For Your Ears
Gotcho’ listening cut out for you this here weekend.
Tonight, 7:30pm at the Ruth Page Theater: The Chicago Composers Orchestra finishes their season with a program of Chicago composers and the premiere of Chen Yi’s Xian Shi, a concerto for viola and orchestra. The group seems to be on a roll with concertos; we’ll see if it continues next season. You can read about their first concert of the season in my interview with Kyle Vegter.
June 2nd, 8pm at Orchestra Hall: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Ludovic Morlot, performs works by Ravel, Falla, and Messiaen. I mean, it’s no Turangalîla Symphony, but I’ll take it. Morlot was the guest conductor on ICE’s most recent Chicago concert. He met Juan Pablo Carreño’s gut-wrenching Golpe en al diafragma with a jerky head and weighted hands that seemed to accent nearly every beat of the music. Morlot makes conducting look like hard labor; he makes sounds look heavy. The CSO concert repeats on June 5th at 7:30pm.
June 2nd, 9:30pm at the Beat Kitchen: The Soft Pack play a show of their own before their performance at the Do-Division Street Fest the next day. Their first (and so far only) album was one of my favorites of 2009. There’s a giddiness to their punk vibe that I can’t quite shake, best encapsulated in their Hard Day’s Nightesque music video for “C’mon’”:
I’m also drawn to frontman Matt Lamkin’s voice, which resembles a somewhat calmer Ian Mackaye. Like, when he’s not screaming and stuff. Speaking of which…
June 3rd, 7pm at Lincoln Hall: Instrument, a Fugazi tribute band recently founded by Paul Kelvington (who also made a Minutemen tribute band, apparently) will perform the classic album 13 Songs in its entirety. They have to finish what TV on the Radio started. And in true Fugazi fashion, it’s a benefit! All proceeds go towards drum sets for Girls Rock! Chicago, a non-profit which holds a music summer camp for 8-16 year old girls.
June 3rd, 8pm at the Hideout: Homeroom presents the latest installment in their Physics for Listeners series, featuring a group of local composers that will double as the performers of their pieces. I’m especially excited to hear composer/bassoonist Katherine Young’s stuff, although I’m not really sure what to expect. Which is, of course, the best part about contemporary music.
Oh, and don’t forget about Jeremy Denk! Both online and in concert.