Showing posts with label Album Release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Album Release. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Mucca Pazza Safety Fifth Album Release at Bottom Lounge #original live show photos #original HD videos
Rhythmic, cult-like chanting filled the air at Bottom Lounge on August 18th. Moooo ka pa za
Moo KA PA ZA
MUCCA PAZZA
MUCCA PAZZA
MUCCA PAZZA
When we saw multiple members of the crowd sporting cow costumes, we knew it would be a night to remember!
Chi-town's own favorite punk rock marching band rose to the occasion for their raucous, official album release party for Safety Fifth, and did not disappoint. The full sized marching band in their wabi sabi, mismatched uniforms and their cheerleaders with shredded caution tape pom pons, are our kinda crazy. They truly shine in live performance and are a spectacle to see.
Their name may be Italian for mad cow or crazy cow, but we think they're crazy like a fox....crazy talented musicians playing crazy good music...and a crazy fun show.
*worlds collide alert #1: Dug ran into two sets of friends from the TV production world at the show. One of those friends is a neighbor to one of the Mucca Pazza pom pon girls, who is also an accomplished local aerialist/acro/circus performer. She's played Alice in Wonderland and has ties to another of our favs, The Actors Gymnasium.
*worlds collide alert #2: ChiIL Mama has caught Mucca Pazza's head muckety muck, Mark Messing, for video interviews twice at Chicago Children's Theatre--once in a duo with Brian Selznick, author/illustrator of Hugo Cabret. (Brian's book was the basis for Oscar Award winning hit movie, Hugo, and The Houdini Box play.) The other Mark Messing/ ChiIL Mama interview is in a duo with genius director, David Kersnar, in an amusingly Ernie and Bert-like bed interview on the set of Goodnight Moon! Check them both out by clicking the links above. Mark is the mad maestro and musical mastermind behind Mucca Pazza and the scores to numerous musicals and plays including the critically acclaimed Hunchback Variations.
Check back with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We have loads more HD video clips and live show footage coming soon.
**Check out our CD review for Safety Fifth and prior photo filled feature from Mucca Pazza at Hideout by clicking here.
** Check out more of our prior Mucca Pazza coverage here.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Play Locally Tonight: Mucca Pazza (17+) and Babes With Blades
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012 - 11:00PM
DOORS 10:30 PM / SHOW 11:00 PM
17 & OVER, VALID ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.
Twisted metal and piles of slag behind them, shish boom bah!
Chicago’s Mucca Pazza marches on, from the steel mill parking lots of Chicago across the nation. Wielding homemade headgear amps and shouting surreal algebraic cheers, the dozens-strong band insists on Safety Fifth (Electric Cowbell Records; June 12, 2012).
They march in formation, rip through drum cadences, bust out cinematic stories, and incite mass dance outbreaks. They channel everything from Bartok to a love-struck Godzilla, re-imagine the uptight 19th-century march, and make up soundtracks for classic Egyptian movies that never happened. Not bad for an eccentric gang of loud-and-proud, self-proclaimed band geeks.
“We look like a marching band and occasionally behave like a marching band, but we don’t sound like one,” explains Gary Kalar, mandolin player and member of Mucca Pazza’s “freak” section of stringed instruments and accordion. “We care about the music we play; it’s not a novelty thing. We just don’t fit into any hyphenated genre.”
“We’re a marching band that thinks we’re a rock band,” exclaims sousaphone player Mark Messing.
This May and June, Mucca Pazza will rock New York, Washington DC, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Louisville, and, of course, Chicago, with a live show too big to stay on stage.
Why play a gritty factory parking lot for free every Sunday morning?
“We figured no one would bother us in an industrial area,” reflects Messing. “It was also weirdly inspiring to be there, by ourselves on the Chicago River, among all these big scrap yards. We felt like we were putting together something from scrap.
“We came together in a whole bunch of ways. The connections were pretty random,” explains trombonist Elanor Leskiw. “Some of us met while protesting the war here in Chicago. Many of us are involved in theater and music for theater. About seven of us wanted to explore playing original compositions and just have an outlet. As a composer, you don’t have an ensemble to try out new music, unless you’re at an academic institution or orchestra. It grew from there. We were having so much fun playing at the parking lot at noon. People would show up to listen every week, with donuts and coffee.”
“All the rock bands and the singer-songwriters have a place to be, but we grew up in school bands,” Messing adds. “We had to come up with our own alternative that was fun.”
The alternative evolved during those impromptu Sunday sessions, melding a devil-may-care rock vibe with the devil’s-in-the-details focus and precision of the best marching bands. Cheerleaders praising the wonders of integers and verbs—or staging bold rallying cries against the Dewey decimal system—became part of the team, as did a motley crew of unexpected instruments.
For example, when guitarist Jeff Thomas approached the band, psyched about the music but dismayed that he only played guitar, the helmet amp was born: a hockey helmet DIY-melded with a tiny loudspeaker. “The hockey helmet has this strange resonance, which was odd at first,” laughs Thomas, “but it frees you.” The same setup allows mandolin, accordion, and violin to march alongside the brass, glockenspiel, and drum corps, and sparked the Mucca Pazza section lovingly dubbed “the freaks.”
Freakdom adds a fresh layer to the marching band sound, as funky guitar lines talk back (“March Anormale,” a slightly twisted take on 19th-century military band music) or the accordion sets the pace (the whimsical beauty of “Tube Sock Tango”).
Like the band, the music also came together from disparate, awesome bits: Quirky winks at TV shows’ theme songs (“Maui Waui 5-0” is a 70s-style car chase of a romp, for example) meet garage band songs gone drum and brass (the bad-ass “Boss Taurus”). A fascination with the work of Ennio Morricone (audible in “Hang ‘Em Where I Can See ‘Em”) crosses paths with a red-hot tango of love between the Mummy and Godzilla (the Tom Waitsian “Monster Tango”).
The fluid movement between genres, styles, and influences matches the band’s mobility. Even when performing in canoes on the Chicago River—the wild idea of an environmental non-profit that put the band in boats—the group uses formations familiar from their band geek days and high-energy drum cadences (like “Coolashell”) to transition from place to place, from piece to piece. They can also set a whole audience marching—sometimes right off the street and into the club.
This dynamism is tangible in the music and makes for an audience experience that’s up close and personal. “I never moved around much when I played in rock bands. I was chained to an amp,” notes Thomas with a smile. “The helmet was liberating. I could explore my body more, and it actually affected the way I played. Because of the directional quality of the helmet, I have to get really close to people. When I perform in the audience, I love getting obnoxiously close.”
Personal space issues aside, Mucca Pazza pushes the envelope, bringing punk aesthetics to the parade and marching band chops to the rock club. “We were marching in the Kentucky Derby parade in Louisville, with all these 100-member marching bands,” Thomas recounts. “We’d march like a regular band and then with a whistle blow make these random honking noises. At the point when a TV newscaster started to announce us on the air, we started honking away, and the announcer stopped mid-band name. He said, ‘I don’t think we’ve seen anything quite like this before.’”
Theatre that leaves a mark......
TICKETS ON SALE NOW for Reina Hardy’s Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride: CLICK!
Several shows are already SOLD OUT, so don’t delay – get your tix today!
BABES WITH BLADES KICKS OFF 15th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH “SUSAN SWAYNE AND THE BEWILDERED BRIDE”
WORLD PREMIERE OF REINA HARDY’S VICTORIAN DETECTIVE COMEDY
Babes With Blades Theatre Company (BWBTC), Chicago’s all-female stage combat ensemble, will open their 15th anniversary season with the world premiere of “Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride” by Reina Hardy, directed by Dan Foss. It’s 1888 in London, and the Society of Lady Detectives meets discreetly to indulge its members’ tastes for swordplay and sleuthing. As the genteel club considers a disturbing series of murders in the Whitechapel district, a frantic heiress turns up with a startling accusation towards one of their own. Society member Susan Swayne takes the case, defying societal norms and pursuing the truth through the Victorian streets. Combat sequences from violence designer/BWBTC ensemble member Libby Beyreis will feature smallsword and bartitsu (a Victorian mixed martial art influenced by jujitsu and savate). Tickets are $8 for previews or $20 for regular performances, students and seniors $12.
Originally submitted to BWBTC’s inaugural Joining Sword & Pen Playwriting Competition in 2005, “Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride” began as a one-act play inspired by a print of Emile Bayard’s “An Affair of Honor.” The script was selected for the company’s New Plays Development Program in 2009 and became a full-length play through a series of three readings and feedback sessions. Director Foss describes the resulting script as “a quirky Victorian detective comedy.”
The cast includes BWBTC ensemble members Lisa Herceg, Kimberly Logan, and Megan Schemmel, joined by guest artists Kathryn Acosta, Justine Serino, and Kelly Yacono.
Production staff includes Leigh Barrett* (Lighting Designer/BWBTC Artistic Director), Libby Beyreis* (Violence Designer), Matthew Cummings (Props Designer), Alison Dornheggen* (Production Manager), Dan Foss (Director), Gillian N. Humiston* (Assistant Violence Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Dennis Mae (Scenic Designer), Tara Malpass (Stage Manager), Kjerstine McHugh* (Assistant Director), and Kimberly Morris (Costume Designer).
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*Denotes BWB Ensemble Member
“Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride” will open on Saturday, August 18 at 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Square Theatre, 4754 N. Leavitt (inside Berry Memorial UMC, lower level). Previews are Saturday, August 11 and Friday, August 17 at 8 p.m. The show runs Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., August 23 to September 22. In addition, there will be Saturday matinees on September 1, 8, and 15 at 2:00 p.m.
For tickets, call 773-904-0391 or to go http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/222921.
Key Bios:
Dan Foss (Director) has been involved in the development of "Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride" since spring of 2009 and is thrilled to finally be bringing it to life with Babes With Blades. Recent directing experience includes "Erratica" with American Demigods (also by Reina Hardy), "Vanishing Points" with Point of Contention, and various projects with Appetite Theatre Company, The Side Project, Hobo Junction, Rogue Theater Company, and Rascal Children's Theater. You may recognize Dan from his brief return to the stage as Uncle Saul in BWBTC’s production of "The Double" last fall. He is also the Secretary of BWBTC’s Board of Directors.
Libby Beyreis (Violence Designer) has been fighting on stage since 1994, and is proud to be a company member of Babes With Blades. She has designed violence for companies including Idle Muse, Strangeloop, The DIVISION, Focal Point Theater Company, Chase Park, Free Street, as well as a number shows with the Babes, most recently Romeo & Juliet and The Double.
Kjerstine McHugh (Assistant Director) is tickled to be working on this wonderful script with such an amazing group of artists. She hopes that she gets more stuff right than she gets wrong on this, her second foray into the wonderful world of not stage managing.
Babes With Blades Theatre Company will complete its 15th anniversary season in spring of 2013 with an all-female “Julius Caesar.”
Photo credit: Steven Townshend
Kelly Yacono (Left) as Katherine Denn and Lisa Herceg (Right) as Susan Swayne
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Parents Night Out TONIGHT 8/2 Mutts Album Release at Fireside Bowl #HD Video #Live Show Shots #free album download
Mutts at Do Division 2012 by ChiIL Live Shows. Tweak settings for HD.
Here's one for the big kids AKA: Adults (and kids 17+). Tixs are only $5!!
We've got years of great memories of sweaty summer shows at Fireside Bowl from back in the day. We're ready to make some new ones with Chi-Town's Mutts.
They just ran a successful kickstarter campaign and are celebrating their new release tonight, Thursday 8/2. Check it out. Click here for show details
Here's what the Mutts have to say, including a link to download their album for FREE!!
Here's one for the big kids AKA: Adults (and kids 17+). Tixs are only $5!!
We've got years of great memories of sweaty summer shows at Fireside Bowl from back in the day. We're ready to make some new ones with Chi-Town's Mutts.
They just ran a successful kickstarter campaign and are celebrating their new release tonight, Thursday 8/2. Check it out. Click here for show details
Mutts at Do Division 2012 by ChiIL Live ShowsMutts Separation Anxiety record release show at Fireside Bowl, 8/2:
Here's what the Mutts have to say, including a link to download their album for FREE!!
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Monday, April 30, 2012
Xoe Wise-Archive of Illusions Out Tomorrow
Xoe Wise-Archive of Illusions
Xoe means life in Greek (whether they called themselves Greeks or not), and with a last name like wise, Chicago singer-songwriter Xoe Wise has a lot to live up to. Her sophomore album,
Archive of Illusions, does not disappoint. The album will be officially released tomorrow, May 1. You can check out her insightful lyrics here.
We're pretty enamored with her poetic word play and imagery. The depth and intensity of her lyrics and her sweet, evocative vocals belie her age. Check out the following excerpts:
Written by: Xoe Wise
Album: Archive Of Illusions
Album: Archive Of Illusions
Album: Archive Of Illusion
Album: Archive Of Illusions
You know it’s bad
When you have to go to sleep
Just to feel safe inside a dream
Oh you know it’s hard
Letting someone in
I could say it twice
And again
All you gave to me was love
Flowers on the stand
Coffee by the bed
You didn’t understand
When I turned my head
Oh I apologize for timing
I shouldn’t have held your hand
Until mine were clean
All you gave to me was love
Glow in the Dark
Written by: Xoe WiseAlbum: Archive Of Illusions
I met you
Corner of Asbury Avenue
Middle of May
Sky the deepest blue
Do you believe in weather changing our mold?
My palm shape of yours, left side walking me home
Do you know that your heart glows in the dark
Do you know that your heart glows in the dark
I'm watching your lips move and talk of inferior love
Perfection philosophy and love has to grow to stay
Greeks never called themselves Greeks anyway
When did it become cool to think of the alphabet as an acronym list
If so my fingertips are standing for all of yours
Do you know that your heart glows in the dark
Do you know that your heart glows in the dark Your Love
Written by: Xoe WiseAlbum: Archive Of Illusion
We might be staying here too long
Singing the same song
Green eyes are bringing me to the edge
Bring me to the edge
And they're so open to my ways
On a Tuesday
How you heard I had a bad day
And drove from 3121 Clyde place just to say
Your love your love your love your love oh
Ill take Ill take Ill take my time so
Your love you love your love your love oh
Your love will follow me
And I want to be the melody that’s in your soul
The one that drifts in and falls asleep
Only to wake at your heart beating
And I want to be the daydream inside your head
How we danced and all the words we said
So easily
And if somehow oh if somehow oh if somehow
You lose your words
Ill help you find your way because
Your love your love your love your love oh
Ill take Ill take Ill take my time so
Your love you love your love your love oh
Your love will follow me
La la la la
Xoe Wise has toured nationally with fellow Chicagoan Matt Ryd and has
opened for Greg Laswell, John Legend, Colbie Caillat and Lisa Loeb. Check in with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We'll have details on her summer record release party, as soon as they're available.
Xoe's local TV debut on WGN is slated for Friday, May 25.
Here's Xoe's bio (from Martyr's band descriptions)
Xoe Wise
Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their sick baby goat. From a small town on the ocean in NC to a brief period in Michigan she continued to pursue music and now is based in Chicago, IL.
She entered the Chicago music scene in 2009 collaborating with Ethan Stoller. Stoller has contributed music to the DVD featurettes and promo materials of several major Hollywood films, including V for Vendetta (film), Ninja Assassin, Sherlock Holmes and more. Xoe released her first album Echo that October.
After growing in the Chicago music scene and simply growing up, her music has taken on a dreamy folk tone drawing comparisons to a female Bon Iver with her 6 piece band selling out shows in Chicago. She has been heard at venues from Hotel Cafe in CA to Hard Rock in Nashville. She has been supporting acts with artists Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell, John Legend, and Colbie Caillat.
Microsoft scooped Xoe up when opening their IL store now helping sponsor her 25 stop US tour. Xoe continues to rise to the top MTV-ourstage.com charts winning pop categories, and having been featured multiple times. Chicago Innerview recognizes Xoe as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs.
On Wise’s first album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism." While Chicago Redeye states "the song as something of a spiritual accident." Xoe Wise has played the Korean festival with 3000+ audience, as well as Oakland arena in MI for the Miracles for Life benefit show alongside Rolling stone featured band Jamestown Revival.
Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their sick baby goat. From a small town on the ocean in NC to a brief period in Michigan she continued to pursue music and now is based in Chicago, IL.
She entered the Chicago music scene in 2009 collaborating with Ethan Stoller. Stoller has contributed music to the DVD featurettes and promo materials of several major Hollywood films, including V for Vendetta (film), Ninja Assassin, Sherlock Holmes and more. Xoe released her first album Echo that October.
After growing in the Chicago music scene and simply growing up, her music has taken on a dreamy folk tone drawing comparisons to a female Bon Iver with her 6 piece band selling out shows in Chicago. She has been heard at venues from Hotel Cafe in CA to Hard Rock in Nashville. She has been supporting acts with artists Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell, John Legend, and Colbie Caillat.
Microsoft scooped Xoe up when opening their IL store now helping sponsor her 25 stop US tour. Xoe continues to rise to the top MTV-ourstage.com charts winning pop categories, and having been featured multiple times. Chicago Innerview recognizes Xoe as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs.
On Wise’s first album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism." While Chicago Redeye states "the song as something of a spiritual accident." Xoe Wise has played the Korean festival with 3000+ audience, as well as Oakland arena in MI for the Miracles for Life benefit show alongside Rolling stone featured band Jamestown Revival.
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