Godzilla can’t stop the music on the (fantasy) gig poster of the weekSalem Collo-Julinon May 20, 2020 at 6:00 pm

This week’s fantasy gig is one man’s not-so-secret dream. Local artist Jon Natzke created a poster for an imaginary concert to take place at a real venue (shuttered for now) on his birthday in July.

Natzke chose an international loud-rock lineup for this “it’s not planned but maybe it should be” concert. He imagines British rock band Idles headlining Metro, supported by veteran DIY punk Jeff Rosenstock and Melbourne indie punks the Smith Street Band. “Truth be told, this is a dream show for me,” Natzke says. “I’m a big fan of all the acts I have noted. They were all birthed from different punk and DIY scenes; all use different methods of telling the same kind of emotional, personal stories with some aggression and energy. All have been getting me through a lot of the quarantine–not just the music, but using social media to push for anyone to contribute to artists and save music venues.”

Milwaukee band Telethon, friends of Natzke’s, would play first to put a cherry on top of his birthday sundae: “The date is my birthday. Live music has always meant a lot to me, and this would be the perfect show to experience. I saw Jeff Rosenstock play the Metro a few years ago, and he was blown away to be playing such a big and historic venue in front of a sold-out crowd. If I could, I’d like to give that to the other bands and my friends in Telethon. They all deserve the recognition.”

Natzke’s work is the seventh fantasy gig poster the Reader has featured in this space during the pandemic–it’s actually the eighth post, but that 1937 WPA gig poster in March was for a real concert, not an imagined one. And we continue to accept submissions.

To participate, please e-mail scollojulin@chicagoreader.com with your name, contact information, and your original design or drawing (you can attach a JPG or PNG file or provide a download link). We won’t be able to publish everything we receive, but we’ll feature as many as possible while the crisis continues. Your submission can also include a nonprofit, fundraiser, or action campaign that you’d like to bring to the attention of our readers.

Not everybody can make a fantasy gig poster, of course, but it’s simple and free to take action through the website of the National Independent Venue Association–click here to tell your representatives to save our homegrown music ecosystems. And anybody with a few bucks to spare can support the out-of-work staffers at Chicago’s venues–here’s our list of fundraisers. Lastly, don’t forget record stores! The Reader has published a list of local stores that will let you shop remotely.

ARTIST: Jon Natzke
FANTASY GIG: Idles, Jeff Rosenstock, the Smith Street Band, and Telethon at Metro on Jon’s birthday (Monday, July 6, 2020)
ARTIST INFO: jonatzke.threadless.com
NPO TO KNOW: Jon would like to point you to the Chicago Artists Relief Fund.

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