I remember Dan Henig and his music from its earliest incarnations in high school, 42nd Parallel. We both hail from Ann Arbor, MI and it was a wonderful surprise to reconnect with him here in Chicago a couple of weeks ago when I found out he transferred colleges. He has always had a knack for writing catchy and addicting music, but his solo work has evolved and matured beyond being just a fun band to go see on the weekends. He’s become an artist to pay attention to, someone who isn’t just playing for his friend’s entertainment in the basement. He’s playing for himself, means it, and he is going places. Check out the interview and music below.
Enjoy.
Allison Correll
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FREE MUSIC INDUSTRY EVENT – The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs has some rad stuff coming up with co-sponsor Chicago Music Commission. [They’re the fellers that put together Chicago Music City.] It’s nice to know that the city is still keeping the arts alive with events like this.
This February they have their “At Work Forums” which is a series of well …forums that “brings artists and experts to discuss the best practices for Chicago’s creatives in music, dance, theater, visual art, and more.” [Thanks, Explore Chicago].
This shits good. And best part – it’s FREE.
Yeah, panel discussions can get kind of dry at times. But it’s free education and insight about what’s going on in your industry. Here’s one that you all should know about:
Musicians at Work Forum: Touring Tips for Finding and Booking Gigs
Date/Time:
February 22, 2010
Networking: 5:30pm-6:00pm
Panel: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St., 5th Floor Washington Room
Chicago, IL 60605
Moderator:
Joanna Quargnali-Linsley – Misery Loves Co.
Check out the Panelists: Read more…
© Sebastian Mlynarski
Every once in awhile a band lands a gig in a major motion picture and is quickly forgotten after the movie-goer leaves the theater. In 2008 the major motion picture adaption of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is centered around the film’s two main stars, Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, searching for the band “Where’s Fluffy?” who just happens to be Brooklyn’s own Bishop Allen.
Bishop Allen began back in 2003 with Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, friends who met while attending Harvard University. Their name came from Bishop Allen Drive, the street where Rice and Rudder lived in Cambridge, MA while attending college. Rice and Rudder make up the core of Bishop Allen, but over the past seven years Rice and Rudder have been joined by various musicians to complete the Bishop Allen live lineup. Now, with three studio albums and 12 EPs under their belt, Bishop Allen’s live set could be endless. Read more…
At one time or another you were horribly embarrassed. You were picked last for a team, taunted based on the contents of your lunchbox, or tripped on the stairs causing your pants to rip in the most horrifying of places. It’s time to reclaim that memory and wear it as a badge of honor. As the Webelos say, “for those ready to embrace who [you] are, we salute you.”
The quartet hails from Chicago and represent both Columbia College and Northwestern University. The band’s philosophy boils down to being true who you are, no excuses, no apologies. They believe in the power of a solid hook and they do it well, drawing influences from the forefathers of pop: the Beatles, the Hollies, the Beach Boys, et al. Don’t be fooled though; the Webelos’ sound is not a throwback, nor are they a band based on nostalgia for a time in which none of the members lived. Their sound is at once modern and classic. As singer Danny Leavitt puts it, “you have to respect your roots, and those are pop rock’s roots.” The Webelos appreciate their inner dweeb and their inner pop star and once you get to know them, those are things you will appreciate, too.
Read on for my interview with Webelos lead vocalist Danny Leavitt.
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Scared about getting a job after school?
Ch-ch-check this out.
For all you arts business kids – whether it’s music, performance art, visual art, literary art, or media art, this is a must-be-at event.
The SEA Conference [Self-Employment in the Arts], is held all over the U.S. hitting up Washington, Cali, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, and Illinois.
They hold a conference every year around February in Lisle, IL. The conference is over two days with panels, performances, speakers, workshops, etc. It’s designed to cater to multiple arts and businesspersons and put together by the Coleman Foundation, Columbia College, North Central College, and a few other sponsors. It’s designed for college kids studying to enter the arts industries.
My faculty advisor does a lot of work for the conference, and has been quite animate about getting me to go this year. My marketing teacher also raved about it, too. I looked in to the conference a bit more and asked some other people about and I did get some mixed reviews. I guess it can be dry at times, but has overall been found beneficial. Hey, it’s worth a shot. Read more…
Sub T is my favorite small venue in Chicago. There’s something about it. The sound isn’t particularly amazing, the lighting isn’t exactly perfect for photography, but it’s cozy and intimate and some super legit bands make their way through that place. On Friday I went to see my friends in Carbon Tigers play there. I was half expecting to head home after their performance but they convinced me the last band was worth sticking around for. Had the fellas in Carbon Tigers not been so insistent that the girls in the last band were bad fucking ass, I might have missed out on my new band du jour.
© Megan Holmes 2009
Claudia Meza, Lisa Schonberg and Heather Treadway of Explode Into Colors took the stage and ripped it. Gently. They didn’t get the crowd thrashing about but their music was infectious and for a first time listener, I was blown away and compelled to dance. Their minimal instrumentation of drum, guitar, some keys was just the scratch I’d been itching for. The guitar, which I later learned was a baritone guitar, sounded more like a bass and I loved every second of it. The sound was danceable but allured to something darker with the heavy guitar and two drums. It was to my disappointment that the audience decided to play it lame and merely bob their heads and sway their bodies.
It came as no surprise that the two standout tracks during the show from my perspective (Sharpen The Knife and Eyes Hands Mouth), also turned out to be two on their Myspace. They were standout tracks even among the live set and the energy of the audience seemed to peek when they were performed. While their stage presence wasn’t exactly exciting, you could tell they enjoyed being up there and their energy was completely on the music. It was a refreshing and satisfying show and my only regret is not having brought more cash to purchase a vinyl, a CD or some sort of merch. It’s safe to say that Explode Into Colors has made it past the du jour status and into my permanent library as they are just as riveting in their recordings as they are live.
Enjoy.
The Skallywags are not casual hobbyists. They are group of hard-working, skilled, driven, passionate young musicians. As full-time musicians they have gained a loyal following and as full-time students they are perfecting their talents. Their brand of guitar-driven rock hints at classic rock, ska, country and 90’s pop-rock (à la Third Eye Blind). I had the opportunity to interview Skallywags vocalist and Columbia College student Kristine Spieldmann. Here’s what she had to tell us about her band.
Photo Credit Not Found.
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About a week ago I took another adventure to visit The Wanton Looks, but this time to a safer neighborhood. The ladies were headlining the Girls Out Of The Garage showcase presented by NoVo Arts at Lincoln Hall. Having only seen them perform in their dimly lit practice space with some burnt out cables, and not quite to their full potential, I was excited to see them in all their glory.
© Gali Firstenberg
