August Shows Announced At City Winery Chicago
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 25, 2018
The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month.
All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless noted. Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.
AUGUST 2018 BOOKINGS
Wednesday, August 1
$22/$25/$28/$32
19-year-old singer/songwriter Sawyer Fredericks, hailing from his family's farm in central New York State, is fast establishing himself as an original, Americana artist. His deep, beyond-his-years lyrics and melodies, raw, soulful vocals, and powerful live performances have attracted an ever-growing number of devoted fans of all ages, selling out shows throughout the U.S.
As a folk/blues singer/songwriter, who cut his teeth at local farmers markets, open mics, and iconic New York venues like Caffe Lena, the Towne Crier Cafe, and The Bitter End, Fredericks seemed an unlikely match for reality tv, but quickly won over broad audiences with his genuine delivery and unique arrangements of classic songs, going on to win season 8 of NBC's "The Voice."
Fresh from that whirlwind, Fredericks released of his major label debut, A Good Storm, a blend of soulful Folk, blues, and rock, entirely written or cowritten by Fredericks. For 2018, Fredericks will release his highly-anticipated album Hide Your Ghost and stays true to his honest and elegantly stripped-down style, incorporating elements of blues, roots rock, and jazz with live instrumental arrangements throughout.
Frank Orrall (of Poi Dog Pondering)
Thursday, August 2
$35/$45/$55/$65
Raised in Hawaii, Frank Orrall is the son of a solar physicist and a folk singer. Learning guitar from his mother and a love of poetry and nature from his Father, Orrall began to record a series of homemade solo cassette albums out of his bedroom in 1984 and released them on consignment at local record stores around Honolulu and Southern California under the moniker Poi Dog Pondering. Since then, Orrall has released 8 full length albums as Poi Dog Pondering, while traveling extensively with them and Thievery Corporation.
Friday, August 3
$22/$25/$28/$32
Pat McGee started his professional music career in 1995 as leader of Pat McGee Band, touring relentlessly for over ten years all over the United States, including one stretch doing 98 shows in 103 days. The band, dubbed PMB, sold out venues all over the U.S. and shared stages with The Who, Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Counting Crows, Rat Dog, Levon Helm and more. Touring solo, singer/songwriter Pat McGee returns to City Winery Chicago. His most current songs are some of his most hard-rockin' and, at the same time, most delicate arrangements.
Saturday, August 4
$25/$28/$32/$35
Lori McKenna has become one of Nashville's most in-demand country songwriters. Her songs have been cut by artists such as Alison Krauss, Reba, Faith Hill, Tim McGRaw and Keith Urban, with chart hits like Hunter Hayes' "I Want Crazy," Little Big Town's "Girl Crush," "Your Side of the Bed" and "Sober." Her credits have landed her five Boston Music Awards, BMI awards and featured performances at the Sundance Film Festival and the Newport Folk Festival. Along with her successes as a songwriter, McKenna has released eight critically acclaimed studio albums. Numbered Doors was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 40 Best Country Albums of 2014.
Sunday, August 5; 7:00 p.m.
$15/$18/$22/$25
The younger brother of noted jazz saxman Kirk Whalum, vocalist Kevin Whalum grew up in Memphis in the shadow of Olivet Baptist Church, where his father, the Rev. Kenneth T. Whalum, served as pastor. The church, known as a magnet for great singers and musicians, became a centerpiece of Kevin's life as a youngster, creating both a religious and a musical foundation. After graduating with a degree in English from Morehouse, Whalum moved to Chicago to pursue a career in music. Less than six months after his arrival, he had formed a jazz-funk-soul group called Kevin Whalum & Fast Forward. He later moved to Nashville and appeared as a guest vocalist on brother Kirk's noted 1997 release, The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter 1, and as part of Kirk's band at that year's Stellar Awards. Kevin now has three solo albums under his belt: the self-produced solo debut, Timetable (2002); the George Duke-produced, One Life To Love (2008); and his self-produced, I Live For You (2016). Although Kevin eschews any effort to force him into a category or genre', he freely admits to defining himself as "primarily a jazz vocalist who just happens to be a Christian."
Tuesday, August 7
$28/$32/$35/$38
As the daughter of legendary producer Don Costa, Nikka Costa was born with music encoded in her DNA. Growing up around the likes of Frank Sinatra (her godfather), Paul Anka, and Sammy Davis Jr, she recorded her first single, a Christmas duet with famed Hawaiian singer Don Ho, when she was just five years old. In the years since her debut, she has toured with Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, was nominated for an MTV Music Award, and had multiple hit singles in Europe. Known for the raw allure and energy of her kinetic live performances, Costa's voice and stage presence have been compared to everyone from Janis Joplin to Chaka Khan to Sly Stone. Her new record Nikka & Strings is rooted in this legacy but is most remarkable for how it marries the soulful dynamism of her previous work to her recent exploration of intimate performance.
Tower of Power - 50th Anniversary Tour
Wednesday-Thursday, August 8-9
Friday, August 10; 7:00 & 10:00 p.m.
$68/$75/$78/$82
For five decades, Tower of Power has delivered the best in Rhythm and Blues music. Formed in 1968 in Oakland, Tower of Power has become one of the most recognized R&B horn bands in the U.S. Over the years, the group has recorded with hundreds of artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with Tower's musical DNA. Each year they tour the United States, Japan and Europe, playing to sold out crowds all over the world.
Saturday, August 11; 7:00 & 10:00 p.m.
$38/$42/$46/$50
Platinum-selling and critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Vivian Green's show-stopping voice has enchanted millions since her 2002 gold-certified debut A Love Story and its hit single "Emotional Rollercoaster." She has released several #1 dance singles, including "I Like It (But I Don't Need It)." The songstress has recently tread new territory beginning with her 2015 album Vivid. Going Top 10, the album earned her highest chart entry in over a decade on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, garnered critical acclaim, and yielded a bona fide hit in the form of "Get Right Back To My Baby." Her sixth and latest album, VGVI (pronounced "vee-gee-six"), expands Green's legacy and features the single "I Don't Know" plus a new version of "Just Like Fools" with fresh vocals and cameo from Musiq Soulchild.
As an actress, Green appeared in the Golden Globe- and GRAMMY Award-nominated Cole Porter biopic Delovely as well as the TV show "American Dreams." She also remains a staunch advocate for the rights of children with special needs, spearheading the #IamDifferentIamHuman PSA campaign.
Sunday, August 12
$38/$45/$48/$55
Native Ohioans Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler launched Over the Rhine as a folk quartet in the spring of 1989, naming the ensemble after the historic, bohemian Cincinnati neighborhood Over-the-Rhine, where they lived, first wrote, and recorded together. Their early demos and performances quickly struck a chord with listeners, and they garnered a solid local following by the time they launched their recording career with a pair of well-received, independently-released albums: Till We Have Faces (1991) and Patience (1992). Over the next two decades, Over the Rhine continued to build a musically and emotionally potent catalogue, encompassing the 16 studio albums and a series of limited-edition CDs featuring live, rare, and unreleased material. The group is now primarily composed of Bergquist on vocals, acoustic guitar, piano; and Detweiler on keyboards, electric bass, and vocals. Over the years, they have performed with John Prine, My Morning Jacket, Bob Dylan, and Ani DiFranco.
Monday-Tuesday, August 13-14
$45/$48/$55/$65
French jazz violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer, widely regarded as an innovator who has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. He was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. While a member of one of France's major classical symphony orchestras, Concerts Lamoureux, Ponty picked up a side gig playing for a college jazz band. Fueled by an all-encompassing creative passion, he soon found himself leading a dual musical life: rehearsing and performing with the orchestra while also playing jazz until 3:00 a.m. at clubs throughout Paris. The demands of this schedule eventually brought him to a crossroads, ultimately choosing to dedicate his career to jazz. Since then, Ponty has been recording and touring around the world with his own groups and collaborating with other great musicians. He has performed his music with symphony orchestras and his band in the U.S.A, Canada, Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, Brazil and Russia.
Wednesday, August 15
$15/$18/$20/$22
Barely four years since their formation, Talisk have already stacked up several major awards for their pyrotechnic yet artfully woven sound including Folk Band of the Year 2017 at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards and a 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. Mohsen Amini's concertina, Hayley Keenan's fiddle and Graeme Armstrong's guitar meld seamlessly together to produce a unique force. World-leading festival appearances include the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark's Tønder, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, Celtic Connections, and Brittany's Festival Interceltique de Lorient whilst the trio's captivating signature has also been recognized by the wider industry, through official showcase selections at both WOMEX 17 and Folk Alliance International 2018. Whilst their touring history may far bely their years, so to does their unfailing energy and stage presence. With a second album in the pipeline, alongside heavy touring throughout 2018 and beyond, theirs remains a star firmly on the ascent.
Doolin' is France's premiere Celtic band whose name derives from the Little Village of musical fame in south-west Ireland. Born in 2005 from an encounter between six accomplished musicians, from its inception Doolin' perfected a mixture of novel musical genres. Whilst some of the band were immersed in the world of traditional Irish music, and others were active in the jazz scene or in the pop rock wave of the 80s and 90s, they found a common love in traditional Irish music. From ballads to furiously fast jigs, from their own compositions to traditional tunes, Doolin' offers a rich palette of sound. Their self-titled debut for Compass Records is one of the freshest and most exciting Celtic records of the year. Natives of Toulouse, Doolin' worked with legendary Irish guitarist John Doyle in the producer's chair to achieve a sound uniquely their own deeply rooted in traditional Celtic music but wonderfully flavored with French chanson, American roots music and even hip hop straight from the streets of Paris.
Thursday, August 16
$40/$45/$50/$55
Robben Ford is one of the premier electric guitarists today, particularly known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. A five-time Grammy nominee, he has played with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McDonald, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, Greg Allman, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi, Keb Mo, Larry Carlton, Mavis Staples, Brad Paisley, and many others.
Born in 1951 in Woodlake, California, and raised in Ukiah, Robben's first chosen instrument was the saxophone, which he began to play at age ten and continued to play into his early twenties. He began to teach himself guitar at age thirteen upon hearing the two guitarists from The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Michael Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop.
Friday, August 17
$15/$18/$20/$22
Ari Hest has been making music and touring for about 15 years. Growing up outside New York City, he began playing guitar in the hallways of his high school, learning the songs of The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Smashing Pumpkins, and Dave Matthews Band. Hest has played in every state in the U.S., toured extensively throughout Europe, and has had the honor of playing with a slew of incredible musicians. Hest just released his ninth LP, Natural, and he's also released three solo EPs as well as a song-a-week project called "52." He is also in three bands that have recorded albums over the past few years: The Open Sea with Rosi Golan, Bluebirds of Paradise with Chrissi Poland, and, most recently, a duets album with Judy Collins called Silver Skies Blue, which was nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Folk Album" of 2017. His music can be heard on TV or in movies - The Path, The Lincoln Lawyer, "Private Practice," "Army Wives," and "One Tree Hill" to name a few. He's also scored music for a film called Dreamriders, a documentary which won several independent film awards.
Sunday, August 19
$75/$85/$85/$95
Don McLean is one of America's most enduring singer/songwriters and is forever associated with his classic hits "American Pie" and "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)." Since first hitting the charts in 1971, McLean has amassed over 40 gold and platinum records worldwide and, in 2004, was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by artists from every musical genre, most notably Madonna's No. 1 recording of "American Pie" in 2000 and George Michael's version of "The Grave" in 2003, sung in protest at the Iraq War.
In 2007, Don McLean shared his life story in Alan Howard's biography, "The Don McLean Story: Killing Us Softly with His Songs." In 2012, he was awarded the BBC Folk Music Lifetime Achievement Award and saw the release of American Troubadour on CD and DVD plus the worldwide broadcast of the documentary of this name, charting McLean's life and career.
Monday, August 20
$35/$38/$45/$48
Grammy Award winner, Shelby Lynne has had songs featured on several soundtracks such as, Bridget Jones Diary, True Blood, Shallow Hal, The Affair and others. Her albums, I Am Shelby Lynne, Just a little Lovin' and Revelation Road are critically acclaimed and have earned her several awards. Her career spans 14 albums, the latest one titled Not Dark Yet, with her sister Allison Moorer. Lynne recently starred in the full-length feature film, "Here I Am." Lynne won Best New Artist at the 2001 Grammy Awards and was the New Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1990 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Concert for the Camp with the Empty Pockets
Tuesday, August 21
$28/$32/$35/$38
The Empty Pockets' sound is built upon a strong foundation of the timeless Americana, blues, and soul music that came before them. An old-school sensibility showcased by multiple lead singers, rich harmonies, and skilled instrumentalists sets The Empty Pockets apart.
The Empty Pockets have found comparable footing teaming up with a wide range of legendary artists, including Kenny Loggins, Simon Kirke, Al Stewart ("Year of the Cat"), Gary Wright ("Dreamweaver"), and Richie Furay, both as opening act and backing band. The Pockets' sound has evolved, influenced not only by these remarkable musicians, but also by independent artists and, most importantly, one another. The result is a dynamic musical style uniquely The Empty Pockets'; a surprising yet familiar blend of Folksy Rock 'n Roll and Midwestern Soul.
Chick Corea Trio
Thursday, August 23; 7:00 & 9:30 p.m.
$75/$85/$95/$105
Chick Corea has attained iconic status in music. The keyboardist, composer and bandleader is a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, as well as the fourth-most nominated artist in Grammy Awards history with 63 nods - and 22 wins, in addition to a number of Latin Grammys. From straight-ahead to avant-garde, bebop to jazz-rock fusion, children's songs to chamber and symphonic works, Corea has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his career since playing with the genre-shattering bands of Miles Davis in the late '60s and early '70s. Underscoring this, he has been named Artist of the Year three times this decade in the DownBeat Readers Poll. Born in 1941 in Massachusetts, Corea remains a tireless creative spirit, continually reinventing himself through his art.
A venturesome collaborator, Corea has teamed with artists from jazz legend Lionel Hampton to new-generation pianist Stefano Bollani, from banjoist Béla Fleck to vocal superstar Bobby McFerrin. Corea's duo partnerships with Gary Burton and Herbie Hancock have endured decades. Rare for a "jazz musician," Corea received the Richard J. Bogomolny Award from Chamber Music America in 2010, and he broke new ground as a composer with The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet and Chamber Orchestra, released in 2013 by a storied classical label, Deutsche Grammophon.
Friday-Saturday, August 24-25; 7:00 & 10:00 p.m.
$50/$55/$65/$75
Rachelle Ferrell is one of the most dynamic talents in contemporary pop music. Very few vocal artists in the industry have her potent combination of range, phrasing, and musicianship. Ferrell began singing at the age of six, which many speculate contributed to the development of her multi-octave range. Ferrell first emerged in the states with her R&B debut Rachelle Ferrell (1992), a collection of self-penned originals that featured a striking duet with Will Downing, "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This." It was with the U.S. release of First Instrument in 1994, recorded prior to Rachelle Ferrell, that audiences were really introduced to her jazz sensibilities. In addition to her solo albums, she has sung backup for Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams and George Duke, and continues to tour as a soloist.
Wednesday, August 25
$15/$18/$22/$25
Lifelong musician and actress, Alicia Witt has worked on numerous, critically acclaimed, solo records, plays, films, and television shows, returns to music with her new EP, 15,000 Days. Her fourth release as an independent song-writer, 15,000 Days is a sweeping, big-hearted record; its songs are rooted in modern arrangements and timeless melodies. Witt wrote the material during a busy period that found her starring in the TV series "Nashville," stealing the spotlight with an appearance on "The Walking Dead" and playing shows - including a performance on the Grand Ole Opry - in the wake of her previous album, Revisionary History. A limited number of Meet & Greet tickets are available for $25.
Justin Hayward with Michael Dawes
Sunday, August 26; 4:30 & 8:00 p.m.
$68/$72/$75/$78
Having chalked up fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward is known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist, and composer for the Moody Blues. The Moody Blues are world renowned and have recently been accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, 2018 sees the 50th anniversary of the band's Days Of Future Passed album which will be marked with some North American concert dates and the release of the concert recording Days Of Future Passed Live. 2018 also marks Hayward's North American "All The Way" solo tour. He will bring material from All The Way, a retrospective of songs from across his career, to City Winery Chicago and more. Hayward's lead guitar player, Mike Dawes - hailed as one of the world's finest and most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists - opens with a solo set.
The Lotus Kings- An All-Star Tribute to Santana Featuring Cecy Santana
Monday, August 27; 7:30 p.m.
$18/$22/$25/$28
The Lotus Kings is truly a labor of love for Deacon Blues founder Steven Kikoen. After the success of Deacon Productions' first two "All-Star" bands: Deacon Blues, the All-Star Grammy Tribute to Steely Dan, and BIG SUIT: The All-Star Tribute to Talking Heads, Kikoen has crafted a third with the help of the best Chicago area musicians with a passion for all things Santana, including the legend's daughter herself, Cecy Santana.
Chicago-based singer Cecy Santana grew up in Sao Paulo with a musical family headed by her father, legendary Afro-Brazilian trumpeter Carlos Santana. Since her arrival in the United States, Santana has worked in many musical genres such as house, dance, jam band, Brazilian Popular Music, traditional Brazilian music, and R & B. Currently, Santana is preparing to officially release her debut solo project titled "Skyline." Thrilled to be a part of The Lotus Kings, Cecy looks forward to discovering the musical adventures of the "other" Santana.
Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses
Tuesday, August 28
$28/$32/$35/$38
Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses are bringing Prima music into the 21st century. Not content to sit on the legacy they so passionately protect, LPJ and the band are taking a page from his father's playbook by wailing "Prima-style" for the future. Since their breakout performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the group has performed everywhere from Seattle to Palermo, from small clubs to performing arts centers, and from casino showrooms to music festivals. LPJ and the Band are currently touring with their second Warrior Records/Universal Music Distribution release, BLOW - a collection of original music (save for a couple of surprises) as eclectic and unique as each member of this powerhouse band.
Jeff Bradshaw featuring Glenn Lewis & Teedra Moses
Wednesday, August 29; 7:00 & 9:30 p.m.
$35/$38/$45/$48
Born in North Philadelphia, Jeff Bradshaw is known as a soul-jazz and hip-hop/funk innovator, so it was only right that this trombone virtuoso found a home at Hidden Beach Recordings. Coming up in and out of the Philadelphia Soul Movement, Bradshaw has performed along some of the music industry's greats - Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Pattie LaBelle, to name a few. In 2004, he released his solo debut Bone Deep, which earned him critical acclaim throughout the industry and among his fans. His signature smooth sound secured his consistent spot on the festival circuit as a solo act and as a guest to artists such as Jill Scott, the Roots, and Mary J. Blige. His sophomore album at Hidden Beach, Bone Appetit, was a 2-disc release that featured a host of guest performers, including Raheem DeVaughn, Marsha Ambrosius, and his Hidden Beach label mates Kindred the Family Soul.
Thursday, August 30
$28/$32/$35/$40
Pedro Capó, one of Puerto Rico's most beloved singer/songwriters, returns with his new studio album, En Letra De Otro. Capó has an inherent great love for music. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he lived a life of bohemian inspirations. Grandson of the brilliant Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Bobby Capó, renown melodist and singer of the 1940's, and son of the unforgettable singer and cultivator of the trova and salsa Bobby Capó, this young singer/songwriter is the third-generation member of a family tradition that has left its stamp in Latin music.
Capó picked up the guitar at an early age and quickly demonstrated great virtue with the strings, even becoming the main voice of the group Marka Registrada in the 1990s. Striking out as a solo artist in 2007, Capo has release four solo albums, the second of which, Capo, produced six of his seven #1 singles on the Puerto Rican charts, culminating in three consecutive, sold out concerts in a single weekend at the Teatro de Museo de Arte. Capo is a multi-GRAMMY nominee, a 2013 ASCAP Award winner for album Fiebre de Amor, and has written songs for award-winning artists Ricky Martin, Ednita Nazario, and Noel Schajris.
Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. Chicago's only fully operation winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 90-point 2012 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve pinot noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world" by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable "listening room" experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery's commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.
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