Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs And Special Events Announces New Series “Off The Record: A Listening Party”

Vinyl Fans Will Have the Opportunity to Enjoy Recordings in Advance of Release

2013-01-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — Vinyl is alive and well in the music industry and in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). DCASE, along with the Elastic Arts Foundation and saki, is launching a free new monthly series that features vinyl recordings, Off the Record: A Listening Party, the first of which will be held on Saturday, January 19, 8-11 p.m. at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street in Chicago, followed by another listening party on Monday, January 28, 7-9 p.m. at saki, 3716 W. Fullerton in Chicago.

Off the Record offers the opportunity to hear a new record, often in advance of its release. Each party will feature the new recording as well as members of the band performing the songs live.  Each event will have an interactive portion, which may take the form of a Q&A, a live podcast taping, a group discussion, or a DJ set, among other possibilities.

The premiere listening party, co-presented by the Elastic Arts Foundation in partnership with Theaster Gates of Dorchester Projects, features The ONES and Natural Information Society in the Penthouse Room of the Logan Center.  Both groups will participate in a Q & A following a brief performance.

The ONES is comprised of two performers, Yaw Aygeman and Khari Lemuel, who first began to work together when they happened to be in the same recording studio.  That was 2002 and since then, Yaw and Khari have performed at colleges, community events, television programs, as well as venues large and small.  They will be highlighting their album called Shift.

Joshua Abrams and Lisa Alvarado collaborate as Natural Information Society working with music recordings, performance and painting.  At the center of the music is the guimbri, a Moroccan lute, used for trance and healing. The group exists as an open system which includes a shifting cast of musicians performing compositions that reconfigure themselves through limitation and improvisation. Various formations of Natural Information Society have toured North America and Europe.  This performance will feature Joshua Abrams on guimbri and Lisa Alvarado on harmonium.

Brokeback performs later in the month at saki where their upcoming release Brokeback & the Black Rock (Thrill Jockey) will debut.  This is the band’s first release in ten years and is the side project of Doug McCombs (Tortoise, Eleventh Dream Day) and includes members Pete Croke (Tight Phantomz, Head of Skulls!, Reds and Blue), Chris Hansen (Pinebender, Head of Skulls!), and James Elkington (the Zincs, the Horse’s Ha). Brokeback & the Black Rock was recorded and engineered by Chicago staple (and Tortoise drummer) John McEntire.  The Brokeback performance will be followed by a reception featuring Thrill Jockey Records DJs as well as food and beverage.

The monthly series is curated by Sam Lewis, Programming Director of the Elastic Arts Foundation and saki events team Erin Coleman, Matt Byrne and Adam Hirzel, and serves to highlight Chicago bands and record labels.  Off the Record will take place twice a month at various locations.

For more information on Off the Record and schedule updates, visit www.cityofchicago.org/dcase.  Join the conversation on the DCASE Facebook page or follow us on twitter @ChicagoDCASE.

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Cindy Gatziolis    312.744.0573
Mary May    312.744.0576

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