Print Issue of July 19, 2018 (Volume 47, Number 41) by Chicago Reader

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2 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

THIS WEEK

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INTERIM EXECUTIVE EDITOR DAVE NEWBART CREATIVE DIRECTOR VINCE CERASANI DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE RAMSAY CULTURE EDITOR AIMEE LEVITT FILM EDITOR J.R. JONES MUSIC EDITOR PHILIP MONTORO ASSOCIATE EDITORS STEVE HEISLER, JAMIE LUDWIG, KATE SCHMIDT SENIOR WRITER MIKE SULA SENIOR THEATER CRITIC TONY ADLER STAFF WRITERS MAYA DUKMASOVA, LEOR GALIL, DEANNA ISAACS, BEN JORAVSKY, PETER MARGASAK SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR RYAN SMITH GRAPHIC DESIGNER SUE KWONG MUSIC LISTINGS COORDINATOR LUCA CIMARUSTI FILM LISTINGS COORDINATOR PATRICK FRIEL CONTRIBUTORS JAKE AUSTEN, NOAH BERLATSKY, ISA GIALLORENZO, JOHN GREENFIELD, ANDREA GRONVALL, JUSTIN HAYFORD, JACK HELBIG, IRENE HSIAO, DAN JAKES, MONICA KENDRICK, BILL MEYER, MICHAEL MINER, J.R. NELSON, MARISSA OBERLANDER, MARK PETERS, LEAH PICKETT, JAMES PORTER, BEN SACHS, DMITRY SAMAROV, ALBERT WILLIAMS INTERNS MATTHEW HARVEY, DAVID NORTH, KATIE POWERS, TYRA NICOLE TRICHE, ANNA WHITE ---------------------------------------------------------------ADVERTISING DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER BEST SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER EVANGELINE MILLER DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL JOHN DUNLEVY ADVERTISING COORDINATOR HERMINIA BATTAGLIA ---------------------------------------------------------------DISTRIBUTION CONCERNS distributionissues@chicagoreader.com CHICAGO READER 30 N. RACINE, SUITE 300 CHICAGO, IL 60607 312-222-6920 CHICAGOREADER.COM ---------------------------------------------------------------READER (ISSN 1096-6919) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY STM READER, LLC 30 N. RACINE, SUITE 300 CHICAGO, IL 60607. COPYRIGHT © 2018 CHICAGO READER. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT CHICAGO, IL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CHICAGO READER, READER, AND REVERSED R: REGISTERED TRADEMARKS ®.

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

CITY LIFE

4 Politics Could Rossana RodríguezSánchez be the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

ARTS & CULTURE

The Reader’s guide to

Pitchfork proves it:

the 2018 Pitchfork

festivals that aren’ t booking

Music Festival

women aren’ t trying

The fest bolsters its usual smart bookings with a strengthened commitment to inclusiveness and community: this year’s lineup has more locals than ever, and more than half the acts include women.

Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Nilüfer Yanya, and Ravyn Lenae demonstrate the depth of the young female talent pool.

BY LEOR GALIL 18

Pitchfork outflanks its festival competition with left-field bookings Circuit des Yeux, Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society, Irreversible Entanglements, and This Is Not This Heat don’t sell tickets like Fleet Foxes, but they help keep Pitchfork interesting.

BY PETER MARGASAK 19

Open Mike Eagle teaches the Pitchfork crowd about Chicago public housing

ON THE COVER: ILLUSTRATION BY JASON FREDERICK. FOR MORE OF JASON’S WORK, GO TO JWFREDERICK.COM.

IN THIS ISSUE

The MC shares some of the research behind his album-length love letter to the Robert Taylor Homes.

BY LEOR GALIL 21

BY KATIE POWERS 22

From basement shows to Pitchfork stages Veterans of Chicago’s multifaceted DIY scene talk about the community that shaped them.

BY LEOR GALIL 24

When playing Pitchfork is also about personal growth Girlpool, Japanese Breakfast, and (Sandy) Alex G refresh the indie tradition of foregrounding emotional development, not just musical evolution.

BY ANNA WHITE 26

Khan summation All kinds of Chicago music—AM radio pop, free-spirited R&B, bold Afrocentric jazz, soulful funk—came together to shape Chaka Khan’s incredible voice.

BY JAMES PORTER AND JAKE AUSTEN 27

8 Visual Art As comics legend Geof Darrow prepares to move to France, he leaves his fans with a reprint of the ﬁrst arc of his legendary Shaolin Cowboy. 10 Theater Victims of Duty: An absurd show for absurd times 11 Theater Chicago’s Latinx theater community throws a Carnaval. 12 Theater Pamplona and seven more new stage shows, reviewed by our critics 14 Movies Provocative indies Sorry to Bother You and Blindspotting look at the class tensions often obscured by race. 16 Movies In Jean Grémillon’s silent classic The Lighthouse Keepers, styles and emotions come crashing in like waves. 17 Movies Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot and more new ﬁlms, reviewed by our critics

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

28 Shows of note Fess Grandiose, Other Years, Phoelix, and more of the week’s best 30 Secret History Sixties garage rockers the Riptides won their only studio session at a talent show.

FOOD & DRINK

34 Restaurant Review: Flight Club Darts Chicago Raw oysters, rosé cotton candy, hookah-smoking sloths, and darts—what more could you and your Anglophile friends ask for?

CLASSIFIEDS

35 Jobs 35 Rentals 36 Marketplace

37 Savage Love A 20-year-old in a Shades of Grey relationship, and a possible #MeToo moment on the massage table 38 Early Warnings Jawbreaker, Violent Femmes, Kacey Musgraves, and more shows to look for in the weeks to come 38 Gossip Wolf RIP to beloved Chicago house DJ and producer Sean Haley, and other music news

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 3

CITY LIFE

POLITICS

The next Ocasio-Cortez?

A Democratic Socialist and native of Puerto Rico is hoping to pull oﬀ another big upset within the Democratic Party when she takes on 33rd Ward alderman Deb Mell next year. BY RYAN SMITH

ossana Rodríguez-Sánchez is running in next year’s election for City Council in Chicago, but her phone keeps blowing up over an election held almost 1,000 miles away. In New York City, there’s a different working-class Latina with Puerto Rican roots running as a long-shot socialist candidate from within the Democratic Party.

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The ﬂood of notiﬁcations began in earnest the last Tuesday night of June as her flight touched down at O’Hare from Puerto Rico. Prior to starting a new job at Columbia College as a career and internship adviser, she and her partner, Robert, and their three-year-old son spent six days visiting family and friends and touring her old neighborhood in Mariana—a small coastal neighborhood in the municipal-

Rossana Rodríguez-Sánchez é COURTESY ROSSANA CAMPAIGN

ity of Humacao. It’s on the eastern portion of the island, the same side where Hurricane Maria made a direct hit in October. The first alert that grabbed her attention was breaking news: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old former Bernie Sanders staffer from the Bronx, had just won the Democratic primary election in New York’s 14th district against longtime congressman Joseph Crowley, a prominent Democrat in the running for Nancy Pelosi’s leadership role. The upset was exciting news for Rodríguez-Sánchez, who announced in May that she was running for alderman of the 33rd Ward, which includes parts of Albany Park, Irving Park, Avondale, and Ravenswood Manor. “I’m so pumped to see another Latina, someone who is so young

and so fired up, saying some of the same things we’re talking about in this campaign,” she says. The alerts that followed were similar in nature to a Facebook post by Micah Uetricht, an editor at the New York-based socialist magazine Jacobin: “If you like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for House, you’ll love Rossana for 33rd Ward Alderman!” Could the 39-year-old Albany Park-based activist and educator become the next Ocasio-Cortez? Certainly, being elected one of Chicago’s 50 aldermen isn’t in the same ballpark as knocking out a potential speaker of the house. And Rodríguez-Sánchez is careful not to draw a direct line between herself and Ocasio-Cortez.

CITY LIFE But others in her orbit are doing it for her. “A lot of people are making the connection between us and saying ‘Rossana is next,’ and getting really excited for the possibility for our campaign,” she says. Both candidates’ personal and political lives have taken a similar trajectory. Ocasio-Cortez is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Bronx-born father, while Rodríguez-Sánchez was born in the U.S. territory and lived there for three decades before migrating to Albany Park in 2009. Both are members of the Democratic Socialists of America and are running on a progressive platform of economic, racial, and social justice issues (disclosure: I am a DSA member). Within 24 hours of Ocasio-Cortez’s win, 1,200 people had joined the leftist nonproﬁt organization, and now there are 45,000 members in 220 chapters across all 50 states (including three in Chicago)—up from 8,000 in 2015. Last week, Cynthia Nixon, the actress turned politician running for governor of New York, told Politico that she too is a Democratic Socialist. Rodríguez-Sánchez has a big head start on Nixon. “I have been a socialist forever. I was a socialist before Bernie’s campaign,” she says. Ocasio-Cortez and Rodríguez-Sánchez are also both insurgent candidates within the Democratic Party taking on entrenched members of the local and national party. The New Yorker toppled ten-term congressman Crowley. The Chicagoan is trying to unseat the Mell family dynasty in the 33rd Ward. The elder Mell, Dick, former governor Rod Blagojevich’s father-in-law, held a firm grip on the seat for 38 years before relinquishing it in 2013. Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed his daughter, former state representative Deb Mell, as his replacement. The day after her big win, Ocasio-Cortez made appearances on CNN, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The New York Times described her as a “an instant political rock star.” But high-ranking Democrats have tried to downplay Ocasio-Cortez’s win as an isolated occurrence. Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth echoed comments from Pelosi when she cautioned Democrats that what works in New York City won’t ﬂy in the midwest. “I think it’s the future of the party in the Bronx,” Duckworth told CNN. “I don’t think that you can go too far to the left and still win the midwest.”

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward alderman, rebutted Duckworth in a recent column for NBC News, citing Chicago’s history of supporting socialists and movements ranging from Pullman strike organizer Eugene Debs to the 2012 Chicago Teachers Union strike to the success of his own campaign. “I’m a 29-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America who was elected to the Chicago City Council in 2015. Did this bold political vision make voters skittish? No way. They chose it in a landslide.” Sixty-seven percent of voters in his ward, which is next to the 33rd and includes Logan Square, voted for him. Other progressive Democrats, especially those who supported Sanders during the 2016 primary, say Ocasio-Cortez’s victory could be just the beginning. “There is a hunger for generational change, for a new generation of leadership,” Democratic congressman Ro Khanna of California told the New York Times.

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RODRÍGUEZ-SÁNCHEZ didn’t immediately leap at the idea of running for office. “The people who know Rossana believed in her before Rossana believed in Rossana,” said Nick Burt, a spokesman for the 33rd Ward Working Families, a left-wing political organization backing the campaign. “Our idea of what she could accomplish has sometimes exceeded her own thoughts about it.” She lacks the polished delivery and unﬂappable nature that typifies some politicians. She smiles and laughs a lot, even while talking politics. At a recent Sunday-afternoon fund-raiser held in the basement of a church in Albany Park, she hugged supporters rather than shake their hands. When describing the destruction of Hurricane Maria, her dark brown eyes well up with tears under clear-framed glasses. Just before the tropical storm hit, she’d tried to get her mother off the island, but all ﬂights out of Puerto Rico had been canceled. She vividly remembers a panicky phone conversation she had with her brother, Luis, as the hurricane made landfall. The windows and the skylight in his house were broken and water began to pour in. “He was saying, ‘I am in the bathroom with my girlfriend, my cousin, and the dog, and it’s really a small bathroom,’ and the call suddenly ended as the hurricane disrupted cell towers on the island,” says Rodríguez-Sánchez. She didn’t know the fate of her family for two weeks. “Like many Puerto Ricans here, I didn’t know if my family was alive,” she says. J

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 5

CITY LIFE continued from 5

“The last thing I heard was that the water was coming inside of the house. I never want to go through anything like that ever again.” Her family survived the storm and so did many of the island’s 3.3 million residents, but they’ve had to endure grim conditions in the ten months since, with a fraction of the federal assistance available to those affected by hurricanes in Texas and Florida. “The government of Puerto Rico and the government of the United States have let people die,” Rodríguez-Sánchez says. It’s one thing for a massive natural disaster to hit as the storm did in October, but another when so many of the island’s problems over the last nine months have been man-made. According to a Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in June, Hurricane Maria killed at least 4,600 people. If accurate, that number—which is 70 times higher than the official U.S. government death count of 64—makes Maria the deadliest storm in modern American history.

Only a small portion of fatalities were the direct result of the hurricane. Many Puerto Ricans have died because of delayed health care and a lack of access to basic services such as power and water, the study says. Rodríguez-Sánchez says FEMA didn’t show up to help Mariana until a month after Maria hit. “Nine months after the hurricane there’s still no power in my community. And the running water comes and goes.” The death toll might have been higher if not for community organizing efforts like the one started by her brother and his partner, Christine Nieves. They founded a grassroots relief project, Proyecto de Apoyo Mutuo Mariana (the Mutual Aid Project of Mariana), building a communal kitchen and organizing brigades to clear debris. During her recent trip, Rodríguez-Sánchez watched as members of the group worked to turn her old elementary school into a community center. In Naomi Klein’s new book, The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists, she describes Rodríguez-Sán-

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Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to the media in New York, the day after her congressional primary upset over 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley. é AP PHOTO/MARK LENNIHAN

chez’s brother’s project as “a symbol of the miracles Puerto Ricans have been quietly pulling off while their governments fail them.” “I think my community would have disappeared if not for it,” says Rodríguez-Sánchez. THE U.S. AND PUERTO RICAN governments have been failing the people of the island since long before Maria. By early 2017—months before the storm— Puerto Rico had ﬁled for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, and its capital, San Juan, already looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, Klein notes in The Battle for Paradise. “Windows were broken, buildings were boarded up. But it wasn’t high winds that did it; it was debt and austerity,” she wrote. “There’s a long history of colonialism there, and surviving it has been very hard,” says Rodríguez-Sánchez. At age six she attended her first protest against a U.S. naval base that had been diverting water from her village. Residents fought back. “My neighbors went directly to the river and closed the valve that allowed the water to ﬂow their way. The water was ours. The powerful took it; we took it back.” She’s found plenty to protest since then. The Great Recession of 2008 hit the island hard, and the government drastically cut spending, particularly in public schools. The cap that had limited class sizes was lifted and Rodríguez-Sánchez, a middle school arts teacher, found there weren’t enough chairs for the dozens of students squeezed into her classroom. Burned-out, she resigned. After thousands of government workers

were laid off the following year, Rodríguez-Sánchez, like many Puerto Ricans, moved to the mainland United States. She’d just landed a position in Chicago as the director of the Albany Park Theater Project, a youth theater organization focused on social justice. In Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago, she says, she’s witnessed political and economic problems similar to those that brought her to the United States in the first place. Roosevelt High School in Albany Park, she adds, offers a case study in how neighborhood schools have been neglected while selective enrollment and charter schools thrive. “Roosevelt has been starved of resources, and then they let go of good teachers and it gets labeled a ‘bad school,’ and then enrollment shrinks,” she says. She’s also concerned that many residents of her ward—which is more than 50 percent Latino and includes many immigrants and members of the working class—are being pushed out by gentrification and rising rents. Others are being threatened by heightened immigration enforcement (approximately 15 percent of the 55,000 residents of the ward are undocumented, according to Rob Paral, a Chicago demographic consultant). She’s heard their stories firsthand. One of her favorite plays from her tenure at the Albany Park Theater Project is the 2013 production I Will Kiss These Walls, a look at how the foreclosure crisis led many local residents to lose their homes. Also that year, a pregnant Rodríguez-Sánchez and her partner were forced to move into a smaller Albany Park apartment when their

CITY LIFE landlord raised the rent by $200 a month. After moving back to Puerto Rico for few months in order to give birth to her son, she got a call from her new landlord in Chicago saying the building had been sold. When she returned, she discovered that the rent had again increased. “Within the span between the time that I got pregnant and by the time that my child was six months old, I had to move twice because of hikes in rent,” she says. Local government, including Alderman Deb Mell, hasn’t done enough to help those being displaced, Rodríguez-Sánchez says. “We’ve asked for [Mell’s] help, to sit down with developers so we can help these families, but she doesn’t do anything,” she charges. Mell rejects that characterization. In an e-mailed statement, the alderman said she “didn’t know any other alderman that has taken a more active role in advocating for tenants and homeowners alike. “I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect members of our community,” Mell wrote, “and I have a clear record

of working to ensure the long-term housing affordability in our ward.” Mell said she has pushed for on-site affordable housing in new developments and fought for greater protections for tenants. The alderman—who calls herself “a strong independent voice in City Council with a proven record”—doesn’t recall ever meeting Rodríguez-Sánchez. “I don’t think I ever had the chance to meet Rossana, and I can’t remember her ever coming to one of the many community meetings or events I’ve held in the ward,” she says. But after observing the Mells’ leadership, Rodríguez-Sánchez decided the only way to effect true change in the ward—similar to what her brother and community did in Puerto Rico—was to take things into her own hands: she decided to run for office. “There’s no other way to do it,” she said. “I live in a ward that is 52 percent Latino, and we have had Dick Mell and Deb Mell running that ward, and clearly our needs are not being met by the Democrats. I feel like it’s time for us

to be able to step up and take leadership roles.” THE RODRÍGUEZ-SÁNCHEZ campaign didn’t come from out of nowhere. It emerged from Tim Meegan’s unsuccessful challenge of Deb Mell in February 2015. That year, Meegan, then a social studies teacher at Roosevelt High School and a union delegate, campaigned as a third-party candidate. He came just 13 votes from forcing a runoff against Mell—and that was only after absentee ballots had been counted. Some of Meegan’s campaign volunteers went on to start 33rd Ward Working Families, which has pushed for a $15 minimum wage, rent control legislation, and a moratorium on school closings and charter school expansions. It’s also involved in identifying and promoting progressive candidates, and its members say they’ve found one in Rodríguez-Sánchez. “We’re super thrilled to run a candidate that shares our values and has been involved with us—from showing up for marching with striking teachers to helping with neighbor-

hood-level defense networks aimed at protecting Chicago’s undocumented,” said Burt, the group’s spokesman. Meegan believes that Rodríguez-Sánchez “has a better shot of winning than I do.” It’s hard to say whether that’s true. The election is seven months away, and the incumbent already has a significantly larger campaign war chest. Rodríguez-Sánchez has $13,400, according to her June 30 campaign finance reports. Deb Mell has $183,000. In the last election, Mell got $50,000 alone from Chicago Forward, a political action committee affiliated with Emanuel. But Rodríguez-Sánchez looks at the election of Ocasio-Cortez as a harbinger of what’s to come. “I believe that we will win because we have people power,” she said. Although Crowley spent more money in New York last month, Ocasio-Cortez attracted “people who were passionate, and that’s what we have.” v

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JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 7

ARTS & CULTURE

a GEOF DARROW/DARK HORSE COMICS

COMICS

Bon voyage, Geof Darrow

As the comics legend prepares to move to France, he leaves his fans with a reprint of the ﬁrst arc of his legendary Shaolin Cowboy.

By MARK PETERS

8 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

massive lizard carries a city on its back. A paunchy adventurer fashions two chainsaws and a kendo stick into a two-pronged zombie-slaughtering weapon. A monster pig with ninja skills seeks revenge for the consumption of his family. These are just some of the outsize images typical of the art of comic book creator Geof Darrow, who’s best known for his intricately designed scenes of mad machinery and inventive mayhem. His 13-year stint as a Chicago resident will be ending soon as he departs for France (exact location to be determined), but he’ll be leaving behind his art, including a long-awaited reprint of the hard-to-find first arc of his signature work: The Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek. Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Darrow, now 62, first came to Chicago when he enrolled at the now-defunct Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1972. Since graduating, he’s bounced around between Chicago, Los Angeles, France, and, occasionally, Japan. His career has been similarly diverse, shifting from the grunt work of Hanna-Barbera animation to doing conceptual design for the Matrix films and other Hollywood fare. But his friendship and collaboration with French artist and comics legend Moebius beginning in the early 1980s inspired him to pursue his true medium: the comic book. While hard-core fans may have picked up his collaborations with Moebius and stories about Bourbon Thret—a precursor to the Shaolin Cowboy—Darrow first gained attention in America in 1990 with Hard Boiled, an Eisner-winning collaboration with writer Frank Miller, with whom he would later cocreate Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot. Then there’s The Shaolin Cowboy, originally published by now-defunct Burlyman Press in 2005. The titular character is a schlubby blend of Shaolin monk and Robert Mitchum acolyte who can’t seem to avoid trouble, whether in the form of dopey rednecks or evil King Crab, and the series is equally action comic and idiosyncratic experiment. For example, in the second arc, Shemp Buffet, the Shaolin Cowboy fights zombies. What could be more mainstream than that? But he fights those zombies in a wordless, sprawling, 100-plus-page gore fest in which every body part, blood spurt, chainsaw slice, ill-advised tattoo, and zombie cat is rendered with the exacting line work that is Darrow’s trademark. Such scenes exude a gleeful intricacy and lust for detail that set Darrow apart from

other comics artists. “Everything matters,” he says. “It matters to me. I draw all that stuff because it adds content, and it makes it very particular. Each one of those drawings, each one of those streets: they’re not generic. . . . I try to make everything its own creation so it doesn’t get boring. It adds character to the drawing.” While you can’t talk about Darrow without obsessing over his obsession with details, there’s much more to his craft. As Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy, writes in an e-mail, “Sure, he puts every little nut and bolt and spinning wheel into every piece of machinery, but just look at how well drawn his people are. And his animals. And everything else. Cramming a drawing full of stuff is one thing, but his locations feel real, his living things have real personality. No matter how crazy his action is, things bend and move naturalistically. He is all-around an amazing artist.” Darrow’s experiences and interests don’t entirely account for his maximalist style, but they explain it a little. His inspirations include samurai classics such as Yojimbo (1961), directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. “I think Yojimbo just took the top of my head off when I saw it. I still think that’s the archetype for most loner heroes,” said Darrow. “I can watch that thing over and over: it is so amazing. Because it’s a comedy as well. And yet, it’s horrible. I can’t think of any movie that sets up what’s coming more than the beginning of that movie, when Mifune walks into town and the dog runs out of the alley carrying a human hand in its mouth.” Darrow fans will

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celebrating recognize that exact image popping up in his art from time to time as a hat tip to the inspiring ﬁlm. On a more mechanical level, Darrow’s time as an animator for Hanna-Barbera was instructive, if not fun. “In animation, you have to draw things in perspective,” said Darrow. “Because you have to turn whatever it is around, whether it’s a car or a person. At the time, mostly what I did was cars and trucks and boats and telephones, whatever objects they needed. It was a real eye-opening experience.” Another beneﬁt of that experience was getting to know one of his artistic heroes, Jack Kirby, creator or cocreator of many superheroes including Captain America, the X-Men, and the New Gods. Darrow’s dense scenes also have great depth, which is informed by his “artfather” Moebius and filmmakers such as Anthony Mann, director of many Jimmy Stewart westerns, a genre close to Darrow’s heart. “[Mann’s] film compositions had a foreground, a middle ground, and a background, and an incredible amount of depth,” Darrow says. “I always tried to get that kind of depth into what I do, because I think that’s really interesting.”

But Darrow’s depth is far weirder than Mann’s. A memorable two-page spread from The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign? features a ninja pig flying through the air, squealing and sweating and bent on vengeance, while all manner of people and dogs and other animals go about their business; the background is ﬁlled with grafﬁti, discarded cans, cigarette butts, and dog crap. Darrow’s frequent inclusion of dogs is influenced by his time in France, where he says “dogs are king,” but contrast is king in Darrow World. “I love the idea of drawing crazy things in the foreground and then in the background being semi-realistic,” said Darrow. “Or at least I attempt to draw realistically. And it makes the crazy stuff seem even crazier because you can identify with the background.” Ever the perfectionist, Darrow says he hoped that flying giant ninja pig fit into the composition in proper perspective. He adds sheepishly, “I’m interested in really dumb things.” v THE SHAOLIN COWBOY: START TREK By Geof Darrow (Dark Horse)

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JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 9

ARTS & CULTURE

READER RECOMMENDED

b ALL AGES

VICTIMS OF DUTY

Through 8/5: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; also Tue 7/31, 7:30 PM, and Sun 7/29, 7:30 PM; no performances Wed 7/18, Fri 7/27, or Thu 8/2, A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells, 312-943-8722, aredorchidtheatre. org, $50. All performances sold out, but standby tickets available at curtain time.

Karen Aldridge, Guy Van Swearingen, and Michael Shannon é MIKE HARI/FADEOUT MEDIA

THEATER

Victims of Duty: An absurd show for absurd times

A Red Orchid revives its 1995 staging for the Trump era.

By TONY ADLER

“We are not ourselves.” —Victims of Duty

Red Orchid Theatre ﬁrst produced Eugène Ionesco’s Victims of Duty in 1995. Ah, those were simpler times, were they not, mon ami? Bill Clinton was in the White House, lying plenty but at least not gratuitously. At least you felt there was a rational bedrock to his lies and a temperamental preference for the truth in his politics. Or maybe you didn’t. But it was a possible feeling to have. I dare you to have it now, about Donald Trump. Or Congress. Or the news. Or the Internet. The needle has moved. Moved? Hah! The needle is gone. I feel like I live inside a giant baby’s bouncy toy, and the kid keeps knocking it across the room.

10 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

Which is approximately why the folks at A Red Orchid decided it’s time for another go at Victims of Duty. “When we did it then, its meanings were deep for us, very personal and somewhat abstract,” says a program note from Shira Piven, who directed both the current and 1995 productions. “Now there is also a social/ political resonance that we can’t escape, as much as we might want to.” The play is an apt choice for anybody trying to catch a scary zeitgeist. It premiered in France in 1953, the seventh in a series of eight short, radically original Ionesco plays that started with The Bald Soprano (1950), fed off the vertigo of World War II, and deﬁned what came to be known as the theater of the absurd. Like Soprano, Victims of Duty opens on

a scene of conventional domestic tranquility. Choubert is sitting in his apartment, reading a newspaper. His wife, Madeleine, knits nearby. They discuss this and that: unpicked-up dog poop, Aristotle, and the new government announcement “urging all the citizens of the big towns to cultivate detachment.” There’s a knock at the door. It’s the Detective. He isn’t even looking for them but for the concierge, who never seems to be home. They’re so accommodating, though—and the detective is so handsome, well mannered, and nicely dressed (“What a wonderful pair of shoes!”)—that they offer to see if they can’t help him. Big mistake. The Detective is looking for a malefactor named Mallot. Does Choubert know him? No? Well, no matter. Through a process of bullying and insinuation, the Detective convinces not only himself but Choubert that Choubert is Mallot’s pal. There follows a strange, strenuous, perfectly ridiculous, and utterly extraordinary sort of psycho-picaresque: Choubert getting submerged in mental mud and flying off mental mountains, half-dead, dazed, ecstatic, as the Detective and an all too cooperative Madeleine force him to track down the elusive Mallot. In one vignette that amounts to a throw-away masterpiece, Choubert finds himself in conversation with his dead father, their confron-

tation rendered at once harrowing and inane by the fact that neither can hear the other. In a way—a big way, really—Victims of Duty is only incidentally political. It’s mostly designed to satirize the state of French culture, with Choubert’s various adventures doubling as parodies of what a native audience would recognize as familiar tropes, styles, and philosophies. (Detective to Nicholas, a poet who turns up late in the play: “Everyone ought to write.” Nicholas to Detective: “No point. We’ve got Ionesco and Ionesco, that’s enough!”) Still, the Detective’s menace, Choubert and Madeleine’s suggestibility, their collective obedience to pointless government orders, and, particularly, their centerlessness—the way they torque their identities, language, and even senses to the mirage of authority—all speak loudly to the current giant-baby-bouncy-toy moment. Focused on that moment, Piven doesn’t seem to have a strategy for dealing with the satire. She neither cuts names like that of Paul Bourget, a forgotten French literary god, nor ﬁnds ways to make them legible to a 21stcentury Chicago audience. More important— and I know this will sound strange—she doesn’t do much to ground the absurdity in normality. Choubert and Madeline are first discovered, for instance, sitting beside a bathtub, which is absurd enough in itself that their subsequent actions lose some of their shock value. The uses to which she puts the tub and a second pool of water, however, make for wild if arbitrary fun. And then too, she’s got Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen, both of whom were in the 1995 staging. A close relative of his villain in The Shape of Water, Shannon’s Detective makes excellent use of that familiar pained grimace that says, See what you made me do? to his prey. Van Swearingen, meanwhile, has the physical chops to render Choubert’s descents and ascents vivid. Karen Aldridge is similarly agile, taking Madeleine from catty to ancient to erotic at will. v

m @taadler

Paula Ramirez, Guadalís Del Carmen, and Ana Santos in Perfectamente Loca/Perfectly Insane by Magdalena Gómez at LTC Carnaval 2015 é MICHAEL COURIER

ARTS & CULTURE

THEATER

Chicago’s Latinx theater community throws a Carnaval

The celebration lasts four days, with tours, workshops, and staged readings of six new plays. By KATIE POWERS

ith the 2018 Carnaval of New Latinx Work, a festival celebrating new works by Latinx theater artists, Latinx Theatre Commons, founded in 2012, aims to connect national audiences to the Chicago theater community. “In the midst of the current administration’s virulent hostility towards the Latinx community, promoting new Latinx stories and the artists who create them has become all the more urgent,” Lisa Portes, LTC Carnaval Champion, or organizer, and head of directing at the Theatre School at DePaul Uni-

versity, said in a press release. “Carnaval 2018 aims to seed the American Theatre with new Latinx stories and raise visibility of the vibrant local and national Latinx theatre community.” Carnaval 2018 will feature staged readings of six new plays by Latinx playwrights, selected via a competitive pool of approximately 130 entries following a national call for submissions. Each play will be developed by a Latinx creative team. The ﬁrst Carnaval was in 2015.

Actor and playwright Juan Francisco Villa, who is of Colombian heritage, will participate in readings of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord and The Killing of a Gentleman Defender. “This is actually the ﬁrst time I get to play a Colombian character, and this is a [big] deal for me,” he says. “It’s an honor, especially with the content both plays explore.” Audiences will have the opportunity to attend the readings and meet Latinx theater

makers, including writers, directors, designers, critics, and actors. Festival partners Urban Theater Company, Aguijón Theater, Teatro Vista, and the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance will host workshops and offer tours of their spaces that aim to further immerse audiences in the Latinx theater community. The festival is free, but attendees must register in advance. The selected plays are: My Father’s Keeper by Guadalís del Carmen, directed by David Mendizábal; Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally by Noah Diaz, directed by Denise Yvette Serna; Killing of a Gentleman Defender by Carlos Murillo, directed by Michael John Garcés; Shoe by Marisela Treviño Orta, directed by Ricardo Gutierrez; Milton, MI by Paz Pardo, directed by Diane Rodriguez; and Our Dear Dead Drug Lord by Alexis Scheer, directed by Rebecca Martínez. v 2018 LTC CARNAVAL OF NEW LATINX WORK Thu 7/19-Sun 7/22, various times, see website, 2350 N. Racine, latinxtheatrecommons.com. F

m @kmpowers01

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 11

ARTS & CULTURE THEATER

him: his drinking, his womanizing, his family traumas, his many injuries, and the vast psychic lacunae that make him at once so great and so terrible. On top of all that, he’s got writer’s block. Like most solo shows involving a visit with a historical ﬁgure, Pamplona never answers the obvious, elephant-not-in-the-room question, Who does Hemingway think he’s talking to? You simply have accept the premise and settle in for a chipper, mostly sentimental 90-minute journey that, thanks to Adam Fleming’s projections, sometimes feels like a PowerPoint presentation. The ending completes an inevitable metaphor in an inevitable way, but Keach engages it with such gusto that it’s a delight to witness. —TONY ADLER PAMPLONA Through

R Strangers in the night

Eclipse Theatre’s year of Inge continues with a poignant Bus Stop.

Eclipse Theatre Company continues its season dedicated to the work of William Inge with this 1955 play set in a Kansas bus-stop cafe during a blizzard. A chanteuse tries to evade the advances of a lovestruck cowboy before succumbing, the diner’s proprietress disappears for a tryst with the bus driver, and a young waitress is charmed by the erudite blather of a soused former professor. The setting and light design evoke the midcentury melancholy of a Hopper painting, but references to Dante’s Inferno and a recitation from Romeo and Juliet hint that Inge was after bigger game. Each of the main characters is thwarted or frustrated in one way or another, and the bus stop, like purgatory, is a waiting room where they can plumb the depths of their frustrations as well as dream of escape routes. Being waylaid forces them to look deeper within themselves than they might in their everyday lives. The cowboy gets the girl in the end and the old lech thinks better of seducing the young waitress, but there’s no happy ending because it’s clear that though everyone may have made the right decision today, there’s no guarantee it will stick tomorrow. The cowboy’s sidekick, Virgil—another Dante reference—is left alone at the diner. They’re closing for the night and he can’t stay there to wait for the next bus out of town. He doesn’t know where he’ll go next or what will become of him, and neither do we. Steve Scott directed. —DMITRY SAMAROV BUS STOP Through 8/19: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM,

Sun 2 PM, Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, 773-935-6875, eclipsetheatre.com, $35, $25 students and seniors.

Behind the music

Heartbreak Hotel revisits Elvis’s early, prejumpsuit years.

During an interview on WLS-TV, Heartbreak Hotel’s coproducer Scott Prisand summed up his team’s sales pitch to Authentic Brands Group, owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, during preproduction negotiations thusly: “They know an Elvis musical . . . an Elvis Broadway show . . . how can that not work?” In a Domino’s Pizza-of-theater sort of way, he’s absolutely right. Not unlike the teams behind many of the formulaic biomusicals produced at Black Ensemble Theater, Million Dollar Quartet cowriter Floyd Mutrux, who wrote and also directs Heartbreak, dutifully hits Behind the Music-style chapters in Presley’s life between 1954 and 1957 with enough hard winking and elbow nudging to draw blood. In one scene Eddie Clendening as young Elvis stares longingly at a leather jacket in a window. In another, he scoﬀs at the idea of wearing Liberace-level accessories (“Can you imagine me coming back to Vegas wearing a cape?”). But unlike MDQ’s one-night concert format, Heartbreak’s chronological rundown of relationship and rehearsal room dramas bogs down perfectly decent—if not particularly rousing—renditions of Elvis’s greatest hits with humdrum if educational contractual developments. At the very least, Mutrux avoids The Greatest Showman-type revisionist history by acknowledging the direct cultural appropriation inherent in Presley’s suc-

12 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

8/19: Wed-Thu 7:30 PM, Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 2 PM, Tue 7:30 PM, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, 312443-3800, goodmantheatre.org, $30-$93.

Renaissance fair

Odd’s Bodkins’ 1590s-style Romeo and Juliet hovers between improvisation and sloppiness.

Scary Stories to Save Your Life é MICHAEL BROSILOW

cess and highlighting the black artists from whom Elvis and his producers stole. That history would cut deeper if it all weren’t so cartoonish and surface level, and the attempt to have it both ways comes across as the show wanting to have its fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich and eat it too. Still, MDQ’s huge Chicago fanbase will likely ﬁnd plenty of numbers to enjoy here, particularly Erin Burniston’s crystalline and shiver-inducing rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” —DAN JAKES HEARTBREAK

HOTEL Through 9/30: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM, Sun 2 and 7 PM, Tue 7:30 PM, Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut, 312-977-1700, broadwayinchicago.com, $30-$74.

Tragic heroines

Linda explores every misery known to womankind. British playwright Penelope Skinner places three hapless women at the center of her trying 2015 play, now receiving its Chicago debut at Steep Theatre. Linda is a 55-year-old marketing executive in perpetual overdrive both at home and in the oﬃce. Alice, her dispirited 25-year-old daughter, barely gets out of bed as she struggles to overcome a decade-old social media humiliation. And Bridget, Linda’s headstrong 15-year-old daughter, is an aspiring actress bent on proving girls can play Hamlet. Skinner assembles them primarily to unleash a torrent of gendered social maladies upon their heads: ageism, sexual harassment, revenge porn, self-cutting, male dismissal of women over 50, sexual double standards, professional backstabbing by female coworkers, plummeting self-esteem, even the general lack of meaty parts for female actors. By the end of two and half punishing hours, two of the three women are functionally obliterated. Skinner’s tackling issues well worth an audience’s attention, but tackling them all at once with relatively equal urgency, and often in more diagrammatic than

dramatic fashion, makes for an arduous, scattershot evening. And once things start going wrong for the title character—and boy, do they ever—the succession of suffered indignities feels like piling on rather than a genuine tragic progression. As usual, Steep assembles meticulous, gutsy actors, and director Robin Witt keeps them rooted in deep emotional truths, providing no shortage of compelling passages throughout the show. As Linda, Kendra Thulin finds moments so harrowing they’re difficult to watch. —JUSTIN HAYFORD LINDA Through 8/18: Thu-Sat 8

Odd’s Bodkins’ production of the Shakespeare classic deletes the prologue and kicks off with a fight on the tight Cornservatory stage. Rapiers fly, punches are thrown, tongues are bitten. The ensuing mania is one of the few moments precisely choreographed and heavily controlled; the rest of the show leans on undefined acting choices, casual blocking, and a less-than-enthralling flat recitation of dialogue—problems that arise in the middling space between a traditional production or a

PM, Sun 3 PM, Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn, 773649-3186, steeptheatre.com, $27-$38.

Tanned, rested, ready

Stacy Keach returns for another go at Hemingway and Pamplona. The last time Stacy Keach tried this, things didn’t go well. On May 30, 2017, Keach was onstage at Goodman Theatre, playing Ernest Hemingway in the opening night of the world premiere production of Jim McGrath’s Pamplona when he had what was later described as a “mild heart attack.” He appeared confused and unfocused, repeated passages of his evening-length monologue over and over, as if trying to latch back onto it. Soon enough he left the stage and director Robert Falls declared the show over. Now Keach is back in what I guess we’ll have to call Pamplona’s second world premiere. On press night both he and his Hemingway came across like old leather, well worn but strong. McGrath’s script, meanwhile, is merely serviceable. Pamplona catches Papa in 1959, holed up alone in a Spanish hotel room, working on the assignment for Life magazine that would ultimately become his ﬁnal book, The Dangerous Summer, an account of the epic rivalry between two great bullﬁghters, Antonio Ordóñez and Luis Miguel Dominguín. Everything is catching up with

Ysentia é MATTHEW GREGORY HOLLIS

ARTS & CULTURE Bus Stop é SCOTT DRAY

provoking but also what makes it interesting. David Rice and Lydia Hiller’s adaptation swaps whole scenes for lots of limp, forgettable songs, written by Rice, Hiller, and Christopher Kriz in the style of 30s and 40s musicals. (The show is set in Chicago in the 1930s.) They also make Kate and Petruchio considerably more likable. She isn’t really a shrew, just a little peevish. And Petruchio’s courtship style is considerably more conventional and kind (instead of starving her, he brings her boxes of chocolates). Director Johanna McKenzie Miller’s casting further rehabilitates these two; Christopher W. Jones’s Petruchio is, in fact, so likable and suave he seems like he wandered in from another play. The show itself is intermittently charming. Some of Shakespeare’s best lines are preserved—and Miller’s sprightly direction and Ericka Mac’s choreography keep things moving. Clocking in at a little more than two hours with intermission, Shrew’d! is over before you know it. —JACK HELBIG SHREW’D! Through 8/19:

Wed-Sun 8:15 PM, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook, 630-986-8067, firstfolio.org, $34-$44, $29-$39 students and seniors. fully unscripted show like the Improvised Shakespeare Company’s. This particular retelling of Romeo and Juliet falls prey to its re-creation of what the program notes call a “Renaissance-style” process akin to the one Shakespeare’s company was known to follow when constructing a show. Two weeks before opening night and without a director, the cast begins its work, with costumes and stage design decided via consensus. The truncated, loosely structured schedule is intended to allow surprises during the performance—an unexpected reaction, an additional longing glance. Odd’s Bodkins never intended to smooth the show’s edges. The works of Shakespeare were originally performed when scripted theater was a novelty, but in 2018 shows are required to follow unspoken guidelines. Dialogue must be understood and, unless written by David Mamet, delivered at a reasonable pace—especially when the play contains literary devices such as iambic pentameter. Lines should be memorized. Pauses are ﬁne, and in fact manufacture tension. In their devotion to their interpretation of Renaissance style, Odd’s Bodkins ﬁnds themselves rolling over all these hiccups. The show sits in the margins between an improvised production—where everything is a surprise—and a clean piece of scripted theater— where all the acting is on par with Miranda Bishop’s Juliet, who complements minimal stage movement with intense emotional shifts. —STEVE HEISLER ROMEO AND

JULIET Through 7/29: Sat-Sun 2 PM, Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln, cornservatory.org, $20.

R The horror! The horror!

LGBTQ young people reimagine their autobiographies as Scary Stories to Save Your Life. This powerful 50-minute devised performance by About Face Youth Theatre is a collection of sketches, monologues, and movement pieces dramatizing the theme of anxiety—speciﬁcally the fears and confusion felt by the show’s creator-performers in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. AFYT, now in its 20th year, is described by its parent organization, About Face Theatre, as “a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and allied young people to become activ-

ists and theatre-makers.” The writer-actors, aged midteens to mid-20s, have drawn on their personal stories of being bullied by classmates, browbeaten by teachers, and mishandled by therapists—aggressions intensiﬁed by the dehumanizing hostility toward “outsiders” that increasingly dominates our sociopolitical environment, including in the world of social media that so greatly impacts these young people’s lives. Under Donny Acosta’s direction, the ten cast members have reimagined their real-life experiences as “horror stories,” using tropes inspired by movies and TV shows about vampires, monsters, stalkers, and the like. Sometimes funny and sometimes genuinely scary, these alternately expressionistic and surreal nightmare scenarios express the performers’ emotional responses to current events in a surprisingly potent way without resorting to message-y preaching. The bare-bones production on a mostly empty stage at the Center on Halsted’s Hoover-Leppen Theatre highlights the talented and articulate young cast’s honest, well-modulated theatrical storytelling. Inventive media and sound design by Spencer Meeks and lighting by Claire Sangster enhance the show’s impact. And the courage and candor of the ensemble are inspiring. —ALBERT WILLIAMS SCARY

The chosen ones

Ysentia and The Adventures of Astroman ask whether redemption of the world is possible. In an overheated black box above the streets of Logan Square, the Runaways Lab presents Ysentia and The Adventures of Astroman, two short plays by Dan Mozur-

kewich with near-identical themes: the decline of the universe and the rise of a protagonist who may, though neither intrinsically gifted nor particularly driven, save us all. In Ysentia, a misfit machine made of titanium roams the galaxy in search of a new home. Through encounters with strangers, represented by elegantly cut shadow puppets, Ysentia is told that she has been “chosen for a mission,” one that will not be revealed “before the final hour.” Spoiler: it is not revealed. The somewhat less hackneyed Adventures of Astroman offers more of everything—more peril, more irony, more dialogue, more characters, more disturbing references to the salubrious effects of drinking milk—as it presents the bleak picture of a world no one really cares to redeem under threat of destruction (or is it mercy?) by the sneering Dr. Kathleen Robotica. The mysterious Astroman might be the hero we need, or maybe he just plays him on TV. His estranged sidekicks, pot-smoking Nintendo freak Lamont and stuttering, suicidal has-been Doughy Dick, offer an uninspiring streak of realism. Though gamely acted by a committed ensemble, both plays are heavy on exposition and light on dramatic tension created by the characters or scenario. Indeed, the world is ending. With sharper focus on the catatonia of terrestrial ennui than the fantasy of celestial potential, it is difficult to care. —IRENE HSIAO YSENTIA AND

THE ADVENTURES OF ASTROMAN Through 7/27: FriSun 7:30 PM, Voice of the City, 773-888-2753, 3429 W. Diversey, runawayslab.org, $7-$9. v

STORIES TO SAVE YOUR LIFE Through 7/22: ThuSat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, 773-784-8565, aboutfacetheatre.com, $20 or pay what you can.

Brush up your Shakespeare

Shrew’d! attempts to make Taming of the Shrew palatable to a modern audience. George Bernard Shaw once called Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew “one vile insult to womanhood and manhood”—and with reason. The main plot concerns a boorish opportunist (Petruchio) who woos and wins a strong-willed woman (Kate) by breaking her with gaslighting and, after they marry, intimidation and starvation. The subplot, involving a sneaky suitor who fools a controlling father into letting him court and marry Kate’s beautiful younger sister, is contrived and confusing. To make this material work, you need a shrewd director— and a terriﬁc cast. This world-premiere musical version of Shrew at First Folio eliminates most of what makes the original so

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 13

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU ssss Directed

by Boots Riley. R, 105 min. For listings visit chicagoreader.com/movies.

ARTS & CULTURE

Blindspotting

MOVIES

Show us the money

Two provocative indies look at the class tensions often obscured by race.

By J.R. JONES

rouble is brewing in Oakland, California. Two weeks ago Annapurna Pictures released the surreal, satirical Sorry to Bother You, shot on the streets of Oakland last summer by rapper turned ﬁlmmaker Boots Riley. The movie begins as a simple workplace comedy along the lines of Mike Judge’s Office Space (1999) but ripens into a nightmare of capitalist exploitation. If that doesn’t shake you up enough, this week Summit Entertainment opens Carlos López Estrada’s bitterly funny drama Blindspotting, which was filming in Oakland at the same time as Sorry to Bother You. A cri de coeur against police violence, Blindspotting also ﬁnds time to probe the open wound of the city’s ongoing gentrification, as poor people of color are displaced by middle-class whites from the Pacific Northwest

ssss EXCELLENT

sss GOOD

and gilded San Francisco across the bay. Like many other contemporary movies, these two knockouts examine the divide between black and white in America; like very few others, they remind us that the deeper dividing line is green. Like the recent horror phenomenon Get Out, Sorry to Bother You ponders the danger of trying to assimilate into the white world, but at heart it’s a multiracial, proletarian call to arms. The young hero, Cassius (Lakeith Stanfield), is so broke he lives in his uncle’s garage, a fact sprung on us when he and his straighttalking girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), are making love and the garage door flies up, exposing them to passersby. (“Get a room!” quips one, not recognizing that they’re already in one.) Desperate for a job, Cassius shows up for an interview at a telemarketing firm with

ss AVERAGE

14 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

s POOR

•

a boxful of high school trophies bought at a second-hand store and a fake employee-ofthe-month award. The general manager, Anderson (Robert Longstreet), busts him for this charade, then commends him for his initiative and hires him. “This is telemarketing,” he explains. “We’re not mapping the fucking human genome here.” Riley based the screenplay on his own experiences as a telemarketer, and he’s deﬁnitely nailed the emotional terrain of a cold-calling boiler room, with its crosscurrents of professional motivation and private despair. A sign on the wall orders callers to “STTS”—stick to the script—but this isn’t always so easy once Cassius is plunged into his customers’ lives. (In one of Riley’s most potent sight gags, the hero’s desk drops through the ﬂoor into people’s living rooms.) When an elderly woman

BLINDSPOTTING ssss Directed by Carlos López Estrada. R, 95 min. Century 12 and

CineArts 6, Landmark’s Century Centre, River East 21, Showplace ICON

reveals that her husband has stage-four cancer, the script advises Cassius to “make any problem a selling point,” and he launches into a prepared spiel about a wellness brochure; scalded, the woman hangs up. Cassius has a pretty rough time on the job until an old-timer named Langston (Danny Glover) teaches him to seduce his customers by affecting a cool, whiter-than-white voice. This new voice (supplied on the soundtrack by David Cross) does the trick, and before long Cassius is making sales and ringing the big bell that hangs in the boiler room. His supervisor, the haggard, hyperactive Johnny (Michael X. Sommers), dangles before him the prospect of becoming a “power caller,” getting a huge raise, and moving up to the top floor of the building, “where the callers are ballers.” Meanwhile, Cassius’s coworker Squeeze (Steven Yeun) is trying to unite the sales force for collective bargaining. Anderson succeeds in peeling Cassius away from his coworkers by kicking him upstairs, and Cassius takes advantage of his hefty new paycheck to move out of his uncle’s garage and into a fashionably spare, blindingly white luxury apartment. Detroit, who has since joined the telemarketing firm and the union effort, still spends the night but chafes at his compromises. Cassius’s dilemma may not be particularly fresh—British filmmaker Ken Loach has been telling stories like this for decades—but Riley isn’t afraid to push the class warfare to wild extremes. As a power caller, Cassius is assigned to WorryFree, Inc., an innovative new company that offers workers lifetime labor contracts in exchange for free room, board, and medical treatment. WorryFree is the brainchild of tall, handsome Steve Lift (Armie Hammer), author of the best-selling book I’m Still on Top!; in a TV interview, he flashes a million-dollar grin at the news that WorryFree has been cleared by a congressional committee that’s investigating slave labor. Pulled into Lift’s magic circle, Cassius attends a swank party where the overbearing host orders him to rap for the assembled white guests. A beat kicks up on the sound system, and Cassius stands alone on a staircase, fumbling for words. Finally he blurts out a string of racial slurs; to his dismay, the guests repeat his chorus. Blindspotting is more down-to-earth than Sorry to Bother You, but like Riley, screenwriters Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal locate

WORTHLESS

Get showtimes at chicagoreader.com/movies.

ARTS & CULTURE Sorry to Bother You

their story at the intersection of race and class. Collin (Diggs) is days away from completing a year of parole after serving a prison term for aggravated assault; the bar fight in question was initiated by his white friend, Miles (Casal), but when the cops arrived on the scene, they went straight for the black man with dreadlocks. Collin and Miles, who work for a moving company, have known each other since middle school, and Miles considers them authentic Oaklanders in a losing battle with migrating white hipsters from Portland and Seattle. A hopeless yahoo, Miles keeps dragging Collin into his chaos, failing to consider that, despite their common economic circumstances, being white affords him a level of protection from police violence that his black friend doesn’t enjoy. The movie’s early scenes are as funny as any in Sorry to Bother You, but unlike the greedy Cassius, Collin is eminently sympathetic—all he wants is to stay out of trouble, finish his parole, move out of his halfway house, and win back his former girlfriend, Val (Janina Gavankar), who ditched him in disgust after the assault. In one of the best scenes, Collin innocently hops into a car with Miles and their friend James and discovers that the pair are packing no fewer than six unlicensed firearms. One night, while driving home, Collin stops at a traffic light and, to his horror, watches as an Oakland policeman (Ethan Embry) opens fire on a fleeing, unarmed black man, killing him in the street. When Miles urges Collin to come forward as a witness, Collin tries to imagine the phone call: “Hello, police? I’d like to report a murder you did. Yeah, I’m a convicted felon. Back to jail tomorrow? Yeah, what time?” Collin faces an even starker dilemma than Cassius, yet the action of Blindspotting is pro-

pelled mainly by Miles’s rage at the gentrification of Oakland. When a rich hipster boxes them into a parking space and refuses to move his car, Miles curses him and leans on the truck horn; because Collin is at the wheel, he gets blamed later when the hipster calls the moving company to complain. Miles can hardly contain his venom at these people who are taking over their working-class town, with their vinyl LPs and their suspenders and their motor scooters. Even the bar fight that landed Collin in prison began as a class altercation between Miles and a rich carpetbagger, who had the nerve to infiltrate their favorite watering hole. As in Sorry to Bother You, a party sequence brings all the film’s racial and economic tensions to a boil. Blowing off steam after an explosive domestic argument, Miles drags Collin to a house party hosted by just the sort of wealthy interloper Miles despises. Miles wears a tattoo on his neck that shows a map of California with a dot marking Oakland; to his chagrin, their smug host boasts an identical tattoo on his neck, not to mention a coffee table cut from the trunk of a giant redwood. “Plenty of drink in the kitchen, homeys!” the host calls out to his little cluster of black guests. Before long Miles has chased some smartass out of the house onto the driveway and proceeds to beat him senseless, firing a few shots into the air to scare off the other guests. Collin has to haul Miles away from the scene before the police arrive, though this time the stress of covering for his friend forces him to an epiphany: “You are the [N-word] that they are out here looking for!” he tells Miles. Movies about race in America are seldom in short supply, but rarely do they venture past the realm of personal prejudice into the

more complicated terrain of economic racism. A notable exception last year was Dee Rees’s period drama Mudbound, about a dirt-poor white family in the postwar south that can survive only by exploiting the black family down the road, but this Netﬂix production screened in theaters only long enough to qualify for Oscar consideration. Blindspotting and Sorry to Bother You, in their sheer brilliance and ferocity, reverse this trend with their multiracial stories about people trapped at the bottom of the ladder. In fact they’re both delighted to bother us, and we need more movies like them. v

m @JR_Jones

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GAUGUIN: VOYAGE TO TAHITI

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www.siskelﬁlmcenter.org JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 15

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS ssss

Directed by Jean Grémillon. 73 min. Sat 7/21, 11:30 AM. Music Box, 3733 N.Southport. 773871-6604, musicboxtheatre.com, $8.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Lighthouse Keepers

MOVIES

Heading for the rocks

In Jean Grémillon’s silent classic The Lighthouse Keepers, styles and emotions come crashing in like waves.

By BEN SACHS

his Saturday, Music Box will screen Jean Grémillon’s extraordinary silent feature The Lighthouse Keepers (1929) from a rare 35-millimeter print. Films by this inventive French director are hard to come by in this country, particularly the silent ones—only three of Grémillon’s films, all made in the 1940s, are available on DVD in the U.S. But even if Grémillon’s work were more readily available, he might still have a narrow reputation. Unlike most other major French directors who started out in the silent era (Jean Epstein, Jean Renoir, René Clair), Grémillon resists easy categorization. The ﬁlms of his I’ve seen can’t be labeled impressionist, expressionist, realist, or surrealist; rather, they move between all these modes, operating in a style all their own.

16 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

This is especially true of The Lighthouse Keepers, which seems to change its stylistic approach from scene to scene. Remarkably it doesn’t feel at all disjointed: Grémillon shifts fluidly between styles, the film flowing like a piece of music. (The director trained as a musician and composer before going into ﬁlmmaking.) The Lighthouse Keepers is, however, consistently surprising—watching it, you’re never sure how Grémillon will present any particular event or whether the drama will be subtle or bold. You might say that the emotional timbre rises and falls like the waves, which are a prominent motif in the ﬁlm. Adapted from a play of the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, The Lighthouse Keepers tells a simple story but considers such large themes as family, professional responsibility,

and death. It begins in a small town on the northern French coast, where a father and son operate a lighthouse not far from the shore. After introducing the characters at home, Grémillon shows them sailing to their work site for a monthlong shift. Once they arrive, a ﬂashback reveals that the son, Yvon (Geymond Vital), was bitten by a rabid dog earlier that day. Yvon’s condition worsens as the shift progresses, but rising tides and stormy weather prevent any doctor from coming to his assistance. His father (Paul Fromet) attempts to care for him, but Yvon, who steadily goes mad as the rabies spreads through his system, resists help. The father is forced to push on alone in maintaining the lighthouse—which is of utmost importance to approaching ships, given the adverse weather conditions—while

keeping a safe distance from his increasingly violent son. Grémillon grounds this interpersonal drama in a rich sense of location. The opening scenes feel documentary-like in their depiction of the coastal town, likely owing to the director’s background in documentary shorts and his upbringing in Brittany. Naturalistic views of the town are intercut with shots of waves to communicate the inhabitants’ deep connection to the sea. Grémillon also vividly depicts what it’s like to work in a lighthouse, with short yet detailed shots of Yvon and his father tending to their duties (bringing in supplies, checking on lights). Later Grémillon returns to a naturalistic mode when he shows a wedding procession in town and the crew of a ship caught in a storm. Such moments conjure up a realistic sense of camaraderie that throws into relief the growing isolation of Yvon and his father. Grémillon often complicates the film’s naturalism by inserting expressionistic low-angle shots of the lighthouse (which grant it a preternatural power) during otherwise straightforward sequences. Likewise, he complicates expressionistic sequences depicting Yvon’s madness (which feature rapid montages and layered, kaleidoscopic imagery) by maintaining a naturalistic acting style from his cast. That’s not to say that Grémillon dampens the impact of his expressionistic techniques; two montages in particular—one during the ﬂashback to the dog attack, the other during the climax—achieve a vertiginous sense of terror reminiscent of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Rather, the director employs naturalistic acting to spotlight how his characters struggle to preserve their humanity in the face of certain doom. Adding to this feeling of foreboding are the numerous images of the ocean at high tide. Often shooting the waves from a low angle, Grémillon makes them seem gigantic and architectural. (This strategy also allows images of waves to ﬂow smoothly into images of the lighthouse.) At times the force of the ocean seems to overwhelm the narrative; the recurring shots of powerful waves make Yvon’s madness seem more intense and heighten the disorienting effect of Grémillon’s montages. What emerges is a tale of man versus nature in which nature is clearly the more formidable opponent. v

m @1bsachs

ARTS & CULTURE Eighth Grade

The King

Worry, He Won’t Get Far R Don’t on Foot A leaky urine bag of a movie—and I mean that as a compliment—this uninhibited biopic immortalizes John Callahan, who was left quadriplegic by a drunken auto accident at age 21 but managed to swear oﬀ alcohol and, holding a pen between his paralyzed hands, forge a career for himself as an inspired sick cartoonist. Joaquin Phoenix gives a rollicking performance as Callahan, a lusty philosopher who refuses to be pitied, and a slimmed-down Jonah Hill, wearing a beard and long golden locks, disappears into his role as Callahan’s ethereal, bullshit-dispelling AA sponsor. Gus Van Sant directed, bringing a distinct sensibility to this impersonal genre just as he did with Milk (2008); the strong supporting cast includes Rooney Mara, Jack Black, Udo Kier, Carrie Brownstein, and Kim Gordon. —J.R. JONES R, 113 min. Century 12 and CineArts 6, Landmark’s Century Centre, River East 21.

R Eighth Grade

Not since Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) has a comedy captured so vividly the agony and the ecstasy—well, OK, it’s all agony—of being a homely, marginalized teenage girl. Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is a chubby, acne-ridden eighth-grader with crooked teeth, no mother, and a loving father (Josh Hamilton) whose gentle jokes land on her like a police baton. Writer-director Bo Burnham inventories all the tortures of middle school, from the timeless (the school band’s atonal rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”) to the modern (Kayla’s awkward attempts to make small talk with a trio of mean girls engrossed in their cell phones). The story is punctuated by Kayla’s self-shot YouTube videos, in which she cheerfully proﬀers life wisdom without actually having any insights to share; she might be the butt of these segments if not for her sunny resilience and her poignant need to be recognized. —J.R. JONES R, 93 min. Burnham attends the 7:30 PM screening on Saturday, July 21, at Landmark’s Century Centre. Century 12 and CineArts 6, Landmark’s Century Centre, River East 21.

The Equalizer 2

Denzel Washington reteams with director Antoine Fuqua for this sequel to their 2014 actioner about a former CIA operative with a sense of social justice. As in the original, the combination of moral drama and brutal violence makes for an awkward ﬁt, but Washington’s performance is charismatic enough to distract from this internal contradiction. Fuqua’s direction is slick but generally uninspired; the sequences meant to highlight Washington’s nobility (such as those depicting his pro-

Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti

French filmmaker Edouard Deluc captures a controversial period in the life of French painter Paul Gauguin with this sedate biopic, based on a travelogue of Gauguin’s that many critics believe to be partly fictitious. In 1891 the artist (Vincent Cassel) leaves his wife and five children in Paris, decamps to Tahiti, and meets a 13-year-old Polynesian girl (Tuhei Adams) who becomes his muse and second wife. Adams, who was 17 during filming, imparts little of the teenager’s interior life, and the script positions her from Gauguin’s perspective, as an exotic lover and subject. Deluc and his three cowriters acknowledge the postcolonial thorniness of the situation, yet they fail to explore it, tossing in a fictional love triangle in the seeming hope that Cassel’s fervent performance will render Gauguin a fascinating antihero. In French and Tahitian with subtitles. —LEAH PICKETT 101 min. Fri 7/20, 2 and 6 PM; Sat 7/21, 8 PM; Sun 7/22, 3 PM; Mon 7/23, 6 PM; Tue 7/24, 8 PM; Wed 7/25, 6 PM; and Thu 7/26, 8 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center.

The Gospel According to André

This portrait of fashion journalist André Leon Talley reminded me of the 2017 documentary Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards (whose subject, shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, puts in an appearance here) in the way its subject strives to be invulnerable. Eschewing romance, Talley pours himself into his work, which spans more than four decades and included a groundbreaking tenure at Vogue in the 1980s and ’90s. Through archival footage and interviews with other fashion maestros (Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Anna Wintour), director Kate Novack traces Talley’s life from his childhood in the Jim Crow south to the halcyon days of high fashion in premillennial Paris and New York to the presidential election of 2016, which serves as an awkward framing device for Talley to ruminate on the casual racism he’s endured. At 68, he’s as erudite and vivacious as ever; Novack follows his lead, but at a polite distance. —LEAH PICKETT PG-13, 94 min. Fri 7/20, 4 and 8 PM; Sat 7/21, 3 PM; Sun 7/22, 5 PM; Mon 7/23, 8 PM; Tue 7/24, 8 PM; Wed 7/25, 6 PM; and Thu 7/26, 8 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center.

Saving Brinton

Michael Zahs, a retired junior high teacher in Washington, Iowa, embarks on a project to preserve the early film collection of Frank and Indiana Brinton, who lived in Washington and ran touring magic-lantern shows after the turn of the 20th century. The teacher acquired the films in 1981 and kept them in a shed behind his house until 2013, when the Library of Congress and University of Iowa set out to save them; one turned out to be a lost short by the pioneering fantasy filmmaker Georges Méliès, and Zahs travels to Italy for the restoration’s world premiere at the Bologna film festival. The old teacher—who stands six-foot-three and wears a gray beard that looks to be three-foot-six—is an affable eccentric full of information, but as he himself notes, he’s more of a storyteller than a historian, and in the context of the documentary he’s more of a host than a subject. Tommy Haines and Andrew Sherburne directed. —J.R. JONES 88 min. Fri 7/20, 2:15 PM; Sat 7/21, 5 PM; Mon 7/23, 6 PM; and Wed 7/25, 8 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center.

Skyscraper

Dwayne Johnson stars as an FBI agent who loses his leg in a botched hostage rescue and, fitted with an artificial limb, embarks on a second career as a security assessor for a Hong Kong skyscraper known as the Pearl. After terrorists torch one of the middle floors, the hobbling hero runs a gauntlet of flame, gunfire, and dizzying heights to rescue his wife (Neve Campbell) and their two children, who are trapped in the building above the rising fire line. Fans of Johnson’s earthquake actioner San Andreas (2015) will find the same vertiginous thrills and family-reunion quest here, though after his tender bromance with a gigantic, prank-loving gorilla in the more recent Rampage, he seems even less suited to human relationships. Rawson Marshall Thurber (Central Intelligence) directed this leaden, formulaic pyro item; with Chin Han, Noah Taylor, and Pablo Schreiber. —J.R. JONES PG-13, 103 min. ArcLight, Century 12 and CineArts 6, Chatham 14, City North 14, Lake, Logan, New 400, 600 N. Michigan. v

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MOVIES

tective interest in an at-risk Boston teenager) fail to generate much of a dramatic spark. Screenwriter Richard Wenk saves all his best ideas for the climax, when Washington faces down a group of bad guys in a small town that’s been evacuated due to an impending hurricane. In this sequence alone does Fuqua communicate a sense of danger, location, and momentum. With Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, and Pedro Pascal. —BEN SACHS R, 121 min. ArcLight, Century 12 and CineArts 6, Chatham 14, Cicero Showplace 14, City North 14, Crown Village 18, Ford City, New 400, River East 21, Showplace 14 Galewood Crossings, Showplace ICON, 600 N. Michigan.

Eugene Jarecki has directed two of the most extraordinary political documentaries of the new century: Why We Fight (2005), a 40-year history of the military-industrial complex, and The House I Live In (2011), exposing the tragedy of the U.S. drug war. This new project may sound a little more fun—the filmmaker takes off in a 1963 Rolls-Royce once owned by Elvis Presley, telling the singer’s life story as he rolls through Tupelo, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Hollywood, and Las Vegas—but ultimately Elvis serves as a metaphor for American decline. Rock critic Greil Marcus argues that Presley embodied “the pursuit of happiness,” whereas Van Jones and Chuck D. finger the King as a racial coward and a cultural thief. Like the director’s other projects, this is intelligent and ambitious, but the cultural insights are too familiar to merit yet another trek through Presley’s troubled life. —J.R. JONES 107 min. Jarecki attends the 7 PM screening on Friday, July 20, and the 2 PM screening on Saturday, July 21. Fri 7/20-Sat 7/21, 2, 4:30, 7, and 9:45 PM; Sun 7/22, 11:45 AM and 2, 4:30, and 7 PM; Mon 7/23, 2, 4:30, 7, and 9:45 PM; Tue 7/24, 2, 4:30, and 9:45 PM; Wed 7/25, 2, 4:30, and 7 PM; and Thu 7/26, 2, 4:30, 7, and 9:45 PM. Music Box.

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JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 17

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

The Reader’s guide to the 2018 Pitchfork Music Festival

The fest bolsters its usual smart bookings with a strengthened commitment to inclusiveness and community: this year’s lineup has more locals than ever, and more than half the acts include women.

Part of the crowd for A Tribe Called Quest at last year’s Pitchfork festival

By LEOR GALIL

é MAX HERMAN/FOR THE SUN-TIMES

hen Pitchfork curated the Intonation Music Festival in 2005, the concept was relatively novel: a big, multiday outdoor festival dedicated to indie music. But in 2018, outdoor fests of all stripes (a few of them signiﬁcantly more esoteric than Pitchfork) clog concert calendars all over the country. Some similar events have gone belly-up—this summer’s FYF Fest, for example, was canceled in May—but Pitchfork has continued to evolve and thrive, becoming one of the most respected festivals in the country. Of course, when a fest is run by a website that prides itself on covering cutting-edge music, you’d expect it to understand the value of booking unconventional artists. As good as Pitchfork can be about seeking out acts that don’t play every other major festival, though,

18 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL

its organizers also appear to have a Rolodex of their own—eight of the 42 artists on the 2018 lineup have appeared at the festival before. Among them are Fleet Foxes, who headline Saturday in the traditional “veteran indie rockers” slot (in a break from precedent, last year it was ﬁlled by A Tribe Called Quest). And Pitchfork seems to be developing a new tradition for Sunday’s headlining slot: when Ms. Lauryn Hill performs the 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill that night, she’ll be the third woman of color to close the festival, after Solange in 2017 and FKA Twigs in 2016. Happily, this year’s lineup also includes a record number of locals—I count 14, though I’m fudging a little by including LA rapper Open Mike Eagle (who grew up here), New York singer-songwriter Julie Byrne (who cut her teeth on the local DIY scene), and Saint Louis-born rapper Smino (who built his career

Fri 7/20 through Sun 7/22, box office at 11 AM, gates at noon, music at 1 PM, Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph, $75 per day, three-day pass $175, +Plus pass $375, all-ages

here but continues to rep his ﬁrst home like the city depends on it). Pitchfork continues to present fans with highly unlikely choices: Saturday evening, for instance, Blood Orange (aka pop sophisticate Dev Hynes) overlaps with This Is Not This Heat (a partial reunion of experimental UK postpunk group This Heat). The cost of three-day passes climbs once again this year—up $10 for general admission (now $175) as well as for a +Plus pass (now $375), the latter of which buys you the right to reenter the festival, use special airconditioned bathrooms, and pay for food and

drink from Fat Rice. (Single-day tickets are still $75.) Thankfully most of the festival’s nonmusical attractions remain open to everyone, including the CHIRP Record Fair, the Flatstock poster show, the Renegade Craft Fair, and the Book Fort. Pitchfork will donate a portion of this year’s proceeds to the nonprofit Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), which has partnered with the fest to raise awareness about sexual violence. Professionally trained counselors will be on-site at a resource and response center for attendees who encounter violence or harassment in the park. Pitchforkmusicfestival.com has most everything else you’d want to know about the festival: the layout of the grounds, the best routes to take to Union Park, what you can and can’t bring to the park, et cetera. And yes, you can bring a factory-sealed vape pen, if you feel like making a spectacle of yourself. v

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

Irreversible Entanglements é KEIR NEURINGER

n May, my Reader colleague Leor Galil took a long look at the surfeit of summer music festivals in Chicago. As he subsequently tweeted, folks here are often so eager for a reason to get outdoors when the weather’s warm that it seems like they’ll accept almost anything: “People want to be outside at an event, does it really matter what you put in front of them?” Chicago isn’t alone there, of course, and in the 13 years since the launch of the Pitchfork Music Festival, similar events have cropped up all over the country—these days a band could conceivably string together a U.S. tour that consists almost entirely of dates at such festivals. One thing that continues to distinguish Pitchfork, though, is its independent-minded booking. Way too many regional fests seem to present the same couple dozen acts—basically whoever’s on the road that summer. But Pitchfork relies on far fewer of those artists, instead pursuing a curatorial strategy that focuses on the bread and butter of its sister website: indie rock and adventurous forms of electronic music, pop, and hip-hop. In its early years, Pitchfork even offered a sprinkling of acts well outside that territory, venturing into free jazz and so-called world music. In 2006 and 2007 the lineup included such gloriously daring improvising artists as 8 Bold Souls, Chicago Underground Duo,

CIRCUIT DES YEUX

Sat 7/21, 4-4:45 PM, Blue Stage

JOSHUA ABRAMS & NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY

Fri 7/20, 3:20-4:10 PM, Red Stage

IRREVERSIBLE ENTANGLEMENTS

Sun 7/22, 1:45-2:25 PM, Red Stage

THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT

Sat 7/21, 6:30-7:15 PM, Blue Stage

Haley Fohr of Circuit des Yeux é JULIA DRATEL

the Jeff Parker/Nels Cline Quartet, Tyondai Braxton, Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic, Fred Lonberg-Holm’s Lightbox Orchestra, Ken Vandermark’s Powerhouse Sound, and the William Parker Quartet. At the 2008 festival, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Boban & Marko Markovic, and Extra Golden shared traditional sounds from three continents.

Such outliers largely vanished in subsequent years, though the occasional left-ﬁeld artist—Julia Holter, Bitchin Bajas—continued to enliven Pitchfork’s lineups. So it was a pleasant surprise in 2016 to see Kamasi Washington, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Circuit des Yeux, and Holly Herndon at the festival. In 2018 the oddballs scattered around Pitchfork’s sched-

ule—four of whom I’m singling out here—are among the things that make it unique among its national competition. They don’t have the draw a festival of this size usually requires, but their presence distinguishes the event. CIRCUIT DES YEUX, the project of Chicago singer and guitarist Haley Fohr, performed at Pitchfork just two years ago, but since then Fohr has undergone exponential creative growth—Reaching for Indigo (Drag City) was one of the best records of 2017. Her increasingly original sound clearly takes inspiration from the likes of Yoko Ono, Diamanda Galas, and Nico (whose Chelsea Girl she covered last fall). Album opener “Brainshift” is a delicate, hymnlike meditation that conveys the feeling of a sudden, all-encompassing transformation with the help of a swell of massive brass by trombonist Nick Broste. On the galloping “A Story of This World Part II,” Fohr flings J

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 19

continued from 19

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20 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

herself into some of her most daring vocal experiments, mixing wordless howls and melismatic whoops—and she does it with a focus and precision missing from her earlier work. Her expansive psychedelic arrangements are elastic enough to allow for improvisation from her backing musicians, and her presence and authority as a singer have bloomed. Her deep voice inhabits her meditative, richly textured art songs like a spirit with a mind of its own, transforming them into wide-mouthed vessels that pour out a steady ﬂow of ideas. JOSHUA ABRAMS & NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY have developed an equally distinctive aesthetic—subtle, kaleidoscopic modal playing from a jazz bassist, thrumming at the heart of a hypnotic groove—but on their fourth and best album, last year’s Simultonality (Eremite), this Chicago combo pull back from their usual focus on North and East African traditional music to incorporate Krautrock and classical minimalism. As usual, they build most of their pieces atop cyclical, propulsive patterns that Abrams plucks from a twangy three-string bass lute called a guimbri, which in its original setting serves as the motor of much Moroccan Gnawa music. On “Ophiuchus” Ben Boye’s psychedelic, chromatic electroharp creates a pulsating backdrop (daubed with wandering ﬁgures by harmonium player Lisa Alvarado and electric guitarist Emmett Kelly) that Abrams and drummers Frank Rosaly and Mikel Avery reshape with a polyrhythmic groove. “Sideways Fall” borrows Jaki Liebezeit’s drum break from Can’s “Vitamin C” as its driving force, the pattern split between Rosaly and Avery. Abrams switches to double bass for album closer “2128 1/2” (named for the Indiana Avenue address of the late Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge), where guest saxophonist Ari Brown channels the lung-scorching tenor tone of Pharoah Sanders as Boye pounds out profound piano vamps a la Alice Coltrane. The piece takes Abrams back to his jazz roots, even as it clears a plateau for Natural Information Society’s future explorations. East-coast collective IRREVERSIBLE ENTANGLEMENTS is one of the most exciting collaborative projects from Philadelphia spokenword artist Moor Mother (aka Camae Ayewa), whose intensity, precision, and metaphoric power have few equals in the post-hip-hop landscape. The group began as a trio of Ayewa, Philadelphia saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and D.C. bassist Luke Stewart, and then grew to a quintet with the addition of two New Yorkbased musicians, drummer Tcheser Holmes and trumpeter Aquiles Navarro; last year they dropped their self-titled debut album, a joint release by Chicago’s International Anthem and New Jersey’s Don Giovanni. At the start of the opening piece, “Chicago to Texas,”

Ayewa sounds deliberate and measured, with the instrumentalists mirroring her reserve, but their acoustic and largely improvised music grows more heated and cutting as it progresses. The album’s four tracks follow a single narrative thread, unfolding a harrowing story. Ayewa avoids familiar hip-hop rhythms and the cliched singsong cadences of poetry slams, instead summoning a fury to match her message; her voice rises and falls, accelerates and decelerates, interacting with the band with incredible subtlety. When Ayewa performs as Moor Mother, her electronic backing generally matches the intensity of her voice, but in Irreversible Entanglements the musicians engage in classic improvisatory give-and-take. The thrilling dialogue between band and vocalist evokes Amiri Baraka’s 1960s work with Sunny Murray or the New York Art Quartet, with the addition of contemporary extended techniques such as unpitched air columns or frictive noise. When the group performed at Thalia Hall last year, Ayewa refused to serve as a leader, asserting Irreversible Entanglements’ collective spirit by giving her colleagues as much space as she took. THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT is a partial reunion of the great This Heat, a UK group that formed in 1976 and broke up in 1982. Though nominally a postpunk trio, they paid little heed to the conventions of the genre. Percussionist Charles Hayward had previously played with prog-rockers Gong and Quiet Sun (led by Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera), but instead of following a similar path, This Heat stumbled onto something completely their own, masterfully employing tape loops, rhythmic phasing, noise, radical editing, and weird overdubs. No matter how many times I hear “Horizontal Hold,” the second track from their self-titled 1979 debut album, I’m still blown away by how fresh it sounds. Few pieces of music excite me more: its dense, seething mass of noise and rhythm radically rises and falls in intensity, with fierce but stolid drumming, ominously droning organ, searing, constricted electric guitar, and other sounds I still can’t conﬁdently identify. This Heat only made one more studio album, Deceit (which came out in 1981), and one classic 12-inch EP, 1980’s Health and Efficiency. Multi-instrumentalist Gareth Williams died from cancer in 2001 at age 48, but Hayward has stayed musically active, and in 2016 he and guitarist Charles Bullen reconvened as This Is Not This Heat. Their sporadic reunion revisits the band’s classic work with guests such as Thurston Moore, Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, and Chris Cutler, and this is their first stateside appearance—they’ll present music never before heard in Chicago. v

m @pmarg

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

Open Mike Eagle teaches the Pitchfork crowd about Chicago public housing The MC shares some of the research behind his album-length love letter to the Robert Taylor Homes.

é EMARI TRAFFIE

By LEOR GALIL

apper Open Mike Eagle lives in Los Angeles now, but he grew up in Hyde Park and has family all over the south side. One of his aunts and several first cousins lived in the Robert Taylor Homes, which were demolished over the course of nine years beginning in 1998. Eagle’s most recent album, last September’s Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, is a touching, imaginative tribute to that housing project—after watching an hour-long PBS documentary about the Robert Taylor Homes called Crisis on Federal Street on a ﬂight, he drew on archived government reports, YouTube videos, and his own memories to capture the feeling and meaning of life in Chicago’s public-housing high-rises. I spoke to Eagle about some of the videos he watched as part of his research; his comments follow. CRISIS ON FEDERAL STREET This 1987 documentary profiles a family that lives in the Robert Taylors. It starts historically with how and why they were built, and it chronicles when the matriarch of this family moved into that place, like, 40 or 50 years before 1987. It spends a lot of time with her family—it’s three generations of her family living in one apartment. It does this really good job of proﬁling each of her children. One

is an unwed mom—she’s been trying to find jobs and get work and hasn’t been able to do it. It shows the deterioration of the promises that this place once had for these residents, and how it fell into disrepair, and how scary it had become to live there. It’s a lot, but it’s probably the piece I found most inspirational, and I kept coming back to. It really was a stark reminder to me of what it was like to live in and around those buildings— the visceral, emotional, and memory component was just fully engaged. I was around there in 1987. I could have been in another one of those buildings at that very moment. RARE THROWBACK SPECIAL REPORT: “CHICAGO HOUSING PROJECTS” This video looks like it was produced using footage from around the time that the buildings were demolished. It starts with historical images from before they were developed. Then it goes all the way into proﬁling people being redistributed out of the buildings and people looking to buy redeveloped properties—not in the Robert Taylors, because there’s not redevelopment there, but in Cabrini-Green. You get a historical context in this one: you get families living there, but you also get up until the redistribution and the startling redistribution statistics.

OPEN MIKE EAGLE

Fri 7/20, 4-4:45 PM, Blue Stage

They lost—they lost—a third of the people. They had data on the people who lived there, data on where those people would be redistributed to, and they just lost track of, like, 10,000 people that just don’t exist in terms of “where are they now.” They could be dead, they could be somewhere else—it pointed to there being not a lot of real thought into what was going to happen. “THE HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY” BY NAJA HARRINGTON This 2015 YouTube video seems to be something that a school-age child made as a project, exploring the history of the Chicago Housing Authority. She narrates the whole thing—it’s like it’s a class project. Clearly this is somebody who had lived in this area and was trying to learn more about the forces that were shaping their community, and she made this really cool video essay about the history of Chicago housing.

Her age and perspective was unique, because everybody else’s proﬁles are . . . like a sociologist doing an ethnography. Hers is more like, “This is the community where I live, and this is the organization they’re shaped in.” There’s nowhere to get that perspective from anywhere else.

THE LAST ROBERT TAYLOR HOMES HI-RISE DEMOLITION, PT. 5 Someone literally just pointed a video camera at one of the yellow buildings being demolished—there’s no dialogue or voice-over or anything. It’s such a weird meditation. And it’s triggering. There’s a warning in front of it—if you lived there, you might not want to look. It was emotional for me to watch. But at the same time, it was also like, “Oh, if this can be done in video, maybe I can do something like this with songs.” Even though the buildings aren’t here anymore, this video capturing the building’s destruction, I can watch it any time, as long as there’s an Internet. It inspired me to make the record. I could use what I do to chronicle this stuff and make the monument myself. I’m not able to actually go to the place and build a thing, but I can use what I do to bring what I feel is a proper amount of attention and respect to what happened here. v

m @imLeor

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 21

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

Lucy Dacus é DUSTIN CONDREN

Pitchfork proves it: festivals that aren’ t booking women aren’ t trying Ravyn Lenae é JINGYU LIN

Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Nilüfer Yanya, and Ravyn Lenae demonstrate the depth of the young female talent pool.

Julien Baker é NOLAN KNIGHT

22 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

JULIEN BAKER

Fri 7/20, 5:15-6 PM, Blue Stage

NILÜFER YANYA

Sat 7/21, 3:20-4:10 PM, Red Stage

By KATIE POWERS

hen it comes to booking women, Pitchfork has just broken its own record. This year it’s one of only three major summer festivals to assemble a lineup where at least half the acts include women—a feat not one accomplished in 2017. The women at Pitchfork include several under age 25, among them Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Nilüfer Yanya, and Ravyn Lenae. But don’t dismiss them because they’re young, or assume that their presence is a side effect of some sort of gender-based quota system. All four are powerful storytellers, articulate songwriters, and inventive musicians. Each in her own way balances personal reflection with empathy and openness. They’ve earned their spots at Pitchfork, and even if equity in representation weren’t a problem in music, it’d be a better festival for their presence. LUCY DACUS, 23, released her first single, “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore,” in 2015. It’s a disarmingly direct story about struggling to be taken seriously as a woman and a young person. “It’s sort of a reflection specifically on my time in middle school, which I think is a huge time for everybody in making your identity and trying on different hats and seeing what fits and what doesn’t,” she says. The

LUCY DACUS

Fri 7/20, 2:30-3:15 PM, Green Stage

RAVYN LENAE

Sun 7/22, 3:20-4:10 PM, Red Stage

need to grow into yourself isn’t something that people only have to confront in middle school, of course: “It happens at any time in your life where you become a person that maybe you just aren’t totally happy with,” she explains. “And it’s really hard to change once people know you as a certain stereotype or as having a certain personality.” Raised in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, Dacus put out her first album, 2016’s No Burden, while still all but unknown outside that city’s indie scene. She’s since signed with Matador to release a second full-length, Historian, this March. Her sharply observed music does an extraordinary job bridging the personal and the universal. She describes Historian in particular as a meditation on processing negativity: the end of a relationship, the death of her grandmother, the loss of her Christian faith. She often reﬂects on difficult situations through a lens not her own, and the hope she carries through her pain, as well as the honesty in her warm voice, invites listeners to heal alongside her. “I think that writing is hugely cathartic for me, whether it’s in the moment or a few years after the fact,” she says. “It’s never too late to ﬁnd clarity and closure.” Tennessee native JULIEN BAKER, 22, also uses music as a tool for healing. Her words are

somber, but her guitar and her voice ring and swell with courage in the face of turmoil—she sings about her struggles with mental illness, addiction, and isolation, as well as about coming to terms with her queer sexuality (something else she shares with Dacus). Baker’s debut album, Sprained Ankle, released when she was 20, looks inward. “All of the songs are sort of limited to a very zoomedin personal experience,” she says. “They’re all centered around my experience of a certain pain.” Her second album, last year’s Turn Out the Lights, broadens the scope of her storytelling. “I wanted to expand the perspective from

which I was writing to escape a little bit of that myopic lens and to compose the feelings of other people and incorporate the narratives of my friends and my loved ones,” she says. Baker has also stopped assuming that her fans are necessarily part of her demographic. “The people that are at the shows are people that are coming up to me and saying they like my music. Sometimes it’s people that are like myself, they’re queer or they’re female or about my age,” she says. “Sometimes they’re adult males or parents with their young children. So I think after the first record, I threw the preconceived notions of who might be benefiting from my music out the window.” NILÜFER YANYA, 23, emerged from West London’s indie R&B scene after her first EP, Small Crimes, in 2016. She owes part of her style to her musician parents, who exposed her to traditional sounds from her Turkish, Irish, and Barbadian heritage, but she’s also cited Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley as influences. In February she released her third EP, Do You Like Pain?, about the fight to walk away from a toxic relationship.

