Fall Out Boy has set a hometown date to kick off the touring mayhem for their next album.
"Folie à Deux" is due on the streets Dec. 16, but Pete Wentz — by then, no doubt, a father (Ashlee's due any day now) — and the boys will play a concert Dec. 2 at the Chicago Theatre. That show will then be broadcast on Fuse TV at 8 p.m. on the 16th to hype the release.
Can't beat the ticket price: $10! On sale via Ticketmaster on Nov. 28.
Hometown indie-rock hero Andrew Bird is itching to unleash his new whistler on the world, and he's announced tour dates to trot the new album around. Though you might notice a glaring omission in this schedule ...
The complete schedule of the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival — which they're abbreviating as CBGB, ahem — has been announced for this Saturday. There's also a "costumed marching band" that will be "parading throughout the venue at impromptu times." Yeehaw!
Here's the lowdown:
Treologic is an acclaimed local hip-hop group with an ever-evolving lineup, current seven DJs and MCs and such, that has performed nearly 400 shows around town by now. Learn what makes them hold together in an interview over at our very own Centerstage site.
Kanye's new "Sky High" remix album is up online and streaming. Check it out here.
From the wacky YouTube video dept., here are a bunch of WGN weatherfolks ... er, singing.
If you have perfect pitch, click away immediately.
Imagine our surprise one afternoon as we sauntered through our neighborhood, full of shoppers and families, to come upon — the Leather Archives and Museum. Indeed, right on the south edge of Rogers Park, a veritable treasure trove of fetish history on display. And they just started a new exhibit all about masks. And we’re not talkin’ cute Halloween masks. Watch this homey video and then check the place out, if you dare, at 6418 N. Greenview Ave. (773-761-9200).
The Sea & Cake’s new CD, “Car Alarm,” is certainly a jarring sound. This is a Chicago band lauded for years an years for its cool, light, breezy sounds — and here they come barreling out of the gate with a full-on rocking opener, “Aerial.” Eventually, they settle back into more familiar, Brazilian grooves, but it’s sure been refreshing to listen to this quartet — led by the wonderfully tuneless singer Sam Prekop and wicked guitarist Archer Prewitt — tighten up during the last couple of years. Catch the tunes new and old in a hometown show tomorrow night at the Empty Bottle.
Next week is the first-ever Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival, featuring the Davis Grisman Quartet, the Avett Brothers, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials and many, many other knee slappers. To us, this hits that interest level right above ho-hum but just below I’ll-pay-for-it. So why not try for some free tickets? Radio Free Chicago is giving some away.
End of the year best-of lists are almost as bad as Christmas — they’re coming earlier and earlier. New City posted its Best of Chicago listings for 2008 … yesterday. At least their categories are clever if not comprehensive: Best underrated late-night dance party,
Best production of a play you may have expected to be boring, Best memory shaken loose by the re-release of Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville,” etc.
On even another related note — it’s a stretch: DeRo wrote the biography of the band — the Flaming Lips’ much-ballyhooed but rarely screened feature film, “Christmas on Mars,” is already for sale online. Start your Christmas shopping early. The film finally shows up on the big screen here Dec. 5-6 at the Music Box.
On a related note, DeRo and Tribune music critic Greg Kot — who together host Chicago Public Radio’s weekly music talk show, “Sound Opinions,” 8 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. Saturdays on 91.5 FM — are collecting titles for their annual “Turkey Shoot” show, in which they lambaste all the year’s most disappointing albums. Have your say, and tell them what CDs you wound up using as coasters by emailing interact@soundopinions.org>/a>. They might put you on the air.
The Sun-Times’ pop music critic, Jim DeRogatis, is always willing to speak to aspiring, young journalists — just like his hero, rock’s uber-critic Lester Bangs, spoke with him shortly before he died. One such aspiring, young journalist, Dominique Minor, spent a few hours talking music and journalism with DeRo earlier in the year, and she just posted the Q&A on her blog, Frustrated Music Journalist. Read the whole shebang here.
“Chinese Democracy” is finally here on Nov. 23! But do you really want to own it? Try before you buy — the folks at Joe’s Bar will be playing the album for an exclusive listening party at 8 p.m. this Monday. Admission is free. If you pre-order the record from the Best Buy Web site and bring your receipt with you, you get a free GNR T-shirt.
