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The CHIRP Blog
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Jake Burns Edition
Today, let’s pay tribute to an original punk rocker, who spent some time in Chicago. I’m talking about Jake Burns, the lead singer for the incendiary Northern Irish punk rock band Stiff Little Fingers. Jake got his start in a covers band, but when punk hit, his band morphed into a group call The Fast. That didn’t last long, as they learned the name had already been taken, so they named themselves after a Vibrators song. They got good really quick – their first single was the classic “Suspect Device”. By early 1979, they charted with their first album, the first of a string of intelligent, socially aware punk albums. After originally splitting in 1982, they got back together in 1987 and have been around just about ever since with Jake being the one constant over the years. Jake lived in Chicago for a while, because he married a woman who lived here. One of my cooler rock fan moments was getting an email from Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover Magazine asking if I wanted to hang out. Turned out he was in town for Jake’s wedding, and the reception was held at Jake’s Pub on Clark St. in Lincoln Park. I ended up sitting at a table for a while with Jack, Jake and John Kezdy of The Effigies. Only in Chicago! So let’s celebrate Jake’s birthday by getting your iPod, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesWeekly Voyages: Friday Feb. 21 to Thursday Feb. 27
(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 February 21
The Wolfe Tones, Trinity Irish Dancers
Abbey Pub 8pm, 21+
The Soil & The Sun, Great Divide, Safe Haven
Beat Kitchen 9pm
Passafire & Ballyhoo!
Bottom Lounge 8pm
Sidewalk Chalk, The Heard, DJ Dave Mata
Double Door 8:30pm, 21+
Switchbalde Scarlett, Romantic Rebel, The Black Saints
Elbo Room 7:40pm, 21+
The Hoyle Brothers
Empty Bottle 5:30pm, 21+
Pictureplane, JODY
Empty Bottle 9:30pm 21+
Dunn Dunn Fest 2014
Hideout 9pm, 21+
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Maceo Parker Edition
Today, let’s celebrate the birthday of one of the all-time great sidemen in rock and soul history, saxophonist Maceo Parker. When he joined James Brown’s band in 1964, he was basically a throw-in – James really wanted Maceo’s brother, Melvin, who played drums. Maceo turned out to be quite the bonus, playing on countless great sides with the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Having been around for the invention of funk, it makes sense that George Clinton would want Maceo to play with Parliament-Funkadelic. And during the ‘70s, Maceo began recording his own records as well. He’s recorded 11 albums on his own and recorded with everyone from De La Soul to Prince. He’s one of the greats. Let’s pay tribute to Maceo by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Amanda Roszkowski writesCHIRP Radio Presents “Tribute to Punk: CBGB to the UK” at Old Town School on Saturday Feb. 15!
This Saturday, take a trip back in time to 1970’s Bleecker Street in Manhattan with the emergence of The Ramones and the streets of London in 1975 with the rise of The Sex Pistols. The early days of punk were an exciting time that deserves to be recognized. That’s why, this Saturday, February 15 at 8PM CHIRP Radio is sponsoring a “Tribute to Punk: CBGB to the UK” at the Old Town School of Folk and Music.
Join faculty, friends, students and staff of the music school to pay tribute to these early days of Punk Rock from the ‘70s to 1981. Other bands from the time like Blondie, Talking, the Clash, Patti Smith, X Ray Spex, Bikini Kill, Mink DeVille, Television, X, Wire and more will also get that special Old Town School treatment as they turn Szold Hall into the Bowery! The Old Town’s Jimmy Tomasello will host the event. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $13 for members. Learn more and buy your tickets here!
The Audible Snail writesShow Notes: Califone “turtle eggs/an optimist” at Lincoln Hall (2/1/14)
Southwest soundscapes traverse the Midwest, Califone graced Chicago’s Lincoln Hall stage on Saturday, February 1st during the final show on their “turtle eggs/an optimist” tour, named after the final song on their 2013 release, Stitches. With opening act William Tyler, Tim Rutili and ensemble, plucked from the heartstrings that saddle back into a city the band once called home, opened and closed the evening with collective sound that can only be gleaned from newfound geography.
Tyler opened the evening with solo electric precision, howling, glorious, instrumental light—almost southern and blue grass in nature. Hailing from the Northwest, the first couple songs —“Last Residents of West Fall” and “Can’t Go Home”—are ballads to his hometown in eastern Oregon, Americana at its contemporary finest. A perfect introduction to Califone.