Derelict Songs

Back on The Horse

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-06:00

Pretty soon it will be a new month in this new year of ours. I totally missed the dragon celebrations in Asia this week, but have heard about them over the datawebs.

Many weeks have passed and in those weeks I fell into a slump, but not to worry! Still attending open mics and trying to keep an ear or two open for those Columbia, Missouri, those central Missouri, those Missouri, generally, music sounds. I am a sad man. I had a ticket to see Ghost in Chicago this past Tuesday, but the economy is slash and burning the 'ole wallet so all I have is a ticket that hasn't been torn by the dude at the door and a very sad photo of the ticket. Just couldn't pay for another trip up there and back, at least not just yet. Not even the You Tube videos I have seen so far have done the concert justice.

Lots of fantastic music happening in Columbia, as of late. For the louder bands, my camera mics clip and that issue pretty much renders the videos useless for posting online. But watching the bands in action has been very cool and priceless. This location called the Columbia Academy of Music is a veritable bee hive of activity for music instruction and all things associated. As time passes and I better get a sense of the people here in town, a sense of the culture here in Columbia (the pace of life is much, much slower here than in Chicago), a sense of where venues for art and music exist, it is very apparent that the Academy is an incubator for young musicians, but also for gathering rehearsed and seasoned musicians. It is a big soup, or maybe a Union Station, of sorts, for musicians.

Enough already. Here are a couple of photos and a couple of videos. Still plenty to sort through in my archives. We'll see what gets put up on the blog, not sure what I have in the files.

Enjoy!

Bartholomew Bean from Tues Jan 24, 2012 at The Bridge

This next shot is of a guy named Zircona. Some of his songs are perfectly brilliant. I always arrive too late at the open mic to video tape him playing songs.

A photo of The Funky Funky Freaks Tues Jan 24, 2012 during 'Jungle Boogie'

Next up: Tellanova performing on Tues Jan 24, 2012 at The Bridge in COMO

This is a perfectly good and unused ticket to a perfectly great sold-out metal show. My heart grieves for not having gone. However, I found out recently from Blabbermouth.net that Mastodon is taking Ghost out on the road in the USA this April. I'll have to better plot my course for that show.

That's enough for now. We're back!!!!.....after a little recovery.

Open Mic updates at The Bridge Tues Nov 8 2011

2011-11-10T12:10:00.001-06:00

I have a few updates from the open mic rounds this week. 3 videos today. There would have been more, but I didn't take better care to grab video.

Here are a couple of photos after leaving the open microphone at The Bridge. It had rained, from my best estimational capabilities - about 30 hours, pretty consistent. This is a favorite time of the year for me and I thought the view from the sidewalk was timeless. The old Sony Cybershot treats it right from time to time.

The first videos will be from a young lady named Ruth Acuff. Phenomenal performances. Simply amazing.

This next piece is from a guy named Paul Weber. I realized I had seen him before, when he played the previous night at The Blue Fugue. He plays with Todd Day Wait, from time to time, I am assuming. Anyway, he played some great tunes at The Blue Fugue, and then brought the harmonium to The Bridge. This was a fine rendition of a Johnny Paycheck song. Hope you enjoy!

Good things happening in this area. Again, check out The Bridge if you are in town. Stay tuned for further updates.......

- Gairroes signing off!!! It's all I've got right now.

Life Happens....so I post well past deadlines re: Columbia Missouri open-mike updates

2011-11-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

I have a few videos from a few local favorites on the open-mike scene here in Columbia, Missouri. All videos are from The Bridge in Columbia. Let's begin.First up is Tadaaw 3. These gals are just really sweet people and always friendly at the open-mike. You'll be guaranteed to smile when you watch them perform.

Next up is Bartholomew Bean. He is a regular at the open-mikes. I enjoy his music very much, it confirms to me that musicians can be level-headed in this world. Excellent voice and interesting guitar playing, nice and different.

Again, visit the website for The Bridge and check out their schedule and deal:

www.thebridgecolumbia.com/

Check 'em out and support!!!!

Ghost from Sweden

2011-10-26T04:27:00.000-05:00

I have long debated in my mind whether I should mention these next few videos. The purpose of what I'd like to keep to doing with this blog is to advocate for lesser known bands/musicians I and other fans might encounter that deserve to have a presentation of material in a live format. Today's blog posting will do most of that, with the exception of the band being better known. The band is Ghost.

I love metal music but can't play it. Metal music is the majority of what I listen to when I am in the car, practicing bass, guitar or just by myself working. Most music I will at least listen to if offered to me. I may not like everything as a preference. In saying such, I still feel it is far better to recognize effort and talent than to dismiss music whole and entire because it doesn't appeal to me - there is usually something decent that can be mentioned. Anyway, I try to be open to music from any genre. I simply listen to metal music/hard rock more often than not.

Ghost came into my purview in early summer 2011, probably from the Blabbermouth.net website, which I visit frequently to get updates on my favorite metal heros. Once I heard this band's music, I was hooked. I know, after watching the following videos, it might not make sense. But these dudes have a sense for crafting metal songs that breathe and have space, melodies, even solid singing. In addition, the theater of it all is hard to resist. OK. Enough. Let's get to the videos. I recently ran across some You Tube subscriber who posted a full show from this summer of the band playing in Europe. I couldn't believe it. Until now I have just been able to see 2 or 3 quality songs of them online (quality video/audio). So, here is Ghost.

The band came to the East Coast in the spring of 2011. Apparently it was a huge success. They were slated to play 3 weeks of dates in late Sept/early Oct 2011, but had trouble with visas getting over from Europe. If there is any justification for putting up a post on them, despite their already being quite successful, it because I don't think enough people know about them in the USA. Enjoy the infectious sounds.

www.ghost-official.com

One more ....

.....................End

Test

2011-09-15T08:39:00.001-05:00

Just a test of a new iPod app

2011-09-14T22:35:00.001-05:00

Columbia, Missouri open-mic updates Sept 6 2011 at The Bridge

2011-09-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of characters to feature this week. In town this weekend is a festival that the city's fathers put on with the help of many local businesses. One of the fellas playing the fest stopped on in at The Bridge this past Tuesday night to play a couple of pieces, his name is Todd Day Wait. Todd is apparently from Columbia but now is traveling full-time with the music bit. He came and played the songs on acoustic guitar, his harmonica player joined along for all of the songs. I was really taken with his interpretation of the John Lee Hooker song 'Crawlin' King Snake'. He has a really nice vibe on the guitar and his voice is particularly excellent. I haven't seen him enough to know how often he plays guitar on stage. Last night at the local fest he played the electric piano and had two guitar players accompanying. Either way, he is quite talented. Todd Day Wait's information is at the following, so go ahead and give some things a listen and check-up on tour dates for your area:And here are a couple of songs from the cat named 'Bart'. He is a pretty big hit with the crew at the open mics in Columbia, Missouri here. I don't have any website information for Bart. I did get a chance to chat with him briefly on Monday at The Blue Fugue and he reports that during the better part of the 90's, of not more, he lived in Chicago and visited the open-mics there on the regular. He and I chatted a bit about Mike, the owner of the Inner Town Pub on Thomas Street. Oh, Upper Wicker Park Heights.......I guess there is a minor dispute amongst citizens about whether the pub is situated in Upper Wicker Park Heights or in the Ukrainian Village. Probably can be settled over a beer at Clem Jaskot's Phyllis' Musical Inn at Wood and Division streets. That's it for now. Keep ya posted on further happenings in the area.Out! (Gairroes)

Another from Dave Kipp - Big Boned Woman

2011-09-06T19:52:00.000-05:00

This past 3-day weekend I was able to catch up with my buddy Dave Kipp in the St Louis Metro area. I met Dave on the streets of Omaha, Nebraska when my bandmate and I were playing a few shows in the area back in 2004. Dave and I have kept in touch ever since. It was like pulling teeth getting Dave to play guitar this weekend, probably because he was exceptionally tired. Anyway, when he picks up the guitar it is as if he hasn't missed a beat. I usually try to get him to play his song 'Big Boned Woman' whenever I visit. He did oblige with part of the song, but then 2 days after he pulled off another You Tube video installment with the full version of the song. So I am linking the You Tube video up for the viewing audience. Enjoy!

Also, a few fridays ago I went to a concert on the outside third floor of a parking garage in downtown Columbia, Missouri. The concert was apparently an annual concert that is put on for high school bands to showcase their talent. I didn't stay too long, stayed for two acts, but it was a great experience all in all. I took photos of a young man lugging a piece of equipment up to the staging area for either himself or one of his friends' rig. The piece of amp cabinetry was massive and I felt it just had to be photographed. Here it is:

I actually wouldn't mind having that cabinet for a rig.No matter. The shows were great and clearly there are many young people in the world that have loads of musical talent and ambition, even here in Columbia, Missouri. We can be hopeful.- Out! (Gairroes)

Columbia, Missouri music

2011-08-31T14:44:00.016-05:00

I haven't posted in ages, nearly 13 months, I believe. Anyway, I have recently moved and now live in Columbia, Missouri. While I am here I am attempting to visit a few open mics to see what is out there and get a sense for the music community. I have gathered a few pieces in the past few weeks from the open mics, but last night probably gave me my best first opportunity. Here it goes. Enjoy!

This guy is named 'Bart', I think he is a carpenter during the day. When I saw him play last week (at The Blue Fugue), it blew me away. For some unknown reason I found his guitar style quite striking and refreshing, especially for me since I have been in a 4-year slump of not being inspired or feeling like my own guitar playing has been leading to anything that might be understood as progress.

And, here is one last video of Bart from last night (Tues Aug 30, 2011).

These videos were taken at The Bridge in Columbia, Missouri which is associated with the Columbia Academy of Music. The Bridge holds an open-mic on Tuesday nights and other events throughout the week. The Bridge is a cool place to play. The chatter at the bar tells me that the Academy of Music opened only in the past year. Both The Bridge and The Columbia Academy of Music are located within the same building. Here's to their continued success!!

- Out!

Rolland Gairroes

The Brick

2010-08-05T22:42:00.015-05:00

Venue photographs from the exterior. I took these shots of The Brick Coffeehouse today (Thursday August 5, 2010) as I was up in Waukegan, IL.

Mason Reed played the last music performance inside The Brick under Jim's management.

The Brick
30 North Genesee Street
Waukegan, IL

Last Minute Concert Announcement - Jaik Willis, Rob Reid, Mason Reed - DeKalb Illinois Wed Aug 3 2010

2010-08-04T09:24:00.023-05:00

DeKalb has a population of 45,734 (taken Summer 2009).

Tonight there is a concert that is a show to definitely catch now that the storms are gone.

Where?: The House Cafe
Address?: 263 E Lincoln HWY
DeKalb, IL 60115

Who's Playing?: Jaik Willis, Rob Reid, and Mason Reed

Time?: 7PM

-------------------------------------------------------

Here are a couple videos from a recent Mason Reed performance in Waukegan, IL.

A photo of Jaik Willis from a show at The Cubby Bear on Aug 28, 2009 in Chicago, IL. (Photo taken by Chad Smith)

Rob Reid playing a song earlier this year at Phyllis' Musical Inn (Chicago, IL)

Interstate 88 westbound gets your right to the gig!

The brilliant manager and booking agent for The House Cafe, ......Matthew!!!!! Good people all around at this venue. Get out of Danville, Illinois for the night and go see this show.

Mason Reed live at The Brick Sat July 31 2010 Waukegan IL

2010-07-31T20:41:00.057-05:00

Been a while for me to contribute, but I am back.

To begin again, here are some snaps from a show I had the pleasure to attend today in Waukegan, Illinois at a venue called The Brick. Today was the last day that The Brick was to be open. The doors done gone ahead and shuttered shut at the hour of 3 in the afternoon.

The reason I went to The Brick was not to say goodbye to the venue, but to catch as many songs as I could from Mason Reed as he performed an afternoon of music for the locals by the lakefront.

I had heard of Mason nearly 4 years ago from a co-worker of mine. It had taken me a few years to finally hear his music, which I did get my dirty hands on earlier this year. The album that Mason is currently touring in support of, entitled 'You Can't Come Back From Heaven' is quite a nice set of songs. When I sat down and heard him sing his first stanza today I just couldn't believe I was hearing the voice that I was actually hearing. Very cool. Gotta admit, the travelers of this world deserve much credit for doing what they do. My bandmate from the past 9 years, Chris Darby, is currently touring quite like Mason is, sleeping in the car if that is all that comes up after the show, just goin' for it. Mason tells me that he is nearing the tail-end of an 8-week stretch on the highways, byways, and sideways of the country. From what I gather, of the 7 months that have taken place this year, Mason seems to have been touring for the better part of it. He is a very nice fella to chat with, and surely he has stories to tell. Go ahead and see if he is making it into your town soon, if not, invite him to play a house show in your apartment, basement, garage, kitchen, dining room, or your favorite pub in town.

He played many a song today that I wished I had personally written. I do hope you can catch him soon before he goes on and runs back to Los Angeles, California, the place that is currently his hometown.

