What’s New

Best known as Anderson .Paak’s backing band, the Free Nationals are masters of fusion, with the ability to blend various strains of pop music past and present into mellifluous tracks that dependably set a chill mood. On their 2019 self-titled debut (released by OBE/Empire), they refashion modern funk, boogie, and yacht rock into a backdrop for a revolving door of popular rappers and vocalists, including .Paak, Syd of the Internet, Daniel Caesar, Mac Miller, Kali Uchis, T.I., Conway, and Westside Gunn. Too often, Free Nationals feels like it’s aimed at listeners who’d prefer to hear the band back their favorite MC rather than take center stage–but the group’s refined recontextualization of retro and underground pop styles deserves a real shot on its own terms. The Free Nationals showcase their versatility throughout the album, but usually they mold their sound to fit the personalities of the guest vocalists rather than foregrounding their own talents and tastes. Even within these self-imposed limitations, though, they can crank out electric performances–particularly when they aim to make the suavest sounds imaginable. On the blue-eyed soul number “Apartment,” featuring the gently lilting vocals of Dutch pop artist Benny Sings, the Free Nationals’ easygoing, luscious melodies create a heartening glow. v

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I had a chance to see Roberto Fonseca play at the 2015 Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco, in a duo collaboration with Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara. In his thrilling, visceral performance, the Havana-born musician, composer, and bandleader embodied the multifarious musicality of Cuba’s best jazz pianists. Blessed with access to the island’s customary classical music training, which often begins in elementary school, Fonseca began playing jazz festivals at age 15 and later obtained a master’s in composition from Havana’s prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte. He’s well-versed in Cuban folkloric styles such as rumba as well as its dance genres, including mambo, timba, and reggaeton. His heady, masterful compositions are enlivened by his musical prowess, his precision, and his ability to create unendingly varied ripples of notes. He accompanies his playing with wordless vocals and chants, influenced by his mother, Mercedes Cortes Alfaro, a renowned bolero singer who was once a dancer at the legendary Tropicana Club in Havana. Fonseca is currently on tour supporting his ninth solo album, Yesun (Mack Avenue), whose title blends the names of two Yoruban deities: Yemaya, the goddess of the sea, fertility, and maternity, and Oxun, the god of the river. Throughout Yesun, his pieces transition from one style to another, flowing freely in a kaleidoscope of progressive, dynamic Cuban musical forms; as he put it in a 2019 interview with Jazz Times, his songs are a call to “a party so nice it will fill your soul completely.” Fonseca will perform with bassist Yandy Martinez Rodriguez and drummer Raul Herrera, with whom he recorded Yesun and with whom he plays weekly gigs at Havana club La Zorro y el Cuervo; this concert is a rare opportunity to witness the vanguard of 21st-century Afro-Cuban jazz. v

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When I contacted Jeff Lescher of legendary mod/glam/punk/power-pop band Green to find out what his set would be like for this special gig, he responded quickly and kindly, but added, “One ‘angle’ that I hope you’ll avoid in your reportage is the overworked and untrue ‘Green was a group that should have been big but never were.'” I’ve gotta admit it’s hard to not go there, as it’s a bit of a head scratcher to me that Chicago bands such as Veruca Salt, Urge Overkill, and Local H got signed to major labels while the beloved Green didn’t (in 1991 the Reader’s Bill Wyman dubbed them “Chicago’s Great Green Hope”). However, we’ll shift focus here, per Lescher’s request. It’s worth noting that Green predated the 90s Chicago alterna-rock explosion (and all the aforementioned bands). They released their first EP in 1984 and their self-titled debut LP in ’86, both on their own Ganggreen label. Lescher continually reinvented the band with an influx of new musicians, and Green’s brilliant second album, 1987’s Anglophilic Elaine MacKenzie (Pravda), featured their second and perhaps most crucial lineup: bassist Ken Kurson (of Circles and later the Lilacs) and drummer Rich Clifton. The raw, jangly 1989 album White Soul and 1992’s gooey, hook-filled The Pop Tarts were stellar too, and Green released their seventh and most recent LP, The Planets, in 2009. The band have soldiered on since then, at varying levels of activity, and Lescher has pursued a solo career as well. In November he dropped his first solo album, All Is Grace–a wildly varied affair that includes mellow acoustic ditties as well as full-on punky glam rock. At this gig, Lescher will focus mostly on solo material, but he says there will also be a “proverbial ‘smattering’ of Green songs, and a cover or two,” with Clay Tomasek on bass, Jason Mosher on guitar, John Holoman on drums, Preston Pisellini on keys, and Mark Durante (formerly of KMFDM and Revolting Cocks) on pedal steel. Opening the show are the similarly underrated Joy Poppers, who’ve been at their brand of sticky-sweet pop since 1993. Their sound recalls power-pop greats such as Big Star, Badfinger, Piper, and Todd Rundgren, and the core of the group is lead songwriter Tom Szidon (who’s also played with Scott Lucas of Local H fame in his band the Married Men, to come full circle) and brilliant percussionist, singer, and guitarist Jason Batchko (who’s played with Lucas, Jonny Polonsky, Caviar, and others). The duo will be joined for this show by Marc Sloboda (guitar) and Dani Malloy (bass), and will focus on the 25-year-old Zoomar! album. It’s a rare treat for these near pop legends to be playing at all, let alone playing a mix of new material and classics, so this intimate gig is not to be missed. v

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Every member of the Grateful Dead played a vital role in the band: Jerry Garcia was the spaced-out leader, Mickey Hart was the shamanic spiritual guide, and Phil Lesh was the giant brain. Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir–the spry youngest member–was the group’s heart and soul. His obtuse, jazzy chord structures drove the Dead’s most mind-expanding jams, and his infectious enthusiasm and joyful playing brought out the freewheeling spirit of their best material. The 2015 reunion of the Grateful Dead revitalized interest in the band, and no member has capitalized on it more than Weir. That year he joined Hart and the group’s other longtime drummer, Bill Kreutzmann, to found the unstoppable Dead & Company (fronted by Weir and John Mayer), and in 2016 he released his first solo studio album since 1978, Blue Mountain. Over the past couple of years he’s assembled a new trio, the Wolf Bros, with Les Claypool cohort Jay Lane on drums and rock producer Don Was on bass. They’re a stripped-down group, especially compared to early-70s iterations of the Dead–which at times had up to eight members onstage–but they can tear through rock standards and Dead classics. As he settles into his 70s, Weir is shining in his late-career renaissance. v

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California duo Best Coast are a long way away from the bite-size stoner love songs and sun-drenched slacker tales of their 2010 debut album, Crazy for You. On their brand-new fourth LP, Always Tomorrow (Concord), singer-songwriter and guitarist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno pair beefed-up power chords with clear-eyed observations, a newfound sense of optimism, and an ambitious look toward the future. It’s the band’s most straightforward rock ‘n’ roll record to date, but it still has echoes of the SoCal skater vibe and lo-fi pop-punk warmth that defined their breakthrough tunes, such as Crazy for You’s “When I’m With You” and “Boyfriend.” Cosentino and Bruno have honed their one-two punch of 60s melodies and laid-back rhythms (“True” will surely tug at the heartstrings of Best Coast purists) while trading fuzzy distortion for bold, slick riffs and snappy percussion. Cosentino’s mighty vocals flavor “Graceless Kids,” “Rollercoaster” and “Make It Last,” which balance new life lessons and “work in progress” reality checks (she got sober in 2017) with the overwhelmingly positive vibes emanating from the album as a whole. While 2015’s California Nights portrayed a lovestruck woman afraid to let go, Cosentino has better topics to address now: becoming the master of her own mind, getting tired of writing about the same old unhealthy behaviors and relationships (“Seeing Red”), and finding the power in shedding her former self (“Different Light”). Culminating with “Used to Be,” a slow-burning, shoegaze-tinged anthem that nods to the band’s arena aspirations, Always Tomorrow showcases Best Coast’s evolution and sharpened focus–and Cosentino finally seems ready to sing a different kind of song. v

