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The CHIRP Blog
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Minnie Pearl Edition
Today we pay tribute to a country music legend. There has been a long tradition of country comedians that goes on to this day, and none have even come close to the longevity and popularity of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, known throughout the world as the Gal from Grinder’s Switch, Minnie Pearl. Cannon was a theater major in college who developed the Pearl character in 1939, picking up her signature hat in a Nashville department store for $1.98. One year later, she got her first chance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and was an instant success, and was regular at the Opry until her stroke in 1991. During those 51 years, she performed with everyone (on the Hank Williams at the Opry disc, Hank does two routines with Minnie) and as the years went on, she not only encourage other comedians, but she mentored artists like Vince Gill, k.d. lang and Chely Wright. Minnie was a breast cancer survivor who campaigned to fight the disease. Rare is the entertainer who can say he or she was a star for a half a century. Minnie Pearl was one of those rare entertainers, who made generations of fans laugh with her traditional homespun humor. Give Minnie a big birthday How-dee!!! by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesWeekly Voyages: Friday 10/25 to Thursday 10/31
(Weekly Voyages is CHIRP Radio's listing of concerts in Chicago at select venues. Information about tickets can be obtained from the venues' Web sites. (Do you have corrections or updates for this list? Send us an e-mail.)
Friday October 25
Freaky Deaky 5
Aragon Ballroom
She's Alive, Hot Alice, A Photo Finish, On A High Wire, Lights Alive
Beat Kitchen 8:30pm
KMFDM
Bottom Lounge 7pm
The Future Laureates, Vintage Blue, Milktooth, Antony & The Tramps
Double Door 8pm, 21+
Iron Forge, Curb Service, Man On Earth
Elbo Room 8:30pm 21+
The Horse's Ha, Nathan Salsburg
Empty Bottle 5:30pm, 21+
The Life and Times, Bear Claw, As Hell
Empty Bottle 9:30pm, 21+
Josh Friedberg: Music Historian's Corner writesRediscovering Our Record Collections: “Tracy Chapman” by Tracy Chapman
For today's Rediscovering Our Record Collections, I'm examining one of my on-and-off-again favorite singer-songwriter albums, the 1988 self-titled debut by Tracy Chapman.
Chapman came from the coffeehouse scene on the East coast, seemingly out of nowhere, as something of an oddity: an African American female folk rock singer-songwriter at a time when most black female music stars were associated with R&B, pop, and the emerging hip hop scene. Chapman, originating from Ohio, gained a sizable audience with her haunting voice and the acoustic hooks in songs like "Fast Car" and "Talkin' Bout a Revolution." I read in an essay on the album and its success that somewhere Chapman was contrasted with Madonna as "The Anti-Material Girl," which, for the album's lyrics alone (if not always its impact), seems fitting. Chapman was tackling contemporary issues of poverty, domestic violence, and political turmoil at a time when pop music seemed far away from such concerns.
Jessi D writesCHIRP Radio Welcomes King Khan and the Shrines to Bottom Lounge on Wednesday, October 23rd!
CHIRP welcomes the antics of garage rock/punk psychedelic soul King Khan and the Shrines to Bottom Lounge. Originally based in Montreal and now headquartered in Berlin, The Supreme Genius of King Khan and His Sensational Shrines had been releasing an album almost yearly from 2000-2008. After a five-year hiatus, Khan is back with Idle No More, a mature, cinematic, and decidedly darker offering. With tracks focusing on the deaths of three close friends (Jay Reatard among them) and an ode to his wife for helping him through his time of need and breakdown, Idle No More is a bit different than the albums Khan was putting out in his 20s. Still, I have little doubt that Khan will still have several costume changes and be left shirtless at some point during the show.
Also appearing are psych-terror fuzzy 60's rock band Hell Shovel, and Chicago's own catchy, melodic noise-pop Heavy Times.
Doors @ 7 / Show @ 8 / 17+
Rachel Woodall writesCHIRP Radio Welcomes Mount Kimbie to Lincoln Hall on Tuesday, October 22nd!
CHIRP is pumped to welcome Mount Kimbie to Lincoln Hall this Tuesday, October 22!
Mount Kimbie is Dominic Maker and Kai Campos. The London-based duo started making music together in 2010, and they are said to be among the first pioneers of "post-dubstep." This is an infectious blend of ambient music, found sounds, and electronic beats. Mount Kimbie is on tour promoting their Sophomore album, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, which brings more of the variety that makes the duo so successful. Each individual Mount Kimbie track takes the listener to a new world filled with a unique sound and flow. The duo's pristine production skills and keen musical ears give them their signature style.
Come ready to dance and immerse yourself in a one of a kind musical experience! Lincoln Hall provides the perfect space for an intimate encounter with Mount Kimbie. Opening for the band are Jonwayne and D33J!
8:00 pm / 18+