"Earl J.J. Pionke, whose storied Earl of Old Town club on the North Side helped launch the careers of folk singer-songwriters for decades, died Friday, April 26. He was 80." [Chicago Tribune]

Roger Ebert loved movies.

Except for those he hated.

For a film with a daring director, a talented cast, a captivating plot or, ideally, all three, there could be no better advocate than Roger Ebert, who passionately celebrated and promoted excellence in film while deflating the awful, the derivative, or the merely mediocre with an observant eye, a sharp wit and a depth of knowledge that delighted his millions of readers and viewers.

"No good film is too long," he once wrote, a sentiment he felt strongly enough about to have engraved on pens. "No bad movie is short enough." [Chicago Sun-Times]

RIP, Roger.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Terry Callier passed away today (Sunday, October 28) at the age of 67. Callier's debut single, "Look at Me Now," was released in 1962 via Chess Records. He went on to release over 10-studio albums and collaborate with the likes of Beth Orton, Massive Attack, and others. Terry's contributions to the genres of jazz, soul, and folk will not soon be forgotten. RIP Terry Callier.

Watch a few videos below...

Continue reading "Terry Callier, RIP"

As we posted on BrooklynVegan last night, 18 year old rapper Lil JoJo was slain in Chicago the other night and rival 17 year old Chicago rapper Chief Keef (who played Pitchfork, and Lolla and is on the cover of FADER) made light of the situation on Twitter. The Sun-Times now reports:

Keef's manager, Rovan Manuel, told the Sun-Times he was unaware of the controversy. It wasn't until being told about the Tweet by the Sun-Times that Manuel realized why his phone rang incessantly Wednesday. His number was posted on Chief Keef's Twitter page.

But Manuel told the Sun-Times he didn't believe the message meant "anything personally." He said Keef had a beef with JoJo only because "that kid made songs like Keef."

"A lot of the stuff Keef does, that's just cause he's a kid," Manuel said. "People forget that he's a kid, a teenager ... and kids make mistakes. He makes mistakes the hard way."

Chicago police officers were on the street Wednesday night looking for Coleman's killer. Police are looking to see if his murder is connected to an ongoing conflict in Englewood between the Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples street gangs that has been playing out in a series of threats on social media sites.

"Two gangs are fighting each other, going at each other all over the Internet and this is all stemming from that," a police source said.

Police are also looking into whether Coleman had gang affiliations, and whether Keef or any of his associates are connected to the gang conflict or Coleman's murder, the source said.

Many of Chief Keef's Tweets include a hashtag notation "#300" -- a known reference, police say, to the Black Disciples street gang. And Coleman appears to have been warring online with the Black Disciples for months...

photos by Carmelo Espanola

Sick/Tired @ Treasure Town on 6.29.2012

The final show at longstanding DIY venue Treasure Town went down on June 29.11-bands played and here's a set of pictures that includes about half of them.

Also, this Craigslist "missed connections" will serve as a memento:

treasure town, friday night - w4m - 30 (little village )

my friends and i were standing around the 'merch table,' (not really our scene) and you sat there the whole night as well. we were doing really, really bad coke which i dont normally do coke but since i quit drinking, sometimes i experiment with other things. it just made me crabby, i didnt even feel good. otherwise i would have asked you things like, "did your band play?" "was it as shitty as these other bands?" "you dont look like youre from here. where are you from?" "how did you get so handsome?" :)

Continue reading "belated pics from the final Treasure Town show "

Ray Douglas Bradbury was born Aug. 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Ill., to Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and the former Esther Marie Moberg. As a child he soaked up the ambiance of small-town life -- wraparound porches, fireflies and the soft, golden light of late afternoon -- that would later become a hallmark of much of his fiction...

[Bradbury's] books took readers on imaginary journeys to the outermost edges of the galaxy without leaving their own back yards, has died at age 91, according to published reports. The author of classic books such as "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles" was born in Waukegan, Ill, on Aug. 22, 1920, the son of a utility lineman. He was living in Los Angeles at the time of his death, his home for the past several decades.

Bradbury's daughter confirmed his death to the Associated Press on Wednesday morning. She said her father died Tuesday night in Southern California. -[Chicago Tribune]

RIP to a science fiction giant.

Continue reading "Ray Bradbury, RIP"

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Richard Harding, owner of the former Quiet Knight club and Poor Richard's before that, died of cancer on Saturday in a suburban hospice:

The effervescent owner of the Quiet Knight music room was the first to bring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the Talking Heads and Jimmy Buffett to Chicago. He loved Bob Marley as much as he loved Miles Davis, all of whom performed at his beloved Quiet Knight, 953 W. Belmont.

The Quiet Knight ran between 1969-1979 on the second floor of an old brick building that was a short riff from the Belmont L stop.

Los Angeles had the Troubador. Chicago had the Quiet Knight.

by Klaus Kinski

It is the winter of 1986. I am 9 years old and spending the night at my buddy Eric's house on Charge Pond Road in Wareham, Massachusetts. I like Eric's house. There's nothing around it but woods to explore, he has a tree fort and a dirt bike, and for breakfast I can eat sugary cereal, toaster strudels, and Pepsi; fare strictly verboten in the puritanical confines of my own house on Gibbs Ave. My musical identity is mere peach-fuzz on the yam bag of my life. I know I like Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. I know I am intrigued by darker bands like Metallica and Slayer. And even though it has absolutely nothing to do with music, I know there is no deeper emotion on the planet than my love for Alyssa Milano. I am a disciple of MTV, as is Eric. We are about to go to the North Dartmouth mall and check out Woolworth's tape section. Eric has become a huge fan of these white dudes on MTV who look very 'urban', sing about partying, and probably smoke cigarettes. I am mortified. We arrive at Woolworth's and though my pockets are full of cobwebs and tumbleweed, Eric inexplicably has enough money for two tapes. With the coolness of a seasoned gunslinger, he purchases Too Fast For Love by Mötley Crüe and Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys. After a quick stop into Ann & Hope where we acquire some Bonkers and other enamel destroying treats, we are soon back in Eric's room on Charge Pond Road listening to Licensed to Ill. We listen to sides A and B once. And then again. And again. And again. And again. Eventually the tail end of Side B chaperones us off to the land of nod.

That simple purchase was one of the most pivotal moments in my musical awakening and it played a huge role in navigating me towards my present day musical likes and dislikes. As a nine year old, a lot of the lyrical content went over my head; I didn't even know what the hell a 'porno mag' was. I didn't know who Ali Baba was, but I remember clearly 5 or 6 of us in the 6th grade lunch room yelling "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves!" And the music got us PUMPED up, energized. A lot of their lyrics were funny, hammy, and all in good fun. And the beats and musical choices blew my mind. No two songs sounded the same, and the record proved to be a wonderful antidote to the other stuff we were listening to like Stryper and Bon Jovi. Licensed to Ill propelled a lot of my peers into the hip hop scene, but for me Licensed to Ill was an important part of my evolution to metal head, hardcore kid, skinhead, and whatever I am today. Every single record they put out was FUCKING. AWESOME. ALWAYS. For me their use of sampling was flawless, and as BBG pointed out, the fact that they could actually play musical instruments properly and do it live simply pushed them onto a plateau so much higher than other hip hop or pop acts.

Since I was 9, Adam Yauch was always my favorite, and this favoritism was initially based on his looks and his voice. He had a much more relate-able look than the other two. His jeans, sneakers, leather jacket, scruffy facial hair, and puffy eyes reminded me of the bad kids in high school who smoked and drank in the woods. These are the people I thought were cool. I also preferred the gruff sound of his voice. Back in 2009 when I first became aware of his cancer, I naively brushed the whole idea of it having fatal results right the fuck into the garbage. I immediately thought "he's young, he's got the money for the best treatment out there, he leads a pretty healthy lifestyle, and his spirituality will be helpful in the battle with cancer." I reasoned that, sure, fine, the Beasties will take it easy for a while, but they'll be back. This is just a pain in the ass set-back. I had no idea that it was so bad, that it got much worse, and that I'd be writing this rambling article upon hearing the news of his death. Yauch and co. were almost single-handedly responsible for my love of music and were for sure the first ones to show me just how diverse an act could be. His death is one of the most shocking and unexpected losses to music in recent memory and I hope all of his fans, friends, and family stay strong and never forget what he and his mates gave to the world.

---

Read the official statement on the untimely passing of Adam Yauch, HERE.

Chicago pianist Jodie Christian accompanied the greatest artists in jazz, from Stan Getz to Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins to Benny Carter, Gene Ammons to Roscoe Mitchell.

In a career that spanned more than 60 years, Christian also co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, a vastly influential organization that in 1965 began to redefine the way the music was played and presented in Chicago and around the world.
[Chicago Tribune]

Check out a video of Jodie Christian playing with Vincent Davis and Roscoe Mitchell in 1984, below...

Continue reading "Jodie Christian, RIP"

photos by Carmelo Espanola, words by BBG

Cory Smoot aka Flattus Maximus (right), R.I.P.

Gwar headlined what would sadly be one of their last shows with guitarist Flattus Maximus (aka Cory Smoot) at House of Blues in Chicago on Halloween, as part of their ongoing tour with Ghoul, Every Time I Die and Warbeast. More details on Cory Smoot's tragic passing are at BrooklynVegan.

Pictures from the campy-blood-soaked Gwar set, the Every Time I Die-costumed-as-Chippendales-dancers set, and the mighty Ghoul (no Warbeast) at House of Blues on 10/31 are below, alongside all tour dates which, presumably, are in question.

Continue reading "Gwar & friends played House of Blues on Halloween (pics), one of Flattus Maximus's last shows (R.I.P.)"

Mikey Welsh with members of Weezer in September of 2011

Weezer's former bassist Mikey Welsh passed away in a Chicago hotel room yesterday afternoon (10/8) at the age of 40.

Authorities say a drug overdose is suspected in his death.

Welsh, 40, was found unresponsive on the floor after failing to check out of his room at the Raffaello Hotel in the 200 block of East Delaware Place at 1 p.m. Saturday, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak. Hotel staff found him.

Welsh was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:50 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy is scheduled for later day, but authorities said narcotics are suspected as the cause of death.

Kubiak said police are conducting a death investigation.

Weezer is in town for the Chicago Riot Fest tonight, and Welsh was expected to catch their show.

Welsh, 40, of Burlington, VT, performed with Weezer from 1998 to 2001, leaving after suffering a nervous breakdown, according to the band's website. He eventually established himself in a second career as a painter.

"I'm taking a break from music," he told MetroWest Daily News in 2002. "I really feel the need to reinvent myself and move on, and I couldn't be happier painting. Music is still an important part of my life, but I really have no desire to actually play it."

The group's "Weezerpedia" page carried a note this morning that read, "As many of you may have heard, Mikey Welsh has passed away. "The news was announced via his official Facebook page earlier in the evening. Understanding that many here are grieving, Weezerpedia has created a digital eulogy page for Mikey Welsh where fans can post stories, pictures, or thoughts. R.I.P. Mikey."

Scott Shriner, the band's current bassist, posted a short note to his Twitter account at about 12 a.m. Sunday.

"Really bummed about Mikey. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Such a talent... he made a special mark on the world with his art. [Chicago Tribune]

In what could be a strange coincidence, Welsh posted two tweets on September 26 describing a dream he'd had that he would die of a heart attack in his sleep in Chicago. "Dreamt I died in Chicago next weekend," read the first tweeted, "need to write my will today." It was soon followed by: "correction - the weekend after next."

RIP Mikey.

St. Vincent @ the Met in August (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in Chicago
* X @ Bottom Lounge
* St. Vincent, Cate Le Bon @ Metro
* Foster The People, Reptar @ the Riv
* The Mekons, Brokeback @ Lincoln Hall
* The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Born Gold @ Schubas
* Cerebral Ballzy, Cenobites, Cadence Fox @ Subterranean
* Those Darlins, Peelander Z, Young Buffalo @ Empty Bottle
* Datarock, Ella Riot, Baertur, Syntax Terrorkester @ Double Door
* The Extraordinaires, Netherfriends, Dowsing, Skymaul @ The Juicer
* Hollerado, Michael Lux and the Bad Sons, Baron Von Something, The Hemmingbirds @ Ultra Lounge

Feist played Letterman last night. Check out the footage below.

Riot Fest kicks off tonight with X at the Bottom Lounge.

Scottish folk musician Bert Jansch passed away early this morning. RIP Bert.

Stream new albums from Bjork, Future Islands, and more over at NPR.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

"A former child actor turned producer most famous for his role in the holiday film A Christmas Story found a man dead in a Chicago over the weekend.

Peter Billingsley made the discovery Saturday when he showed up at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel for a meeting with composer John O'Brien.

In O'Brien's room, Mr Billingsley found the composer's lifeless body on the bed at about 5:25pm.

Police believe Mr O'Brien's death was caused by a drug overdose. The investigation is continuing.

A police source told the Orlando Sentinel that suspected narcotics and sleeping pills were found in the room.

'I have no comment,' Mr Billingsley told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday night. [Daily Mail]

Gil Scott-Heron @ Marcus Garvey Park in 2010 (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

The highly influential singer-songwriter, and poet has just passed away at the age of 62.

In 2010 he released his first LP in over 16 years titled I'm New Here via XL Records.
Earlier this year, a collaboration with Jamie xx yielded, We're New Here for the same label.

Famously known for the track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," Gil Scott-Heron's entire body of work, and his impact on the world will never be forgotten.

RIP Gil.

Gerard Smith @ 2009 Roots Picnic (more by Tim Griffin)

TV on the Radio posted the following message to their website:

We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly.

The following shows will be cancelled:

April 20 St. Andrew Halls, Detroit MI
April 22 Metro, Chicago IL
April 23 First Ave, Minneapolis MN
April 24 First Ave, Minneapolis MN
April 26 Ogden, Denver CO

There will be more information as it becomes available.

It was first announced back in March that...

"Upon the completion of Nine Types of Light, Gerard was diagnosed with lung cancer. As a result, he has been undergoing treatment and will be unable to participate in the upcoming tour. Gerard is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care. Already we have seen dramatic results. Combine that with Gerard's legendarily willful disposition and it might just be cancer that has the problem. We appreciate your concern and support for Gerard and his family."

Rest in Peace Gerard.

TV on the Radio's tour resumes April 29th in San Francisco.