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Paloma Rocio Castillo Astorga, better known as Paloma Mami, was only 18 when she released her debut single, 2018’s “Not Steady.” Lugubrious and resoundingly confident, the song made clear she wasn’t callow: “I don’t change for no dick,” she declares over a soft-edged dancehall beat whose nocturnal aura sets the tone for a night spent wisely (yet sadly) alone. The Chilean-American artist was signed by Sony Latin on the strength of that one single, and since then she’s gained worldwide popularity. Castillo decided to pursue music seriously after watching reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny perform live, and the stage name she chose was inspired by Drake’s Instagram handle, @champagnepapi. Paloma Mami shares those artists’ love for woozy, melancholy atmospheres, but she has no use for their querulous and self-loathing attitudes: On “Fingias,” she rails against an ex-lover over a moody reggaeton beat, her breathless delivery conveying a melange of bitterness, despondency, and longing. Then on “Mami” she plays the role of femme fatale, declaring that she’s “more powerful than two Nefertitis” and commanding her lover to keep calling her “mami.” Though she’s only released a handful of singles so far, Paloma Mami has already proved herself one of reggaeton’s brightest new stars–and at her Chicago debut, she’ll be able to win over a new audience. v

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It’s Leap Day weekend, spend your extra day wisely. We’re here to help with a list of recommended things to do.

Through 2/29: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery presents “The Joy: The Visibility Of Black Boy Childhood,” an exhibition by photographer and Reader contributor W.D. Floyd. Fri-Sat noon-6 PM, Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery, 515 N. Halsted, semicolonchi.com, free.

Through 3/29: TUTA presents a world premiere adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic Hedda Gabler: A Play With Live Music, about a discontented wife whose efforts to control the fate of others unleashes tragedy. TUTA artistic director Jacqueline Stone adapted and directs the production, with original music by Wain Parham. Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; also Tue-Wed 2/25-2/26, 7:30 PM, Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Bernice, tuttheatre.org, $25-$40.

Through 4/12: J.Nicole Brooks’s world premiere at Lookingglass, Her Honor Jane Byrne, focuses on Chicago’s first woman mayor and the three weeks she spent living at the Cabrini-Green housing project. Brooks also directs a cast that includes Robert Cornelius, Thomas J. Cox, TaRon Patton, and Christine Mary Dunford as Byrne. Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Thu 3/12 and 3/26, 2 PM; Sun 3/22 and 4/5, 7:30 PM; Sun 3/8, 6 PM only; Sat 2/29 and 3/7, 7:30 PM only, Lookingglass Theatre Company, 821 N. Michigan, lookingglasstheatre.org, $55-$85.

2/28-3/1: The pop-up “The Defunct Suits” looks at stock market trade floors that were prevalent in the 90s and mid aughts. The streetwear brand, Escro, will have select items for sale. Opening day is 2/28 noon-7 PM. Tue-Sat noon-7 PM, Sun noon-5 PM, RSVP Gallery, 1753 N. Damen, rsvpgallery.com, free.

2/28-4/11: The solo exhibition “Golden Hour” presents new paintings and sculptures from artist Jessie Edelman. Opening reception 2/28, 5-8 PM. Tue-Fri 11 AM-6 PM, Sat 11 AM-5 PM, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, 1749 W. Chicago, andrewrafacz.com, free.

Fri 2/28: Leather Archives and Museum hosts Superhero Fetish After-Hours at the LA&M, a fetish superhero event which coincides with C2E2. Revolution Brewing has donated beer for the event (as well as wine, soda, and water). Superhero or cosplay attire is highly encouraged. 6-9 PM, Leather Archives and Museum, 6418 N. Greenview, leatherarchives.org, free.

Fri 2/28: It’s the Chicago premiere of the documentary Dusty Groove: The Sound of Transition. Director Danielle Beverly, Dusty Groove owner Rick Wojcik, and others will participate in a Q&A following the screening. 7 PM, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington, cityofchicago.org/dcase, free.

2/29-3/11: In galleries one and two, married collaborators Miller
& Shellabarger look at romance, physicality, duality, and time in “Homo-entanglement.” Utilizing performance, photography, books, and sculpture, the pair focus on queer identities and experiences. Opening reception 2/29,
5-8 PM. 2/29-3/11, Tue-Sat 11 AM-6 PM, Western Exhibitions, 1709 W. Chicago, westernexhibitions.com, free.

Sat 2/29: Spudnik hosts Charlie & the Hashbrown Factory: 10th Annual Spudnik Press Chili Cook-Off. Sixteen competing chefs will be challenged to make the best chili. Featured galleries and creative outlets in the cook-off are Candor Arts, Chicago Printers Guild, Hyde Park Art Center, Rohner Press, and One Design. Sat 2/29, 5-9 PM, Spudnik Press, 1821 W. Hubbard, spudnikpress.com, $40, $25 for artists and anyone 21 and under, $8 for kids 6-16, kids 5 and under free.

