Marnie Stern @ BV-SXSW 2013 (more by Sarah Frankie Linder)

today in Chicago
* The Black Crowes @ the Vic
* Amy Lavere @ Red Line Tap
* Leagues, Tall Walker @ Schubas
* Shuggie Otis, Jesca Hoop @ Lincoln Hall
* Dr. John @ SPACE (Early & Late Shows)
* Chandeliers, Architecture @ The Burlington
* Lil Tits, The Wet, Lezurrection @ Wally World
* Beardyman, My Boy Elroy, Tony Trimm @ The Mid
* Marnie Stern, Roomrunner, Mayor Daley @ Empty Bottle
* Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I., Wake The Dead @ House of Blues
* Reagan Youth, Dust Angel, Silver Abuse, The Mons @ Ultra Lounge
* Graham Parker and The Rumour, Danny Black @ City Winery Chicago

We're co-presenting Marnie Stern, Roomrunner, and Mayor Daley at the Empty Bottle tonight.

Leagues and Tall Walker play Schubas.

Beardyman headlines The Mid.

Shuggie Otis plays his second of two shows at Lincoln Hall.

Low have a new video for "Just Make It Stop" from their Jeff Tweedy-produced LP, The Invisible Way. Check it out below.

Follow @bvChicago on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook.

Follow bvChicago on Instagram.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

As discussed, Pitchfork Music Festival 2013 is set to take place in Union Park from July 19-21. The festival's initial lineup featured R. Kelly, Björk, Belle & Sebastian, Joanna Newsom, the Breeders (playing Last Splash), Swans, Rustie, El-P, Chairlift, Killer Mike, TNGHT, Sky Ferreira, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Mac DeMarco, Foxygen, Angel Olsen, Trash Talk, and Tree.

The remainder of the lineup has just been revealed, and includes M.I.A., Lil B, Solange, Wire, Yo La Tengo, Low, Savages, Toro Y Moi, Phosphorescent, Metz, Autre Ne Veut, Mikal Cronin, Parquet Courts, Merchandise, Woods, Julia Holter, Glass Candy, Andy Stott, Pissed Jeans, Frankie Rose, Ryan Hemsworth, Waxahatchee, Blood Orange, Daughn Gibson, Evian Christ, White Lung, KEN Mode, and DJ Rashad.

Three-day passes and single-day tickets are still available.

Check out the full lineup-by-day below...

Continue reading "Savages, Pissed Jeans, Wire, Waxahatchee, KEN Mode & more acts added to Pitchfork Festival 2013"

photos by Zach Pollack

Low at Metro on 3.22.2013

On Friday night (3/22), Duluth, Minnesota's Low came through Chicago for a performance at Metro with local opener Geoff Farina (formerly of Karate). Much like their intimate in-store at Saki Records earlier this month, the trio played many songs from new, Jeff Tweedy-produced album The Invisible Way. Guitarist Alan Sparhawk had an appropriately gritty, commanding tone when needed, which made their already great songs that much more exciting live, and he also made sure to take a backseat to bandmates Mimi Parker and Steve Garrington. A set of pictures from their 3/22 show at Metro are in this post. More below...

Continue reading "Low & Geoff Farina played Metro (pics, setlist)"

photos by Kirstie Shanley

Low at Saki Records on 3.07.2013

Last night (Thursday, March 7), Duluth, Minnesota's great Low journeyed to Chicago to performed stripped down selections from their forthcoming, Jeff Tweedy-produced LP The Invisible Way, and to hold a moderated Q&A session with the producer. Saki's a great sounding room and "stripped down" was a funny thing to see listed for the event, as Low came off as full as ever. The trio mixed it up a bit throughout their short set, but we got to hear many brand new songs. The Q&A with Tweedy was full of wit and charm, especially from guitarist Alan Sparhawk. On accepting the term slowcore, which Sparhawk stated was coined by a friend of his after one of their first shows, he quipped, "It's kinda nice, because in one word you know if it's like Motörhead or not." Tweedy was quite the comedian himself, but in all seriousness, they touched on how much of a pleasure it was to work on this album together.

Low will be back in Chicago on March 22 to headline Metro with support from Geoff Farina. Advance tickets are still available. More pictures from their in-store // Q&A session at Saki last night are below...

Continue reading "Low performed & held a Q&A session with Jeff Tweedy at Saki (pics)"

Jeff Tweedy @ A.V. Fest/Hideout Block Party, September 2012 (more by Sara Pieper)

Chicago high school Northside College Prep are currently holding an online auction to help raise money for school programs. They've got over 200-items up for grabs, including an eight-hour recording session with Northside parent Jeff Tweedy at the Wilco Loft. It'll be tracked by a staff engineer and supervised by Tweedy himself, who will help you produce, arrange, and may even play on your tune if you need him to. Bidding is up to $20,250.00(!) as of this post.

As discussed, Jeff Tweedy will participate in a Q&A session with Low at Saki Records on Thursday night (3/7). They'll be talking about the group's forthcoming album, The Invisible Way, which was produced and tracked by Tweedy at the Wilco Loft. Low will also be performing stripped down selections from the LP. The event kicks off at 7PM and is open to the public.

Low @ Pritzker Pavilion in 2011 (more by Grant MacAllister)

As part of the ongoing City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events series Off the Record, Low will be performing stripped down selections from their forthcoming album, The Invisible Way (out 3/19 via Sub Pop), on March 7 at Saki Records. The event will kick off at 7PM, and features a Q&A session with the band and The Invisible Way producer Jeff Tweedy. Admission is free and open to all ages, but space is limited, so we suggest that you plan on getting to Saki early.

As discussed, Low will be embarking on an international tour in support of The Invisible Way this spring. That tour includes a performance at Metro on March 22 with Geoff Farina, and advance tickets are still available.

All Low tour dates and a few song streams from The Invisible Way are below...

Continue reading "Low playing an 'Off the Record' event and holding a Q&A with Jeff Tweedy at Saki"

The photo above appeared on Wilco's Facebook along with the caption, "New Neve console up and ready to make magic at the Loft. Well, not new -- just new to us." Their latest album, The Whole Love, hit stores in September of 2011, so it's possible that they could be putting something together for release later this year. Both Low's forthcoming The Invisible Way and Mavis Staples' yet-untitled new LP have been tracked at The Loft.

As discussed, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy is set to play his annual pair of shows at the Vic Theatre on March 13 & 14 this year. Tickets for both performances went on sale just a couple of hours ago.

Wilco's video for "Dawned On Me" is below...

Continue reading "Wilco working on new LP; Jeff Tweedy's Vic Theatre shows are on sale now"

Tickets for Solange's February 28 show at the Bottom Lounge go on sale today (1/11) at noon CST.

Tickets for Deathfix's March 10 show at Schubas go on sale today at noon CST.

Tickets for Talk Normal's March 17 show at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM CST.

Tickets for Low's March 22 show at Metro go on sale today at noon CST.

Tickets for Tim Kasher's March 23 show at Schubas go on sale today at noon CST.

Best Coast will open for Green Day at the Allstate Arena on March 28. More tickets for this make-up date are on sale now.

Tickets for Chelsea Light Moving's March 29 show at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM CST.

Tickets for Zammuto's April 4 show at SPACE are on sale now.

Tickets for Telekinesis' May 15 show at Lincoln Hall go on sale today at noon CST.

Low @ The Chicago Theatre, April 2012 (more by Grant MacAllister)

Low have shared the lead single from their forthcoming, Jeff Tweedy-produced LP, The Invisible Way. It's called "Make It Stop" and you can take a listen at the bottom of this post. The trio have also shared their 2013 tour schedule, which includes a short North American leg. They'll visit Chicago as part of that North American tour, for a performance at Metro on March 22. Geoff Farina will open the show, and tickets go on sale this Friday (1/11) at noon CST. All dates are listed below.

All known Low tour dates and a stream of "Make It Stop" are below...

Continue reading "Low have a new song (stream it here), playing Metro in March"

Retribution Gospel Choir @ Schubas in May (more by Grant MacAllister)

Retribution Gospel Choir, the side project of Low members Alan Sparhawk and Steve Garrington, are gearing up for the release of their third full length album, called 3... of course, due out on January 22 via Chaperone Records. A self-induced Q&A with Mr. Sparhawk explains things pretty well:

Q: How do you follow-up a four-song 7"?
A: With a two-song full-length.

One song per side, this radio-format-challenged record will come out January 22, 2013 on Chaperone Records. Side A "Can't Walk Out" is the crown jewel of recent RGC live shows with it's repetitive, building, almost free, freakout - so far, probably the most accurate recording of what the band brings to the stage. Side B "Seven" sees the more sprawling side of the band - haunting, epic, and enhanced throughout by guest guitarist Nels Cline. These songs were tracked live, playing together in the same room, one take each.

A friend of mine used to play Frank Zappa's "Uncle Meat" at 16 rpm all the time. How do you recover from that?

You don't.

stay warm - Alan Sparhawk

In related news, Low are also releasing a new album in 2013. The Jeff Tweedy-produced LP will be arriving on March 19, and marks Low's 20th anniversary as an outfit. You can check out a trailer for that album at the bottom of this post.

All RGC tour dates and a trailer for Low's 10th LP are below...

Continue reading "Retribution Gospel Choir releasing new LP, touring, playing Schubas"

photos by Grant MacAllister

Low @ Chicago Theater

We already talked about the first of two shows Death Cab & Low played at the Chicago Theatre. Here's a slightly belated set from night two (4/17). More below...

Continue reading "Death Cab For Cutie & Low @ Chicago Theatre (night 2 pics)"

photos by Grant MacAllister

Death Cab For Cutie @ The Chicago Theatre on 4/16/2012

The idea of modern rock bands coupling with a string section is no longer innovative. From Elvis Costello to Metallica, veteran artists continue to re-arrange older material to accommodate symphonic fanfare. Richly textured and prone to swelling flourishes, Death Cab For Cutie's fare makes a better candidate for the match than most. The one-off tour might also owe to leader Ben Gibbard's recent life changes -- and desire for the alterations in scenery that grace many of his narratives. Late last year, he and actress Zooey Deschanel announced an impending divorce after a brief marriage.

Yet if Gibbard suffers from sorrowful regret, he didn't show it. Continually transferring his weight from one side of his body to the other as he sang and strummed guitar, the talkative frontman reserved any melancholy emotions for his glass-half-empty protagonists that craved self-awareness, improved circumstances and close relationships. "Can you tell me why you have been so sad?" Gibbard queried during the refrain to "Death of an Interior Decorator," the downcast sentiment at odds with the song's peppy tempo and sweeping highs. The limber "You Are a Tourist," shimmering "What Sarah Said" and deep-grooved "Soul Meets Body" also benefited from the accompaniment contrasts. [Chicago Tribune]

Continue reading "Death Cab For Cutie & Low played The Chicago Theatre - (night 1 pics, setlist)"

Death Cab For Cutie in Brooklyn in August (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Last night (Sunday, April 15), Death Cab For Cutie and the Magik*Magik Orchestra brought their current tour with Low to Milwaukee's Riverside Theater. Take a peak at Death Cab's setlist from last night, featuring older cuts like "Title and Registration," "Tiny Vessels," and "Transatlanticism."

The two acts begin their two-night run at The Chicago Theatre TONIGHT (April 16). Tickets are still available for tomorrow night's performance.

Death Cab's full setlist from the Milwaukee show and all 2012 tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Death Cab For Cutie & Low hit The Chicago Theatre TONIGHT; check out their Milwaukee setlist"

Low @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion in June (more by Grant MacAllister)

As mentioned, Low are heading out on tour this spring across North America with Death Cab For Cutie (backed by the Magik*Magik Orchestra). The tour hits Chicago on April 16 and spends two nights in a row at The Chicago Theatre. Tickets for the first night are sold out. Tickets for the second night are still available and we've also got a pair to give away! Details on how to enter to win them can be found below.

Though Low have been semi-quiet lately, frontman Alan Sparhawk has been keeping busy with his other project The Retribution Gospel Choir. RGC released a free EP, dubbed The Revolution, back in February via Sub Pop. The Revolution is now available in physical formats as well. You can catch Alan and co. when they visit Schubas on May 3. Tickets are still available.

All 2012 tour dates, some videos, and contest details, below..

Continue reading "Low are playing The Chicago Theatre w/ Death Cab (win tix!)"

Retribution Gospel Choir featuring Low frontman Alan Sparhawk, have just released a new EP dubbed The Revolution. You can download the album via a widget below, but you have to forfeit your email address in order to do so. RGC have announced a short string of North American dates, which includes a May 3 performance at Schubas. Tickets go on sale this Friday (March 2), at noon CST.

Low are playing two nights (April 16 & 17) at The Chicago Theatre with Death Cab For Cutie. Tickets are still available for both dates.

All RGC and Low dates, plus The Revolution EP, below..

Continue reading "Retribution Gospel Choir released a free EP, catch them @ Schubas (after Low tours w/ Death Cab)"

Low @ Terminal 5 in 2011 (more by David Andrako)

As you know, Low are going out on tour with Death Cab For Cutie and that tour hits Chicago for TWO shows at The Chicago Theatre in April. As previously mentioned, tickets for both of those shows go on sale at 10am today (2/4).

DCFC @ Williamsburg Waterfront in August (BKLYN) (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

As mentioned, Death Cab For Cutie (featuring the Magik*Magik Orchestra) and Low are playing The Chicago Theatre on April 16th. A JAM Productions presale went live at 10AM TODAY and will be active until 10PM TONIGHT. Password: magik .

A second night (April 17th) has now been added. This one does not have a presale, though general tickets for both nights go on sale tomorrow (2/4), at 10AM CST.

Death Cab at Williamsburg Waterfront in 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Baby Teeth, Outer Minds, and Bobby Conn are playing Schubas on March 2nd.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow (2/3), at noon CST.

Lower Dens are playing Subterranean on March 8th.
Tickets go on sale this Saturday (2/4), at noon CST.

Astronautalis and Bus Driver are playing Schubas on March 11th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at noon CST.

Andrew Jackson Jihad, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, and Roar are playing Subterranean on March 18th. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, at 10AM CST.

Hunx And His Punx and Heavy Cream are playing the Double Door on March 29th.
Tickets go on sale this Satuday, at noon CST.

Caveman are playing Schubas on April 12th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at noon CST.

Death Cab For Cutie (featuring The Magik*Magik Orchestra) and Low are playing the Chicago Theatre on April 16th. Presale tickets will be available starting at 10AM tomorrow (2/3). Password: magik . Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, at 10AM CST.

Fountains of Wayne are playing the Double Door on April 27th.
Tickets go on sale this Saturday, at noon CST.

Justin Townes Earle and Tristen are playing Park West on May 10th.
Tickets go on sale this Satuday, at 10AM CST.

Bachelorette @ Bowery Ballroom in May (more by Diana Wong)

Bachelorette (aka Annabel Alpers) has quite a busy September ahead of her. The New Zealand-based musician will come stateside for a string of dates, including a short run supporting Low, a performance at the 2011 Pygmalion Music Festival, and then a Chicago one-off at Empty Bottle.

Her third, and self-titled LP came out on May 16th via Drag City Records. Listen to a song:

Bachelorette - "Blanket"

Tickets for her Empty Bottle show with NewVillager on September 23rd are still available. You can view all 2011 tour dates below..

Continue reading "Bachelorette to play Pygmalion & Empty Bottle +++ touring w/ Low before both"

words by Parker Langvardt, photos by Grant MacAllister

The June 30th Downtown Sound event, featuring Low at Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavillion opened with the solo performance of Irish folk singer-songwriter Glen Hansard (The Frames, The Swell Season). Hansard masterfully flowed between dynamic levels with his steel string guitar, which had a chunk missing just under the sound hole. A highlight of the performance was a Van Morrison cover, which happened to be the first song he ever learned to play.

His goal when he picked up the guitar was to sing to people he didn't know, and a teacher of his told him to start at the bottom, so he began busking. Hansard yelled and strummed his guitar with the timbre, speed, and consistency of a machine gun. He hilariously added fuzz distortion to the acoustic guitar during the bridge, increasing the gain until it blurred into note-less chaos for one measure, resolving back to beautifully clean acoustic guitar. He ended the Van Morrison cover with a heavy doom riff that sounded straight out of Sleep's 53-minute epic "Jerusalem," then humorously proclaimed, "The spirit of the Lord is in the house!" like a southern preacher. He toned it down to play "Lucia," a song about a failing relationship in which he says, "Your heart's not in it, babe." Hansard's last song was written for a friend of his, and he dedicated to anyone in a struggle, singing, "We're going to make it across this river of life."

Low took the stage in all black, with the exception of keyboardist's red sunglasses- they later mentioned that they attempted to match their attire to the predicted severe weather, but it ended up pleasantly sunny. The band took up very little room on the stage- even the drums were a stripped down set made of a floor tom, snare, ride, and sizzle cymbal. Mimi Parker played standing up with a felt mallet and a brush, never exerting too much energy. They opened with the soothing "I'm Nothing but Heart" from their 2011 LP, C'Mon. "Nightingale" had a soft Latin blues vibe reminiscent of moments on the past two albums by The Black Keys, with a slow vibrato guitar pulse. "You See Everything" took the energy from relaxing to engaging during the build of the last chorus. They also played "Monkey," which Robert Plant recently covered on Band of Joy, and "Witches."

The band barely moved their bodies through the majority of the performance; the vocalists focused on producing clear vocals, while the bassist and keyboardist played with perfect simplicity. Mimi Parker's percussion on "Cry me a River" was nearly silent, making Alan Sparhawk's vocals even more powerful. Certain songs would have been better suited for stormy weather, particularly "Majesty/Magic" and "Sunflower," but it was a phenomenal performance. After they stepped to the side of the stage at the end of the set, Sparhawk said, "Encores are a perverse tradition," and they sang "When I Go Deaf" with the most emotion of the night.

A set of pictures from Monday night at Jay Pritzker continue below..

Continue reading "Low & Glen Hansard played Jay Pritzker (pics, setlist)"

Low

today in Chicago
* Trentemøller @ The Mid
* Mayor Daley, Pak @ Hideout
* Low, Gaberdine @ Lincoln Hall
* The Budos Band @ Subterranean
* Jamaica, Via Audio, Black Light Saints @ Schubas
* Beach Fossils, Craft Spells, Brain Idea @ Empty Bottle
* The Appleseed Cast, Muscle Worship @ Bottom Lounge
* Family Underground, Neil Jendon, Swim Ignorant Fire, The Subtraction @ Enemy

What else?

DOWNLOAD: Low - Especially Me (MP3)

Slowcore giants, Low are set to release their new LP C'mon on April 12th via Sub Pop. As a followup to 2007's Drums and Guns, this record will be slated as the band's 9th studio album.

Above, you can download the album track "Especially Me", and in the widget below you can have "Try To Sleep" in exchange for your email address. You can also stream the record in its entirety up until the release date over at NPR.

Low has two upcoming Chicago shows, one of which is free and outdoors! First, they'll play Lincoln Hall on April 21st with Gaberdine (tickets are still available), and then as part of the previously announced Downtown Sound concert series the band will play the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millenium Park on June 27th.

You can view the C'mon Tracklist, all 2011 tour dates, and a C'mon trailer below...

Continue reading "Low to release new LP, playing Lincoln Hall & Millenium Park"