Whether one is charitable and inclined to say that Lollapalooza is making a (better late than never) effort to incorporate the desires of the Chicago music community and the rest of its customers, or more cynical and prone to the view that, as confirmed my by interview with talent buyer and co-owner Marc Geiger a while back, the brain trust behind the giant musical Walmart on the lake has never really had any vision for the thing beyond raking in the Benjamins, it's interesting to note the festival's current invitation to us to "Be the Booking Agent" (coming to me originally via the ever-diligent Tankboy at Chicagoist).
"Tell us who you'd put on next year's Lollapalooza lineup, happening August 6-8, 2010. Give us your Top 5 artists -- monster headliners to bands we've never even heard of -- from rock to avant-garde, indie to hip-hop, and all the sounds in between. Speak up by November 10. We'll collect all of your ideas, then see what we can make happen," the invitation reads, before asking for (one presumes) valuable demographic data about us voters and then offering the opportunity to pick as many as five (five!) acts to fill Grant Park next summer.
Well, thanks, fellas. Are you also going to share your commissions?
Meanwhile, a petition is making the rounds urging, "Save Chicago music - You can help!"
"Music, arts and cultural programs presented by the city of Chicago are threatened by severe budget cuts," it notes. "We can't let this happen--our city is known around the world for its free music programming that not only brings enjoyment to hundreds of thousands of fans and adds to the richness of our civic culture, but also generates jobs and income for local businesses.
"If you value programs like Blues Fest, Jazz Fest, the World Music Festival, SummerDance and Millennium Park concerts including Music Without Borders, Downtown Sound and much more (see below for a list), please do your part. City budget hearings are underway, and you can make a difference. If you do nothing, these programs could be cut back sharply."
While some would say the world (or at least Chicago) might be better off without Blues Fest, there is no denying the value of the burgeoning cutting-edge music programming at Millennium Park, which recently has included Andrew Bird, Shellac, the Dirty Projectors, Calexico, the Feelies, Red Red Meat, Tortoise, Chuck D and the Bomb Squad and more.
Coming on the heels of U2's announcement of a return engagement to the giant toilet bowl on Lake Michigan that once was this city's grand and noble Soldier Field, New Jersey hair-hoppers gone country-popsters Bon Jovi have announced that they, too, will play the venue next summer, on July 30, under the auspices of the second biggest national concert promoters, AEG Live.
(The Austin, TX, promoters behind Lollapalooza, C3 Presents, won a deal with the city to bring more entertainment to Soldier Field more than a year ago, but they have as yet done nothing with it. That, however, is another story.)
Bon Jovi tickets go on sale Monday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. through www.ticketmaster.com, (312) 559-1212. Regular ticket prices were not announced. There also are VIP and Fan Club packages available starting at 9 p.m. tonight through www.bonjovi.com.
So, you ask, isn't it odd for next year's big summer concerts to be coming on sale before Chicago has even seen the first snow of this season? What's up with that?
Well, you buy your ticket and you pay your money now (plus egregious Ticketmaster service fees, of course), and your hard-earned cash sits for 9 months in the bank accounts of the promoters, the bands and the ticket sellers, accruing interest that might otherwise have gone into your bank account.
Better Jon Bon Jovi and Bono eke out a few more dollars than their fans keep that money, right? Because they really need it for the mortgages on their third or fourth vacation homes, no doubt.
If you are concerned you won't have gotten enough of the mighty noise delivered by Chicago's reunited Jesus Lizard after its two shows at Metro later this month, the club has announced that the band also will perform there on New Year's Eve.
The original lineup of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm Sims and Mac McNeilly will be joined by openers Disappears, and tickets will go on sale at noon Saturday, Nov. 7, via www.metrochicago.com and at the Metro box office. Tickets are $51 in advance and $61 the day of show.
As reported earlier, U2 will return to Chicago for a repeat engagement at Soldier Field on July 6. The local office of giant national concert promoter Live Nation has just announced that tickets will go on sale a week from today, on Monday, Nov. 9, via LiveNation.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets.
Prices are $252.00, $97.00, $57.00 and $32.00, plus egregious service fees.
