Last night a group of enthusiastic and fabulous Soul Train fans gathered on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park to pay tribute to the show’s host, Don Cornelius, who died yesterday.
events
Theater Oobleck‘s new show, The Hunchback Variations Opera, opens tonight at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. I haven’t seen it yet, but from all indications it’s outstanding. The libretto’s by brilliant playwright Mickle Maher, and music by the lovely and talented Mark Messing, bandleader of Mucca Pazza and one of the geniuses behind Opera-Matic (he’s second from the left in this photo). Info about tickets, etc here. I shot promo photos for the show, here are a couple.
Tomorrow night I’ll be taking part in the Hideout Holiday Sale, selling fine art photographic prints alongside many other very talented artists, listed below. Come on by and have a drink; even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on art, there will be a bevy of first rate people to mingle with, and I’ll be there too.
I shot the picture above on Maxwell Street not long before it was completely wiped out.
Hideout Holiday Sale! Tuesday, December 13th, 6PM to 9PM. Free.
1354 W. Wabansia Ave. Chicago, IL 60642
Participating Artists
Rock Candy by Helen Tsastos – Exquisite hand-made-in-Chicago jewelry featuring pearls & gems, vintage treasures and original artwork
Sarah Bortt – Hand Maid soaps, lip balm, bath bombs, wallets, cases & purses from truck tire inner tubes plus jewelry
Souldier – Handmade guitar straps and belts
Dollybird – Metalsmith jewelry
Nomadic Ant – Jewelry, leather hip bags, belts
Kiku Handmade – Fused glass jewelry, buckles and house wares
Greg Schultz – Wood fired ceramics
Tim Wood – Wood works
Martha Bayne and Sheila Sachs – Soup & Bread cookbooks, recipe cards
and boxes, aprons, and art prints and knit items
Vera Videnovich – Hand-spun yarn, knit items & homemade preserves
Winter Session – Handmade canvas/upcycled bags, scarves, aprons
Bloodshot Records – All kinds of swag
Jo Snow – Flavored syrups for coffee, snow cones, Italian sodas and
cocktails
Sarah Steedman – (20th only) Handmade stuffed animals
Petula Bay Frangias – Books, journals and photo albums
Studio Relativity – (13th only) Custom holiday stockings and wine gift bags
Alison True – (13th only) Hand drawn insect décor and proofreader’s marks posters
Chivas Goat Milk Skin Care
Black Dog Gelato
Puffs of Doom
Pleasant Plot CSA
Map to the Hideout
UPDATE: Here’s a link to the interview. Thanks to Alison Cuddy for having me on the show, and to Andrea Jablonski, the hardworking curator of the exhibit.
This Friday I’m participating in an exhibit with 9 other photographers. We’re showing photographs depicting life at Chicago’s greatest music venue, the Hideout. I’ll be on WBEZ’s Eight Forty-Eight tomorrow morning discussing my pictures for this show.
Above is a portrait of Shellac‘s comely drummer and flower arranger, Todd Trainer. I shot it at the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary concert, which was hosted by the Hideout.
The show is called Scrapbook, and here’s the info:
Friday, September 23rd, 2011 6-11PM
High Concept Labs: 1401 W. Wabansia, Chicago (catercorner from the Hideout)
Featuring photographs by:
Paul Beaty
Brooke Blocki
Carmelo Espanola
Robert Loerzel
Emily Long
Dan Lutger
Suzanne Nathan
Jim Newberry
Chris Roo
Ryan Sweeney
Angeline Evans
Javier Ayala
And posters from Steve Walters, Alana Bailey, Kathleen Judge…and more!
Ariele Ebacher
Amanda Crockett
Ambidextrous
Zoppé Circus (photographed in 2008)
Mike Reed, the man behind the curtain.
Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements happens this weekend at Eckhart Park, and from all indications it promises to be fooking righteous. Here you can read about the multitude of attractions available to all comers.
The amazing women featured in the top three photos will perform at the show with El Circo Cheapo Cabaret. I shot those portraits recently for a project I’m working on involving acrobats, aerialist, and other circus artists. Also appearing this weekend will be the incredible Zoppé Circus. The suave dude in the bottom picture waiting for a drink is composer, drummer, and culture kingpin Mike Reed, who created BCPA. You might remember him from this post or if not that one, maybe it was this one.
(All photos by Jim Newberry.)
Last Friday I was fortunate to have an assignment shooting video for a Chic-a-go-go hosted Soul Train party . I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see a roomful of people dancing in 1970s style without the slightest trace of irony. Everyone was having so much fun. Thanks to impresario Jake Austen, host Mia Park, the beautiful, inspring dancers, DJ Bob Abrahamian, and the great City of Chicago.
The woman in this picture was blowing everyone away, dancing with abandon in her motorized wheelchair. I pity the fool that challenges her in a Valor Game.
Be sure to check out the superb exhibit of photos taken on the Soul Train set during its heyday.
I’ve been documenting the vibrant and slightly-under-the-radar Chicago jazz scene lately, especially Umbrella Music-related artists. I shot stills and video at Pritzker Pavillion last month, at Mike Reed‘s Loose Assembly performance. The shot above was made during a rehearsal for that show, which featured (left to right) Reed, Tomeka Reid, Joshua Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Greg Ward, and Jason Adasiewicz.
Jason Adasiewicz
Roscoe Mitchell, warming up at rehearsal
Mike Reed at The Hungry Brain, making an introduction during the Umbrella Music Festival last November 17th. (There’s not much light in that venue–this was shot at ISO 6400, f1.8 at 1/50th.)
Update: Jason Adasiewicz and Mike Reed made the New York Times top pop and jazz list.
Don’t miss the 24 hour Letters to Santa fundraiser starting tonight, featuring a stellar lineup of musicians and improvisers, and awesome raffle prizes including Iggy Pop’s original lyric book (!!@#$%^) and two tickets to see SNL with a personal tour from Fred Armisen. Here are a few pictures I shot of Armisen in 2006 in Wicker Park.
More info about the event, from the LTS web site.
The Second City e.t.c. Theatre 1608 N Wells St Chicago, IL
December 14, 2010 7pm concluding Wednesday December 15, 2010 7pmFor the ninth year in a row The Second City has enlisted Chicago’s best improvisors and their musical counterparts in offering twenty-four consecutive hours of the best improvised live art you will see in the city. This unique event raises money and gives hope to disenfranchised Chicago families on Christmas day.
Improvisational games, scenes and songs inspired by sleep deprivation will accompany performances by the following musical acts:
* 8pm Jeff Tweedy
* 10:30pm Groupon’s founder Andrew Mason & Steve Albini
* 12am JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
* 2am Joan Of Arc
* 5am Jeff Parker
* 7:30am Sally Timms & Jon Langford
* 1pm Robbie Fulks
* 3pm Bill “Sweet Pea” Callahan
* 5pm The BlistersRaffle prizes will be available along with some of the most incredible auction items ever donated. Think…
* Iggy Pop’s original lyric book & artwork
* Two tickets to see SNL with a personal tour from Fred Armisen
* A lifetime pass for two to live events at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
* A day in the studio with Steve Albini
* A private concert by Jeff Tweedy in your home with 29 of your closest friends (last year this auction item generated $23,000)
My good friend and, until recently, neighbor Derek Erdman has a big art show this Saturday: Without Wax: 14 Years of Derek Erdman in Chicago (RSVP to derek@nationalheadquarters.org), presented by National Headquarters. Sadly (for us Chicagoans), Erdman moves to Seattle next month.
I have a few photographs in the Art of Touring show (“A multi-media exhibition of work by musicians, inspired life on the road while touring”) that opens tomorrow night at Johalla Projects in Chicago, including the two above: The Artist Sometimes Known as Prince, from a 1993 Chicago Theater performance, and Cat Power at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2007.
Participating artists include Ken Vandermark, Pat Sansone (Wilco, Autumn Defense), Tim Rutili (Red Red Meat, Califone), and Steve Krakow (Plastic Crimewave Sound, The Secret History of Chicago Music). A list of all artists can be viewed here.
Opening Reception: July 16. 2010, 7-11pm
July 16. 2010 – August 7th. 2010
Johalla Projects
1561 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
I had an incredibly inspiring workshop last week with the fabulously gifted and imaginative photographer Frank Ockenfels 3. Ockenfels bestowed each of us with a 2′ square silver card and sent us to Home Depot to scrounge together whatever hardware light sources we found interesting. I’m not at liberty to discuss the remaining depraved, bizarre rituals that he inflicted upon us, but l can say that our mantra was “less light” and that the mystical and enigmatic “starting a conversation” incantation was used liberally. All of us attendees got along swimmingly and had a great time over the 3 and a half day class. In the evenings we watched fascinating presentations with great photographers including Douglas Kirkland, Jock Sturges, Ockenfels, Joel Meyerowitz, Kenro Izu, and Ed Kashi. Really illuminating and energizing.
Here are a few photos I shot at the workshop.
I’m happy to be participating in the Chicago Alderman Project, an art show which involves fifty artists depicting the fifty aldermen of the Chicago City Council. I shot Scott Waguespack for this project–he represents my ward, the 32nd–at my studio, where we were joined by a writer and photographer from the Chicago News Cooperative who covered the shoot for a story that was recently published in the New York Times (I can hardly believe that my longtime dream of having my ass depicted in a world class periodical has now been fulfilled). There’s an opening reception for the show this Friday, from 7-11PM at Johalla Projects Gallery, at 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave.
I had a chance to get a sneak peek at the show, and there’s some great work by artists including Derek Erdman, Casey Stockdon, Jennifer Greenburg, Andrea Jablonski, and Melissa Ann Pinney.
Here’s an outtake from my photo session with Waguespack.
Opera-Matic is having a benefit tonight (I recently posted a photo of one of their incredible works, the Momentum Mori Project). More details from this event’s Facebook page:
This month’s Peace Party at Danny’s Tavern will benefit Opera-Matic! With DJ’s: Josh, Jocelyn, Jeff and JNaomi.
Opera-Matic brings new musical-theatrical works to public spaces, employing sustainable design and re-use. By combining a traditional practice with fresh expression and innovative technology, Opera-Matic seeks to transform common spaces into accessible venues for a new sustainable art form, encouraging audiences to meet in informal spaces and share a musical experience.
Opera-Matic is committed to raising awareness of local cultures and respecting the values and priorities of communities through collaboration with community groups, schools and associations.
This event will help raise funds for parades and performances in 2010.
Monday, November 9th, 2009. 10PM at Danny’s Tavern, 1951 W. Dickens Chicago IL
[vimeo clip_id="6182350" height="" width="500"]
UPDATE: Laura Ann makes and sells jam. She was on a fruit gathering trip when she had the motorcycle accident. Also, Syd Straw’s now on the bill.
The Backwards Clock Society (featuring Billy Corgan, former Electric Prune Mark Tulin, and Kerry Brown) will headline a benefit for Laura Ann Masura who was unfortunately involved in a motorcycle accident last month resulting in multiple injuries. The November 8th show takes place at the Echoplex in LA. Sharing the bill with the BCS will be Happy Stars, The Pulsars, Tim Rutili (of Red Red Meat and Califone), Pity Party, and Light FM. Masura used to play in the band Motorhome, along with Josiah Mazzaschi (now fronting Light FM) and Kristen Thiele; I shot the band back in 1995 for the Reader—see below (Masura’s in the dress). You can purchase tickets for the benefit here.
Motorhome in 1995. (Proof sheet scan)
The enormously talented Denise Keim and I are teaming up this Saturday for a one night, two-stop photo show. I’ll be showing brand new work along with some old favorites, including stereo (3D) slides. Denise has a plethora of gorgeous black & white prints. I’ll be at my studio, and Denise will be at hers for the duration of the show (we’re hoping to have a video linkup). Look for the stream of indicator stop bath on the sidewalk between the two buildings. Please stop by both studios Saturday night if you’re in Chicago and free. Here are the addresses:
Denise Keim 2219 W. Belden Ave 773-294-7699 Chicago, IL 60647
Jim Newberry 2068 N. Leavitt St 312-485-1879 Chicago, IL 60647
Google Map
View Denise Keim/Jim Newberry Bilateral Photographic Exhibition in a larger map
!@#$%!
New look for The Fall
UPDATE: Derek Erdman will be spinning from his vast collection of Fall records.
Last night I shot these pictures of Lawrence Peters, a contender for the Hardest Working Man in Show Business title (since the G.O.S. has left the planet), who has broken his heel and badly needs some dough to get it fixed and cover other related expenses. There’s a benefit this Saturday at The Hideout . Here’s the lowdown:
Saturday, September 19th, 9 to 11:30pm
The Hideout- 1354 W. Wabansia
A Tribute to the Fall
+ Benefit for Lawrence Peters (Lawrence Peters Outfit, Plastic Crimewave Sound, Velcro Lewis Group, Golden Horse Ranch Band, Mar Caribe, Hardscrabble…)
An evening filled with the brilliant music of The Fall as interpreted by local luminaries The Thin Man, Grimble Grumble, Plastic Crimewave Sound, Blasted Diplomats, Dorian Taj, Bleary, Punk Band, and Pritchard. Proceeds will go to Lawrence Peters to cover the many, and surprising expenses of a broken heel (medical bills, living expenses, rehabilitation, medicine, and lots of lost income). Come on out and support this local musical stalwart/ Hideout bartender/ music booker….
A raffle will be held for a print by Jim Newberry, posters by Bob Hartzell, and possible other goods. $8 admission. Don’t miss out!
You can catch Dr. Stanley this Sunday in the Chicago suburbs. More information and some great video clips at The Reader’s The Blog. I shot this at the Old Town School of Folk Music in 2003.
[vimeo clip_id="5826112" height="" width="500"]
I recently posted a still photo I shot from the Thriller Zombie Walk held in Wicker Park last weekend. Here’s a short film (work in progress) on the event. Thanks to The Goblins for the soundtrack music, and thanks to Martin and Lindsay (the Zombie Walk organizers) and all of the spectacular, gorgeous zombies.
Zombie Bride at Thriller Zombie Walk
Last weekend Martians ran amok in Union Park. Last night in Wicker Park, undead Michael Jackson fans rose up and reenacted John Landis’ Thriller video and then stumbled south, taking over Damen Avenue, and continued east on Division, then back north on Ashland, all the while writhing ecstatically to the dead pop-king’s infectious tunes, which blared from a boombox-appointed hotrod bicycle. What’s next, Malayan sun bears in Lincoln Park? More pictures and video on the way…
Quimby’s, the swell Chicago book and comic book store, is hosting two book signings tomorrow: Bob Odenkirk (co-creator of Mr. Show and many other comedy credits including writer on Get a Life) and Archer Prewitt (Sof’ Boy cartoonist and musician with The Coctails, The Sea and Cake, and solo work). Saturday, June 20th at 4PM (Odenkirk) and 7PM (Prewitt). Below is a shot of Odenkirk directing comedian Dana Gould at Second City for Gould’s standup DVD, Let Me Put My Thoughts In You; the shot of Prewitt is from a Sea and Cake photo session.
Bob Odenkirk with Dana Gould at Second City in Chicago. Photo: Jim Newberry
Archer Prewitt. Photo: Jim Newberry
Recent Comments