2010 - Year In Review

What an exciting year, blogspot readers!

It was totally incredible for local (national and international) music ...and for SouthSide! She had quite a busy year in which this fearless reviewer racked up a record breaking 145 shows/events reviewed (it'll be officially 146 after reviewing The Abbey tonight) ...breaking an ankle (same one for the 3rd time) didn't stop her from rockin' and partyin' all night long. She would like to say "thank you" to everyone - fans, bands and management/PR for another wonderful year of indie music.

SouthSide would first like to take a moment in remembering the following band that left the scene this year. They'll be missed but not forgotten:

Let's Get Out Of This Sandwich Shop, Before The Sun (now can be seen as Spyderbone), From The Broken, lo/fi Pioneer, The Syndicate, Nothing Forgotten, The Attraction, The Highlife, Moxxy, Silent Sirens, Inept, reModern and Royal (now can be seen as Villain v Villain)

During 2010, SouthSide went global! She reviewed the following bands that made a long treck across the pond to rock the Chicago music scene as far away as Russia and Australia:

Hypernova (Iran), The Migrant (Denmark), Travis Caudle (Australia), Vera Cruz (France), Crazyfish (Italy), The Jefferson (Australia), A Crush On Yesterday (Germany), Epidema (Russia), Lehnen (Austria), Atari Teenage Riot (Germany), and Diafanes (Brazil).

She hopes they and many others will come back this way in 2011.

Aldo SouthSide reviewed many artists/bands while on their national tour across the U.S.:

Arizona - Strange Young Things; California - Bret Michaels, Mars, 30 Seconds To Mars, The Ruse, Lelia Broussard, Kung Fu Vampire and Secondhand Serenade; Colorado - Coles Whalen; DC - Honor By August; Florida - Miggs (seen them twice); Georgia - Adam Klein; Iowa - Keith Lynch aka Unknown Component; Indiana - Athel, The Energy Commission and The Bergamot; Kentucky - The Slomski Brothers; Massachusetts - The Grownup Noise; Minnesota - Pictures Of Then; Missouri - Mother Culture and Alice Sweet Alice; Nebraska - Once A Pawn; New York - Aaron Zimmer, Ryan Trester, Peelander Z, Shinobi Ninja, Izzy & The Kestronics, My Pet Dragon, Kaylin Lee Clinton, and Sky White Tiger; Ohio - Snareburst, Cowboy & Indian, Dirty Flaggs, and Papadosio; Tennessee - Erin Manning, Brinn Black, Gabriel Kelley and November; Texas - Felili, Ricky Stein (seen twice), Reed Turner, Spencer Mulder, Green River Ordinance, Tim Halprin and Dustin Welch; South Carolina - Mahoney and State Radio; Washington - Brent Amaker & The Rodeo and The Volcano Diary; Wisconsin - Bryan Cherry Band. The Nod, Dawn Of Man and Lucas Cates Band.

Thanks for rockin' the local stages in Chicago - hope to see you again in 2011!

Special thanks to everyone working behind the scenes for keeping SouthSide on her toes (sometimes on a daily basis) with emails (and yes she does read EVERY SINGLE piece of mail in her box), Facebook and Myspace invites, etc about upcoming shows and artists/bands she should give a listen. Also included in this LONG list are those who helped SouthSide have a successful year.

And this heartfelt "thank you" doesn't come in any particular order:

the test audience - Vyolet and Emily (not their real names) for all of the hard work they did listening to CDs and attending shows with SouthSide; Jerry (fiance) for putting up with SouthSide's neverending hectic schedule; Brian, Dave and the cast of many at Elbo Room; Phil and his hardworking staff ...door people too at Double Door; SubT; Joe (SouthSide's super fantastic #1 fan); Reggie's; Shawn Kellner (of Kellner Management); August Forte (of NoVO Arts, Inc.) Leigh (of Sound and Division Music); Chicago Sound Studio; The Branded; Rudy Sarzo, David Fishof and Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp; Cowboy and Angel Music; Chicago Music Guide; Beat Kitchen; Metal Shaker; Debonair Social Club; Aragon Ballroom; Jerry Bryant and JBTV; Angels & Kings; Fearless Radio; Laura (of Syn Vodka); Mike Mentzer; Cubby Bear; Underground Lounge; Martyrs'; The Mutiny; Cobra Lounge; Metro; LaSalle Power Company; Lincoln Hall and Schuba's; Darkroom; Rockbox; Portage Theatre; Park West; SPACE (in Evanston); Empty Bottle; The Exit; Bottom Lounge; House of Blues; Lidia and the fine staff at The Abbey; Target (for keeping SouthSide supplied with notebooks and pens throughout the year); Heavemedia; Cauldron Soundwerx Productions; Misty (Senior Publist of Splash! Public Relations); KMA management; the MANY bands from Reverbnation; Skyscraper Media; Krista (of Skye Media); Erik and everyone at Project Exploration; Window Licker Records; Clint (of MVD Entertainment Group); PVT Records and Management; Rock N Roll Art Show; Urban Folk Circuit; Chicago Roots Collective; Frank Tucker and Saint - the complete novel about SIN will be complete; CHIRP Radio; I AM Fest organizers and staff; Miss Foozie (she's such a darlin' person); Janet's Planet of Sound (cool place for retro videos and more); Flabby Hoffman and his cast of many; Voice Of Addiction; MOB Fest; Chris Drew and art-teez organization; Sushi O Sushi restaurant; Potbelly's (the one on Diversey and Sheffield); Muskie's Hamburgers (for the delicious chips [fries] with salt and pepper only), Gallery 54 B; the hardworking super fans and street teams; Windy City Records...

SouthSide sincerely apologizes if she missed anyone in her LONG "thank you" list ...she does appreciate you too.

See you in 2011!


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide