The Capitol Steps, Dweezil Zappa and More Coming Up at City Winery Chicago
By: BWW News Desk Jun. 29, 2017
Featured performances for the month of July at City Winery Chicago, include political satirists The Capitol Steps on July 2, Dweezil Zappa, son of the late Frank Zappa, on July 7, R&B Grammy-nominated duo Les Nubians on July 10, British rockers The Graham Parker Duo on July 12, Country Music Association Musician of the Year Mac McAnally on July 19, stand-up comedian Sandra Bernhard (July 20-21) and more.
All shows start at 8:00 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Scroll down for details!
JULY 2017:
Holly Bowling - Presented by City Winery & Silver Wrapper
Friday-Saturday, June 30 - July 1; 1:00 p.m.
$15/$18/$20/$22
Holly Bowling is a classically trained pianist who began playing piano at the age of five. There's one major distinction, however, that separates her from other similarly studied musicians and that is Holly's devotion to the legendary rock band Phish. Having attended over 300 shows by the Burlington-based quartet, she became obsessed by their famous rendition of "Tweezer" from Lake Tahoe on July 31, 2013. It led Bowling to transcribe this 37-minute improvisational masterpiece note-for-note and arrange it for solo piano. The process, both painstaking and fulfilling, inspired her to transform other Phish songs and well-known live jams into solo piano interpretations. Bowling's breathtaking renditions of Phish classics like "It's Ice," "The Squirming Coil" and "Harry Hood" serve not only as a tribute to the modern-day kings of jam, but stand on their own as fully developed classical pieces. The past year has seen Bowling expand her repertoire into the realm of the Grateful Dead, including "Eyes of the World" based on the band's spectacular exploratory June 18, 1974 performance at Freedom Hall. Using classical piano technique to reinterpret these jamband luminaries, Bowling's live performances infuse new with old, tradition with surreal and create a unique concert experience.
Friday-Saturday; June 30-July 1
$38/$46/$50/$56
Singer, songwriter and producer Eric Roberson continues to break boundaries in an industry predominantly influenced by major record labels, manufactured sounds and mainstream radio.
An outstanding storyteller, Roberson's music is relatable, allowing him to form personal connections with each of his listeners. His music is influenced by elements of music styles varying from soul, rhythm & blues, house, hip-hop, jazz, rock and more. His music is personal, poetic, positive and progressive.
After experiencing the ups and downs of being signed to a major label, and with the help of two supportive and loving parents, Roberson began performing and selling his own music. In 2001, he established his record label B.L.U.E. Erro Soul where he released his first independent project The Esoteric Movement. He has gone on to release seven other independent projects on his label. What once began as a hobby has now become an affluent business which has gone on to sell more than 80,000 CDs independently, thousands of digital downloads and allowed Roberson to tour both nationally and internationally.
Sunday, July 2; 7:00 p.m.
$42/$45/$48/$52
The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. The group was born in December 1981 when some staffers for Senator Charles Percy were planning entertainment for a Christmas party. Their first idea was to stage a nativity play, but in the whole Congress they couldn't find three wise men or a virgin. So, they decided to dig into the headlines of the day and they created song parodies & skits which conveyed a special brand of satirical humor. In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom ("Don't quit your day job!") and, although not all the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, in total, the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience. Since they began, The Capitol Steps have recorded more than 30 albums, the most recent of which is What to Expect When You're Electing. They've been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS and can be heard twice a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio special.
Monday-Tuesday, July 3-4
$35/$45/$55/$65
The Church are an Australian psychedelic rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. The Church's debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), delivered their first radio hit "The Unguarded Moment" and they were signed to major labels in Australia, Europe and the United States. They returned to the charts in 1988 with the album Starfish and the US Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way." Subsequent mainstream success has proved elusive, but the band retains a large international cult following and were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in Sydney in 2011. The Church continue to tour and record and released their 24th studio album, Further/Deeper, in October 2014.
