July 2008

Tues, July 1 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, July 2 – American Music Festival, 4:30pm to 1am, $25

Thurs, July 3 – American Music Festival, 4:30pm to 2am, $25

Fri, July 4 – American Music Festival, 1pm to 3am, $25

Sat, July 5 – American Music Festival, 1pm to 3am, $30

Sun, July 6 – Closed.

Mon, July 7 – Closed.

Tues, July 8 – Open Mike in the CLUB, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, July 9 (ECLECTIC) Chicago Singer Spotlight, 8pm, $8
Amy Mowery, Gina Rosanova, Lara Jenkins, Marie Alexandre, and host Becca Kaufman.
singerspotlight.com

Thurs, July 10 – Closed for Private Event.

Fri, July 11 (BLUES) Jeremy Spencer, Black on Blond, 9pm, $20
Legendary Fleetwood Mac guitarist and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame member Jeremy Spencer to tour the USA!
Jeremy Spencer, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his role as a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, will perform in the United States for the first time since the early 1970's.  Spencer, accompanied by his Norwegian band, will make appearances in St. Louis, Berwyn, and a festival near Madison, Wisconsin.

“Jeremy has lost none of the fire from those Fleetwood Mac days. His slide guitar still sends chills. Every note I've heard Jeremy play showcases his great commitment to the blues. I've seen him ignite the stage with a mixture of classic Chicago blues and smart contemporary songs. This tour is the music rediscovery of 2008.” – Art Tipaldi, senior editor for Blues Revue and Blues Wax magazines.
jeremyspencer.com

Pezband was the power pop group of the late ‘70s that earned a reputation as Chicago’s first glam band in fashion and musical content. The music ranged from blues to Bowie to Beck (Jeff, that is.) Members Mimi, Mick and Mike continued with Pezband into the ‘80s, while Cliff moved on to perform with Off Broadway – the group that put Chicago on the Map of Pop with tunes like “Stay in Time” and “Full Moon Turn Your Head Around.” They now re-unite as Black & Blond - Black representing the darker/blues roots and Blond, the more pop /melodic side. This four piece lineup is true to original roots of Pezband and Off Broadway with new material, as well as choice, rarely covered “covers.”
myspace.com/pezband (instant audio...)

Sat, July 12 (COUNTRY) Tift Merritt, Cameron McGill, 9pm, $15
After a Grammy™ nomination, and top 10 albums in The New Yorker and Time Magazine, Tift Merritt took hiatus with a piano in Paris and came home with her best and most personal songs to date. Her new album Another Country has gotten tremendous reviews, and was number one for three weeks straight on Rolling Stone's “Americana Radio” chart.

“I first heard Tift Merritt some years ago during a writer's night at a small club. She stood out like a diamond in a coal patch, and everyone there knew she carried a promise of great things to come. She has more than fulfilled that promise, especially here on her lovely new album Another Country.” – Emmylou Harris
tiftmerritt.com (instant audio...)

Cameron McGill, a Chicago folk musician, will open the show.
myspace.com/cameronmcgill (instant audio...)

Sun, July 13 (JAZZ) Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
A house band at FitzGerald’s since 1991, the Chicago Skyliners Big Band is one of the top big bands in Chicagoland. Besides original material by contemporary big band arrangers, the band also features the music of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. Blue Birdland recording artists, the band has recorded 7 CDs. Big band is alive and well – celebrate this great art form most every Sunday at FitzGerald’s. On your way there, check out Bill’s big band radio show Sundays at 5pm on 90.9 FM WDCB!
ChicagoSkylinersBigBand.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, July 14 – Closed

Tues, July 15 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, July 16 – Closed

Thurs, July 17 (FOLK) Michael Smith and Anne Hills, 8pm, $15
Michael Smith's songs have been recorded by dozens of artists in the folk, country, and pop music genres. Sing Out! Magazine calls Michael “one of the few undisputed geniuses among singer-songwriters today.” He has been writing for over three decades, and songs such as “The Dutchman,” “Spoon River,” “Dead Egyptian Blues,” “Last Days of Pompeii,” and “I Brought My Father With Me” are just some of his better-known songs. Anne Hills, Tom Rush, Steve Goodman, Jimmy Buffet and others first introduced many to Michael's music through their recordings of his songs. He has been featured on All Things Considered, Good Evening, and other National Public Radio programs, and on CBC Radio in Canada.
michaelsmithmusic.com

“Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” – Tom Paxton
annehills.com

***Also on Thurs, July 17 (BLUES/ROCK/FOLK) Tarbox Ramblers, 8:30pm in the SideBar, $10
Playing with the ease and familiarity of musicians who understand each other's deepest impulses, these gifted interpreters of traditional music also continue to write a growing number of startlingly good original songs. With this band, all that means that a lot can happen quickly: at any given Tarbox show you’re likely to hear thickets of gorgeous backwater guitar, followed by fierce waves of percussion in call-and response drum-and-vocal songs, followed in turn by timeless lightning-in-a-bottle laments.
tarboxramblers.com

Fri, July 18 (BLUES/ROOTS/ROCK) Patrick Sweany Band, YellowHammers; 9:30pm, $10.
On a given night (or on a given album) Patrick Sweany will swing through blues, folk, soul, bluegrass, maybe some classic '50s rock, or a punk speedball. He's a musical omnivore, devouring every popular music sound of the last 70 years, and mixing 'em all together seamlessly into his own stew. Yet, the one thing that most people notice about Patrick isn't his ability to copy – it's his authenticity. Like his heroes, folks like Bobby "Blue" Bland, Eddie Hinton, Doug Sahm, and Ray Charles, Patrick somehow manages to blend all of these influences into something all his own.
patricksweany.com

The YellowHammers began as a trio in 1996. Since then they have developed their own take on roots rock ‘n roll, accumulating influences from early country blues to wireless pop. Their songs reveal the musical influence of Neil Young, Led Zeppelin and the Stones; lyric influence of Hank Williams and Lou Reed.
yellowhammers.com

Sat, July 19 (ZYDECO/ROOTS) Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, 9:30pm, $15
Terrance Simien is blessed with an extraordinary talent that expresses the deepest human emotions through the original instrument: The Voice. His eclectic fusion of Zydeco takes you on a multicultural musical tour of the world. Incorporating diverse music styles he creates a hypnotic blend of Zydeco-roots- New Orleans funk-reggae flavored- Afro-Caribbean-world music that will force you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. He has found a way to express himself as a relevant and evolving artist who remains reverent to his roots and musical legacy. His live performances have garnered him a level of international success, and his fully engaged audiences around the globe have become more Zydeco Experienced than ever before!
terrancesimien.com

Sun, July 20 (JAZZ) Mulligan Mosaics Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Mulligan Mosaics Big Band is a 13-piece jazz orchestra, founded and lead by Ted Hogarth, with the mission of preserving and performing the music of Gerry Mulligan, and those composers and arrangers whom he influenced.
mulliganmosaics.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, July 21 – Closed

Tues, July 22 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, July 23 (ROCK) Blue Diamond Revival, 8pm in the SideBar, free!
“To call Dan McGuinness a singer is an understatement. Dan’s voice harkens a listener’s memory back to a time when Blue Eyed Soul ruled the radio. Full and powerful, Dan’s voice can go from edgy and rough to soft and delicate in an instant. In constant demand not only as a singer, but as a voice over specialist, announcer and sports radio broadcaster, Dan is no longer Chicago’s best kept secret.”
bluediamondrevival.com (instant audio...)

Thurs, July 24 (ROCK) Spade Kitty Presents: The Miracle Whale, Righteous Roadrunners and the Broken-Winged Angels Choir, Roxy Swain, The Venom Lords, 8:30pm, $5
The Miracle Whale – R. Lyle Schipits anchors this singer-songwriter acoustic foray rife with unforgettable melodies and distinctive storytelling. • The Righteous Roadrunners and the Broken-Winged Angels Choir – Local gunslinger Jack Swain's brand spankin’ new honkeytonk outfit is a wonderful showcase for his notoriously infectious songwriting. • Roxy Swain – The newest Spade Kitty act makes their formal debut with their permanent 5-piece lineup drawing from the ranks of Trakan, the three Fifths and Loomis. • The Venom Lords – Loud distorted guitars and songs about zombies, need we say more?
spadekitty.com

Fri, July 25 (ROCK/ROOTS/FOLK) Church on Sunday, Robert McShane, Matthew Francis Andersen, Sarah Holtschlag; 9pm, $5
“Oak Park singer-songwriter Robert McShane returns to FitzGerald's offering his own special blend of American roots music and rock n' roll. Inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle, the Robert McShane Band is an ever-evolving musical entity where the one constant is McShane, who didn't pick up a guitar until he was 21. McShane, now 27, describes his style of playing as 'music that has crawled up from New Orleans and the Delta, and down from the Appalachians and met in an alley in Chicago to mix with broken glass and gasoline puddles and Chess Records Blues and Replacements rock n' roll and Westside Irish poetry.'” This will be his last show before he moves to Nashville.
myspace.com/robertmcshane (instant audio...)

Matthew Francis Andersen is happy being a writer. “I never really wanted to make my guitar scream or become popular. I have songs and I simply like sharing them. Some songs rock harder than others and some are slow ballads. But the fact that I've gotten positive responses to my songs is just icing on the cake.”
myspace.com/matthewfrancisandersen (instant audio...)

Sarah Holtschlag is a chicago folk artist: "I play a 26" stainless steel blade from ace hardware like I'm my own stage monkey. Sometimes I sing mopey girl folks songs on the guitar. And later on, I pluck murder ballads on my ukelele."
myspace.com/sarahholtschlag (instant audio...)

Sat, July 26 (R&B/FUNK/SOUL) Power Play Dance Party! 10pm, $8.
The songs, the look, the vibe. It’s official - PowerPlay has arrived and set a breakthrough course that leads directly to you.

PowerPlay has flexed its musical might energizing crowds at public and private venues alike. With 11 pieces on stage, PowerPlay is built for variety and energy, and is focused on taking every event to the next level. Radiating a polished professional image and a sound to match, PowerPlay features the songs you love to dance to with an artistic flare and signature punch.
grsentertainment.com

Sun, July 27 (JAZZ) Chicago Grandstand Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Chicago Grandstand Big Band has been an integral part of Chicago's entertainment community for over 25 years. This band has an extensive selection of arrangements that encompass everything from the Swing Era (Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, etc.) to Big Band Jazz (Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, etc.)
chicagograndstandbigband.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, July 28 – Closed

Tues, July 29 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, July 30 (FOLK) Andrew Calhoun and Campground CD Release: Bound to Go, 8pm, $10
Join us for Andrew Calhoun and Campground’s official CD Release concert for Bound to Go, a collection of 35 African American spirituals and secular folksongs.

“Calhoun is a master at story songs, finely crafted works that swiftly and economically capture a moment or express an emotion. Like the best novelists, he is able to assume different personas and see the world through other people's eyes.” – June Sawyers, Chicago Tribune
myspace.com/andrewcalhoun (instant audio...)

***Also on Wed, July 30 – Joe James, 8:30pm in the SideBar, Free!
Hard Driving country, roots and Rock n’ Roll.
myspace.com/retrobillys (instant audio...)

Thurs, July 31 (COUNTRY) A Country Night in Berwyn, 8pm, $5.
Tonight’s featured performers are the Hoyle Brothers, Lisa Derosia & Lush Budgett, and the Long Gone Lonesome Boys.

The Hoyle Brothers’ brand of genuine country music draws from the genre's deepest traditions – lyrics that speak universal truths, melody lines that melt your heart and two-step rhythms that make your boots scoot.
hoylebrothers.com

The first thing you notice about the Long Gone Lonesome Boys: tight, cutting vocals, spot-on harmonies and arrangements. The second thing: excellent songwriting. The third thing: It's eerie how much these 'brothers from different mothers' – Patrick Penney and John Milne – sound alike. Their voices mirror each other seamlessly, and not even the Everly Brothers could claim to have a better blend." – Marty Larkin, HankFest
longgonelonesomeboys.com

Reviewers have likened Lisa Derosia and Lush Budgett to everything from "vintage country gems" to "a countrified version of the throwing muses" to "twangy helium rock." Whatever it is, with Lisa Derosia's angelic voice, the band's solid musicianship and an emphasis on writing good songs, Lush Budgett avoids the country sub-genre flavor-of-the-month in favor of a lonesome and steady sound with catchy hooks and sensible lyrics.
lushbudgett.com