Sam & Ruby

with Abalone Dots

 

Sam & Ruby gently blend R&B, folk and pop into a sound that is immediately warm and welcoming. Ruby Amanfu boasts a sophisticated, soulful voice that compliments Sam Brooker's relaxed, confident approach. Gifted performers, Sam & Ruby are on tour: 'We want people to feel it like we feel it," says Ruby.

"Sam & Ruby navigate a wide divide... seductive soul... rootsier realms... softer hues."
— Performing Songwriter

"A one-of-a-kind pair... effortlessly unique"
–Nashville Tennessean

The first constellation of the band was created in the year 2000, led by Rebeckas father Tord Hjukström. Since then we've played at various types of festivals, in Sweden, Tanzania, the United States, and on national Swedish TV and radio productions.

The bandmembers have played together for 5-7 years, and right now we are all living together in Stockholm, doing what we love! Writing songs, baking bread, screaming at our laptops, playing Alias, drinking beer, watching cable and recording our songs at decibel...

 

 

Genre: Soul/Folk

 

 

8PM - $10 in advance // $14 day-of // $18 reserved table seating - Sam & Ruby's site - Abalone Dots' site 

BeauSoleil Quartet avec Michael Doucet

with Special Guest Jim Lauderdale

 

"THE BEST CAJUN BAND IN THE WORLD"
- Garrison Keillor, Prairie Home Companion

"BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, they play music that's honest to the bone! " - Allen Toussaint

This special evening will feature BeauSoleil in a quartet showcasing the band's magnificent string work. They wowed SPACE audiences on New Years Eve as they rang in 2010 with a phenomenal cajun take on Auld Lange Syne.

Jim Lauderdale is a multi-talented performer and songwriter, with successes in both country and bluegrass music. His roots stem from the Carolinas, yet his career has taken him all over the United States and abroad, making him an international recording artist with an ever-growing fan base.

 

Genre: Cajun

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - BeauSoleil's site - Jim's site

This Must Be The Band

Since forming in May 2007, This Must Be The Band has been burning down the house throughout Chicago and the entire Midwest. With a rapidly expanding repertoire from the Talking Heads' catalog of countless hits, This Must Be The Band highlights the best of the Talking Heads, equipped with their very own Bernie Worrell, Adrian Belew, Lynn Mabry, and Ednah Holt.

 

 

Genre: Talking Heads

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $22 reserved table seating - TMBTB's site

Asobi Seksu

with Shapers

 

Taking their name from the colloquial Japaenese for "playful sex", this NY-Via-Japan trio specialise in cranium melting, Shoegaze-tinged seduction pop. Singing in both her native tongue and a sultry NY whisper, singer Yuki and her band released two albums within months of one another. Singer and keyboardist Yuki Chikudate, guitarist James Hanna, bassist Glenn Waldman, and drummer Keith Hopkin formed Asobi Seksu in late 2001, self-releasing their self-titled debut album the following year. Garnering a strong local buzz at a time when the New York club scene was hot again following the success of the Strokes and Interpol, Asobi Seksu came to the attention of the indie Friendly Fire Records, which reissued Asobi Seksu with new cover art in 2004.

 

Genre: Indie Pop

 

10PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $20 reserved table seating - Asobi Seksu's site - Shaper's site

Carbon Leaf

 

Carbon Leaf has released the first in a new series of EPs, HOW THE WEST WAS ONE. The seven song EP is now available digitally, with pre-orders for the deluxe physical EP now being taken. The physical EP will be delivered in late
August. Carbon Leaf has kicked off the Summer of 2010 by touring the Western United States on a journey that took the band up the West Coast, through the Rockies and finishing in Texas. The band will continue to tour throughout August and September, with a series of headlining dates along the Atlantic Coast and up into the Northeast. Carbon Leaf will join Big Head Todd for over three weeks of dates in September. HOW THE WEST WAS ONE is a 7 song EP that was inspired by Carbon Leaf's travels west of the Mississippi over the past five years. This EP is the first collection of songs from some 30+ demos in various stages of completion.

Well into its second year with the same multi-instrumentalist personnel, Carbon Leaf remains Barry Privett, Terry Clark, Carter Gravatt, Jason Neal and Jon Markel. "Being five personalities that contribute to the music is where a 'band
sound' comes from," says Privett, "constantly challenged by one another--that's ultimately a healthy thing." On the horizon: Many forthcoming announcements regarding tour dates and new music.

Genre: Alternative/Folk Rock

8PM - $17 in advance // $20 day-of // $30 reserved table seat - Carbon Leaf's site

Garnet Rogers

with Luke Sayers

 

Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs "give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart" (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.

 

Genre: Folk

 

 

8PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating - Garnet's site - Luke's site

Anais Mitchell

 

“Anaïs sings of love among the ruins, coming of age to find yourself an outsider looking for the place you belong, finding other strangers along the way. Details ... are offered like clues or keys to the reality all of us sense is imminent and eternal beneath the surfaces of things."

Hugh Blumenfeld, Sing Out!

From her current home base in a 200-year-old farmhouse in rural Vermont, Anaïs (“uh-NAY-iss”) Mitchell writes songs that are as intimate as conversations and as rich in detail as short stories. The daughter of “hippie back-to-the-landers” whose father was a novelist and English professor, she remembers her family’s home (another farmhouse in the same state) containing “a library full of novels, and lots of old folk and psychedelic rock albums. The books and the records all lived in the same room, which I am sure led to me thinking of songwriting as a kind of literature, a noble poetic enterprise.” No surprise, then, that the reference points of her music may seem to come from all over the map while still interconnected: the country ballads of the Carter Family, the hard-edged cabaret of Brecht and Weill, the story-songs of Randy Newman, the vast narrative scope of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and the intricately crafted tales of her namesake, bohemian feminist Anaïs Nin, to name afew. All of these influences come together in Hadestown, an epic “folk opera” retelling of the Orpheus myth. .

 

Genre: Folk

 

 

7PM - $10 in advance // $14 day-of // $18 reserved table seating - Anais' site

Devon Allman's Honeytribe

 

Honeytribe was formed in 1999 in St.Louis, Missouri. Led by singer / guitarist Devon Allman they quickly became one of the top draws in their hometown and won the Jam Band of the Year award in the Riverfront Times Magazine Poll. Some recordings were made , small tours happened and then in late 2000 , Devon disbanded the group to spend time with his newborn son, Orion, choosing to stay in St.Louis and play solo acoustic shows and work on music. .

Now in 2009, a trio has emerged. A power trio. With monster world class bassist George Potsos and new drummer Gabriel Strange , this 3 headed beast has been born. High energy , grooving , bluesy , ass-kickin rock and roll the old school way.

"We ran the 'Tribe format into the ground ! It's not OVER by any means but after almost 300 shows a year for 3 years , I just really wanted to do something different. We'll still play some Tribal songs but I can't wait to find out what a power trio feels like and work some brand new material ...we'll do a few months of touring in America and see how we dig it" -- Devon Allman interview October 2008 Detroit , Michigan.

Genre: Rock/Jam Band

 

 

10PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $24 reserved table seating - Devon's site

Chris Smither

 

“Back in the old days,” muses resilient troubadour Chris Smither, “writing new songs and making new albums were just chores. My priority was, and still is, performing live. I guess I still write the songs and make the records so that I can go out and play – except that now I actually look forward to it. I’ve learned how to do it, and I’m very eager to get stuff recorded once I’ve written it.”

Recorded in only three days, Time Stands Still is just the eleventh studio album of a career that now spans over four decades. Time Stands Still (Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert) is both pensive and visceral – an album whose songs alternately ponder life’s mysteries in some moments, and let them lie undisturbed in others. Featuring eight new original compositions and a song apiece from Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, and 1920s country-blues songster Frank Hutchison, Time Stands Still’s immediate, intimate sound is the direct result of one gig, and the challenge it presented.