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Yanya’s songwriting process often takes her to unexpected places. “I get into the idea of telling a story sometimes, and then I go off on a tangent or change my mind about what the song should be about,” she says. Sometimes she invents characters (or recruits them from her life) to help herself get out of her own head. “I’d say it’s a good way of making sense out of things and thinking aloud, because you can tell the truth about so many situations, but from a different perspective or angle each time. It’s more like performing surgery than healing. I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions and conflict naturally in my music.” The soulful, jazzy feel of Yanya’s music, bolstered by circular, swinging motifs on electric guitar, roots it in an era long before she was born. Her lyrics tend to address relationships, but they can also be unexpectedly timely, engaged with present-day social and political conditions. She wrote her debut single, the hauntingly minimalist “Small Crimes,” from the perspective of a thief, and it explores how the fallout from the robbery erodes the humanity of the perpetrator. So far Yanya has no idea who might be listening to her music—and that’s how she prefers it. “I like to imagine people of similar ages to me would get it, and people who are interested in a process and not a finished product,” she says. “But that could be anyone.” At 19, RAVYN LENAE is the youngest performer at Pitchfork this year. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, she released her first EP, 2015’s Moon Shoes, when she was still attending Chicago High School for the Arts. By the time she graduated, she had a deal with Atlantic Records.

“Being that I was only 15 or 16 when I wrote my ﬁrst body of work, I wasn’t super conﬁdent spilling my entire life into my music,” she says. “I wasn’t comfortable speaking on my experiences with relationships and the confusion and frustration that age entails.” Lenae’s music is still a whimsical, dreamlike twist on R&B, but its content has evolved in other ways—her lyrics are grounded in honest and accessible emotion. Her latest EP, this year’s Crush, straightforwardly addresses heartache and self-love—a departure from previous releases, where she tells similar stories using complex language and striking imagery, especially nature metaphors (the moon is a favorite). “I’ve entered a phase where I am comfortable bluntly expressing my emotions through music,” she says. Lenae also feels deep connections to colors and believes they play an important role in her self-expression. “I like to assign certain colors personalities or qualities that often translate in my music,” she says. “Moon Shoes is a bit more vibrant through the production, lyricism, melodies (pink, yellow, orange), while Midnight Moonlight channels deeper tones (blue, silver, purple). Crush really pulls reds and pinks, mainly because red symbolizes love, the heart, and boldness, while pink is very soft and innocent—all being qualities of falling in love.” As personal as Lenae’s music can get, she hopes her fans are following along. “From 15 to 19 years old, a lot of changes happen in a girl’s life,” she says. “I like to think of my music as an open diary that allows listeners to experience that growth and change with me.” v

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JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 23

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

From basement shows to Pitchfork stages

The Curls é RACHEL WINSLOW

Veterans of Chicago’s multifaceted DIY scene talk about the community that shaped them.

Melkbelly é LENNY GILMORE

By LEOR GALIL

ll sorts of musicians have cut their teeth performing in unconventional DIY spaces: claustrophobic basements, dilapidated lofts, shuttered stores, old churches. Sometimes these artists are merely unknown, but in other cases they stay underground by choice—they prefer this community of volunteer-run spaces to the regular circuit of for-proﬁt venues, with their occasionally gun-shy bookers and heavy reliance on alcohol sales. Several acts nurtured by Chicago’s diverse and vibrant DIY scene are playing at the Pitchfork festival this year. “It’s not easy to just break into playing venues,” says Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, who has a set on Sunday. “Some people work their way into it, and DIY shows are just a whole ’nother experience you can’t get from playing a venue show.” Artists who rely on DIY spaces usually don’t have a manager or press agent. Sometimes they help run a show space themselves, or even live in it. Ogbonnaya lived in Humboldt Park’s Swerp Mansion, Julie Byrne (who plays Pitchfork on Friday) in Humboldt Park’s Ball Hall, and Bart and Liam Winters of Melkbelly (who also play Friday) in Wicker Park’s W.O.R.

24 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

Nnamdi Ogbonnaya

Julie Byrne

é JOHNNY FABRIZIO

Loft. In fact that’s where Bart met his future wife and bandmate, Miranda Winters. “DIY is no one circle or one scene,” says Jenny Marshall of the Curls, whose Friday set kicks off the entire festival. “When you bring up DIY, I immediately think of 30 or 40 different subgroups within Chicago.” I talked with ﬁve people from four Pitchfork acts about their experiences in Chicago DIY: Ogbonnaya, Byrne, Winters, Marshall, and Marshall’s bandmate and husband, Mick Fansler. JULIE BYRNE My ﬁrst year in Chicago, I lived in a show space called Ball Hall in west Humboldt Park. I lived with seven other people on the third story of a tall brick building. The loft that we shared used to function as a dance hall decades before.

é TONJE THILESEN

THE CURLS

Fri 7/20, 1:00-1:40 PM, Green Stage

MELKBELLY

Fri 7/20, 1:45-2:25 PM, Red Stage

JULIE BYRNE

Fri 7/20, 2:45-3:30 PM, Blue Stage

NNAMDI OGBONNAYA

Sun 7/22, 1:00-1:40 PM, Green Stage

NNAMDI OGBONNAYA My first experience was going to a show in northwest Indiana—I got to the house, and it was very gross and smelly. People had written all over the walls and were clearly demolishing it from the inside. . . . I think the next week I came to Chicago

to see Maps & Atlases, and that ended up being at a house venue too, called People Project. MIRANDA WINTERS (MELKBELLY) Mister City, People Project, and W.O.R. Loft—those were spaces that I went to a lot of shows at and I played shows at. The only space I was part of running and living at was Roxaboxen in Pilsen—that was later on. NNAMDI OGBONNAYA I saw that shit, and I was like, “I’m gonna do this at my house.” I was still living in the burbs. I asked my parents if I could start having shows on our screened porch. JULIE BYRNE We’d host bands from Chicago and touring musicians from across the States. I’d help out by running the door or the make-

shift bar. Eventually I began playing too, but that was the beginning for me. MICK FANSLER (THE CURLS) Six years ago I started going to open mikes. I quickly found out a lot of people that were running those open mikes were running DIY venues, and they’d invite me to play. The first time I started performing in front of people was through these DIY venues, so it’s given me a platform to start doing this and building confidence. JENNY MARSHALL (THE CURLS) When I moved to Chicago, my musical experience was limited to playing with, like, big bands. It wasn’t until I was brought into the Curls with Mick that I started playing more DIY shows. MIRANDA WINTERS When I started, I just wanted to play music and slowly realized, “Oh, there’s this community that has a voice and there’s power in that.” JULIE BYRNE It was such a labor of love, and one that felt so unparalleled to me at the time. Everyone who organized, cooked for the bands, ran sound, or pitched in to clean up after the shows did so because they believed in what it meant. It was a real shit show some of the time, but at its best—I remember sitting with my roommates on one of the platforms that overlooked the stage as Mines played to a sea of people in what we considered our living room, struck with awe at what had been made possible. NNAMDI OGBONNAYA Having a show where people are like, “Wow, this is the best experience of my life, and this was at a house.” That was important for me—to keep doing it no matter how small the venue is, or no matter where it’s at. There’s always gonna be someone that finds some importance in what you’re doing. MICK FANSLER Young Camelot—once we had the full band finally together—that was popping. Any time you played there, there would be at least a couple hundred people. It was a good place to grow. JULIE BYRNE It offered me the opportunity to share my songs. I was in my early 20s and working in the service industry. The jobs I held were much more about how long I could stand, how long I could work, how flexible I could be, how early I could rise, or how late I could stay. That’s how I spent a lot of my time. But in the quieter days—when I was alone or lonely or pining or spent, I became familiar with the how light passed across the walls of

my room, and usually after a phase of boredom I’d pivot toward writing. And when I wrote, I was healing myself in my own language. And when I performed those songs, I was in touch with what it felt like to be seen for who I was. MIRANDA WINTERS There’s a little bit of nerves when you start making music in a way that’s not normal. When you’re able to play through ideas that are not necessarily normal and they’re well received, or it’s for a group of people that are really into it, it makes you feel better about your art, so you continue doing it.

MUSIC PAIRED WITH BEER

JENNY MARSHALL Generally the audience is probably predominantly other musicians. We’ve made a lot of really inﬂuential connections and friendships through DIY spaces.

JULIE BYRNE Two of my roommates at the time ran tape labels, Solid Melts and Teen River—I had the joy of releasing on both. Those songs, which were recorded live and straight to tape in Ball Hall and other spaces, became my first record, which came out on Orindal in 2014.

MIRANDA WINTERS Playing loud or weird aggressive music, you get used to seeing the same faces.

NNAMDI OGBONNAYA When you’re having punk or hardcore shows, people forget that people live there and are like, “I’m gonna come to this punk show, get rowdy, and do all this stuff.” And if you try to enforce rules, sometimes people are, “Ahh, eff this!” But that’s a very small portion of people. MICK FANSLER With any scene, there will be the same group of four to ten bands that are playing the same space constantly. Sometimes you get caught up in that cycle, and I feel like you lose the potential for growing out of that community. MIRANDA WINTERS There’s endless cons, but there’s endless pros too. I moved to Chicago maybe ten years ago, and it felt very white and male in DIY spaces. I think we’ve come along— it’s not all, like, cis males. NNAMDI OGBONNAYA I don’t think I would want to do it again, unless I had a legit venue spot, ’cause a lot of things about it were stressful. But it’s really cool to have people travel and be able to have a place to stay, and making people food. It’s cool to have a spot for people to play. v

/ /

G O O S E I S L A N D B E E R C O.

m @imLeor

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 25

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

When playing Pitchfork is also about

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast é JOYCE JUDE

personal growth

(Sandy) Alex G é TONJE THILESEN

Girlpool, Japanese Breakfast, and (Sandy) Alex G refresh the indie tradition of foregrounding emotional development, not just musical evolution.

Girlpool é ANTI- RECORDS

GIRLPOOL

By ANNA WHITE

n GIRLPOOL’s 2015 album, Before the World Was Big, Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad sing, “Is it pouring out my body? / My nervous aching? / I like that you can see it.” They’ve evolved on their subsequent releases, but they still honor the venerable indie tradition of diaristic lyrics whose openness borders on exhibitionistic— they’re not growing just as musicians but also as people, ﬁguring out what their needs are, processing their motives and feelings, and learning to take responsibility for themselves. This spring Tucker came out as transmasculine, arguably an even bigger step, but Girlpool haven’t put out any music since then. Girlpool share that emotional territory with at least two other acts playing at Pitchfork this year: (SANDY) ALEX G and JAPANESE BREAKFAST. All three also occupy a liminal zone between their pasts as DIY sweethearts and their futures as artists signed to big, respected indie labels. (They’re now on Anti-, Domino, and Dead Oceans, respectively.) Musical and personal growth is important to all three. Their careers are still new—they range

26 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

Sat 7/21, 5:15-6 PM, Blue Stage

JAPANESE BREAKFAST

Sun 7/22, 4-4:45 PM, Blue Stage

in age from 21 to 29—and adolescence isn’t too far behind any of them. Picked up by the indie spotlight at roughly the same time, these bands have matured in parallel, carrying with them different aspects of their DIY roots. The music of Japanese Breakfast, aka Michelle Zauner, has developed most obviously in the quality of its production—her two albums under that alias, 2016’s Psychopomp and 2017’s Soft Sounds From Another Planet, have been scrubbed clean of the lo-ﬁ grit that roughed up her previous Bandcamp demos and the even earlier releases by her band Little Big League. “It felt like something I wanted to grow out of,” Zauner says. The layer of professional polish on her recent albums doesn’t interfere with the directness of her lyrics, though. “The songs still feel very real and like a real person is writing them in their bedroom—and then taking it to the next level with nice production.” The music of Alex Giannascoli, aka (Sandy) Alex G, evolved more in its content—as he grew older, he realized he’d been framing his struggles as though he were a victim, even when he wasn’t. He began to feel manipulative, like

(SANDY) ALEX G

Sun 7/22, 6:30-7:15 PM, Blue Stage

he was playing for sympathy. “I don’t want to keep going back through this vulnerable perspective when I’m writing,” he says. “It’s not the part of me that I want to keep reﬂecting, I guess.” Giannascoli’s extensive discography (which already includes 14 Bandcamp releases, most of them album length) extends back to songs he recorded in high school, and he’s working to move away from what he sees as that old material’s occasionally self-indulgent candor. “I’m trying to make something more universal when I’m writing now,” he says, “and when I was younger I think I was trying to be universal by being hyper self-involved.” Tracking a musician’s development can be like making periodic pencil marks on a door frame to watch someone grow. “You put out a record, and people think that that’s you until you put out another record,” says Girlpool’s Tucker. “It’s easily forgotten that all that time

in between, all this shit is happening.” Girlpool released Powerplant, their most recent fulllength, in May 2017, and immediately after the end of their last tour to support it, Tucker began testosterone therapy. This is the band’s first festival season since then. When I spoke to Tucker on the phone, I could hear that their voice was deeper. The change has definitely complicated the execution of the band’s characteristic harmonies. “Playing shows was really difficult, but now I’ve reworked a lot of my parts,” they say. It took me a while to pinpoint exactly why I group together Girlpool, (Sandy) Alex G, and Japanese Breakfast in my mind—they’re all relatively unpolished indie acts that lean heavily on guitars and singing, but that’s not the main factor. I think it’s their transparent, autobiographical writing—though of course it’s impossible to tell for sure with only the songs to go on, these artists seem genuine to me. They don’t shy away from emotion, even when it’s ugly or self-incriminating. That’s why their music resonates so strongly with me—it reflects the painful, confusing, and complicated process of turning into an adult. v

2018

Pitchfork

Music

Festival

Chaka Khan performs at ChicagoFest on Navy Pier in 1981, the year before she quit Rufus to devote herself full-time to her solo career. é CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Khan summation All kinds of Chicago music—AM radio pop, free-spirited R&B, bold Afrocentric jazz, soulful funk—came together to shape Chaka Khan’s incredible voice. By JAMES PORTER AND JAKE AUSTEN

CHAKA KHAN

haka Khan came into the world on March 23, 1953, as Yvette Marie Stevens—her jazz-loving parents named her after the Stan Getz song “Yvette.” Though she’d go on to become an icon of powerhouse funk, that name pays homage to white mainstream jazz—an apparent mismatch that makes more sense when you consider all the ways Chicago’s diverse musical culture helped mold her. Given all the impressive younger women in this year’s Pitchfork lineup, it’s tempting to bring up Khan’s anthemic 1978 smash “I’m Every Woman” as a way to talk about her inﬂuence on decades of future divas. But because we’re also talking about Chicago, where musical miscegenation has long deﬁed the harsh realities of segregation, it’s more interesting to look back—to remind ourselves how the city’s most dynamic daughter emerged as the culmination of a long process of genre crossover and collision.

AVANT-GARDE In 1964 11-year-old Yvette and her sister Bonnie (aka Taka Boom, who later sang with the Undisputed Truth) formed the Crystallettes, a girl group with Motown-inspired aspirations. They

Sun 7/22, 7:25-8:25 PM, Red Stage

covered hits on the talent-show circuit that nurtured future stars such as Minnie Riperton (then a 16-year-old singing with the Gems) and the Emotions (then performing with their father as the Hutchinson Sunbeams). Stevens had grown up going to the Point in Hyde Park with her father to hear free-jazz improvisers playing in the park, though, and for her the pop path was more of a detour. The Crystallettes would ﬁnd their true voice when she and Bonnie joined the Shades of Black, an Afrocentric ensemble that performed regularly at the Affro-Arts Theater at 39th and Drexel. Run by AACM cofounder and former Sun Ra collaborator Phil Cohran, the theater was a multimedia venue that billed itself as “the only continuous valid black experience in the midwestern sector of the United States.” The Shades were often backed by Affro-Arts soul-funk band the Pharaohs, whose members demonstrated the permeability of the boundaries between Chicago scenes. While they made uncompromisingly radical music at night, by day they worked as session musicians on hits from Chess Studios and cut jingles (including one for Afro Sheen). It was at Affro-Arts where a Yoruba priest renamed the young Yvette “Chaka,” meaning “woman of ﬁre.”

R&B Chicago’s most popular black music in the 50s and 60s came from Michigan Avenue’s Record Row, home to Chess and Vee-Jay—the former defined electric blues and urban rock ’n’ roll, and the latter rivaled Motown with the quality of its doo-wop, soul, blues, and pop singles. Vee-Jay veteran Curtis Mayfield took Chicago R&B to its apex, forming Curtom Records in 1968 and developing an alchemy that combined the musical freedom of the Summer of Love with the city’s most riveting soul hooks, production, and flavors. Curtom’s most unusual signee was James Ramey, aka Baby Huey, a king-size R&B showman whose hard-gigging party band, the Babysitters, won devoted fans on both sides of town. In late 1970, Huey was working on his debut Curtom LP when he died from a heart attack brought on by his weight and his drug use. His posthumous LP was a masterpiece that profoundly influenced hiphop, but perhaps more influential was another post-Huey development. After Shades of Black, Khan joined the R&B band Lyfe, with soul singer and guitarist Cash McCall and singer-

songwiter Gavin Christopher (who would later write hits for Rufus, including “Once You Get Started”). Thanks to that exposure, she was invited to replace Baby Huey in the Babysitters. That gig lasted till the band split up around a year later, and she spent it perfecting her chops at a succession of clubs, including Rush Over, Lolly’s, Nero’s Pit, and Mother’s.

CHICAGO POP These dynamic performances caught a lot of ears, and Khan was subsequently recruited for Rufus, a funk band formed from the ashes of one of the least funky acts of the late 60s. Four founding members—drummer Lee Graziano, bassist Chuck Colbert, guitarist Al Ciner, and keyboardist Kevin Murphy—had played with Chicago pop pillars the American Breed, whose “Bend Me, Shape Me” was a top-ten hit in the winter of 1967 and ’68. Their sound was a popular one among Chicago bands of the era: basically sunshine pop with a prominent horn section. In 1970, having decided to pursue soul and funk instead, they enlisted vocalist Paulette McWilliams and went through a few name changes, eventually landing on “Rufus.” In 1971 McWilliams decided to leave the group and found her own replacement in the form of her friend Chaka Khan, whose work with the Babysitters and south-side stalwarts Lock & Chain had seasoned her vocal and performance powers. Producer Bob Monaco, who’d previously worked with Chicago garage rockers the Cryan’ Shames and the Buckinghams, caught one of their gigs and helped get them a deal with ABC Records. Their debut album, Rufus, came out in July 1973, and “Whoever’s Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)” became a minor soul hit, earning the band a national TV spot on Soul Train. Rufus’s real breakthrough came the following year, with a song written by Stevie Wonder: “Tell Me Something Good.” Soon after Rufus released their sophomore album, 1974’s Rags to Rufus, Ciner quit the group, severing the last remaining link to the original American Breed lineup. Khan finally left in 1982, several years after she’d become a star in her own right. But the influence of AM radio pop, as well as the radical sounds of the jazz underground and the seductive grooves of Chicago’s R&B masters, would live on in one of the greatest musical instruments shaped in the fires of Chicago’s musical forge. As the crowds in Union Park will soon learn—if somehow they don’t already know—Chaka Khan’s voice is the Windy City at its best. v

m @JAKEandRATSO

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 27

Recommended and notable shows and critics’ insights for the week of July 19

MUSIC

ALL AGES

PICK OF THE WEEK

Fess Grandiose shows he’s a beat-scene leader with Front Room Methodology

Nate Smith é JOSE TORRES GARCIA

THURSDAY19 Nate Smith & KinFolk 7 PM, SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston, $17-$27. b

é TIM SCHREIER

OPEN MIKE EAGLE, SERENGETI, FESS GRANDIOSE

Fri 7/20, 10:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $15. 18+

IN MAY, the New York Times reported on a surge of teenage Europeans who run YouTube channels that live-stream music 24 hours a day, operating in a legal gray area reminiscent of 20thcentury pirate radio stations. Chief among these channels is the UK-based College Music, the operator of two live streams including “24/7 lofi hip hop radio—beats to study/chill/relax,” which has more than 400,000 subscribers to its broadcasts of mellow, mostly instrumental tracks by relatively unknown artists. In this world, Chicago producer Fess Grandiose could be a superstar. He’s a big player in the local beat scene; a couple years ago he launched “Open Beats,” a monthly series where any hip-hop producer can show up

28 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

and perform a short set of original music, and he records for venerable beat label ETC. Fess’s brand-new second album, Front Room Methodology, exudes Chicago in mood and detail. Its deceptively thumping closing track, “Kimball House,” is named after the Logan Square abode that previously served as his recording studio and once hosted a daylong DIY rap festival called Kimball House Rocks, and Fess gingerly applies enough hi-hats to enrich the track with the smoothness of deep house. But for all the qualities that could make his music ﬁt into lo-ﬁ hip-hop radio formats, it also has an active streak—play Front Room Methodology in the background and you might miss out on some magic. —LEOR GALIL

Drummer Nate Smith has taken his time as a bandleader. Last year the 43-year-old musician dropped Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere (Ropeadope), his second album and debut as a bandleader, which shows that his patience has yielded serious dividends. The record is a product of a superior musician and careful thinker who has absorbed ideas and assimilated them into his personal vision while tamping down his virtuosity (he takes only one solo, on “Spinning Down”). Over his impressive career Smith has worked with some of jazz’s most distinctive leaders, including bassist Dave Holland and saxophonists Chris Potter and Ravi Coltrane, where he plays deeply intricate music with lean precision and propulsive snap. But in his solo work, Smith streamlines things to focus on hypnotically soulful melodies and earthy, funky grooves. The end result feels closer to R&B than to jazz, but the meticulously tailored solos taken by members of his top-ﬂight band—particularly saxophonist Jaleel Shaw—provide an elasticity that betrays their stylistic pedigrees. Kinfolk includes snippets of interviews Smith conducted with his parents about their lives, and he composed melodies to evoke elements of his youth, but even without that subtext the music has a life of its own. The two-part, irresistibly taut funk jam “Bounce” opens with slashing, tightly coiled lines by Shaw before suddenly shifting into a measured strut that cools down the vibe. “Disenchantment: the Weight” is one of several breezy ballads that feature the tangy, sen- J

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Garnet Rogers & Archie Fisher In Szold Hall FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 8PM

Fans at the 2017 Silver Room Block Party dance to a DJ before Pete Rock’s set. é APRIL ALONSO/CHICAGO READER

Holly Near FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 8PM

FESTIVALS

Whether you do Pitchfork or not, there’s a music fest or two for you this weekend Pitchfork Music Festival See our preview coverage on page 18. Silver Room Block Party The Silver Room hosts its 15th block party, celebrating Chicago’s cultural diversity through art and music. Spread out all over Hyde Park, the daylong event includes a film festival, basketball games, yoga, and family activities, along with music at eight venues from Georgia Anne Muldrow, Bobbito Garcia, the Twilite Tone, Ron Trent, and many more. Sat 7/21, noon, multiple venues, silverroomblockparty.com, $5 suggested donation, all-ages Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Chance the Rapper hosts a star-studded concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics. He’ll share the bill with Usher, Smokey Robinson, and Jason Mraz. Sat 7/21, 5:30 PM, Huntington Bank Pavilion, 1300 S. Lynn White Dr., chanceraps.com, sold out Taste of Gospel The second annual Taste of Gospel festival offers food from local chefs and a day of live

music by national and local artists such as Vickie Winans, the Stars of Heaven, and Marguerite Gatling & the Inspirational Charms. Sat 7/21, noon, Washington Park, 51st and Cottage Grove, tasteofgospel.org, $12, $10 in advance, $20 VIP, free for kids under 12, all-ages Taste of River North This three-day festival in River North includes performances from locals such as Masked Intruder, AM Taxi, and Gramps the Vamp, as well as food from neighborhood restaurants Da Lobsta, Big & Little’s, and more. Fri 7/20, 5 PM; Sat 7/21, noon; Sun 7/22, 11 AM, Kingsbury and Erie, tasteofrivernorth.com, free, all-ages Warped Tour The long-running punk and hardcore fest makes its last lap around the country before hanging up its travelin’ shoes. The dozens of bands playing the Chicago stop include Every Time I Die, Chelsea Grin, and local heavyweights such as Harm’s Way and Mest. Sat 7/21, 11 AM, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park, vanswarpedtour.com/ dates/tinley-park/, $45, all-ages

Bruce Molsky's Mountain Drifters In Szold Hall

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 3PM

David Wilcox

In Szold Hall

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 8PM

Glorietta SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 8PM

The Martin Hayes Quartet featuring Dennis Cahill, Liz Knowles, and Doug Wieselman

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23 8PM

The Milk Carton Kids

with special guests The Barr Brothers presented by the Old Town School of Folk Music and Thalia Hall

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15 8PM

Amy Ray and her Band with special guest Amythyst Kiah

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9/30 Global Dance Party: The Revelers 10/13 Melanie 10/27 Hawktail

OLDTOWNSCHOOL.ORG JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 29

MUSIC continued from 28

to the show—but it’s possible to either zoom in on the music or just let it wash over you and bask in its tender, reﬁned atmospheres. —PETER MARGASAK

sual singing of Amma Whatt, bolstered by the nimble electric bass of Fima Ephron (the not-so-secret weapon besides the drummer) and sweetened by lean string arrangements. Smith belongs to the same generation as pianist Robert Glasper, and he traffics in similar territory, but the former keeps a much tighter rein on his band, dispensing endless vamps and incorporating solos that go against the music’s smooth veneer. This evening the drummer performs with Ephron, Shaw, Whatt, keyboardist Jon Cowerd, and guitarist Brad Allen Williams. —PETER MARGASAK

Hurt Everybody 6 PM, Concord Music Hall, 2047 N. Milwaukee, $10. b If you’re well versed in Chicago hip-hop, then you should certainly know the name Hurt Everybody, a rare group that appeared like an asteroid in 2014 and vanished just as quickly. While outsiders positioned the city’s scene as binary, dividing Chicago rappers into drill and poetry-bred alternative hip-hop, ignoring the joyful sound of, say, bop, Hurt Everybody showed that it’s possible to craft a sound for which there’s no local precedent, combining Mulatto Beats’ spaced-out, kaleidoscopic productions, Supa Bwe’s sweet and caterwauling battle cries, and Qari’s ballistic, world-building raps, which he delivers with an unruﬄed, grizzled grace. The members of Hurt Everybody understood you can make sense of what seems like a wild assortment of ingredients by mixing them together on your own, and after launching at the beginning of 2014, they quickly pulled many talented Chicagoans into their ﬁeld of gravity. The group’s last full-length, 2015’s 2K47, features Alex Wiley, Saba, Twista, rockers Twin Peaks, and Mick Jenkins—rumor had it he’d been working on an album-long collaboration with Hurt Everybody when the group called it quits at the beginning of 2016. Since they parted ways, the members of Hurt Everybody have found success as solo artists—the March video for Qari’s plinking daydreamlike “Pants From Japan” is about to hit a million views, and Supa will perform at Lollapalooza next month. I can only imagine their time apart has provided each member with armloads of ideas

Wilder Maker Grandkids headline; Wilder Maker and Half Gringa open. 9 PM, Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont, $10. 21+

Wilder Maker is a sophisticated New York quintet helmed by a crew of indie-rock veterans with broad interests, including songwriter and front man Gabriel Birnbaum, who’s previously played with the Ethiopian-inspired Debo Band. Though I’m not sure if his earlier aﬃliation was inspired by a love of Paul Simon’s Graceland, most of the songs on Wilder Maker’s brand-new album, Zion (Northern Spy), feature a vocal delivery that’s reminiscent of Simon’s clipped, conversational style on that record— if not explicitly referencing its mixture of South African and New Orleans pop. On the bubbling “Women Dancing Immortal,” Birnbaum unleashes a series of vivid images over a groove that’s embroidered by a coolly skittering electronic guitar pattern: “The sound of red meat sizzling on a grill and the spray of brightly painted signs,” he intones in a rhythmic yet conversational flow, conjuring a series of celebratory scenarios with effortless detail. The restrained, calmly pulsing “Multiplied” deftly recounts the highs and lows of life on the road, where a show in front of a packed house can be followed by “a crowd of six.” The group also includes Katie Von Schleicher, a skilled pop singer whose presence adds a much lighter, more ethereal glow to the music, and makes a gorgeous song like the moody “Impossible Summer” effectively cut the density and churn of the other tracks. —PETER MARGASAK

FRIDAY20

Fess Grandiose See Pick of the Week, page 28. Open Mike Eagle headlines; Serengeti and Fess Grandiose open. 10:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $15. 18+

Jonathan Hannau, Christopher Narloch 7 PM, Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church, 4511 N. Hermitage, donations accepted. b

Despite its profound and ongoing inﬂuence across a wide spectrum of musicians, the work of composer Morton Feldman is rarely performed in Chicago. That dearth can be explained in part by the durational intensity of many of his greatest works—

30 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

which often clock in at more than an hour, and demand intense concentration and focus from their players. Pianists Christopher Narloch and Jonathan Hannau have been making their presence increasingly felt in Chicago’s new-music community: the former is a successful instructor with a strong grasp of 20th-century repertoire, while the latter splits his time between composing and performing, and both have an abiding love for Feldman. This week they oﬀer Chicagoans the gift of a concert featuring two of Feldman’s late solo piano works in a single evening. Narloch will perform the 1981 masterpiece Triadic Memories, a meditative excursion that’s meticulously notated but centered on the way its chords and note patterns hang in the air and decay.

There’s no clear structural conceit—instead we hear a deceptively simple landscape of oblique melodies and haunting harmonies and a brilliant engagement with space as the activity waxes and wanes in endlessly varied fashion. Hannau will play For Bunita Marcus, a 1985 work that explores similar territory; rigorous repetition gives way to subtle changes akin to the kind of imperfections Feldman loved in Persian rugs. The work develops slowly, but there’s a clear journey for the listener who chooses to hone in on its shifts. Both of these pieces are exquisitely quiet, and sometimes one has to strain to hear the sounds. The pianists are open to audience members arriving late or leaving early—and they even approve of them wearing their pajamas and bringing a pillow

Benjamín Vergara é COURTESY THE ARTIST

MUSIC

Find more music listings at chicagoreader.com/soundboard.

they can develop together—and they have recently been working on something in the studio. Tonight’s show is sponsored by Lyrical Lemonade, a rap blog that’s become a mini multimedia empire thanks to its founder—in-demand video director and new tastemaker Cole Bennett, who launched it with an interest in covering local hip-hop acts that didn’t get much attention outside Chicago. Times sure have have changed. —LEOR GALIL

they inject such a natural rapport into their embrace of old-school folk makes it easy to see why. —PETER MARGASAK

SUNDAY22 Phoelix TheMind and DJs Ambi Lyrics & Nosidam open. 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $8, $5 in advance. 21+

Other Years 6 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, $10. 21+ Louisville outﬁt the Other Years carry on a vibrant old-time music tradition that summons the spirit and soul of rural mountain music, but the melodic sophistication and instrumental polish they bring make it sound utterly contemporary despite its appealing rusticity. The duo, composed of fiddler Anna Krippenstapel (who’s been working in Freakwater for the last few years) and guitarist Heather Summers, will release their self-titled debut on No Quarter this October. On the album the pair transmit the slack and homey charm of Michael Hurley’s “Wildegeeses,” inject their own “Sinks of Gandy” with a fiddle melody from the traditional song “Maysville,” and tackle the traditional number “Fair Ellen,” which they perform a cappella, as if sitting around their kitchen table. The rest of the

Hurt Everybody é COLE SCHWARTZ repertoire is all original, but even so it feels both ancient and timeless. Summers sings lead and Krippenstapel harmonizes with a familial ease; together they evoke famous mountain-music duo Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard, without the astringent bite. That’s not to say that Summers is a pop singer, but even when she wails at full volume on the beautifully droning “Red-Tailed Hawk,”

there’s a sweetness to her voice that distinguishes it from most Appalachian folk artists. The strummy “Bridges” is gorgeously embroidered by Krippenstapel’s earthy fiddle, which belies the surface simplicity with grace and harmonic richness. The duo have been attracting attention thanks in part to the embrace of fellow Kentuckians including Joan Shelley and Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and the way

Township will be remembered as a punk hub, but arguably the most important show the intimate Logan Square venue and restaurant hosted before it mysteriously shuttered last year was an all-ages rap blowout that took place in November 2015. The event was originally slated for the Abbey Pub, but when a mid-November fire forced the venue to close up and cancel all of its shows, rapper Saba moved the event to the much smaller club. Those who were lucky enough to get into the sold-out performance witnessed a stellar array of Chicago hip-hop artists on the ascent: Joseph Chilliams before he had a full-length to his name; Noname before she dropped “Gypsy” from her stage name; Smino, decked out in his finest Saint Louis gear and repping Zero Fatigue before people outside the midwest heard ever his shape-shifting vocals; and Saba, who was then on the precipice of J

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 31

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Come enjoy one of Chicago’s ﬁnest beer gardens! JULY 19.................THE JETSTAR 88S HOFFMAN SHOW 8PM JANUARY 11.................. FLABBY FEBRUARY 23 .....MIKE FELTEN

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EVERY TUESDAY (EXCEPT 2ND) AT 8PM OPEN MIC HOSTED BY JIMIJON AMERICA

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continued from 31

making two heart-wrenching, life-aﬃrming albums. Singer, rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Phoelix was among those in attendance; he met Noname and Smino at the show, and hung out with Saba afterward, forging a genuinely creative connection that resulted in Phoelix executive producing two of the most important Chicago hip-hop releases of the decade, Saba’s Bucket List Project and Noname’s Telefone. Phoelix grew up in suburban Fox Valley, where his parents worked in the church (his father served as a pastor, his mother choir director), and his older brothers played hiphop around the house (College Dropout-era Kanye, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell). Phoelix’s solo work builds on these two worlds, which is evident in the title of 2017’s GSPL. But rather than draw inspiration from his family traditions, his latest self-released album, March’s Tempo, often feels as if he’s transmitting messages from a higher plane of existence that only he can access. Tempo thumps, bumps, and clatters like a kitchen-sink R&B opus, but while it’s long enough to substantiate the idea of an “opus,” the album is best taken in small pieces; the laser synths, air-tight handclaps, and swirl of overdubbed voices on “Pluton” contain a world of ideas large enough to ﬁll an album on their own. —LEOR GALIL No Men é ASH DYE

Benjamín Vergara Quartet 9 PM, Hungry Brain, 2319 W. Belmont, $10. 21+ One of the most wonderful phenomena in the world of improvised music is that players can come together with little more than an introduction and proceed to create work in which they rapidly forge common ground. Few words need to be spoken, as sound transcends all manner of cultural differences. Chilean trumpeter Benjamín Vergara, whom I hadn’t previously heard, visited Chicago a couple of years ago armed with little more than some recommendations from his fellow trumpeter Jacob Wick, a former local. Among the configurations that arose from his stay was an agile quartet with reedist Keefe Jackson, pianist and ARP synth master Jim Baker, and drummer Phil Sudderberg, and the group was so convinced by the rapport among them that they made a recording after playing together only twice. The album that resulted, The Hallowed Plant (Relative Pitch), won’t be released until September, but the quartet will reconvene when Vergara returns to Chicago this week. The phrases blown by the two horn men seem to arise from thin air on the album’s title track, which is so naturally musical I assumed the group was playing a composition, but Jackson set me straight—everything was improvised. The musicians cover lots of ground together, from loosey-goosey postbop where Sudderberg’s inherent swing sensibility brings an infectious propulsion to the multilinear attack: lines switch between abstract smears and abrasions and tart, terse tunefulness. The final part of “This Moves That” illustrates that the quartet can slow things down, delivering the feel of a tender ballad that’s pushed along by Baker’s austere chords. “La Repentina Ola” provides a much different atmosphere, with Baker moving to analog synthesizer to produce alien sound swells over which the horn players alternate between chatty rapid-fire staccato and sour long tones. But as Sudderberg ratchets up the energy and kinetic motion, Jackson and Vergara follow suit, tak-

ing an aggressive approach that’s absent on the ﬁrst half of the album. Given the nature of improvised music, there’s no predicting how this quartet will sound tonight, but the excellence of the recording suggests it’s a risk worth taking. Vergara also performs Wednesday, July 18, at Beat Kitchen with guitarist Peter Maunu, vocalist Carol Genetti, and drummer Julian Kirshner as well as Thursday, July 19, at Elastic with Baker, Kirshner, and bassist Kent Kessler. —PETER MARGASAK

MONDAY23 Willie ColÓn Canalón de Timbiquí opens. 6:30 PM, Pritzker Pavillon, Millennium Park, Michigan and Randolph. b F Trombonist Willie Colón was something of a teenage salsa sensation when he signed to Fania Records in 1965 at age 15. He made his recording debut two years later with El Malo, which featured vocalist Héctor Lavoe and was right in the boogaloo mold that attracted several young New York Latin musicians and audiences. Tracks like “Willie Whopper” fused Latin rhythms with R&B grooves; neither side came up short. Not content to stay in the realm of Latin soul (which he would later dismiss as “rotten” “backbeat” music), he expanded his palette to include traditional sounds from Africa and Brazil. As he entered his 20s, his music became more outwardly political, which was to some extent also reﬂected in his choice of album art depicting him in full-on gangster mode: the cover of Lo Mato has a photo of Colón holding a gun to someone’s head, and 1970’s Cosa Nuestra had him standing over a dead body by the river. The cover of The Big Break—La Gran Fuga so closely simulated an FBI most-wanted poster it reportedly fooled some peo-

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CAN YOU SING??? Recording choir needs volunteer

singers for debut CD and YouTube video projects. ALL VOICES (especially SOPRANO and ALTO) for multi-cultural, non-denominational, adult community choir.Widely varied repertoire includes traditional and contemporary gospel, anthems, spirituals, hymns, international, and acappella. Saturday rehearsals, 9:30 am to 11:30 am, Chicago (SE Side) – close to the University of Chicago. Text or Call NOW – slots are

The Caleb Willitz Band é JACOB HAND

filling quickly. ClaimYour Star Power! ple into thinking that Colón was a fugitive on the run. But beneath the attention-getting promotion there was plenty of substance, as illustrated by his multiple collaborations with Celia Cruz and future salsa superstar Rubén Blades. For some reason, this kind of New York Latin music doesn’t have the wide following in Chicago that it should, but a live appearance from Willie Colón is indeed an event— he absolutely deserves his reputation as one of the most influential musicians in his field. —JAMES PORTER

TUESDAY24 No Men Lumps and Pylons open. 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $5. 21+ The name of aggressive and exciting Chicago outfit No Men refers to the opposite of “yes men” rather than throwing down a misandrist gauntlet— though their abundantly queer and confrontational approach suggests they’re totally fine with weeding out the MRA-type “Red Pillers” and wearers of red hats. After relocating here from Austin in 2014, singer-percussionist Pursley and guitarist DB joined forces with drummer Eric Hofmeister and got down to building a fierce sound through constant gigging. I caught them in the summer of 2017 on a bill with Lydia Lunch Retrovirus and was knocked off my feet by their raw and furious, yet witty and danceable melange of punk, no wave, and hard rock. Their full-length debut, Dear God, Bring the Doom (Geilig), released on cassette in fall 2017, captures that fury; recorded in just two days, it consists of short, efficient, satisfying, eloquent musical snapshots. No Men have also released a Halloween single and some glorious videos—especially the metallic “Stay Dumb,” an homage to classic cult horror films including Psycho and Suspiria. —MONICA KENDRICK

WEDNESDAY25

(312) 883-0716

Caleb Willitz Zlynn opens. 9 PM, Cafe Mustache, 2313 N. Milwaukee, $5-$10. 21+ Singer and songwriter Caleb Willitz has forged a beguiling sound that seems like it only could have emerged from Chicago. With each performance he works with a shifting cast of musicians and ends up reshaping his poetic folk-rock songs. As with last year’s Home (Peace of Coal), most of his bands feature top-notch improvisational voices from the local scene who change the complexion of the music and frequently extend his songs into powerful meditations. Willitz himself isn’t a great singer, but he delivers his lines with unadorned sincerity that conveys melodies with disarming directness—which allows his frequent vocal foil Tara Smith to add sweetness and depth with her harmonies. On the recording he’s joined by cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and saxophonists Edward Wilkerson Jr. and Greg Ward, who deftly weave countermelodies across the chords laid out by bassist Tatsu Aoki, guitarist Rami Atassi, and Willitz himself. On “Apparently Alive” the entire band provides a ﬁerce churn of licks and lines that create a boiling strain of psychedelic folkrock. That’s followed by the plaintive ballad “Blade,” which features little more than Smith complementing his grainy voice with acoustic guitar arpeggios. For this evening’s performance Willitz is joined by guitarist Rami Atassi, drummer Raul Cotaquispe, and Ward, who rather than playing alto sax will sing through a loop station to produce wordless textures. In an e-mail Willitz told me this strippeddown approach tends to bring out a more aggressive, noise-driven quality to his songs. —PETER MARGASAK v

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 33

FOOD & DRINK

FLIGHT CLUB DARTS CHICAGO | $$$ R 111 W. Wacker 312-284-2474 us.flightclubdarts.com

Antipasti ﬂatbread é LEIGH LOFTUS

Royal Family seafood tower é LEIGH LOFTUS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Flight Club Darts is a ﬂight of fancy

Raw oysters, rosé cotton candy, hookah-smoking sloths, and darts—what more could you and your Anglophile friends ask for? By AIMEE LEVITT

here is something delightfully and absurdly random about Flight Club Darts Chicago, as though all the planning for it took place over the course of a long, lazy, mildly intoxicated afternoon in a pub and, in the interest of fairness, everyone got to contribute one element that would make them happy. I imagine it went something like this: “Darts are really fun, you guys. Let’s open a darts bar.” “But a classy one, like, downtown and without sticky floors.” “I’ve always enjoyed a good raw seafood tower.” “And fancy cocktails with fanciful names!” “I tried this thistle spirit once. We should use that.”

34 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

“We should decorate it with my greatauntie Marge’s china horse collection.” “That would go great with this adorable wallpaper I saw the other day that has a picture on it of a hookah-smoking sloth.” “Ooooh! And you know what else we should have? Cotton candy! Boozy cotton candy.” “Let’s do this!” OK, maybe it didn’t go down exactly that way, but the Flight Club Darts origin story does involve a pub, and cofounder Steve Moore once led an expedition to circumnavigate the globe in a fire engine (for charity!), which suggests a whimsical streak, so why not? Anyway, Flight Club Chicago is the first American outpost of a British minichain that already has two locations in London with another pending in Manchester. After

that comes world domination. I truly hope it succeeds, because in these troubled times it does a soul good to spend time in a place that is unapologetically devoted to supplying as many forms of happiness as possible. It also does a soul good to throw something pointy and sharp. Flight Club specializes in “social darts.” I’m not sure what antisocial darts are— maybe poking somebody’s eye out?—but social darts differ from regular darts in that there are sensors in the board for electronic scoring. This eliminates confusion, cheating, and mansplaining. The best part is that when you win, a hidden camera in the board takes a video of your final throw and then a screen over the dartboard shows the instant replay. It’s like you did something heroic! I never

knew it was my dream to be featured in an instant replay until my friend beat me in our first game, but then that dream was fulfilled two games later, and it was easily one of the best moments of my week. There are a number of things you can do while you wait for your turn at darts. You can cheer on your companions from one of the padded benches of your assigned darts alley, which they call an oche (rhymes with “hockey”). Technically “oche” refers to the throw line, but the ample spaces, which start at $15 for half an hour, are far too grand to be mere “alleys.” Equipped with cozy leather couches and plenty of space to rest a drink, they’re easily big enough to accommodate an office outing. You could also admire the decor, which does indeed feature lots of china horses and wallpaper with hookah-smoking sloths (and gin-swigging raccoons and mandolin-strumming squirrels) and also hanging ferns, portraits that look like they were lifted from the Haunted Mansion at Disney World, and 18th-century etchings of dejected poets and their starving families. My friend described the style as English Cracker Barrel. It contrasts oddly with the architecture, which is modern American industrial, with

Search the Reader’s online database of thousands of Chicago-area restaurants—and add your own review—at chicagoreader.com/food.

JOBS

FOOD & DRINK Oches é COURTESY FLIGHT CLUB

lots of glass and concrete. This means the generic, thumping music reverberates off the ceilings, floors, and walls, and it is very, very loud. Sometimes it’s hard to converse, but you can always dance. Or you can choose a drink from the “Carousel of Cocktails,” devised by local bar consultant Peter Vestinos. Each is named after a rare or mythological creature— unicorn, kraken, white tiger—and contains at least one improbable ingredient, such as cardoon-thistle amaro, gingerbread rooibos tea, or artichoke liqueur. The ones I tried were all smooth and balanced and mostly delicious. You could also eat, though food is not Flight Club’s greatest strength. When you’re surrounded by so much glorious nonsense, eating is almost beside the point. The menu, like the bar itself, appears to be a list of the staff’s favorite things. Some of them, like the kung pao lettuce wraps, made with fried cauliflower, are prepared well. Some of them, like the oddly flavorless tandoori chicken skewers, are not. The most solid section of the menu was the raw seafood. Here everything was as it should be: the oysters were briny, the lobster sweet, the shrimp snappy, the poke tacos spicy. You might as well give in to the spirit of the place and order some raw seafood, a whole damn tower if you can afford it (those start at $65). Or the “Creamy Sexy Mushroom” f latbread because it’s actually pretty good, a nice blend of umami and thyme, and sturdy enough to hold in one hand while you hold a drink or a dart in the other, and, obviously, because the name is completely ridiculous. In the service of journalism, we asked our server what made the mushroom flatbread sexy. She said she’d asked the same thing when she started working there, and no one could give her an adequate explanation. But the willingness of the waitstaff to acknowledge the sheer absurdity of Flight Club Darts—and to sympathize with adult visitors’ sorrow or joy about the availability of

cotton candy—was one of the most endearing things about it. There is no reason why Flight Club should serve cotton candy except that it can. There is no reason why you should order it except that it exists. When I visited, the flavor of the day was rosé. It tasted like rosé if we did the taste equivalent of squinting. Which was beside the point. Sometimes the experience of a restaurant is about more than the food. Lately it feels like something horrible has been happening every day, and each horrible thing is an entirely new and absurd form of horrible that no sane person could ever have anticipated. When something is absurd in an utterly benign way, like when you get to see an instant replay of yourself winning at darts or eat rosé cotton candy when you’re sitting at a restaurant table like a grown-up, you should embrace it. You should laugh and allow yourself to be delighted for a few minutes. And you should remember it when you have to go back out into the world again. v

m @aimeelevitt

king crab house 1816 N. Halsted St., Chicago

OLDEST CRAB HOUSE IN CITY OF CHICAGO!

BAR SPECIAL*

Wings..................35 ea Oysters ...............65¢ ea Shrimp ................90¢ ea Mussels ...............$5.95 Spicy Shrimp .......$9.95 ¢

*Only at the Bar with 2 alcoholic drink min per person. Not valid with any other promotion or coupons Call For Reservation 312-280-8990

General The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, located in a large metropolitan area, is seeking a full-time Information Technology Technical Associate (Web Developer) to assist with Linux Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) and .Net application development and be responsible for all aspects of software application design, coordination, development and implementation (full SDLC). Design, develop, test and support web applications; develop and maintain Sharepoint Applications, the SQL server database, and the department’s website using CMS, Drupal, Joomla, HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Develop crystal reports to summarize data for multiple stakeholders; generate data reports and develop queries to pull data for clinical billing, research and administrative data; and assist in troubleshooting software application issues. Requirements are a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field of study and 1 year of experience in Web Development. For fullest consideration, please submit a CV, cover letter, and 3 references to the attention of the Search Coordinator via email at mmanzano @uic.edu, or via mail at University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, 1601 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612. The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. SOFTWARE SYSTEMS SUPPORT SPECIALIST (TRUMPF INC.,

Hoffman Estates, IL). Scale to size, implement and fully support TruTops Fab and Boost software solutions for customers and provide first-level support for Axoom and Metamation software. 90% customer implementation. Travel approx. 20% annually, some int’l. Must have bachelor’s in CIS, CS, or related, & 2 years in ERP systems & integration with 3rd-party software in mfg. env., incl. CNC, automated systems & software, SQL & SQL Server management; CAD/CAM support, IT project mgmt., & presenting & training for different types and sizes of audiences. Qualified candidates may apply online at www.trumpf.com.

ASSURANCE SENIOR ASSOCIATE – TANGIBLE ASSETS VALUATION (MULT. POS.),

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chicago, IL. Apply engineering concepts to help clients navigate thru complicated transactions from eval thru integration in a multi-faceted bus. environment. Req. Bach’s deg or foreign equiv. in Engg, Math, Econ, Sci or rel. + 3 yrs rel. work exp.; OR a Master’s deg or foreign equiv. in Engg, Math, Econ, Sci or rel. + 1 yr rel. work exp. Travel up to 20% req. Apply by mail, referencing Job Code IL1802, Attn: HR SSC/Talent Management, 4040 W. Boy Scout Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607.

PRICE F(X), INC. seeks a Solution Architect in Chicago, IL to lead bggr prgams and mltple cstmrs. Req: Bach in CS or rel fld and 5 yrs of exp. Knwldge of object oriented prgrmmng prncpls, J ava/Groovy. Knwldge of prgammng lnguage Java; Exp w/ Web Srvcs, HMTL, and Java Script. Exp w/ enterprise sftwre implmntatn prjcts. Exp w/ prcng dmain prjcts. Exp w/ rltnl dtbss. Exp srvng in a lrge, glbl, cmplx cmpny and/or lrge, glbl, cmplx clnts. Trvl may be rqrd up to 10% to cstmr locs w/i the U. S. App to Price f(x) Attn: Sanna Jesse #001, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Suite 4220, Chicago, IL 60606. ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY LADAS & Parry in Chicago, IL; At-

torney w/JD+license+BS in Electrical Engineering; Draft patent apps and responses to USPTO actions. Research, analyze, and advise on legal issues and apps; Send resume @ Richard J. Streit-224 S. Michigan Ave. STE 1600 Chicago, IL

GROUPON, INC. is seeking a Financial Systems Manager in Chicago, IL w/ the following responsibilities: Mng, admin, & support Groupon’s global ERP (NetSuite) & other systems used by 300+ global acctg & finance users; mng the systems that are the source of all acctg data. Apply on-line at https: / / j o b s . g r o u p o n . com/jobs/R17423

OPTOMETRIST – FULL-TIME / Part-time Rockford, IL Northern Illinois Optical Co Inc is looking for an experienced optometrist. Must be a Licensed Optometrist in the state of Illinois. northernillinoisoptical@gmail.com

REAL ESTATE RENTALS

STUDIO $500-$599 CHICAGO, CAL PARK & Blue Island: Studio $625 & up; 1BR $700 & up; 2BR $885 & up. Heat, Appls, Balcony, Carpet, Laundry, Parking. Call 708-388-0170 SOUTH SHORE AREA -

Newly remod Studio & 1 BR. Near Metra & CTA, appls incl. $560$700/mo. Steve 312-952-3901

STUDIO $600-$699 Chicago, Hyde Park Arms Hotel, 5316 S. Harper, elevator bldg, phon e/cable, switchboard, fridge, priv bath, lndry, $165/wk, $350/bi-wk or $650/mo. Call 773-493-3500

STUDIO $700-$899 LARGE STUDIO APARTMENT

near Loyola Park. 1339 W. Estes. Hardwood floors. Cats OK. $775/ month. Heat included. Available 9/1 (773) 761-4318

STUDIO OTHER GARY NSA ACCEPTING applications for SECTION 8 STUDIO AND ONE BDRM Apartments. Apply Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm ONLY at 1735 W 5th Ave. Applications are to be filled out on site. Adult applicants must provide a current picture ID and SS card.

LARGE SUNNY ROOM w/fridge & microwave. Near Oak Park, Green Line & Buses. 24 hr Desk, Parking Lot $101/week & Up. (773)378-8888 CROSSROADS HOTEL SRO SINGLE RMS Private bath, PHONE,

CABLE & MAIDS. 1 Block to Orange Line 5300 S. Pulaski 773-581-1188

Ashland Hotel nice clean rms. 24 hr desk/maid/TV/laundry/air. Low rates daily/weekly/monthly. South Side. Call 773-376-5200

1 BR UNDER $700 NEWLY REMODELED UNITS

61st & King Dr. 3 Bd/2Ba, Washer/ Dry Hook-up, Alarm, 61st & Racine - 1Bd/1Ba, 1 year Free Heat. Chicago Heights 4 Bed, 2 Full baths, SFH. Other locations available. Approved credit receive 1 month free rent. For More Info Call 773.412.1153

7022 S. SHORE DRIVE Impecca-

bly Clean Highrise STUDIOS, 1 & 2 BEDROOMS Facing Lake & Park. Laundry & Security on Premises. Parking & Apts. Are Subject to Availability. TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS 773-288-1030

65TH & EBERHART - 2BR apt in

quiet 6-flat. washer/dryer on premises, CAC, $775/mo. 1st and last month rent, background & credit check required. Call Matt at (312)4769474

917 E. MARQUETTE 2Bd $900

1 Month Free & No Security, Section 8 Welcome. Niki 773-808-2043

MIDWAY

AREA/63RD

KEDZIE Deluxe Studio 1 & 2 BRs. All modern oak floors, appliances, Security system, on site maint. clean & quiet, Nr. transp. From $445. 773582-1985 (espanol) PRE-SPRING SPECIAL - CHICAGO South Side Beautiful Studios, 1,2,3 & 4 BR’s, Sec 8 ok. Also Homes for rent available. Call Nicole 312-446-1753; W-side locations Tom 630-776-5556; CHATHAM 7105 S. CHAMPLAIN, 1BR. $6 40.

2BR. $775. Sec 8 OK. Heat & appl. Call Office: 773-966-5275 or Steve: 773-936-4749

CLEAN ROOM W/FRIDGE & micro, Near Oak Park, Food -4Less, Walmart, Walgreens, Buses & Metra, Laundry. $115/wk & up. 773-637-5957 CHICAGO: VICINITY OF 108th & Wabash, Lrg 3BR, newly rehabbed, 1st flr, quiet, clean 2-flat bldg, Sec 8 welcome. $950/$1100. 773-510-9290

NEWLY REMOD 1BR & Studios starting at $580. No sec dep, move in fee or app fee. Free heat/hot water. 1155 W. 83rd St., 773-619-0204 CHATHAM 1BR, dining room, heat & appls included, available Aug 1st. No Pets. $650-$675/mo. 773-580-1000 or 773-441-8510

AUSTIN - 1BR GARDEN APT, utilities not included. $650/mo + 1 month security deposit. Section 8 Welcome. Call 773-317-1837 NICE ROOM w/stove, fridge & bath Near Aldi, Walgreens, Beach, Red Line & Buses. Elevator & Laundry. $133/wk & up. 773-275-4442 BIG ROOM with stove, fridge, bath & nice wood floors. Near Red Line & Buses. Elevator & Laundry, Shopping. $121/wk + up. 773-561-4970

WEST AVALON, 1BR, Newly decorated. 8059 Ellis, hardwood floors, heat & appliances included. $700/mo. Call 708-769-6902 6930 S. SOUTH SHORE DRIVE Studios & 1BR, INCL. Heat, Elec, Cking gas & PARKING, $585-$925, Country Club Apts 773-752-2200

7425 S. COLES - 1 BR $620, 2

BR $735, Includes Free heat & appliances & cooking gas. (708) 424-4216 Kalabich Mgmt HYDE PARK -SGL.FURN.RMS. With Refrig & Microwave, Utils. Inc. Close to Lake and Trans. $545-$580, Ldry & 24hr sec. 773-577-9361

Forest Park: 1BR new tile, energy efficient windows, lndry facilitities, a/c, incls heat - natural gas, $895/ mo Luis 708-366-5602 lv msg NO SEC DEP

7801 S. Bishop. 2BR. $610/mo. HEAT INCL 773-955-5106

1 BR $700-$799 ALSIP: UPDATED 2BR APT,

1.5BA. $950/mo & 1BR apt, 1BA, $750/mo. Appls, laundry, parking & storage. Call 708-268-3762

1 BR $800-$899

LARGE GARDEN APARTMENT. 6802 N. Wolcott. Hardwood floors. Cats OK. $850/month (heat included) Available 8/1. 773-761-4318.

1 BR OTHER APTS. FOR RENT PARK MGMT & INV. LTD. SUMMER IS HERE!!! MONST UNITS INCLUDE.. HEAT & HOT WATER STUDIOS FROM $495.00 1BDR FROM $545.00 2BDR FROM $745.00 3 BDR/2 FULL BATH FROM $1200 **1-(773)-476-6000** APTS. FOR RENT PARK MGMT & INV. LTD. SUMMER IS HERE!!! HEAT, HW & CG PLENTY OF PARKING 1BDR FROM $785.00 2BDR FROM $1025.00 3 BDR/2 FULL BATH FROM $1200 **1-(773)-476-6000***

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 35

CHICAGO, 3400 W & 1900 S., Newly decorated 2.5BR Apartment, $700/mo + 1 mo sec. Call 773-626-8993 or 773-653-6538

REAL ESTATE RENTALS

9112 S. YATES, Great location.

2BR, 1st flr, carpet, ceiling fans & mini blinds. $785/mo + security. HEAT INCLUDED. 773-374-9747

1 BR OTHER ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL Cedar Villas is accepting applications for subsidized 1BR apts. for seniors 62 years or older and the disabled. Rent is based on 30% of annual income. For details, call us at 847-546-1899 ∫

6748 CRANDON & 7727 COLFAX MOST BEAUTIFUL APARTMENTS! 1 & 2BR, $625 & UP. OFF STREET PARKING. 773-947-8572 / 312-613-4424 SUBURBS, RENT TO OW N! Buy with No closing costs and get help with your credit. Call 708868-2422 or visit www.nhba.com CHICAGO, RENT TO OWN! Buy with no closing costs and get help with your credit. Call 708868-2422 or visit www.nhba.com

NO SECURITY DEPOSIT NO MOVE IN FEE 1, 2, 3 BEDROOM APTS (773) 874-1122 ACACIA SRO HOTEL Men Preferred! Rooms for Rent. Weekly & Monthly Rates. 312-421-4597

2 BR UNDER $900 Chicago, 9121 S. Cottage Grove, 2BR apt. $1050/mo Newly remod, appls, mini blinds, ceiling fans, pkng Sec 8 OK. Free Heat 312-915-0100

SALES & MARKETING

mo sec. 9117 South Laflin after 6pm 708-957-7861

wood ﬂoors , newly renovated condo for rent. With new appliances, swimming pool and 24 hrs security. Free heat call 312-617-2759

2 BR OTHER

2 BR $900-$1099

portation. $1250/mo. Sec 8 ok or cash. Call 708-263-8214

75 S.E. YATES -Renovated 2BR,

FR, 1.5BA, LR, DR, Eat in Kitc., 3 flat, tenant heated, $950/mo. No rent increases for 4 years. 773-375-8068

CHATHAM AREA, Gorgeous, 2BR, 1st flr, updated kit & bath.

$900/mo + 1 mo sec. Clean & Quiet. No Pets. 773-930-6045

LATROBE NEAR OAK Park, newly decorated 3BR, stove/fridge incl, tenant pays utils. Sec 8 OK 1 mo. rent/1 mo. req’d. 773-6262874

2 BEDROOM, 2 baths with hard-

East Chicago, IN 2BR $675 heat incl; tenant pays utils. 1 mo. free rent w/lease. Call Malcolm 773577-9361

GRESHAM: REHABBED 24BR, heat included, close to trans-

735 E. 91st str Chgo All Welcm 2nd Flr 3Bed Rm 1Bath Livg Rm/Din Rm, Study Rm Carpet ﬂr, Fridge Stove incld Near Transp Tenants pay utility. Call 312 973 0655

2 BR $1300-$1499

CHICAGO NEWLY DECORATED 2 BR, , heat included, $875 + 1

CHICAGO, 9305 S. Saginaw, Newly rehabbed, 2BR, carpet, stove & fridge, heat not incl, $950/ mo. Sect 8 welc. Mr. Johnson, 773294-0167

QUIET CHATHAM NEIGHBD,

SECTION 8 WELCOME. NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. 718 W 81st St, 5BR, 2BA house, appls incl., $1300/mo. 708-288-4510

10446 EGGLESTON. 2-3BR Ranch, 1.5BA, tenant pays heat and electric. $400 move-in fee. $1200/ mo. Sec 8 Welcome 708-417-6999

SALES & MARKETING

SECTION 8 WELCOME. No Security Deposit. 7721 S Peoria, 3BR apt, appls incl. $1050/mo. 708-288-4510

ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL Cedar

2 BEDROOM 2 bathroom Condo

located in Summit,IL Off of 74th and Archer. Entire Unit is in great shape. $1400 per month for 1 year Lease or $1375 per month for 2 year lease. This unit is Available Now. call 708 785 8852

UPTOWN, 4344 NORTH CLARENDON AVENUE, #1 (At Montrose) Large 2 bedroom vintage apt with hardwood floors and updates. New Stone/Quartz bath and new kitchen with granite top and stainless steel appliances: stove/ ref/dishwasher. Private front balcony. 2 blocks from lake $1400 (includes heat and hot water) Call EJM 773-935-4425

Villas is accepting applications for Subsidized 2 and 3 bedroom apt waiting list. Rent is based on 30% of annual income for qualified applicants. Contact us at 847-546-1899 for details

CHATHAM CHARM - Vintage,

newly rehab, 2 BR, h/w flrs, sec alarm, SS appls, heat & hot water incl, laundry, Sec 8 & Seniors Welc. Call for appt (773)418-9908

HUGE

IMMAC

2BR/1BA

newly remod, spac, quiet block & bldg, nr trans & shops. Won’t Last. Sec 8 Welcome. 312-519-9771

3 BR OR MORE UNDER $1200

2 BR $1100-$1299 BEAUTIFUL REMOD 1, 2 & 3BR Apts, hdwd flrs, custom cabinets, granite cntrs, avail now. $1000$1200 /mo + sec. 773-905-8487. Section 8 Ok

BRONZEVILLE: SECTION 8 WELCOME. No Security Deposit. 4841 S Michigan. 4BR $1300 . Appls incl. 708-288-4510

2 BR $1500 AND

OVER

LARGE BRIGHT LINCOLN Pk

2Bd, 1Bth, In Unit W/D, Roof Deck, Back Porch, HVAC, Fireplace, DW, Hardwood Floors, Available Immediately. $2000-$2900. Call: 773-4725944

SALES & MARKETING

CALUMET CITY large 3 BR, 2 BA, appl, A/C, laundry, hrdwd flrs, patio, parking. $1100 per mo + 1 mo sec. he at/ water incl 312-841-4556

3 BR OR MORE $1200-$1499

AUSTIN

NEIGHBORHOOD,

NEAR Oak Park. Nice area, quiet block. Newly remodeled, 2nd floor of 2-flat. Hardwood floors, fresh paint, new kitchen and bathroom. On-site management. $1250-$1400. HEAT INCLUDED! Verifiable information required. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY. 773-490-6132. 6119 S. ADA. Beaut. 5BR, 1. 5ba, lrg bckyrd, quiet, well kept area. Major appls incl. Utils not incl. Sec 8 OK. $1390. 773-720-9787

80th & Drexel , 3BR, 2BA, $1200. 79th & Aberdeen, 2 BR Garden Apt, $750. Ten pays utils. Sec 8 OK. Hdwd/cera tile. 773-502-4304

ADULT SERVICES

3 BR OR MORE $1500-$1799 LARGE 3 BEDROOM, one bath apartment, 4423 N. Paulina. Hardwood floors. Cats OK. $1790/ month. Heat included. Available

8/1. Parking space available for $75/ month. (773)761-4318.

