Angela Jackson was born in Greenville, Mississippi. Her family moved to Chicago, Illinois, while she was a child. The impact of the two locations is evident in her poetry, which evinces southern and midwestern language influences. While at Northwestern University, Jackson emerged as a poet during the Black Arts movement. One of the talented participants in the writer's workshop of Chicago's Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC), Jackson produces work reflective of the Black Arts movement and OBAC's aesthetic thrust. OBAC was one of the many organizations that successfully promoted art for an African American audience that was representational and functional in form and was a major influence on Jackson's style and philosophy. She entered the writer's workshop in 1970 and participated with founding members Haki R. Madhubuti (Don L. Lee), Carolyn M. Rodgers, and Johari Amini (Jewel Lattimore). In 1976 she succeeded Hoyt Fuller as coordinator. The organization's and the artists' objectives were production of high-quality literature reflecting the black experience, definition of standards by which such literature was to be judged, and development of black critics qualified to evaluate black literature accordingly while conscious of the dynamics of Western literary standards.

"Through lyrical writing and finely drawn characters, acclaimed poet Jackson captures the pain and joy of self-discovery in late adolescence, as well as struggles of race and class identity, against the backdrop of racial tensions on a college campus in the 1960s." - starred review, Booklist

Looking to book your private event at Lincoln Hall? Contact Terri Champelli, our Private Events Coordinator, at 773-525-2508 ext. 16 or terri@schubas.com

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$3 Bud Draughts!

$3 Busch Light Tall Boys!

$2 SYN Vodka Drinks!

$4 Jameson Shots!

DJs Pure Product and Doug Hall spin old school soul, R n' B, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock and anything else they may feel like playing at any given moment. Add some killer drink specials and you've got yourself a pretty clear picture of what happens at The Front Bar Series- something we like to call "fun." See you at the bar!

Doko Benjo was formed by a group of friends on chilly night in November of 2004. From the get go their infectious funky rock grooves impressed fans and critics alike. They have played such venues as House of Blues, The Metro, Double Door, and many festival gigs throughout the midwest.

After releasing several EP's, they released their first full length LP in the summer of 2008. It is commonly known as the self titled album "Doko Benjo". The songs go beyond the standard 4/4 pop/ rock/funk formula, incorporating more challenging and interesting musical ideas yet remain aurally accessible to an everyday listener.

Click here to download Howl, Empires' latest album, in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire

Empires is Tom Conrad, Ryan Luciani, Alfred Smith, Max Steger, and Sean Van Vleet.

Empires is a new band of old friends. “It’s always felt like things just fall in place for us,” says Conrad. “I think it’s a testament to how we approach things and the fact that we were friends long before we were bandmates. We all have different perspectives musically, but there’s a collective mindset that makes it all work.” As evidence of the collective mindset, both Conrad and Van Vleet simultaneously conceived the band name on the same day without one other' knowledge. And with a recording and release process matter-of-factly tackled on their own, Empires’ collective kismet and cool confidence translates into a sound that’s bigger than their time together as a band might suggest. With having Max Steger at the helm of tracking and engineering recording sessions, anything is possible.

Free from creative restraints, to explore any sound they wanted, and build an identity that was true to their vision, the band spent nearly a year crafting their debut record Howl, which was officially released for free online in May 2008 via their website (weareempires.com). Howl was entirely written, engineered, artwork design and released by Empires. By the end of the year, Howl had earned over 55,000 downloads and landed on a few Chicago critics' top local albums of 2008. The process left them feeling liberated, more focus spent with fans earned than the dollars they could have made had they sold the album traditionally. We’ve got fans from all over the globe now," says Steger, "the UK, Chile, Kenya, Dubai. It feels like a great way to start a relationship with the listener.” Empires focus on the product has proven to be a fine gamble. Abrasive, collected, layered, frenetic and measured, Howl was followed quickly by a slew of sold-out Chicago shows and opening spots for the likes of the Ting Tings, Grand Duchy (Frank Black / Pixies), Deerhunter, Steel Train, Gavin Rossdale, and Crystal Castles. Building off of the energy and cohesion gained from the Howl sessions, they’re back in the studio, working on the follow-up. We’ve really learned how to work as a band,” says Van Vleet. When you strip away all the worries about what comes next, all the crap that just gets in the way, you end up really finding your sound.”

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"With special guests and other amazing things..." - Josh Young

The Dirty Rooks are bringing their communal Mad Dogs and Englishman-style booze-rock to Lincoln Hall. Along with all the classic tools of rock and roll, the 13 piece band features a screaming horn section, honky-tonk piano, and the bellowing sounds of a Hammond B3.

