January 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR, blogspot readers!

SouthSide hopes you had a rockin' fun 2014 supporting local musicians as well as those who toured where you live. She did ...over 140+ shows, events and more were covered by this local scene queen. And boy, are her feet super tired!

Are you ready for 2015? Well, SouthSide is! Music festivals, concerts, interviews and so much more will be happening all over again beginning with the following events listed for the month of January.She highly recommends kicking off your 2015 by checking out what's happening in Chicago and Chicagoland area as well as places near you.

Just a reminder - all shows listed are 21+ unless noted otherwise.

Calendar will be updated with more Jan shows.

Have fun!

Jan 2 – 4:

Embassy Suites (East Peoria, IL) – Anime-Zap featuring an appearance by V Is For Villains

Jan 2:

Touche Chicago - Riot Productions presents Ink'd and Punk'd at this popular bar where you can show your ink'd skin to win prizes and dance to music spun by SouthSide's friend DJ Germ T Ripper of Modern Day Rippers/Riot Bear Productions

FREE

Jan 3:

Mike & Denise's Aurora (Aurora, IL) - rock with SouthSide's friend 6DOS (Six Degrees of Separation) and Convoy

Jan 7:

Bada Brew (Crest Hill, IL) - SouthSide's friend A.D.D. will be rockin' out this venue with Another Lost Year

Jan 9 - Feb 21:

various venues - it's the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival ...from Concord Music Hall to SPACE (Evanston, IL) as well as City Winery, House of Blues, Thalia Hall and Aragon Ballroom, this festival will feature live performances by The String Cheese Incident, Steve Earle, Lucero and Robert Randolph & The Family Band ...plus a special birthday performance by Eddy "Chief" Clearwater who will be celebrating his 80th at SPACE on Jan 9.

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

Jan 9:

Red Line Tap - rock your Friday night with Skull Fist, Elm Street, Night Demon and Knife of Simpson with DJ set by Erik

$7adv / $10dos

LiveWire Lounge - Chicago Heavy Fest will feature live performances by Wedodgemissiles, Sacred Monster, 12 Gauge Confession, Radio Creeps, Speedfreak and Messiah Witch

Martyrs' - SouthSide's friend The Future Laureates will be opening for Assembly of Dust.

Jan 10:

Lincoln Hall - get "MAD" with SouthSide's friend Honey & 14's when they headline this lineup featuring performances by Jordan Eglehardt, Redfield and Leonum.

Jan 11:

Double Door - check out SouthSide's friend Jack Rabbit featured in this lineup with Blackmarket Democracy and The Exalted Armada

Martyrs' - check out Dale Watson sharing the stage with special guest Rosie Flores.

$15 / 8p show

Swedish American Museum - SouthSide encourages you to listen to folk melodies combined with pop and jazz music inspired by the deep forest of the Swedish province Dalama performed by Saff Stockholm with Lena Bjarskog.

For more information and tickets, visit http://www.swedishamericanmuseum.org

Jan 13:

Elbo Room - get your poetry on at Wormwood Collective Poetry Night ...it's a night of open mic spoken word action with DJ sets by Peter Propaganda.

No cover / 7p sign up begins

Martyrs' - SouthSide highly suggests attending this show featuring Estonia's Tartu Popi ja Roki Instituut performance with Chicago's very own Quinn Tsan opening.

Jan 14 - 18:

Crested Butte, CO - it's the 2015 Mountain High Music Festival feature live performances by Robert Earl Keen, Lee Bruce, Rodney Clawson, Niccole Gaylon, Sonia Leigh and more.

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

Jan 15:
Liar's Club - if you like Joy Division and Siouxsie and The Banshees, this reviewer recommends checking out her friend I Lost Control (Joy Division) sharing the stage with Dream House (Siouxsie and The Banshees).

Jan 16:

Liar's Club - it's Black 4, Guerilla, Attalta, Side-Action rockin' this venue.

$5

The Outpost (Kent, OH) - check out The Paramedic as they kick off their 2015 tour with special guest Nevada Rose ...other tour dates include Jan 19 at Buffalo, NY, Jan 22 at Hamden, CT and Jan 24 at CoCo 66 (Brooklyn, NY).

For more information and tickets, visit http://www.facebook.com/TheParamedicBand.

Jan 17:

Dutch West Inn (Elgin, IL) - rock with The Bungdoons, Biscaynies, Stolen Airplance and Flamingo Nosebleed at this show!

$5

Martyrs' - check out SouthSide's the mind-blowing, psychedelia music by her friend MOON with Save The Clocktower and Blindspot

City Winery - rock with The Duhks with special guest - The Accidentals

$22 reserved / $25 premiere / $28 VIP / 8p show

Concord Music Hall - check out Lucero with The Sadies at this Logan Square venue as part of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival.

Hard Rock Cafe - check out SouthSide's friend Steve Stone sharing the stage with Sol Shine. Can find tickets at http://www.ticketweb.com
10:30p

Jan 18:
Ravinia - it's Jazz in January Residency and Concert with Matt Wilson and Midwest Young Artists!

Reggie's Rock Club - SouthSide's friend Sons of Serenity will need your support as they fight to the finish in this battle of the bands competition show!
$10 / 3p

Jan 19:

Grandbar - check out the Doppelganger Sideshow if you dare ...this event will feature an evening with Adam Arcana of  Doppelganger Circus Sideshow and his sexy, sideshow, burlesque, dangerous entertainment with cheap refreshment, music (DJ sets by Peter Propaganda) and fun.

No Cover

Door No.3 - check out this event featuring an evening of Jazz and Bebop cleverly titled Thelonious Monday with craft cocktails created by guest bartenders Gavin and Thomas of Honey Butter Fried Chicken.
FREE / 6p

Jan 20:
Fulton Market Kitchen - it's the Jacket Show Rescue or Destroy event where YOU the art lover attempts to spare the life (or two) of these one of a kind artist painted jackets (approx 30) from the chopping block ...own something original as well as wearable!
8p

Jan 21:

Smart Bar - [synthetic] turns 6 featuring specials guests Michael Serafini, Eternal and SHMOO spinning with DJs Boy Alberto, Eeks Laroo, B-Side, Circuity, Lolly Gagger and Madame Envy

FREE / 10p

Jan 23:

Metro - SouthSide's friends Hero Monster Zero and 8090 are ready and set to conquer this Wrigleyville venue along with Cardinal Harbor, Jackpot Donnie, The Sweeps and Rory Sullivan

18+ / $8adv / $15dos

Liar's Club - rock with Destroy Everything, Bill Ura Dick, Liquor Beats Winter and just added to the bill SouthSide's friend - Mandatory Abortions.

Jan 24:

Elbo Room - SouthSide's friend Nate Z will be hosting an acoustic show featuring Joshua Yost Haddard on drum.

$5

Jerry's - it's Alternarock Fest featuring Dirty Goals with These Guys These Guys, Cans On String and JD3 rockin' the stage.
$10

Nite Cap - SouthSide highly recommends checking out this lineup featuring Rat Salad (Black Sabbath ..the Ozzy Era tribute band) with her friend Badge (Cream tribute band) - Cream and Ozzy together!

Red Line Tap - check out Curio along with The Yawpers, Robert Rolfe Fedderson and DJ Bashert rockin' this Rogers Park venue.
$5 adv / $7 dos

Jan 25:
Reggie's - check out CHI-Rock series featuring live performances by TanZen, PlanetRAWK (from Atlanta, GA), Sun God and Bad Remedy (Lucas, OH)
$7

Jan 30:
Double Door - Door No.3 and Ground Lift Media presents this one of a kind event - Soul Train Celebration on Milwaukee ...featuring Roller Boogie Funk Disco Soul music by DJ Trew, Larry Miller and E. Brown.
Soul Train Line forms at 8p inside Double Door while Dance Party hits the floor inside Door No.3 at 9.
FREE show

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

26 Jul 12

what defines you as an artist is that you never give up

Hej, blogspot readers, it's an extra special On The Town adventure and this time, it takes place inside a museum! Tonight, SouthSide's rockin' the heart of historic Andersonville to meet and review singer/songwriter Sofia Talvik and her performance at the Swedish American Museum. Founded in 1976, this lovely place is "...dedicated to perserving [the] Swedish heritage and educating all generations and ehtnic groups in Swedish language, art, culture and traditions..." The 24,000-square foot building (located across the street from its original hardware store location) is home to three exhibit areas, a library, classrooms, offices and a gift shop as well as a gallery featuring contemporary Swedish art. The main attraction of this museum is the re-telling of the story of Swedish immigration to Chicago told in two different points of view - one for children and the other for adults. SouthSide's planning to visit again with her family especially during the holiday season for Lucia, Sweden's winter festival of lights and other Christmastime events. For more information about the Swedish American Museum, the hours of operation, admission and more, visit http://www.SwedishAmericanMuseum.org.

Currently on tour for the next two years, this reviewer highly suggests checking out the heartfelt poetic floetry within the docile-like expressive vocals amidst pop/folk music by Sofia Talvik. This Swedish singer/songwriter delightfully entertained her audience under an atmosphere of warmth and friendship while sharing funny tidbits of life on the road (traveling with her husband) or her childhood and a wonderful selection of songs that included some off her current album - The Owls Are Not What They Seem. While tuning her guitar, Sofia regaled the attentive listeners about purchasing and then decorating a RV (that was parked at the Walgreens down the street) with items at Ikea to what inspired her to write about her songs Flo-rida and Jonestown. SouthSide liked the one story of how she promised to perform the rest of her set in the nude if the bar patrons would sit quietly through one song without talking. Needless to say, blogspot readers, Sofia has yet to make good on that promise though she did say it was okay for the audience to get naked if they wanted to. That and other slices of her life brought the connection between artist and audience a little closer each time before performing a song that seemed to coincide with the central lyrical theme or subject.

What impressed this reviewer the most was the beautiful and rich acoustic sound of Sofia's unique take on the folk genre which featured a bit of urban pop under a contemporary vibe thus leaving this reviewer the difficult task of what to spotlight in this review. After opening with the gentitle atmosphere of an acoustic downtempo rhythm found in King of the Willow Trees, Sofia's performance contained a selection of songs from her previous albums Flo-rida (title track full of image-laden lyrics under a lively pop tempo and feel) and Jonestown (another title track based on actual events to which this songwriter still gets chils whenever she performs this particular song) as well as a Glenn Campbell cover - Witchita Lineman (loved Sofia's vocal style on this 70s contemporary ballad that's somewhat told from a female prospective, blogspot readers) after revealing she's a fan of this American singer/songwriter. She even caught his "Goodbye" tour performance at a rodeo which according to her was amazing and appalling at the same time - the rodeo that is. Yet if SouthSide had to truly choose which Sofia Talvik moment as her favorite, she would suggest the following highlights but in no particular order.

Delusional (off Sofia's current album) - for the way the arrangement spotlighted this artist's vocal tone amidst acoustic tempo that also featured a steady percussion sound to counteract but not overshadow her docile voice. Plus the sad tone does tug on the heartstrings especially when she sings some of the lyrics in Swedish; Ghosts - the song that started it all, blogspot readers. SouthSide enjoyed the lively tune amidst an upbeat rhythmic tempo especially for a ballad about a relationship torn apart by an old flame who refuses to move on; Turn Me Over - for the vibrant acoustic sound which nicely highlighted the dynamic side to this songwriter's vocal style. Sofia popped the lyrics to life whenever she became more emotional and expressive bringing a vividly clear image to this reviewer's heard while admiring the Swedish artwork around the walls; At The End - a wonderful yet heartbreaking song about the trials of touring and a relationship that ends badly because of it. One could clearly hear the sadness and heartache wrapped inside the downtempo rhythm and acoustic song highlighting Sofia's voice especially at the end when she gets soulfully dynamic; The Garden (off the current album) - this reviewer enjoyed this particular song for its dark, haunting tone that came with chills down the spine (even off the acoustic riffs) though it's filled with such lovely romanticism, blogspot readers; Something Good - Sofia's heartfelt, feel good song of the night. SouthSide highly suggests listening to this lively song when you're having a tough day and nothing seems to be going right ...try this song for some inspiration; and lastly but certainly not least, the Swedish folk song, blogspot readers, which was also the highlight of the night. Sofia totally shined as an artist while beautifully expressing the Swedish language and poetic floetry to the audience. And even though not knowing what was being sung, SouthSide observed the many mixed reactions to this particular tune - of teary eyes to proud beaming smiles on faces all around her while hearing the lovely spoken words.

There's plenty of time, blogspot readers, to catch this singer/songwriter at her next live performance. She plans on visiting the both sides of the US coasts as well as many cities and towns in between. For more information about Sofia Talvik and where the RV heads next, visit http://www.sofiatalvik.com.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide