Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Dr. Dog, Emmitt-Nershi Band, and Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater Gather for Charitable Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest. 1 Day, 25 Bands, $35. 

The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival will prove to be the next great landmark in Chicago music culture” – Herschel Concepcion, Jambase.com

Chicago, IL – September 5th, 2009. The Congress Theater, in conjunction with Chicago independents Kingtello Presents, is proud to announce the second coming of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival (cbbfestival.com). While rooted in the foot-stomping influences of bluegrass and blues, the festival will transport the concertgoer through the genre-defying evolution of music today.  The all-ages one-day event, held on Saturday, December 12th from 11am to midnight, will serve as a tribute to two schools of music that continue to shape and inspire contemporary rock, jamband, funk, folk, roots, Americana, and indie cultures.   

Against the backdrop of an official Chicago landmark and one of the last of the classic “movie palaces,” fans will be treated to a party with a purpose, featuring 3 stages and 25 bands for less than the typical price of the headliners alone. Six-time Grammy-winner Béla Fleck and his Flecktones will unite for their first Chicago date together since mid-2007, as Béla has been devoting extended stints to the likes of the Sparrow Quartet, The Africa Project, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain. 

They’ll be joined by Philadelphia’s psych-folk harmonizers, Dr. Dog, who’ve rapidly ascended the public consciousness this year with breakout performances at both Coachella and Camp Bisco.  The Emmitt-Nershi Band, uniting Leftover Salmon’s mandolin and vocals (Drew Emmitt) with the songwriting and flat-picking guitar of the String Cheese Incident (Billy Nershi), joins the party as well. And Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater, proudly declared “Chicago’s premier blues entertainer” by the Chicago Tribune, will properly represent the scene that put his city on the international music map. 

Tickets for the festival go on sale on Saturday, September 12^th at 9am CST for $35 through the event’s website (cbbfestival.com), ticketmaster.com, and clubtix.net. 

The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival will offer a musical reprieve from the merciless Chicago Winter by adapting elements of a summer music festival to the historic and intimate indoor setting  In addition to 13 hours of 3 stages worth of nonstop music, the day’s activities will also include a pickin’ circle, a live-art exhibition and indoor gallery, charitable raffles, film screenings, the original Blues Brothers car, and impromptu marching band performances.   

In between main stage sets, an array of performers will treat festival-goers to special “pop-up” sets from the Congress Theater’s historic balcony. 

Joing the Headliners on the Main Stage – Last Banjo Standing Contest: Organizers have announced that they will once again hold the “LAST BANJO STANDING,” an online contest that scours Chicagoland to find the top bluegrass or blues inspired artist. The winner, as voted on by fans, family, friends and music lovers around the city will join the headliners on the main stage roster.  Sign up and vote at cbbfestival.com/contest. 

About the Charities:

And while the festival will serve to break a band or two, festival-goers will get to help children.  A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to two non-profit organizations, the Saving tiny Hearts Society (www.savingtinyhearts.org), and Prevent Child Abuse America (www.preventchildabuse.org) 

Lineup:

The complete artist roster includes: 

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones

Dr. Dog

Emmitt-Nershi Band

Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater

The Giving Tree Band

Josh Phillips Folk Festival

Van Ghost

Majors Junction

Chicago Farmer

Jaik Willis

Mike Mangione & The Band

Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Tangleweed

Environmental Encroachment

Squeeze-bot

GreenSugar

How Far to Austin

Liberty Bluegrass Band

The Right Now

Cobalt & the Hired Guns

The Shams Band

Goodbyehome

The Junior League Band 

•  
  • Sample them all at cbbfestival.com

 

About the Congress Theater:

The Congress Theater (www.congresschicago.com) is an official Chicago City Landmark and one of the largest and most unique entertainment venues in the entire city. Over a quarter-million music fans visit the Congress each year to see acts such as The Shins, Girl Talk, Prince, Tiesto, The Roots, The Killers, Ludacris and Dave Chappelle in one the last of the city’s classic movie ‘palaces.’  

Built in 1926 and designed by Friedstein & Co, the 4,000 capacity theatre features a mix of architectural styles, including neo-classical and Italian Baroque, with an elaborate domed auditorium covered with decorations in stone, terra-cotta, and plaster. In addition to the main theater, the venue also features a spacious four-story Entrance Pavilion, Skybox Suites and private meeting rooms and exhibition areas. The theater is located in the burgeoning Logan Square/Bucktown/Wicker Park area, the seat of the artistic and music communities in the Midwest. It sits perfectly situated, in close proximity to the immense variety of ethic and social communities that it serves, just blocks from the 90/94 expressway, Metra and CTA blue line trains.

The story is not a new one, it is from The Washington Post in 2007, but it was new to me and so I thought it should be shared anyway.

Do you think that you know talented music when you hear it? No matter what your musical-genre opinions are, if you heard astounding classical music being played you would be capable of recognizing it as something better than normal, wouldn’t you? Well I thought the very same thing, which is until I read this story about Joshua Bell, one of the world’s premiere violinists, playing in a subway station for change.

It was the 7 – 8 am work rush on a cold January business day morning in Washington, D.C. in the beginning of 2007. Joshua Bell brought with him his legendary Stradivarius violin, which is valued at an incomprehensible $3.5 million, and played six incredibly complex pieces from Bach. It took 43 minutes and approximately 1,100 people passed by him. He put out his instrument case, playing

the part of someone needing some extra cash, even though he just played sold out shows with $100 a seat ticket prices.

Apparently he played for about 1 hour. It is said he collected a total of $32 and never had more than 6 people stop to listen, and that was just for short intervals of time. A few children apparently tried hard to stop and listen, only to have their parents quickly move them on their way.

The Washington Post said they did this as a social experiment about people’s perception, taste and priorities. They wanted to raise the question if we can appreciate and find beauty around us during times and in manners that we are not accustomed to. The results were startling; if one of the most talented musicians on the planet, playing one of the most beautiful instruments ever created, goes by unnoticed then what else are we missing?

I would like to think that I would have noticed that the street performer, and his instrument – even if it was within a busy subway station – were of a rare quality and consequently stopped to listen. But to be completely honest I don’t know; I probably would have been in some sort of “commute mode” where I wouldn’t want to be “bothered” and would have just taken Joshua Bell for any other street performer and kept on walking. Chances are, because I wouldn’t ever think that I would encounter exquisite music on the subway, that I would turn off my mechanisms for recognizing beauty (and also deriving true pleasure from it) and miss it completely. So the lesson for us here is that true beauty and talent (especially of the musical kind) can come from anyone, at anytime, and that we must not think we “know” when and where we will encounter it; because we may just walk right past it…

By Sean Poynton Brna

Note: To read original article and hear a recording of Josh play go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?hpid=features1

In the continuation of the new trend of musicians finding different ways of using the internet to their advantage, instead of only letting it drain potential cash away from them, The Flaming Lips have decided to stream the album in its entirety on Stephen Colbert’s website. If one goes to www.colbertnation.com they will find the album player sitting in the upper left hand corner with little attention drawn to it. One can play/pause and even skip forward or backwards through songs. I am not sure what the quality is, but its as good of a sound from a stream as I have heard. The only part that is a bummer, but a smart move on their part, is that one doesn’t know the song names as they play.

Embryonic will not be release until October 13th, meaning that fans can listen to the entire album almost an entire month before one can even opt to pay for it. It will not be up forever, however, the album will cease to stream next monday (September 21st). One has to dig the way many well known artists are beginning to embrace the possibilities of the internet — even if they do have quite justified reasons for disliking it — instead of just cursing it and all who listen for free. (Billy Corgan just announced he is going to record dozens of songs that will be released for free download, without even the need to give one’s email.)

While it remains to be seen whether this tactic will actually increase the number of people who want to buy the album, or the number of people who felt they already heard it, remains to be seen. But what can be seen is that there are artists, talented and popular artists, who are ready and willing to circumvent the current ways/desires of the record industry and attempt to embrace the internet as an unprecedented promotional tool (which it undoubtedly is). And not only that, they seem to be having fun doing it as well. I personally applaud The Flaming Lips for attempting this marketing technique, quite cool guys, please keep pushing the proverbial envelope. We are all in desperate need for people to challenge the status-quo of the methods for musical intake, because the record industry will NOT do it from within.

So If you are a fan of The Flaming Lips its a must-check-out, cause after next week you’ll have to pay for your Lips fix.

By Sean Poynton Brna

In these tough economic times, it’s hard to find a silver lining.  Local arts especially have taken a hit, and that includes venues and artists alike.  The reality is that local bands across the city are struggling to bring their fans out to support live music.

Enter the Chicago Roots Collective.

The collective—also known as the CRC—is a group of ten highly motivated, independent, local bands who have defied the urge to step on the other guy to get ahead.  Though their genres range from reggae to pop to Americana, the CRC has banded together to form a community of musicians.  The premise is simple:  by working together, each individual band benefits.

The history of the CRC traces back to last year’s Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, where members of the collective performed at the Congress Theater along with The David Grisman Quintet and The Avett Brothers.

Mike Raspatello, one of the founders of the festival, and current friend of the collective, explains how it all got started.  “It was a really exciting night for local music.  We had independently thrown this festival, and it allowed area bands who had been carving out separate niches in the Chicago music scene to connect with each other and realize there was a shared experience among them.”

Peter Manhart of Molehill explains: “We share the struggle of independent musicians, but we also share the dream.  And in that sense, there is a genuine respect and appreciation among the bands for each other’s music, and a desire to help each other along the journey to success.”

Matt Hartgering of Cobalt and the Hired Guns agrees. “The spirit of the CRC is really about collaboration and a cooperative spirit, and when you’ve got ten bands who are highly talented and driven, it’s easy to embrace those qualities.”

“When you have ten bands attending each others shows, there is a large group of supporters in the audience that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.” says Donnie Biggins of The Shams Band.

In fact, the next CRC show will feature all ten bands for $10.  The event will take place at 6pm on Saturday, September 19 at The Cubby Bear – Wrigleyville.  While the undertaking is ambitious, there are no mysterious benefactors, booking agents, or promotional companies funding or organizing the show.

“It’s just us.  We’re a group of bands that believe our destiny is in our own hands, and the only way we reach our goals is by working our butts off,” says Danny Surico of The Future Laureates.

In planning for events such as this, band representatives meet once a month to discuss ideas and share resources.  It’s a sort of “tribal council” of local indie bands, where veterans like Mike Mangione, How Far to Austin, and Todd Kessler have become mentors for upstarts like Goodbyehome, The Future Laureates, and Band Called Catch.

How to book a tour, strategies for contacting media outlets, networking resources, and promotional ideas are all being shared.

One recent product of these brainstorming sessions was the CRC logo design contest. Local artists were given the chance to submit designs and choose from prizes including $200, 4 tickets to the 2009 Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, and a merchandise package from all ten bands.  The contest was held as a way to spark interest in the collective, but it was also pragmatic.

“In the most basic sense, we needed a logo for the CRC,” says TateTroelstrup of How Far to Austin.  “But at the same time, we were able to develop relationships with other area artists that, long term, can benefit both parties.”

One such artist is Amy Olchowski, a recently graduated graphic design major from Loyola University Chicago.  While her logo designs ultimately didn’t earn the top prize, she was asked to use her ideas to make a poster for the upcoming CRC show at the  Cubby Bear. “The Chicago Roots Collective gives not only local musicians, but all kinds of artists the opportunity to showcase their talents, and therefore, creating a full community collaborative effort.”

Brian Wise of Jackpot Donnie sums it up “We feel like the world is at out fingertips.  Our collective potential is there and we’re moving forward toward the same goal, on the same journey.”
Click here to hear the Chicago Roots Collective

“The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival will prove to be the next great landmark in Chicago music culture” – Herschel Concepcion, Jambase.com

Chicago, IL – September 5th, 2009. The Congress Theater, in conjunction with Chicago independents Kingtello Presents, is proud to announce the second coming of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival (cbbfestival.com). While rooted in the foot-stomping influences of bluegrass and blues, the festival will transport the concertgoer through the genre-defying evolution of music today. The all-ages one-day event, held on Saturday, December 12th from 11am to midnight, will serve as a tribute to two schools of music that continue to shape and inspire contemporary rock, jamband, funk, folk, roots, Americana, and indie cultures.