Catch Mason Reed at any or all of the following tour dates:

Upcoming Shows
Aug 1 2010 (10pm) Bremen Cafe Milwaukee, WI
Aug 4 2010 (6pm) The House Cafe (Mason Reed, Jaik Willis, Rob Reid) DeKalb,IL
Aug 6 2010 (9pm) Miss Kitty's Grape Escape Galena, IL
Aug 7 2010 (8pm) The Blue Room Cafe Hammond, IN
Aug 8 2010 (8pm) Elbo Room Chicago, IL
Aug 10 2010 (8pm) Rachel's Cafe Bloomington, IN
Aug 12 2010 (11pm) Lynagh's Irish Pub Lexington, KY
Aug 18 2010 (10pm) The Nick Birmingham, AL

.Mp3 file for Listening:

Singer-songwriter Mason Reed is currently touring to promote his new release

'You Can't Come Back From Heaven' - Not Perfect (track #3)

www.masonreedmusic.com

Chicago Happenings 6/27 to 7/3

2010-06-27T20:13:00.004-05:00

Sunday, June 27th

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
Double Dour Dirt Room
8 PM

Tuesday, June 29nd

Honest Engines
Abbey Pub
9 PM

Wednesday, June 30nd

Ami Saraiya
Double Door
8 PM

Saturday, July 3

Sometimes Family Band
Subterranean
9 PM

Chicago Happenings 6/20-6/26

2010-06-19T00:00:00.005-05:00

Sunday, June 20th

Ty Maxon
Uncommon Ground on Clark
7 PM

Tuesday, June 22nd

In Tall Buildings
Subterranean
8 PM

Wednesday, June 22nd

Mingus Awareness Project
(Dan Godston)
benefit for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Jazz Showcase
8 PM

Songwriter Night #10

2010-06-12T11:21:00.002-05:00

This was the 10th installment of the Chris Darby Songwriter Nights at Phyllis' Musical Inn, in Chicago. It took place on June 9th, 2010.
This happened to fall on the same night that the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team won the Stanley Cup. The start time was pushed way back to accommodate that, and so the first 3 or sets were much noisier than these nights usually are. Things got quieter towards the end.
The lights were much lower than usual, and hence the videos are all pretty dark.
There is an audio recording of the show here

Chicago Happenings 6/13-6/19

2010-06-12T03:45:00.003-05:00

Sunday, June 13th

Go Long Mule
Old Town Art Festival
12:30 PM

Monday, June 14th

Rob Reid, Willa Moore, and Tom Recht
songwriter circle
Silvies
8 PM

Friday, June 18th

Heather Styka
Loose Leaf Lounge
7 PM

Saturday, June 19th

Shelley Miller
Old Town School of Folk Music
7 PM

Gia Margaret
The Double Door
9 PM

Chicago Happenings 6/6-6/12

2010-06-04T02:25:00.001-05:00

Sunday, June 6th

Rob Reid
Logan Square Farmers Market
11 AM

Wednesday, June 9th

Songwriter Night!
Ty Maxon, Andru Bemis, Ben Summers, Mckenzie Toma, Heather Styka, and Banjo Pat
Phyllis' Musical Inn
9 PM

Thursday, June 10th

Pezzettino
The Chopin Theatre
4 PM

The Sometimes Family
The Abbey Pub
10 PM

Friday, June 11th

Matt Crews
The Elbo Room
8 PM

Jessica Robbins
The Abbey Pub
9 PM

Chicago Happenings 5/30-6/5

2010-05-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, June 1st

A Wu Li Conspiracy
Schubas
9 PM

Wednesday, June 2nd
Matt Crews and Raul Cotaquispe
Uncommon Ground on Clark
7:30 PM

Thursday, June 3rd

Honest Engines
Subterranean
9 PM

Saturday, June 5th

Ty Maxon
Tonic Room
7:30 PM

Stealth Like A Canoe
Town Hall Pub
9 PM

Singing In The Abbey
Happy Dog Art Gallery
9 PM

Them Damn Kids and Facing Winter
The Birds Nest
10 PM

EP Hall Mommy Crow

2010-05-25T15:35:00.008-05:00

(photo credit: Ryan Monroe)

EP Hall was kind enough to send me a copy of her first full length album, entitled 'Mommy Crow'. I knew I would love it, because I was already a fan, after being introduced to her music sometime in 2006, and seeing her play at a very small house show in Bloomington, IN in early 2009. There is something really special in this music. Something which I have trouble describing in words, but nonetheless hits me right in the place it matters. There are things in her songs that leave me breathless and feeling that I've somehow stumbled into a place where time is forgotten, and the only thing that matters is the power of a whisper and the punch of a well delivered lyric line.
The album starts with the driving 'Emperors Note', which is the standout track of this recording. While the remainder of the album never quite reaches the emotional height delivered in that song, it nonetheless leads the listener through many twisting alleyways, through joy and pain and suffering, and all things in between. This is best listened to in it's entirety, as a complete piece.
'Would you rather carve your name in pavement or be the lonely ampersand curled up into a ball and reaching out before you fall out of the sentence.' This is a good example of the interesting nature of language used here. It seems familiar, but altogether new at the same time. That line is from the song 'Churchyard', which is my personal favorite track. EP is one of the strongest lyricists I have ever heard, and that just becomes more and more apparent with time.
This album is a gem, and should be heard by all. The copy I recieved was hand silk screened, and beautiful. If all albums were this well done, with as much thought put into the music, lyrics, and overall presentation, I believe that the album as a form of music would not be dying at such a rapid pace. But at the same time, it's albums like that this that give people the faith to keep listening.

One could find a copy of 'Mommy Crow' here
Find out more at www.ephall.com and www.myspace.com/ephallmusic

1. The Emperor's Note

2. Mommy Crow

3. Gone are the Thoughts of Sparrows

4. The Shade

5. Churchyard

6. (Go the Sun Down)

7. Water Tower

8. The White Bird, In Springtime, Will Find You

9. The Secrets Change, They Melt and Freeze

10. (Chase Scene Through the Silent Forest)

11. Ladders and Mirrors

12. Analysis of Variance

EP Hall is currently on tour, supporting the album. Listed below are the remainder of her US dates:

May 26 2010

8:30P

Historical Monument 157

Los Angeles, CA

May 27 2010

7:30P

Mike Barn

Isla Vista, CA

May 27 2010

10:00P

Live Radio Set on Santa Barbara’s infamous 5432...fun

Santa Barbara, CA

May 28 2010

8:00P

THE PURPLE DOOR

San Francisco, CA

May 29 2010

9:00P

BLUESIX

San Francisco, CA

Jun 2 2010

8:00P

ELLA ST. SOCIAL CLUB

Portland, OR

Jun 4 2010

8:00P

GRANDMA'S HOUSE

Olympia, WA

Jun 5 2010

8:00P

HOOT HOUSE

Seattle, WA

Jun 6 2010

8:30P

BOUQUET

Boise, ID

Jun 7 2010

8:00P

MUSE

Provo, Utah

Jun 8 2010

8:00P

Panthernaut Productions

Grand Junction,CO

Jun 9 2010

8:00P

MEADOWLARK

Denver, CO

Songwriter Night #9

2010-05-23T09:37:00.005-05:00

Chicago Happenings 5/23-5/29

2010-05-23T01:59:00.002-05:00

Sunday, May 23rd
John Bellows
Empty Bottle
9PM

Wednesday, May 26th
Them Damn Kids and Vaudeville Bandits (Matt Crews)
Silvies Lounge
9 PM

Thursday, May 27th
Singing In The Abbey
The Hideout
9 PM

Saturday, May 29th
Elusive Parallelograms
Beat Kitchen
10 PM

In Miniature, Clip Art, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, Miss Autopsy, and Them Damn Kids at Ronny's May 16 2010 Sunday

2010-05-18T14:52:00.045-05:00

A few photos here from a show at Ronny's Center for the Performing Arts this Sunday May 16, 2010. I wish I had some better photos of Miss Autopsy, ran out of space on the memory disk. Miss Autopsy closed his show with an excellent song called 'Catepillar', it is a masterpiece of a song. Apologies to Them Damn Kids as none of their set was photographed due to memory disk issues. They seemed to really enjoy themselves onstage.

Miss Autopsy

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray

Clip Art

In Miniature

All bands that played have music listed at the following sites:

www.myspace.com/clipartsongs

www.myspace.com/missautopsyband

www.myspace.com/missshevaughnyumawray

www.myspace.com/inminiature

www.myspace.com/themdamnkids

Chicago Happenings 5/16-5/22

2010-05-15T12:54:00.003-05:00

Sunday, May 16th

Rob Reid and Carmel Mikol
Uncommon Ground on Clark
7 PM

Them Damn Kids, In Miniature, and Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray
Ronnys
8 PM

Matt Crews
Empty Bottle
9 PM

Wednesday, May 19th
Songwriter Night
with Stefanie Kohn, Tom Recht, Steve Mulcahy, Jesse Chapman, and Jessica Robbins
Phyllis' Musical Inn
9 PM

Saturday, May 22nd
Erick Rudiak
Rockwell Crossing House of Folk
(write Derelict Songs for more info)
8 PM

Eric Nassau, Ladies and Gentlemen, Eric Nassau

2010-05-09T21:40:00.046-05:00

Photos from one of the recent Eric Nassau shows in Chicago, Illinois, when he wasn't on a tour, at least that is what the poster said. (This particular show took place on Friday April 30, 2010)

It was great to hear Eric's voice again. I hadn't seen him in nearly a year and a half. Fun show, great entertainer and he is a fine guitar player, as well. Go to the website listed below and some of his music will be listed for listening. Here's a photo of Eric Nassau with 3/5ths of The Sometimes Family.

Eric played one new song about enjoying a pleasant afternoon in Texas hill country underneath a shade tree, letting it all happen. I don't recall the name of the song, but it was amazing, for sure. Eric has been in the habit of going to the Kerrville Folk Fest in recent years. The song is a product of spending time down with the friends that all attend the Fest and partaking in the experience.

Eric reports that his beard is older than dirt.

www.myspace.com/ericnassauandfriends

Thanks for visiting the blog!

May 2 2010 Sunday

2010-05-04T11:29:00.013-05:00

Sunday photos in Chicago.

Erin Frisby and Chris Darby

Julius Otto, everyone. Julius Otto. He also plays organ in the soul band, The Sometimes Family.

Chicago Happenings 5/2-5/8

2010-04-30T18:00:00.004-05:00

Monday, May 3rd
Them Damn Kids
Schubas
8 PM

Tuesday, May 4th
Heather Styka
Uncommon Ground on Clark
8 PM
Wednesday, May 5th

Jessica Robbins, Jeff Breakey, and Ty Maxon
Double Door Dirtroom
8:30 PM

Friday, May 7th
Matt Crews
Underground Lounge
8 PM

Saturday, May 8th
John Bellows
Plaines Project
8 PM

Facing Winter
Galvin's Public House
9 PM

Songwriter Night

2010-04-30T01:13:00.002-05:00

Interview: Chris Darby of Them Damn Kids

2010-04-29T11:50:00.013-05:00

"I hope to be able to see the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and set over the Pacific. I hope to see the Northern Lights, and camp in the middle of nowhere. I hope to play a show to 5 people in a treehouse."

1. Them Damn Kids have played over three hundred shows together across America. Can you tell us about a show that stands out as being one of the most rewarding shows you’ve ever played?

Cal's Bar. December 15th, 2006. It was my last day working as a bike messenger, and I managed to book four messenger bands in the downtown messenger bar, on a Friday night. We made up a bunch of buttons for the event that simply said ' Cal's Bar- 12.15.06'. That was all the promo we did for the show, but it worked wonders. We had a crowd of about 80 people in a room which states its capacity to be 45. It was absolute insanity, but it also felt like a moment of certainty to me. Even though we played tons of empty rooms prior to that, the over-sold show at Cal's just made me realize that if I really wanted to make music for the rest of my life, that I would find a way to do it.

2. Next week’s show at Schubas is expected to be a major milestone in the history of Them Damn Kids. Do you have any special preparations you and the guys make before shows? Any specific brand of cereal you eat in the morning, or any rituals you perform just before the show? Will it be different for this show?

We just practice a lot. We try to get everything as perfect as we can. Sometimes this includes 6 hour rehearsals the day of the show. I think there will probably be even more practicing for this show. Perhaps you can recommend a good brand of cereal to help put us on our A game.

3. What’s in store for the band after Schubas? Does the band have any goals that remain unrealized?

Yes and no. Schubas has been my only venue goal in Chicago, ever since moving here. We have our constant goals of making as much music as possible, and playing as much as our schedules allow. The only unrealized goal that I can think of is making the band a full time endeavor for everyone involved in it. This is really more of a dream than a goal. I'm not sure if it will ever come to pass.

4. How is the current lineup, with the relatively recent addition of Julius Otto, different from previous lineups?

We have a much more focused sound now. From 2002-2005, we were just focused on learning our instruments and trying to write decent songs. From 2005-2007, we were trying to sound like a 'normal' folk rock band. After the year long hiatus, we re-focused, and started to just go where the music was taking us, and became much more open to other ideas. Julius has been quite instrumental in the new direction of the bands sound. A lot of credit goes to Bile Greene as well, who introduced the delay pedal into our sound in the summer of 2008, when he played with us for 2 months, and then helped with recording that fall. After he left for Philadelphia, we kept the sound of the delay, and the band as a whole is better for it. If you compared TDK of 2002 to TDK of 2010, I don’t know that anyone would be able to tell that we are the same band.

5. You’re embarking on an eight month solo tour starting this July, though touring is certainly nothing new for you. What do you hope to accomplish in order for you to consider this a successful tour?

I hope to be able to see the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and set over the Pacific. I hope to see the Northern Lights, and camp in the middle of nowhere. I hope to play a show to 5 people in a treehouse. I really hope to make gas money. I hope that the more people I meet, and the more shows I play, the less cynical I will become. I hope that people will be open enough to want to take my music home with them and tell their friends about it. And I hope to establish enough contacts and build enough momentum that I can record an album, and then do it all over again. Mostly, I hope that my inclination that this is what my life work should be about will still ring true, even after 6 months of traveling. I really, really hope that I am cut out for this.

6. One of your many contributions to the Chicago folk scene has been hosting a house concert series in Humboldt Studios which has since morphed into a bimonthly songwriter showcase at Phyllis’ Musical Inn. Tell us about one artist that you felt most proud to present to Chicago’s Songwriter Community.

The thing about putting together shows is that I can pretty much pick and choose whoever I want to play. I am immensely proud of every single lineup that I have put together at both venues (with the exception of two or three...). I don't like to book people that I don't feel passionately about. That being said, my greatest achievement in booking an artist was getting A Boy Named Thor to come all the way from New York City and play our house concert series. I had listened to his songs for years, and on a whim, just wrote him and asked if he would like to come play. He responded quickly and said of course. That show was so incredible to me, and represented a sort of shift in thinking about people that I once thought were unreachable. A close second would have to be the band Longsleeves, whose music I absolutely adore. Even though we are friends, I still feel immensely proud when they come from San Diego and play a show that I put together.

Scene from a Humboldt Studios House Show, January 2009

7. If you had to pick one piece of advice to offer to an emerging songwriter trying to get their music heard in Chicago today, what would that be?

I have a sort of twofold response to that. Play out a lot, and engage with other musicians. Play in a public setting as much as you possibly can. Open mics are great for exposure, especially in Chicago. Listen to what other people are doing, and be actively interested in what others are doing. Host musical get-togethers in your house, or a friend’s house. If you really want to get your music heard, you have to step away from the internet and play it for people in any real live setting you can. Once you become interested in what others are doing, it will automatically follow that others will be interested in what you are doing. I was lucky, in the sense that I never had to convince myself to be interested in other musicians. I've just always been naturally very interested in what others are doing. But I strongly believe that if I never showed any interest in anyone else, that I would not be going on tour this summer, completely on my own terms. Some people call it Karma. I just call it common sense and manners!

Chris' band, Them Damn Kids, will be playing at Schubas on Monday, May 3 at 8 PM.

Old Irving Park neighborhood practice

2010-04-26T10:01:00.023-05:00

Caught a shot of Chris Darby last week on Thursday April 22, 2010.

---------------------

Somebody's gotta do the photo-taking. It's a rare shot. And, yes, it was pretty flippin' cold in the garage last night. The bottom set of photos were taken on Sunday April 25 2010.

Chicago Happenings 4/25-5/1

2010-04-25T22:54:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, April 28th

Songwriter Night!
(featuring erin frisby, gia margaret, matt crews, mark janka, matt shaw, and justin birchard)
Phyllis' Musical Inn
1800 W Division
9 PM

Thursday, April 29th

Sometimes Family Band
Beat Kitchen
9 PM

Friday, April 30th

Eric Nassau
Rockwell Crossing House of Folk
write derelict songs for info
8 PM

Saturday, May 1st

Elsinore
Schubas
3159 N Southport
10 PM

The House That Willi Built - Friday April 23 2010 Madison, WI

2010-04-24T17:44:00.136-05:00

This is a cluster of photos from a house show at The House That Willi Built in Madison, WI, which took place on Friday April 23, 2010. The evening showcased the likes of Them Damn Kids, Slow Loris, and El-Tin Fun.

Willi is down there figuring out a nice loop to use for the delay pedal. I don't think she is very into Analog delay. Jason and Connie, Willi's owners, said she was kind of cranky that day. Connie heads up the band, Coney Island.

In this little photo the 3 seated gentlemen are Jason from El-Tin Fun, along with Chris Darby and Julius Otto from Them Damn Kids. Julius also plays in the lovely Chicago soul band, The Sometimes Family. Chris Darby is going out on a massive tour this late July 2010. Do check out his growing itinerary at the hyerlinked website, it will be a very cool project, for sure.

Here begins the El-Tin Fun photo set. They are always brilliant to catch if you are in the neighborhood. Excellent songs.

This set of 3 photos above features Tom from both El-Tin Fun and Meteorade, Madison, WI outfits. As can be seen in the photographs, Tom plays bass guitar and takes the helm at the drums. Meteorade had played a show about 2 hours prior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The whole band was kind enough to stop by the house show afterwards. Very good folks. They all reported that the earlier show required considerable patience as there were generator problems providing energy to their electrical instruments. The electricity at the house show worked pretty reliably, providing a nice rebound for Tom. The great food and the birthday cake did, too.

Jason on guitar and Tom on the drums.

Here begins a series of snaps featuring Wes from the outfit, Slow Loris, a local Madison, WI enterprise. Slow Loris played after the Them Damn Kids set. The Slow Loris jams had a number of very pleasant layers within them, it is my hope that I can get a song or two posted in video format later in the week. Wes is a really swell fella and was very personal to chat with. By all means, do support and check out his music. It will be pleasant listening.

The feline, Willi, provides some source material for the namesake of the house show. A lovely young cat, and quite vocal, too.

***********************************************

These were a couple of adventurous folks from Beloit, IL. They had hitchhiked 60 miles to come to this birthday party/house show to celebrate both, Jason and Chris Darby's, 30th birthdays. Happy Birthday to both. The young man, Jon Stone, holding up half of the 'Madison' sign is a member of the band Bisonheart. He apparently will be embarking on a solo tour out west this summer. Check out his band, too, if you get a moment. He and his friend were kind people to chat with. Great stories. Seems the sign worked effectively enough.

Good times, everyone. Thank you for reading!

Rockwell Crossing House of Folk

2010-04-23T20:56:00.009-05:00

Amongst both singer/songwriters and folk enthusiasts, it’s becoming less and less of a well-kept secret that living rooms are the best venues around for live music. Performers are likely to benefit from an attentive audience in an intimate setting, with no interference from a business-oriented middle man who all too often comprehends marketing concepts such as promotion and audience draw but not so much what makes for quality music.

What makes for a quality house concert?

Part of the appeal of one house concert series, the Rockwell Crossing House of Folk in Lincoln Square, is that the proprietor, Jack Price, happens to be one of the city’s leading soup entrepreneurs. His house concert series features an optional potluck. Of course, he also picks out great music from amongst his favorite local and touring acts.

Some will also say that a quality house concert also should involve a quality house cat.

Joey, the Bouncer at Rockwell Crossing House of Folk

On March 13, Rebecca Sometimes led off the night’s music the way many others might have ended it- with a lullaby. "Oh, good," Jack jests, pretending to nod off to sleep. Ms. Sometimes eased into a mellow version of "Night-Oh-Night" accompanied by only her voice and her acoustic guitar. Though the stripped down arrangement may have lacked the pulse of the Sometimes Family Band’s Phil Merker on drums, Joey the cat marked time metronomically with a feline wave of the tail. "Right-oh-right, all the way to paradise/ I will meet you there," Sometimes closed the first tune. The host and everyone else were still very much awake and attentive.

Sometimes then launched into "If This is Love," a jazzy and soulful original ballad (think Etta James’ "At Last") that validated her solid grounding in the musical roots that inspire her current music, and then "Red Riders" from her recent Sometimes Family album, before offering some insight into her stage psyche leading into the tune "Rabbit."

"Sometimes the rabbit is on a motorcycle, other times it's on a bike. I can’t decide... it depends on my mood."

There was at least one serendipitous moment in the set which would otherwise have gone unnoticed in a more bustling venue. During "What Am I To Do," one of Rebecca Sometimes’ new tunes, she reached a short instrumental caesura- which Joey the house cat occupied with a perfectly-timed "MEOW!"- his only comment of the night. The first set closed after Sometimes worked patiently through several more songs, each time capitalizing on her unique opportunity to hit soaring and soulful highs without ever really needing to pick up the volume.

After a brief break for desert (there was enough apple strudel and brownies that audience members didn’t have to choose just one or the other), Howie Kantoff counted off time to launch Starina’s act- another rare treat featuring a rock duo playing a low-key unplugged set. Despite stomping with his right foot on a phantom bass drum pedal that didn’t exist for this gig, drummer Howie complemented Starina to create a full sound even without the bass player who ordinarily rounds out the trio. The sound was too full for Joey, who abandoned his seat and scurried away. After their fourth tune ended with a cymbal crash, it occurred to Starina to ask the host, "Do you have neighbors below?" Jack answered this the way any savvy house concert host should. "Yes, but I invited them."

Oxymoronic as it may sound, Starina at age 28 has a distinction of being a "young veteran" of the music scene, having already hit many of the better known venues in Chicago and having been featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. But, unlike her January show at Bottom Lounge (preceded by a promotional email noting, "Rock will be made. Please bring your own helmet,") this set showcased her ability to convey emotional intensity (her MySpace catchline: "washing her dirty linen in public") without cranking up the volume and without the benefit of Jeff Freling, her band’s low frequency fanatic on bass. Selflessly, she even indulged a request from her drummer.

"Do you want to do 'Broken Moon?'"

"Oh god, I hate that song." she fretted briefly. "But we’ll play it." This led to an encore, and a few songs later, the night came to a close.

Rebecca Sometimes

Starina

Why are these photos so blurry, you might ask? Because checking out these performers live in person is much better than reading about them in a blog. To see Rebecca Sometimes and Starina in high definition:

The Sometimes Family Band (Rebecca Sometimes)
Beat Kitchen
Thursday, April 29 @ 11 PM
2100 West Belmont
Chicago, IL

Starina
Reggie’s Rock Club
Saturday, May 29 @ 9 PM
2109 S. State
Chicago, IL

The Rockwell Crossing House of Folk is a monthly house concert series. Contact us to RSVP. Coming next:

Eric Nassau
Rockwell Crossing House of Folk
Friday, April 30 @ 7 pm
Chicago, IL

Sunday in Old Irving Park neighborhood

2010-04-20T15:20:00.007-05:00

A view from the garage. The Mini Cooper is gone, so there appears to be more room to work with. These two fellers look to be comfortable in the space.

Chicago Happenings 4/18-4/24

2010-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday, April 18th

Heather Styka
Let Them Eat Chocolate
5306 N Damen
4 PM

Leaf Bird
Uncommon Ground
3800 N Clark
8 PM

Wednesday, April 21st

Facing Winter
Double Door
1572 N Milwaukee Ave.
8 PM
(this is a must see show!)

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
Uncommon Ground on Devon
1401 W Devon
8 PM

Thursday, April 22nd

On We
Hard Rock Cafe
63 W Ontario
11 PM

Friday, April 23rd

Ryan Suzuka
MacLean Ballroom
write derelict songs for more info
4:30 PM

Jessica Robbins
Schubas
3159 N Southport
7 PM

Saturday, April 24th

John Bellows
Empty Bottle
1035 N Western Ave.
9 PM

Taxes and Technology problems

2010-04-16T10:09:00.004-05:00

Broken amp. Broken repeat pedal. Parrot didn't show up for practice. At least it was warm last night. Forgot the coffee, though.

House Show with Dave Kipp from St. Louis

2010-04-13T21:02:00.012-05:00

Dave Kipp played some songs one evening in St. Louis, Missouri about 3 weeks ago. Pretty cool times. He's a great player, loves the blues. Some buddies of mine and I met Dave at The Old Market in Omaha, Nebraska one summer, probably back in 2004. We were trying to make some scratch in-between shows, by playing on the corners of the streets. Dave's a swell fella. Not sure when his next show is. We'll keep you posted.

Couldn't find a repeat pedal, so this band used an animal instead

2010-04-13T09:08:00.005-05:00

When the technology breaks down, these are highly recommended.

- Whiskers is back!

Chicago Hap'nin's 4/11 to 4/17

2010-04-10T12:34:00.003-05:00

Sunday, April 11

Go Long Mule
w/ Nathan Xander
8 PM
Lincoln Hall
2424 N Lincoln Ave

Steve Dawson
9 PM
Simon's Tavern
5210 N. Clark

Tuesday, April 13

John Wynne and John McEvoy
8 PM
Rockwell Crossing House of Folk
contact us for more info

Wednesday, April 14

Ty Maxon
9 PM
Tonic Room
2447 North Halsted Street

Thursday, April 15

John Hasbrouck & James Conway
8 PM
Honky Tonk Barbeque
1213 W. 18th St.