Sat 2/29: Enjoy some of the best Leap Day-themed VHS clips with stand-up from Tucker Brookshire, Lucia Whalen, Chris Santiago, and Clare Austen-Smith during VHS: Leap to the Future. 10 PM, the Lincoln Lodge, 2040 N. Milwaukee, thelincolnlodge.com, $7. v

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Friday, February 28, 2020

FOX VALLEY

Burlington Central at Huntley, 7:00

Dundee-Crown at Hampshire, 7:30

Jacobs at Crystal Lake South, 7:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Morris at Kaneland, 7:00

Ottawa at Sandwich, 6:45

Rochelle at LaSalle-Peru, 7:00

Sycamore at Plano, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Hillcrest at Oak Forest, 6:30

Tinley Park at Lemont, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Richards at Shepard, 7:00

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Rich South, 7:00

Kankakee at Rich Central, 6:00

Thornton at Thornwood, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Benet at St. Charles North, 7:00

Elmwood Park at IMSA, 7:00

Lincoln-Way West at Joliet West, 6:30

Manual at DePaul, 6:30

Prospect at Lyons, 7:30

Proviso East at Champaign Central, 7:30

Class 1A state tournament

HARVEST CHRISTIAN SECTIONAL

Aurora Christian

Aurora Christian vs. Mooseheart, 7:00

Westminster Christian

Uplift vs. North Shore, 7:00

RIVER RIDGE SCETIONAL

Polo

Dakota vs. Pecatonica, 7:00

Christian Life

Indian Creek vs. Christian Life, 7:00

SCHLARMAN SECTIONAL

Lexington

Roanoke-Benson vs. LeRoy, 7:00

Iroquois West

Ridgeview vs. Cissna Park, 7:00

OTTAWA MARQUETTE SECTIONAL

Putnam County

Yorkville Christian vs. Gardner-So. Wilmington, 7:0

Harper

Fenger vs. Richards (Chgo), 7:00

St. Francis de Sales

Leo vs. Grant Park, 7:00

Somonauk

Somonauk vs. Newark, 7:00

Class 2A state tournament

CARVER SECTIONAL

King

Phillips vs. King, 7:00

Corliss

Corliss vs. Longwood, 7:00

Julian

Chicago Christian vs. Bowen, 7:00

Dyett

Dyett vs. South Shore, 7:00

MARSHALL SECTIONAL

Dunbar

Dunbar vs. Wells, 7:00

Christ the King

Clark vs. Crane, 7:00

Orr

Orr vs. Raby, 7:00

Francis Parker

Perspectives-MSA vs. Latin, 7:00

GENOA-KINGSTON SECTIONAL

St. Joseph

Timothy Christian vs. St. Joseph, 7:00

Aurora Central

Marengo vs. Wheaton Academy, 7:00

Rockford Lutheran

Rockford Lutheran vs Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

Northridge

Northridge vs. IC Catholic, 7:00

PRINCETON SECTIONAL

Rock Falls

Newman vs. Rock Falls, 7:00

Winnebago

Winnebago vs. El Paso-Gridley, 7:00

PONTIAC SECTIONAL

Coal City

Coal City vs. Pontiac, 7:00

Manteno

Joliet Catholic vs. Manteno, 7:00

Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Paxton-Buckley-Loda vs. Tuscola, 7:00

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Mark your calendars, Women’s International Day is on Sunday, March 8! This annual event was first held in 1909 to honor a New York garment worker’s strike. More than 100 years later, we are still uplifting women. Here are ten ways you can celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting women-owned businesses and women-focused events.

Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio

Located in the West Loop, Monteverde is owned by Chef Sarah Gruenberg. She was inspired by her travels around the world and her heritage to create a restaurant that blends together Italian culture with other influences.

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate

Mindy Segal decided to open up this Hot Chocolate restaurant more than 15 years ago after working in some of the best restaurants in the city. Her restaurant serves not only delicious foods but amazing hot chocolates and other tasty desserts. 

Belli’s Chicago

Belli’s is a juice bar and market that has tons of full vegetarian, plant-based, and organic options available. Owned by Alexandra Curatolo, Belli’s Chicago has been a Pilsen neighborhood staple since 2013.

Fenton Fox

To get ready for summer, stop by Fenton Fox and support a woman-owned business. Fenton Fox is located in Ukrainian Village and is stocked with handmade swimwear as well as vintage clothing and accessories. Lizzie Cook founded Fenton Fox to deliver a more eco-friendly swimwear line for women.

M.M.LaFleur

M.M.LaFleur was created by Sarah LaFleur, who wanted to help women succeed in the workplace. She wanted to redesign the uninspired pantsuits that businesswomen so often had to wear and created her own collection to help women showcase their personality in a professional outfit.

Sunday Dinner Club

Sunday Dinner Club isn’t really a restaurant, but instead an experience. Co-owned by Christine Cikowski, she creates a collective food experience that delivers locally sourced ingredients in a dinner party-ish atmosphere.

Bella Rose Tattoo

Bella Rose is owned by Dawn, who was born and raised in Chicago. Since 1998, she has been a tattoo artist and opened her shop, Bella Rose Tattoo, with her partner Brennan. The shop is available to new clients, and they can help you achieve any design that you might want!

Raise Her Voice Campaign

On March 5, Ellevate Network, a community for women at work, is hosting Raise Her Voice, which will allow women to share their stories. Sign up for the event online. 

International Women’s Day Brunch

If brunch is more your style, you can meet up with female entrepreneurs and leaders at VU Rooftop Bar. The event will help to uplift female entrepreneurs with unique offers throughout the event. All proceeds from the casbah will benefit the CAWC-Connections for Abused Women & Children.

Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

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There was a time in the distant past when flying was a genteel activity. Passengers could sit around a table, talk to each other and play cards, or read in comfort.

As we said, that was the distant past.

Road rage on the highways has become as common as candidates in a debate screaming at each other. “Political Rage?”

Quite recently, a woman filed assault charges against the man in the seat behind her on a flight. She reclined the seat and he got annoyed. They were both sitting in the section not fondly referred to as “Cattle Class” where the pitch, the distance from your knees to the seat in front of you, has been reduced to micro-measurements.

He began tapping the seat. She never took the hint. He then pushed the seatback. Still no response. A video taken by another passenger showed her acting totally oblivious to the situation. He then became a bit more aggressive and started to pound the seatback. The video doesn’t show the result, but she ended up filing assault charges when they landed.

Now what he did really didn’t rise to the degree of what would commonly be called “assault.” But neither one took the opportunity to say: “Do you mind if I recline my seat a bit?” Nor: “Would you please raise your seat as I am cramped into this tiny space they’ve allotted me.”

In truth, most airlines don’t give a damn about passenger comfort in any section other than First or Business Class. Sure, they are paying huge premiums for better seating, meals, booze, and what-have-you. But that really is no reason to have cut the space between seatbacks from 35 inches to a mere 30 inches.

No idea what the outcome of this case will be, but we’ll try to keep you posted.

Not that long ago, a passenger was literally dragged off a plane by police for refusing to change his seat as ordered by the flight attendant who then called the cops. The video taken of the man, who was a physician and not ordinarily prone to fighting, showed his eyeglasses askew, a bleeding injury on his forehead, and other results of being physically forced and dragged from the seat.

What had caused this contretemps was the flight attendant telling him he was in the wrong seat and should move. He could have done so, but refused. She could have tried talking to him instead of demanding and calling the fuzz. He sued and won.

On a long, cross-country flight some time back, we were sitting in front of a woman with two children. The kids had just come from another long flight and were tired of being cooped up. The young girl behind me kept hitting the seatback, I turned to look several times and in each instance the mother simply looked at the cabin ceiling, ignoring me.

She was politely asked to please stop the child and made no effort to do so. The flight attendant was called and asked to assist. She came, looked at the situation and then walked away, doing nothing. They attempt to avoid any controversy and all too often simply ignore the issue, thus raising temperatures and “Air Rage.”

The airlines could take several steps to help alleviate such distressing situations. One, they could forfeit the extra row they’ve gained by jamming passengers into extremely uncomfortable spaces. Two, they could train flight attendants on methods of defusing potential conflict. Three, they could tell the offending parties that they will be banned from further flights on a particular airline for a set period of time.

But, you know what? That’ll never happen until there is a truly disastrous incident that compromises the safety of the aircraft and all of its passengers. But then it’ll be too late.

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