The Shams Band LIVE at Schubas Ticket Winners, #live show footage

Monday marks the final day of The Shams Band's weekly July Schubas residency.   ChiIL Live Shows will be back shooting again.   Congrats to our 2 winners this week.   Sherry C. and Mary Z.   Each has a pair of tickets waiting at the door.


Here's the scoop:
Check out Schubas main site here to pre order tickets and for more info.

Monday, July 30, 2012 8:00 PM 21+ $6.00 ($15.00 - Four Show Residency Ticket Package)

• Practice Space presents:
• THE SHAMS BAND
• ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS
• YOUNG HINES
• DJ SETS BY: MR. GAC

Click Here To Reserve Your Copy of Cold City And A Ticket To The Show.

Click Here For A Four Show Residency Ticket Package

The Shams Band will be celebrating their second full length record, Cold Cityby hosting their own July residency at Schubas Tavern.

Music is supposed to be fun, exciting, thought provoking and daring. On every live performance, The Shams Band makes sure that their audience leaves each concert with a personal feeling of satisfaction. Drawing heavily from their Kinks, Rolling Stones, and Wilco influences, singer/songwriters Biggins/Gulyas create distinct, personal songs. Once completed with unique four-part harmonies, the songs come to life, tell stories, and send audiences singing all the way home.

The Shams Band features music trapezing the line between blues, country, and pop music. They have opened for national acts Drive-By Truckers, Dawes, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.

The Shams Band is the epitome of a "do-it-yourself" group. They get every audience excited and dancing from their catchy hooks and rock 'n roll atmosphere. It's whiskey-driven. It's a party. It's rock 'n roll with a banjo.

Tags | Practice Space | Follow | @theshamsband | @Schubas |

Practice Space presents:

• THE SHAMS BAND
• Special Guests

Cold City was released July 9th (the first show of the residency).

The Shams Band will be celebrating their second full length record, Cold City by hosting their own July residency at Schubas Tavern--playing 4 shows, every Monday this month.

Check out ordering and download details for Cold City here.

MUST SEE-Final Day-Catch DREAMWORKS HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON LIVE SPECTACULAR #review

   

Catch 'em while you can!    Final Chi-Town shows are today, Sunday, July 29, at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM.    Highly highly recommended!   The kids and I had a chance to catch this high flying, pyrotechnics filled extravaganza on opening night and we all LOVED it.

 

Many movie based arena shows skew young, but I took 2 eleven year old boys and a 9 year old girl and they were mesmerized.   Even teens and adults in the audience were utterly captivated.   The artistry inherent in the animatronic dragons, the screen art, the set design and the costumes was remarkable.

 

We're always up for strong, grrrl power role models and this one gets bonus points for including both boy and girl leads, a message of peace over power, cooperation to defeat bullies, and a celebration of the creative, gentle soul finally being valued over brute strength.   We're also suckers for circus arts and this show is full of talented aerial artists, martial arts, and acro/gymnastics moves that are a treat to see.

Less is more.   Some of the moments that stand out in my mind as incredible, were the simplest.   It was a bold choice to translate old school shadow puppets and glowing, paper globe like Viking ships to an arena show, and they not only pulled it off, it was pure magic.   The sketches and cave drawings that projected on the giant wall screen as they were created by the characters were a successful melding of ancient civilizations and new technology that was stunning and highly effective.

I'm generally not a fan of video game based translations to stage and screen.   But one of our favorite scenes in DREAMWORKS HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON LIVE SPECTACULAR was a wall walking, horizontal journey that looked like it could have leaped right out of a video game, and it was excellent.   Catch this show if you can.   It'll truly be one your family will talk about for years to come.

Thanks to Dreamworks for comping us tickets to the show and for a lovely, collector program.   The kids have been pouring over the book daily and drawing their own dragons, enjoying the quirky show stats and thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous photography.   It's sparked their imaginations and creativity in an exciting way.

 

 

DREAMWORKS HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON LIVE SPECTACULAR

 

Remaining Shows:  Sunday, July 29 at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM with free parking at official United Center parking lots for all performances.

Tickets are on sale now and start at $26.50 plus applicable facility fees and service charges.  They may be purchased through Ticketmaster or by going towww.unitedcenter.com.  A limited number of special premium Dragon Hot Seats, VIP and family packages are available.

 

Check out ChiIL Mama's prior coverage here:   

Dragons and Drama and Dreamworks...Oh My! 

Baby Dragon Visits Bristol Renaissance Faire

Dragons Delayed-Dreamworks Opening Date Bumped

 

For more information on DREAMWORKS HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON LIVE SPECTACULAR, please visit  www.dreamworksdragonslive.com.

Prezi Unwrapped--Sneak Peek at Quinny and Maxi-Cosi's Hot New Must Have #giveaway

ChiIL Mama was stoked to enjoy a luncheon at Luxbar in the Gold Coast with the Quinny & Maxi-Cosi peeps.   In case you've been living in a cave, they're Europe's premier juvenile products brands and their award winning strollers and car seats are gorgeous and easy to use.   If you're still in (or about to embark upon) the stroller roller years...this one's for you!

Desert your diet at Luxbar!   The turkey burger sliders were flavorful too.

**It was fun to catch a sneek peek at The Prezi, a remarkable, state of the art baby seat, which will be available in a couple weeks.  We're also excited to offer our readers a major giveaway!   One lucky winner will be ridin' in style in a new Maxi-Cosi Mico® Infant Car Seat!!  Enter at the bottom of this post for your chance to win.   Entries will be open for two weeks, with our winner announced Friday, August 10th.  Thanks to Maxi-Cosi for graciously providing this give away for us.**

Enter right here for your chance to win! 

*Wait for Rafflecopter to load up (if you've gone through RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on the actual page title and it should pop right up).  Entries accepted nationwide.   Enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.   Winning rocks! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

At the luncheon, Maxi-Cosi unveiled their newest car seat, The Prezi, due in mid August.  The Prezi is like no other car seat on the market today with plush fabric, modern style and safety technology inspired by race car engineers!   

Check out Maxi-Cosi's main site for the whole scoop and ordering info.    The Prezi will be available in mid August 2012.

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've raised two urban babies, negotiated some of the country's biggest music fests with a double stroller, and lived the joys and pains of solo public transit travel with a stroller, newborn and toddler.   

Back in the day, when we were looking at baby gear....then double baby strollers and boosters, we waffled briefly between economical and awesome.   My husband piped up and said some words of wisdom that still ring in my ears today.  He said, "I don't cheap out on my work gear.  Raising kids is hard WORK and it's worth the extra cash to get the right gear that'll make your life easier."     

Those proved to be words to live by.  If you want a baby seat and stroller that will be a joy rather than a constant frustration, then check out these cuties.

 

Even celebrities are rockin' the Quinny & Maxi-Cosi look including Charlize Theron, January Jones, Selma Blair, Jenna Fischer, Denise Richards, Kimberly Stewart, Alicia Silverstone, Victoria Beckham, Ali Landry, Paul & Erin Stanley, Tori Spelling, Evangeline Lilly, Tia Mowry, Emily Deschanel and Mary McCormack.   

Everyone loves prezzies and what better gift to give a new mom or mom to be...or yourself for that matter, than a brand new Prezi!  

Maxi-Cosi®    PreziTM Infant Car Seat Next Generation in Comfort and Safety
The Maxi-Cosi® PreziTM Infant Car Seat offers a sleek design and convenience options that are designed to fit mom’s busy lifestyle without deterring from her style. Offering superior safety protection, the PreziTM was developed with advanced side impact protection featuring New G- Cell HXTM and Air Protect®. G-Cell HXTM is an advance patented rebounding foam technology with hexagonal shapes that mitigates first impact energy while Air Protect® dispels remaining crash forces.

The unique European design of the PreziTM is perfect for any mom’s fashion, as it comes in six vibrant colors. When combined with color-rich strollers from Quinny® and Maxi-Cosi®, the PreziTM now provides mom with endless possibilities for travel with baby.

For more information about the Maxi-Cosi® PreziTM, please visit: www.maxi-cosi.us.

Features:
•    For infants 4 – 30 pounds and up to 29 inches •    Superior Side Impact Protection featuring New G-Cell HXTM and Air Protect® •    5-position adjustable base with built in Rebound Control •    Includes a convenient stay-in-car adjustable base •    Integrated canopy, always on-hand and easy to
store •    EZ Out Harness •    Five-point harness with center front adjustment •    Compatible with Quinny® and Maxi-Cosi® strollers •    Multi-adjust handle •    Accessories include: Bug Net and Weather Shield 

•    Available in 6 bold colors, including: Envious Red, Passionate Pink, Delighted Natural, Courageous Green, Reliant Blue and Devoted Black. •    SRP: $289  •    Available in mid-August

The Quinny Maxi-Cosi luncheon was fun and informative, and we even got a goody bag with a little something for baby and Mom, too.   I've been putting my Urban Aid On The Go Kit to good use and we're regifting the Baby Care Essentials to a teen mom in need, who is due in a couple of months.  

  

 

The highlight of the Luxbar luncheon for me was meeting The Baby Guy. 

From Cats to Kiddies
Jamie Grayson, AKA:  The Baby Guy NYC, is a hoot and a half.  It was my great pleasure to share a lunch table with him at The recent Quinny and Maxi-Cosi lunch in Chicago where he was invited as a guest speaker.   I cover and review all the Broadway in Chicago shows and mentioned that I'd just taken the kids to see Cats.   

Jamie told me he'd played the orange railway cat, Skimbleshanks, for a number of shows in New York.   He even gave us the inside scoop that the touring version of the stage for CATS is INFLATABLE.   We never would have guessed that elaborate, larger than life, junk yard is like a ginormous bounce house!  He said the blowers that keep it from collapsing put out a dull roar on stage.  He turned down an offer with the touring company for a less physically taxing career as a baby gear guru and an almost certified doula, who helped deliver his twin nieces.   Jamie's an interesting cat indeed!

The same photographic memory that made Broadway caliber choreography and lines easy to memorize, has catapulted this childless, gay, New York theatre boy to the top of the baby gear expert heap. However, it's his wicked wit, irreverence and sense of style that have made him a sought after spokesman, as much as his knowledge.   Or maybe it's the silly faces and expressive gestures....

  


He was cracking me up with tales of the endless baby swag arriving at his NYC abode, and how he reappropriated a designer diaper bag (the one Brad Pitt uses) into a man-purse.  His home decor incorporates a giant stuffed giraffe in sunglasses, and he uses organic baby food puree samples companies mail him to make some wicked vodka-mango drinks.  Makes me wanna hop a plane to NYC to hang out and learn baby blogging NY style!   Jamie--you can hit me up for my press +1's any time you're passing through Chi-Town again and we'll do theataaah Chicago style.

Check out Jamie's Baby Guy NYC site right here.   

Then check out Maxi-Cosi's main site right here, for light weight, safe, easy to carry car seats in TWELVE fun colors!

Did you enter above for your chance to win?!
Remember to enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.   Spread the word, then check back with ChiIL Mama August 10th for our winner announcement.


Maxi-Cosi Mico® Infant Car Seat Lightweight Infant Car Seat Now Available in Full Color Palette ($189.99)
 
As THE lightest weight infant carrier in its class*, the Maxi-Cosi Mico® is designed to fit mom’s busy lifestyle with its lightweight structure and sleek design. 

The Mico® Infant Car Seat can also fit any mom’s style, as it now comes in 12 bold fashions. When combined with color-rich strollers from Quinny® and Maxi-Cosi®, the Mico® now provides mom with endless possibilities for travel with baby. By incorporating countless style options, lightweight design and convenience features, the Mico® allows mom and baby to enjoy every moment together.

Features:
•    Extra lightweight design for easy transport •    For infants 5 – 22 pounds and 19 – 29 inches •    Side Impact Protection •    Includes a convenient stay-in-car adjustable base •    Includes Cozi-DoziTM insert for smaller babies •    Integrated canopy, always on-hand and easy to store •    Five-point harness with up-front harness adjustment •    Compatible with Quinny® and Maxi-Cosi®
strollers •    Accessories include: Bug Net, Weathershield, Adjustable Base, Footmuff •    

Available in 12 bold colors, including: Leopard Pink, Misty Blue, Dress Blue, Natural Bright, Playful Grey, Sweet Cerise, Walnut Brown, Intense Red, Total Black, Lapis Blue, Steel Grey and Brown Earth.
 
*As compared to Infant Car Seats sold at similar prices.

 
Warning:   This seat's so cute it may cause baby fever in adults and/or make your kids beg for a little bro or sister!!

Disclaimer:   Thanks to Maxi-Cosi for providing a Micro for our giveaway.   All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid by Maxi-Cosi for this feature.

Kindie Land-Chi-IL Ravinia Shows For The Littles and Teens

    Photo Credit:  Ravinia 

Kraft Great Kids Concerts series welcomes Ravinia favorites and new acts

Second annual teen attendance contest includes free pre-concert tent party on July 29

Ravinia is not just for the wine and cheese crowd...   This lovely, outdoor performance space in Highland Park, north of Chicago near the lakefront, is easily accessible by train and hosts a wide variety of musical genres every summer.   Check out some of their family friendly kindie acts featured below, or bring the kids to classical concerts free on the lawn.   BYOB, wine and picnics.   The kindie lineup is very family friendly.   One word of warning:   just beware of the shuuuuushers, at some of the Ravinia pop & rock concerts where you wouldn't expect 'em and at the classical shows for sure.   

The Brie eaters aren't all kid friendly!!  My kids were pretty mellow tots and after a number of bad experiences we quit going to Ravinia in favor of the waaaay more laid back classical series in Millennium Park, because of the intolerant clientele.  They expected ultimate silence and immobility from our toddlers and ruined the concert experience for all the families there with their glares and angry comments directed at every kid that moved a muscle.   It's one thing if kids truly are shrieking or running amok, but really.....   We found the childless adult yelling and shushing and evil eyes much more disruptive than any of the slightly fidgety kids there.

That said....if you're aiming for  Laurie Berkner on July 28 or Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players I think the snooty factor will be at a minimum.

*Ravinia is making a concerted effort to entice back the young, despite the shush brigade.   Kids 15 and younger enjoy free lawn admission for classical concerts; high school and college students with valid student I.D. admitted free to the lawn for classical concerts.

Kid-friendly, in-park activities include Customer Appreciation Day, free family space and kids program book

Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman has included events tailor-made for families, kids and teens as part of the 2012 season, including the annual Kraft Great Kids Concerts series, free kids admissions for classical concerts and activities, and the second annual teen attendance contest featuring a “Cannon Ball” pre-concert event.

“Ravinia is perfectly suited for families,” Kauffman said, “and we’re excited that our mission of reaching young audiences continues to grow this year with even more variety, low prices, and free admission to classical concerts. Creating unique and accessible opportunities for the younger generation to experience music of all kinds is one of Ravinia’s priorities, whether it’s attracting the world’s top young professionals to study and perform through the Steans Music Institute, in the schools through our own *REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs, or creating a fun environment for teens to connect and enjoy classical music together.”

KRAFT GREAT KIDS CONCERTS SERIES

The 2012 Kraft Great Kids Concert series, which comprises family-friendly shows, emulates the festival’s main-stage programming, including the mix of genres and artists, in a kid-friendly environment. This family series has been supported by Kraft Foods since its inception 21 years ago and connects to the festival’s mission of REACH*TEACH*PLAY. 

KRAFT GREAT KIDS CONCERTS

Ravinia welcomes some festival favorites as part of the Kraft Great Kids Concert series. The series, which comprises family-friendly shows, emulates the festival’s main-stage programming, including the mix of genres and artists, in a kid-friendly environment. This family series has been supported by Kraft Foods since its inception 21 years ago and connects to the festival’s mission of REACH*TEACH*PLAY. 

Acts include and Laurie Berkner on July 28; Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players on August 18; River North Dance Chicago on Aug. 21; Ruth Page Civic Ballet on Sept. 8.; and Tom Chapin & Friends on September 9. 

Kraft Great Kids Concerts begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings, with the exception of the 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21 performance. 

We particularly recommend checking out:

Laurie Berkner, known for her appearances on the Nick, Jr. TV Channel, has produced multiple CDs, DVDs, and two picture book-with-CDs to great acclaim, and returns to Ravinia Festival for a special solo performance as part of The You & Me Tour, on July 28.

**Hailed by USA Today as the “Paul McCartney of kids,” Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players were nominated for Best Musical Album for Children at the 2010 Grammy awards. An acclaimed folk-pop singer and songwriter, his 2004 family release, Way Out, was selected as one of Child magazine and Amazon.com’s top-10 family recordings of the year. He appears at Ravinia on Aug. 18.

Named “one of the greatest personalities in contemporary folk music” by The New York Times and “the best family artist around” by Billboard magazine, Tom Chapin has the ability to engage and entertain children and adults alike. Five of his family recordings have received Grammy award nominations for Best Musical Album for Children, including the 2006 release Some Assembly Required. He returns to the festival on Sept. 9.

FREE TEEN CONTEST AND PARTY

In an effort to bring awareness and opportunity of classical music performances to young people, Ravinia teamed with teens last year to create the Ravinia Student Advisory Board, which collaborated on ideas to promote classical music to young listeners. The program consists of three parts: free lawn attendance for high school students with a valid school I.D. at all classical concerts; a summer-long CSO attendance contest in which students can earn points for their school to win a grant; and a special high school night including a pre-concert event and the chance to gain double points for the attendance contest.

The attendance contest spans the duration of the CSO summer residency at Ravinia, from July 4 to August 20. High school students simply show their valid student I.D at the Ravinia Box Office for free lawn admission at any CSO show (excluding the July 21 Gala), and the box office will keep track of the primary high school they attend. The school that has the most student visits at the end of the CSO residency will be awarded a grant from Ravinia Festival.

The festival, along with the Ravinia Student Advisory Board, will also host a special teen night pre-concert event for high school students on Sunday, July 29, before the CSO’s all- Tchaikovsky program including the “1812” Overture featuring live cannons. “Cannon Ball 2012” will include a free tent event complete with food, refreshments, games, prizes and the chance to earn even more points for the attendance contest. Students who attend the event and performance will also receive double points for their high school.

FREE TICKET OPPORTUNITIES/SPECIAL DISCOUNTS

Ravinia announces a continuation of last year’s policy to allow kids free admission to the lawn. Those 15 years old and under will be admitted free to the lawn for all classical concerts, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residency (excluding the July 21 Gala). High school and college students will be admitted free to the lawn for classical events when they present a current student I.D. at the box office. Reserved-seat upgrades may become available at a reduced price for students.

Ravinia will host a special free family space on the north lawn prior to selected CSO concerts. Families can participate in activities including music-related crafts, storytelling and the “instrument petting zoo,” The family space will be open from 3 to 4:30 p.m. prior to the CSO concerts on July 29 and Aug. 5. The instrument petting zoo will be located in front of the Martin Theatre following the Kraft Great Kids Concert on July 7 featuring the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, beginning at noon.

Ravinia’s Family Fun Guide is a free, special program book designed just for kids, available throughout the entire summer season in kiosks around the park. The program book includes coloring pages, exciting information on music, games, kid-friendly program notes, activities to do in the park or at home and more. Parents can also preserve their child’s concert memories by saving the book and filled-out activities.

KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Be the star that you are—host a birthday party at Ravinia. Kid’s birthday parties can be arranged for groups of 20 or more in conjunction with the Kraft Great Kids Concert series. Each party package includes tent or lawn set-up, pavilion tickets to the show, table and chair rental, a gift for the birthday boy or girl from Ravinia Gifts, and lunch for partygoers featuring a kid-friendly menu including an entrée, cookie and a beverage. Additional perks such as goodie bags, entertainment, face-painting, sweet treats and more are also available, and packages start as low as $23 per person, all-inclusive. Reservations for these birthday party packages can be made by contacting groups@ravinia.org or calling 847-266-5087.

DO NORTH

Make the northern suburbs a destination for yourself and family by planning a trip to four cultural destinations, Ravinia Festival, Kohl Children’s Museum, Writers’ Theatre and Chicago Botanic Garden. This umbrella organization called Do North offers special discounts to each cultural attraction and is looking into opportunities to create pre-planned day trips and weekend getaways for the whole family. For more information, visit www.donorth.org.

Tickets to all Ravinia Festival events are available now at www.ravinia.org or by phone at 847-266-5100. A $7 service fee is added to all ticket orders.

Ravinia Festival is located at Lake Cook and Green Bay roads in Highland Park. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at backstage.ravinia.org, facebook.com (search Ravinia Festival) and twitter.com/raviniafestival. Ravinia Festival is a not- for-profit organization.