3 BR OR MORE $1800-$2499 LARGE 3 BEDROOM apartment near Wrigley Field. 3822 N. Fremont. Hardwood Floors. Cats OK. $2175/ month. Available 8/1. Single parking space available for $175/month. Tandem spot available for $250/month. (773) 761-4318

3 BR OR MORE OTHER

SUMMER SPECIAL, SECTION 8 Ok, 3, 4 & 5 BR houses avail. South Side: 773-287-9999, West Side: 773-287-4500.

CHICAGO, 11820 S. UNION, 3BR Apartment, newly rehabbed. Section 8 welcome. Available Now. Call 773-440-5801 SOUTHSIDE NEWLY REMOD, 5BR, 2BA, finished bsmt, huge fenced-in backyard with parking, SS Appls & W/D. 773-908-8791

GENERAL NEW KITCHENS & BATHS. 69th/Dante, 3BR. 77th/Lowe, 1 & 2BR. 71st/Bennett. 2BR. We have others! Sec 8 Welc. 708-503-1366

ADULT SERVICES

Pines of Edgewater Apartments

Section 8 Waitlist Open Edgewater neighborhood. Unit types available: 1 bedroom senior/disabled 1, 2 & 3 bedroom family Apply online at www.thepinesof edgewater.com July 30th to August 13th Please call the property with questions at 773-728-5009. Managed by The Habitat Company

GARAGE SALE JULY 27, 28, 29:

6759 N. Maplewood Ave. ( Garage is on Pratt.) Beanie Babies, Books, Clothing, Dishes, Glassware, Antique glass lamp shades, lamps, Furniture. Paintings, Handmade pottery. 12-5.

KILL TEED!

ROACHES-GUARAN-

Buy Harris Roach Tablets or Spray. Odorless, Long Lasting Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com

ENGLISH MASTIFF PUPPIES!

AKC reg. ch. bloodlines. fawn males and females and brindle females. will be huge. $1000 each. call or text 618838-1143

non-residential LOOKING TO RENT SHARED OFFICE SPACE! We have rental space available for Massage Therapist, Electrologist, Esthetician or other professional in our beautiful Michigan Avenue location. $365.00 mo. Call 708-420-5803.

KILL BED BUGS!

Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS FULL BODY MASSAGE. hotel, house calls welcome $90

MARKETPLACE

special. Russian, Polish, Ukrainain girls. Northbrook and Schaumburg locations. 10% discount for new customers. Please call 773-407-7025

CLASSICS WANTED ANY CLASSIC CARS IN ANY CONDITION. ’20S, ’30S, ’40S, ’50S, ’60S & ’70S. HOTRODS & EXOTICS! TOP DOLLAR PAID! COLLECTOR. CALL JAMES, 630-201-8122

MUSIC & ARTS

ADULT SERVICES

GOODS

TRACY GUNS PROD. Rocks,

Top Models, Rue, Man of the People, Ghostly-Finne 4, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Guns-N-Roses, B. Spears, A C/DC, Love RS Bunny 312-206-0867

HARVEY 3BR, 1BA, newer paint & crpt, finished bsmt, fenced yard, tenant pays utillities. $1050/mo + 1 mo sec dep. 708-927-1950

SALES & MARKETING

Retail

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.

BINNY’S IS HIRING! Binny’s Beverage Depot is the Midwest’s largest upscale retailer of fine wines, spirits, beers and cigars, and due to our continued growth, we are now looking for dedicated individuals to join our team at our Chicago location in Lakeview.

Meet sexy friends who really get your vibe...

Try FREE: 773-867-1235

CIGAR SALES SPECIALIST

More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000

Assists in developing sales and providing assistance to customers. Keeps merchandise and store organized, while continuing to develop knowledge of store products. Must possess a thorough, in-depth knowledge of cigars.

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36 CHICAGO READER | JULY 19, 2018

SAVAGE LOVE

HOT GIRL

By Dan Savage

BODY RUBS

Shades of grey

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A 20-year-old bottom having an aﬀair with a 50-year-old dom wonders what’s next now that she’s a big girl. Plus: a #MeToo moment on the massage couch? Q : I’m a 20-year-old

submissive woman. I’m currently in a confusing affair with a 50-year-old dominant married man. He lives in Europe and has two kids close to my age. We met online when I was 17 and starting to explore my BDSM desires—out of the reach of my overbearing, sex-shaming, disastrously religious parents—and we’ve been texting daily ever since. We’ve since met in different countries and spent a total of three weeks together. Those weeks were amazing, both sexually and emotionally, and he says he loves me. (Some will assume, because of the age difference, that he “groomed” me. He did not.) I date vanilla boys my age, with his full support, while we continue to text daily. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to blow up his family if (or when) our affair is discovered. But at the same time, our relationship has really helped me navigate my kinks and my sexuality. Expecting him to leave his wife for me is a highly unrealistic cliche, I am aware. Yet I fear I’ve become dependent on his conversation and advice. I’m graduating soon and have a big job lined up in a big city. I’ll finally be financially independent, and I’d like to start making the right choices. Any perspective you have would be much appreciated. —THINGS MUST

IMPROVE

A : He is not going to leave

his wife for you, and you shouldn’t assume his wife is going to leave him if (or when) this aﬀair is discovered (or exposed). Divorce may be the default setting in the United States in the wake of an aﬀair, TMI, but Europeans take a much more, well,

European attitude toward inﬁdelity. Deﬁnitely not cricket, not necessarily fatal. And you don’t need him to leave his wife for you, TMI. OK, OK—you’re in love, and the three weeks you’ve managed to spend together were amazing. But don’t fall into the trap of believing a romantic relationship requires a tidy ending; film, television, and literature beat it into our heads that romantic relationships end either happily at the altar (a la Pride and Prejudice) or tragically at the morgue (à la Forensic Files). But romantic relationships take many forms, TMI, as does romantic success. And such as it is, this relationship as is sounds like an ongoing success. In other words, TMI, I think you’re confused about this relationship because there won’t be a resolution that fits into a familiar mold. But you don’t need a resolution: You can continue to text with him, and he can continue to provide you with his advice and support while you continue to date single, available, and kinky men (no more vanilla boys!) closer to your own age and/or on your own continent. Eventually you’ll meet a new guy you’re crazy about— someone you can see for more than one week a year— and you’ll feel less dependent on and connected to your old flame.

Q : While on vacation, I went

for a full body massage. The first half of the massage—me on my stomach—was great. When the masseuse asked me to flip on my back, things took a turn. She uncovered one of my legs and began massaging my thigh. As she worked on my inner thigh, her finger grazed my scrotum. Then it happened again. And again. She was

working on my thigh, but it felt like I was getting my balls caressed. I began to worry I was getting a visible erection. Then I started to panic when I felt like I might actually come. (I have always had issues with premature ejaculation.) I tried hard to clamp down and think about baseball and senior citizens, but I wound up having an orgasm. She eventually moved to my arms, shoulders, etc, but meanwhile I’m lying there with jizz cooling on myself. Am I guilty of #metoo bad behavior? Should I have said something or asked her to stop? Is it possible she didn’t have any clue? I still feel really weird about the whole thing. I get massages frequently, this has never happened before, and I certainly didn’t go into it looking for this result. — LOST OPPORTUNITY AT DE-ESCALATION

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A : If it all went down as

you described, LOAD, you aren’t guilty of “#metoo bad behavior.” “Erections do happen,” a masseuse told me when I ran your letter past her. “So long as guys don’t suddenly ask for a ‘happy ending,’ expose themselves, or—God help me—attempt to take my hand and place it on their erection, they haven’t done anything wrong.” Since this hasn’t happened to you before, LOAD, I don’t think you should waste too much time worrying about it happening again. But if you’re concerned it will happen again, go ahead and have a quick wank before your appointment. v Send mail to mail@ savagelove.net. Download the Savage Lovecast every Tuesday at savagelovecast. com. m @fakedansavage

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JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 37

b Venom Inc. 8/31, 7 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ Violent Femmes 11/4, 7:30 PM, the Vic, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Virtual Self 9/7, 9 PM, Aragon Ballroom, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Watsky 10/24, 6 PM, Concord Music Hall b Whethan 10/5-6, 6 PM, Concord Music Hall b Keller Williams 11/9, 9 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b Keller Williams Duo 11/8, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 7/19, noon b Wynonna & the Big Noise 9/7, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 7/19, noon b Years & Years 10/15, 7:30 PM, the Vic, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b

Jawbreaker é ALISON GREEN

NEW

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore 9/9, 5:30 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn Basia 10/10, 6:30 and 9 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 7/19, noon b Behemoth, At the Gates 11/9, 7:30 PM, House of Blues, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+ Benny Benassi 9/21, 10 PM, the Mid Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys 11/2, 9 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn Black Tiger Sex Machine 10/13, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+ Black Tusk, Whores. 8/16, 7 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Blues Caravan 10/18, 8 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn, on sale Fri 7/20, 11 AM Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ying Yang Twins 9/20, 8 PM, Patio Theater Cavetown 12/8, 6:30 PM, Bottom Lounge b Cumulus 9/17, 8 PM, Subterranean, 17+ Denzel Curry 10/4, 7 PM, Bottom Lounge b Lauren Daigle 10/5, 7:30 PM, Rosemont Theater, Rosemont, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Cheick Hamala Diabate 8/17, 8 PM, Szold Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 7/20, 8 AM b Dobre Brothers 10/28, noon, Concord Music Hall b Dom Flemons 10/26, 8 PM, Szold Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 7/20, 8 AM b Frigs 9/22, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Glitch Mob 10/11, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+

UPCOMING Goon Sax 10/30, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Haken, Leprous 12/1, 7:30 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+ David Liebe Hart 9/30, 7 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Nikki Hill 11/3, 9 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn Jag Panzer 9/15, 7 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Jawbreaker 11/4, 6:30 PM, Aragon Ballroom, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b Kiiara, Abir 10/29, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Eric Lindell 10/26, 9 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn; 10/28, 7:30 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b Lo Moon 10/6, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Loud Luxury 8/18, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 18+ Low Cut Connie 10/28, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Matisyahu 10/28-30, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 7/19, noon b MDC 10/17, 7 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Gurf Morlix 10/30, 8 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn, on sale Fri 7/20, 11 AM Kacey Musgraves 1/31, 8 PM, Chicago Theatre, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Leigh Nash 10/7, 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b Michael Nesmith & the First National Band 9/13, 8 PM, Maurer Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 7/20, 8 AM b Pallbearer, Tribulation 9/18, 8 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+ Paper Kites 11/21, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 7/20, 11 AM, 18+

38 CHICAGO READER - JULY 19, 2018

Parsonsﬁeld 10/4, 8 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Peach Pit 10/17, 8 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Ron Pope 3/9, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 7/19, noon b Restorations 10/13, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Roosevelt 12/12, 8 PM, Bottom Lounge, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Round Robin with Akenya, Katinka Kleijn, Makaya McCraven, Haley Fohr, and more 8/30, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 18+ Saints of Valory 11/2, 9 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM John Scoﬁeld Jazz Quartet 10/3, 7 and 9:30 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM b Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin 11/18, 8 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ Soja, Collie Buddz 10/23, 9 PM, House of Blues, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+ Striking Matches 10/11, 8 PM, Martyrs’, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM Subhumans 9/8, 7:30 PM, Cobra Lounge, 17+ Swingin’ Utters 9/28, 8:30 PM, Cobra Lounge, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+ Tarja 9/6, 8 PM, Patio Theater Estas Tonne 12/14, 8:30 PM, Patio Theater KT Tunstall 11/1, 8 PM, Park West, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 18+ Turnpike Troubadours, Charley Crockett 11/16, 9 PM, House of Blues, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM, 17+ Twenty One Pilots 10/17, 7 PM, United Center, on sale Fri 7/20, 10 AM

Matt Andersen 10/2, 8 PM, City Winery b Nicole Atkins 8/10, 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Marcia Ball 8/23, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, $22-$47 b Basement 8/3, 10 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ James Bay 3/19, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, 17+ Borns, Twin Shadow 9/30, 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom b Brand X 12/8, 7 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ Phil Collins 10/22, 8 PM, United Center David Cook 10/31, 8 PM, City Winery, $25-$35 Dead Sara 9/29, 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, 18+ Deafheaven, Mono 7/30, 7 PM, Metro, 18+ Destroyer 10/17, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Exploded View 11/1, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Florence & the Machine, Perfume Genius 10/19, 7 PM, United Center Eleanor Friedberger 10/5, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Ggoolldd 7/27, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Ghost 11/1, 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom b A Giant Dog 8/13, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Godﬂesh, Harm’s Way 8/24, 8 PM, Metro, 18+ Guided by Voices 8/26, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Honne 9/29, 9 PM, Metro, 18+ Honorary Title 8/16, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Hall b Mason Jennings 8/17, 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Jethro Tull 9/3, 7:30 PM, Ravinia Festival, Highland Park Mark Kozelek 9/11, 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ L.A. Witch, Pussy Foot 8/30, 9 PM, Beat Kitchen, 17+

ALL AGES

WOLF BY KEITH HERZIK

EARLY WARNINGS

CHICAGO SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IN THE WEEKS TO COME

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Richard Lloyd Group 8/15, 7 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Jeﬀ Lynne’s ELO 8/15, 8 PM, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Melvins 7/31, 7:30 PM, Park West b The Men 8/25, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Menzingers, Tiny Moving Parts 11/14, 7 PM, Concord Music Hall, 17+ Mock Orange 8/25, 9 PM, Subterranean Nicki Minaj, Future 9/28, 7:30 PM, United Center Nothing, Culture Abuse 9/12, 9 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+ Oneida, Cave 7/28, 10 PM, Empty Bottle Pelican, Cloakroom 7/26, 6 and 9 PM, Beat Kitchen, 17+ A Place to Bury Strangers 10/19, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Quintron & Miss Pussycast 9/12, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Romeo Santos 10/16, 8 PM, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Ty Segall, William Tyler 11/2, 7:30 PM, Thalia Hall b Shannon & the Clams, Escape-ism 10/31, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ Sleep 8/1, 7 PM, Riviera Theatre b Sleigh Bells 8/17, 9 PM, Metro, 18+ Sam Smith 8/15, 8 PM, United Center Mavis Staples, Marc Broussard 7/27, 7:30 PM, Canal Shore Golf Club, Evanston Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band 9/22, 8 PM, Chicago Theatre Sun Seeker 8/5, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Tacocat 8/10, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Tigers Jaw, Sidekicks 10/12, 7 PM, Bottom Lounge b Trouble in Paradise with Omni, Weather Station, Nap Eyes, and more 9/13-15, 8 PM, Empty Bottle Tune-Yards, U.S. Girls 10/27, 7:30 PM, Park West b Unknown Mortal Orchestra 7/27, 8 PM, House of Vans Vaccines, Regrettes 8/4, 11 PM, Schubas, 18+ Kurt Vile & the Violators 12/22, 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+ Rufus Wainwright 11/20, 8 PM, the Vic Wax Idols, Shadow Age 9/9, 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle The Weight Band 10/25, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Yellow Days 11/12, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+ v

GOSSIP WOLF A furry ear to the ground of the local music scene CHICAGO HOUSE DJ and producer Sean Haley died late last week at age 49. A DJ since the 90s, Haley blossomed in the 2000s: he copromoted Inner Sound System parties at Sonotheque, and in 2007 formed the house duo Windimoto with Detroit producer Scorpeze (they launched a label with the same name in 2009). Haley had a taste for funk, soul, jazz, and broken beat, which he’d incorporate into his DJ sets. “He had a crisp style—very succinct,” says friend and fellow DJ Mr. JayToo. “You could just tell that he was looking for the best stuff, and not the stuff that’s easiest to find—I would rarely hear people play that stuff.” Haley also formed Deep Rooted with producer Sean Owens and recently partnered with Glenn Underground on the 12-inch single I-94. Haley sometimes DJed inconspicuously at Hyde Park Records and Estereo, but one of his final sets took place at this spring’s inaugural Chicago House Music Festival in Millennium Park. “He was an extremely supportive dude,” JayToo says. “He was really paying attention, and not just to what he was doing or what his friends were doing—if he liked what you did, he would support it, wholeheartedly.” Punk Rock and Donuts brings live bands (and fresh pastries) to shows at Chicago libraries. On Saturday, July 21, PR&D’s Jeremy Kitchen throws a Co-Prosperity Sphere benefit for Pilsen Reads!—through which Pilsen Community Books gives books to local schools and students. The bill includes locals Nonagon and Through N Through and LA’s Short Temper. After a few catchy EPs, atmospheric local pop-rock band Bike Cops drop their first (self-titled) full-length via Jurassic Pop this week. On Thursday, July 19, they celebrate at Emporium in Wicker Park with Akron/Family’s Dana Buoy and Gumdropp. On Thursday, July 19, Sharkula and Mukqs (of Good Willsmith) make their debut as a duo at Cafe Mustache—this wolf is eager to hear what they have cooking. —J.R. NELSON AND LEOR GALIL Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or e-mail gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.

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7/23

I’M WIDE AWAKE, IT’S BRUNCH

FEMINIST HAPPY HOUR

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7/22

THE HOYLE BROTHERS

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LUMPS • PYLONS 6PM-FREE

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7/25

WONDER & SKEPTICISM ‘LET ME SHOW YOU THE WORLD IN MY EYES’

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7/26 FRI

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7/29: EMPTY BOTTLE BOOK CLUB (3PM-FREE!), 7/29: JUNE PASTEL, 7/30: IKARAY (FREE!), 7/31: JEN CLOHER, 8/1: CHORAL REEFR, 8/2: SLAVES (UK), 8/3: CURTIS HARDING, 8/4:POST ANIMAL, 8/5: SUN SEEKER • SKYWAY MAN, 8/6: SPORTS BOYFRIEND (FREE!), 8/7: MOURN • CHASTITY, 8/8: JESS WILLIAMSON, 8/9: SPIRIT ADRIFT, 8/10: TACOCAT, 8/11: WESTERN VINYL SHOWCASE FEAT. IN TALL BUILDINGS,8/13:AGIANTDOG,8/14:BONZOTERKS,8/15:ANATOMYOFHABIT,8/15@CO-PROSPERITYSPHERE: THESHACKS NEW ON SALE: 8/24-26:LOGANSQUAREFOODTRUCKSOCIAL,8/26:WAGE(RECORDRELEASE)•MAYORDALEY(RECORDRELEASE),9/7:THE MOONDOGGIES,9/16:LOCALH PERFORMS ‘PACKUPTHECATS’,9/19:THENUDEPARTY,9/22:FRIGS•ORVILLEPECK,10/2:AMYLANDTHE SNIFFERS, 10/6: LO MOON, 10/13: RESTORATIONS, 10/28: LOW CUT CONNIE, 10/30: THE GOON SAX, 12/7: THE BLOW

JULY 19, 2018 - CHICAGO READER 39

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