Steve Gibons' Gypsy Rhythm Project
8 PM
Little Bucharest
3661 N. Elston

Friday, April 16

Arthi Meera
8 PM
Uncommon Ground on Devon
1401 W. Devon

Saturday, April 17

John Bellows
12 PM
Vintage Vinyl
Evanston, IL

Shelley Miller
9 PM
Leadway Bar and Grill
5233 N. Damen

Album Review: I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums by Steve Dawson

2010-04-08T12:33:00.002-05:00

Back in the 1980s, many cheered the demolition of disco records, danced to the first simple beats of a glamorous new breed of rock initiated by a one-armed drummer, and embraced the raw energy of the golden age of hip-hop. Many were all too willing to let the sappy soft rock classics of the 1970s like Randy Van Warmer’s Just When I Needed You Most and Robert John’s Sad Eyes get bulldozed into obscurity like the faded memories of high school breakups. Still, some of us maintain that something important was lost, that being heartfelt and contemplative didn’t always have to equate with being sappy, and that if we mined record bins and internet rooms long enough we might uncover one last unreleased track by Jackson Brown or Fleetwood Mac from back when they were actually good. While somewhat more recent breakouts like Ben Folds Five prove that there’s still a place for real sentimentality and vulnerability in music, it still seems all too rare.

Whether or not Steve Dawson’s second solo album, I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums, is timely enough to fill a role as a "breakup album" in your life, there’s a lot to savor not just in the conversational sentimentality of the lyrics but in the low-key musicianship. Validating Dawson’s longtime role as a songwriting teacher at the Old Town of Folk Music, this album showcases his instrumental versatility (he sings and plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano) and mastery of the songwriting craft. The track Tonight She Found the Way to Break My Heart is particularly effective in highlighting his bluesy, soulful, and beautifully controlled vocal chops. The opening track, Obsidian, a meticulously crafted work, introduces instruments one at time- first an acoustic guitar duet pairing harmonized thirds with a gentle lead, then a soft electric guitar and organ, and then a soft drum beat, then a vocal harmony, gradually building to a catchy hook, "C’mon now, obsidian/Soften your skin, let the change begin."

Still, the hooks of perfectly crafted songs such as Obsidian and Conversation with No One can become double-edged swords - the same elements that make a song feel familiar and catchy on the very first listen can make that song feel tedious or overplayed over time. If you’re more patient, the enduring gems of this album come later in the record, and they shine not because they’re in any way raw but because the arrangements are so patient and subtle. Dawson brings in an exceptional supporting cast, including Joel Paterson on pedal steel, Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone and Frank Rosaly on drums, amongst others who on any given night of the week can be found leading their own acts at places such as The Green Mill, Skylark, Hungry Brain, and Smoke Daddy. Here the jazz chops of the supporting cast are tastefully restrained to create a complex emotional precision on songs such as the haunting Mastodons, a lyrical masterpiece that bears the weight of a lifelong search for love: "The rush of gravity beams/The smell of the river after it rains/The feel of your feet touching the earth/The chance that love will someday return." Other highlights include the sweet and bluesy Worry Worry Worry, a soothing and natural tune featuring a meowing lap pedal, and It’s Not What You Think, a powerful and wistful track saved for the album’s close. While the supporting cast is kept to the background as a canvas for Dawson’s voice, standout tracks like Long Overdue, a fingerstyle gem recalling the melodic harmonies of Crosby Stills and Nash, and I Wish That I Could Believe in You Again, a Zulu style (think Ladysmith Black Mambazo) acapella - are performed by Steve Dawson alone.

If you have a short attention span, you’ll probably find some individual tracks to download. But this is a musically and lyrically deep album. Lines such as "I will miss the reassuring kicks in the back on my head" in I will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums and "Now the cardboard case I was carrying/Bursts right into flames in your front yard/Trying to outrun all the hollering/I didn’t get too far" in Know Now will ensure that this album, unlike Leo Sayer’s hairstyle , will retain its appeal for a long time to come.

Steve Dawson will be playing a free show at Simon's, a neighborhood bar in Andersonville. With music coordinated by the same booking manager as the Green Mill, Simon's has quietly become one of the city's best music venues.

Steve Dawson
Sunday, April 11
9 pm
Simon's
5210 N. Clark

St. Louis Missouri. The Old Rockhouse. Scott Miller. You Missed It!

2010-03-28T00:38:00.013-05:00

Went to a Scott Miller show at the behest of my brother in law, St. Louis Dave. The show took place on Friday March 26, 2010. I arrived in the parking lot and I could hear the elevated railroad as a train traveled eastbound toward Sauget, IL when I was exiting the mess of clutter that is known as the front seat of the trusty Buick LeSabre.

The evening might best be described as a take on 'The Art of Living'. Enjoy the photos. Thank you for reading the blog!

www.thescottmiller.com

- Mr Whiskers (writing from St. Louis, MO)

Chicago Happenings 3/28-4/3

2010-03-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

Ty Maxon, Matt Crews, and Raul Cotaquispe
Sunday, March 28th
7 PM

Uncommon Ground

3800 N Clark

John Bellows
Tuesday March 30th
9 pm
The Empty Bottle
1035 N Western Ave

Gia Margaret
Wednesday, March 31st
8 PM
Subterranean
2011 W North Ave

Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire
Wednesday, March 31st
9 PM
The Abbey Pub
3420 W Grace St.

Light Pollution
Thursday, April 1st
8 PM
Bottom Lounge
1375 W Lake St

Shelley Miller
Friday, April 2nd
9 PM
Old Town School of Folk Music
4544 N Lincoln Ave

Wake/Funeral assignment, general laziness during Spring's Break

2010-03-26T14:17:00.018-05:00

Paul Setser from Danny Price and the Loose Change

Danny Price and the Loose Change played a show Friday March 19, 2010 at The Horsehoe on Lincoln Ave in Chicago, IL. They played the show with Them Damn Kids and My Damn Butterfly, from Chicago, IL. Danny Price and the band are from Milwaukee, WI.

Another shot of Danny Price.

The Tillers, from Cincinnati, OH, played a show at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, IL last night. I failed to make it because I had to sleep in order to be fresh for this traveling to attend a funeral in St. Louis. I wish I had a better photo of the 3 of them. This particular shot is from Bloomington, IN at a pizza joint/venue in August 2008.

William Blackart taken on Tuesday March 16, 2010

Adam Faucett on Tuesday March 16, 2010

A photo right before band practice, on the way to the GARAGE!!!!!

I am taking a break in the town of Hillsboro, IL along HWY 127. No, it won't make for a cool Lost Highway song. I don't have those kinds of skills. Trying to do anything to stay awake before I have to drive again, so I thought I'd post a few snapshots on a Friday afternoon.

Bellows Make Fires Burn More Fiercely

2010-03-23T14:43:00.017-05:00

It's already been a big month for the network of songwriters who once graced the living room "stage" of Humboldt Studios, a house concert series organized by the founders of Them Damn Kids from 2004 to 2008. Earlier this month, Ryan Suzuka and Ty Maxon played by all accounts a hugely successful show at Schubas, and Them Damn Kids got booked at that same revered venue for this coming May.

And now, the same guy who Derelict Songs tributed in its very first blog, who once "gave away his tapes out of a brown paper bag after the show" at the A Zone back in '03 is getting some much deserved recognition.

Check it out-
on the front page of the music section in Time Out Chicago, Areif Sless-Kitain describes John Bellows' re-released debut Clean Your Clock as "sometimes-comic, sometimes-frantic," fusing "scraps of vintage garage, folk and psychedelia." Robert Manis, who started his own record label (Moniker Records) launching Bellows' record as its very first release, describes the music as "grunge, psych, this backwoods-country thing."

Myles Raymer of the Chicago Reader also took note in his own article about Manis, who here describes Bellows' live show as "very charismatic, vibrant, completely psychotic. He ripped his shirt off and somebody put a wooden chair on his head and he started hitting the back of the chair and sang this children's book story that he'd read his kids earlier in the day." For all of us who know John Bellows, we're not at all surprised by such behavior, but we remember how powerful his live performances consistently are. And this is a *folk* musician!

It's often been said that "success" in the music business involves something like 70% marketing (i.e. self-promotion via slick press kits and web sites, etc.). Here's to those who focused nearly all their energy the only place where it belongs- on the damn songs. Success can be found on your own terms.

But we all know that music and performances- particularly if John Bellows is involved- can never be described in words. Worldnetweb defines a bellows as "a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument." Yeah, that actually sounds pretty close- but those are just words. Check him out, live and in person. Can't make it this Tuesday? Try the next Tuesday. Or the one after that.

The Whistler
Tuesday, March 23 @ 9 PM

Empty Bottle
Tuesday, March 30 @ 9 PM

The Hungry Brain
Tuesday, April 6 @ 9 PM

Chicago Happenings 3/21-3/27

2010-03-20T10:07:00.002-05:00

John Bellows
Tuesday March 23rd
9:30 pm
The Whistler
2421 North Milwaukee Avenue

Honest Engines
Wednesday, March 24th
8 PM
Schubas
3159 N. Southport Ave.

The Tillers
Thursday, March 25th
8 PM

Fitzgeralds

6615 Roosevelt Rd

Erin Frisby
with her temporary Cast of Characters band
opening for Stuart Chaseman's record release
Saturday, March 27th
9 PM
Hog Head McDunna's
1505 W. Fullerton Ave.

Adam Faucett and William Blackart show - Monday March 15, 2010 Skokie, IL

2010-03-16T11:33:00.033-05:00

A couple of photos from last night's show in Skokie, IL with Adam Faucett and William Blackart, Monday March 15, 2010. These dudes had a chaotic audience last night. They are both awarded merit badges for accommodating loads of random comments mid-song, heaps of weirdness, and plenty of side show. The side show wasn't enough to give the Jim Rose Circus from the first Lollapalooza festival a healthy challenge, however the side show from last night, and its frenetic energies, truly came out of a sincere enthusiasm for excellent, original music from these Arkansas natives, which Adam and William definitely brought.

In the coming weeks we'll get the best videos up for the listening and viewing. In the meantime, photography is all that we have as our lead document.

www.myspace.com/adamfaucett

www.myspace.com/bluetint

www.myspace.com/williamblackart

----------------------------

Adam and William both play the Gallery Cabaret this coming weekend:

Adam Faucett and William Blackart
Saturday, March 20th
9 PM
The Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley

---------------------------

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

- Mr. Whiskers

Twenty-Three...again. More to come.

2010-03-13T21:48:00.009-06:00

Hey Folks. The internets are not the fastest in the area from where I pick it up, hence the significant delays on the posting of the videos. Here are a few more of the bluegrass band, Twenty-Three, from Saturday Jan 30, 2010 in South Haven, Michigan at The Foundry Hall. Enjoy!

Twenty-Three is a band that is based out of Niles, MI, but the players come from both Michigan and Indiana. I am still trying to track down a website for them. I'll put it up once I get a hold of an address.

Thanks for reading!

- Mr. Whiskers

Chicago Happenings 3/14-3/20

2010-03-13T07:59:00.008-06:00

Rob Reid
Sunday, March 14th
11 AM
Logan Square Farmers Market
2135 N Milwaukee Ave. (Congress Theater Lobby)

Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers
Wednesday, March 17th
10:30 PM
Abbey Pub
3420 West Grace

Jessica Robbins and Matt Crews
Thursday, March 18th
9 PM
Schubas
3159 N. Southport Ave.
Jessica Robbins CD Release Show!!!

Them Damn Kids and Danny Price and the Loose Change
Friday, March 19th
9 PM The Horseshoe
4115 N. Lincoln Ave.

The Sometimes Family

Friday, March 19th
Midnight

The Beat Kitchen

2100 W. Belmont Ave.

Davy Jay Sparrow
Saturday March 20th
9 pm
Relax Lounge
1450 W. Chicago Avenue

Adam Faucett and William Blackart
Saturday, March 20th
9 PM
The Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley

Chicago Brahaus house band

2010-03-08T00:10:00.005-06:00

Trying to catch up on some things. Needed to take some time away from the blog.

Anyway, I went to the Chicago Brahaus last night with some friends and was delighted to see this house band. Not sure if they are on the social networking websites, but going to the Chicago Brahaus on a Saturday night with some mates would be a suitable alternative. What a great time! Apparently there is a cd for sale on the restaurant's website. Go check it out and review it for the blog.

Chicago Brahaus
4732 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago IL 60625

When it's All Gone, You Come Back

2010-03-07T22:28:00.016-06:00

The people of the particular region of the nation, commonly called Appalachia, live in an extreme poverty that few people in Chicago could even comprehend as existing in this country. The living conditions in this area are infrequently highlighted in news segments, if ever at all. The stark contrast to the extreme impoverishment of the area is the severe beauty surrounding, everywhere one looks. Go in the autumn, and your senses are bombarded, on a level that compares with the leaf season in New England. The hills, which are really more like mountains, are overrun with trees covered with the Kudzu Ivy. There are little shacks dotting the landscape here and there. If you drive through the hollows (pronounced 'hollers') after dark, you get the sense that you have somehow been transported back a hundred years, to a time when life was a lot simpler, but also a lot harder. Every so often you come across a strip mine, or a giant coal factory. This is the major industry in Appalachia, and its effects are everywhere.
This is the setting that I found myself driving through, every day for about 14 months, sometime between 2001 and 2002. Its easy to lose sight of the beauty in life when one engages in a job every day, but at that time, and that place in my life, I did not find this to be the case. Every day, something would strike me as being extraordinarily wonderful or heartbreaking, affixing that moment permanently in my mind. It is hard for me to think about that period of my life without an extreme sense of nostalgic longing associated with the thoughts.
I would travel these winding roads, through hollows, past coal mines, and long abandoned buildings and towns, past small plots of land with family gardens, and rivers that would flood the towns on its embankments every summer. As I made my 30-75 minute commute to work (the length of time varied depending on the jobsite), I would listen to the local community radio station, based out of Whitesburg, Kentucky. The call letters were WMMT. The position on the dial was 88.7. And this was the best radio station I have ever heard. The station was primarily a bluegrass station, but they also had this Americana/Alt Country show that would play in the mornings, when I would drive to work.
This is where I first heard Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, and Ryan Adams. This was where, on a particular evening in late October, while driving to a show, I heard Judy Collins sing 'With God On Our Side', an acapella version of the Dylan song. I hadn't even heard the original at that point. But I was just floored, and actually remember pulling the car over so I could take in the sheer depth of beauty that moment in time was presenting to me.
I have never encountered another radio station like that one. The bluegrass they played was top notch, the alt country was very well selected, and they even had a hardcore show on Saturday nights, where some of the local teenagers would make a point to have completely random conversations over the airwaves. It was, and hopefully still is, a truly incredible voice of independent radio. If all radio was that well done, I would have a vastly different view of radio as a whole.
There is a point to all of this.
Shelley Miller is putting out a new album. It's called 'When it's All Gone, You Come Back'. Recently, Shelley sent us a digital copy, and we agreed to talk about it on the blog. After listening to the album several times, I realized that the feeling evoked by several of the songs on this cd were vastly reminiscent of my time in Appalachia as a whole, and more specifically, that radio station, which I now consider to be the soundtrack to my year repairing houses in the hollows of Appalachia.
I wanted to talk about one song in particular. Track 7- 'All the Way Down' represents this feeling most especially. It really is a great song on its own, but when coupled with my personal experience, it really hit home to me, in a way that few songs do. The tender fingerpicking and the emotional honesty of the lyrics together weave images and feelings of younger days, and of times when things make sense, without any sort of explanation. To me, this song is a nice representation of the best life has to offer and the willingness to see the simple beauty in it all. In a way, this song just feels like home to me, which is a rare thing indeed.
I highly recommend listening to this song, and then heading over to Martyr's on Friday night to catch Shelley debut these songs as an album, at a really great Chicago venue.

All The Way Down

Shelley Miller CD Release Show
Friday, February 12th, 2010
Martyr's
3855 North Lincoln Avenue
9 PM $8
w/ Micah Walk and Steve Dawson

Find Shelley Miller online!
Myspace
Website
Purchase the album there, or directly from her, at Fridays show.

Chicago Happenings 3/7-3/13

2010-03-06T13:57:00.009-06:00

People Sometimes
Tuesday, March 9th
9 PM
Empty Bottle
1035 North Western Avenue

Rob Reid
Wednesday, March 10th
9 PM
Rob starts his set at 12:30 AM Gallery Cabaret
2020 N Oakley

Arthi Meera
Wednesday, March 10th
8 PM
The Charleston
2076 N Hoyne Ave.

Singing in the Abbey
Thursday, March 11th
6:30 PM
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E Washington

Elizabeth Stedman
Friday, March 12th
7 PM
Center On Halsted
3656 N Halsted St

Shelley Miller

Friday, March 12th

9 PM

Martyr's

3855 N Lincoln Ave.

Rebecca Sometimes

Saturday, March 13th

7 PM

Rockwell Crossing House Of Folk

write derelictsongs@gmail.com for more info

Rob Reid
Sunday, March 14th
11 AM
Logan Square Farmers Market
2135 N Milwaukee Ave. (Congress Theater Lobby)

Chicago Happenings 2/28-3/6

2010-02-27T01:46:00.005-06:00

a couple of shows to see this week

Ryan Suzuka and Ty Maxon
Tuesday, March 2nd
8 PM
Schubas
3159 N Southport Ave

Light Pollution
Wednesday, March 3rd
8 PM
Schubas
3159 N Southport Ave

Steve Leaf
Friday, March 5th
9 PM
Underground Lounge
952 W Newport Ave

John Bellows
Saturday, March 6th
6 PM
Permanent Records (Record Release)
1914 West Chicago Avenue

Chicago Happenings 2/21-2/27

2010-02-20T12:30:00.005-06:00

Derelict Songs found a show every night of the week this week, except for Friday. So many great shows in the next few days!!

John Bellows
Sunday, February 21st
8 PM
Ruben's Palace
write derelictsongs@gmail.com for more info

Ryan Suzuka and Brian Walker
Monday, February 22nd
8 PM
Cubby Bear
1059 West Addison Street

Chris Darby and Ty Maxon
Monday, February 22nd
9 PM
Silvies Lounge
1902 West Irving Park Road

Graham Green Hosts 'Cover the Other'
(everyone playing will cover a song or two from another musician they know)
Monday, February 22nd
9 PM
The Grafton
4530 North Lincoln Avenue

Leaf Bird, The Sometimes Family, The Toughcats, and Ryan Suzuka
Tuesday, February 23rd
9 PM
Good Wolf House Show
write derelictsongs@gmail.com for more info

In Miniature
Wednesday, February 24th
8 PM
Ronny's
2101 N California Ave

Arthi Meera
Thursday, February 25th
8 PM
Strobe Sessions
strobesessions@gmail.com for more info

Facing Winter
Saturday, February 27th
8 PM
Tonic Room
2447 North Halsted Street

John Bellows
Saturday, February 27th
8 PM
Ottoman Empire
write derelictsongs@gmail.com for more info

Adam Faucett
Saturday, February 27th
10 PM
Cole's
2338 N Milwaukee Ave

Mixed Bag

2010-02-19T00:46:00.026-06:00

Ryan Suzuka at Phyllis' Musical Inn on Wed Feb 10, 2010.

Twenty-Three at The Foundry in South Haven, MI Jan 30, 2010.

Arthi Meera from the Singer-Songwriter night Wednesday Dec 9, 2009.

Arthi Meera at Phyllis' Musical Inn Dec 9, 2009 Wednesday.

Arthi Meera at Phyllis' Musical Inn Dec 9, 2009 Wednesday.

Here are a few things I have been meaning to get up and listed. The sets from Phyllis' on the 10th of Feb, 2010 remain incomplete, but the rest are due to be posted in the coming weeks. The Twenty-Three (Niles/Allegan, MI) song is one among many that were captured from that night. More to come....

www.myspace.com/arthimeera
www.myspace.com/ryansuzuka
Twenty-Three (Niles/Allegan, MI) doesn't have a website yet....we're going to keep you posted when one develops.

Thanks for reading!

Meander

2010-02-18T00:45:00.032-06:00

Sometime during the winter of 2009 one of the bands I play in had a show at Ronny's Center for the Performing Arts on California Ave in Chicago, IL. It was frigid, dimly lit (a singular small lamp sat on the floor providing the only illumination), and everyone in attendance was bundled up inside the venue, as I'll never forget, yet all became the formula for a lovely evening of local music inside the old garage. The occasion, also, was another one of those evenings when one plays a show, shares the bill with other musicians, quite often other bands/musicians one doesn't have any prior knowledge of, and their music is so good it gives one pause, prompting the self and the audience to listen a bit more attentively, perhaps even causing a person to become a fan. That particular night, one of the other acts on the bill was a local Chicago musician going under the name, Meander. Her set consisted of a refreshing collection of songs and provided a fitting texture by which to conclude the evening of music.

I wrote Meander last week and she expressed interest in letting me post one of her songs (Snow Lightning Bugs) for the Derelict Songs blog readers. In most instances I immediately hear the sonic features of a song before being drawn in by the lyricism - that's just the way my brain functions - here is no different. Meander has a fantastic way of playing the guitar and organizing a tune, it was striking to hear some of the tones coming from her guitar during that night at Ronny's. I hope you'll enjoy this song and, perhaps, visit the website listed below to learn about the other song offerings from Meander. I seem to recall that her album is available at Reckless Records on Milwaukee Ave in Chicago, IL. Surely, Meander will have additional upcoming local shows listed, before too long, on her website. Be sure to catch a performance if you have a free night on your calendar!

www.myspace.com/meandermeander

Snow Lightning Bugs

Thank you for reading and listening!

- Updater

Good way to spend Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T15:35:00.026-06:00

This was an interesting way to spend Valentine's Day. These are taken from some work done toward a yet to be released Chris Darby EP.

Erin Frisby on vocals. Erin is in a couple of bands: In Miniature and Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray. Erin actually spent time with us and then ran off to do vocals at another studio only moments after finishing her parts for this project.

Maxon on vocals and Breakey as Engineer.

Darby on vocals.

Schroeder on drums.

Darby on rhythm guitars and lead vocals.

Maxon on guitar.

Suzuka on harmonica and vocals and additional photography.

Breakey as Engineer and Maxon on guitars and vocals.

Darby on guitar and vocals

Gairroes on bass

Julio on guitar and percussion.

Somehow I was able to convince these fine folks to let me take photos of them while they recorded on Valentine's Day this past Sunday. Here are a couple of the whole lot to offer.

To keep abreast on Chris Darby developments, check out the following:

www.chrisdarbymusic.com
www.sixtyyearswar.com
www.myspace.com/chrisdarby

Chicago Happenings This Week

2010-02-13T22:04:00.007-06:00

some bird themed events happening in the next few days.

The Lesser Birds of Paradise
Tuesday, February 16th
10 PM
The Whistler
2421 N Milwaukee

Leaf Bird
Wednesday, February 17th
9 PM
Subterranean
2011 W North Ave.

Go Long Mule
Friday, February 19th
9 PM
Fitzgerald's Sidebar
6615 Roosevelt Rd

People Sometimes
Saturday, February 20th
10 PM
Ronnys
2101 N California Ave

2 Shows on Sat Feb 13, 2010...take yer pick!

2010-02-13T02:12:00.023-06:00

Lest I go to sleep and forget in the morning....On Saturday Feb 13, 2010 there are two local Chicago shows of note. Either show is a great option. All participating musicians are good folk to chat with, say hello if you go.

Rebecca Sometimes (of The Sometimes Family) will be playing at:

The Store
2002 N Halsted
Chicago, IL
9PM start time (price is free! drinks cost money, though)
the show is with: As Forty Sleeps, Stealth Like a Canoe

---------------------------------------------------------

A shot of Ty Maxon in-between songs in Hastings, MI Jan 29 2010 Friday.

The other option is to see if you can still attend a house show located in Chicago (right by the Rockwell Brown Line). To find out about details, go to: www.reliablerascal.com There is a link on the page where you can find out more. I hope I am not too late with this posting if you really want to go. The show is going to feature both Ty Maxon and Rob Reid. I can't post the address, but write to Rob at his website to find out the details. The show starts at 7PM, and it's BYOB with a requested $10 donation at the door.

Here's a shot of Rob Reid playing at Phyllis' Musical Inn on Wed Feb 10 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------

One fun little note about Rebecca is that she helps keep, along with the help of her band, a nice little blog about their band's life. Check it out below:

http://www.thesometimesfamily.blogspot.com/

Listen well, and thank you for reading!

- Updater

Singer-Songwriter Night - Chris Darby and Friends Feb 10 2010 Wednesday

2010-02-11T17:45:00.068-06:00

Here are a couple of quick photos from the evening of music that occurred last night at Phyllis' Musical Inn at 1800 W Division St., Chicago, IL. This is the 56th year of Phyllis' being in business. It was good to see Clem Jaskot, the owner of the bar, and Kenny, drummer from the band Anxiety High.

These such evenings are the brainchild of Chris Darby, local singer-songwriter. He has been doing these events for two years or so, and has been playing the local Chicago area and the midwest for the past 7 years. Chris will be embarking on an adventurous outing come this next July 2010. Please check out Chris's music at

www.myspace.com/chrisdarby

www.chrisdarbymusic.com

Chris arranged for a few local musicians to play a set of songs that they might not be typically doing on any other night. The challenge of the night was to assign a cluster of six willing musicians to learn roughly 5 to 7 songs of one of the other participating musicians. The night ensued as follows:

Guy Grace played Rob Reid songs
Rob Reid played Guy Grace songs
Raul Cotaquispe play Jeff Breakey songs
Jeff Breakey played Raul Cotaquispe songs
Ryan Suzuka played Ty Maxon songs
Ty Maxon played Ryan Suzuka songs
Chris Darby played a song from everyone that participated

NOTES on the photos: the battery to the camera cancelled out right after the Ryan Suzuka set, so I focused on getting a full song on video before it faded out. None of the Ty Maxon photos turned out due to photographer error.

Guy Grace played Rob Reid songs during the Songwriter night.

Guy Grace and his backing band: Dr. Julie on violin/percussion, and Hoyne on guitars

Rob Reid playing Guy Grace songs

Raul Cotaquispe playing Jeff Breakey songs

Jeff Breakey and his guitarist John Elstad playing Raul Cotaquispe songs.

A pretty terrible picture from the back of the bar, but it offers a little perspective.

Another shot of Rob Reid playing the Guy Grace songs

This photo really typifies Guy Grace on stage. The fella barely remains still, and that made for a great performance.

This shot with Rob Reid, Hoyne, Guy Grace, and Dr. Julie.

Show Highlights:

Ty Maxon covered two songs of Ryan Suzuka's, one of which, I believe, was his last song of the night. Impeccable. A riveting performance. I wish I had a recording.

