Items filtered by date: November 2007

You can't always tell a book by its cover when it comes to the Chicago scene.

We've got it all, by the thousands! Same old same old constantly. Saturation beyond compare.

A city rich in metal and pop as well as blues. But after all the noise is gone, what's left?

An empty spirit? An angry soul yearning for more sweet more!!!

Yet there is a more "natural" listerning tier who favors incredible feel-good bands like Mr. Blotto, The Giving Tree Band, Stone Free, and Umphrey's McGee of course.

They appreciate great musicianship, the fun of a musical journey, and the trip of revolving colors only very strong songsters can provide. And after all the hype clears from the "scene", some bright stars well over the dropping horizon!

Another more important part of this admiration comes from luxurious harmonies that way too many bands never figure out. Life is all about harmony anyway, isn't it? This is why these bands stand tall over the human soul and spirit.

 

And the energy from bands like Phish, Rusted Root, and The Greatful Dead still beat honorably in the hearts of this dedicated quality music-driven populous. Throw in a little dash of Jason Falkner and you have a modern music approach that seamlessly ties all of the virtues of touching music and their origins together so fruitfully.

The great thing about bands like Umphrey's McGee and Mr. Blotto are that they incorporate very charming orchestrations that take the bouncing soul to warm and fuzzy places.

Coming this May 8th at the Lincoln Hall in Chicagoland,  Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band and Brendan Bayliss of Chicago-based Umphrey's McGee will be performing a very rich variety of songs from their cache of pleasantries.

Known to have performed back at Schuba's a while back, the duo 30 db. has spent some time putting together many songs. And they're bringing this reminiscent sound to Brendan's home town next month. Love great guitar? Mandolin? Then you're in for one heck of a treat.

And the distinguishable vocals by popular lyricist and singer Brendan Bayliss will sing to the hearts of its admirers on many familiar and forward levels. Accompanied by Jeff Austin's beautiful Mandolin expressions, you're mind will be glad you treated it to this show!

The album will be released on May 11th by Jeff and Brendan. The show on May 8th will be a very unique opportunity to get close to the magic that is a great album release by two very romantic and serious song creators.

Stay tuned for more from the Umphrey's family.

A Buzz Pick for Shows To See in May.

 

The lights turned low, Willie stepped up to the microphone, and started singing “Whiskey River” to open the show. A Texas flag unfolded as a back drop from the first strum of the guitar. Five musicians followed Willie’s lead and every chord or note that he played for the entire music presentation. The Genesee Theater in Waukegan, Illinois had one great song after another played and it was a time to remember.

 

Willie Nelson strummed, picked, and sang, entertaining a packed auditorium. This aging country music star lived up to his reputation packing a hell of a wallop into the ears of the audience. This guitbox player only used one guitar for the entire show and it was quite apparent he had used this one a lot before. There was a hole in the guitar from where he had picked and strummed so many times it had worn through the top of the body on his acoustic. The battle scares to his instrument is something he should be proud of.

 

The song “Still Is Still Moving To Me” was early on in the set and pure pleasure to hear. As the words and music were projected from the stage you knew you were seeing a country music legend. The fast paced ditty had everyone in the place dancing in their seats.

 

Plenty of songs were squeezed into the evening, but when in the presence of Willie Nelson, a hundred songs is never enough. Pieces like “Crazy” and “Me and Paul” were amongst the songs played for the true fans delight. “Angel Flying To Close To The Ground” was yet another one that impressed many within the theater.

 

“Georgia,” “All Of Me,” and “On The Road Again” all were done and over so fast leaving everyone wanting more. “Hey Good Looking” was a piece that just stole everyone’s musical soul and messaged it creating a perfect aura for the evening. Such a timeless classic written by Hank Williams and perfectly performed by Willie.

 

“Always On My Mind” has been recorded by so many musicians over the years including Elvis Presley, but no one has done it as well as Willie. Since the release in 1982 of this single most true fans can’t listen to anyone else sing it anymore. The opinions at the Genesee Theater were all the same for this show. Everyone was singing along with him and seemed to be in perfect harmony.

 

The wonderful Steve Goodman classic “City of New Orleans” was music perfection. Nothing seemed to bring in the cheers as much as the song “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Julio Iglesias was no where to be found, but there were plenty of singers in the room. Willie performed the hit song just as well without his original singing partner and nobody seemed to miss him. 

 

It didn’t really seem to matter what this country music icon was singing as long as he kept on doing it. He threw bandanas into the crowd and just before he left the stage he was slapping concert goers hands in the front of the theater and then signed as many autographs as he could before departing as his backing band played some traveling music for him. What a class act.

Willie had chosen a great group of musicians to back him up. He had a piano player, bass player, snare drum player, harmonica player, and a percussionist. The group of entertainers seemed to play within a synchronization and it is clear they had become one. Every accent provided by each player was such a pleasure to hear and he couldn’t have done it without them.

 

There have been some great musical acts in the last fifty years, but this man has his own unique playing style. The country music outlaw had no fancy stage show, lights, or any smoke and mirrors to make his show appear better. Just being able to see him play was show enough and he didn’t need anything flashy. Thank you Willie Nelson for becoming a musician. You will always be considered one of the best.

Director Craig Engel’s latest production to come to Bolingbrook’s Theatre on the Hill (TOTH) is a story many are familiar with, and, since presented with such a timeless magic about it, is a performance that can certainly be enjoyed by everyone once again. “The Elephant Man” a story of a severely deformed man, John Merrick, who suffers from the genetic disease neurofibromatosis is often sad as it delves into the cruelty dealt by those who judge and condemn by appearance, often treating him as an animal. However, Merrick’s spirit throughout is uplifting as well as that of those who care for him like a fellow human being.

 

Engel’s direction captures the heartache experienced by Merrick caused by the torment of others from severe beatings to the subtlest glares or comments by those who pass by. Encompassed also so well is Merrick’s desire to be a normal man and his true appreciation for those that showed him the common courteousness of a fellow human being. TOTH veteran Gus Gustafson again shows his versatility as an actor as John Merrick thanks to a compelling demonstration of pain, ignorance, hope and even humor. Dr. Frederick Treves is nicely played by Kevin Folliard and David Lichty (a force on stage) is professional as ever as Dr. Car Gomm. Kate Schultz is charming as Ms. Kendall, the woman who opened up to Merrick and presented to him new experiences that he had never dreamed.  

 

The story of the Elephant Man takes place in the late 1800’s and a joint effort by the cast, Michael A. Fudala and Scott Boland does a great job in taking the audience to the particular era with a keen eye for props and their detail to set construction. Julie Kinsey also boosts the believability to the time period with fantastic design and selection of costumes. Though the set and costumes made the play visually stimulating, one of the most important facets in making such a production so credible was in the make-up creation of John Merrick superbly handled by Craig Engel.

 

“The Elephant Man” will be performed each weekend through March 28^th. For more information visit www.tothbolingbrook.com.          

March 6^th was another inspiring night when Americans got together to raise money for Haiti relief.  100% of all money received went straight to Oxfam America (Haiti first-responder). The night started out with a band called “Aktar Aktar” (my favorite band of the night by the way).   They got the party started with original rock songs where I found myself ‘head bobbing’ and even dancing a little after a few beers.   The band was young but had a tight sound and just great alternative rock sound. They threw in a cover song or two, which kept the interest of anyone not into their music, but I think everyone was diggin’ their sound anyway.  

 

Between each set, there were raffles and prizes and it seemed like everyone was winning something.   I even won a $50.00 gift card to Shaw’s Crab house.   As you can see from the list below, over 30 businesses donated gift cards, cash and various prizes, which allowed for lots of raffles between each set.   The support from local Chicago businesses was outstanding.  The night continued with a band called “Bad With Names” who had a less heavy feel, but was still fun and full of energy.  They had a bongo player who took front stage and played the bongos like he was the star of the show. (and I think maybe he was).  After that, “The Glide” took the stage.   They shook the floors with their extremely loud and hard sound.  Last to donate his talent to the cause was “Professor Kliq” who turned the party into a nightclub.   The Professor hit the crowd with his cool range of digital sounds and DJ pumping equipment which got everyone on their feet.   Over all the night was a great success and everything was done for Haiti.  In between one of the acts a gentleman from Haiti named Raul gave a touching speech to thank everyone for their donations and hard work.  He has family back in Haiti.

 

Everyone involved wanted to thank Gerry Haptas who was the backbone behind this entire event.  They also wanted to thank Aurelio's pizza who stepped up to provide & run everything to do with pizza - and then donated all proceeds. GW Promotions would also like to thank Chris Aeilo - Villa Park attorney who did all legal work, Tom K – who did printing and Ryan Flores who designed flyer/t-shirt logos.  In addition, the following people also volunteered their time and effort: Carrie, Scott, Amy, Brad, Debbie, Dave, Karla, Betty, Sally, Jake, Bob, Frank & Dan, Rachael, Mike and Vanessa. 

 

The Buzz staff was more than happy to attend this event and continues to send our best wishes and prayers to the people of Haiti.

 

Sponsors: Lunar Brewing, Schweppe's, Village Manager, Village of Villa Park, New Glarus Brewery, Punky's Pub, Sooper Lube, Caps, Effigy / Flight 112, Chicago White Sox, Anyways, Outback Steakhouse, Aurelio's Pizza, Fox Bowl, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Hilton Hotel, 8 to 8 Cigars, Ed Debevics, Gino's East, Eduardo's, Wildfire, Maggiano's, Shaw's Crab House, Mack's Golden Pheasant, Emmett's, Plain White T's, O'Neil's Pub, ACE Hardware, Champp's, Villa Park Police Dept, Standard Bank & ALDIs and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 tour hit Chicago..

Jay-Z first hit the music scene in 1996. Now you must understand the average lifespan of the average hot rap star is about 3 years, give or take a few months (remember how you had to hear "Hot in Herre"by Nelly every 3 minutes?). Then there's the rare rap star who maintains their relevance in the music world (Snoop, Eminem), and even then you shouldnt expect anything much from their stage show. Rappers aren't great entertainers, unfortunately. Yet since 1996 Jay-Z has taken all that he's seen and experienced and sorted the good and the bad from his own career and ran with it.

I've seen Jay-Z in concert a handfull of times and each time he's gotten better with each perfromance. He's gone from a jersey-wearing stand stilll rhyme sayer who's needed other characters on stage with charisma to help his performanceto the headlining one mans how he is now.

On to the show...first up was the curtain opened Trey Songz. If you've never heard of Songz, its ok...he's just the latest r&b heartthrob, a 25 year-old crooner who appears on alot of remixes and looks great taking his shirt off. A very intense performer, Songz performs more like a rapper than anything, yet most of his act is based in baby-making music.The ladies ate up his act, singing hits songs "Say Ahh", "Neighbors knowmy name" and his "Panty Droppa", which had the crowd on their feet. I must say that I wasn't a fan of Songz before this performance, but after listening to him sing a few of his hits and the intensity of his show and the fun he seemed to be having with his band he definitely won me over.

Intermission came next, and while the stage crew set up, the crowd headed to the concourse for drinks and breaks while preparing for what they expected to be a set by Young Jeezy. A countdown with on the screen from 10:00 and as the lights got set and the band prepared to go, as the clock hit 0:00 a majority of the crowd was still on the concourse as the lights went off and the sounds of "Run this town"  hit the speakers and Jay-Z emerged from a lift underneath the stage completely taking the entire crowd by surprise.

Jay-Z supplied hit after hit after hit, showing once again how his stage performance has grown with age. No longer needing the sideman (we barely saw a glimpse of co-hort Memphis Bleek) or any other label mates to take the stage with him, Jay-Z rocked out with just his backing band for most of the show. Clearly enthused by the size of the crowd (almost every seat in the United Center was filled except the section behind the stage) or his special guests (NBA baller LeBron James) Jay was all hits and no misses, unlike previous shows. Performing hits from almost every album, he concentrated mostly on tracks from his latest release, Blueprint 3, including the crowd-pleaser "Empire state ofmind".  Around the 1 hour mark we were treated to the 3rd act on the tour, Young Jeezy.

Jeezy made his way to the stage collaborating on a song from the Blueprint 3 album before Jay stepped away to give Jeezy his stage time. The crowd was really into Jeezy, who's street lyrics and street mentality may be just too "real" for mainstream America. He is however, huge in mixtape and street scene, and his status continues to grow with each release. Yet again, its his street mentality that truly may keep him away from superstardom, with the latest example of this being his shoutouts to "the vicelords and folks gangstas" in the audience...which garnered the most unique responce of the evening from the crowd.
Jeezy ran through a medly of hits and verses that kept the crowd on their feet and singing along before Jay-Z returned.

If you haven't figured out that Jay-Z is a business yet then figure who he's on tour with: touring with two of the hottest urban artists out right now, there's even plans for a joint album being made. Add that to the fact you couldnt walk 10 feet without someone trying to get you sign up or sell you anything featuring Jay-Z (I love you Jay, but I will not spend $40 for anyone's t-shirt that doesn't come with a jetpack).

Jay returned to the stage piggy-backing on Jeezy's "My president is black", and from there we were treated to a video from the President Obama giving a speech and wiping dirt off his shoulder, referening another Jay-Z hit. Jay went into that song before performing about 45 minutes more, focusing on early material. Throughout the show, Jay was continuously gracious to the crowd, even going so far as to accept one fan's demotape, and sign another's baseball hat before bringing her on stage for a hug and giving her the mic to rhyme a few of her own lyrics. Throughout 'overtime" Jay kept thanking the crowd and even took a song request ("Song Cry") before heading out to his usual show ender "Encore".

Again, I've seen Jay-Z in concert many times before but never has he been as good as this last show....for someone who doesn't want to just be the best rapper but the best act in music, a show like this one will definitely help his cause.

going for pizza...not done.

 

 

It’s always a sad day when you find out that your favorite band will be breaking up. Copeland announced in October of 2009 that they would be splitting up, but not before they go on tour one last time. The best treat a band could give to their fans before they part is one last tour and The Farewell Tour was something that could not be forgotten. Luckily it was not a bitter break up that allowed their fans to see them one more time unlike some bands that just part ways leaving  fans depressed. Copeland definitely did this for their supporters and to show the great admiration they had for them.

 

Oscar Wilde once said “Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” For Leo Gold, that diary is filled with an anguish that has haunted his memories and greatly impacted his life. Battling with Alzheimer’s and the recent death of his wife, retired statistician Leo Gold attempts to unravel the pain of his past while bringing a sense of logic to the horrors that he lived through.

A beautiful and often poignant play, Number of People, written and directed by Emilie Beck, is a one man show about Leo Gold, a Holocaust survivor who struggles through his memories and the pains of his past. We chance upon Leo in a minimalist stage at the Piven Theater. He awakes from a slumber to find us (the audience), in his home. Like a welcomed though unrecognizable guest, we are immediately brought into Leo’s world, sharing his past experiences and life stories. Leo Gold, played by the seasoned Piven actor Bernard Beck (the playwright’s father), brings the grumbling, humorous, confused, and tragic elderly Gold to life. He engages the audience much like an eager paternal grandparent wanting to tell his grandchildren about his life. Telling jokes that only an elderly grandfather would find funny; “There are two groups of people in the world, those who put people into groups and those who don’t.” Leo shares his memories of the birth of his daughter, the number 1 person in his life, the memories of his wife, “a perfect figure eight,” and recounting tales two gruesome and horrifying to fully comprehend.

Beck’s main character is dealing with Alzheimer’s, but there is something missing from the character. For anyone who has seen the deterioration of a loved one's mind knows the pain and turmoil that comes with the disease. They are often battling with an invisible enemy that skews memories, twists details, and leaves the person confused, saddened, and angry. Beck’s Gold tangents from one memory to the next, but there is one trait that he fails to convey, throughout his entire 90 minute monologue; many Alzheimer’s patients segue from memory to memory, their logic understandable and predictable only to themselves. Beck always brings the audience back to a central theme of numbers, odds, and statistics, so that we, and Gold, are never really too confused, though he reminds the audience (his guest) that he does not know who we are. But perhaps this is the point.

Gold is a man whose life has been impacted from one of the most horrific events in history. The way he acted throughout his life, from telling his wife she was not really cold when the heat went out in their Sweden apartment “you don’t know what cold is!,” to Gold’s relationship with his daughter, and to the experiences he had counting dead bodies during other worldly tragedies, Gold’s actions are a result of the horrors he endured and survived. From the whistle of a train to the laughter of children, Leo Gold’s life was so defined by his events in a concentration camp that he can trace everything back to what he survived through. He uses numbers and odds in order to understand how he survived “if you stood in the back you were less likely to be chosen,” when one stood in the front, they were chosen and they died.

When Number of People is on target it is poignant, tragic, and mystifying. Beck’s vulnerability and old-age charm draws an audience in, as eager as young children listening to a grandfather’s tale. Beck as a playwright crafted a beautiful story of one man struggle to understand one of the most horrible catastrophes in history. While the play lacks in some areas, the play is worthy of being seen. Though the run time is too long and often too heavy handed, the play reflects on one of the core messages of the play; that if you remember, someone we loved is never really forgotten; if we remember the past, the life of one person, they don’t become a statistic, their life had a purpose, and it is remembered.

Evanston, IL- Piven Theatre Workshop continues its 2009-10 season with the world premiere of Number of People, written and directed by Emilie Beck. The production will run through April 11, 2010 at Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes Street.

 

Hailing from the lower decks of the movie Titanic, Gaelic Storm shows audiences why they were cast as the “party band.” Gaelic Storm has continued to perform more than 125 shows each year and their record, What’s the Rumpus, debut No. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. The numbers speak for themselves by the sheer volume of people at the House of Blues.

Gaelic Storm turned the House of Blues into the biggest Irish pub I’ve ever seen!  The crowd was friendly and ready to sing along to every word of each tune. The scene made me think of my junior high talent show filled with middle-aged white folks and old Aunt Gladys. Gaelic Storm presented a show that was fit for all ages. They’re able to tell great stories through music and accentuate the characteristics of Irish music that people love: bagpipes, accents and words that are simple enough to sing along with when you’re drunk.

Bagpiper and auxiliary percussionist Pete Purvis, along with fiddle player Jessie Burns accent the band to a joyous melody while playing a tune so contagious that it seems to beckon concertgoers to dance their own versions of an Irish jig. Singer Patrick Murphy walks the stage like an actor portraying his soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, allowing the perfect timing for each word to be heard and sung to. Steve Twigger accompanies Murphy’s lyrics well through playing the guitar, other various stringed instruments and vocally. Percussionist Ryan Lacey lays a beat on two-hand drums that provides a great pulse for the band to follow. Overall, Gaelic Storm is extremely entertaining and they put on a great show. So grab your Guinness and your dancing shoes, and see Gaelic Storm when you have the chance.

When you enter the lobby of Lookingglass Theater to see the play “Trust” which details the rape of a 14 year old girl by an internet pedophile, you will see a table set up by Rape Victim Advocates to provide information and support after the show.  The startling statistics they provide, including the fact that 13 percent of teenagers reported receiving an unwanted sexual solicitation online each year and that one in three children admit they considered meeting face to face with someone they met on the internet indicate what an important cautionary message this play is trying to convey. 

 

Co- writers David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin (co-directed by Schwimmer and Heidi Stillman) all did a great job of bringing the script to the stage, which is also now being completed as a feature film starring Clive Owen. 

 

I was extremely impressed by the use of photography and video screens to dress the stage. A picture really is worth a thousand words when you see the safe, colorful and intimate confines of a girl’s upper middle class bedroom change to depict the various portions of the rape kit used to examine her in the hospital. 

 

I also liked the way the constantly changing background images of familiar locales, including O’Hare airport, Old Orchard shopping mall, and other recognizable locations give the play a modern immediacy. The screen of her brand new Mac Pro is shown as she receives instant messages from the predator online, which effectively convey the fast paced world we live in today, that looks so safe, warm and cozy but in actuality is exposing young people to far more stimulation and encroachments on their privacy and safety than a parent would like to admit. 

 

Allison Torem gives a strong and subtly nuanced performance portraying Annie, the slightly awkward, sensitive, once spunky soccer-playing child who is seduced bit by bit and ultimately has difficulty even realizing that she was raped by a serial pedophile. 

 

Phillip R. Smith, who plays her father Will also gives a strong performance culminating in his anguished, gut wrenching cry of “Something… happened!” to his son returning from college unaware of what has transpired.  Smith’s characters’ disintegration into anger and depression displays sharply how parents and eventually the whole family unit are slowly destroyed by a crime like this. Also how the family unit and even investigators burned out by the ultimately futile search- as is true in many cases- for the criminal and the resulting extension of feelings of corrosive guilt to everyone involved. 

 

“Trust” is an important play, not just for young people and their parents who need to be reminded how easily this kind of crime can occur but also for anyone who has been the victim of a sex crime or molestation because it does a wonderful job of showing that rape is rape, even if you were manipulated into participating in the crime. Perhaps, especially so, because the play demonstrates so effectively that the feeling of “I allowed this… it was my fault.” is an insidious virus given by the perpetrator that causes a victim and their family to spiral downward into dark prisons of guilt and accusation long after the crime has been committed. 

 

Kudos to David Schwimmer, a long standing proponent of Rape Advocacy for using his star power and time and effort to bring attention and illumination to such an important and difficult issue. In fact, Lookingglass’ production of “Trust” has teamed up with the Rape Victim Advocates in which a member will be available after each performance to inform those interested on sexual crime prevention and coping. For more information on their wonderful organization, visit www.rapevictimadvocate.org. 

 

For many years I have written about and feared the upcoming tsunami of child molestation and rape that the internet has made possible to pedophiles and am very impressed that David Schwimmer has had the guts to go out on a limb and create a vehicle to convey this.  I highly recommend seeing “Trust” and hope that in time it will become required viewing for grade school students aged 11 and up. “Trust” is playing at Lookingglass Theatre through April 25^th.