Zoso - The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience
Wednesday, July 5
$25/$28/$30/$32
Zoso, the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, formed in 1995 to perform the most accurate and captivating Led Zeppelin live show since the real thing. For Zoso, it's much more than just being a tribute. It's about touching a golden era in music. Zoso embodies Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones in their spirit, tightly-wound talent and authenticity. Each band member has been carefully selected to portray both the appearance and playing styles of their Led Zeppelin counterparts. In eighteen successful years of touring, they have perfected their art. As one of the longest tenured Zeppelin tributes, Zoso's 2400 live shows around the world, including slots at major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Rib America Fest, have established them as the most traveled and successful band in the market.
FrEddy Jones Band
Thursday, July 6
$32/$35/$38/$42
One of America's premiere roots rock acts, FrEddy Jones Band was founded by guitarists and singer/songwriters Marty Lloyd and Wayne Healy. The band is best known for its number-one hits "In A Daydream" and "Take The Time." Lloyd said that the recording sessions for the band's most recent album, Never Change, were "euphoric." The FJB lineup is led by Lloyd, joined by bassist Rich Ross (Josh Gracin, Phil Vassar, The Samples), guitarist Dave Preston (Matt Morris, Justin Timberlake) and former Matchbox 20 drummer Ryan MacMillan. Meet & Greet + VIP Sound check tickets are available for $50 and include the opportunity for photos, autographs and a signed poster.
Dweezil Zappa - What's in a Name?
Friday, July 7
$25/$28/$32/$35
Dweezil Zappa's band has consistently played concerts around the world for the past 10 years, performing more than 1,000 shows. In that time Zappa did not have time to cultivate his own music, but in November 2015 he released Via Zammata', his first new album since Go With What You Know in 2006. Fusing analog tape and tube guitar amps with surprising instruments such as fretless guitar and the oud, Zappa draws listeners into his intimate and multifarious musical world. Armed with unexpected vocal arrangements that sound like 'The Beach Boys procreated with the Bulgarian Women's Choir,' his most recent collection of 12 uniquely orchestrated songs represents a true metamorphosis for Zappa as a solo artist. The album was produced and arranged by Zappa and features songwriting collaborations with his father, the late Frank Zappa and venerable actor John Malkovich.
Sunday, July 9
$25/$28/$32/$35
Rhett Miller is the front man and main songwriter of the hard-charging rock 'n' roll quartet Old 97's as well as an accomplished solo artist. In addition to his nine studio albums with the Old 97's, Miller has released seven solo albums: Mythologies (1989), The Instigator (2002), The Believer (2006), Rhett Miller (2009), a live covers album, The Interpreter Live at Largo (2011), The Dreamer (2012), and The Traveler (2015). Miller has also written short stories, essays, and articles that have appeared in Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, and Salon. Miller returns to City Winery Chicago for a solo performance following the Old 97's release of their most recent album, Graveyard Whistling, this past February.
Monday, July 10
$35/$38/$45/$48
Les Nubians is an Afropean, Urban, R&B Grammy-nominated duo composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985, the sisters moved with their parents to Chad, Africa. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France and began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and singing background vocals for various artists worldwide. To critical acclaim, the duo's debut album Princesses Nubiennes was released by Virgin Records France in 1998. They have become one of the most successful French-language musical groups in the U.S., best known for their Billboard R&B Single "Makeda." Les Nubians were the 1999 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards winners for Best New Artist, Group or Duo and received two NAACP Image Awards nominations in 2000. To date, Les Nubians have made their home base Brooklyn, NY. They continue to tour internationally, performing at festivals, art centers, theaters and clubs.
Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses
Tuesday, July 11
$25/$28/$32/$35
Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses are bringing the musical style of Louis Prima Sr. into the 21st century. More concerned about creating a future for "Prima music" than about reliving the past, Louis Prima Jr and the Witnesses bring new energy and a current attitude to the masses with "The Wildest Show this side of the 1960's." Since their breakout performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest), #TeamPrima has performed everywhere from Seattle to Palermo, from small clubs to performing arts centers, from casino showrooms to music festivals, and from Access Hollywood Live to PBS. The band is currently touring in support of their newest release, BLOW - a collection of original music (save for a couple of surprises). Building off of the success of their critically acclaimed debut CD Return of the Wildest!, the band has brought together many years of diverse musical tastes into their second offering. From the first thunderous stomps of the title track, it is evident that this isn't your daddy's swing music, but a raucous roller coaster ride of tail-shakin', foot-stampin', horn-driven smiles.
Wednesday, July 12
$35/$38/$45/$48
British rocker Graham Parker - mixing Otis Redding soul with punk energy - reunites with Brinsley Schwarz, a member of New Wave-era band The Rumour. A new Graham Parker and The Rumour album, Mystery Glue, has now been recorded at the famous RAK studios. Mystery Glue was released worldwide by Universal Records in May 2015 on the obscure '70's Universal owned label, Cadet Concept, a former imprint of the famous Chess Records.
Thursday-Friday, July 13-14
$38/$42/$45/$48
Matthew Sweet is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. After spending the 1980s as an up and coming pop guitarist with Oh-OK, Lloyd Cole, the Golden Palominos and his own band, Buzz of Delight, Sweet emerged in 1990s as a leading figure of the American power pop revival. His third solo album, Girlfriend (1991), became a word-of-mouth critical hit and commercial success. Recently, Sweet wrote and recorded (and sang and performed guitar on) a Journey parody song for an episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer forms an ill-fated garage band. Sweet is currently working on his most recent album, Tomorrow Forever, which is set for release in 2017.
Sunday, July 16; 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.
$40/$45/$50/$55
After a long hiatus that began in 2009, the Squirrel Nut Zippers returned to touring this past fall, with 2016 marking the 20th anniversary of the group's most celebrated and commercially successful album Hot. Originally released in the summer of 1996, Hot was the follow up to the band's critically-acclaimed debut The Inevitable. By 1996, Squirrel Nut Zippers had already established a substantial live following across the country thanks to early support from NPR, college radio and non-commercial stations and Hot wound up selling over 1.3 million copies. Squirrel Nut Zippers continues to tour and returns to City Winery Chicago this summer for back-to-back shows.
The Everly Brothers Experience
Monday, July 17
$15/$18/$22/$25
The Zmed brothers bring a genuine and youthful Everly Brothers experience to the stage. Zachary and Dylan Zmed celebrate the genetic intimacy so ever present in the harmonies created by Don and Phil. when the guitar became electric, the Everly Brothers bridged the gap between country and and R&B, creating rock 'n' roll that had never been heard before. With countless hits and classics, the Everly Brothers inspired artists like the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, The Kinks, and many groups that utilize the blend of two-part harmony. Their career spanned three decades and they continue to influence artists around the world.
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers
Tuesday, July 18
$18/$20/$22/$25
Over the course of his four-decade career, Tommy Castro, a six-time Blues Music Award winner, has played thousands of shows to hundreds of thousands of fans, packing dance floors, always leaving them screaming for more. Hailing from the San Francisco area, Castro, along with his band The Painkillers (currently featuring bassist Randy McDonald, keyboardist Michael Emerson and drummer Bowen Brown), play music that is guaranteed to fire up fans and leave critics searching for new words of praise. Billboard says the band plays "irresistible contemporary blues-rock" with "street-level grit and soul." Now, with Method To My Madness, the group turns the intensity up another notch.
Wednesday, July 19
$40/$45/$50/$55
Writer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and all around musical sage Mac McAnally has seen and done it all. He is a member of Jimmy Buffett's backing band, The Coral Reefer Band, has produced for Sawyer Brown and Restless Heart and written several singles for other artists. His songwriting drew the attention of Jimmy Buffett and Hank Williams, Jr., both of whom cut McAnally songs. Now he has a new and energizing album - Live in Muscle Shoals. Recorded live from the Norton Auditorium at the University of North Alabama during the W.C. Handy Music Festival, McAnally put together an incredible band of musicians consisting of fellow Coral Reefers and Muscle Shoals/Nashville session friends in which they captivated the audience. A master storyteller, McAnally introduces each song with anecdotes, describing how the songs came to be and how they have impacted his life. McAnally's wit and love for life and music shine throughout. In 2007, McAnally was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The following year, the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame followed suit, while the Country Music Association named him Musician of the Year for the last six years in a row.
Sandra Bernhard - "Sandra Monica Blvd: Coast to Coast"
Thursday-Friday, July 20 & 21
$45/$48/$55/$58
The inimitable Sandra Bernhard, host of the live daily show Sandyland on SiriusXM Radio, returns with an all new show spotlighting her unique, sharp blend of hysterical insight and outspoken views with rock 'n' roll, cabaret, stand-up and a little burlesque. Sandra Monica Blvd: Coast to Coast takes the audience on a journey to find the soul of America while weaving in the soundtrack you might hear on an AM radio station you pick up from Oklahoma.
Monday-Tuesday, July 24 & 25
$35/$38/$45/$48
GZA/The Genius is a founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. GZA's 1995 solo debut Liquid Swords is considered one of his best albums. In 1998, Liquid Swords was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums of all time. Steve Huey of Allmusic called him "one of the best lyricists of the 1990s," while the editors of About.com ranked him #17 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987-2007), making him the highest-ranking Wu-Tang Clan member on the list.
Todd Sheaffer of Railroad Earth
Wednesday, July 26
$15/$18/$22/$25
Todd Sheaffer - lead singer, songwriter, guitarist for bluegrass-rock group Railroad Earth and former frontman for New Jersey roots rockers >From Good Homes - plays a program of rock, bluegrass, country and Americana.
Friday, July 28
$22/$25/$28/$32
American folk-blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Smither, known for "Love You Like a Man" and "I Feel the Same" covered by Bonnie Raitt, marked his 50th music-making anniversary with the album Still on the Levee in 2014. On this retrospective album, Smither revisits 25 songs spanning his career all the way back to his 1970 debut album, I'm a Stranger, Too! Honing a synthesis of folk and blues for more than 50 years, Smither is truly an American original. As Acoustic Guitar Magazine wrote, Smither sings about "the big things - life, love, loss - in a penetrating and poetic yet unpretentious way."
Saturday, July 29
$22/$25/$28/$32
Pat McGee started his professional music career in 1995 as leader of Pat McGee Band, touring relentlessly for over ten years all over the United States, including one stretch doing 98 shows in 103 days. The band, dubbed PMB, sold out venues all over the U.S. and shared stages with The Who, Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Counting Crows, Rat Dog, Levon Helm and more. Touring solo, singer/songwriter Pat McGee returns to City Winery Chicago. His most current songs are some of his most hard-rockin' and, at the same time, most delicate arrangements.
Sunday, July 30; 6:30 & 9pm
$28/$36/$42/$46
Soul vocalist and songwriter Rahsaan Patterson is another in the line of new-school R&B singers. After singing in church from the age of six, Patterson moved with his family from New York to California to star in the children's show "KIDS Incorporated". He later moved back to the East Coast, resuming his career with small TV roles and assorted commercials, but returned to Los Angeles in the early '90s to record demos and contribute backing vocals to albums by Martika and Brandy, among others. Patterson proved himself a more than competent songwriter as well, penning hits like Tevin Campbell's "Back to the World" and Brandy's "Baby." Those successes finally earned him a recording contract with MCA, which issued his self-titled debut album in early 1997. Love in Stereo followed two years later. After a hiatus from the performance spotlight, he released After Hours in August 2005 and Wines & Spirits in September 2007. These two albums placed him at the top of the R&B underground. His most recent album, Bleuphoria, is his most eclectic and creatively ambitious album.
Concert for the Camp - Rustic Falls Nature Fundraiser featuring The Empty Pockets
Monday, July 31; 7:30pm
$25/$28/$32/$35
Chicago-based indie-rock band The Empty Pockets team up with other artists to be announced for this special musical event benefitting Rustic Falls Nature Camp. Rustic Falls Nature Camp strives to offer a safe, nurturing environment that provides recreational and educational activities to enhance the lives of at¬-risk-youth, cancer survivors and physically and mentally challenged children and adults. The camp was founded in 2010 by Eric Lentz and DeAnna Hallagan, uncle and aunt to The Empty Pockets' Josh Solomon, making the cause very close to the band's hearts. Though Eric lost his battle with colon cancer in 2014, his dream of helping people in need lives on through Rustic Falls and the efforts of Deanna, their children, Sarah and Patrick, and their extended family and friends. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Rustic Falls Nature Camp.
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 92-point 2015 Verna's 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, visit www.citywinery.com.
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