Posts tagged musician
Chicago, Home to the Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party
14 years ago
On July 9th and 10th, Chicago’s West Loop was jam-packed. Old St. Pats hosted the 26th annual World’s Largest Block Party. It was 40 bucks for admission, a little high for my budget. I was fortunate enough to get to watch it from my apartment window.
Friday night featured Kris Allen and the Barenaked Ladies, apparently a sold out show. I couldn’t believe that people were paying 40 dollars and packed in this empty parking lot like sardines to see a band that legitimately hasn’t had a hit since the 90’s. But it’s a band that’s name is recognizable. The show was rather average, extremely predictable. They played One Week, and If I had a Million Dollars. But the crowd showed up so it was a successful night for the festival.
Saturday night was the White Rabbits and Spoon. There seemed to be significantly less people present. And it was interesting to see the array of people in attendance. There were men in skinny jeans, girls that weren’t afraid to wear colored patterns, truly overall a younger crowd with a lot of style. It was an amazing show. And what frustrated me to no end was… all those people from the night before had NO idea what they were missing out on.
They picked a line up that was familiar when they should have taken a chance. I may be biased because I was a fan of Spoon prior to the show. But here’s the point that I want to get across. I have always been a big music fan, but I have not always been knowledgeable about the industry. I memorized the songs on the radio and took in all the mainstream information possible. But once I was introduced to a few independent bands, this was when my passion truly emerged. It was like a whole other world that to this day I still can’t get enough of. Since then I have made it my mission to spread the word for the bands that have a smaller voice. I have great artists to offer, starting with Spoon, pictured below…
5/29 Band Of Horses Live at Amoeba
14 years ago
My favorite ‘any mood’ band to listen too is Band of Horses. The sound is just so ‘on’ for me, and nearly any of their songs can put me in a good place mentally. A few years ago when Band of Horses was just getting big on the West coast, I used to tell my Minneapolis based friends that I wanted a Band of Horses song to play while I walk down the isle at my wedding. I’m not sure this holds true today, but I sincerely hope that Band of Horses isn’t a band that I grow out of over time like others that once were my favorite (I’m thinking Alberta Cross, Broken Social Scene, the Heartless Bastards, Spoon, etc.).
I am happy to share that Band of Horses is playing at Amoeba Music on Haight Street on 5/29 at noon. If you are free and in the area, please stop out and support this band on my behalf.
Levi’s Launches “Levi’s Pioneer Sessions”, The Revival Recordings of Iconic Songs
14 years ago
Levi’s continues in its tradition of bringing great jeans and great music together with today’s launch of “Levi’s Pioneer Sessions: The Revival Recordings,” an innovative campaign that features musical artists who have a pioneering spirit, similar to that of the Levi’s brand. An original series of musical recordings by diverse musicians including Nas, The Swell Season, She & Him, The Dirty Projectors, Colbie Caillat, The Shins, Raphael Saadiq, Bomba Estereo, Jason Mraz and John Legend and the Roots. These musicians will be signing remakes of hits from past decades such as “Hey Young World” by Slick Rick, “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” by Bob Dylan, “Maria” by Blondie and “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic to name a few.
Beginning today through the first of July, The “Levi’s Pioneer Sessions: The Revival Recordings” series features the release of two singles each week that can be downloaded for free. Take advantage of this opportunity to score some free music on Levis!