22 Oct 10

Hey, blogspot readers, what do the following goats, professor and rockin' music have in common? SouthSide's latest On The Town adventure! After taking a much needed rest from the busy local scene, She returned to the beat attending a charity event where bands were rockin' the stage for goats (no they weren't staring at them) at LaSalle Power Co. Then she danced the night away under a cloud of an electronica/Euro pop-wave glow at Elbo Room. Oh what a fantastical night it was!

They were rockin' for a good cause. Empire State Express teamed up with Markit 8 and Tim Stop Trio for a free show to benefit Hands of Hope. Based on the audience draw, 100% of each band's proceeds would be used to purchase and donate goats (as well as chickens and wells) to underdeveloped African villages. The goal of this show was to raise awareness and enact a positive change via the gift of livestock and access to clean drinking water to families and schools there. According to Amber Grove, a volunteer and organizer for this charity organization, "...[it's] about communities building communities..." She also stated (via press release) that it might not seem much giving a goat or chicken but something simple like that can make a difference to a starving community. For more information about Hands of Hope and how to donate, visit http://www.handsofhopeonline.org.

SouthSide highly suggests checking out the energetic alternative ..."neo classic" rock of Empire State Express. This local trio will tickle your ears with its lively guitar riffs and get you groovin' to its unique and fresh sound. And this band does encourage you to dance to the music. How can you not dance along with them? Empire had this rhythmic beat coupled with simplistic riffs and catchy hooks ...there's nothing complicated or overdone heard in their rock sound. It's just simple rock music, blogspot readers, that at times will have hints of ska or retro and country. There was even some bluegrass too. Empire covered a wide range of genres which kept this audience rockin' until the end. SouthSide had fun time dancing to their upbeat swing as well as feeling the heartfelt falsettos by Chris (front man on guitar/vocals). As a special treat, Empire closed out with a hot rendition of Ray Charles' What'd I Say. For more information about Empire State Express and where they're rockin' the stage again, visit http://www.empirestateexpress.com or find them on Facebook.

Now it was time for SouthSide's lesson in electronica/Euro techno wave. And her teacher tonight was the one and only Professor Kliq, the wizard of the digital sound that's rockin' local club scene. This teacher had the class at Elbo Room groovin' and dancin' to his energetic vibe after an electronic burst of digital sound. His fast flying fingers on the computer controls and mixers kept everyone within the momentum of the music without missing a single beat. SouthSide enjoyed how the Professor mixed a little of the old and the new as well as dropping some world influences into his lively repetoire of funky rhythms and tracks. For example, check out his smokin' version of Sugarhill Gang's Apache (Jump On It) track in which this reviewer could see Carlton Banks definitely getting his groove on. It's the lively combinations of remixes and music like this example that sparked wild and frantic dancing under the club atmosphere wonderfully created by Brian (on sound) and Pep (lighting/fx). This was more than a performance, blogspot readers, but a Euro dance party. This audience rocked to his fast ...vibrant, heart-pounding club mixes until class was dismissed for the night. It was truly one of the Professor's best shows seen by this reviewer. SouthSide highly suggests checking out Professor Kliq whenever and wherever his class resumes again. For more information, visit http://www.professorkliq.com or http://www.myspace.com/professorkliq.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide