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The CHIRP Blog
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesTop Five Paisley Underground Songs to Remind You Spring Exists
Meteorological spring began four days ago, but in Chicago, winter stubbornly remains. While we wait for the last holdouts of frost and snow to retreat, let's check out five songs from one of the sunniest subgenres of the past 40 years. Predominantly found in Los Angeles and select points north during the early 1980s, the Paisley Underground found bands revisiting the acid-streaked sounds of the late '60s with the brashness and insistence of the snottiest '70s punks. The result is a sound well-suited for this restless time of year, and the sunny days that will, eventually, follow.
Trix writesTake a Slow Ride Into Spring with a Benefit for West Town Bikes on March 6th
Learn about bike maintenance and enjoy some awesome live sets by OBNOX and Chicago soul ELCRO LEWIS GROUP, as well as DJ sets from CHIRP DJs, East of Edens Soul Express, and DJ Scrabblor! Proceeds from the event will benefit West Town Bikes, a bike shop and education space focusing on under-served populations and youth in the city of Chicago.
Presented by West Town Bikes, New Belgium Brewing & The Empty Bottle, the night starts out at 8pm with basic bike maintenance and winter bike revival and once the class is over, the music takes over!
This event is on March 6th and is 21 and over. Purchase tickets in advance for $10 or at the door.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesIn Rotation: Ultra-High Frequencies: The Chicago Party
On Saturday nights in 1982, WCIU Channel 26 in Chicago broadcast The Chicago Party, a variety show that featured fantastic dance music performed by local artists. Although the show only lasted a few months, recordings of the broadcast and the music are an invaluable look into how the South Side got down in the years immediately following the death of Disco, where the beat of Soul and RnB was being driven off the Pop charts but still going strong in the clubs:
Trix writesCHIRP Radio Welcomes Wolf Alice to Subterranean on March 5th!
CHIRP Radio & Kickstand Productions are excited to host Wolf Alice at Subterranean on March 5th!
The London based quartet is currently touring the US in support of their debut full-length, My Love is Cool, due June 23rd. Wolf Alice’s gritty folk-rock aesthetic is reminiscent of '90s grunge with Ellie Rowsell vocals drawing comparisons to Veruca salt, Elastica, and Hole. The debuted lead single “Giant Peach” demonstrates the infectious beats and vocal builds that is Wolf Alice’s signature.
Purchase tickets in advance for $12 or $14 at the door, doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8:30.
Jenna Chapman writesThe CHIRP Music Quiz is This Monday!
As a pub trivia enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new venues in which to repeatedly cite obscure facts of dubious utility (nerd alert: I once made a map of pub trivia sites in Chicago, just in case you needed proof of the previous statement’s validity).
Pub trivia can be a mixed bag – emcees often cater to the broadest audience, for better or worse. Thus, the trivia are often just shy of a true challenge, or may be so focused on those mass-appeal subjects that I am decidedly less well-versed in (see: athletic events, televised) that when I find a truly great trivia night somewhere, it’s definitely worth incorporating into my weekly routine.
That’s why I’m so excited for the CHIRP Music Quiz at Cole’s Bar on Monday. Curated by CHIRP DJ Mary Nisi and contributed to by other CHIRP volunteers, this trivia night has decidedly been created by music nerds, for music nerds – especially those looking for a challenge. This trivia night is definitely going to go beyond your basic Beatles/Stones/Zeppelin factoids!
The mind games get started at 8 PM at Cole’s Bar (21+), which is just half a block from the California Blue Line station and has craft beers on tap. No advanced sign-up necessary; just bring your team of 1-5 people and prepare to have your musicophile cred put in check – and, hopefully, validated. If your nerd-fu is strong, there may even be prizes for you and your team!
So brush up on your B-sides and bring your A-game! Monday night, Cole’s Bar, 8 PM. See you there!