[Interview] The Glitch Mob
Photos by Virgil Solis
The Glitch Mob is coming back to Chicago this Friday to the Aragon Ballroom in support of their latest album, Love Death Immortality. (Note: Our contest for a pair of tickets to the show is still open!) Jesse Pizano and Erica Steinhouse of our collaborators at Three Card Photography had the chance to pick The Glitch Mob's mind ahead of this Friday's show.
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For those that have never heard of The Glitch Mob, tell us something about yourself and describe your music?
We like to think of it as Adventure Dance Music.
Do you think your name implies a certain sound?
Our sound definitely has some attitude. There’s a feeling of triumph that is present in everything we do, and it’s not intentional. It just happens that way.
How has your music changed since you started out?
It changes every time we do something new. We’re the type of artists to change course and reinvent ourselves every time, to keep pushing and challenging. We don’t even really know what to expect from ourselves next - the music has a mind of its own.
Let's talk about the new album, Love Death Immortality; what's the message behind the title?
The message is contained in the music, truly. Listening to the album is the only way to answer that question. It’s epic. It’s life.
The album sounds different from Drink The Sea. What attributed to the change?
The goal was to take the cinematic feeling of Drink The Sea and port it to the live stage, with full energy. LDI is meant to be a full body live experience, whereas Drink The Sea was more of an introverted album.
What is your favorite song on the new album and why?
Each song tells its’ own story, so depending on how I’m feeling I’ll listen to different songs.
Do you guys have any rituals before going on stage?
We have a little meditation ritual we do before every show to clear our minds. It’s crucial for us to leave everything behind and put on the best show possible.
Besides the touring what's next for you guys?
After this last tour wraps up we will spend some time recovering and inevitably head back into the studio to see where the story takes us next…
Last question is there anything you guys want to say to the "mob"?
So much gratitude. As an independent act, nothing we do would be possible without The Mob.
[RH Photos] North Coast Music Festival 2014 Recap
This post was originally published by our affiliates at Chicago Music. Photos by Alex Lapenia and Jesse Pizano of Three Card Photography. Recap by Kevin Baker.
North Coast Music Festival 2014 took over Chicago Union Park last weekend as thousands of people came to see some of the world’s best EDM and hip hop acts perform their greatest hits. Labor Day weekend set the perfect stage for festival goers as the 5th Annual North Coast was looking to be a big success. Friday was a beautiful day as the sun came out from the cloudy skies to drench the stages waiting for the likes of Keys N Krates, ProbCause, Showtek, Alesso, Bassnectar, and many more to perform. Saturday and Sunday continued the party with performances from Adventure Club, Nicky Romero, STS9, Talib Kweli, Little Dragon and Kid Cudi on Saturday, and Porn and Chicken, Riff Raff, Ookay, Zeds Dead, and Snoop Dogg closing on Sunday.
North Coast Music Festival 2014 was a huge success, and we look forward to seeing what 2015 has in store. If you missed out this year, make sure you get your tickets early for next year’s festival, as North Coast Music Festival will only get bigger and bigger. Read on as we share our recap from North Coast Music Festival 2014.
[RH Photos] AFI and Linkin Park at the WKQX Piqniq (8/29/2014)
Photos and recap by Vanessa Bly.
Hearing about the all-star lineup of WKQX's Piqniq of AFI, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Linkin Park was enough to get me out of work early and into gridlock for an hour. I used to take the train/bus to high school, and I remember the most dominant CDs in my book were AFI's Black Snails in the Sunset and Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory.
I had always wanted to see AFI live, they have been there for me for so long! It wasn't until last year at Riot Fest that I was able to see AFI live-- I told myself that the next time I would see them, it would be in VIP. To be able to get up close and personal with my favorite band of all time was a dream come true! It was still light out, which didn't really fit with the emotion of the music. However, by the third song, singer Davey Havok was already standing in the crowd to great fan response. They played a lot of newer songs during their short set, but made sure to include some old favorites.
Linkin Park hit the stage hard! Taking advantage of every inch of the stage, the band was super high energy and for the three songs that I was able to be front and center, they interacted with the media and the audience non-stop. The crowd was going crazy for their entire set. Like AFI, their set was the perfect mix of newer and older songs.
You can view my photos of both AFI and Linkin Park from this year's WKQX Piqniq below!
[NCMF Interview] Keys n Krates
This post was originally published by our affiliates at Chicago Music.
With North Coast Music Festival 2014 beginning tomorrow, we'll be providing all types of coverage from the Chicago festival's fifth anniversary. This interview with EDM group Keys n Krates comes from our partner Three Card Photography's very own Jesse Pizano. Read on to familiarize yourselves with Keys n Krates, the amazing year they've been having, what to expect from their live set this weekend, and what's on the group's plate following North Coast Music Festival 2014!
You guys are about to hit the stage at North Coast Music Festival. How are you guys feeling?
Matisse: Great! Chicago is one of our favourite places to play and North Coast is such a great festival.
How has the year been treating you guys so far?
Flo: Pretty incredible. We've really seen our fan base grow exponentially over the last six months and it's been pretty surreal to be honest.
For those that have never heard of Keys N Krates, can you describe your sound?
Tune: Weird rap beats that evoke emotion but still make ya wanna have a dance party. Lots of emotional chord progressions, pitched up vocal samples, synths, weird chopped up samples and bangin rap drums.
What track off of your new EP, Every Nite, took the longest to make?
Tune: "Understand Why" took a long time. We did three to four different actual versions of the tune with at least five mix downs per version. It was a nightmare, but we are stoked on the final version we came up with.
Top Artists to See at North Coast Music Festival 2014
Preview written by Alex Lapenia and Jesse Pizano of Three Card Photography. Post was originally published by our affiliates at Chicago Music.
Summer is coming to an end on Labor Day weekend, and with that comes the end of summer’s official music festival season. I’d like to share a few reasons why you should join the thousands of people who will descend upon Union Park located in Chicago for the fifth anniversary celebration of North Coast Music Festival, summer’s official last stand. Whether you are into hip hop, dance music, or electronica, North Coast has music for everyone to enjoy. With Bassnectar as heavy bass hitters, Snoop Dogg and Kid Cudi bringing hip hop vibes, and STS9 as one of the headliners, the lineup of artist features an impressive spread of acts, with a wide variety of DJs and producers including Zeds Dead, electro soul GRiZ, dub-step sensation Adventure Club, and house’s finest talent Dada Life, Wolfgang Gartner, Showtek, and W&W. There will be some amazing indie bands Little Dragon, Future Island, Wild Belle, and Dr. Dog, as well as more hip hop sounds from Riff Raff, Action Bronson and Chicago locals Probcause and Sabu. Some acts I am most excited for are EDM headliners Alesso and Nikky Romero who are sure to be hot. With 50 more acts over the three-day festival, this without a doubt is going to be the most fun weekend of the summer. See you at North Coast! Read on as we go into more detail about who we're excited to see at NCMF this weekend.
Chicago Owes Jackie Robinson West a Day of Peace at Their Parade
Written and originally published on our affiliate site City on the Take by Joel Radwanski.
In one of the most heartwarming stories in the history of Chicago sports the Jackie Robinson West Little League All Stars are United States Champions. The boys have grown into young men in front of a city's and country's eyes and has made every Chicagoan proud. They have shown that when a community invests in their children amazing things can happen.
After winning the Great Lakes championship to earn their trip to the Little League World Series JRW became the first team from Chicago to go to Williamsport since 1983. The team left for Williamsport with the intention of capturing a championship, not the hearts of a city and a country. However, with their display of sportsmanship, character and never give up attitude they have created more than just civic pride, they have created hope. The watch parties in their Pullman neighborhood were full of joyous onlookers celebrating everything the boys of JRW did.
All of Chicago owes these young men. We can start when Darold Butler's team arrives back at Midway airport on Monday after being in Pennsylvania since July 31st. Lets give them a city they can be safe to walk the streets in. Children should never be concerned with random bullets and the constant threat of violence. Children should be able to walk safely to school, attend practices and do all the other neighborhood things that make adolescence so special. Children shouldn't have to worry about whether or not if they cross the street they're in a different gang's territory and wrong to be there. We owe the young men of the Jackie Robinson Little League a safe city to return to.
While JRW was winning the U.S. championship and the hearts of a country, they were in a bubble at the LLWS. Coach Darold Butler spoke about how the kids didn't know the impact they were having back in Chicago. Butler, said, “Been living in a bubble, no cable, no tv in the dorms. It hasn’t hit me yet, so it hasn’t hit the kids." The boys have been taking in all the festivities that come with attending the spectacle. They stay in dorm rooms among the kids from the other 15 teams at the event with activities all day long to keep them occupied. Only their messages on social media have clued them in on the love they're getting in Chicago.
I doubt any of the boys on the team knew that while they where there a 9 year old boy was gunned down in a neighborhood just north of theirs in Chicago. Antonio Smith was found dead with multiple gun shot wounds in a backyard at 1200 west 71st Street. The backyard sits at railroad tracks between two warring gang factions. There has been a reward offered to find the killer of the 9 year old CHILD Antonio Smith.
The JRW team was getting to bed early on Friday August 23rd to prepare for their victory in the U.S. Title game and were unaware of the carnage that was taking place back in Chicago at the same time. 11 people were shot, including a 3 year old boy who is still hospitalized, just on Friday night.
This has to stop! We must start protecting the children and not the perpetrators of these crimes or the cycle will never stop. We must take back our neighborhoods now. No longer can we let the most base of our society make the good and decent live in fear. If 13 boys of JRW who were told their whole life they couldn't do it or that they were playing the wrong sport can win a National championship and all of our hearts, then we can take our neighborhoods back. We, the good and decent folk of Chicago outnumber the vile and wicked, lets flex our muscle. Lets spread the word of character and rising above like the JRW team has shown us.
I beg for, I pray for, and I demand a day of non-violence in Chicago! The Jackie Robinson West parade and celebration will be Wednesday August 27th in downtown Chicago. Lets go a whole day without any violence, these young men deserve it. For one day, forget about grudges, forget about territory, forget about the code to lay your life down for your street. Lets walk together through the streets of Chicago and celebrate our little heroes and use them as a ray of hope that our future in Chicago can be brighter.
We are all proud to say Jackie Robinson West is National Champions. But, how proud would all of us be if we used they as an impetus to create a safer and more humane Chicago. There would be no greater victory for them to be able to walk their streets without fear of a stray bullet.
You can question what I would know about what happens in Chicago. I understand, we all have our doubts. I am a decent human being that was born on the Southside and I live here now. I take public transit and clearly see the difference in the two worlds that are the south side of the city of Chicago. My neighborhood has gone from bad 20 years ago to being nicknamed, "Pleasantville," now. The neighborhood banded together to rid itself of gangs and crime and every week there are still meetings to continue the improvement.
The death of 9 year old Antonio Smith should not be forgotten. Would he have a smile like Ed Howard's the silky smooth shortstop of JRW. Would Antonio have the wit of Trey Hondras? Would Antonio have the arm of Marquis jackson? Would Antonio have the swing of Pierce Jones? Would Antonio be the leader that Brandon Greene is? Would Antonio have the fight of Joshua Houston. We'll never know the answer to these questions because Antonio Smith never made it to 10 years old.
Lets do this Chicago! Lets have a day of nonviolence in honor of Jackie Robinson West! There could be no greater honor to bestow upon those young men than to give them a day of peace in Chicago.
Who knows, maybe the life we save on Wednesday could be the person who makes all the difference for all of us in the future. Or, maybe if we go Wednesday without a senseless murder, maybe we could do it on Thursday also.
[RH Photos] Capital Cities DJ Set at The Mid (8/7/2014)
Photos by Alex Lapenia and Jesse Pizano. Recap written by Alex Lapenia.
Just because it was a Thursday night didn’t mean it was a dull night. The Mid has become one of the best venues for DJs to spin at as they’ve played host to some of the of the biggest names in the EDM scene, including Kaskade, Skrillex, and Afrojack, and Thursday night was no exception. The Mid welcomed vocalist Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, and opening for him were local Chicagoans DJ Torio, DJ Gordo, and current resident DJ Gus Karas.
DJ Torio started the night off playing lots of trance music, mesmerizing the crowd and pumping them up with anticipation until his final note hit. The rush of energy didn’t die down, though, as DJ Gordo set the tone and pace for the rest of the night with his EDM packed set sending the crowd into a frenzy jumping around and throwing their hands in the air with every bone rattling drop of the bass. After the last track Gordo dropped, DJ Gus Karas didn’t miss a beat with a throwback of DMX’s “Party Up In Here;” the hip hop set didn’t stop there as he continued to play club bangers by Lil’ Jon, which included “Turn Down for What” and “Outta Your Mind.” Once DJ Karas stepped off the stage, the audience grew antsy with anticipation of what was next, and when Sebu came on, it was standing room only throughout the venue. Sebu immediately picked up a microphone and began singing his Capital Cities hit, "Safe and Sound." He was infectious and had the entire club singing and dancing along with him and his indie set.
There’s nowhere else we would have wanted to be except at The Mid Thursday night. There was a bit of everything for everyone, from EDM to hip hop to Indie jams, and it was enough to not only satisfy the type of music you listen, to but also help you discover something new. We hope you enjoy our photos from the night!
Capital Cities' Sebu Performing DJ Set at The Mid on 8/7/2014
This post is courtesy of contributing writer Alex Lapenia.
Capital Cities' very own Sebu Simonian will be crashing the Mid this Thursday, August 7th,, taking a break from their US tour. Sebu will trade in his microphone for some turntables where he’ll be doing a live set at the Mid, following Capital Cities' opening set opens Katy Perry at the United Center. Opening for Sebu will be Chicago DJs Torio, who just remixed EDM legend Tiësto’s Just Be, DJ Gordo, who currently has residency at the top spots in the Chicago club scene, and The Mid resident DJ Gus Karas, who has spun tracks at Spring Awakening Music Festival at Soldier Field and is the owner-operator of Made in Chicago. Tickets are still available; however they are limited. You can get your tickets here. Note: the show is 21+ and will go from 10pm-4am. As always, when going to The Mid dress to impress, keep the swag at home and keep it classy.