Chris Darby singing a cover of Guy Grace's 'Beautiful Man'. Darby went into a vocal range I had never seen before in the years that I have been fortunate enough to watch him perform live. The bar erupted in applause after that song. I wish I had a recording.

All told, it was a wonderful time and pleasant evening just to sit down and listen to these folks engrossed in their craft.

Quote of the Night: "Chris, Phil, she needs a husband." - Clem Jaskot

See other photos from the night here:

The next in the Singer-Songwriter Series is on April 28, 2010 Wednesday.

Stay tuned for videos to be posted on this here blog. And, thank you for reading!

- Updater

heaven or graceland?

2010-02-08T12:00:00.010-06:00

most singer-songwriters play songs of a somber-variety. tennessee troubador henry daggs is more likely to inspire a shit-eating grin. in his songs, daggs tells you why he'd rather visit graceland than go to heaven and why bears are like giant dogs that want to kill you. the light-hearted nature of so many of henry's songs makes it that much more effective when he wants to drive home a serious point about loyalty or a friendship gone awry.

on a recent night in january, henry blazed through kansas city with his collaborators children of spy. henry played an early show at davey's uptown ramblers club with ben summers and chad rex and a late show at the riot room with the grisly hand, remarkably filling both venues--something out of the ordinary as any touring musician who has played kansas city will tell you. at the matinee show, henry played a solo set to a quiet and attentive audience. later on in the night, things got substantially more raucous as children of spy filled out the arrangements.

listen to "fuck heaven" off of henry daggs' record "effing the ineffable."

Fuck Heaven

Interview with Rob Reid

2010-02-08T00:47:00.049-06:00

Folks, I wanted to take a moment to post a recent e-mail interview that we completed with Rob Reid. He is a local singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. One of the bands I am in has traveled quite extensively with Rob, for the past 5 years, throughout the Midwestern states playing our respective brands of original music.

The photos that follow are some vintage Rob Reid from Spring 2006. He was kind enough to come and play at my job at the time. He is always a big hit wherever he plays his songs.

_______________________________________________________

Let's get on with the interview and let Rob do the talking. I hope you enjoy!

Interview begin:

1. You have a new album that was just released in recent weeks, can you tell us about it?

Rob's Response (R): I'm happy that it's finally done. Now I can focus on wrapping up 2009 and hopefully soon re-joining the rest of my friends in the year 2010 by some time in mid-February. I've heard from those who've been, that 2010 is a really good year.

2. Is there a larger story to this album that each of the songs touches on?

(R): There's as much of a coherent plan to this album as there had been to my life at the time I wrote the songs, which is to say almost none at all. The songs were written over a long stretch between 2004 and 2008 when I was struggling with trying to balance all my passions in life, including traveling to Africa, teaching ethnic seniors how to shout "Bingo!", volunteering in India, studying re-use of abandoned cinemas, playing broomball, drinking free vodka under mandate at Polish dive bars, thinking about building robots, etc. Sometimes the inside of my head resembled an old married couple, bickering back and forth and never resolving to consensus but all the while staying married out of obligation.

Back in '06 I hired something of a psychic brain surgeon/hypnotist to help me sort this all out. The title, "The Principles of Crop Rotation" comes from a concept she introduced me to called the "The Universal Cycle of Change". Just as trees know to let their leaves fall off in the autumn and regenerate in the spring, I could learn to more gracefully allow my hobbies to come and go like seasons. When I got tired of playing music, I could let that go and not worry about losing the plateau, while following some new hobby like trying to unlock the mysteries of Elston Avenue, one of the city's loneliest streets. Then when I got back to the music, I was that much fresher and often could fold my newer ideas into older projects.

3. Where did the recording take place? Can you expand a bit. Some of our readers are gearheads.

(R): The actual recording all took place in my home. I didn't want to waste anyone's time but my own. When I finished the tracks, Tim Sandusky mixed and mastered them in his attic.

My home is quintessential Chicago West Side, and not sound insulated, so if you listen real hard you might hear an occasional roaring engine, my neighbor's band in the basement, somebody yelling something about tamales, and possibly even a few gun shots. Most of the guitar tracks were recorded through an amp in the bathroom, where I got this cool echo-ey sound that I found much to my liking.

4. Any secret weapons (music gear) that you use to record Rob Reid albums?

(R): I couldn't distinguish quality gear from a Radio Shack deal if it struck me over the head during a guitar solo. But Populele, one of Avondale's most prominent gearheads, left two extended voice messages for me over the past month- one raving about the sound quality of the StudioProjects VTB pre-amp which I used to record my vocals, and the other proclaiming that he had just bought one himself. It's that good- and very reasonably priced due to its relative anonymity.

5. If there were albums from other musicians that you kept at the fore of your mind, for inspiration, during the recording of this album, what five albums would you narrow that list down to?

(R): Most of what I listened to during that period was anthologies of world music that I found through Chicago Public Library. This probably influenced me subconsciously, but with the exception of a few tracks this is not a world music album. Some more direct influences would include:

Catalpa (Jolie Holland)
The Charts' Greatest Hits
Tusk (Fleetwood Mac)
Nandolo with Love (Francis Bebey)
Living with Ghosts (Patty Griffin)

6. Tell us about any plans that Rob Reid, the musician, has in store for 2010.

(R): Ideas take a long time to germinate. I bought some percussion last winter in an effort to drown out my neighbor's band. I gotta tell you, I enjoy striking a drum more than I do plucking a guitar. I've been practicing. I put my thrift store kitchenware drum kit back together and have been playing that a bit. I can tell you this, my music in 2010 is going to be a lot louder than anything you've heard from me in the past. I'm going to start all of my sentences with the word "I" in 2010. I might have a band called Illinois Bovine Explosion involved in implementing my vision, or I might just hire robots to fill in as band-mates.

7. For live music, what are your top three places to play live Rob Reid shows at in the world.

(R): The Green Lantern, Winona Minnesota circa 2005. There's been nothing like it since- a coffeeshop with no profit motive, a puppet master as barista, and an eclectic magnetism for ballroom dancers and dungeons and dragons veterans alike.

Though it took me some time to warm up to it, I really like Uncommon Ground these days. Jen does a great job on sound. All my friends are getting old, and they're starting to like sitting down at tables instead of standing up at bars.

State Grounds in Hastings, Michigan is another favorite. It's really just the epitome of an unlikely class of songwriter-friendly coffee shops - a small venue owner in a culture-starved town willing to occasionally shell out gas money for a touring artist mostly for the sake of charity and/or his own entertainment. It's not like I've ever brought customers into the place, but he welcomes me back and pays more attention than the aggregate of a roomful of barflies.

8. What was the last album that was recommended to you, by any one of your friends, that you have found to be a very good recommendation?

(R): While I'm often buried in stacks of cryptic/obscure albums from the distant past and from abroad, I do a terrible job of keeping up with what's new in the music world.

My sister, now that she has mellowed out and no longer "drives like a getaway driver for a bankrobber on a Sunday afternoon" has gotten really good at finding new and interesting music.

This past Christmas, she picked up "Wooden Arms" by Patrick Watson for me, and I love it.

9. Of other musicians that exist in the world, name one artist or group that is active right now, and making great music, that just doesn't get noticed enough by other media outlets.

(R): Musicians all know that mainstream media outlets consistently ignore musicianship and talent in favor of slicker and more accessible sounds or images, but Portuguese fado music has received a knife to the back far more damaging than most starving American musicians could rightfully complain about, due to Portugal's longstanding underdog status as well as fado's association with the repressive regime of Antonio Salazar last century.

Ana Moura is my favorite fadista singing today- successful in her own right, but unknown to probably 95% of Americans.

________________________________________________

Rob will be playing a house concert this Saturday Feb 13 2010. For those that are interested in seeing him live, go to the following website for more details: www.reliablerascal.com. Rob will be playing a set and then Ty Maxon will also play a set of songs. Should be an amazing time.

Please visit the following for more information on Rob Reid and Ty Maxon.

www.reliablerascal.com
www.myspace.com/tymaxon

Chicago Happenings This Week

2010-02-07T15:13:00.006-06:00

This is a new (hopefully weekly) feature of this blog, where we will highlight great underground shows in Chicago. For instance, this week, you could go see:

Gia Margaret
Monday, February 8th
8 PM
Schubas
3159 N. Southport

Heather Styka
Tuesday, February 9th
9 PM
Double Door
1572 N Milwaukee Ave

Chris Darby and Friends
Wednesday, February 10th
8:30PM
Phyllis' Musical Inn
1800 w Division St.

Everyone performing at this show will be playing songs of other people playing that night. This will truly be a collaborative evening of song.
Players this night will include Guy Grace , Rob Reid, Jeff Breakey, Ty Maxon, Raul Cotaquispe, Ryan Suzuka, and Chris Darby

Rob Reid and Ty Maxon
Saturday, February 13th
7 PM
Rockwell Crossing House of Folk
private house concert. write derelict songs for more info

Rebecca Sometimes
Saturday, February 13th
9 PM
The Store
2002 N Halsted

5 videos from the weekend...

2010-02-02T00:16:00.019-06:00

video of Ty Maxon playing a song in Hastings, MI on Friday Night Jan 29 2010

Ty Maxon again. Same night.

video of Twenty-Three playing a song at The Foundry Hall in South Haven, MI on Jan 30 2010.

Steve Leaf at an amazing house concert in Haslett, MI on Sunday Jan 31, 2010. The backing band consists of members from Go Long Mule.

Another song from Steve Leaf's set at the House Concert on Sunday Jan 31 2010 in Haslett, Michigan.

www.myspace.com/tymaxon
www.myspace.com/steveleafmusic
www.myspace.com/golongmule

Twenty-Three

more from Twenty-Three at The Foundry Hall

2010-02-01T00:23:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple of more songs from Saturday Jan 30 2010 in South Haven, MI at The Foundry Hall. These are featuring the bluegrass band Twenty-Three.

Twenty-Three - audio from video 2.mp3

Twenty-Three - audio from video 3.mp3

a few post-show snaps from Big Art's House Show Sunday Jan 31 2010

2010-01-31T22:18:00.010-06:00

Steve Leaf and band (members from 'Go Long Mule'.)

Lots of videos to come in the next few days, but one more photo for now. What a great time.

www.myspace.com/steveleafmusic

www.themdamnkids.com

www.myspace.com/golongmule

Thank You for reading!

- Front Seat Updater

Twenty-Three live at The Foundry Hall South Haven MI Jan 30 2010 Saturday

2010-01-31T13:02:00.010-06:00

That's Damn Kid in the photo.

Here are a few mp3's from last night at The Foundry Hall in South Haven, MI. These songs feature Twenty-Three exclusively.

Twenty-Three live at the Foundry Hall South Haven MI Jan 30 2010 Saturday.mp3

Twenty-Three live at The Foundry audio from video 1 - Jan 30 2010 Sat.mp3

Thanks for reading!

- Backseat updater

Parting shots of South Haven MI Sunday Jan 31 2010

2010-01-31T10:33:00.012-06:00

Lots of sleep and a bowl of oatmeal with dried cranberries can start a day just right. I was hoping to get some of the fine artistic coffee over at Julia's Cafe in beautiful downtown South Haven MI, but I had a choice between shots of a frozen-over pier or Chicago-roasted Intelligentsia coffee at Julia's Cafe. Well, the shots of the nature won the competition. Coffee from The Flying J will have to do the trick.

Everyone should certainly check out the fine music that Andru Bemis crafts in his spare time when he isn't running the Foundry Hall.

The band Twenty-Three has been playing these parts for roughly 11 years, mostly around Niles, Michigan, I hear. Anyway, we'll put up some fantastic videos of them in just a short while. Stay tuned to this here blog for more.

Thanks for reading!

- Weekend Updater

Tired and in need of sleep. South Haven, MI

2010-01-30T23:44:00.013-06:00

A nice cluster of photos from this evening's show at The Foundry in South Haven, Michigan.

The Foundry Hall run by Andru Bemis and his trusty crew, is a great place to play a show in western Michigan. Chris' voice tonight was booming and dynamic without any assistance from electronic technology.

This bluegrass band is from Niles, Michigan, they are called 'Twenty-Three'. They were some mighty fine pickers. It was a real good time. I think the bassist stole the show, but the whole band was virtuosic, not a weak link among them. I kept hearing that Twenty-Three recently opened up for The Goldmine Pickers at the Foundry last year.

So there you have a few photos from tonight. Now I am off to go under the covers for the evening to grab a few hours of sleep before picking up Julio in South Bend tomorrow from the South Shore Line. Julio's primary band, The Sometimes Family, had a show at Martyr's in Chicago, IL tonight. He took the Amtrak to Chicago this morning from St. Joseph, Michigan.

www.myspace.com/andrubemis
www.myspace.com/goldminepickers

Twenty-Three apparently do not have a web presence at this time. One of the guitarists did indicate that they play a lot of the summer festivals in the area when things get warmer.

Enjoy!

- Tour Updater

Time off on Saturday at Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Michigan

2010-01-30T15:55:00.010-06:00

A couple of shots from St. Joseph, MI. The ice formations are much more expansive than I anticipated. Fun times. Slippery, too!

State Grounds CFHS - Weekend in Michigan w/ Them Damn Kids & Ty Maxon.