Sure, March 17 to 21 still seems a ways off. But it's never too early for local musicians, indie business folks and fans to start thinking about the South by Southwest Music Festival, the music industry's largest annual gathering, and those are the dates when it will descend on Austin, TX, in 2010.
Meanwhile, festival promoters are holding a "SXSW Music Mixer party" on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia, from 6 to 8 p.m. According to the SXSW release:
"Staffers from the music conference, festival and sales departments will be on hand to discuss SXSW 10's new features. We'll be giving away a SXSW Music badge to a lucky contest winner, so bring your business card to drop in the fishbowl. Space and free beverages are limited, so RSVP now to MusicRSVP@sxsw.com!"
In a press release embargoed until 1 a.m. Monday but just sent out a few minutes ago, giant national concert promoters Live Nation has announced that U2 will return to Soldier Field for an encore performance (its third total) on its 360° Tour on July 6.
No word as yet about when tickets will come on sale.
Giant national concert promoters Live Nation announced early Thursday evening that Chicago hip-hop superstar Kanye West has canceled his upcoming "Fame Kills" Tour with pop phenom Lady Gaga, which was to have stopped at the United Center on Jan. 16.
Live Nation noted that "refunds are available at the point of purchase" and that "tickets purchased online and via phone will be refunded automatically." But no reason for the cancellation was given.
Earlier Thursday, the Web site MediaTakeOut.com reported that Lady Gaga was the one who wanted out of the national jaunt. Meanwhile, several other publications are reporting that before West rushed the stage and interrupted an acceptance speech by Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, he was filmed drinking cognac straight from the bottle, and that he may be heading to rehab.
West made the most emotional album of his career late last year after ending his engagement and suffering the death of his mother. But several musicians who are close to the star say that while he has remained prolific--last week, he had produced tracks for three of the Top 10 albums on the Billboard chart--his emotional state has been "fragile."
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir at a happier moment, posing for their press photo.
Heading out on tour to celebrate the release of their new Bloodshot Records album "...And the Horse You Rode In On," the members of Chicago's celebrated ork-pop band the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir were hospitalized Thursday afternoon after sustaining serious injuries when their van flipped over and rolled five to eight times on I-65 in Indiana en route to a show in Cincinnati, according to news reports and a brief statement from Bloodshot.
All six members of the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir band suffered head injuries and other trauma in the accident and have been hospitalized.
Indiana state police said a preliminary investigation showed the band's 1999 Chevrolet van was southbound in the left lane when a tire failed on the rear passenger side, causing the van to roll over multiple times on the grassy median. ...
According to [Indiana State Police Sgt. Ann] Wojas:
--Mark Yoshizumi of Chicago was airlifted to Advocate Christ Hospital Medical Center in Oak Lawn with leg and internal injuries, along with major head trauma.
--Eliezer Santana Jr., 32, of Chicago, who was driving, was taken to Jasper County Hospital with a concussion and minor bleeding.
--Alison Hinderliter, 42, of Chicago was taken to Jasper County Hospital with a head injury.
--Ethan Adelsman, 32, of Chicago was taken to Jasper County Hospital with a head injury.
--Elia Einhorn, 29, of Chicago was taken to Jasper County Hospital with a head injury.
--Mary Ralph, 28, of Chicago was taken to Jasper County Hospital with head trauma and a shoulder injury.
One lane of southbound I-65 was closed for about an hour for removal of the injured and crash investigation...
As of Friday morning at 10:30, Bloodshot publicist Marah Eakin was reporting: "Alison, Jay and Ethan were all released from the hospital [Thursday] with cuts, bruises, maybe some broken bones. Elia and Mary were held overnight. Elia has a big cut on his head and required a bunch of stitches, and Mary (we think) broke her pelvis. Mark got airlifted last night to Chicago, and had some surgery last night." Mark Yoshizumi remains in serious condition at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn.
UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: Bloodshot Records has released the following statement:
One of the members of the Bloodshot family, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, was in a terrible van accident yesterday in Indiana, on their way to a show in Cincinnati in support of their new record.
