05 May 13 - Makeshift Prodigy

Hey, blogspot readers, ready to experience a fusion of symphonic rock that will uplift and motivate not only the body and mind but your spirit as well? SouthSide highly recommends checking out her good friend Makeshift Prodigy (www.makeshifitprodigy.com) online or livve at their next show. Recently, she and her daughter were guests at their JBTV taping (which will be aired locally soon) as they performed songs off the band's latest album - Illuminate. This reviewer highly recommends snagging a copy before they sellout when Lollapalooza comes to town in August.

Here are some pictures from the JBTV taping...

 

  

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

04 May 13

HELP!

There are Robots and Hamburglars invading SouthSide’s next On The Town adventure!

That’s right, blogspot readers, recently this reviewer had the pleasure of meeting the local scene’s “Robble Robble” burgers thieves again and an army of “tripping balls” robots along with warrior and a guy named Rich rockin’ the stage at Martyrs’. Though not a “typical” SouthSide evening out, it was totally fun as she went from one extreme music to the next during tonight’s lineup featuring Captured! By Robots, I Love Rich and Beast Warrior with Hamburglars opening.

Beast Warrior (http://www.myspace.com/beastwarriormusic) somewhat reminded SouthSide of another band that incorporated the narrating of epic / heroic tales and battles but without the British glam and makeup as they rocked the audience with intense steel metal music, blogspot readers. With some flare, this band rightly paid homage to their glorious gods of rock and the olde kingdom of metal by blasting the ears with high-pitched vocals and energizing intensity off the guitar riffs especially during the epic-sounding instrumentals which many were head banging to. Oh there will be animalistic grunting in between lyrics for you to be fully immersed into that Beast Warrior mode with the band. There were a couple of things from this band she could have done without like their take on Medieval English as the ancient “scrolls” (in her opinion were not that imaginative) and the constant high-pitched screaming that was starting to get a little annoying after a few minutes. Also, this reviewer noted something must have been lacking either in the warrior gimmick or performance if Beast had to work hard in generating some type of reaction from the audience. Despite not fully liking Beast Warrior, SouthSide does suggest checking them out when they perform their next battle on stage. Meanwhile, I Love Rich (http://www.ILoveRich.net) was sort of the “lighter”, non-hardcore capacity to the metal genre yet don’t be fooled by that, blogspot readers, because this band can definitely rock with intense energy. Though not really having a noticeable gimmick, Rich did shimmer and shine while on stage in the glittering gold jacket ensemble to enhance the King Of Rock-n-Roll character portrayed. Fans will be sure to find themselves rockin and rollin to other songs like Makeout City, Let’s Fuck All Night, Are You Going to Love Me Tonight? and more featuring strong blasts of energy and fierce momentum especially when the band zips through its punk sound full of twitterpating riffs that at times drove this crowd wild for more. SouthSide like the fact I Love Rich had everyone having fun within their party atmosphere.

“...much safer to steal burgers...”

No one ...not even SouthSide actually knows what “...robble robble...” means in English, blogspot readers, but all this reviewer knows is that this local band LOVES their cheeseburgers! It’s the main subject in many of their songs. The Hamburglars, always dressed in their finest black and white striped jailbird suits with matching capes and masks, are a quartet of robbling musicians sing in this robble language throughout their set. And they have a lot of fun doing it too. Performing songs like Pies Lies, Damn Burger, Hamburg-A-Lor and Creep, Hamburglars had the audience enjoying their “robble robble” this and that in the lyrics (basically that’s ALL they use as lyrical words, blogspot readers) while entertaining them with other delightful tunes such as Shake and Supersize amidst their retro punk/rockabilly combination. Someday, this reviewer will have the band translated to what “robble robble” means but be on the lookout for Mic Burglar to jump off stage to steal a dance with you besides trying to nab your juicy two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese on a sesame seed bun. There were moments during this opening performance when the ears might be dazzled by the lightning fast riffs to rockin’ to the Hamburglars’ Robble-A-Go Go before their homage to AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds during the song Done With Cheese. If you’re lucky, they just might let you play in Ronald’s Playland, blogspot readers. For a “robble robble”good time with Hamburglars at their next cheeseburger-lovin show near you, visit http://www.hamburlgars.com.

