Tag: live music

Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Night Beats

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Night Beats (Danny Lee Blackwell – guitar and lead vocals, James Traeger – drums, and Jakob Bowden – bass) are a fantastic psychedelic rock band hailing from Seattle, Washington.  I first saw them at Levitation Austin in 2013 and was blown away by their mixture of psychedelia and blues.  They put on another great performance the following year at the Levitation Austin pre-festival kick-off party.  I got to meet Blackwell there, and he signed my copy of Sonic Bloom.  He was a humble, nice chap.

I’ll see Night Beats any chance I can get and look forward to seeing them again and picking up their new record at Levitation Chicago on March 12th.  I’ll have my Sharpie ready.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Natural Information Society and Bitchin’ Bajas

bitchinbajasJOSHUA ABRAMS NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY_2

Natural Information Society is a Chicago jazz collective led by Joshua Abrams.  Bitchin’ Bajas are a Chicago-based kraut-rock band.  They’re two great tastes that taste great together on their collaboration that blends world music funk, jazz, electro, and synth-wave.

It’s nice to see Levitation Chicago bringing in local acts, especially this team-up that should bring a meditative feel to their March 12th performance.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Lightning Bolt

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Lightning Bolt (Brian Chippendale – drums and vocals, Brian Gibson – bass) make some of the craziest noise rock you’ve ever heard.  Schizophrenic sounds of distorted bass, war cry bass, and batshit crazy drums.  Chippendale wears headphones during their live sets, I’m guessing to better hear his vocals and to keep himself from going deaf.

Their live sets are sweaty, frenetic near-brawls.  I’m sure their performance at Levitation Chicago on March 11th will be one of the highlights.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Ryley Walker

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Ryley Walker is a singer-songwriter who is also an excellent guitarist.  I hadn’t heard of him until he was listed as a performer during Levitation Chicago, and now I’m keen on seeing him live.  He has a simple, elegant style that reminds me of early Yes records.  He’s playing the festival on March 11th.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Nite Fields

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Nite Fields are an Australian four-piece who make hypnotic shoe gaze psychedelia with guitars that sound like they were recorded in a box canyon and vocals that sound like old Love and Rockets or Jesus and Mary Chain records.

Their newest album, Depersonalisation, is full of dreamy stuff that I’m sure will be good live and put the audience into a trance.  They are opening Levitation Chicago on March 11th.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Gary Wilson

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Gary Wilson is an experimental / avant garde musician who dropped one album in the 1970’s (You Think You Really Know Me) and a few singles in the 1980’s and then disappeared from the music scene and pretty much everything else.

He was, and still is, a major influence on Beck and even played with The Roots on The Tonight Show a few years ago.  He’s enjoyed a resurgence and will be playing a rare Chicago gig at Levitation Chicago on March 10, 2016.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago artist spotlight: Health

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Health (Benjamin Jared Miller, Jake Duzsik, John Famiglietti, Jupiter Keyes) are a noise rock / dark wave band full of powerful drums, purposefully vague vocals, dubstep synths, and metal guitars.  It’s hard to describe without hearing it, but there’s a heavy sense of danger whenever a Health song is played.  It sounds like a fight is either happening or about to break out any second.

Health’s playing at Levitation Chicago on March 10, 2016.  I’m sure it will be a wild set.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Chicago 2016 mixtape now available on Soundcloud.

The good folks at the Reverb Appreciation Society have hired psychedelic DJ Al Lover to put together one of his masterful mix tapes of the artists playing at Levitation Chicago next weekend.

You can stream it here on Soundcloud.

They’ve also announced they’re setting up a record store inside Thalia Hall during the festival.  My wallet is already groaning in anticipated agony.

Keep your mind open.

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Lollapalooza tickets on sale March 22nd.

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Lollapalooza is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year in Chicago’s Grant Park.  Tickets for the four-day (It’s usually just three.) festival go on sale March 22, 2016 at 10am.  It will sell out.  It always does and well before the line-up is announced.  Ticket prices are sure to be higher than ever with an additional day added.

The festival dates are July 28-31st, and if tradition continues that will be the hottest weekend of the summer in Chicago.  Bring your water and sunscreen.

Keep your mind open.

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