TBIF: Thank Boobs it’s Friday at Gorilla Tango Theatre (January 29, 2016)

Gorilla Tango Theatre’s TBIF: Thank Boobs it’s Friday is hosted by two burlesque performers who have enough chemistry to keep the audience’s attention. The hosts attempt to “out boob” each other and keep up the competitive spirit through the whole show. It build up to a fantastic duel burlesque dance at the end of the show.

Each of the performances are unique.  We see sexy, kinky versions of the some of our favorite television characters including: Clarissa from Clarissa Explains it All, Steve Urkle from Family Matters, Marsha Brady from The Brady Bunch, and Walter White from Breaking Bad. The highlight is a choreographed performance of three ladies straight out of Don Draper’s office.

Variety is the spice of life, and this show brings plenty of variety in the music, personalities, and pasties that you will see and hear. Catch TBIF on Fridays now at the Gorilla Tango Theatre!

Elizabeth Tampe

John Prine Night: Alejandro Escovedo featuring Kelly Hogan at City Winery Chicago (January 28, 2016)

The wine has been poured, the food has been served, and the lights at City Winery dim while Alejandro Escovedo takes the stage accompanied by an all Chicago based band. Alejandro provides an update of his current shows, specifically his tribute to Leonard Coen. However, the best news of the evening is when he announces he is cured of Hepatitis C and gives an emotional heartfelt thanks to his guitarist Nick Tremulis for helping him find strength and pursue medical care which ultimately led to his cure.

Alejandro proceeds to open the show with Illegal Smile, the first song off John Prine’s debut, which they will play in its entirety tonight. Alejandro progresses through the album and for each song engages the audience to listen to the great storyteller’s lyrics. Alejandro is accompanied vocally by Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor. These two female vocalist are a pleasing compliment to Alejandro’s voice. They are also given an opportunity to shine on their own with Angel from Montgomery. Kelly’s voice is particularly strong and passionate. Her energy and passion for music is clearly displayed throughout the night.

The John Prine set ends but the evening is not complete as Alejandro takes the stage with just his guitar and the ladies to sing David Bowies All the Young Dudes. The audience is encouraged to sing along and they are more than happy to participate in the chorus of this beautiful song. It’s a fantastic finale to the night to remember a widely talent musician as performed by the same.

Marjorie Delaney

EDM: Kygo featuring R Kelly at Navy Pier (January 23, 2016)

 

Despite Kygo’s newness to the EDM scene, he has developed a large fan following. His music on SoundCloud and YouTube has accumulated over 200 million views, and he was named one of the most-played artists on Spotify in 2015 with over 18 million monthly listeners. His Chicago show at Navy Pier Festival Hall on January 23^rd sold out in only two days, and fans of his were lining up hours early to get in.

The show did not disappoint. Kygo started it off with “Miami 82” (a treat for long-time fans), and dove right into his most popular remixes, including Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire,” The Weeknd’s “Often,” and “No Diggity” vs. “Thrift Shop”. Kygo kept the crowd’s energy up the whole time with his intricate light show complete with streamers, glitter, and even beach balls. As a little special something extra, every attendee was given Kygo bracelets that lit up with the beat drops.

The most exciting part of the show was Kygo’s numerous special guests. He brought Maty Noyes to the stage for “Stay”  and Parson James to close out the concert with “Stole the Show”.  Most surprising of them all, the legendary R Kelly himself appeared to sing Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” as well as “Ignition (Remix)”.

Kygo is well on his way to becoming one of the largest names in EDM. His unique sound has dominated the tropical house genre, and his engaging live shows make Kygo an artist you need to keep up with!

Katherine Hall

Absolutely Stunning! Cirque du Soleil Presents Kurios at Dodger Stadium (January 24, 2016)

Prepare to enter a world of wonder and mystery. Kurios takes place in a steampunk retro future existence created by Cirque du Soleil. The costumes involved are incredibly well designed. Nico the Accordion Man can shrink extremely small and stand up very tall. In the contortion act, the women are dressed reminiscent of electric eels. They move in ways that would be easy for an eel but seem impossible for a human. Later, a woman bikes on to the stage and then proceeds to take off and fly above the audience. It’s a fantasy come true for anyone who has biked in city traffic. She then proceeds to swing all around the bicycle in fantastic fashion.

Another crowd pleaser is the Acro Net. It’s a net that stretches across the stage to create a giant trampoline. The performers are able to bounce each other up to a ladder hanging over 50 feet above the net. Then, hanging from the ladder, one performer is able to catch another. The extreme amount of precision that this feat requires is impressive.  It’s an incredibly stunning display of talent.

The act that will have you the most on the edge of your seat is Rola Bola. He balances on a stacked tower of cylinders on their side and upright and a plank that seems like it is constantly about to collapse. If this isn’t impressive enough, the platform then rises and begins to swing while he is still balancing. The audience watches with their mouths wide open in awe of this feat of extreme athletic balance.

Be wowed by Kurios now through February 7^th at Dodger Stadium!

Make Love Not War! The Dodgers at The Hudson Theatres (January 23, 2016)

“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane plays as two actors enter the stage to start the play. Mick begins playing acoustic guitar as Patti smiles. A strong scent of incense is in the air. The set is fantastically designed in a hippie 60s style along with everyone’s wardrobe. As the group talks and play music together, the audience feels like they could be friends with them. Thus, when we find out two of them have been selected by the draft lottery, we fear for their futures.  Nobody wants to be a solider in the Vietnam War.

Immediately, they begin to search for ways to dodge the war. A doctor offers Mick a powder he can use to make his urine test positive for kidney cancer in exchange a night of sex with Patti. Mick is torn over whether he should ask her. The emotions are heavy and the cast expertly expresses them as they struggle with these moral dilemmas. This leads into a fantastic scene where one by one they join in on a jam of “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones. The sentiment of the song perfectly matches the actions on stage. Also, the choice of “Sympathy For The Devil” is an excellent choice for the curtain call full of applause and smiles in the crowd. Make love not war with The Dodgers at The Hudson Theatres starting on January 30^th!

Quinn Delaney

Psych-Rock: All Them Witches at the Roxy (January 22, 2016)

The curtain rises at the Roxy and All Them Witches immediately begin to rock. Their sound blends together many genres including heavy rock, blues, and psychedelic rock. From shredding guitar solos to distorted power chords, they bring a powerful presence to the stage. The packed house eats it up. This Nashville band consists of Charles Michael Parks Jr. on vocals and bass, Ben McLeod on guitar, Allan Van Cleave on keys, and Robby Staebler on drums. They feed off the audience’s and each other’s energy to play a spectacular show in support of their latest album, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker.  Catch All Them Witches on tour now across the US and Europe!

Quinn Delaney

Standup Showcase! The Meltdown at NerdMelt (January 20, 2016)

To start the comedy show, they blast 90’s songs such as “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly and “My Name is Jonas” by Weezer. It’s so loud you can’t talk to the person next to you. All you can do is listen and sing along. The music drops out a few times and the crowd continues to sing a capella. It’s quite successful in getting the crowd warmed up.

Emma Willmann describes the trouble she has when introducing herself. If she says her name quickly, it sounds like “I’m a woman.” To which people respond, “Umm, we were pretty sure you were female.” That is so funny and awkward. Even more strange is her story about her mother finding her James Deen dildo. “What is this?” she says. “It’s a dildo,” Emma responds. “Is it for you?” “It’s for my girlfriend.” “If it’s for her, shouldn’t she get to choose the size?” Emma comments to herself, “Wow. How did you just Mom that situation?” Everyone is laughing as the tension is finally released!

Drew Michael’s comedy is for psychos. He says if someone comes up to him after a show and says they really liked his comedy, he wonders what is wrong with them. For example, he is bummed out when he hears about a school shooting. They always kill themselves at the end, and the shooter would have liked his comedy. “There goes an album sale,” he says.

Bobcat Goldthwait and Noel Fielding also dropped in unexpectedly and riffed for quite a while. Bobcat repeatedly asked everyone not to tweet the details. You just had to be there. Catch The Meltdown every Wednesday at the NerdMelt showroom!

Quinn Delaney

Informative and Funny! You’re The Expert at NerdMelt Showroom

You’re The Expert is a Boston based NPR show that features three comedians trying to guess what an expert studies. Tonight’s episode features an expert on octopus defense methods. One of the methods is called inking that reduces their predators’ ability to see and smell. They also can change color and texture to blend in with their surroundings like a chameleon. The most fascinating defense tactic is their ability to disconnect one of their arms and swim away. The arm will grow back in time.

The comedians tonight are Scott Adsit (30 Rock), Emily Maya Mills (Parks and Recreation), and Josh Sharp (UCB). Josh not only wins the game, he also is the most entertaining person on stage. He has a very quick wit and is a great match for this panel game. The entire show is very informative and funny. Fans of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me will love it. Subscribe to You’re The Expert now! (http://theexpertshow.com/listen/).

Quinn Delaney

Resurrected! Sublime With Rome at The House Of Blues Anaheim

When a band member dies, it is very difficult for a band to live on. This is especially the case when it is the lead singer, such as is the case with Sublime. However, Rome is up to the challenge of taking Bradley Nowell’s place. As they open with “Date Rape”, it’s clear his voice and guitar playing style are very similar. “Wrong Way” sounds excellent as the entire hometown audience sings along. Sublime lives on!

The band has now released two albums as Sublime With Rome and the sound fits in smoothly with the old songs. The crowd dances around to “Wherever You Go”, the single from 2015’s Sirens. It’s an upbeat reggae rock jam that has a touch of Southern California infused. The massive sing-alongs to “What I Got” and “Santeria” show the lasting power of the old albums. Everyone is overjoyed that Sublime is back and touring again. Catch them on tour soon!

Quinn Delaney

 

Incredibly Entertaining! Reel Big Fish at The Observatory

Reel Big Fish had their first release in 1995. When going to see a band that has been together this long, it’s natural to worry if they are just going through the motions at this point like it’s their job. This is definitely not the case with RBF. They still put on a heck of a show. Multiple times during the set, the lead singer, Aaron Barrett, says “I bet you thought at the beginning that we were going to play ‘Beer””.  It seemed like he wasn’t ever going to play it. So, when he did, it was that much more fun. The whole show he was joking around with the hometown audience.

When they announce that there is only one song left, someone yells “Another cover?” Aaron replies, “Ya, it’s another cover! Our songs suck!” This self-deprecating humor is hilarious and goes well with their ska/punk blend of music. The originals that they play, such as “Sell Out” and “She’s Got a Girlfriend”, are as well received as their ska style covers of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the show closer, Aha’s “Take on Me”. It was a incredibly entertaining show and it’s clear how their talent and personality has allowed them to have such a long and successful career.