“...are you ready to trip on balls?...”

SouthSide highly recommends checking out this band live in person because it was TOO incredible ...TOO tripped out ...and WAY beyond the norm of being ordinary. For the first time, blogspot readers, this reviewer found a whacked out concept that not only works within its own little weirdness but it was also she had never seen before to which there won’t be many spoilers in this review. Hence her recommendation in seeing this one-man band (and his robots) live at their next scheduled performance. Captured! By Robots (from CA) isn’t the first band to pique her immediate interest for a review or have a gimmick / concept for its live rock performance yet it’s the first band she has ever reviewed that mainly features animatronics rockin most of the band instruments with a human on vocals and guitar. Strange and unbelievable as this may sound, blogspot readers, Captured! will definitely capture your imagination as well as your mental stability while “tripping balls”. Don’t even try to fight the last part of the previous statement ...trust SouthSide because you will be “tripping balls” throughout the entire performance. After opening with a video statement (something about tripping balls), you shall be greeted with a costumed guy riding a motorized dildo unicorn while playing the tune When The Saints Go Marching In on trumpet. That’s when you know you have arrived and now can begin tripping balls. Before, this reviewer forgets, the lone human of Captured! By Robots would like you to know that he’s a douchebag (his words when standing beside her ...first time this reviewer has been spied upon) and all lobes and sides of the brain will be nonfunctioning for about hour or so as you’re dazzled by the montage of video images on the screen and robotic music performance rockin’ the stage. Tripping balls does require that you toss your senses out the door and trip out to the psychedelic punk rock sound in between the randomly crazed images running in sync with the music. It was a TOTAL freak out of the robotic kind as the band performs songs like In The Maze, Baby Po Po (a song about a baby possum) and I Hate You. During his “Milwaukee” performance (don’t ask, blogspot readers, for some reason he thought he was in Milwaukee, WI all night), one lucky woman got to be rammed by the dildo unicorn in front of the crowd while the band performed the theme song for this act. “...I see things you only dream about...” to quote the lone (costumed) human behind Captured! By Robots ...and yes, you will too when tripping balls during this strange yet fun performance. For more information about Captured! By Robots, visit http://www.capturedbyrobots.com.

 

 

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

03 May 13

“...possession is 9/10 of my cock...” ~ Joel West of Illusion Fate

Hey, blogspot readers, let’s rock!

After spending an afternoon at the SAIC Fashion Show 2013, SouthSide spent her Friday night rockin’ West Loop’s Cobra Lounge to see Italian rockers Dope Stars Inc and Canadian band The Rabid Whole perform live on stage. This hot lineup also included local support from Illusions Fate and The Obscene Kiss with Radio Creeps opening the show. This reviewer was briefly able to check the first two acts – Radio Creeps and Illusions Fate before exclusively chatting with the member of Dope Stars Inc and The Rabid Whole before performing later in front of a late night crowd.

SouthSide highly recommends checking out all bands mentioned in this review. She enjoyed the angered frustration conveyed during Radio Creeps’ (on Facebook) performance that also featured a highly intensified industrial rock sound by front man Kryss KReaper. This type of rock music wasn’t solely limited to the industrial side, blogspot readers, since it also incorporated the that hardcore metal vibe and some alternative rhythms. So go ahead and rock out to this band’s loudness of the heart-pounding music while feeling the rawness of heated rage dripping over the microphone which had this reviewer banging her head. Meanwhile Illusions Fate (http://www.illusionsfate.com) appears to have found their rock niche after taking a year to tour outside the Chicago area, blogspot readers. Pumping the audience with their signature alternative/metal sound, Joel and the guys kicked it up a notch in which you felt more of the music’s fierce intensity off each guitar riff and percussion rhythm as well as Joel’s vocals. This reviewer liked the “new” feel to his pure rage and aggression flowing from the microphone that at times she got “smacked” in the face though the backing vocals harmonized a little to cut into the Joel’s razor sharp edginess in his voice. This also brought more depth and dimension while popping the lyrics to life especially while performing SouthSide’s favorite Illusions’ song – Dying Anthem. Compared to the other versions of this song, this reviewer enjoyed this one the best because Joel’s voice had a way of becoming hauntingly creepy and evil before bringing you to the knees with his fierce scream at the bridge during “...let me die...” Lastly, The Obscene Kiss (http://www.reverbnation.com/theobscenekiss) took more of a dramatic approach with swirls of misty fog lured SouthSide to their dark music while opening their set, blogspot readers. The subtle atmosphere like the fog was merely a smoke screen just when the band shocked the ears with a frightening blast of intensified sound and energy that surrounded front man Michael’s haunting presence (think Marilyn Manson) on the microphone. Here is where he pounded raw, primal rage into the Obscene’s lyrics despite noticing moments when the band’s hardcore mnetal sound nearly having the tendency to overshadow him. Still this front man didn’t disappoint fans as he vented fierce anger especially while ripping pages out of a Bible during a song about the rigid politics of religion ...to merely demonstrate a point of how it tries to control us. He even fed a page or two to his guitarist to his right before quipping “...judge that...” to the crowd.

Billed as “...21st Century high energy rock...”, this Canadian band have what “...a lot of other bands haven’t [got]...”, blogspot readers. However, don’t take that opening statement by The Rabid Whole as being conceited but as the sense they feel “...there should be more progression...” in one’s music instead of trying to be their influences. “...a lot of people say we feel fresh...” said Andreas, front man and guitarist of The Rabid Whole during SouthSide’s interview with him along with other Rabid members Chalsey (keyboards/backing vocals) and Oscar (bass). Also according to the band, they do try to make each show even while constantly looking at areas to improve their stage performance. Also you may not notice this but the band does watch the audience to see if you’re digging the music or not. During Rabid’s Chicago appearance, this reviewer noticed they were big on making dramatic yet thunderous intros to not only gain your focus but also to get your energy levels pumped and ready to rock to their intensified hardcore electro sound. She did have some difficulty hearing Chalsey on the microphone because she was being overshadowed by the rest of the band sometimes (mostly the drums) but there were moments during Rabid’s set when she aided with Andreas pumped intensity into their songs yet not to the point where it was primal animalistic screaming. Through the unique combination of piano-driven synths rhythms, fans will like how this band uses it to balance (a little) the sharp industrial rock sound though keeping you energized within the electro momentum. SouthSide says you’ll definitely feel it during Rabid’s two “get up and go” song – Future and Stargazer in which was richly enhanced by the band’s lighting fx running in sync with the songs. Even while taking the energy down a bit, Andreas and Chalsey had the musical appearance of a haunting Evanescence-like essence on stage that this reviewer felt chills down the spine in between the bursts of energy to keep the energy flowing throughout the lounge. In the near future, blogspot readers, be on the lookout for a music video for Stargazer on The Rabid Whole’s Youtube page as well as seeing them on tour again with KingDoom (featuring ex-Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna!). For more information about The Rabid Whole, visit http://www.therabidwhole.com.

Ciao to my Italian blogspot readers! SouthSide recently had the extreme chance in meeting three handsome men who described themselves as “...young loud [with] synthesizers...” before adding they would be “...soon old loud [with] synthesizers...” During her interview with Dope Stars Inc.’s Darin (Bass), Victor (front man) and Mark (acoustic drums), this reviewer was told (repeatedly) how much they love this country (especially when passing by the cows and yellow school buses on the highway) though still loving Italia. Being here, US DIY (do-it-yourself) musicians have one major advantage over their Italian counterparts – we have a music scene.”...not so many rock [bands] ...not so much of a music business going on... or real agencies [in Italy]...” according to the guys of Dope Stars Inc. that they have been touring 4 times as much in Europe. Their last tour was in Russia in which they did 5 shows “...[it’s] a cool country ...their [Russia’s] scene is growing compared to Italy...” Besides wanted to move here, the band also told SouthSide they love everything about the 80s! From sci-fi / action movies like Terminator, Aliens, Blade Runner, and many more as well as bands like Depeche, Mode, Duran Duran, New Order and Bow Wow Wow, this band can easily switch from syn-pop and punk to industrial, rave and more in a blink of an eye while performing on stage, blogspot readers. For this tour, the entire band couldn’t be together (due to bureaucratic entanglement) however, don’t despair ...Dope Stars Inc. promises to be in full force when they return to the US the next time. “...we miss them so much ...have a good time with them...” Oh yeah, at the time of this interview, they wanted to know what happened to Chicago’s spring weather because it was too cold for the guys saying it was similar to their Christmas-time weather in Italy. This reviewer highly recommends seeing Dope Stars Inc live, up close and personal at their next scheduled performance at a venue near your. Even without the entire band there, this trio managed to produce high energy and rock momentum to rock out the evening’s lineup after stepping on stage to John Williams’ Imperial theme song (from Star Wars) to psyche up the crowd. Quickly, Dope Stars Inc moved straight into their playlist which covered a wide spectrum of rock genres as promised during the interview and didn’t stop rockin’ until the very end ...whew – it was nonstop excitement and action featuring a hot drum solo number even though the stage wasn’t large enough for them to really move about like they usually do during their live shows. Performing songs like Can You Imagine (listen for the Depeche Mode influence in this particular song), Phantasma Black and Fire Defcon 5, Dope Stars Inc knew how to appeal to the music senses of their audience with their unique genre combination, blogspot readers, that had many rockin’ along with the band. Even SouthSide wasn’t sitting still while reviewing them ...she spent a good deal of time rockin’ out a few songs like one dedicated to Michael J. Fox and another to JP Morgan and other banks. Beware of the F-bombs (which are the same in Italian) flying around whenever front man Victor gets a little political in the lyrics while the music gets intense and dramatic. For more information about Dope Stars Inc, visit http://www.dopestarsinc.com.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

03 May 13 - SAIC Fashion Show 2013

“...Alright, designers, make it work...” ~ Tim Gunn

Hey, blogspot readers, let’s see tomorrow’s fashion trendsetters today! 

SouthSide’s rockin’ an extra special On The Town adventure exclusively just for you, her loyal blogspot readers. Thanks to friend Billy Dec she was able to attend the afternoon fashion show of SAIC Fashion show 2013. Held at the fabulous Chicago’s Millennium Park, this annual event in it’s 79th year featured a taste of fashions to come from the minds and students attending School of the Art Institute of Chicago. And throughout the show, this reviewer noted a common theme amongst all of the designers – it was all about texture and splashes of color as well as updating the re-modernizing the classic, standard and retro looks.

After a short welcome, the show began with the Sophomore designers showing off their best designs done in white, blogspot readers. Designs by Joshua Kim (the eclectic cocktail/bridal dress), Zhi Chen, Victoria Peterson (the flared skirt look), Sojeong Hwang, Eunni Lee, See Sin Leung – to name a few had the look and feel of incorporating organic materials with either wide lapels or high collars. Some had the sense of what corporate wear would look in the near future but SouthSide could see a few being worn today. So whether it’s puffy sleeves (no not the Senfield pirate shirt look!) or something with a native tone, these designers wowed this reviewer with their fashion vision for the next decade and beyond.

Next to take the runway were the Junior designers starting with Irina Wang and her look of native-inspired fashion that was bursting with texture and colors while her models were in black (to put more emphasis on her collection not the models). There were some notable designers during this part of the show in which SouthSide like such as Tosha Sherman’s collection featuring a futuristic or anime fashion, Shay Troy and the idea of re-modernizing the classic by adding unusual flare and playing with colors and textures and Julia Chang’s using Asian influence in her collection within the color gray. Meanwhile, a few others (like Jee Hye Kim) did have SouthSide scratching her head in what the designer was trying to convey to the audience yet she was definitely impressed by Youjin Lee and her redefinition of business wear for the modern woman, Rachel Garcia and her incorporating goth and kink together and Erika Landry (in SouthSide’s opinion) who stole the show with her flaming red collection ...it sizzled! Plus there were some fun themes to behold from designers like Jelisa Brown with her Chicago-theme in her collection, Kirsten Anderson with a Lady Gaga-inspired look and Kendal Kennedy’s fun with colorful sweets done in plastic and candy bows, blogspot readers.

