Tag Archive for 'Chicago'

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NEW MUSIC SEMINAR HEADS TO CHICAGO IN OCTOBER

Published by Sam C. on August 17, 2009 in OurStage Partners. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , .

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After July’s highly successful turn out in New York City, Tom Silverman and Dave Lory are taking their influential New Music Seminar to Chicago’s Park West Theater on October 6th. In New York, droves of music industry professionals gathered to listen to words of wisdom from keynote speaker Courtney Holt, President of MySpace Music. For the Chicago seminar, President of Yahoo! Music, Michael Spiegelman, is slated to deliver the keynote:

Michael Spiegelman is the head of Yahoo! Music, where he runs one of the most visited Music Web sites in the world and a leading source of music videos and Internet radio. While at Yahoo! Music, Michael has been responsible for leading the re-launch of the music.yahoo.com site, adding concert information, music blogs and video playlisting. He served as a leading member of the team that designed and launched the Yahoo! Music Unlimited subscription service.

Prior to joining Yahoo! Music in 2003, Michael was a co-founder of Web Paradox, a web design and development company in San Diego, CA. While there, he was responsible for business development, strategy, client relations and project management. His clients included Verizon, AT&T, Nextel and the US Navy.

Michael was a Senior Strategy Consultant at iXL, a leading Internet consulting and development company, where he provided strategic consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and startups.

Michael has also worked at Arthur Andersen Business Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, where he advised public and private sector clients on business process re-engineering, change management, organizational redesign and technology development.

Michael is a graduate of Pomona College and currently lives in Los Angeles. He loves techno, house, breakbeats and is constantly on the lookout for great new sounds.

This one day seminar is chock full of important information for anyone involved in this rapidly evolving industry. Save money by registering before September 4th at the early rate of $99.00. For registration and more information on the event itself visit www.newmusicseminar.biz

TOUR:SMART PLUS

Published by AidanR on August 6, 2009 in Artist News and OurStage Partners. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

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Martin Atkins

Martin Atkins

True or False? Artists need to be willing to drop a lot of dough if they want to make it big these days. False. Very False. While this common misconception may have been a dream-derailing reality in the past, the ability for artists to Do It Yourself (D.I.Y.) these days are astounding. Screen printing your own merchandise, booking shows, writing interesting bios, composing engaging marketing campaigns, studio techniques, even video editing; they’re all within reach. Now imagine an intensive short-term seminar capable of immersing you IN the music industry and teaching you about these D.I.Y. possibilities. Believe it or not, this utopia actually does exist. It lives in Chicago under the name of  Tour:Smart PLUS, and is run by industry sage Martin Atkins (Ministry, Pigface, Killing Joke, Author of Tour:Smart, Invisible Records CEO). From Friday, August 21st – Sunday, August 23rd, this course—which is usually 5 weeks long—will be crammed into 2.5 days, stuffing your head full of so much invaluable information it just might explode. And with a limited invisible-records-logo1class size of 30 students, you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth. As an OurStage artist, you get a $50 discount; just write “ourstage” in the discount promo code text box.  Tour:Smart has secured a fantastic rate of $79/night in a gorgeous hotel that includes free parking! Details can be found on the event registration page (listed below). Here’s what some past students  and industry folks have had to say about this truly revolutionary program:

“With their chic spectacles and slick audio-visuals, [Jarvis] cocker and [Martin] Atkins joined a list of rockers who have made the transition from the stage to the lecture circuit, including David Byrne, Lou Reed and Brian Eno.” – Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune

“At the first two day seminar…I got my money’s worth in the first five minutes.” – 2005 seminar attendee

“Martin Atkins is the best speaker on the planet.” – Paul Natkin, Chicago Music Commission

“In my 6 years of college, Martin Atkins was the man to clarify all the … He prepared me for this r3_logoindustry in a single semester.” – Michelle Cho, PETA

“Great insights into how a business moves forward, gets started and stays competitive.” – Elliot Callighan, r3 Alumni

With first come, first serve enrollment, be sure to secure your seat as soon as possible!

HOW TO REGISTER:

1. Visit http://r3weekend0809.eventbrite.com/

2. Under the “Ticket Information” tab, click the “Enter Discount Code” link.

3. Enter “ourstage” in the text field when it appears.

4. Fill out the registration page information and you should be all set!

BETTING ON GAMBLE

Published by Kate B on July 24, 2009 in Artist Feature, Artist News and Hip-Hop. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , .

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When it comes to hip hop, Chi-Town has been good to us. Common, Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco make up the upper echelon of Second City rappers, with plenty of young talent vying to join them. Pay attention to one voice in the chorus of many. His name is Keith Gamble, and he’s got the chops to storm the gates and rock the city.

