library never ceases to amaze me. Tonight Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion's nationwide tour brings them to town to perform a free concert a part of the library's "Heroes" series. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
Sarah Lee is the daughter of folk rocker Arlo Guthrie and granddaughter of the legendary Woody Guthrie — there's no doubt that talent runs in the family. Guthrie and Irion's music resembles the lyricism of Bob Dylan, mirror the spirits of June and Johnny Cash and continues the legacy of her grandfather's one-of-a-kind sound. Click here for a quick taste of Guthrie and Irion performing an acoustic set. And make your way to the library tonight to catch the darling duo live.
The Urbana Free Library is located at 210 W. Green St. in Urbana.
Tribal drums rain down, town folk flock over, bass and saxophone debate, but in the end, get together. Afro-Cuban drumming meets free jazz and flirts with electronica. And the ensemble is constituted of 11 members. My oh my, what do we have here?
Sonic Liberation Front, a Philadelphia based group, performs this Saturday at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. With their first album, Water and Stone, released in 2001, SLF continues to expand the all-encompassing genre known as jazz. Now with three albums and several collaborations ranging from free jazz pioneer James “Sunny” Murray to alternative television producer Termite TV Collective, SLF is set to push the boundaries of music.
To all the patrons of the local music scene who keep looking for a way to make a difference: here is a way to make a difference.
High Anxiety Music Center — where local bands can rent rehearsal space, local fans can see great all-ages shows (with an old-school house party vibe) and anyone with the proper hankering can receive recording advice, studio time and, perhaps, even a record deal — is closing.
The house, located at 302 S. State St., was put on the market last week due to the landlord's financial troubles and an illness in the family. None of the parties interested in purchasing the house are similarly interested in letting High Anxiety Music remain.
President Ralph Petrella (a Smile Politely contributor) is putting out an open call for volunteers to help move some large items from the house this Sunday, April 27th. In addition, much of the furniture from the house will be for sale, so stop by if you're interested in some pieces with a bit of local history.
High Anxiety is hosting two remaining shows in the space before they have to fully vacate early next month, and the first is tomorrow with High Anxiety favorites Deconstructing Jim and Withershins. Admission to the 9 p.m. show is $5, so pack up your friends, give your money, lend a hand or an ear, and see what you can do to help. Who knows — perhaps the next home of High Anxiety Music is for rent on your street.
A show like this, on the surface, sounds like something of a novelty: hip-hop and indie rock? Together? This is the stuff that gets pulled off on major festival circuits, but how will it fare in the C-U community? Perhaps that’s putting naïve words into the mouths of our hyper-educated viewers, but it’s a question worth asking despite the fact that this type of show has gone on for quite some time around town. Krukid shows up here, Larry Gates shows up there; at The Great Cover-Up, rock bands cover hip-hop acts for a full set, from Absinthe Blind performing as the Beastie Boys on through Beat Kitchen’s rendition of Run-DMC. Point in case, though this might be the first to call attention to the relationship between hip-hop and indie rock by name, the C-U music community is no stranger to cross-genre shows.
Also of note is that the pairing of these genres, increasingly related in terms of PR if nothing else, makes a whole lot of sense: In both cases, grassroots promotion plays a giant role in getting the word spread about the quality of musical acts, from venues such as MySpace to the traditional word-of-mouth. To boot, independent acts of both the rock and hip-hop varieties (not to mention most other genres) are the ones who consistently expand upon respective boundaries, the proverbial meal tickets for the future of music.
The most open-minded fans of experimental or avant-garde music will — in their most private moments — admit they know precisely why the great majority of music-listeners tend to shy away from their chosen genre. It' s not necessarily because the music is harsh or dissonant, or because it lacks a recognizable structure. Everything from new age to Timbaland contains some or all of these elements.
Hey kids, did ya hear? “World music” is fast becoming the new hipster-approved genre of the week. A recent spate of indie rock bands like Vampire Weekend, and Yeasayer and the requisite Pitchfork best new frenzy prompted a recent Tribune article proclaiming the “fading boundaries of world music.” Freak-folk? Yesterday’s news. Bust out your marimbas. Paul Simon is the new Vashti Bunyan. Take that, Sasha Frere-Jones!
Tonight at the Independent Media Center, Modern Skirts, hailing from Athens, Georgia, will perform as openers for Nashville indie-rockers Parachute Musical and local atmospheric rock duo Common Loon. The power-poppy Modern Skirts, gearing up to release their sophomore album this fall, recently had their single "Motorcade" featured on a Q Magazine sampler, and will be opening for REM this summer in Amsterdam.
Be sure to catch them tonight before it costs you more than one of those creepy new fives to see them.
The Independent Media Center is located at 202 S. Broadway Ave. in Urbana. The show starts at 8 p.m., admission is five dollars, and is all-ages and alcohol-free.
Brace yourselves, campus dwellers.
Ben Folds, the actually really great pop songsmith, returns to campus for the third time in the last eight years. Ben Lee opens the show, which will no doubt be more fun than a trip to the zoo on ecstasy.
Starcourse, the campus-based concert committee must have really reached deep into their bag of tricks for this one. A quick glance at their website will tell you who they have brought to town over the past 100 years. And the last ten years confirms it: this organization is hanging out with the wrong people.
Tickets are $29 for students and $31 for the general public.
This weekend promises variety when it comes to one of the finest new bands in town. Kristov’s Agenda has finally arrived. So, what makes this particular weekend so special?
Why none other than not just one, but two, CD release shows for the band that takes cues from everyone from Radiohead, to Massive Attack, to Portishead, to MF Doom, that's what.
Upon the premiere of last year’s indie film sensation Juno, Kimya Dawson said, “I am excited for when the soundtrack comes out. But […] it's all really scary for me. Some of those songs were recorded in my bed in Bedford Hills, under the covers, on the 4-track. And when people were coming up to me telling me I did a great job, it felt weird because I didn't do a job. I wrote a bunch of crap when my heart was hurting.”
Anti-folk pioneer and cult favorite Kimya Dawson was launched into sudden stardom last year with the release of the Juno soundtrack, on which her music was heavily featured. Dawson, who performed as one-half of The Moldy Peaches until 2004, began a solo career when the band went on hiatus, recording a series of heartfelt lo-fi albums, the latest titled Remember That I Love You – a phrase that could also serve as a mantra for Dawson’s music.
There once was a moniker named Manitoba, and behind the mask was Dan Snaith — Ontarian musicmaster, purveyor of a style bred in isolation and unpredictable as such, a blender of styles as diverse as Kraut-rock, dance, ‘90s indie, techno, and the twee jangle of certain classic rock maestros. After two records and a bizarre lawsuit over his nom de plume, Snaith re-emerged as Caribou. He’s up to the same old business — a strange mix of progress and homage — and along with two records, The Milk of Human Kindness and 2007’s Andorra, Snaith has also re-released his records previously available as Manitoba (Start Breaking My Heart and the enigmatic Up In Flames). Each of these records boasts its own vision, an installment of sorts in Snaith’s catalog of musical mania. The progress has seen Snaith grow from recording electronic music in his bedroom to a highly ecstatic, organic style that transcends genre altogether.
There are many notable things about Bon Iver. The first is that the band name is purposefully misspelled, according to the press kit, and is pronounced "bohn eevair;" I’m not sure this is the technical language of pronunciation, but those with even menial training in French can recognize this as a version of the French for “good winter.” The second thing is that Bon Iver is the stage name for Justin Vernon, who sometimes has a couple of bandmates in tow despite the fact that he wrote and recorded the brilliant album For Emma, Forever Ago in literal isolation in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin. (For Emma was self-released in 2007 and picked up by Jagjaguwar for its February 2008 wide release.) Tonight, Vernon will play a sort folk music for you.
Call it a mash-up of the arts or a quick case of amnesia.
Hollywood Video, a video rental store situated on the corner of Neil and Green streets, is not known for it's reputation as a live music venue. And that is probably because they have never hosted a live band before.
That all changes tonight at 8:00 p.m. when the Covington, IN band, Axxis, will take the "stage" for Student Appreciation Night at the video rental mainstay open since 1997.
Students will be treated to free pizza and able to rent one movie and get another free while the band, which could best be described as "angry", rocks out for the last part of the store's regular business hours.
Hollywood Video is located at 512 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820. There is no cover charge. Obviously.
Bows up, eyes alert, as this Sunday, National Public Radio host Garrison Keillor conducts the Champaign-Urbana Symphony. Together with music director Steven Larsen, whose 11 years amidst C-U Symphony is sure to provide an exceptional experience.
Expect humor, bow ties, upright citizens and of course, passionate music.
Keillor is best known for NPR's radio variety show, A Prairie Home Companion or for Disney fans, Odin's voice in animated series Hercules. The Minnesota native boasts of books, audio cassettes and poetry, all entangled in his quirky sense of humor.
Though not as heinous as the act of rape itself, blaming rape victims is an infuriating practice that, for reasons beyond this writer, has not yet died. (You might ask the Los Angeles Times or Cosmo about that
one — both have run articles since the beginning of the year that did exactly that.)
Locally, we're fortunate to have Rape Crisis Services. Not only are they advocating for and providing services to victims of rape, they're also educating students and community members about sexual harassment, rape and how to support rape victims. And they're out there dispelling rape myths, too (such as that it could be a victim's fault).
This Saturday night, five local bands will come together to raise money to support all of Rape Crisis Services' programs at the fifth annual Rock Against Rape.
Stopping by the Canopy Club on a short spring jaunt through the northern Midwest and out to New York is Saddle Creek’s indie-rock veterans, Cursive. Expect a night of personal catharsis; a live musical exorcism led by front man Tim Kasher with his aggressive manner of unleashing his vocals.
Don’t let their unreliable website fool you — the B-Girls and B-Boys of UC Hip-Hop Congress are very busy these days. And this week they’re bringing you a whole host of events to celebrate Hip-Hop Awareness Week. Check it out — click the flyer thumbnails for full line-ups and event details.Let’s kick things off tonight with a good old-fashioned house party. This one features the likes of Braille (Portland, OR) and Nato Caliph (St. Louis, MO), among others.
BASIC House is located at 1008 S. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $5.
John Kosmopoulos knows what it means to keep doing what you love. And despite the fact that he is older than you might expect, you'd never guess it from his boyish good looks and endless charm. Plus, he can still throw as good of a party as anyone in this town. Not bad for someone who can remember Nixon in office.
Tonight at The Iron Post, local group The Brother Whys releases their debut album, I Wrote This With Our Bare Hands, to the self-proclaimed tune of Pixies and Built to Spill. If the songs available on their MySpace page are any indication, this is a group you would be wise (so sorry) to pay attention to — both their songwriting and the execution are tight.
The Brother Whys will be preceded tonight by special guest Lucky Mulholland, who will be coming out of winter hibernation to show off their power-pop sensibilities, and by Beat Kitchen vocalist, local legend (and chili chef) Brandon T. Washington.
The Iron Post is located at 120 S. Race St. in Urbana. The fun starts at 9 p.m. tonight, and cover is $5.
Local band Green Light Go may have dissolved in early 2006, but fans, take heart; the resurrection is at hand.
Hot Cops, the current project of former GLG bassist/vocalist Mike Daab, debuts tonight as a special guest with Hathaways and Snowsera (pictured). If you don't go to check out the ambient rock of Snowsera, or the talent of one Kate Hathaway and her not-even-barely-legal brother, go for the new music — who can say no to a hot cop?
After downtown bar and former venue Cowboy Monkey closed its doors to local music at the start of this year, rumors flew — were they tearing out the stage? Were they still hosting shows on weekends? Were they expanding the kitchen? Was this a knife in the back of the downtown music scene?
Let the rumors rest (for now) — this Saturday, Cowboy Monkey opens its doors to local music once again, hosting Ryan Groff, Casados, and Washington, D.C. act Vandaveer.
Ward Gollings, longtime talent buyer at the Monkey, is not surprised by the show, and blames local bloggers and forum-frequenters for fueling rumors: "(The show this weekend) does indeed indicate that there will be 'one-off' events and periodic shows. My two cents? Stop hating. And when you see or hear of a good band at Monkey, and you have the time, go see it. Same goes for every other venue in town."
Perhaps if enough people come out to show their support for this decision, a few hearts might grow three times bigger, and perhaps local music at the Monkey won't be such a rare occurrence.
The show starts at 9:00 p.m. and is mercifully located at 6 E. Taylor St., Champaign. Cover is $5.
John Isberg likes to wear a couple of different hats. It's just part of his style.
After performing with The Blackouts The Living Blue for a couple of months, Isberg paired up with The Firebird Band in 2001 where he joined Chris Broach for a series of high intensity releases and tours in the post-Braid era.
i:scintilla decided to relinquish their status as a "local band" earlier this year when they moved to Chicago. Generally speaking, I'd be the first to tell an indie band that this move is a bad one and that they were making a huge mistake. The rent is higher, the scene is harder to break into, and the chance of being "discovered" at something like MOBFest fell out of fashion at the onset of blog culture a few years back.
Fortunately for i:scintilla, they aren't an indie rock act at all.
It’s not every week that an act from overseas decides to stop in town, and tomorrow night the Canopy Club has Brighton England’s indie-rock post-punk revivalists British Sea Power.
From their great frantic spazztastic debut The Decline of British Sea Power, and their excellent sophomore effort, Open Season, the "Power" are now on tour supporting their latest full length, Do You Like Rock Music?
What exactly is "Northern Rock"? I am not quite sure, but I can state without question that I want to hear more of it if bands like Great Lakes Myth Society are leading the movement. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., this quintet led by the brothers Monger, have been churning out its dramatic brand of chamber pop since 1999. First known as the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, the band has morphed into its current incarnation after two core members left in 2002. By 2005, Great Lakes Myth Society was officially born and started making the rounds on the national indie scene with performances at SXSW and CMJ Music Marathon.
I know exactly what'll happen. I'll sit down, play a few holiday songs, and then some drunk jerk will yell out, "'Piano Man,'" and everybody will start clapping, and I'll look like a real asshole if I don't play it.
Tonight at The Canopy Club, The Piano Man will play in The Small Hall (moved from The Void Room), utilizing his extensive mental Filofax of songs to charm and entertain the masses. Fancy some Ben Folds, Coldplay, or Elton John with your Tuesday night? Is 105.9 not filling the Genesis-shaped void in your soul? If the music isn't enough to convince you that you're in a real piano bar, the special on $2 long island iced teas should help.
The Canopy Club is located at 708 S. Goodwin in Urbana. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 10 p.m. free show.
Excerpt from "What I would be Thinking about if I Were Billy Joel Driving Toward a Holiday Party Where I Knew There Was Going to Be A Piano," Michael Ian Black, McSweeney's Internet Tendency
George Hunter moved to “Catfish Haven” when he was four years old. He only lived in the rural trailer park for three or so years, but that was enough time for the place to leave an indelible impression on him. To hear him talk about Catfish Haven, the place, is to begin to understand Catfish Haven, the band.
“Catfish Haven was a really small stretch of land in southern Missouri . . . probably seven or eight trailers connected by a gravel road out in the middle of nowhere,” Hunter told me in a 2006 interview. “For a kid it was a magical place. I could explore everything. . . . Our neighbor had a pig pen and I would ride these pigs with my six year-old friend.”
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