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September Shows Announced At City Winery Chicago
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 27, 2018
The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month. All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless noted. Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Sunday, September 2; 7:00 p.m.
$38/$42/$45/$48
Howard Hewett is one of the most gifted vocalists in the post-Marvin Gaye era of pop R&B.
Hewett got his mainstream break as the male vocal lead in Shalamar. The group gave the world feel-good dance favorites "The Second Time Around," "A Night to Remember," and "For the Lover in You," as well as a number of beautiful B-side ballads like "You Can Count On Me" and "Somewhere There's a Love." In the mid-eighties, Hewett sets out on his solo career, releasing I Commit to Love in 1986. Subsequent projects have solidified Hewett's place in the high ranks of R&B balladeers by writing, collaborating, and lending his voice within an intimate group of crooners, including George Duke, Quincy Jones, James Ingram, Anita Baker, Prince and Stanley Clarke. Today, Hewett continues to seduce audiences and eardrums as he is constantly touring and intermittently releasing new music.
Monday, September 3; 7:00 p.m.
$22/$25/$28/$32
Contemporary R&B/soul singer Trina Broussard began her music career upon moving to Atlanta, GA, in 1990, singing background vocals for Bobby Brown, Mariah Carey, Babyface, Toni Braxton and BeBe & Cece Winans. Through an association with Trey Lorentz, she began writing songs and signed with the So So Def label. Her first popular single was the Minnie Riperton song "Inside My Love," featured on the 1997 platinum-selling film soundtrack Love Jones. Broussard returns with a new harmony-rich single "Adieu." The mid-tempo burner engineered by the Atlanta-based conglomerate R&B Moguls. Along with her own music, Broussard continues to provide back vocals, recently working for music icons Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.
Movie Screening: Blues Brothers
Tuesday, September 4; 7:30 p.m.
FREE with RSVP
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as characters developed from the Blues Brothers musical sketch on the NBC variety series "Saturday Night Live."
After his release from prison, Jake (John Belushi) reunites with his brother, Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) -- collectively known as the "Blues Brothers." Jake's first task is to save the orphanage the brothers grew up in from closing by raising $5,000 to pay back taxes. The two are convinced they can earn the money by getting their old band back together. However, after playing several gigs and making a few enemies (including the police), the brothers face daunting odds to deliver the money on time.
Wednesday, September 5; 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
$45/$48/$55/$58
Average White Band are best known for their timeless instrumental mega-hit "Pick Up the Pieces" and widely regarded as one of the top soul and funk bands. The band's strength comes from their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations. Somewhat incongruously, given their Scottish roots, the six-piece band took the influences of their R&B heroes - people like Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Donny Hathaway and others - and developed their own 'authentic' sound which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Whilst a good number of cuts attracted chart action as hit singles ("Cut The Cake," "Let's Go 'Round Again"), many other album tracks, like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person," became much sampled and turn-tabled grooves. The current lineup of the band, with noted U.S. musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant re-visitations and re-workings of Average White Band's and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with so many of the top music venues.
Thursday, September 6
$18/$22/$25/$28
Darrell Scott is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has written several mainstream country hits, including hits for Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson and the Dixie Chicks, and has established himself as one of Nashville's premier session instrumentalists. His younger brother, David, occasionally accompanies Scott on the keyboard. In early 2005, Scott's Theatre Of The Unheard won Album of the Year in the 4th Annual Independent Music Awards. He won the 2007 Song of the Year award from the Americana Music Association for "Hank William's Ghost" which appears on his album The Invisible Man. In 2010, he was announced as part of the Band of Joy, alongside Robert Plant, credited as performing vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedal, lap steel and banjo. In January 2011, his album A Crooked Road won the award for the Country Album category from the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards.
Friday, September 7
$75/$78/$85/$88
Country singer Wynonna Judd and her band The Big Noise, led by her husband/drummer/ producer, Cactus Moser, are touring in support of their debut full-length, self-titled album. Wynonna describes the new sound as "vintage yet modern" and a "return to the well." The critically acclaimed album is a rootsy work encompassing country, Americana, blues, soul and rock featuring special guests Derek Trucks, Jason Isbell, Susan Tedeschi and Timothy B. Schmit.
