higgy's guide to midwestern living

[fiopadp7791]

Great thread! Any websites or twitter accounts to follow that have all the Chicago concert announcements in one place? Thanks! New resident here....

The 2 I get sent to my email eventhough I don't get to Chicago much is
Http://www.do312.Com

And at Filter Magazine's site, they have a Chicago-specific email newsletter that gives most of the live shows I think a month or 2 away.
Http://www.filtermagazine.com

Both seem pretty good

[paulb]

Thanks, just signed up for both. Damn, its too bad there is nothing as coherent as TheScenestar for LA....

[bballarl]

Dude, Cassy is the shit. My boss was playing me some of her Perlon 12" awhile back and I was fucking hooked.

[heart cooks brain]

http://www.theark.org/ann_arbor_folk_festival.html

The 35th Ann Arbor Folk Festival Lineup

Friday, January 27:

RYAN ADAMS
DEVOTCHKA
DAWES
CARBON LEAF
ELEPHANT REVIVAL
SUNNY WAR
DAVID WAX MUSEUM
HEYWOOD BANKS, MC

Saturday, January 28:

EMMYLOU HARRIS
GLEN CAMPBELL
NANCI GRIFFITH
JOE HENRY
SARAH JAROSZ
CARAVAN OF THIEVES
SETH GLIER
HEYWOOD BANKS, MC

[fiopadp7791]

Thanks, just signed up for both. Damn, its too bad there is nothing as coherent as TheScenestar for LA....

When/why did you move to Wisconsin?

[paulb]

Transition place until we find a job in Chicago and a place and all that within the next few months.

[fiopadp7791]

I just missed why you moved from Cali? Sorry if it's been explained ad nauseam in the past

[gabfrab]

I grew up in North Dakota but live in Minneapolis now. Before that was in Portland which has a great music scene. Minneapolis is pretty rad too. Basically anything is better than rural North Dakota. For people in the area, there are two colleges that hold at least a few good free shows a year.

Carleton College outside Minneapolis:
http://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/cave/

I saw Dan Deacon there and I know they've had Yacht, Starfucker, Fuck Buttons, and many others within the last year or so.

Grinnell College in Iowa:
http://www.grinnellconcerts.com/

I haven't been here but they have had good stuff too: Dan Deacon, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dam Funk and Master Blazter, Health, Deakin, etc.

[TomAz]

Next weekend in Columbia there's the annual Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Fest. The lineup includes:

Ana Popovic
Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Mavis Staples
Dr. Ralph Stanley
Robert Cray
Los Lobos
Taj Mahal
Fitz and the Tantrums

I'm thinking of buying a pass to see Mavis, Dr. Ralph, Los Lobos and Fitz.

I have seen 4 of those. And would kill to see Mavis. Do it. Taj Mahal was awesome, err, 25 yrs ago. But still. Do it.

[stinkbutt]

For anyone in the MPLS area, go to Grumpy's downtown any Saturday. They have been doing local artist residencies every month. Grant Hart had a one in July that was amazing, Seawhores had one in September that was great too, and this month Birthday Suits (my personal favorite local band, who killed it last week) is having theirs. The best part about this all, it's FREE!

The a.v. club is a good way to figure out what's going on any given night of the week in MPLS and Chicago. They do mention stuff on the page, but don't have it up on the calender well in advance though.

[higgybaby23]

Tix are purchased for Boys Noize @ The Mid on Friday and Gaiser @ Smart Bar on Saturday. Thanks-raving weekend is on!

Heads up to anybody thinking about the Boys Noize show. It will probably be sold out by the weekend, as the first two tiers of tix are already gone.

[zircona1]

I have seen 4 of those. And would kill to see Mavis. Do it. Taj Mahal was awesome, err, 25 yrs ago. But still. Do it.

Well, this was back in September...

I ended up going on Saturday to see Los Lobos and Fitz. Both were very good and the weather was perfect. The passes were $37 a day, I decided to just pick one day to go to.

[higgybaby23]

I've seen a few shows in Columbia.

Is the Blue Note still in business?

[higgybaby23]

Yep.

http://www.thebluenote.com/

[zircona1]

Had its 31st birthday this year.

[paulb]

Tix are purchased for Boys Noize @ The Mid on Friday and Gaiser @ Smart Bar on Saturday. Thanks-raving weekend is on!

Heads up to anybody thinking about the Boys Noize show. It will probably be sold out by the weekend, as the first two tiers of tix are already gone.

Whats the crowd like at electronic shows in Chicago? Lots of white hipsters? Plur animal heads? old asians on coke?

[stinkbutt]

These days probably white hipsters, about 5 years or so ago it was a really mixed crowd lots of gays

[Neighborhood Creep]

Transition place until we find a job in Chicago and a place and all that within the next few months.

I live 4 hours NW from Tomahawk

[higgybaby23]

Whats the crowd like at electronic shows in Chicago? Lots of white hipsters? Plur animal heads? old asians on coke?

White hipsters? They're everywhere...I'm one.

You should read the article in the link below.

Kind of a bummer in some respects, but an awesome article about Chicago's dance scene with resources:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1457

I've barely begun to explore what the Chicago EDM scene has to offer. The crowds at both shows I attended recently were moderately mixed racially and definitely a younger crowd. No candy kids. I'm sure the crowd would vary drastically depending on the show and location. Will it usually be a bunch of white, hetero college kids? Probably.

My fantasy about Chicago is that if you look hard enough, you can find any kind of scene.

All that said, I really liked the vibe at Smart Bar.

[higgybaby23]

It's already been mentioned in the thread before, but beware of The Mid.

My wife and I went to the sold out Boys Noize show there on Friday. I went in expecting the worst and that's pretty much what I got. We found free parking two blocks from the venue and breezed through security. Things were going so smoothly that I started to get a false sense of hope. Around 11:30, the place started to get PACKED. Instantly, we were chin deep in collared shirts, high heels and fake boobs. I've been in moshpits that were less violent. The show turned into a battle for survival. Luckily my Rave Ranger skills kicked in and I danced for my life.

The sound system was proper, but only when in the center of the dance floor. Team Bayside High were no good. They came off like Diplo's dumber cousins. Boys Noize pissed all over an otherwise superb acid-washed nu-lectro set by dropping Da Funk and Signatune right before he finished. Too bad. Besides that flub, it was great.

My wife said, "NEVER AGAIN!". I think I would have to agree. The only way I would go back is if I knew there would be 300-400 people instead of 800.

Last night we went to the Gaiser show at Smart Bar. Once again the vibe was laid back and hip without being pretentious. Their dance floor was full, but still left plenty of room to move. I was even able to perform my patented Higgy Jig With Fistpump which requires at least four square feet of dance space. I highly recommend taking in a show here. Gigs go late so plan accordingly. Gaiser didn't go on until 1:45 and another DJ took over for him around 3:15.

For those keeping score at home:

Smart Bar...awesome.

Bottom Lounge....solid.

The Mid....avoid at all costs.

[Gribbz]

Poor Claire.

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah, that sounds about right with my experiences at those places. The Mid also has weird security and rape you for everything from coat check to water. It's a shame they keep getting quality electronic acts because it's the kind of place that makes me want to miss good shows if they get booked there.

[Stickjohn]

So a dear friend txted me earlier today to invite me to a show tonight - The New Standards Holiday Show. This is probably my favorite musical tradition in the Twin Cities and I didn't have a ticket this year. The New Standards are sort of a jazz trio with Chan Poling (The Suburbs) on piano, John Munson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic) on bass and Steve Roehm (Electropolis) on vibraphone. They're pretty incredible by themselves but for this show they bring in lots of guests. Lots. It's different every year but always one of the best nights of the year. I am so happy to be going. A sample video, with Dan Wilson (Semisonic, co-wrote/produced Adele's Someone Like You) and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks singing a song Dan wrote for the Dixie Chicks.



OK The New Standards deserve a clip of their own. This is what they do - reinterpret "the classics."

[Stickjohn]

The show was good. A little poetry, a little dance, a little comedy, back-up singers, strings, wind and brass - little of everything. Biggest name guest was probably Craig Finn, who grew up here.

Chan Poling recently lost his wife (Eleanor Mondale Poling) to brain cancer and I was curious to see how they would handle it. They never mentioned her by name on stage, but at one point Chan acknowledged his parents and in-laws in the crowd and got kinda choked up and started playing and it turned into After the Gold Rush. It was one of the most moving performances I've ever heard in my life - this old punk rocker pounding on a grand piano and singing in memory of his wife. By the time it was over there were strings and brass and some kind of cosmic video backdrop going on but the raw passion in voice was what did it.

[higgybaby23]

[heart cooks brain]

aaaaaaaaand i'm there.

[higgybaby23]

It will be my first visit to Spybar, unless something else motivates me to get there in the next couple of weeks.

[paulb]

[malcolmjamalawesome]

St. Louis EDM Update:

Excision @ Koken Art Factory: New Years Eve
Avicii @ The Pageant: TUESDAY, January 10
Steve Aoki & Datski @ The Pageant: WEDNESDAY, February 1
Rusko @ The Pageant: MONDAY, February 27

[higgybaby23]

It may be another shitshow, but I think I might go back to The Mid next Friday....