Lastly, it was the Senior designers’ turn to show the audience what we could be wearing next fall and beyond, blogspot readers. Opening with Savannah Cipriano and her collaboration with Zeke Raney of redefining the business woman look with bolder colors, SouthSide was excited by the breathtaking view of the collections walking the runway that not only played with textures and colors but also a few redefined the look for the modern man. For example, take Marie Froehlich’s theme Shifting Shadows in which she paired black and blue leather with other textures (including faux fur) that had elegance and style (like the evening gown of rustic copper or gold walking the end of her show).  Meanwhile, Marianne Finneran’s theme We’re All Stories collection had a sleek blue and white style that this reviewer could see the hip 20somethings or even the young 30somethings wearing today yet Krystle Thomas’ The In-Between collection took risks by pairing black with bold colors for a look and style and Kristie Breitfuss’ Art of Noise showed how we woman can go from business to evening in a snap with neutral colors. Personally, SouthSide liked designers Courtney Schneider’s Toska collection for combining the modern style with an post-industrial look for both men and woman featuring wide shoulders and sleeves with hand pockets, Gnat Brilmeyer’s Lqqk Qreate Werq! collection rocked the sporty look for the hip young adult within an Asian-influenced style that featured a mesh of colors and patterns, Elizabeth Crum’s Moby Dick collection was a redefinition of the 70s paisley / prairie style done in neutral and macramé and Caroline Hougen’s Becky collection gave the 50s retro look and style a much more updated and modern feel, blogspot readers. Oh, this reviewer hasn’t forgotten about the men not with designers like Brian McIntyre’s Neither Here Nor There collection featured the modernized punk look (that included a skirt) with longer coattail and Asian influence, Sam Salvo’s Private Vices, Public Virtues’ collection also not featured longer coats but styled the male to look good even in darker tones ...more like redefining the punk-inspired style with elegance, and Tess Olson’s Paradisal collection featured texture along with an Asian-inspired influence but she used the texture as the patterns for her designs.

SAIC’s Fashion Show 2013 ended with a final walk on the runway featuring both models and designers as the audience gave them hearty applause for a job well done, blogspot readers.

For more information about School of the Art Institute of Chicago and its fashion design program, visit http://www.saic.edu.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

Summer Set Music & Camping Festival

Hey, blogspot readers, time to make plans for another camping trip featuring music, fun, food and more at Somerset, WI!

SouthSide doesn't do the "camping" thing but she does recommend checking out this music fest rockin' the Wisconsin area on August 9 thru 11 known as Summer Set Music & Camping Festival at the beautiful Somerset Amphitheater. 

Billed as musical diverse, this three-day outdoor event welcomes artists from every genre from all over the world to perform live on three stages which includes headlining acts Passion Pit, Colorado duo Big Gigantic, mashup maestro Girl Talk, and the legendary jam quintet Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) with hip hop icons Common and Big Boi. 

And that's just a tiny sample of the lineup that will also feature performances by Digital Tape Machine, Flosstradamus, Griz, Krewella, Papadosio, SBTRKT (DJ set) and many, many more, blogspot readers.

Believe it or not, blogspot readers, this unique festival welcomed over 30,000 people to this amphitheater with 40 national and international artists last year! That being said, the organizers are anticipating over 45,000 people this year ...so snag your tickets now.

For more information about the Summer Set Music & Camping Festival, ticket prices and more, visit http://www.summersetfestival.com or http://www.clubtix.com.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide

Elbo Room news

Hey, blogspot readers, SouthSide has some news releases coming from her good friends at Elbo Room.