JC Brooks Band Plays '70s Protest Soul - Red Black & Blue and the music that inspired it
Saturday, September 8
$18/$22/$25/$28
JC Brooks Band (formerly JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound) is an American indie soul band from Chicago. Describing their sound as "post-punk soul," the band combines elements of funk, soul, indie rock, R&B, and punk into a unique take on the soul genre. In 2009, the band served as the backing band for the Numero Group's "Eccentric Soul Revue." The band participated in the 2011 production of the musical "Passing Strange." Also, in 2011, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound performed at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival where they were joined on-stage by Jeff Tweedy for a performance of their single "I'm Trying to Break Your Heart," penned by Tweedy and originally recorded by Wilco on their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. In 2012, JC Brooks Band played Lollapalooza. JC Brooks' fourth full-length album Neon Jungle was released in 2017.
The Red Black & Blue (Vol. 1) EP is JC Brooks' follow-up to 2017's The Neon Jungle and explores political and social themes surrounding being black in America in 2018. The music featured on the EP takes influence from the politically charged soul artists of the 70s, specifically Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott Heron. The JC Brooks Band conceptualized the theme of the EP during an east coast tour while in the van in a heavy discussion about political disdain, social justice and racial micro-aggressions. The scars of the social and political cautionary tale on Red Black & Blue are layered on top of rich vocal harmonies, orchestrated horns and vintage keyboards, allowing Brooks to sing freely from his soul.
The Way Down Wanderers with The Mighty Pines
Sunday, September 9
$15/$18/$22/$25
Equal parts fast-paced and soulful, 5-piece modern-folk Americana act, The Way Down Wanderers, draw listeners in with energy, originality and soulful generosity. The Wanderers have built an enthusiastic and fast-growing following. Youthful and professionally trained, these young men captivate audiences with soaring instrumentals, foot stomping sing-alongs and a lively stage show, and have created a buzz for themselves with their unplugged, off-stage encores and propensity for performing self-titled, "restSTOMPS" - free acoustic sets at rest & truck stops along their tour routes. The band's debut, self-titled album, produced by Mike Marsh of the Avett Brothers and recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso TX, is now available.
Monday, September 10
$28/$32/$35/$38
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Brady is one of Ireland's most highly regarded and successful artists. He crosses musical boundaries incorporating folk, rock, blues traditional Irish & classic pop styles into his songwriting. His live performances, whether solo or with full band, include songs from his extensive catalog of 40 years. Brady's songs have been covered by a huge array of major artists. He began writing songs in the early 80s and has since forged a reputation as one of Ireland's finest singer/songwriters, releasing many popular and critically acclaimed records. Songs such as "The Island," "Crazy Dreams," "Nothing But The Same Old Story," "Nobody Knows," "Follow On," "The Long Goodbye," "The Homes of Donegal" and "Paradise Is Here" have, over the years, given joy and emotional sustenance to generations of Irish at home and abroad.
Great Moments in Vinyl presents the Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold as Love
Tuesday, September 11
General Admission: $12 advance/$15 at the door
From his debut at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival to his untimely death in 1970, Jimi Hendrix established himself as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock" (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). At City Winery Chicago, Great Moments in Vinyl performs a narrated concert featuring two of Hendrix's most widely acclaimed recordings, his debut release Are You Experienced and its equally revolutionary follow up, Axis: Bold As Love, in their entirety. During the concert, bandleader Bill Cochran will tell stories about the records and the musicians who created them.
The City Winery Chicago Great Moments in Vinyl performance is a collaborative effort between Chicago radio personality William Lindsey Cochran on bass and storytelling, and three amazing Chicago area musicians: guitarist-to-watch Bill Grady (who says "I was born ready for this show"), drummer Jonathan Reed (who as a boy found himself inspired to pursue the instrument from listening Hendrix's drummer, Mitch Mitchell), and versatile multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Peters.
Wednesday, September 12
$15/$18/$22/$25
Davina and the Vagabonds have grown from a down-and-dirty blues band into an acoustic ensemble on the international stage. In recent years they have performed in 45 states, 2 Canadian provinces and 12 European countries. With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the band draws from the last 100 years of American music. Davina has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and Betty Boop. Davina and the Vagabonds' latest record, Nicollet and 10th, was recorded over two nights in early 2015 at the Dakota in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
Thursday, September 13
$45/$48/$55/$58
Jesse Colin Young, critically acclaimed solo artist and lead singer of the legendary classic rock band The Youngbloods, took the nation by storm when The Youngbloods' single "Get Together" became a worldwide Top 10 hit and a prominent soundtrack for peace. After seven group releases, Young began the production of more than 15 acclaimed solo albums including Song for Juli, Light Shine, Songbird and a live album with his great touring band titled On the Road. In 2005, he released the most comprehensive collection of his music to date-The Very Best of Jesse Colin Young. For the first-time ever, songs from his solo career as well as hits from The Youngbloods were placed in a two-CD package.
The Youngbloods' version of "Get Together" has been heard by millions on the Forrest Gump soundtrack, Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Simpsons' "Oh Brother where Bart thou" and "Tree of Horror II" episodes, and South Park's "Smug Alert." "Darkness Darkness," written by Young, was in Jack the Bear (1993), was the theme song for the James Cameron movie Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and was in the trailer of TV series Bloodline (2015). A cover of the song by Robert Plant won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 2002. It remains a popular cover song for many bands.
Sunday, September 16; 12:00 p.m.
GA Seated: $20 advance/$24 day of show + Brunch Buffet option
Story Jam is an exciting music-lit show that features Chicago's top storytellers, original songs written for each story, and a ten-piece band. The personal stories represent a range of cultural, racial, and individual experiences; and the band is comprised of some of Chicago's best musicians. Stephanie Rogers is producer-songwriter.
Sunday, September 16
$35/$45/$55/$58
Known as much for her staunch progressive ideals as her raw acoustic energy, Dar Williams has been captivating audiences with her folk-pop songwriting since the '90s. Williams' growth as an individual over her two-decade-long career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist, touring along the way with such distinguished peers as Joan Baez, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, Loudon Wainwright III, and Shawn Colvin, among others.
She's released ten studio albums and authored four books including her latest, "What I Found In A Thousand Towns." Her most recent album, Emerald, was recorded with friends such as Richard Thompson, Jill Sobule, Jim Lauderdale, the Milk Carton Kids, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Suzzy Roche, the Hooters and others in various studios across the U.S. It is a sparkling collection of new original material, inspired collaborations and some surprising covers such as B.A.D.'s "Johnny Appleseed," making this album one of her best yet.
Terrapin Flyer - Grateful Dead Music & Wine Pairing
Monday, September 17; 7:30 p.m.
General Admission: $10 advance/ $12 day of show; wine pairing upgrade available for $25
Chicago-based Terrapin Flyer is a Grateful Dead tribute band featuring top musicians in the jamband scene. The band often tours with former members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band and is one of the premier Grateful Dead inspired acts. Terrapin Flyer has headlined major festivals and prominent venues across the United States for nearly 20 years.
John Popper (of Blues Traveler)
Tuesday, September 18
$55/$58/$65/$68
John Popper is an American musician and songwriter, most famous for his role as frontman of the rock band Blues Traveler, performing harmonica, guitar, and vocals. A prolific songwriter, Popper has composed most of the lyrics and music of Blues Traveler's songs. In 1990, Popper began to perform occasional solo concerts in addition to touring with Blues Traveler. Several songs that originated as Popper's solo pieces have become part of Blues Traveler's repertoire, and vice versa. Bolstered by Blues Traveler's mainstream success, Popper released a solo album, Zygote, in 1999 and toured in support of it with his own John Popper Band. The album was produced by Terry Manning, and the backing band consisted of longtime friends Dave Ares, Crugie Riccio and Rob Clores of Cycomotogoat, with drummer Carter Beauford of Dave Matthews Band. In 2017 and 2018, Popper began to play solo acoustic performances across the United States. He is often accompanied by Blues Traveler keyboardist Ben Wilson and performs songs that span both the Blues Traveler and his extensive solo catalogs.
John Pizzarelli Trio
Wednesday, September 19
$28/$35/$38/$42
Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, World-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. His themed shows, often performed with his wife Jessica Molaskey, suggest there is no limit to Pizzarelli's imagination or talent. Having concentrated on the music of Paul McCartney, Johnny Mercer, and Frank Sinatra over the last two years, Pizzarelli has returned to the bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim with his July 28, 2017 Concord Jazz release Sinatra & Jobim @ 50. With co-vocalist Daniel Jobim, grandson of the legendary Brazilian composer, the two explore songs Sinatra and Jobim recorded in 1967 and 1969 as well as add new songs to the mix flavored with the spirit of the classic Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim album.
While plenty of jazz greats influenced his work - Benny Goodman, Les Paul, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry and Slam Stewart, among others - Nat King Cole has been Pizzarelli's hero and foundation over the last 25 years. He devoted two albums to his music, Dear Mr. Cole in 1994 and P.S. Mr. Cole, recorded and released five years later. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as James Taylor, Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones, and Dave Van Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, Bucky Pizzarelli. He was featured opposite Donna Summer, Jon Secada and Roberta Flack on the GRAMMY Award-winning CD, Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rogers in 2005.
Pizzarelli has performed on the country's most popular national television shows such as "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "Conan," "Great Performances" and the talk shows of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Tuesday, September 21
$22/$25/$28/$32
Throughout her nearly decade-long run filled with three album releases, a career-shifting appearance and soundtrack for HBO's "True Detective," hundreds of shows on both sides of the Atlantic, and a sound encompassing everything from Americana to stark indie rock - Lera Lynn has balanced her fierce independence with a string of collaborations. She's written songs with T Bone Burnett and Rosanne Cash, recorded albums with both full bands and smaller lineups such as can be heard on her experimental, NPR- and New York Times-approved album Resistor. On her fourth album, Plays Well With Others, Lynn teams up with eight different duet partners and seven co-writers, resulting in her most diverse, collaborative work to date.
Matthew Perryman Jones with Molly Parden
Sunday, September 23
$15/$18/$22/$25
A performing songwriter by trade, Matthew Perryman Jones cut his artistic teeth in the Atlanta music scene before heading north to Nashville. Songs from across his four albums and three EPs have been featured in dozens of film and TV placements, and tours have taken him across the U.S. and abroad to share stages with legends like Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin, as well as the Ten Out of Tenn songwriter collective of which he is a part. Now, Jones is gearing up to release his fifth album, alongside producer Josh Kaler, which focuses on genius loci - the spirit of place. Written across the country throughout 2017, the album was funded by generous fans contributing to a Pledge Music campaign.
Taj Mahal Trio
Monday, September 24
$78/$85/$88/$92
Taj Mahal, the two-time Grammy winning singer, songwriter, film composer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, was feted with the Lifetime Achievement for Performance Award at the 13th Annual Americana Honors and Awards. Since the release of 2008's Maestro, his most recent studio recording which received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Mahal has been touring and recording with friends and fellow musicians. In 2010, after being nominated for Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation, he joined Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" house band The Roots as a special musical guest on the Rolling Stones classic "Shine a Light." He also opened in Lake Tahoe for Bob Dylan. The following year, he performed a special opening solo set for Eric Clapton and Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center; Mahal also performed several songs with the two musicians. The concert was recorded and released as a CD and CD/DVD entitled Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues - Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Willy Porter Band - Silver Anniversary Dog Eared Dream
Friday, September 28
$22/$25/$28/$30
Milwaukee-based guitarist and producer Willy Porter brings fans the Silver Anniversary of his 1993 release Dog Eared Dream with this celebration show. Porter reunites with the original members of the Willy Porter Band including Dave Adler, Biff Blumfumgagnge, and John Calarco. Bassist Ethan Bender joins. Original band member and longtime music collaborator with Porter, bassist Steve Kleiber passed away in 2014, which has led to the creation of the Steve Kleiber Memorial Scholarship Fund (SKMSF). The fund provides funding for financially underprivileged high school students who show incredible music promise and wish to continue their studies. The SKMSF has partnered with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and awarded their first scholarship in 2017. A portion of the proceeds of this show will go towards these ongoing scholarship efforts.
Produced by Mike Hoffmann and recorded at Milwaukee's Joe's Place, Dog Eared Dream helped establish Porter's unique brand of acoustic guitar-based music on the international stage and featured the break-out hits "Angry Words," "Rita," "Jesus on the Grille," and "Flying." Ticket purchasers will receive a free download of the Dog Eared Dream Silver Anniversary Edition including previously unreleased material. The album will also be rereleased on vinyl and CD.
Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. Chicago's only fully operation winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 90-point 2012 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve pinot noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world" by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable "listening room" experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery's commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.
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