Advance Base

today in Chicago
* Azita, Axis:sovA, Trin Tran @ Hideout
* The-Drum, Antl'rd, The North @ Empty Bottle
* Young Hines, Darrick Thompson @ Tonic Room
* My My My, Chaperone, Seventeen Sisters @ Beat Kitchen
* Advance Base, Julie Byrne, J. Hernandez @ The Burlington
* Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, Chicago Farmer @ Schubas
* Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Air Dubai @ Park West (Night 1)
* The New Canyons, Girl Detective, Lore City, Toofunchild @ Subterranean

Azita plays a record release show for Year tonight at the Hideout.

The-Drum, Antl'rd, and The North play Empty Bottle.

Advance Base, Julie Byrne, and J. Hernandez play The Burlington.

YACHT have a video for their brand new song "Second Summer." Check it out below.

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

Follow bvChicago on Instagram.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

The Presets @ NYC's Terminal 5 earlier on tour (more by Diana Wong)

As mentioned, Australian duo The Presets are headed to Chicago this Thursday (10/25) to play Metro in support of their new album, Pacifica, which is out now via Modular People. Advance tickets to their Metro show, which features support from YACHT and American Royalty, are still available. You can also watch them take part in a moderated discussion about their overall career at the Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue from 7-8PM. You don't need a wristband for entry or anything like that: just show up on time.

All 2012 tour dates and a stream of Pacifica are below...

Continue reading "The Presets speaking at the Apple Store before their performance at Metro this Thursday"

photos by James Richards IV

YACHT // Crowd

You've already seen pictures from Day 1 of North Coast Music Festival 2012, and now here's Day 2 (Saturday, September 1), which featured YACHT, Dan Deacon, The Rapture, Girl Talk, and many more acts.

A full set of pictures from Saturday of NCMF 2012 continue below...

Continue reading "North Coast Music Festival 2012 in pictures: day 2 (YACHT, Dan Deacon, The Rapture & more)"

Girl Talk @ Sasquatch 2012 (more by Chris & Rae Graham)

As mentioned, "summer's last stand," the North Coast Music Festival, is set to take place from August 31 - September 2 in Union Park (where Pitchfork Fest just wrapped up). They've now revealed the daily lineups for all three days of the festival, which includes Girl Talk, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Big Boi, The Rapture, YACHT, Dan Deacon, King Khan & the Shrines, Thundercat, and many more acts. Check out the lineups-by-day below.

Three-day and single-day passes are still available, and we've also got a pair of three-day passes to give away! All contest details and the daily lineups can be found below...

Continue reading "North Coast 2012 lineups-by-day announced (win tix!)"

Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire @ Bamboozle Festival (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

As mentioned, the 2012 edition of North Coast Music Festival is set to take place from August 31 - September 2 in Union Park. The festival's initial lineup has now expanded to include Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, ProbCause, Yelawolf, Umphrey's McGee, and many more acts. General admission and VIP 3-day passes are still available, with more lineup additions to come.

NCMF lineup-so-far below...

Continue reading "North Coast Music Festival 2012 expands lineup"

The Rapture @ Bowery Ballroom in NYC earlier this month (more by Joe McCabe)

The North Coast Music Festival is set to return this year from August 31 - September 2 in Chicago's Union Park. General admission and VIP three-day passes are on sale now for the initial lineup of Pretty Lights, Axwell, Atmosphere, Big Boi, Steve Aoki, Excision, The Rapture, Alesso, Modestep, Mord Fustang, Felix da Housecat, YACHT, Dan Deacon, King Khan & the Shrines, Rebirth Brass Band, Van Ghost, Maya Jane Coles, Com Truise, and Auto Body. More acts including headliners are TBA.

The currently lineup and a summary clip from 2011's festival, below...

Continue reading "North Coast Music Festival 2012 - initial lineup, tix & details"

today in Chicago
* Male @ The Whistler
* Tin Lynott @ Martyrs
* Robbie Fulks, Kelly Hogan @ Hideout
* Beggars, Cask, Of Wolves, Contender @ Double Door
* Royal Baths, The People's Temple @ Empty Bottle (Free Show)
* So Many Ways, Wilson, A Living Portrait, The Satire @ Township
* Magical Beautiful, Famous Laughs, Advance Base @ The Burlington

Royal Baths play a FREE show at the bottle tonight.

The now Chicago-dwelling Advance Base (aka Owen Ashworth, former-CFTPA) opens for Magical Beautiful and Famous Laughs at The Burlington tonight. He'll also open for Jennifer O'Connor and Tim Foljahn at Township on March 20th.

Just a reminder: Our FREE 7" Release Show for Willis Earl Beal with special guests Pillars and Tongues, is tomorrow night (2/21), at Cole's Bar.

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

YACHT, who played Dekalb on Saturday, have a new video for "Shangri-La." Watch below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

Russian Circles @ Bowery Ballroom in NYC earlier on tour (more by BBG)

today in Chicago
* Auto Body, Krewella @ Beauty Bar
* Poi Dog Pondering @ Metro (Night 2)
* Jerry Lee Lewis @ Congress Theater
* Jaill, Heavy Times, Broncho @ Schubas
* Blackbelts, Strychnine @ Viaduct Theater
* Lisa Lampanelli @ Horseshoe Hammond Casino
* Adam Carolla @ Park West (Early & Late Shows)
* Eleventh Dream Day, Coffin Pricks @ Empty Bottle
* Mannequin Men, VeeDee, Nicholas Rouley @ Hideout
* Savvy, Genome, New World Ancients @ Subterranean
* The Knux, Jordy Towers, Vanity Theft, JTX @ Reggie's
* Thin Hymns, Bigcolour, Houtakker, Gel Set @ Panchos
* Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market @ Pulaski Park Fieldhouse
* Electric Hawk, self-evident, Buildings, Guzzlemug @ Quenchers
* Russian Circles, Young Widows, Anatomy of Habit @ Lincoln Hall
* Life and Times, Office of Future Plans, All Eyes West @ Beat Kitchen
* Deadbeat Darling, The Mediocre Fight, esh, Tiffany Thompson & Jenn Bostic, Faraz Chaudry @ Double Door

tUnE-yArDs played an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Check out the footage below.

The Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market kicks off today (12/3).

YACHT have a new video for "I Walked Alone." View it below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

YACHT @ Metro in May (more by Grant MacAllister)

Tickets went on sale yesterday for our BV Chicago Presents: Polica and Bone & Bell at Schubas on November 8th.

Naked Raygun will play Metro on November 23rd.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow (10/29), at noon CST.

Chris Bader (& special guests) will play Park West on November 25th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at 10AM CST.

M. Ward, Carlos Forster, and Mike Coykendall will play Schubas on December 4th.
Tickets go on sale today (10/28), at noon CST.

YACHT will play Lincoln Hall on December 6th.
Tickets go on sale today, at noon CST.

Woods and Wethair will play Subterranean on December 10th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at 10AM CST.

Brendan Bayliss & Jake Cinninger (of Umphrey's McGee) will play an acoustic show on December 10th at Park West. Proceeds will be used to benefit the People's Music School.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at 10AM CST.

Dark Star Orchestra will play the Vic on February 4th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, at 10AM CST.

words by Zach Pollack, photos by Grant MacAllister

Sporting a white V-neck with the text "ACID" printed on it, YACHT band member and collaborator Bobby Birdman kicked off the night. His blend of dancy, electronic music drew much of the venue's early loiters towards the stage.

Up next was the Brooklyn, NY duo; Light Asylum. With thick, booming beats they sounded massive on the Metro's sound system. Shannon Funchess' 70's rock-esque vocals, and Bruno Coviello's pounding club beats really had the crowd moving. Both members were shocked, and gracious when from the stage; they received word that their set would be extended to 45 minutes. Recently spotted opening for TV on the Radio at Radio City Music Hall, I can see why they were also the perfect precursor to YACHT.

YACHT has expanded a ton over the years. Starting off as Jona Bechtolt's solo project, the now duo (with the addition of singer Claire L. Evans) even has a three-piece backing band. As the tour announcement stated, YACHT would be running with a more spiritual theme, which was evident throughout their set.

Claire announced that the group would be playing their forthcoming LP Shangri-La (out June 21st via DFA Records) in its entirety, and the crowd was ecstatic. Before unveiling the album track "Beam Me Up" she declared, "I have one question...do you want to die tonight Chicago? Just kidding, do you believe in aliens?" That was followed by a rendition of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law," and then Shangri-La's first single "Dystopia (The Earth is on Fire)."

It is no secret that Claire likes to move around on stage, and at one point she even ended up on top of the speakers. Towards the end of their set they played the fan favorite "Psychic City," which saw the entire audience leaping up and down.

YACHT will continue on tour until the 14th, ending at Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR.

Head below to view more pictures of all three acts.

Continue reading "YACHT, Light Asylum, & Bobby Birdman played Metro (pics)"

YACHT @ Webster Hall (more by Chris La Putt)

today in Chicago
* Baby Dee @ Hideout
* Of Montreal @ the Vic
* YACHT, Light Asylum @ Metro
* White Hills, Cave @ Empty Bottle
* Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey @ SPACE
* Del Rey, White / Light @ Lincoln Hall
* Ted Leo (solo), Che Arthur @ Schubas
* A-Trak, Kid Sister, Gaslamp Killer @ The Mid
* Songs for Moms, Ratattack, High Dive @ The Spaceship
* Chuck Ragan, Sharks, Elephant Gun, Maribelle @ Mayne Stage
* Wheels On Fire, Tyler Jon Tyler, DJ Ryan Weinstein @ Beauty Bar
* Sun Splitter, Steven Hess & Mike Weiss, Mind Over Mirrors @ Impala
* Fake Problems, Pomegranates, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, Into It, Over It @ Beat Kitchen

YACHT, and Of Montreal are holding a Cinco de Mayo Afterparty at Berlin.

Twin Shadow make their television debut on Jimmy Fallon tonight, (NBC at 12:35am ET) check out our review and photos of their recent stint in Chicago.

What else?

DOWNLOAD: YACHT - Dystopia (MP3)

YACHT tore it up at Coachella's Mojave Tent this past Friday, and now the dance band has embarked on what they're calling the ROAD TO UTOPIA tour. This tour will feature (as YACHT puts it) "spiritual warmup" from Light Asylum, "shakra alignment sessions" by band member and collaborator Bobby Birdman, and finally "Kabbalistic innuendo" by Jeffery Jerusalem.

YACHT has a new perspective, friends. YACHT has become physical. For years, we've adhered to a strict message of self-empowerment, yet only now do we see just how far this philosophy can take us. The mind, we've discovered, is a place. And in creating our own reality within that place, we make Utopia.

YACHT's new LP Shangri-La will be released on June 21st via DFA Records.
Above, you can download the album track "Dystopia".

YACHT, Light Asylum, and Bobby Birdman will play Metro on May 5th.
Tickets are still available.

You can view all 2011 tour dates, and the Road To Utopia introduction video below...

Continue reading "YACHT to release 'Shangri-La', playing Metro, & other 2011 tour dates"