"The Dirty Rooks burrow themselves underneath your nails, along with the dirt and scum and filth of the city streets. And they're good...rock n' roll hasn't been this drunk in a while." Tom Lynch, Newcity

The Delta Routine, a rock and roll band from Milwaukee, is built upon the raw elements of guitar driven rock. Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Nick Amadeus creates memorable hooks and quirky riffs all while paying homage to the old days of rock and roll.

Nick along with bass player Evan Paydon and drummer Kyle Ciske have been recording and consistently releasing music for fans. Fresh off the single "Get Over It...", with promising b-side "Shake For Me Baby", The Delta Routine is already preparing in the studio for the debut of "More About You". Following their own path, the band is continually progressing and strengthening their fan base through constant touring. With accomplishments in many cities, and plans to travel more aggressively, The Delta Routine's momentum cannot be stopped.

In June this year, John Butler proudly announced the new line up of the ever evolving John Butler Trio. Prominent Melbourne musician Nicky Bomba (drums and percussion) of ‘Bomba’ fame and principal drummer on ‘Sunrise Over Sea’ joined the band and bass player Byron Luiters from Sydney outfit Ray Mann Three completed the new line up. Having spent the past few months bunkered down in his Fremantle studio with his new band mates putting down tracks for their forthcoming fifth studio album entitled ‘APRIL UPRISING’, John Butler is pleased to announce fans will get their long awaited live JBT hit when the band perform throughout the world early in 2010.

The new album title April Uprising came from an incredible journey John undertook for the ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ TV series. He traces the Butler name through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival and follows his Bulgarian ancestry to a forebear caught up in a violent revolt called the April Uprising.

After cutting his teeth by making music on various archaic computers and programs in his early years, Nosaj Thing is now, without a doubt, among L.A.'s finest musical modulators. His electronic soundscapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener's mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Nosaj Thing creates nothing less than the sound mastery of beat driven, experimental electronics from a gifted noise constructor.

His debut album Drift was released by Alpha Pup in June 2009 to unanimous global acclaim. Pitchfork awarded an excellent 7.9 rating, calling the album "gorgeously haunted... sonic Easter Eggs for a thousand listens." The album peaked at 5 on the iTunes Electronic chart, and went all the way to 1 on Bleep and Boomkat. The success of Drift led to Nosaj Thing being featured in magazines such as Spin, Fader, XLR8R, The New Yorker, Nylon and URB. He has received regular airplay on BBC Radio 1 and Los Angeles' KCRW, while his engaging live set has made him a staple of the worldwide underground touring circuit.

FREE before 10PM, FREE to anyone over 21 all night!

RSVP for a chance to skip the cover charge!

$3 SYN Vodka! $3 Bud Draughts! $3 Busch Tall Boys!

Visuals by Hey Cliche

Photos by everyoneisfamous.com

hosted by Yea Man!

Video by GL-Joe

Photos from last month

A Private Event Hosted by Lincoln Park Young Professionals Network

Featuring sponsored tables from:

SKYY Vodka

Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

Wild Turkey Honey Bourbon

Perrier Water

Dig Dips

Great Wine Imports

Paula & Monicas Pizzeria

Edible Arrangements

The Melting Pot

Hershey Chocolates

And More!

To book your private event contact Terri Champelli, our Private Events Coordinator, at 773.525.2508 ext. 16 or terri@schubas.com

Born and raised in Bergen, a small West Coast Norwegian city, Sondre fell under the spell of the records his older brother and two sisters played - Norwegian pop sensations A-Ha, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello and Prefab Sprout all made an indelible mark on Lerche’s musical consciousness. “I felt the need to take a step from being a passive listener and get more involved,” Lerche recalls. “I decided to learn an instrument.” Lerche chose guitar. “When I was 12, struggling with classical guitar lessons, my Brazilian teacher started playing these amazing tunes by Tom Jobim. Learning those harmonies and chord voicings, blending Brazilian folk and cool jazz, really opened my eyes.” In fact, so much that Brazilian pop influences the music Lerche writes to this day.

An exclusive collaboration between Tortoise and Wire frontman Colin Nweman came together at the BBC's Maida Vale studios. Listen to it here!

The great majority of artists spend their formative years (if not their entire careers) working to shake off the gravitational pull of their predecessors, and the many masters and masterpieces that came before them—what the literary critic Harold Bloom called “the anxiety of influence.” For musicians, in particular, this tendency is especially pronounced, for reasons having to do with the nature of their craft and materials. Unlike the contemporary novelist or filmmaker, say, there is presumably a finite number of choices remaining to the artist making music in the 21st century that have not yet been exhaustively mined after 500 years of popular and semi-popular song. It is for this reason that, when we are asked to describe what a piece of music sounds like, we inevitably talk not about the thing itself, but resort to the trope of metaphor or analogy—“a little Brian Wilson, a little Pink Floyd, a little bit of Kraftwerk.” Rare indeed is the artist who outgrows their early influences, and instead become one of the markers by which other groups are measured.??Almost alone among bands of the last two decades, Tortoise is a group that resists easy metaphors and analogies, who can be described as sounding like only themselves and no one else. Twenty years after its founding, the band’s signature and singularly inimitable sound—a fluid intersection of dub, dance, jazz, techno, rock, and classical minimalism, with no part overwhelming or dominating the whole—remains an American and international original. Even more unusually, they seem to have arrived at their sound with almost no apprenticeship to speak of; to judge from their early singles and albums alone, they seem to have come into being with their musical identity and DNA fully formed, like Athena from the forehead of Zeus. Further, while the group has spawned countless imitators, heirs, and followers—sincere, flattering, and otherwise—Tortoise remains unique in the world of contemporary music for their boundless intellectual curiosity, their unmistakable compositional voice, and their synthesis of seemingly contradictory sound worlds far from their doorstep.

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Moved from Schubas! Tickets sold for this show at Schubas are valid for entry at Lincoln Hall.

About El Perro Del Mar:I was after a different sound and as well as a different way of working when forming the idea for 'Love Is Not Pop'. The songs were mostly written during a stay in Paris in October last year and it was around this time I got in touch with Rasmus Hägg from the Swedish duo Studio. I've been a huge fan of Studio ever since I heard their early releases and me and Rasmus had been talking about doing something together before but time had never really been on our side - until now. The initial idea was actually for him to make a remix of one of the songs on the album but after having given the whole thing some thought both he and I thought it would be even more interesting and challenging to have him co-produce it together with me. We had long talks about the sound and feel of the album. I knew I was after the bassy and percussive mystic groove that is one of Rasmus specialities and I explained to him that I was ready to let him just do his thing. Funnily enough I had just caught him in the making of his solo album and he couldn't stop talking about using acoustic guitars and live drums. Rasmus had just started playing drums and really wanted to use live drums only on the record. After hearing his first recordings it didn't take him long to convince me it was a great idea. Rasmus plays all guitars, bass and drums on the record. It's beautiful, how we'd met in a time where both of us were looking for something new, something different than what we'd done before. It just happened to be a magical coincidence and an even more magical collaboration.

Taken by Trees is the latest project for artist Victoria Bergsman from Stockholm, Sweden. Bergsman was singer-songwriter for The Concretes for eleven years before deciding to leave the band in July 2006.

The debut album Open Field was recorded in six days; it’s packed with stark, delicate pop melodies. Victoria has the sort of voice that stops you in your tracks and demands you listen. The album features Peter Bjorn and John’s John Eriksson, Electrelane’s Verity Sussman and Andreas Söderström (of Ass and Tape) on guitar.

The Magical Musical Showcase takes place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Puck’s Café.

Singer/songwriter Matthew Kerstein has been an underground favorite in the Midwest for the better part of the last decade. Having moved to Chicago from Boston in the late 90's, Kerstein's career began in college as he co-founded the indie group Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. His unique voice and songwriting immediately cemented him in the Chicago music scene. After leaving the Choir in 2005, he continued forward with a new band he named Brighton, MA as an homage to his birthplace and youth.

Kerstein's songcraft takes cues from early folk heros as much as from latter-day rock bands, and has earned him the stage with acts like The Walkmen, Spoon, Arcade Fire, Mason Jennings, Elvis Perkins, and Old 97's. As a lyricist, his words engage even the most cynical of critics. His imaginative phrasing and tuneful melodies have helped paint backdrops for television shows such as Gossip Girl, Ghost Whisperer, and Castle garnering fans from both coasts and in between.

The indie e-zine Daytrotter perhaps sums up Kerstein best when they wrote: "These are thoughts that one catches himself thinking and knows not where they came from or how they found him, just that they're right or they're more right than wrong. Kerstein has one of the most engaging voices and lyrical minds anywhere..."

Lucid Ground is a collective group of five diverse individuals that share a sonic vision of evolving modern rock music. Lucid Ground’s signature sound and captivating live performances emit a sonic dose of energy that combine driving hooks and unique melodies. The fusion of these elements has not only created a cult-like buzz around Chicago, but has also imposed a lasting impact on the city’s music scene. With the devotion of their fans, the band has begun exploring the possibilities of nation-wide appeal. Lucid Ground has shared the stage supporting various bands including: Cage The Elephant, Nebula, Local H, Totimoshi, Members of Guns N Roses, Anthrax and Quiet Riot. The band has performed at many premiere music venues including: Congress Theater, Metro, Double Door, Cubby Bear, Martyrs', The Empty Bottle, Subterannean, The Abbey, Durty Nellie's, Elbo Room, Joe's on Weed, Bottom Lounge, Reggie's, and many other various festivals/events such as: Taste of Chicago and Chicagoland Speedway. LG has recently been featured in the Chicago Tribune's Red Eye as well as on Q101's The Morning Fix Show, where they performed live and talked about their follow up to their well received second release 'Shift'. The newest EP is entitled 'Conflicts & Tides' and has received a great deal of recognition from all over the country. The band has also been featured on NBC5.com, Q101's Music Mailroom, Fearless Radio, and have even had the privilege of being one of the top ranking bands in the Emergenza International music competition as well as Lollapalooza’s Last Band Standing, where they were hand picked by Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction. Since inception only a couple of years ago, Lucid Ground is at the forefront of the Chicago scene and continue to expand their vision........

Looking to book your private event at Lincoln Hall? Contact Terri Champelli, our Private Events Coordinator, at 773-525-2508 ext. 16 or terri@schubas.com

Todd Kessler has not let early recognition alter his course in pursuit of his passion. In 2005 Kessler found himself as a finalist in VH1's Song of the Year Contest. Only to be acknowledged a year later by the web based reality show, “Prom Queen” which featured his song “Conversations in Gray.”

Todd Kessler is a Singer/Songwriter whose passion for what he does comes out in every performance he gives. His lyrics are insightful commentary on ourselves as people and our self as a society. With influences such as Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, along with more contemporary influences like Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, M. Ward, and David Gray, Todd's music is subtle in his arrangements yet powerful in his delivery.

Download free music from Portugal. The Man, Port O'Brien and The Dig here

“Save me, I can’t be saved” —Opening line from Satanic Satanist

“...I don’t believe.” —Closing line from Satanic Satanist

“These two lines are like bookends to the new album. They tie into the way my dad and other people escaped to Alaska in the ‘70s, and represent their proud independence and courage. The album’s last line finishes the thought of the first line. It was Alaska. Everything we’ve gotten to be and everything we’ve gotten to go through, we’ve been lucky enough to have what we have.” —John Baldwin Gourley

“But it’s the songs themselves that truly set this band apart.” —Alternative Press

Within days of Alternative Press including Censored Colors on its list of 10 Essential Albums of 2008, the members of Portugal. The Man were trekking through the Boston snow to start work on their fourth release in four years, The Satanic Satanist. As John Baldwin Gourley, named the year’s Best Vocalist in that same issue of AP, explains the pace at which his band has turned out any number of the decade’s more inspired moments, “Honestly, I think we should be putting out more music. It keeps you thinking, keeps you growing and progressing. If you stop and let it sit for too long, I feel like you start to lose track of where you were going.”

For 2008’s Censored Colors, Portugal. The Man spent two weeks in Seattle with their friends in Kay Kay and the Weathered Underground making an album Gourley says he wrote in tribute to the music of a youth spent tuned to oldies radio as his parents drove around Alaska. One of his earliest musical memories, finding a tape of Abbey Road in a box of his parents’ cassettes, resulted in Censored Colors’ second side where all the songs are strung together in an epic suite.

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In May of 2008, Joe Pug played the first headlining slot of his young career to a sold out crowd at Chicago’s storied Schubas Tavern. Two weeks later he released the Nation of Heat EP, which has garnered near-universal critical acclaim and established him as one of the most respected songwriters of his generation. Pug has since played shows with Steve Earle, Josh Ritter, Rhett Miller and M. Ward. This past summer he performed at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and the Newport Folk Festival and was invited to tour Europe with Steve Earle. He is currently finishing up his full length debut.

If you didn't look at the songwriting credits, you'd swear Justin Townes Earle's songs were penned on the stoop of a one-pump filling station in dust bowl era Oklahoma, the smoke-filled song and dream factories of Tin Pan Alley, or at the back door of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville. Justin effortlessly taps the romanticism imbued in the beaten-soled travelogues and mythos of Woody Guthrie; the lounging around a campfire at a work camp and the edgy angst of a wintry Minneapolis (yeah, just try to get that mandolin line from the cover of the 'Mats’ "Can't Hardly Wait" out of your head.)

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The greatest living, six-piece, space rock'n roll band in the history of the eardrum!

Started in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995 from the ashes of cult band Union Carbide Productions, TSOOL has since - produced 6 stellar albums.

TSOOL has been touring all over the world since their debut album and has received numerous music awards, garnered thousands of dedicated followers and been praised by critics all over the universe - (especially with their latest album "Communion")