Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy put their spin on the Modern Lovers’ classic debutShannon Nico Shreibakon January 13, 2023 at 6:00 pm

Michael Shannon calls Brooklyn home these days, but the award-winning actor and founder of A Red Orchid Theatre still spends enough time in Chicago to remain one of the city’s most cherished nightlife figures—he’s right up there with Sharkula and the Tamale Guy. He played the main antagonist in The Shape of Water, and in 2018 he generated headlines when he chose to watch the film win its Oscars from a beloved Old Town dive bar. He’s also made a tradition of flexing his musical muscles in the city’s independent venues: he’s writhed around the Metro stage shirtless, wailing Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life,” as part of the David Bowie tribute project Sons of the Silent Age, and he’s graced the Empty Bottle with his finest Ric Ocasek impression. 

To kick off 2023, Michael Shannon and longtime collaborator Jason Narducy (Split Single, Superchunk) have reunited for their annual cover show. The two of them have been assembling ad hoc bands for the occasion since 2015, when Shannon asked Narducy to put one together from among their friends in the city’s arts community to perform the Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead. The shows are always different, but a few constants persist: the duo alway choose a watershed album (Neil Young’s Zuma, Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited), Narducy takes care of the band, and Shannon embodies the year’s muse. 

This go-round, they’ll cover the Modern Lovers’ 1976 self-titled debut. Released two years after the group broke up, the album encapsulates the legacy of the greatest band protopunk barely had—an unlikely musical gift that continues to inspire new generations of musicians. As significant as the source material is, though, you don’t go to a Michael Shannon show to hear rote re-creations of beloved classics. Shannon’s joie de vivre seeps from his pores, whether he’s whipping across the stage, mean mugging behind a pair of tinted sunglasses, or waving on special guests such as Local H’s Scott Lucas. Narducy and Shannon’s annual covers shows are not only a testament to their talents as musicians and passions as fans but also a display of their enduring friendship.

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy with friends Thu 1/19, 8 PM, SPACE, 1245 Chicago, Evanston, sold out, all ages

Read More