Without getting into too much detail, the van blew a tire and then rolled several times, eventually coming to a rest upside down on the median. The band was transported to the Jasper County Hospital in Rensselaer, IN.
Alison Hinderliter, Jay Santana, and Ethan Adelsman were all released from the hospital last night with minor injuries. Elia Einhorn was held overnight with injuries to his head and neck, and is expected to be released tomorrow. Mary Ralph has a broken pelvis and collarbone, and will probably be moved to a hospital closer to home. Mark Yoshizumi was airlifted to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn last night with injuries to his head, back, and neck. He is in serious condition, but making progress. Our thoughts go out to all our friends in the band, and their families, friends, and significant others.
All of the band's gear was destroyed, and the van was totaled. As anyone involved with music knows, a lot of musicians don't have health insurance, copious amounts of income, or time to spare off work. This accident - apart from being medically and personally horrible - is also going to be expensive. We here are doing what we can to help them, but if anyone else would like to help out, there are three ways to donate and support The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir in this time of need.
1. Sign in to PayPal and send donation to: tsygc@bloodshotrecords.com
2. Send this email link to friends/contacts: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8469029
3. Click on the button in this news story: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/news/sygc-van-accident
That last link - the news story - will be constantly updated with more information on who's in and out of the hospital, what's going on, and what the band has to say. If you're looking for information on the accident - for press or for personal reasons - check there before you ask us. We'll just direct you there, most likely. We are not sure about the band's October tour dates, and we'll keep everyone updated.
If you direly need anything else, you can ask, but again - CHECK THAT WEBSITE FIRST. Recent live photos of the band are available here for press use: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31859289@N06/tags/scotlandyardgospelchoir/
Thanks everyone for your kind words and thoughts, and please be safe out there.
Throughout a summer concert season that clearly has been one of the toughest it's ever faced, the Chicago office of giant national concert promoters Live Nation has flooded the market with a flurry of discounted promotional offers designed to put butts in the seats at its outdoor venues in Tinley Park and East Troy, Wisc., and on Northerly Island. These have ranged from "no-ticket-fee Wednesdays," a rather noble effort (if ironic, considering the pending merger with Ticketmaster) to "free lawn seats with the purchase of a $5 foot-long subway," a rather ridiculous offering.
Now, Live Nation is taking its act inside--to the House of Blues, the only indoor venue it owns in this area. "For a limited time only," music lovers who buy something called "The Live Nation Club Passport" for $49.99 through www.livenation.com can see any and every show at the House of Blues, providing the gig is not already sold-out.
Upcoming shows that qualify include Hanson, Mason Jennings, Saving Abel, Foreigner, Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama, Badfish, Cavo, Shwayze, Enanitos Verdes, Children of Bodom, Ghostface Killah, Yonder Mountain String Band, Skinny Puppy, Keb'Mo', Stryper, Revolting Cocks, Bassnectar, Relient K, Honor Society and Rakim. (And I have to admit, the idea of overlap between the Hanson, Skinny Puppy and Rakim crowds truly is amusing.)
More details in the press release, which follows the jump.
Contrary to my column in the Sun-Times today -- posted on this blog earlier -- Ida Maria will not perform at Metro Saturday night, according to promoters Jam Productions.
The Norwegian punk-rocker was headlining the Perez Hilton Tour, a rather pathetic hypefest pegged to the oddly-coiffed, gutter-minded Internet gossip's alleged ability to pick "hot new pop acts," and according to Idolator, which usually has very good insight into these sorts of things, Ida Maria was disgusted by poor attendance at the Boston show, had a mini-meltdown onstage and then pulled out of the tour. (Read all about it -- and see the video -- here.)
If the singer and songwriter proved anything onstage at Lollapalooza here last month, it's that she is not a woman to be trifled with, so I wouldn't expect she'd take much crap from Perez or anyone else. The truly dreadful Natalie Portman's Shaved Head has been tapped to replace Ida Maria on the Hilton bill, and it will appear with Ladyhawke, Semi Precious Weapons and Sliimy tomorrow night [Saturday] at 7:30 p.m.
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