2010-01-29T22:05:00.014-06:00

The inimitable Bob Dickinson from State Grounds CFHS in Hastings, MI.

Too much coffee in the belly, but here are a few photos from the night's show.

Ty Maxon during his set.

The show just finished and we are already in the car headed off to Kalamazoo, then to southwestern Michigan. It is always a pleasant evening to be at State Grounds in Hastings, MI. Bob Dickinson is a rare venue owner and a tremendous supporter of original music. Them Damn Kids have played there since early 2004 and every time it has been a trip worth taking from Chicago to Hastings.

Another snap of Ty Maxon.

www.myspace.com/tymaxon
www.themdamnkids.com

On a short run with Them Damn Kids/Ty Maxon in Michigan

2010-01-29T16:00:00.024-06:00

A few photos from the southern rim of Lake Michigan

Somehow the traffic cooperated and allowed us to slip out of town right quick. The Damn Kids had an extra spot in the car for a silly blogger, so there might be a few updates this weekend of the various activities. Right now we just made it east of Interstate 65. Chris, from Them Damn Kids, popped in the latest Rob Reid album which features the song 'Engineer from Gary'. The song references a place Rob refers to as 'Gary City Church'. Chris did the math and convinced Julio and Ty Maxon that they could pay a quick visit to the church and still make it to the show on-time. An amazing structure it is, this church. The length of their visit inside was all of 9 minutes and 49 seconds while I waited with the gear in the car listening to the jazz station from the College of DuPage. The photos they brought back with them on the camera are remarkable. This place is a sight to behold, for certain.

But, onward we are. Eastbound on Interstate 94 toward Kalamazoo, then to Hastings to go see Bob Dickinson at State Grounds CFHS. The air crisp, lake-effect flurries. The whole bit. Should be a good night tonight.

Here's a Rob Reid cut from his latest album 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'.

Rob Reid - Engineer from Gary.mp3

Thanks for reading!

- Tour Updater

Chris Darby & Friends and A Wu Li Conspiracy at Uncommon Ground

2010-01-28T16:18:00.023-06:00

Damn Chris took the stage, but this time it wasn't with Them Damn Kids. Low-frequency fanatics in the audience may have been bitterly disappointed by the absence of regular sideman Roland "El Conejo" Gairroes on bass, but Julio (Them Damn Kids, Sometimes Family) was there on lead guitar. Another front man - Justin Birchard of Facing Winter, and a front woman- Erin Frisbee^TM of In Miniature- were on stage, but they were sitting in back of Chris. This is how actual, factual, derelict folk supergroups are constructed.

Chris gently hushed into Keep Fighting for a minute or so before being joined by the subtle julionations of the lead guitar, along with Justin's gentle smacking of a hickory box (cajon) and Erin's soaring vocal harmonies.

It was then that I realized that Chris was wearing the same sweater he wore at a party two days earlier- but like a tree which continually grows new rings, the sweater was now the inner ring covered by a clean outer ring of flannel. You see, Chris is both a thrifty man and a focused musician. All that time and money you and I spend washing our clothes and saving up for dinner at 4-star restaurants? Chris spends this time polishing his craft.

Damn Chris Supergroup

It should be noted that Chris is a man whose role in the Chicago music scene extends beyond his own work. Aside from hosting local and touring acts at his songwriter showcases, he regularly pays tribute to under-recognized troubadours. Within this short seven song set, he paid tribute to both Arkansas' William Blackart (some song about cigarette smoke) and Facing Winter (Bad Ideas).

Erin Frisbee and Her Harmonium

Some TDK standards were played (Muse, the Day Has Just Begun, Road Song), and well before the set's twilight, Erin had switched to harmonium and the vocalists dueled to work the folk songs to a frenzied pitch. And then the set ghosted out much the same way it came in- Chris' fingers barely touching the guitar strings on the melancholy "Thoughts and Reflections from the Middle of the Night"- "it's not like us to leave/it's just like us to be," he sang.

After Damn Chris Supergroup left the stage, a poet took his place. We need more poets. There are so few poets in this age (and, my memory for details such as names is so weak) that I'll just refer to him as Poet. Poet noted that Chris' Road Song "builds and builds until you can't take it anymore." Poet's poem ended, "...I bite my nails until they bleed."

Poet

A Wu Li Conspiracy took the stage, closing out their month-long residency as the regular Tuesday night band at Uncommon Ground. This is one of the most textured bands I've heard, featuring Jeff Breakey on guitar, John Elstad on electric lead, Ryan Suzuka on harp, and Raul Callejero Cotaquispe on percussion. All of these rascals are songwriters in their own right, but Ryan Suzuka left his ukulele at home and Raul sacrificed his fluid guitar playing for the greater good... what we have here is a true collaboration, with each member reserving the extremes of their individual talents to make a coherent whole through tasteful vocal harmonies and melodic textures. Amongst folk percussionists, Raul is certainly one of the most unique and inventive anywhere; his "kit" features a bass drum, a tambourine, and an egg shaker which he employed to a full range of dynamics including what might be a trademark bass drum rim shot. During one song he experimented with circuit bending on an old electronic radio.

Uh Woo Lee Kahn Sphere, Ah See

The band worked through just a fraction of their repertoire, including Looks Like I'm Back, Ocean Song, Green Dress, Bury My Heart, and something about a porn star amongst others, as well as a cover of Daniel Johnson's True Love Will Find You in the End. The band claims to have no albums "that they know of," but it's high time they captured their unique work on record, don't you think?

The Zuke's Box of 'Monicas

view from the corner of the room

2010-01-26T17:42:00.006-06:00

Here's a snap from last night's band practice on the west side.

The willow by the woods

2010-01-24T03:45:00.008-06:00

Rachel Ries has a way of writing that makes one long for the distant prairies and rural templates of yesteryear. Coming from humble beginnings in South Dakota, she has been gracing venues in Chicago and the Midwest for the last several years. Since the first time I heard her play, at that little bar on Division street, so many years ago, I have been floored by her voice and ability to sing her sad songs of yearning with absolute conviction. This is truly a rare talent.
I happened upon this song recently, that to me, highlights all the things I love about Rachel's music. Have a listen...

for grandma, untitled

See her play this Thursday night, at the Whistler, in Chicago. Every time I have seen her play, the show has been significantly wonderful. I am certain that this one will be no different.

January 28th
9:30 PM
The Whistler
2421 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL

with Eiren Caffall and The Counterpane

Not typically a 'Garage Band', but on Wed. night they were.

2010-01-23T00:55:00.012-06:00

Damn Kid, Julio, and myself ended up practicing in the garage of a residence in the Old Irving Park neighborhood on Wednesday. While it is still winter, it hasn't been as cold as it was 3 weeks ago, but these mild temps did eventually get to us in the garage.

Thanks for reading!

- Whiskers

Steve Leaf releases his debut cd

2010-01-18T18:27:00.016-06:00

I first met Steve Leaf at Uncommon Ground, in Chicago, one cold day in February, 2009. It was the first show of a three-week tour I was on, and Steve was running sound for the venue. After the show, he casually slipped me his email address, for inclusion on our mailing list. Over the next couple months of writing him occasional emails about the happenings of my band, I learned that Steve also played music. I invited him to come play my bi-monthly songwriter night at Phyllis' Musical Inn, on Division Street. I didn't have any idea what to expect from his music, really. I had heard a sample that he had sent, but I still wasn't sure exactly what I was in for.
That twenty-five minute performance absolutely floored me. It's hard to say exactly what it is about Steve's songs that I love. I have a feeling that the thing that draws me to his music has a great deal to do with the way he writes his melodies. They are always perfect, or as near as one could get. And always just what the song needs.
Steve is putting out his first solo album soon. He sent me a digitized copy recently, for review in this blog. After seeing him play three or four times over the last year, I knew it would be good, and that i would like it. What I didn't know was that I wouldn't be able to stop listening to it. This is helpful in the writing of a good review- that one actually listens to the songs a number of times, to see how they strike upon first, second, and seventeenth listen. I think I listened to this album twenty times before I sat down to write the first draft of the review.
The album begins on a somber note, with a tale of disillusionment of established religion and established ways of thinking. When Steve sings 'I believed all this, until my family fell apart', there is that spark of raw emotional honesty one rarely hears these days. That one spark takes off like wildfire through the rest of the song, and the remainder of the album, consuming everything in its path. There are occasional moments, allowing the listener to breathe, but these breaths only add more oxygen to the fire. This collection of songs is a wildfire worth watching.
For this album, Steve has drawn upon the vast pool of talent of friends between Chicago and his homeland of Michigan. The eleven tracks feature absolutely incredible players, with a vast range of instruments- from guitars and drums to cellos, dulcimers, and saxophone. Despite this diverse instrumentation, this does not sound like the work of an amateur indie-art band, using a plethora of instruments in order to seemingly make the statement that the wider variety of things you play, the better your band is. Every instrument here is placed with precise knowledge, and vast use of restraint. Steve knows when to stay quiet, and when to let loose. This is a rare talent to find in music, and life in general, one could surmise.
From my understanding, the album was built over the span of seven months, in two states, and six different studios. It's always fascinating to me when I hear these sorts of stories, because the thing just sounds so together. Technological wonders never cease to amaze me. From so many different areas comes one unified collection.
I feel that I must share a portion of a q and a session I held recently with Steve via email. I asked him a bit about his musical background, to better understand the making of this album, and he shared this answer with me: "My musical background is checkered to say the least. It's a bit schizophrenic to be honest. Did I want to play Dave Matthews covers? Yes. Did I want to be the next Thom Yorke? Yes. Do I enjoy asking questions and then quickly answering them? Yes. Cutting my teeth musically had a lot to do with figuring out what kind of music I want to play and for what reasons. With the release of this album, I feel like am finally in a place where I am incredibly comfortable playing the music I make. I am proud of that. Playing music to me is about being honest with yourself and those around you and hoping those intentions transcend the song and transmit out to somebody."
I love the honesty and good humor in this response. I'm calling it now. Steve Leaf is a name to know in coming years. It is interesting to note, this sense of comfort. When you see Steve perform, there is a sense of absolute comfort, not only with the songs, but also with life, and all those engaged in the living of it. While the subjects of these songs deal with a lot of uncomfortable issues, one ultimately gets the sense that here is an artist who knows exactly what he is doing, and where he wants to be at this moment musically. This is a refreshing thing to hear, because in the spots when one could draw a quick parallel to Dave Matthews, there is also a sense that this is not someone trying to be someone else. This is an artist who is uniquely comfortable with his own work, and the songs he has written.
The standout track on the album is a song called 'Recruits', which is an unashamed criticism of the middle class suburban lifestyle. I can't help but feel chills when I hear this song. The saxophone is perfect here, a hint of hopelessness and longing. It's nothing short of awesome.
All in all, in this reviewer's opinion, the album suffers only one slight misstep. The closing track, (an instrumental which makes prominent use of whistling) while interesting as an idea, does not hold up to the high standard set by the remainder of the album.
I cannot stress enough how good this album is. Listen to it on headphones late at night. Listen to it on Sunday drives in the country. Listen to it wherever you are. This album is waiting for you. While it wont get as much press as the new Cold War Kids, or Alkaline Trio albums, I can assure you with unwavering conviction, that this is better than the both of them. I know that I will still be listening to this cd in ten years. It has all the markings of a classic. But don't take my word for it. Have a listen yourself.

Recruits

Searching

The album comes out tomorrow. This is a must purchase for anyone who likes well crafted songs.

For more info on Steve, and where to find his music, please follow these links. Steve's website or on Myspace, or Facebook

Steve Leaf
We Are Ghosts

1. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
2. We Are Ghosts
3. Searching
4. Banjo Diddlies
5. Wait, no, GO!
6. India Pale Ale
7. Sunday Procession
8. Rob the Baptist
9. Recruits
10. Chicago
11. I Would Love to Stay

Credits:
Steven Leaf- Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Kevin Gibbons- Vocal, Saxaphone
Kristen Holtschlag- Violin, Viola
Chris Dorman- Dulcimer
Brandon Foote- Electric Guitar
Kate Wakefield- Vocals, Cello
Patricia Smyka- Vocals
Pee Wee- Drums, Bass, Piano

Tour:
with backing band- guitarist Ryan Anderson and drummer Mark Zoller, from Go Long Mule

Monday, January 25th 8:30PM
The Root Note
155 4th St. South
La Crosse, WI 54601
FREE

Tuesday, January 26th 10PM
Up Front and Company
102 E. Main St.
Marquette, MI 49855
$5

Wednesday, January 27th 8PM
Bridge House
100 E. Montezuma Ave.
Houghton, MI 49931
w/ This Is Deer Country

Thursday, January 28th 8PM
Higher Grounds
806 Red Dr. Suite 150
Traverse City, MI 49684
$10/8
w/ Chris Dorman

Friday, January 29th 8PM
(SCENE) Metrospace
110 Charles St.
East Lansing, MI
$10
w/ Seth Bernard, Chris Dorman, Gifts or Creatures

Saturday, January 30th
Elbow Room
6 South Washington Street
Ypsilanti, MI
$5
w/ Chris Bathgate, Alex Hug

Sunday, January 31st 4PM
Art's Big House Show
6273 W. Reynolds
Haslett, MI 48840
w/ Art Cameron, Them Damn Kids

Interview with Justin Birchard of Facing Winter

2010-01-16T02:36:00.069-06:00

photo by Jeff Goluszka

Here, today, we have the great fortune of putting up a nice little give and take between one of our contributors, Chris Darby, as he recently had a moment to submit a list of questions to Justin Birchard of Facing Winter, a local Chicago band from the western suburbs. Chris and Justin have known each other for the better part of 6 years now. Recently Justin took part in a singer-songwriter night at Phyllis' Musical Inn at 1800 W Division St. in Upper Wicker Park Heights, as Jeremy Raskin used to call it. Chris submitted some questions to Justin over e-mail and Justin sent these questions back. There is also a very small snippet of a longer interview from that songwriter night at Phyllis' that will be at the end of this interview.

A few notes about Facing Winter, certainly not comprehensive, but sincere. This band is a remarkable unit (Current line-up consists of Justin Birchard, Jeff Goluszka, and Drew DeWaard). They have a sound that is many things, and the two songs that will be provided as samples at the end of this post won't be entirely representative as most of their music is quite dynamic, but I often feel as though a loaded freight train is roaring past when this band kicks it into high gear during a set. I can't sing their praises enough on a personal level and with respect to their craft. I hope to do, as do many others also, as much as within my means to see that these guys get the recognition that they deserve because their music deserves to be heard. Their fans are rabid and it is infectious to be around this band's whole community. We'll certainly be writing more about these great men in the future. For now, we'll focus on the interview.

Great photo of the band in late 2008 at Abbey Pub in Chicago, IL. Liam Doyle on bass, Liam was the original bassist for the band. photo by Chad Headley

Please enjoy, and thanks for stopping by the blog for a look!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

begin the Interview with Justin Birchard of Facing Winter

1) you have a new cd on the horizon. tell me about that. what was the process like?

The new album will be called 'Gifts from Gravity'. We do all the recording and mixing ourselves at our studio in West Chicago. We have a pretty simple setup and do all of the tracking onto a PC.
When I was younger I used to wonder why it sometimes took bands a full year (or more) to release new albums. I definitely don't wonder about that anymore.
I think the process could be equated to running a marathon. It's painful, monotonous, and time consuming. But at the same time it's peaceful, exhilarating, and empowering.

2) this being your second album, what similarities and differences do you find between the two? what can fans expect from this new material?

Strangely enough, I think GfG ('Gifts from Gravity' - forthcoming Facing Winter album) will be both heavier, and more mellow than SDIS (previous Facing Winter EP 'Seas Drain Into Space'). A lot of the key elements that we are known for will still be there... but the surroundings and atmosphere will have changed a bit. The drums and bass are more explosive, and there's a lot more vocal experimentation. There will also be new instruments... like accordion, xylophone, mandolin, and piano.

3) does the album have a theme? are there certain subjects that come into play more than others? how would you describe the mood/feel of the whole record?

A lot of these songs made me feel really uncomfortable. Especially at first. There is still penty of optimism... but as a whole, it might be the darkest collection of songs I've written. I was forced to see a different side of myself this year. Once I saw it, it changed me. And it changed my outlook on life. It helped me understand things I had no concept of before. I think the album definitely reflects that.

photo by Jeff Goluszka

4) what things shape your songwriting? do you gather ideas from the world surrounding, or the world inside yourself? maybe a mix of the two?

I try to mix the two... but overall I get very distracted with what is going on in my own head.

5) If you could name any artist, past or current, that is influencing you at the moment, who would it be? What about their music or their work that is speaking to you?

This is a really tough one because there are so many... but for the last month I feel I have been very influenced by the Shins, Cake, Ben Folds, and Sunny Day Real Estate.

6) are there any other musicians out there right now, that are unsigned or unnoticed by the masses, that you feel deserve a second or better glance because of their great songs and/or consistently great live shows/performances?

Another tough one because there are just so many... Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire, Them Damn Kids, Algernon, Dan and Leland, and Rachel Reis.

7) Any advice that has been helpful or insightful for you, that you might offer to aspiring musicians?

This is my personal advice: Sing and play everday... even if it's just for 15 minutes. Perform something somewhere for someone everyweek. Stay away from the opposite sex. Stay away from drugs. And when you can't do it anymore, keep doing it anyway.

photo by Chad Headley

8) you recently made a pretty drastic change in personnel. would you care to comment on this, and how the 'new guy' is filling out your sound?

Liam did a really great job for us for 5 years. It's really hard to see him go... both personally and musically. But I fully support his decision to move on and pursue other things with his life.
Liam will always be around. And he'll continue to be a direct influence on the music.
In fact, Liam helped us teach Drew how to play the songs... which is neat because it has made the transition much easier.
Just like Liam, Drew is a very special type of musician. But I'm not going to spoil it... I'll let Drew's bass playing speak for itself.

9) What does the near and distant future hold for Facing Winter? What are some goals you would like to accomplish by the end of both 2010, and 2050?

If I can give back what others have given to me through music... and if I can continue to understand myself and the world around me better by writing, recording, and performing... then it will all be worth it. No matter what year it is!

10) What are you reading these days?

The last two books I read were "Born on a Blue Day" and the "Celestine Prophecies". They were both pretty interesting.

A photo from a recent FW show (Thurs Dec 10 2009) at Mad Maggie's in Elgin, IL with new bassist Drew DeWaard. photo by Chad Headley

The next Facing Winter shows are:

Saturday Jan 23 2010 at Galvin's Public House in Chicago, IL
Sunday Jan 31 2010 at The Oasis Cafe in West Chicago, IL

www.facingwinter.com

A few songs to get new fans started, both of which feature Liam Doyle on bass. Justin is always writing new material. It won't be long before new Facing Winter tracks with Drew DeWaard on bass are unveiled for the world to hear.

Facing Winter - Colorful

Facing Winter - Killshot

A brief video interview with Justin can be found at: Derelict Songs on Youtube

Note: Justin braved 12 degree weather to chat with Derelict Songs for a time after his set at the mentioned Phyllis' show on Wed Dec 9 2009. Half of the interview was lost due to a technical snag, but this is a nice segment that still remains on tape.

Nathaniel Seer audio interview

2010-01-14T12:12:00.002-06:00

Nathaniel Seer recently sat down with us after a show in Madison, Wisconsin, during the last week of his most recent tour (Nov 2009) to do an interview for audio posting within the blog. This guy has some remarkable songs to his credit and is just fantastic at playing the guitar and singing, as well as an all-around good guy.

Nathaniel Seer Interview - 60MB

This is the blog's first audio interview posting. What comes with that is the real possibility that fades are getting worked out and levels are getting figured out and I am gaining a better understanding of how audio editing software works and how I can possibly get better with it over time. The interview with Nathaniel is a very good one, and quite lengthy. I do hope you enjoy. Please forgive any amateur mistakes with the editing. For a first attempt, I think the trimming and general editing didn't turn out all that bad after all, but it is clear I have some areas to improve upon with subsequent audio interviews.

You can learn more about Nathaniel Seer and his record label at the following:
www.chestnuttreerecords.com

I look forward to doing this more with other musicians as each one has a fascinating story to tell and expand upon.

Please enjoy and thank you for reading!

Mr. Whiskers

The Madness

2010-01-12T21:36:00.020-06:00

cover art for latest Rob Reid album 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'

I thought I would post this little bit from a few weeks ago. This is a photo taken at the Rob Reid/ Them Damn Kids show at Uncommon Ground on Tues Dec 29 2009. Rob Reid officially released his latest record on that night 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'. The photos of the cables and the gear always pique my attention. Along those lines, here are the instruments of choice for Rob Reid. Every musician is a chemist.

Rob's album, and music, in generally, is fantastic. Try to catch his next show at Phyllis' Musical Inn on Tues Feb 10 2010. The address is: 1800 W Division St., Chicago, IL 60622. Rob will be taking part in a night showcasing a few local singer-songwriters. This particular night, I believe, will involve each of the writers playing one another's songs. The night will be hosted by Chris Darby.

I am a fan of live recordings. I love seeing the myriad of possibilities in live performance, and then being able to capture that one moment, whether the medium be an audio recorder or a video camera. The live recording listed below is actually the audio feed from a video of Rob performing a few weeks ago. The reason I didn't post the video is because there is a non-verbal interaction between Rob and the audience that is actually quite priceless, but on video (upon further review) I determined it would be a bit distracting, were I to go on with posting it. Rob did a really nice job of this track that night, it's a pretty fine performance, and so I thought listing it might be an alright course of action.

www.reliablerascal.com

Rob Reid - Tuvalu - live Fri Jan 1 2010 Kenosha WI.mp3

Matthew Davies at recent house show in Madison WI Sunday January 3 2010

2010-01-12T01:25:00.020-06:00

Hello everyone. Please meet Mr. Matthew Davies. Many met him in Chicago a few years back, but he has since returned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife Steph Davies. They both are involved in some very exciting activity creating original music and original works of art.

Here are a few videos of Matthew playing a house show (The House That Willi Built) in Madison, WI in early 2010.

www.myspace.com/matthewdavies

Thank you for reading!

Bile Greene in late October 2008 in Skokie, IL

2010-01-08T20:59:00.008-06:00

The promised Bile Greene video. I am not responsible for the audio quality of this video, but I also think there is a nice glimpse of the mighty Mr. Greene in action.

On a day when I, once again, repaired my car, I dedicate this little post to Bile Greene. I think he'll laugh when he learns that my car went under the knife today, as he is all too familiar with the sound of grinding wheel bearings on my car, and the need to repair them in order to make it back home to Chicago after playing an out of town show.

www.myspace.com/bilegreene2

Thanks for reading!

- Whiskers

Derelict Songs

Back on The Horse

Open Mic updates at The Bridge Tues Nov 8 2011

Life Happens....so I post well past deadlines re: Columbia Missouri open-mike updates

Ghost from Sweden

Test

Just a test of a new iPod app

Columbia, Missouri open-mic updates Sept 6 2011 at The Bridge

Another from Dave Kipp - Big Boned Woman

Columbia, Missouri music

The Brick

Last Minute Concert Announcement - Jaik Willis, Rob Reid, Mason Reed - DeKalb Illinois Wed Aug 3 2010

Mason Reed live at The Brick Sat July 31 2010 Waukegan IL

Chicago Happenings 6/27 to 7/3

Chicago Happenings 6/20-6/26

Songwriter Night #10

Chicago Happenings 6/13-6/19

Chicago Happenings 6/6-6/12

Chicago Happenings 5/30-6/5

EP Hall Mommy Crow

Songwriter Night #9

Chicago Happenings 5/23-5/29

In Miniature, Clip Art, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, Miss Autopsy, and Them Damn Kids at Ronny's May 16 2010 Sunday

Chicago Happenings 5/16-5/22

Eric Nassau, Ladies and Gentlemen, Eric Nassau

May 2 2010 Sunday

Chicago Happenings 5/2-5/8

Songwriter Night

Interview: Chris Darby of Them Damn Kids

Old Irving Park neighborhood practice

Chicago Happenings 4/25-5/1

The House That Willi Built - Friday April 23 2010 Madison, WI

Rockwell Crossing House of Folk

Sunday in Old Irving Park neighborhood

Chicago Happenings 4/18-4/24

Taxes and Technology problems

House Show with Dave Kipp from St. Louis

Couldn't find a repeat pedal, so this band used an animal instead

Chicago Hap'nin's 4/11 to 4/17

Album Review: I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums by Steve Dawson

St. Louis Missouri. The Old Rockhouse. Scott Miller. You Missed It!

Chicago Happenings 3/28-4/3

Wake/Funeral assignment, general laziness during Spring's Break

Bellows Make Fires Burn More Fiercely

Chicago Happenings 3/21-3/27

Adam Faucett and William Blackart show - Monday March 15, 2010 Skokie, IL

Twenty-Three...again. More to come.

Chicago Happenings 3/14-3/20

Chicago Brahaus house band

When it's All Gone, You Come Back

Chicago Happenings 3/7-3/13

Chicago Happenings 2/28-3/6

more videos from Feb 10, 2010 Singer-Songwriter Night

Chicago Happenings 2/21-2/27

Mixed Bag

Meander

Good way to spend Valentine's Day

Chicago Happenings This Week

2 Shows on Sat Feb 13, 2010...take yer pick!

Singer-Songwriter Night - Chris Darby and Friends Feb 10 2010 Wednesday

heaven or graceland?

Interview with Rob Reid

Chicago Happenings This Week

5 videos from the weekend...

more from Twenty-Three at The Foundry Hall

a few post-show snaps from Big Art's House Show Sunday Jan 31 2010

Twenty-Three live at The Foundry Hall South Haven MI Jan 30 2010 Saturday

Parting shots of South Haven MI Sunday Jan 31 2010

Tired and in need of sleep. South Haven, MI

Time off on Saturday at Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Michigan

State Grounds CFHS - Weekend in Michigan w/ Them Damn Kids & Ty Maxon.

On a short run with Them Damn Kids/Ty Maxon in Michigan

Chris Darby & Friends and A Wu Li Conspiracy at Uncommon Ground

view from the corner of the room

The willow by the woods

Not typically a 'Garage Band', but on Wed. night they were.

Steve Leaf releases his debut cd

Interview with Justin Birchard of Facing Winter

Nathaniel Seer audio interview

The Madness