First, they would like you to know that they have OPEN (in BOLD) May and June Dates at the venue. If you're a member of a band and/or acoustic artist, you should check out the following for an upcoming show:

Friday May 17, 2013

12:00AM - DJ Throwdown | Mouse Meat (FREE)

11:00PM - OPEN

10:00PM - Sona Bliss

9:00PM - Snow Globe Mules

8:00PM - Homer Marrs

Sunday May 19, 2013

11:00 - Closed - OPEN ($5 SHOW 100% OF Door)

10:00- 10:40PM - Plan 9 Burlesque

9:40 - 10pm - Intermission

9:00 - 9:40 - Plan 9 Burlesque

Wednesday (JAM BAND NIGHT) 3 BAND ($5 COVER) May 22, 2013

11:00 - Closed - Dave Cavalier

9:45 - 10:45PM - OPEN
8:30 - 9:30PM - OPEN

Sunday May 26, 2013 - Rock N Roll

11:00PM - OPEN

10:00PM - Romantic Rebel (UA)

9:00PM - OPEN
8:00PM - OPEN

Wednesday ( JAM BAND NIGHT) 3 BAND ($5 COVER) May 29, 2013

11:00 - Closed - OPEN
9:45 - 10:45PM - OPEN
8:30 - 9:30PM - OPEN

Sunday June 2, 2013 - Alternative/Rock

11:00PM - OPEN

10:00PM - Craving Strange (T)

9:00PM - OPEN

8:00PM - About Nothin'

Sunday May 12, 2013 - Elbolesque Show

11:00 - Closed OPEN ($5 100% to band)

10:00- 10:40PM - Ties & Tassels Burlesque

9:40 - 10pm - Intermission

9:00 - 9:40 - Ties & Tassels Burlesque

Wednesday June 5, 2013 (JAM BAND NIGHT) 3 BAND ($5 COVER)

11:00 - Closed - OPEN

9:45 - 10:45PM - Kangaroo

8:30 - 9:30PM - Mr. Goodtimes

Saturday June 8, 2013 - Blues/Rock

12:00AM - Closed - Guilty Pleasures (DJ) (FREE)

11:00PM - OPEN

10:00PM - One 2 Many (Bus)

9:00PM - Harmonic Blue

8:00PM - Opaque Stutters

Saturday June 15, 2013

12:00AM

11:00PM - OPEN

10:00PM - MIDNIGHT MOB

9:00PM - OPEN
8:00PM - OPEN

Wednesday (JAM BAND NIGHT) 3 BAND ($5 COVER) June 26, 2013

11:00 - Closed - OPEN
9:45 - 10:45PM - OPEN
8:30 - 9:30PM - OPEN

Please email your band name to adampowers@elboroomlive.com if you

would like to play one of these shows.

ELBO ROOM

2871 N Lincoln Ave

Chicago, Illinois 60657

O: 773-549-5549

Also, starting Saturday, May 11, Elbo Room will be operating on their summer schedule. Please note that Mondays thru Thursday, they will be open from 3p to 2a; and Fridays thru Sundays, they will be open from noon (12p) to 2a/3a.

ALL shows are 21+ older.

For more information, visit http://www.elboroomlive.com.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

02 May 13 - North Coast Music Festival

Hey, blogspot readers, this recent press release came across SouthSide's desk about the North Coast Music Festival and she thought she should pass along the news to you!

On August 30th to September 1st, the 4th annual North Coast Music Festival will be rockin' Chicago's Union Park (located on Ashland Between Washington and Lake) again featuring headliners the legendary Wu-Tang Clan and they will be performing their seminal album in FULL - Enter the Wu-Tang Clan-36 Chambers. Also there will be performances by DJ and Producer AfroJack, Colorado duo Big Gigantic, NaS, local guys JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Claude Von Stroke, Just Blaze, Stream, Paper Diamond - just to name a few of the first wave artists.

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates about the lineup as they come to SouthSide.

For more information about tickets and more, visit http://www.northcoastfestival.com/.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide