The Overture: May 18–24
With school, work, family, and checking on your sump pump, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken care of it. Here are the must-see shows of the week:
When: Monday May 18
What: Jazz Jam hosted by the MRS Trio
Where: The Iron Post, 7 p.m., free
Residents of C-U—be thankful that we've got folks with the chops to keep our music scene thriving in the absence of practically every young person for the next three weeks. The Iron Post should be on your list of regular stops to catch any number of great bands from all different genres of music. Each Monday night, MRS Trio hosts a jazz jam to help you get through that first shitty day back to work. And with little else happening around town in the ways of live music, it makes it that much more attractive.
When: Thursday, May 21 through Sunday, May 24
What: Summer Camp Music Festival
Where: Three Sisters Park; Chillicothe, Ill.; $155 in advance and $170 at the gate
Tips for enjoying Summer Camp Festival: First, grab a bag of mushrooms. Next, pack your dugout tight with heady nugs. Stuff them into your crotch, nice and tight. Drive to Peoria and head north on Rt. 29 to Chillicothe, Ill. and wait for the smell of patchouli to hit your nostrils. You'll know you are there. Eat one cap and one stem every six hours, followed by a hitter of tweed and wait for Willie Nelson to hit the stage on Sunday. Don't have sex with anyone — no matter what. Enjoy!
When: Friday May 22
What: BLÖWER
Where: Mike N' Molly's, 11:00 p.m., $TBD
The name Doug Evans might sound vaguely familiar to the 35+ set in Champaign. In case it doesn't, he was the front man and songwriter for the seminal Champaign indie-punk band The Didjits, in the late '80s and early '90s. He now lives in Austin, where so many other fantastic artists who never "made it" currently reside as well. But with age, that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. His new band, BLÖWER, (umlaut and all) will be rolling through town this Friday night as part of the Play or Pose Reunion taking place all weekend at various spots around downtown Champaign. We highly recommend checking out these shows, as it's a great glimpse into where the scene was just 20 years ago.
When: Saturday May 23
What: Common Loon with My Werewolf Diary and Constant Velocity
Where: Bentley's, 10:00 p.m., $3
Of the newer bands performing regularly in Champaign-Urbana these days, not many seem to pack as much punch as Common Loon, who drench their guitar–drums sound in layer of reverb. Perfect pitch melodies combine with clean guitars and backing tracks to make some of the finest pop music since Headlights first started strumming. Both Matt and Robert write, record, sing, produce, perform, and refine these songs to the point where, when you close your eyes, you'd swear there were at least five people on stage. But it's just a duo. They perform at Bentley's, one of the more intimate rooms in Champaign, with My Werewolf Diary and Constant Velocity. Cover is so cheap you'd think it was 1989. My Werewolf diary is pretty much New Ruins' acoustic alter ego, and William Gillespie interviewed Alex from Consant Velocity last November.
When: Saturday, May 23
What: Eske with We Must Dismantle All This! and Augmentor
Where: McKinley Foundation; 7:00 p.m.; $5
Hardcore punk fans will want to gravitate toward campus this Saturday for Chicago-based Eske and local folks We Must Dismantle All This and Augmentor. Check out our profile with the concert organizers from last week, and their MySpace as well.
They've figured out how to promote their house shows without getting busted beforehand, for which I have a newfound respect, so check them out on campus.
When: Sunday, May 24
What: Play or Pose Reunion: Poster Children, Cowboy X, Lonely Trailer, The Outnumbered
Where: The Highdive; 7:30 p.m.; $15
Check back later this week for a unique podcast from Poster Kids Rose and Rick (pictured in the center in the early '90s, right) as they remember the good old days circa the late 1980s, when each of these four bands were the shit in C-U. This reunion show will be a really good time and a reminder that the scene here has been thriving for decades — regardless of whether the major labels have been sniffing around or not. You'll also learn a thing or two about a man named Josh Gottheil, who was a promoter that was an essential part of the C-U music scene. Gottheil booked a young Flaming Lips in C-U, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The guy was a teenager booking phenomenal acts like the Pixies, Throwing Muses, and Billy Bragg, and his influence was felt by many. He died far too young due to cancer.
The Outnumbered features Jon Ginoli (of Pansy Division). Stop by Parasol this week and Geoff or Jim can talk your ear off about Lonely Trailer. This is a truly amazing bill, all things considered. Don't let the price of admission scare you away. Be there!
19 comments
brigham
1 thing- Rick Sims was the frontman of the Didjits, Doug Evans the bassist.
Wow. Fifteen dollars.
A group of friends spend the better part of a year organizing a reunion of old pals, and somehow that morphs into a $15 cover charge to a club that wasn’t even a part of the scene.
Wow.
Bill J
Where would you have preferred to have the Play or Pose Reunion show? Trito’s, Chin’s, Mabel’s, the Big Ten Pub, Nature’s Table or the old Tugrik Dhugugrik house?
Yes, Trito’s would have been great. Chin’s Bamboo room would have been fine, too. In fact, in the early moments of this affair, I campaigned for both.
I never actively championed the room that is now Brother’s, but that’s because Mabel’s was never the home of this crowd—as you well know, Bill. It was those other rooms.
I think the Cochrane Group would have been eager to have a crowd in. (They now own the Chin’s space.) Their constituency tends to leave town after finals. So they’re gone now.
The Crusade for Jeebus might have let the crowd into their space (Trito’s Uptown) too. I can’t believe they have too much business the week after finals. But then, I can’t believe they have business at all.
Maybe no one ever bothered to find out. I can say for sure that no one ever took me up on my offer to look into it. I certainly emailed Ward about it, way long time ago.
But I don’t suspect that was ever proposed or negotiated.
Thanks for asking.
Bill J
The old haunts which are still standing would not provide me with much beyond a fleeting moment of nostalgia because they have changed so much in the interim. I’d be served just as well by peeking in their windows and snapping a picture of the new facade. While out-of-towners will undoubtedly have some fascination with the changes the towns have undergone, I think that part of the trip will pale to the joy of reconnecting with old friends who were part of a rather small clique in 1989 - regardless of the venue. As a key member of that clique with an involvement reaching back to the Trito’s era, I’m pleased to have Ward championing the weekend and The Highdive opening its doors to the event. I felt the same for last year’s wonderful 1993 reunion and would look forward to doing this all again next year with a Castor/Braid/Sarge/Wolfie quadruple bill.
Yes, Castor was good.
And it’s also good that you’re sticking up for Ward. He’s a nice guy, as are you.
There’s no reason the shindig could not have gone down in the actual spaces where the actual memories were created. But money talk, and my bullshit walk, I guess.
(The money will be made by The Usual Suspects.)
I’d just like to point out that Josh Gottheil (whom I knew personally for anyone who wants to join that angle of a potential debate) could have made as much money for nurses (which is what the JG foundation does, as I learned from Fred Gottheil when I took Econ History in 1996) at any of those locations.
And $15 seems high no matter what.
Gouge the old friends, I guess. They came all this way, right? They’ll pay whatever it costs.
Bill J
Castor was great.
spoze
Whine whine whine goes the McColley. I think he’s looking at the number of people who’d be willing 20 years for now to shell out $15 to relive the current McColley moment, and guess what, it’s slim pickings.
This is one of those situations where a pseudonymous posting really limits the value of the contribution.
Are you an interested party? Are you making money off this deal? Do you just like making ad hominem attacks?
Somehow I doubt you are part of the group we’re discussing. I don’t think any of them has any awareness of me apart from my 17 year-old incarnation—and that was limited to a vague “uhhh, must be one of those high school kids in that band that’s still in high school.“
So feel free to take jabs but ... do you even know what we’re talking about?
ward gollings
oh how hilariously ironic Rob… “feel free to take jabs”. Or is that coincidental LOL.
i really dont think we’re gouging anyone here on the ticket price. It’s a BENEFIT remember?
As for a different venue that can hold 400 people comfortably, with good sound and good sightlines… good luck. And btw, Canopy Club(Thunderbird Theater) is closed this week for their annual Summercamp Festival.
Clybourne (Chins) was CLOSED FOR 6 MONTHS until just a week or so ago due to a major remodeling job. Have you been in it yet to view the new floorplan?! It MIGHT be a viable spot, but i certainly dont feel it’s right to back out on my prior committment at the last moment.
Campus Crusade for Christ (Tritos)? Granted, as i mentioned to you many months ago, I don’t think those that “came all this way” would be all that pleased with a “dry” show. That’s not how those “memories were created” eh?
If you don’t like Carlos or Nieto Enteprises or whatever, that’s perfectly fine. But i agree with the anonyomous poster SPOZE… stop whining.
You can get a temporary liquor permit. I think Trito’s would have been great.
Who knows, maybe the Crusaders drink a lot. Did you make enquiries?
Bill J
Fair enough. We don’t see eye-to-eye on the reasoning that holding this event in a space where we once hung out is preferable. I don’t see the current venues as having anything in common with the old clubs beyond each building’s footprint and street address. You think otherwise.
That we both consider Castor to be good-to-great is room to work, nonetheless.
Perhaps we can discuss both topics over a Red Stripe at one of the weekend’s many wonderful events. Better yet… is anybody willing to watch Rob and me arm wrestle?
Don’t wrestle Rob, in any form. He’s wily and deceptively strong. Keep him at arm’s length and jab, jab, jab.
Then say, “Oasis is the greatest band since the Beatles.“ When he lets his guard down to blow a gasket, jab jab jab.
I would mos def buy you a Red Stripe to see that.
Bill J
My assumption was that Rob could take me in a physical contest, but your approach is sound. My fallback position was going to be pistols at 20 paces. He and I will discuss this later.
Stay tuned for updates!
I’d rather wrestle Sue.
Bill surely loves the Jamaican Grenades. But for old time’s sake (again, me with the nabob needling for authenticity) wouldn’t it be best to drink pints of Special Export?
Bill J
I’ll see what I can do. At 95 cents for a pair of Special Exports you may have a deal. Although she likey, likey the Cranberry Juice and Vodka as well…
Always thought it was weird when Bruno scowled at me for leaving the 5 cent tip.
That’s better than the scowl from Jon Juenger after the price change. When Spec was an annoying $1.05 but everyone still pretended it was a buck.
Bill J
I can’t confirm this because Jon let me drink for free.
Jim Kelly
At very least, thanks for bringing up the 95 cent Special Exports at Eddie’s! And then during happy hour it would be two SEs for a buck (ah, 1991) and I remember the before Soul Asylum played at Mabel’s spending an afternoon at Eddie’s drinking and drinking and drinking almost $100 worth of SE with 16 Tons other guitarist Todd Wade after dropping a couple tabs of primo blotter. We figured that we drank about 75 beers each that afternoon and evening. Later that night, during Soul Asylum’s encores (Sexual Healing! They did the best covers) I recall being deposited headfirst in a garbage can by other factions of the large rowdy crowd. So, yeah, good times.
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I will be at Danu this evening. And seeing as tomorrow - St. Pat’s - is my birthday, I will be celebrating with tons of green and fun!
Big Blue will actually be on 6-9, despite what is posted elsewhere. Then, hightail it over to Bentley’s!
Ahh - good point - I will plug them in the appropriate sections.
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bhrama- thanks for the promo. it is true, crane and badger will be playing on friday at mike and mollys w/ the chemicals and tractor kings. we will be playing first. show starts at 10pm. come on out. rock will be had.
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I was all set to pounce on this, but it’s the truth. There used to be bands in town I was afraid of, like I’d have a heart attack during their set. There are still some great bands, but they’re pretty and dainty and low in cholesterol. …