As the newest to sign onto the Illegal Art imprint (Girl Talk, Steinski, The Bran Flakes), Junk Culture is riding the wave of broken-beat stardom. His shows are a wild mix of percussions, ambient vocals and image projections, which makes for pretty intense sensory experience. Stylistically he’ll mesh well with the equally abstract duo Yea Big & Kid Static, who are in the midst of supporting a new album entitled The Future’s Looking Grim. If BBQ’s and fireworks aren’t your thing, hike it over to this show. (J. Min)
Saturday, July 4 at 9pm Venue: Hideout Tickets: $8
Being classy in the underground hip-hop scene can be a tough attribute to master; too little and you’re a senseless thug, too much and you’re a pretentious prick. In the case of The Gent$, however, their vision of class is in top-notch form. As solo artists, The Gent$ (Pugs Atomz, Wes Restless and Ill Legit) have done well for themselves, but together they’ve found new creative ground to build upon. Recently they’ve collaborated with DJ Vadim on the album U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. You can see for yourself what all the hype is about when they hit the stage at Sub-T, but for a sneak peek check out the hilarious video they shot at the Sybaris, http://www.vimby.com/video/music/us/all/detail/10230. (J. Min)
Saturday, July 4 at 9:30pm Venue: Subterranean Tickets: $10
Buddy Guy, Guster, Booker T & The DBTs
Infamous incubator of Southern rock, organist Booker T. Jones, daylights here with footstep-followers, the Drive-by Truckers, setting aside his Stax Records roots for a good old-fashioned jam session. Arguably the most crowded day of the crowded festival, indie-pop stalwarts Guster give good reason to escape the streets and venture into the park, while Buddy Guy (still tilting his modern blues crown in top-notch ways) cements the star-studded ode to the nation’s birth. (Gavin Paul)
Saturday, July 4 at 3pm Venue: Taste of Chicago Tickets: $0
FREE
Though it sounds like an extra-credit project for a high-school American history class ("44 songs for 44 U.S. Presidents"), this concert, presented by the Hideout, is worth checking out. Songwriters Christian Kiefer, Jefferson Pitcher and J. Matthew Gerken will perform the songs with a variety of Chicago musicians. We're especially looking forward to "William Howard Taft (There Was No Longer Use to Hide the Fact That It Was Gout)," "Lyndon Baines Johnson (Ladybird Take Me Home)" and, of course, the latest addition, "Barack Obama (Someone to Wake)." (Ben Rubenstein)
Saturday, July 4 at noon Venue: Taste of Chicago Tickets: $0
FREE
Haunted by a life of drug addiction, abusive family members and numerous suicide attempts, Cage has been shocking the world with tales of a turbulent home life well before Eminem hit the scene. His retrospective lyrics on life, death and recovery are underscored by brooding synths and slashing guitar riffs, giving his style a Sage Francis meets Dabrye vibe. His newest album Depart From Me (due out June 30th) is creating quite a buzz around town greatly impart to Shia LaBeouf’s contribution as video director of the single "I Never Knew You" (available for free download at http://www.definitivejux.net/). Apparently LaBeouf is pushing for a biopic of Cage’s life where he’ll play the troubled MC, so this might be your last chance to catch the real deal before things get too Hollywood. The show is priced reasonable at $15, and things will get started around 8pm with an opening performance from Def Jux labelmate Yak Ballz. (J. Min)
L’Orchestre Super Vitesse holds great reverence for the storied big bands of West Africa. As such, its mission is to present the beautiful tunes of Guinean, Malian and Senegalese orchestras while mixing in a splash of jazz and Cuban flavor. Led by Antonio Carella, formerly of Chicago Afrobeat Project and the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, the group now plays its third local show in two weeks. Each gig is worthy of attendance, but this free performance at the agreeable (and narrow) confines of The Whistler makes a great midweek getaway. (Scott Morrow)
Wednesday, July 8 at 10pm Venue: The Whistler Tickets: $0
FREE
Serving as producer for the 80’s Babies and Pathfinders, Tall Black Guy is proving that Chicago hip-hop can be both mindful of the golden era and progressively ambitious. Instead of riding the trend of broken-beat analog-pop, TBG is taking a more cosmic approach to beatmaking a la Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Platinum Pied Pipers. The spatial quality of his most recent work adds a whimsical touch to his sound, but he certainly knows how to stay grounded thanks impart to his taste in simple, yet punchy boom-baps. It’ll be nice to catch TBG with other like-minded artists at a place like Cafe Lura, and for $5 it’s a fun inexpensive way to enjoy some stellar summertime hip-hop. (J. Min)
Friday, July 10 at 9pm Venue: Cafe Lura Tickets: $5
Famed punk drummer of the UK’s Mekons, Jon Langford has made a name for himself in Chicago, both as an incubator of local talent with label mates on Bloodshot Records, as well as fusing the first punk esthetics into country and folk. A forever-exuberant art-heart, Langford doubles duties as a self-made painter (as immortalized on Dogfish Head beer labels), a regular This American Life contributor, and most recently, a writer. His music always takes precedence, and here he helps out a Bloodshot friend, honky-tonk crooner, Paul Burch. (Gavin Paul)
Saturday, July 11 at 8pm Venue: SPACE Tickets: $12-$25
An easygoing jazz septet with plenty of substance, Herculaneum excels with restrained rhythms and a nimble brass section—one that provides grooves with its occasionally wailing leads. This performance celebrates the release of the group’s newest disc, Herculaneum III, on Portuguese indie label Clean Feed Records. At times, III is a bit more "out" than its predecessor, Orange Blossom, and it often emphasizes the flute work of Nate Lepine, who doubles as the band’s tenor saxophonist. But a track like "Italian Ice" is as cool as its name, and the group typically dispatches its members in miniature arrangements instead of layering for cacophonous effect. As for those members, each is an esteemed (and busy) member of the local music scene, meaning that Herculaneum doesn’t perform often. Be sure not to miss this one. (Scott Morrow)
Brooding about the early 90s rock scene, Chris Issak struck a meaty introspective chord with "Wicked Game," that pretty much doomed him with the shadow of a one-hit-wonder role by way of records. But he still kept at it, producing a string of follow-ups saturated with his signature neo-Elvis sultry-isms, that kept him afloat long enough to land bit Hollywood bit parts, and eventually his own Showtime series based on the comedic happenings of his band. This show marks the support of his first album in seven years, Mr. Lucky, featuring the same rockabilly standard that launched him into the limelight, complete with star-studded duets from Trisha Yearwood to Michelle Branch. (Gavin Paul)
After receiving mixed reviews for his latest album Terradactyl, Serengeti was faced with the decision to either, A) cower away into obscurity or B) move forward with the same blue-collar tenacity that got him rapping in the first place. It appears he’s been leaning towards the latter thanks impart to a 36-city tour of the West Coast, as well as 5 new albums slated for release this year. For this show at the Whistler, Serengeti will perform with longtime pal and DJ Tony Trimm, and they’ll likely promote two of Geti’s most ambitious projects; Saturday Night (a collaborative project with Hi-Fidel) and Conversations with Kenny/Legacy of Lee (a collaborative project with Tony Trimm). It appears this run of shows will be another milestone moment for Geti so make sure you show your support as this will be your last chance to catch him before he takes off for the West Coast again . (J. Min)
Sunday, July 12 at 9:30pm Venue: The Whistler Tickets: $0
FREE
Citing The Stooges as equal an influence as Elmore James, this Milwaukee-bred trio traverses a fine line between rock and punk, when both genres were in their infancy. Guitars come in motorcycle-revs of fury, always leading monkey-armed drums. It comes off like a poppy version of The Black Keys, despite a debut record full of rock’s most simplistic sultry urges—which is of course the point entirely. (Gavin Paul)
Despite a few run-ins with the law, Keith Murray is still regarded as one of the most iconic figures in hip-hop. Both his solo career and work with the Def Squad (a collaborative effort with Redman and Erik Sermon), have helped define an era of what critics have called "classic New York city style rap." Check the living legend for $15 at the hip-hop-friendly Subterranean. (J. Min)
Tuesday, July 14 at 10pm Venue: Subterranean Tickets: $15
