3) @ Emporium Arcade Bar

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Live Reviews, Music, Reviews and tagged Bifunkal, Chicago, Chicago artists, Chicago bands, Chicago music, Emporium, funk, funk music, Genome, Golden Boys, listen live and local, live and local, live music, live review, local bands, local music, lreview, Wicker Park.

Wander the streets of Chicago on any given night and it’s never hard to find inspiring live music, especially sounds falling along the spectrum of funk, jazz and blues. This past Wednesday, August 3rd was no exception as three Chicago-based bands took the stage for an exhilarating night of funk at Emporium Arcade Bar in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

The night’s festivities opened with Bifunkal, a two-piece group made up of drummer Hershyl Edwards and guitarist/vocalist Jesse Cryderman. The two played a solid mix of lyrical and instrumental tunes. While the vocals were decent, it was Cryderman’s catchy guitar riffs along with the impressive vox bass lines from Edwards that stole the set. For only two musicians, the band was able to project a full sound which was later emphasized by accompanying brass during a handful of tunes.

Live Review: Doug Shotwell & The Right Hand Band/ Sweet Mary/ Walsher Clemons (2/12) @ Martyrs’

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Live Reviews, Music, Reviews and tagged Chicago music, Doug Shotwell and the Righthand Band, Frank Ocean, funk music, jam bands, jazz music, listen live and local, live music, live review, local music, lreview, Martyrs', music, Sweet Mary, Walsher Clemons.

One of the best things about the Chicago music scene is it isn’t dominated by a single genre. On any given night one can hear the soulful groan of a blues band, the twang of an Americana banjo or the pulse of a hi-hat in a modern jazz tune. And sometimes, one can even hear all those things on the same stage. This was the case (though a different representation of genres) on Friday, February 12th at Martyrs’; a night featuring three local bands with three different sounds.

The night started with some progressive folk rock provided by Doug Shotwell & The Right Hand Band. While Shotwell is a Virginia native his “right hand” men are mainly made up of Chicago jazz, blues and rock musicians. Together the group crafted a sound rooted in soul with smooth slide guitar lines and a constant steady push from the rhythm section. On the surface, the songs felt simple, giving them a laid back, easy-to-listen-to vibe. But underneath there were layers of complexity which helped differentiate the songs from one another. It also helped keep the music from sounding too run-of-the-mill or twangy.

Live Review: Nasty Snacks (12/17) @ Martyrs’

Posted on December 18, 2015 by in Live Reviews, Music, Reviews and tagged Chicago, Chicago music, earth wind & fire, funk, funk music, live review, live reviews, Martyrs', music, Nasty Snacks.

Funk is just fun, plain and simple. It’s got to be one of the most universally appreciated genres of music. Even the most reserved people seem to struggle resisting the urge to get down and dance when the funk is hot, and some of the hottest funk Chicago has to offer is from Nasty Snacks.

The nine-piece group opened up In The Loop Productions’ Perse as Funk showcase Thursday, December 17th at Martyrs’ with a high-energy set of original music and soul covers of groups like Earth, Wind and Fire and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. Christmas lights and decorations lined Martyrs’ spacious interior, and Nasty Snacks played a perfect song for the occasion. Christmas songs can be sort of sappy, but the band did a rendition of Vulfpeck’s “Christmas in L.A.” that spread holiday cheer without breaking the upbeat mold cast by the rest of the set.