JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound hit House of Blues before heading to Spain

Chicago's soul-sensations JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound are honored to co-headline the House of Blues on Friday, September 10th. This show will be the band's last in Chicago before heading out for a highly anticipated series of shows in Spain!

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound dropped their 2009 debut, Beat of Our Own Drum, to excellent reviews and have recently followed it up with the release of the single, "Get It Together" (which features a soulful, Wilco-approved cover of "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart").



The band has collaborated with Syl Johnson, Daniel Bitney (Tortoise), Nate Evans (the Impressions), and have appeared on WGN-TV and BBC 6 in the UK. The Uptown Sound has been praised by the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, TimeOut, and the New York Times, and has cut live sessions for taste-making indie stations WFMU and KDHX.

This House of Blues show is stacked with local talent: The Giving Tree Band, The Future Laureates, and How Far to Austin will all be on hand to provide exciting performances. It's safe to say that this show be the most fun that you'll get on a Friday night for $10!

Spain Tour Dates:

MAVIS STAPLES & JEFF TWEEDY COVER CCR

As I wait patiently until I get my hands on Soul legend Mavis Staples' forthcoming Jeff Tweedy-produced album, You Are Not Alone, out September 14 on Anti-. The album features a few very well done covers from what I read here is a great acoustic version done live of CCR's "Wrote a Song for Everyone" (via MOJO) along with the album's tracklist:

You Are Not Alone:

01 You Don't Knock (Pops Staples/Wesley Westbrook)
02 You Are Not Alone (Jeff Tweedy)
03 Downward Road (Pops Staples)
04 In Christ There Is No East and West (traditional; arranged by Jeff Tweedy)
05 Creep Along, Moses (traditional)
06 Losing You (Randy Newman)
07 I Belong to the Band (Rev. Gary Davis)
08 Last Train (Allen Toussaint)
09 Only the Lord Knows (Jeff Tweedy)
10 Wrote a Song for Everyone (John Fogerty)
11 We're Gonna Make It (Little Milton)
12 Wonderful Savior (traditional)
13 Too Close to Heaven / I'm on My Way to Heaven Anyhow (Prof. Alex E. Bradford Jr./Brad Pathway)

NORTH COAST FESTIVAL - LINE UP ANNOUNCED

Summer is a season of Music Fests and Chicago sure has it's share of them... This Labor Day weekend, the inaugural North Coast Music Festival will take over Chicago’s Union Park and the Line Up is certainly impressive!  

The full lineup:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

North Stage
8:30pm-10:00pm >> The Chemical Brothers
6:30pm-7:30pm >> Paul Van Dyk
4:30pm-5:30pm >> Orchard Lounge

Groupon: What’s a Music? Stage
7:30pm-8:30pm >> Pretty Lights
5:30pm-6:30pm >> Paul Kalkbrenner

Red Bull Local Stage
9:00pm-10:00pm >> m.sylvia & DJ Kibo
8:00pm-9:00pm >> Mettle
7:00pm-8:00pm >> Wyllys
6:00pm-7:00pm >> Paul Universe
5:00pm-6:00pm >> XPOSUR vs Clark Kent

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010

North Stage
8:30pm-10:00pm >> Umphrey’s McGee
6:30pm-7:30pm >> Jay Electronica
4:30pm-5:30pm >> Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
2:30pm-3:30pm >> New Mastersounds
12:30pm-1:30pm >> “Toast of the Coast” Band Winner

Groupon: What’s a Music? Stage
7:30pm-8:30pm >> De La Soul
5:30pm-6:30pm >> The New Deal
3:30pm-4:30pm >> Van Ghost
1:30pm-2:30pm >> Alabaster Brown

Coast Stage
9:00pm-10:00pm >> Moby (DJ)
8:00pm-9:00pm >> Boys Noize
6:30pm-7:30pm >> Future Rock
5:00pm-6:00pm >> Benga
3:45pm-4:45pm >> Laidback Luke
2:30pm-3:30pm >> Two Fresh
1:00pm-2:00pm >> “Toast of the Coast” MC Winner

Red Bull Local Stage
9:00pm-10:00pm >> Hey Champ
7:30pm-8:30pm >> Family Groove Company
6:30pm-7:30pm >> Midnight Conspiracy
6:00pm-6:30pm >> Rukus
5:00pm-6:00pm >> The Comeups
4:00pm-5:00pm >> Tima Fei & Phat!van
3:00pm-4:00pm >> Strange Arrangement
2:00pm-3:00pm >> Great Divide
1:00pm-2:00pm >> Land of Atlantis
12:00pm-1:00pm >> Save the Clocktower

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

North Stage
8:30pm-10:00pm >> Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
6:30pm-7:30pm >> Flying Lotus
4:30pm-5:30pm >> Holy Ghost!
2:30pm-3:30pm >> Phantogram
1:00pm-1:45pm >> The Coop

Groupon: What’s a Music? Stage
7:30pm-8:30pm >> Lupe Fiasco
5:30pm-6:30pm >> Mayer Hawthorne & The County
3:30pm-4:30pm >> Dirty Dozen Brass Band
1:45pm-2:30pm >> Loyal Divide

Coast Stage
8:30pm-10:00pm >> The Disco Biscuits
7:00pm-8:00pm >> Green Velvet (Live)
5:30pm-6:30pm >> Claude VonStroke
4:15pm-5:15pm >> Benny Benassi
3:00pm-4:00pm >> Maps and Atlases
2:00pm-3:00pm >> Skeet Skeet
1:00pm-2:00pm >> “Toast of the Coast” DJ Winner

Red Bull Local Stage
9:00pm-10:00pm >> Gemini Club
8:00pm-9:00pm >> Gabe Real
7:00pm-8:00pm >> Papa G
6:00pm-7:00pm >> Stephen Paul Smoker
5:00pm-6:00pm >> Trew
4:00pm-5:00pm >> The Right Now
3:00pm-4:00pm >> Mario Florek
2:15pm-3:00pm >> Bobby De Maria & Tsunami
1:30pm-2:15pm >> DJ Lips
1:00pm-1:30pm >> D.E.E.

3 Day Passes are now SOLD OUT but Single Day tickets remain more info at NorthCoastFestival.com

MATT RYD TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM AT SCHUBAS

Chicago singer-songwriter Matt Ryd will be celebrating the release of his new album, Looking for Home, at Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport, on Friday, Sept. 10. The night kicks off at 9 PM with Little Light and Mike Mentzer.

Ryd, who also has a three-song EP called "Rock and/or Roll" under his belt, is perhaps best known for the song "Healed," which was featured on an episode of the popular TV series Scrubs and appears on Looking for Home. 

The record release show at Schuba's is ages 18+ and the cover is $10. To purchase tickets click here.

BRAD IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM

Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam fame has just released his anticipated new album titled Best Friends? from his side project BRAD. I have always liked BRAD and there newest record does not disappoint! It is available via there label Monkeywrench Records HERE.

They will be hitting the road this fall with Band of Horses in support of BEST FRIENDS?

October 1st   – Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines IA. TICKETS
October 4th   – House of Blues , Cleveland OH. TICKETS
October 5th   – LC Amphitheater , Columbus OH. TICKETS
October 6th   – Brown Theater , Louisville KY. TICKETS
October 12th – Cain’s Ballroom , Tulsa OK. TICKETS
October 13th – The Pageant , St. Louis MO. TICKETS
October 14th – Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO. TICKETS

RITA J LIVE AT SCHUBAS SEPT 4TH

Chicago artist Rita J will be performing a set at Schuba's on Saturday, Sept. 4th. The talented emcee will be joining Bumpus and DJRC for a night of funk, hip hop and soul.

Raised in the talent-rich pocket of Chicago’s South Side, Rita J--Rita Jackson when not on stage--was born to entertain. A trained dancer, Rita has spent much of her life on stage, often showcasing her artistic prowess in competition. Her experiences as a dancer taught her at an early age the value of hard work and passion--characteristics beneficial to any artist, and essential to an emcee. 

Since she first grabbed the mic, some 10 years back, Rita J has shared the stage with several industry notables, including Digable Planets, Jungle Brothers, J-Live and Stacy Epps. Channeling the finest attributes of her idols, and combining them with her own genius, Rita J can best be described as the perfect storm of hip hop pedigree. Her grounded, earthy aesthetic appears to contradict the "take no shorts" onstage persona with impeccable tone. But where many female emcees stumble, Rita remains balanced. Rita J is a Skullcandy-sponsored artist and released her debut album, Artist Workshop, in November, 2009, on All Natural Inc. She is also an original member of the Family Tree.