Against the backdrop of an official Chicago landmark and one of the last of the classic “movie palaces,” fans will be treated to a party with a purpose, featuring 3 stages and 25 bands for less than the typical price of the headliners alone. Six-time Grammy-winner Béla Fleck and his Flecktones will unite for their first Chicago date together since mid-2007, as Béla has been devoting extended stints to the likes of the Sparrow Quartet, The Africa Project, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain.

They’ll be joined by Philadelphia’s psych-folk harmonizers, Dr. Dog, who’ve rapidly ascended the public consciousness this year with breakout performances at both Coachella and Camp Bisco. The Emmitt-Nershi Band, uniting Leftover Salmon’s mandolin and vocals (Drew Emmitt) with the songwriting and flat-picking guitar of the String Cheese Incident (Billy Nershi), joins the party as well. And Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater, proudly declared “Chicago’s premier blues entertainer” by the Chicago Tribune, will properly represent the scene that put his city on the international music map.

Tickets for the festival go on sale on Saturday, September 12^th at 9am CST for $35 through the event’s website (cbbfestival.com), ticketmaster.com, and clubtix.net.

The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival will offer a musical reprieve from the merciless Chicago Winter by adapting elements of a summer music festival to the historic and intimate indoor setting In addition to 13 hours of 3 stages worth of nonstop music, the day’s activities will also include a pickin’ circle, a live-art exhibition and indoor gallery, charitable raffles, film screenings, the original Blues Brothers car, and impromptu marching band performances.

In between main stage sets, an array of performers will treat festival-goers to special “pop-up” sets from the Congress Theater’s historic balcony.

Joing the Headliners on the Main Stage – Last Banjo Standing Contest: Organizers have announced that they will once again hold the “LAST BANJO STANDING,” an online contest that scours Chicagoland to find the top bluegrass or blues inspired artist. The winner, as voted on by fans, family, friends and music lovers around the city will join the headliners on the main stage roster. Sign up and vote at cbbfestival.com/contest.

About the Charities:

And while the festival will serve to break a band or two, festival-goers will get to help children. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to two non-profit organizations, the Saving tiny Hearts Society (www.savingtinyhearts.org), and Prevent Child Abuse America (www.preventchildabuse.org)

Lineup:

The complete artist roster includes:

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones

Dr. Dog

Emmitt-Nershi Band

Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater

The Giving Tree Band

Josh Phillips Folk Festival

Van Ghost

Majors Junction

Chicago Farmer

Jaik Willis

Mike Mangione & The Band

Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Tangleweed

Environmental Encroachment

Squeeze-bot

GreenSugar

How Far to Austin

Liberty Bluegrass Band

The Right Now

Cobalt & the Hired Guns

The Shams Band

Goodbyehome

The Junior League Band

· Sample them all at cbbfestival.com

About the Congress Theater:

The Congress Theater (www.congresschicago.com) is an official Chicago City Landmark and one of the largest and most unique entertainment venues in the entire city. Over a quarter-million music fans visit the Congress each year to see acts such as The Shins, Girl Talk, Prince, Tiesto, The Roots, The Killers, Ludacris and Dave Chappelle in one the last of the city’s classic movie ‘palaces.’

Built in 1926 and designed by Friedstein & Co, the 4,000 capacity theatre features a mix of architectural styles, including neo-classical and Italian Baroque, with an elaborate domed auditorium covered with decorations in stone, terra-cotta, and plaster. In addition to the main theater, the venue also features a spacious four-story Entrance Pavilion, Skybox Suites and private meeting rooms and exhibition areas. The theater is located in the burgeoning Logan Square/Bucktown/Wicker Park area, the seat of the artistic and music communities in the Midwest. It sits perfectly situated, in close proximity to the immense variety of ethic and social communities that it serves, just blocks from the 90/94 expressway, Metra and CTA blue line trains.