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C-UVENUES Assembly Hall First & Florida, Champaign, 333.5000 American Legion Post 24 705 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign, 356.5144 American Legion Post 71 107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367.3121 Barfly 120 N Neil, Champaign,352.9756 Barnes and Noble 51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355.2045 Boltini Lounge 211 N Neil, Champaign, 378.8001 Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351.9011 The Brass Rail 15 E University, Champaign, 352.7512 Canopy Club (The Garden Grill) 708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367.3140 C.O. Daniels 608 E Daniel, Champaign,337.7411 Cosmopolitan Club 307 E John, Champaign, 367.3079 Courtyard Cafe Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333.4666 Cowboy Monkey 6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398.2688 Clybourne 706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383.1008 Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359.5565 D.R. Diggers 604 S Country Fair Dr, Champaign, 356.0888 Embassy Tavern & Grill 114 S Race, Urbana, 384.9526 Esquire Lounge 106 N Walnut, Champaign, 398.5858 Fallon’s Ice House 703 N Prospect, Champaign, 398.5760 Fat City Saloon 505 S Chestnut, Champaign, 356.7100 The Great Impasta 114 W Church, Champaign, 359.7377 G.T.’s Western Bowl Francis Dr, Champaign, 359.1678 The Highdive 51 Main, Champaign, 359.4444 Huber’s 1312 W Church, Champaign, 352.0606 Illinois Disciples Foundation 610 E Springfield, Champaign, 352.8721 Independent Media Center 218 W Main St, Urbana, 344.8820 The Iron Post 120 S Race, Urbana, 337.7678 Joe’s Brewery 706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384.1790 Kam’s 618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328.1605 Krannert Art Museum 500 E Peabody, Champaign, 333.1861 Krannert Center for Performing Arts 500 S Goodwin, Urbana, Tickets: 333.6280, 800/KCPATIX La Casa Cultural Latina 1203 W Nevada, Urbana, 333.4950 Lava 1906 W Bradley, Champaign, 352.8714 Legends Bar & Grill 522 E Green, Champaign, 355.7674 Les’s Lounge 403 N Coler, Urbana, 328.4000 Lincoln Castle 209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344.7720 Malibu Bay Lounge North Route 45, Urbana, 328.7415 Mike & Molly’s 105 N Market, Champaign, 355.1236 Mulligan’s 604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367.5888 Murphy’s
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WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2003
604 E Green, Champaign, 352.7275 Neil Street Pub 1505 N Neil, Champaign, 359.1601 Boardman’s Art Theater 126 W Church, Champaign, 351.0068 The Office 214 W Main, Urbana, 344.7608 Parkland College 2400 W Bradley, Champaign, 351.2528 Phoenix 215 S Neil, Champaign, 355.7866 Pia’s of Rantoul Route 136 E, Rantoul, 893.8244 Pink House Routes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582.9997 The Rainbow Coffeehouse 1203 W Green, Urbana, 766.9500 Red Herring/Channing-Murray Foundation 1209 W Oregon, Urbana, 344.1176 Rose Bowl Tavern 106 N Race, Urbana, 367.7031 Springer Cultural Center 301 N Randolph, Champaign, 355.1406 Spurlock Museum 600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333.2360 Strawberry Fields Café 306 W Springfield, Urbana, 328.1655 Ten Thousand Villages 105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352.8938 TK Wendl’s 1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255.5328 Tonic 619 S Wright, Champaign, 356.6768 Two Main 2 Main, Champaign, 359.3148 University YMCA 1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344.0721 Verde/Verdant 17 E Taylor St, Champaign, 366.3204 Virginia Theatre 203 W Park Ave, Champaign, 356.9053 White Horse Inn 112 1/2 E Green, Champaign, 352.5945 Zorba’s 627 E Green, Champaign
CHICAGOVENUES House of Blues 329 N Dearborn, Chicago, 312.923.2000 The Bottom Lounge 3206 N Wilton, Chicago Congress Theatre 2135 N Milwaukee, 312.923.2000 Vic Theatre 3145 N Sheffield, Chicago, 773.472.0449 Metro 3730 N Clark St, Chicago, 773.549.0203 Elbo Room 2871 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago Park West 322 W Armitage, Chicago, 773.929.1322 Riviera Theatre 4746 N Racine at Lawerence, Chicago Allstate Arena 6920 N Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, 847.635.6601 Arie Crown Theatre 2300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, 312.791.6000 UIC Pavilion 1150 W Harrison, Chicago, 312.413.5700 Schubas 3159 N Southport, Chicago, 773.525.2508 Martyrs 3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, 773.288.4545 Aragon 1106 W Lawerence, Chicago, 773.561.9500 Abbey Pub 3420 W Grace, Chicago, 773.478.4408 Fireside Bowl 2646 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, 773.486.2700 Schubert Theatre 22 W Monroe, Chicago, 312.977.1700
ART-OPENINGS Luxurious Layers: Kimonos of the Heian Court – The exhibit features beautiful silk clothing of the style worn by the Japanese aristocracy 1000 years ago – Spurlock Museum, Sept 27- Dec 13. Hours: Tue noon-5pm;Wed,Thu, Fri, 9am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm
ART-ON VIEW NOW "Held Together" & "Unopened Places" – Verde Gallery presents "Held Together," sculptures by Sandra Ahtens and "Unopened Places," paintings and drawings from Jana Manson on display through Oct 4. Opening reception on Thu Sept 18, 7-9pm. Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. www.verdantsystems.com/Verde.htm "mistaken" – featuring painting by Steven Hudson, installation by Christina March and mixed media works by Victoria Outerbridge. The exhibit opens on Sept 17 and runs through Oct 12 at The Springer Cultural Center All are invited to a reception on Sept 19 from 6-8pm. That night, from 6-7pm we will have live music by Desdafinado, followed by an artists' talk at 7pm "Full Circle" – Gallery Virtue presents a solo exhibition of black and white photography by Anna Barnes.The photographs will be on display throughout September. 220 W Washington, Monticello. Thu 12-4pm, Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. (217) 762-7790. www.galleryvirtu.org. "Remnants of Ritual: Selections from the Gelbard Collection of African Art" – The magnificent African art collection of David and Clifford Gelbard focuses on the cultural significance and aesthetic beauty of masks and sculptures - many of which were created for ceremonial and ritual purposes.This exhibition includes a wide array of objects and celebrates the durable, expressive essence of festivals, rites and coming-of-age ceremonies. On display at the Krannert Art Museum through Oct 26. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am8pm, Sun 2-5pm.(217) 333-1860.Suggested Donation: $3 "Visualizing the Blues: Images of the American South, 18621999" - Every picture tells a story and this exhibition of more than 100 photographs of the Mississippi Delta region portrays a profoundly vivid narrative of life in the American South.These photographs, taken from the Civil War era through 1999, show the rhythms of life from this almost mythic region and powerfully document the sources of inspiration for the lyrics and melodies of Blues musicians.Among the photographers represented are Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Andres Serrano and many others.On display at Krannert Art Museum through Nov
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2. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am8pm, Sun 2-5pm.(217) 333-1860.Suggested Donation: $3 Featured Works XIII:"The Spirit of Mediterranean Pathos:The Early Work of Pierre Daura" - Pierre Daura (1896-1976) was a member of significant modern art movements in the early 20th century. This exhibition highlights a recent gift of works by Daura and explores the forms and colors of his paintings and drawings from about 1910 to the late 1930s. On display at Krannert Art Museum through Nov 2. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat. 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm. (217) 3331860.Suggested Donation: $3 "Land and Water" – The Middle Room Gallery @ the UCIMC presents "Land and Water," a group photography show curated by Lissa Raybon on display through Sept 30. The group show will focus on landscape and nature photography and will feature local photographers Lisa Billman, Jennifer Gentry and Lissa Raybon.218 W Main St, Urbana.http://www.gallery.ucimc.org/ “Separate and Unequal: Segregation and Three Generations of Black Response, 1870-1950.” – This exhibit highlights the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision of 1896, which legally sanctioned racial segregation in the United States until 1954 when the Supreme Court overturned Plessy in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Materials from the Library's collections and archives highlight the historical period between these two landmark civil rights cases. Sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor, the Brown v. Board of Education Commemorative Committee and the University of Illinois Library. On view at the University of Illinois Main Library, first floor hallway, during library hours. 1408 W Gregory Drive, Urbana. Hours vary. (217) 333-2290 http://www.oc.uiuc.edu/brown
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SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2003 | TIME TO GET READDDDDYYYYY
CDReviews
092503buzz1118
ATMOSPHERE Seven’s Travels Epitaph
★★★★ BY ANDY SIMNICK Epitaph records, years separated from their hot streak of Rancid and Offspring releases in the early 1990s, has stumbled upon a masterpiece of a record through one of the most baffling crossovers in recent times. Seven’s Travels, the latest release from the independent hip-hop group Atmosphere, not only has catchy beats and the fantastic rhymes by Slug but also will be a staple on “best of” lists when they are complied at the end of the year. I have a confession to make before the review continues. My experience with the hip-hop genre is rather limited. The few rap CDs I own are Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, Nas’s Illmatic, and the two mainstream releases by Jurassic 5. That said, from what little I have seen, there seems to be two schools of music within the realm: those that support the music and those that support Cristal. Atmosphere is not going to be lumped with 50 Cent, DMX, or Nelly, as their style is much smoother and intense. His vocals convey a level of sincere, nonviolent intensity that I have never heard before in an album of this type. The beats contained within the album are catchy and perfectly matched to the songs.The mixing and sampling is done correctly. And most of all, every song on the CD is listenable and unique. One standout is “Suicidegirls,” a track containing phone messages overlaid onto a backing of bass and guitar that puts Linkin Park to shame. Another track that jumps off the album is “Shoes,” a simple track with beautiful pacing and impeccable timing. Most of all, the track “The Keys to Life Vs. 15 Minutes of Fame” has hit written all over it. If Atmosphere makes a huge debut with this album, this song will be the first single, guaranteed. It is unfair to label individual tracks as hits since this album does not let up for 19 straight songs. Perhaps the universality of this LP is the reason Epitaph picked up the rights to this album.The quality of this album is unmistakable. And the raw emotion is very similar to that found in the punk genre prior to the Blink-182 invasion. True feeling is an integral part of any type of music, and to be able to put that emotion to use in such an accessible product is a rarity. Seven’s Travels does just that, and this album will be the one that puts Slug in the ranks of elite MCs. Atmosphere does not produce rap heard in the bars on John Street, but this album will maintain a place in record collections of connoisseurs and hip-hop amateurs alike.
THE VERTEBRATS A Thousand Day Dream Reaction Recordings
★★★★ BY BRIAN MERTZ History is all a matter of who is telling it. That is even true when asking to recount the history of music in Champaign-Urbana. Ask a young indie-rocker about the Champaign scene and you will get the often repeated list that will inevitably include HUM, The Poster Children, Braid, Sarge and maybe even Lovecup. Ask a member of the house scene and they’ll remind you that both Cajmere and Mazi resided in Champaign for a few years, throwing some of the best parties and raves this town has ever seen. Power balladeers will tell you about REO. People with folk leanings will cite Alison Krauss. But for the people who were actually taking an active part in the scene between the years of 1979 and 1982, the history of Champaign music must include The Vertebrats. During that
era, this reviewer aged from being born to reaching the age of three. So it is impossible for this review to make any judgments on whether A Thousand Day Dream does the magic of that era justice. That can be left to the informative and genuinely interesting liner notes included in this re-release. All that this reviewer needs to note is that A Thousand Day Dream fully captures why The Vertebrats were respected worldwide as garage rock pioneers. Years before The Strokes decked themselves in denim or Jack White magically became a guitar legend, The Vertebrats were churning out thrashing rock numbers that had guitars jangling and lead singer Ken Draznik wailing out his lyrics like nobody’s business. The 22 tracks on this album range in recording quality from studio time with Mark Rubel to an early performance of “Put Your Toys Away” in the WPGU studios to a gaggle of rough demos. Original fans of The Vertebrats will most likely love having all these songs assembled in one place instead of scattered over traded tapes. But newcomers to The Vertebrats will have much to enjoy here as well. “Diamonds in the Rough” is a classic late ‘60s sounding, upbeat garage rock song with the infectious vocal hook of “Nothing is what it is before / Everybody’s talking war / Turning 19 is no fun anymore.” It is a brilliant fusing of bubbly rock that makes the listener want to dance, but the song still carries a message (it is also the most political the band got, according to Draznik). Then of course there is the Vertebrat classic, “Left in the Dark,” which has been covered by many, including The Replacements and most recently Courtney Love. And yes, that track still is that good. The seven demo cuts near the end of A Thousand Day Dream are very rough in terms of production quality. But the songwriting skills and the superb vocal harmonies still manage to make their way through the faint tape hiss.That sound quality is all at once a tiny flaw and a little bit more of the charm of this collection. There is always time to learn more about any period of history. Those who are trying to better understand the progression of music in C-U, or who just want some garage rock in its true form with no studio wizardry owe it to themselves to pick up A Thousand Day Dream.
KILL HANNAH For Never and Ever Atlantic
★★★ BY MARISSA MONSON Kill Hannah could quite possibly be one of the hardest working bands in Chicago right now: fliering constantly, meeting with fans, touring all the time, handing out stickers out at their own shows to possibly everyone in the damn room. They do it all. But, alas, they are not exactly what the Chicago rock scene was looking for to get it out of the post-Smashing Pumpkins rut. They sound like The Cure, but as it turns out, bands that sound like The Cure leave something to be desired, kind of like the way some people like bananas, but not things that have banana flavoring in them. You just end up with an artificial taste in your mouth, and a yearning for the real thing. I had the pleasure of seeing their live show at The Highdive about a month ago, and I noticed one thing, not the tube socks on their wrists, but the shining light of their somewhat typical Cure-esqe show, the song,“Kennedy.”This song will be their ticket to stardom, and whether they can continue to crank out songs of this caliber will decide if their place will be in the one hit wonder bin, or in heavy rotation. Lead singer Mat Devine provides the haunting, melodic vocals, and the band accompanies with electronic beats and fine musicianship that compares to the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Joy Division. “Kennedy” begins with a soft electronic ooze as Devine proclaims “I want to be a Kennedy / I want to be a real heartbreaker”and so on until the drums, guitars and Devine take off in a frenzy to proclaim “and die young!” This was what I was waiting for, on the CD as well as at the show,a well-crafted,smart song that didn’t use cliche lyrics like “I hate the rain” and epiphanies about high school romances gone sour. Reviewing this CD was a difficult task with “Kennedy” anxiously awaiting as the second track amidst the songs that were a good effort, but lacking the same kicker of “Kennedy”. Kill Hannah has been around the Chicago scene for awhile, and their Metro-packing shows are proof of their fanappeal. As far as the album goes, seeing the glimpse of the quality they can produce on “Kennedy,” one would hope they will continue pushing their ability to create more songs of that manner, and steer away from the places all Cure-like bands go, like “Raining All The Time.” This album and Kill Hannah’s apparent fervor for their music and their fans leads me to believe they have already figured out what they did right and wrong on For Never and Ever and how they want to fix it. This band will only get better.
PEDAL STEEL TRANSMISSION The Angel of the Squared Circle ★★★ BY JACOB DITTMER If there is an absolute truth in indie rock, it is that indie rock that it is ever-expansive and allencompassing of musical genres. There are regional indie rock scenes (the Northwest, New York and even ChampaignUrbana), individuals find themselves constantly joining and creating their own bands, and this culture of people really enjoys discovering and expanding their knowledge of musical acts. Chicago is another region with a strong indie rock scene and one such act to come out of there is Pedal Steel Transmission.This is a “do it yourself”type of band as they have taken on the position of producing all three of their albums completely independently. With four members and a variety of influences backing their sound, Pedal Steel Transmission may not have the crossover pop success of some indie rockers, but still have something to offer. What makes some indie rock CDs so difficult to review is the lack of obvious influences and sounds the group is trying to emulate, and that is a good thing. Creativity in pop music seems to be something left in the ‘60s and today we are forced to seek out groups that offer something aside from the pop jingle that pleases the ear but fails to provoke the mind. Now let’s get things straight, music has come a long way since the ‘60s, it is merely the lack of people achieving something like the Beatles did and doing the creative things that they did with everybody and their dog taking notice. But that is something for an entirely different day, today it’s Pedal Steel Transmission taking the spotlight. The best way to describe how this album sounds is to compare them to Yo La Tengo or Modest Mouse. Sure, they don’t have the same sound and styling of these much-accomplished acts, but what this CD does do is travel around in soundscape, style, genre and emotions much like a they do (listen to one of their CDs and try saying the songs all sound the same). From one track to the next, the songs are different and creative, but all the while the CD still comes together to form a nice overall album. Now do not go out buy this disc and find yourself perturbed that it doesn’t sound like the above-mentioned groups, it’s merely a comparison to the production style, not the music itself. Songs travel between melodic folk sounds accompanied by piano to a synthesized brooding like that of Radiohead’s “Treefingers.” Other tracks achieve a garage rock sound with the whines from distorted guitars and loud cymbal crashes. But what makes indie rock cool is the method of touring that places emphasis on smaller venues, because these acts often recognize the greatness of a more personalized environment. It may happen to you one night; you walk into a bar, a band is playing that you’ve never heard of, and the music they play hits your ear just right and you are sold. Not everyone is into this idea of discovery and adventure in music, but those who are know what it is like.
TRIPLE WHIP Slapshot
nect chase out”from the song “Ace”will drive the listener back to the music instead of the words after the first read of the liner notes. Not that it would be a bad thing as Triple Whip has some stellar and tight sounds as a band. But for a band that puts intense focus into the creation of their music, a new approach to the lyrics might yield another piece of the puzzle. When Rahman does get into a groove with his vocals, magic happens. “Delight” starts out like most of the other songs from Slapshot with Rushakoff laying down a heavy bass line. But the conviction in Rahman’s voice when he sings out the chorus of “No matter what’s your side / Of the divide you’re on / All sides will get their chance / Revel in charmed hindrance”shows that there is a bright future for him as a vocalist with Triple Whip. To truly appreciate Slapshot, a listener has to be willing to devote their full attention to all of the intricacies in the songs and interplay amongst the trio. Those people looking for an album to put on in the background or to serve as the soundtrack to a party should keep looking. For music fans who like to put thought into the albums they listen to and get thoughtprovoking music in return, Slapshot is the way to go. If you can’t catch their CD release party on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Brass Rail, the album will be officially released on Sept. 30 on Innocent Words Records. Get yours while the getting’s good.
MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE
Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Un-listenable
★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ no stars
CHARTS PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Secret Shine - After Years (Clairecords) 2. The Green Pajamas - Through Glass Colored Roses (A Hidden Agenda Record) 3. The Perishers - From Nothing To One (NONS Records - Sweden) 4. Mojave 3 - Spoon And Rafter (4AD Records) 5. Bjorn Olsson - Bjorn Olsson (Gravitation Records - Sweden) 6. The Lucksmiths - A Little Distraction (Matinée Records) 7. Quasi - Hot Shit!/Live Shit (Touch And Go Records) 8. The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists (Merge Records) 9. Mates Of State - Team Boo (Polyvinyl Records) 10. The Twilight Singers - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Birdman Records)
Innocent Words Records
★★★ BY BRIAN MERTZ Triple Whip’s debut fulllength album Slapshot is just familiar enough to be enticing, but still different enough to remain intriguing. It is a very delicate balance crafted with precision and purpose. In short, another Champaign-Urbana rock outfit has turned out another album worth picking up in 2003. The pseudo-math rock and bass intensive sounds might not appeal to audiences raised on the notion that Dashboard Confessional is the beginning and end of the indie rock sound. But the dark and rumbling sounds of the ten tracks on Slapshot should resonate with music fans with broader palates. What helps Triple Whip carve out a sonic niche, even in Champaign, is the decision to let Holly Rushakoff’s chunky, funky bass lines stand as the dominant sound most of the time. While lead singer and guitarist Santanu Rahman adds essential elements with chopped vocals and distortion-free guitars, it is the loose sound of Rushakoff’s bass that gives Triple Whip their sound. Add to the pot Brett Sanderson’s frantic but simple and precise drumming and you’ve got a winner. What will be unsettling to some is the lyrical content. Rahman goes off on some odd tangents, especially in songs like “Ace” and “Double Feature.” However, phrases that don’t really make much sense like “Backbone strikes to super soul / All this could lead to just one place / Cool brute Mac close on his mark / Intense crime con-
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