Exhibits A & B: Songs like “Heads High” and ”Am I Supposed To Be Here” — both of which showcase sleek production, deft beats and tons of lyrical braggadocio. Some credit goes to Keith Harris, producer for Black Eyed Peas, who Gamble teamed up with for his record and who puts a radio-ready sheen on many of the tracks. But Gamble holds his end up as well—whether he’s recounting his single parent upbringing, lamenting the loss of a lover or chronicling life on the streets. The rapper may not break the mold, but he definitely breaks away from the pack by showing his mastery of the game.


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50 STATES IN 50 WEEKS… WEEK 5: ILLINOIS

Published by BethanyLeavey on July 14, 2009 in Editorial and Playlists. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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Home of: Miles Davis, Buddy Guy, Cheap Trick, Kanye West, Allison Krauss, Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio, Walt Disney, Richard Pryor, Touch & Go Records, Oprah Winfrey, The Chicago Cubs

Fun Facts: State flower; violet, state song; “Illinois,” state bird; cardinal

The Venues: The fourth annual Pitchfork Music Festival takes over Chicago’s Union Park from July 17th to July 19th. In addition to a stellar lineup featuring Built To Spill, the Flaming Lips, Beirut, Grizzly Bear and more, the festival boasts a record fair, handmade goods market and the Flatstock poster show. Chicago non-profit Rock for Kids will also have a presence at Pitchfork. Rock for Kids is dedicated to providing free music education for underprivileged children in the Chicago area. Stop by their tent to learn more about how you can help and maybe win some swag from your favorite Pitchfork artists!

The Metro has been a Chicago music staple for over 25 years. This former Swedish community center is dedicated to providing Chicago music fans with the best local, regional and national emerging artists. The White Stripes, Kanye West and Alkaline Trio have all played the Metro on their way to the top. Schubas is another favorite Chicago venue. Many of the tracks from Jason Mraz’s 2006 live, online only album Selections For Friends were recorded here. With live music seven nights a week and acts ranging from indie rock to americana to jazz, Schubas is great for catching a show or just grabbing a drink with friends.

The Music:

fixqfvufwesu-520x520Cobalt & The Hired Guns – Taking first place in channels as diverse as Punk/Ska/Psychobilly, Folk and Singer/Songwriter (Male), Cobalt & The Hired Guns is one of those rare bands that can play any genre of music well. “You Left Your Sweater…” is an uptempo,  alt. country boot-stomper with hand claps and gang vocals.

jwmauoihjljl-320x240I Fight Dragons – Love old school video game music? Chicago’s I Fight Dragons is the band for you! The band combines sounds from old Nintendo game sound cards with a serious dose of pop rock. Currently entered in the MTV VMA Best Breakout Chicago channel, “Heads Up, Hearts Down” is a great example of the band’s signature superpower pop.

day_3-the_science-chronicleZoser – Some rappers can only rap about how good of a rapper they are. Zoser is not one of them. While he certainly has swagger, he is also a gifted storyteller. Checkout the track “Wind Blows (feat. Mela)” from Zoser’s record Day 3: The Science.

l_bb08537b9b54d28804b56954f7656c4f1Daphne Willis & Company – Whether her Berklee and Columbia pedigree band is playing funky grooves or uptempo rock, it’s Daphne’s smooth, soulful vocals that steal the show. She’s been compared to Norah Jones and Jack Johnson, and you can see why on the track “What To Say.” With three Number 1 Channel Prizes and a feature on AOL Music, Daphne Willis & Company is going places.

Check out these acts and other great Illinois artists in the playlist below!

Who are your favorite OurStage Illinoisans? Where do you like to see live music in Illinois? Let us know in the comments!

WRITE THE NIGHT @ PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Published by BethanyLeavey on June 4, 2009 in Artist News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Tired of losing your voice at shows after screaming for your favorite song? The good folks over at indie music blog Pitchfork have decided to give you a break. The fourth annual Pitchfork Music Festival is set to take place July 17th–19th in Chicago’s Union Park, and this year Pitchfork is trying something new. Friday, July 17th marks the launch of the “Write The Night: Set Lists By Request” series. Friday night’s bands— Built To Spill, Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard, and Tortoise —will all play sets comprised entirely of songs chosen by their fans. The Flaming Lips will also include some fan picks in their headlining set at Sunday night’s show. Want your voice to be heard without going hoarse? Here’s how: after you purchase your ticket to the festival, you will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link to go to the voting page and caste your ballot. Voting ends June 12th, so be sure to get your tickets ASAP!

Check out this clip of The New Pornographers tearing it up at Pitchfork ‘07:

(courtesy of Pitchfork.tv)

For those of you who’ve already purchased tickets or can’t make it out to Chicago, you can get your voting fix here at OurStage. New monthly contests began June 1st, so register as a fan, find your favorite channel and let us know who you think should win!