 

Genre: Blues/Folk

 

 

8PM - $18 in advance // $22 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - Chris' site

The Musical Offering presents Fused Muse Ensemble

 

Chosen as critics’ pick by TimeOut Chicago for their debut performance last December, Fused Muse Ensemble will present new music selections with collaborative electronics, painting, installation art, and film. Led by artistic director and cellist, Sophie Webber, Fused Muse Ensemble comprises a tight-knit assortment of highly experienced artists and teachers, primarily dedicated to exploring and presenting new music in collaboration with different art forms. The performance will include music by Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, University of Chicago composer Iddo Aharony, and improvised music by Fused Muse Ensemble. The performers for this event will include Sophie Webber (cello), Zvonimir Nagy (piano), and Henriët Fourie (soprano). Works by Jared Weiss (artist), Baltazar Pena-Rios (film designer), and Chelsea Goodwin (interdisciplinary artist) will also be featured.

 

Genre: Classical

 

 

2PM - Adults $12 in advance / $15 day-of // Students & Seniors $8 in advance / $10 day-of

The Musical Offering's site - Sophie's site

Chicago Blues Harp Bash

featuring Jerry Portnoy

 

The Chicago Blues Harp Bash is coming to SPACE on Sunday September 12, 2010.  The Bash is committed to showcasing the finest blues harmonica talent in the greater Chicago area.  This years event will be headlined by the Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton sideman, Jerry Portnoy, and also include Highway RickEy, Harry Garner, Lamont “Harmonica” Harris, Shoji Naito and “Corporate” Kirk Manley.  Grammy Award winning Billy Flynn will head the backing band and the legend, Willie Buck, will be making a special guest appearance.  This event was SOLD OUT the last 2 times!

 

Genre: Blues

 

 

6PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating - CBHB's site - Jerry's site

Jeff Daniels

 

When you think of “grassroots” and “down to Earth,” you don’t normally think of a movie star. You especially don't think of a movie star the caliber of Jeff Daniels. Yet that is exactly what Jeff has accomplished with his second CD Grandfather’s Hat.

With the follow-up album to Live and Unplugged, Daniels has proven that he is not an actor who sings, but an accomplished singer/songwriter who’s musical talent does not require the support of his acting. Further proof of his talent is supported by the musicians Daniels has performed with over the last couple of years. Although it took him some time to feel comfortable on stage behind his guitar, Daniels’ confidence has matured with his songwriter, being invited on stage to perform a few songs with legends Lyle Lovett, John Haitt, and Guy Clark during their rare “Songwriters” tour. Having his pal Keb Mo’ join Jeff on stage was equally rewarding (Jeff calls it a “free guitar lesson”). From time to time he’s also been fortunate to expand his shows to sold out venues outside of the Midwest.

Grandfather’s Hat showcases Daniels’ range as a songwriter, from the laugh-out-loud humor of “Have a Good Life (Then Die)” to the quiet and poignant lyrics of “Middle of the Night.” His honest, sincere, and relatable approach to the songs on the CD remind us of our own lives, hopes, and dreams.

 

Genre: Blues/Folk

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $38 reserved table seating - Jeff's site

Raul Midon

with Jen Lowe & Johnny Rabb

Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut album, Midón unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style — a syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused approach in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process. It’s a virtuosic performance, and one that reveals what has made Midón such an exciting artist to watch over the past few years. 

Having toured with prestigious national and international artists, Lowe is a journey-woman through and through; armed with a beaten-up backpack stuffed with sentimental keep-sakes of a woman both beloved and scorned.  The songs on her debut solo CD, “From the End of this Hallway”, play like bittersweet battle-cries of a great victory won against fallen relationships and personal struggles in a coming-of-age war.  And when the dust settles, there’s the lone voice of Jen’s soul, swaying gently, beautifully, between each song like a feather dropping from the heavens between the limbs of Oak trees.

Johnny Rabb is an active live and studio drummer living in Nashville, TN.  He stays busy drumming and composing music with partner Clay Parnell in the innovative group BioDiesel. He has performed with a wide range of artists such as Maynard Ferguson, Alain Caron, Frank Gambale, Larry Tagg, Tanya Tucker, DJ Hype,  Hank Williams III, SheDaisy, Deana Carter and Mindy McCready.

Genre: Singer Songwriter Guitar

 

 

8PM - $18 in advance // $22 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - Raul's site - Jen's site - Johnny's site

XRT welcomes Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks

with Tony Furtado

 

Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, and continuing with his unique and legendary Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Dan Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roots music. Having earned a reputation as a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor, Hicks continues to carve his way through a number of genres from proto-psychedelia to western swing and jazz, from tin pan alley to country blues -- all the while cultivating his own unique sound.

The original Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks recorded five ground-breaking and Billboard-charting records for the Columbia, Blue Thumb and Warner Bros. labels. They toured worldwide, and Dan appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine three times.

The newest incarnation of Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks released the wildly successful "Beatin' the Heat" in 2000, featuring collaborations with Bette Midler, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones and Brian Setzer. USA Today called it "one of the blessings of the new millennium." That release was followed by the live CD "Alive & Lickin" in 2001.

It takes guts to start your album off with The Bawds of Euphony, an instrumental banjo tune that draws its cryptic title from the words of a Wallace Stevens poem. But Tony Furtado is a man unafraid to go with his heart when it comes to his music. Tony’s 14th album, entitled Deep Water, comes entirely from Tony’s heart. This CD is 100% Tony Furtado, from the cover art that he created, to the collection of 14 songs that he wrote and chose specifically for Deep Water. Here you will find tunes that embrace his love of slide guitar, his prowess as a banjo player, and his ability to write a song that elicits deep emotion.

Genre: Folk/Jazz/Country

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - Dan's site - Tony's site

John Gorka

 

After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that reunion and reflects John’s continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting. Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John’s trademark twist of lyric and attention to the details that so effectively evoke a time, a place, a person, or a range of emotion. But there are also the stirrings of new musical directions with the evocative addition of percussion from Ani DiFranco’s drummer Andy Stochansky. John also shares his joy at recent changes in his life (namely a 1996 marriage and move to Minnesota, followed by the 1997 birth of a baby boy — Bocephus Mahatma Sinatra Gorka) with cuts such as “Cypress Trees,” “After Yesterday” and “When He Cries.” There is a hardened knowledge, vented and voiced in “Thorny Patch” and “Wisdom.” Story songs and character studies, “Amber Lee,” “Silvertown” and “Zuly” engage the imagination, while a song like “Heroes” invites introspection.

Though a long way from Godfrey Daniels, John Gorka is still honored to be a part of the folk tradition — energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life. After Yesterday is the embodiment of that expression — another classic release where his rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave together in a way that can only be described as “Gorka.”

 

Genre: Folk

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $24 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - John's site

Brendan James

with Ellery

 

A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by Decca Records in June 2008 and debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Several of its songs were featured on various television shows including Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, and Army Wives. After releasing the album, James hit the ground running to support it from coast to coast.

Married duo Ellery will be released their new album, This Isn’t Over Yet, on June 15. Produced by Grammy winner Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Kaki King, Iggy Pop, Dan Lanois) and recorded at Maison Bleue Studios in Kingston, NY, Tasha and Justin Golden have crafted a beautiful collection of songs whose sentiment is perfectly captured by their sophomore effort’s title. The duo sought out producer Malcolm Burn for the challenge and perspective he could bring to their songwriting, and the recording of This Isn’t Over Yet in the summer of 2009 was indeed a welcome challenge. Encouraged by Malcolm to explore the sound they naturally create when playing together, they tracked voice, piano and guitar simultaneously.

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $22 reserved table seating - Brendan's site - Ellery's site

XRT welcomes Michelle Shocked

 

“I’m the most sophisticated hillbilly you’ll ever meet.”

When Michelle Shocked says this about herself, it’s hard not to crack up. ‘Hillbilly,’ after all, is no compliment. And frankly, it’s tough to reconcile that reflex image of a backwoods, overalls-and-a-smile hillbilly with this focused, erudite singer-songwriter. If such a creature exists, however, Shocked is its picture, sans Billy-Bob teeth. Come to think of it, she was born in or at least near the backwoods of East Texas — and get this — to a carny father and a fresh-faced high-school mother after being conceived, if memory serves, “in the backseat of my Uncle Huby’s Chevy at the prom.”

Much like the work of her East Texas peers Willie Nelson, Victoria Williams and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Shocked's songs hold fast to a definite core, but owe no stylistic allegiance — just like their itinerant, mercurial, utilitarian creators. Shocked identifies strongly with her musical compatriots, and not just because they’re from her neck of the woods. "My family was welfare class," says Shocked, "and that makes you really, really, white trash. These artists helped remove class bias because they have all been given honorary middle-class value because of what they've achieved in their music." Shocked has likewise transcended class bias, while retaining the parts that make sense, in a 23-year career that has seen critical acclaim at every juncture.

 

Genre: Folk/Pop

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $25 day-of // $34 reserved table seating - Michelle's site

Uncle Lucius

with Dear Adora

Whole Foods Market 30th Anniversary Celebration

The formation of Uncle Lucius is a Texas tale in the truest sense. Four unique musicians of the Lone Star State , each living in their own hamlets, brewing up a dire need to put together a soulful southern rock outfit, sometimes can’t help but find each other.

The current look of Uncle Lucius began to take shape when Houston ’s Mike Carpenter entered the picture after the band’s first year. Raised on Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana, Carpenter had been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 14 and moved to Austin to play in bands. He played in two other bands before joining Uncle Lucius, a move that was made possible by the departure of the group’s original lead guitarist. Carpenter remembers feeling no sense of hesitation: “I immediately liked Kevin’s voice. He was a good front man and a good singer. And they were doing pretty much what I wanted to do: combining country, rock and roll, and blues. It was really just luck, man.”

Dear Adora is a moniker for the music of Adam Keepman and is currently performing in Chicago. Inspired by decades-spanning friendships and the developmental rites of passage that initiate or sometimes delay the onset of adulthood, the music of Dear Adora was originally created around life experiences as a college student in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Genre: Southern Rock

 

 

8PM - $10 in advance // $15 day-of // $20 reserved table seating - Uncle Lucius' site - Dear Adora's site

Anne Akiko Meyers

On September 21st,  the innovative and versatile violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performs with pianist Reiko Uchidaat SPACE as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate the September 28th release of their new album on the E1 label Seasons...dreams.   The evening will include works by Beethoven, Debussy, Gershwin, Schnittke, Wagner and Vernon Duke.

Anne Akiko Meyers is celebrated as one of the world’s premiere concert violinists, the renowned soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and educator is known as one of the most diverse artists collaborating with artists such as Chris Botti, Il Divo and Wynton Marsalis, premiering new works written for her and showcasing under-performed or rarely heard works. Meyers has been described as a ‘trailblazing violinist’, one who is constantly ‘charting her own course’. The New York Times is quoted as saying Meyers’ performances is ‘playing that flows from the heart’.

This September, E1 Records releases the hightly anticipated 'The Seasons...Dreams', which will feature world premieres and music with harp and piano. This release is on the heels of her hightly successful album 'Smile', which charted on Billboard.

 

 

Genre: Classical/Jazz

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $25 day-of // $35 reserved table seating - Anne's site

Chris Pureka

with Kelsey Wild

 

In an age of fleeting success and temporary notions, Chris Pureka is an artist of substance, armed with an eye for detail and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling with a subtle inflection. Her third studio album, How I Learned To See In the Dark, adds bold new elements to the base she has built over her six-year career. From non-traditional percussion, to lyrical abstraction, to a new unrestrained vocal quality, to Pureka’s choice of co-producer (longtime friend Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YaRds), this record signals an exploration of broader musical soundscapes.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $22 reserved table seating - Chris' site - Kelsey's site

Pat McGee

 

Pat McGee is a talented singer-songwriter based in Rhode Island but originally hailing from Richmond, VA. As the leader of the jam-rock sextet, the Pat McGee Band, McGee and former bandmates, Al Walsh, Jonathan Williams, John Small, Chardy Mc Ewan and Chris Williams, were hailed as one of the more versatile and prolific bands to grace that music scene.

After the sudden death of his drummer Chris Williams in 2006 , McGee began work on his most recent and personal release to date These Days. A folkloric blend of acoustic melodic rock and deeply moving studies on loss, life and the bonds of family and friendship, the album was released nationally early in 2009.

Whilst he is now touring in a solo, duo and trio modus, the full band experience is not too far away. Fans can revel in the versatility and freedom that comes with a creative influence of varied collaborations. Pat McGee brings a maturity and presence to the stage that belies his relative youth. Bringing a guarded sensibility, tempered by the free wheeling exuberance of his previous work, McGee fashions an expansive performance.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $25 day-of // $36 reserved table seating - Pat's site

Sierra Leone Refugee All-stars

 

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars started playing music together in West African refugee camps while their homeland was racked by years of bloody warfare. Since then, in electrifying live performances and recording experience with the likes of Aerosmith and Mavis Staples, the All Stars have been “establishing an identity based as much on skill, imagination and charisma as on their undeniably touching story” (The Los Angeles Times). This fall, on the heels of their highly anticipated album, Rise & Shine (Released in March on Cumbancha), the group will perform in Evanston, IL at SPACE on Friday, September 25th, 2010.

Rise & Shine is the follow up to the band’s acclaimed debut, Living Like a Refugee. For the new album, the All Stars began recording in their hometown of Freetown, Sierra Leone then traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to work with the highly accomplished producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Angelique Kidjo, Rickie Lee Jones, Michelle Shocked, Alec Ounsworth, Jackie Greene) at Piety Street Recording. Some of the Crescent City’s finest musicians contributed to the record—including favorites Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Bonerama and Washboard Chaz—lend it an infectious spirit of celebration and optimism in the face of struggle.

Rise & Shine reflects how far the band has come in the past few years, With an expert producer at the helm, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have realized a unique and seamlessly coherent sound: a fusion of traditional West African music and roots reggae, inflected with New Orleans styles. The album’s 13 tracks embrace the wide array of musical influences the All Stars have encountered on their rise to international fame. Among performances around the world, the All Stars have appeared at some of the most prestigious music festivals worldwide including Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz, Fuji Rock in Japan, Central Park SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn. 

This show is presented in conjunction with Portoluz

 

Genre: World

 

 

10PM - $17 in advance // $20 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - All-stars' site

Graham Colton

with Trey Lockerbie

 

"I've never felt more like myself than I have on this album. I found myself, and I finally found my voice," the singer, songwriter and guitarist Graham Colton says of the forthcoming CD, Here Right Now.

Don't call it a simple return. Call it a metamorphosis, a deep progression, an inspired evolution or - perhaps most fitting - a rewarding exercise in self-actualization. Stepping into his own in order to connect to his heart and artistic vision, Graham Colton has emerged with a stunning collection of pop-rock melodies, lyrics and emotions in 12 tracks that swing between love and heartbreak, trials and relief.

"I believe that eventually we'll get what we're after, but I need it now." 21 year old Trey Lockerbie sings those words in his song "Hummingbird," the opening track to "The Hummingbird EP." Most of us can relate to these words. A sense of hope mixed with a sense of restlessness. Our time-starved, on-demand society has resulted in the disappearance of a long-forgotten virtue, patience. We multi-task, skip past the commercials and get to what we want, when we want it. Along the way, we miss out on the beauty of the journey.

The only problem with "The Hummingbird EP" is that the journey ends too soon and will leave you longing for more soothing sounds and bittersweet stories. After listening to "The Hummingbird EP" you will no doubt believe that Trey Lockerbie eventually will get what he's after, and he's definitely ready for it now.

Genre: Rock/Pop

 

 

8PM - $14 in advance // $18 day-of // $24 reserved table seating - Graham's site - Trey's site

Story Pirates

 

Center for Independent Futures, an organization that supports individuals with disabilities and their families, is proud to host Story Pirates in Evanston this fall.  Story Pirates, a nationally respected theater company based in New York City and Los Angeles, is dedicated to celebrating the words and ideas of young people of all abilities.

 
We invite you to join us for a matinee performance of stories crafted by local young authors with unique gifts and talents.  Shows run approximately one hour.  A Touch and Feel Tour will be offered a half-hour before the 3:00 pm performance.  Sign language interpretation will be provided at each show.

Jump on board...you will not want to miss this amazing adventure!

Genre: Kids

 

12PM - $20 per person // $10 for kids 12 and under

3PM - $20 per person // $10 for kids 12 and under

Group discounts and scholarships available. 

 

To purchase tickets, call 847.328.2044 or visit www.independentfutures.com

All show proceeds will benefit the mission and programs of Center for Independent Futures.

 

Al Day Trio & Steve Rashid

 

Hailed as most "Most Promising Songwriter" by Chicago Magazine when he entered the music scene, Al Day has appeared in clubs and colleges throughout the United States and on such radio and TV shows as WFMT's "Midnight Special," WFMT's "Studs Terkel Show," WBEZ's "The Earth Club," and WTTW/Channel 11's "Sound Stage." His songs have supplied not only himself, but other artists with original material. In addition to individual songs, Al has written several concert theater pieces in which his music was wed to spoken texts. He wrote the English translation/version for the Brazilian theatrical production, "Terra." The most extensive piece Al has written to date is the libretto for the opera Two Soldiers, which was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Steve Rashid is an Emmy winning composer, a performer, producer and recording engineer. He holds a B.A. in Music and Philosophy from Ripon College and a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He has composed and performed in many musical contexts and in many styles throughout his career. His company, Woodside Avenue Music Productions (founded in 1991), is both a recording studio and a record label, and through it he has released four solo CDs ("i will hold you tiny hand," "Fidgety Feet," "As In A Mirror" and "Song of Songs”) as instrumentalist and singer. In addition, he has produced/engineered hundreds of recordings for many other artists and labels, spanning jazz, folk, classical, bluegrass, gospel, country and pop music.

 

Genre: Folk/Jazz

 

 

7PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating - Al's site - Steve's site

Stanton Moore Trio plus Anders Osborne

 

Born and raised in New Orleans, Stanton Moore is a dedicated drummer and performer especially connected to the city, its culture and collaborative spirit. Driven and inspired by the thriving music scene of his hometown which includes such greats as Professor Longhair, Doctor John and The Meters, Moore’s name is now mentioned amongst these Big Easy mainstays.

The Stanton Moore Trio, featuring Will Bernard on guitar and Robert Walter on organ, vocalist, guitarist Anders Osborne, is on tour this May. Stanton also helped produce the latest Anders Osborne album entitled 'American Patchwork' on which he also appears on.

Anders has spent most of career since honing his songwriting at the same time creating a solid fan-base by touring the East and West coast as a performer, while dividing time between New Orleans and Nashville as a staff writer for the Universal Music and Razor and Tie publishing companies. He's worked his magic for other performers, writing "Watchin the Wind Blow By," a number one hit for country superstar Tim McGraw and "I Was Wrong" and "A Better Man," both Grammy-winning songs from Keb' Mo's album Slow Down.

 

Genre: Funk/Jazz

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - Stanton's site

Preston Reed

 

Welcome to Preston Reed’s guitar revolution. Everything you thought you knew is wrong. All the rules you thought applied have gone. For one night only, logic and reason have left the building and musical magic fizzes in the air, as the New York visionary credited with reinventing the acoustic guitar takes you on a six and twelve string thrill-ride through the impossible and unforgettable. Night after night, venue after venue, Reed’s growing army of converts are unanimous. He came. He soared. He conquered. Pass it on.

 

 

Genre: Acoustic/Blues/Jazz

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $20 reserved table seating - Preston's site 

John Coltrane Birthday Tribute

with Ari Brown and John Brumbach

 

Come celebrate John Coltrane's birthday with us at SPACE!

Chicago-based reedman and occasional pianist, Ari Brown is a musician who can play hard bop and post-bop as convincingly as he plays avant-garde jazz. Brown grew up on the city's South Side and graduated from high school in the early '60s and then attended Chicago's Wilson College, where he met Jack DeJohnette, Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, and others who would later become members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Not only a musician but also a teacher and active member in his community, his music reveals his strong character and fearless creativity.

Tenor sax giant John “Boom” Brumbach has worked with jazz, blues, and R&B legends such as Chaka Khan, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Clay, Jack McDuff, Buddy Guy, Earma Thompson, and Erwin Helfer. In 1972 he teamed up with Chaka's sister Taka Boom, and eventually moved to L.A. where he recorded and performed with Rufus, Parliament, the Gap Band, Bloodstone, Jermaine Jackson and Fred Wesley.

 

 

Genre: Jazz

 

 

8PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating