Tall Tales, Cheap Haircuts – A Conversation With Chris Isaak
Pop singer Chris Isaak makes a one-night stand here tomorrow.
Author: Jae-Ha Kim
Going Hollywood: Fluid Changes Labels; Songs Remain the Same
It wasn’t just its homebase that differentiated Fluid from its Sub Pop label mates. It was, according to guitarist James Clower, a matter of attention – or lack thereof. “I don’t want it to sound like I’ve got sour grapes, because I don’t really,” Clower says. “But (Seattle’s) Sub Pop (Records) kind of blew us off because we lived in Denver and all its other bands lived there. They didn’t want to have to deal with us. That’s one of the reasons why we decided to switch labels.”
Gin Blossoms Making It, With or Without Makeover
Which came first for the Gin Blossoms? The hit single “Hey Jealousy,” or the record company’s campaign to change the group’s image with a new video, new promo photos and a new album cover? The hit single, oddly enough.
An Excess Of Hype For INXS: Aussie Band Packs ’em In On Tour of Small Clubs
“In a sense, we do take mischievous pleasure doing what we’re doing,” said vocalist Michael Hutchence. “But we’re not trying to tease our fans, really, because this (club tour) is part of an ongoing world tour. We’ll be back. Why we chose to play in clubs for our first trek of our U.S. tour is really quite simple. It was time for us to get back to the basics, which meant getting back into the clubs we started our careers in.
Hated Hyphens: Playwright Discards Easy Definitions of Origin
Chinese-American. The hyphen between the nationalities says it all to playwright Elizabeth Wong, whose latest piece, “Kimchee and Chitlins,” is running at the Victory Gardens Studio Theatre.
Carl Reiner Gets Risque: Sexy Book Takes Funny Look at Marriage ’90s Style
“All Kinds of Love” isn’t the “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” that’s for sure. When Carl Reiner created the classic ’60s TV series, his married couple – Rob and Laura Petrie – weren’t allowed to sleep together in the same bed, much less dally with next-door neighbor Milly.
Geldof Booms Into Town // He’d Rather Play His Music Than Discuss It
Bob Geldof is a hard sell. He is 40 and says he feels it, though he doesn’t look much different from when he was a young punk in the ’70s band the Boomtown Rats. Tall and gangly, he is charismatic on stage – defiant in conversation. He is quick to laugh, but the Irishman makes it clear he doesn’t suffer fools.
`Speed Racer’ Rides Again
Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer. The cartoon hero’s heading for the finish line again, only this time around, Chicago’s Alpha Team is driving him past the checkered flag.
Celestial – In Concert, Arc Angels Earn Their Wings
Call them a supergroup, and the Arc Angels will shrug off the compliment. “Maybe we’re an almost supergroup,” says vocalist-guitarist Charlie Sexton. “We’re not there yet.”
A Webb of Talent: Wilder Weaves
Webb Wilder, 6 feet 3 inches tall, has a wardrobe so unusual that even director Peter Bogdanovich was impressed. But more on that later.
`Cannibal’ Show Revels In Warped Wackiness
A man has sex with a hamburger. A drug addict accidentally snorts a line of cremated body. A woman makes love to office equipment. A man gets nuked in a microwave. Welcome to “Cannibal Cheerleaders on Crack,” where blood flies and vomit flows – theater’s own little freak show. Regardless of taste, Chicagoans are eating “Cannibals” up. The grossly wacky socio-political comedy celebrates its second anniversary Sunday at the Torso Theatre. (It debuted Nov. 14, 1990.) The plot is less important than the farcical mayhem.
Social Misfits No More
He’s got a name that sounds like Elliott Ness’ punk cousin and a look that’s half Elvis, half mechanic. Mike Ness is Social Distortion’s singer, songwriter and mouthpiece. The music industry’s indifference almost made the medium-core punk band disappear. But 13 years after its inception, the California group is finally enjoying success, thanks to radio’s acceptance of its latest album, “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell.”
By Any Other Name: John Wesley Harding Would Be As Talented
He took his stage name from a Bob Dylan album almost as old as he is and nicks his album titles from Frank Capra movies. So where’s John Wesley Harding’s originality? In his music. An acerbically witty songwriter who sings folk-style rock songs, Harding is touring with a group of musicians who he refuses to Christian with a band name. Catch him and them when they perform tomorrow at the Metro.
No More Starving Artist // McDermott Gets Past the `Horror’ Of Living Poor
As Michael McDermott sips a cold mug of beer at Harrington’s Pub, a wide smiles spreads across his face. McDermott used to play acoustic guitar here not too long ago, and he feels a tad weird today lounging like the customer he is.
“The Last of the Mohicans”
The Last of the Mohicans is as much a love story as it is a tale of how the West was won — by some people, that is, the poor Mohicans not being among them. Set in 1757, during the American colonial wars between the English and French settlers of North America, the movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye, a frontiersman who agrees to escort Clara (Madeleine Stowe) and her sister to the fort where their British-officer father awaits them.
Mix-A-Lot Baffled: Why Are Butts a Big Deal?
Butts are big. When the No. 1-selling pop single in America features a rapper rhapsodizing about rumps, the rest of the world sits up and takes notice. Many people take offense. That’s the case with Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” But even he doesn’t understand the controversy.
ROCK: Issue stakes claim to top
A huge stars-and-stripes banner emblazoned with the Arabic numeral “1” and “Material Issue” served as a not-so-subtle backdrop for the Chicago trio when it kicked off a national tour over the weekend with concerts at the Oak Theatre.
James (Rolling Stone review)
The British rock group James understands that simplicity can be an elegantly powerful tool in concert. On its first tour of the United States, the seven-man band played an exquisitely stripped-down show in Chicago, proving that while the hype machine may be turned on full gear, the group is more than capable of living up to any hyperbole thrust upon it.
Unplugged and unburdened
“When my first record bombed, I chose not to look at anything,” says Tori Amos. “I thought I was making a statement having 12-feet-high hair. I didn’t look beyond the outside and had a hard time looking in.”