Starlight Concert Series Kickoff!

Hello to all!

I hope you have left your Thursday evening open because we're kicking off Evanston's annual Starlight Concert Series with none other than Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound! You heard all about Paul Cebar in a previous blog post (click here!), so I hope you're pumped to hear some awesome folk and jazz tunes. Here are the details for this week's performance:

Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound

Thursday, June 18th

7:30-9:00 PM

James Park (Dodge Avenue at Mulford Street)

FREE!

Please join us at James Park for the beginning of an extraordinary summer concert series. Don't forget: there will be a free raffle with awesome prizes!

This is Kristina signing out...

art under glass event

The Arts & Business Committee of The Evanston Arts Council and EvMark present:

Please join us

for an

Opening Night Reception

Wednesday, June 17th

at 5:30 pm

708 Church Street lobby

and an evening

walk through the

several windows beautified

with our local Evanston artists.

Works of photography, sculpture, glass and painting will be displayed. Artists involved include Carlo Lo Cascio, David Gista, Lisa Harris, and Judy Koon from the Evanston Art Center; Wren Campbell, Ted Harris and Erin Mooney from Open Studio Project, and Lena Freireich and Doniece Malia-Wall.

"This project will enrich the experience of residents and visitors alike, and expose everyone to the great talent in our midst," said Carolyn Dellutri, EvMark's executive director.

e v a n s t o n a r t s b u z z . c o m

a guide to arts and cultural events in evanston

Rock and Blues Star Milt Trenier Comes to Evanston!

On June 30th at 7:30PM at Twiggs Park, one of the famous Trenier brothers, Milt Trenier, comes to Evanston!

A big success in the early '50s, Milt Trenier and his family of musicians wowed audiences with their lively and energetic shows. Combining swing music with rock and roll, their “brand of hot jump blues” was undoubtedly addictive. With a Top Ten hit in 1951 with "Go Go Go," the group became even more popular with their appearances in rock films like Don't Knock the Rock, The Girl Can't Help It, and Calypso Heat Wave. One of the many firsts for rock and roll artists at the time, the Treniers appeared on the television show Colgate Comedy Hour hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in May of 1954. After leaving the Treniers in 1959, Milt decided to peruse a solo career. He started playing in clubs around the Chicago area and continues to do so today.

Milt Trenier entertains audiences with his classic rock and blues tunes like no one else. James Porter from New City Chicago said that “Milt's got the heart of an all-around entertainer, the soul of a true survivor, and the balls of a brass monkey.”

So don’t miss out on this awesome experience and come out to see Milt Trenier on June 30th at 7:30PM at Twiggs Park!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

Calling All Volunteers!

Are you an art lover with time to spare? Then come out and volunteer for the City of Evanston at the 2009 LAKESHORE AND ETHNIC ARTS FESTIVALS!

Both festivals are located at the beautiful Dawes Park (at the intersection of Sheridan Rd. and Church St.) and house some of the best artwork that Evanston and Chicago have to offer. With a myriad of entertainment and food vendors, these events are sure to be fun and exciting!

Volunteer Positions Available are:

Lakeshore Arts Festival – August 1st and 2nd

FAMILY CRAFT TENT - working with children to create original craft pieces
SILENT AUCTION - loading in, setting up, watching bid sheet, and processing transactions
INFORMATION BOOTH - selling merch, folding shirts and answering questions
FLOATERS - walking around helping artists in their booths

Ethnic Arts Festival – July 18th and 19th

FAMILY ARTS ACTIVITY AREA - working with kids and crafts; HOSPITALITY - greeting artists and helping the load-in
INFORMATION BOOTH - selling merch, folding shirts, and answering questions
PARADE OF NATIONS - presenting the nations represented
FLOATERS - walking around to aid artist vendors with booth sitting and questions

PLUS, FOOD VOUCHERS AND A FREE T-SHIRT WILL BE PROVIDED!!!!

If interested please contact Lauren Echevarria by e-mail at lechevarria@cityofevanston.org OR by phone at (847)448-8260.

Thanks!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

"The Consul" comes to Northwestern

This Thursday, May 21st Menotti’s The Consul opens at Northwestern University in Cahn Auditorium (600 Emerson Street, Evanston, IL 60201).

Directed by Jay Lesenger and conducted by the award-winning Joel Revzen, this operatic thriller tells the tale of Magda Sorel, a woman trapped within an unidentified totalitarian European nation. With a revolutionary for a husband, Sorel finds herself face to face with the secret police. Hoping to save her and her family from her countries dark oppression, she attempts to obtain a visa, all too rarely granted, from the consul of a neighboring country. The Consul tale of her epic journey to escape tyranny has fascinated audiences since its opening on Broadway in 1950. Winning both the Pulitzer Prize for music and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for best musical, this was Gian Carlo Menotti’s first full-length opera. Performed in English, this will be the first time this thought-provoking opera has been seen at Northwestern.

Show Times:
Thursday, May 21st – 7:30PM
Friday, May 22nd – 7:30PM (Cover Cast, No Costumes or Orchestra – Free)
Saturday, May 23rd – 7:30PM

Ticket Prices:
General Public - $18
Senior Citizens and Northwestern Faculty/Staff - $15
Students with valid IDs - $8

For more information please call the Pick-Staiger Concert Office at (847) 491-5441 or visit the Pick-Staiger Web site at http://www.pickstaiger.org/.

Don’t miss out on this great event!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

JASC Tsukasa Taiko drums the legacy at this summer's Ethnic Arts Festival

I hope you’re as excited as I am to experience culture at its finest at this year’s Ethnic Arts Festival. Aside from over 100 artist vendors, we’ll be providing you with fantastic entertainment throughout the weekend. Something new we’re bringing this year is a unique performance from the JASC Youth Taiko Ensemble, the leading Japanese drumming ensemble in the Midwest.

Taiko, meaning “drum,” is known for its thunderous sound and stunning, stylized choreography. The kumi-daiko style, which JASC Tsukasa Taiko mainly performs, was established in the mid 20th-century and comprises of an ensemble solely of drums. JASC’s ensemble also incorporates unique instruments like the shamisen (three-stringed lute) and the shinobue (transverse bamboo flute) into their performance. These instruments have a strong presence not only in Taiko, but also in Kabuki theater music and matsuri festival music.

With internationally renowned instructors and performing artists, JASC Tsukasa Taiko strives to preserve their cultural traditions by providing the highest quality music instruction to people of all ages, by presenting world-class performances and educational programs, and by being an active presence in their community. We are very fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated group join the entertainment bill for this year’s Ethnic Arts Festival. Stay tuned for what day and time they’ll be performing!

This is Kristina signing out…

Mayfest Battle of the Bands

Hello guys and dolls!

What are you up to this weekend? I know! Northwestern organization Mayfest Productions is hosting their annual Battle of the Bands for two nights at Nevin’s, where ten bands will be competing for a chance to play Dillo Day, “the best day at Northwestern” for most students. It will be featuring a variety of music from R&B to Math Rock to Hip-Hop to traditional rock n’ roll. This will mark Mayfest’s first fundraising event leading up to the big day, and other events to follow include a Sing-a-Long to Aladdin and a Battle of the DJs, where the winner will also win a slot on the Dillo Day artist lineup.

Dillo Day is an all-day festival with non-stop music for ten hours and free goodies, and students take the day to celebrate the end of the school year. The winners of the two battle will have the privilege to perform alongside very famous (and still confidential!) bands, and in front of thousands of students. If you’re interested in hearing what Northwestern’s music scene is like, check out Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands on either Thursday, May 14th or Friday, May 15th. Tickets are only $5 and proceeds to go to making Dillo Day even more awesome than it already is.

The list of bands performing is below (lineup on the day of will be a different order)

Thursday May 14th

The Royal Senders
Looney and the Tunes
The Earth is a Man
The Classics
Band Called Catch

Friday May 15th

Mind at Large
Rotimi and the Rainmakers
Right on Red
Slow, Weird and Melodic (SWAM)
Lolita

Hope to see you there on both nights!

This is Kristina signing out…

The Art Institute's Modern Wing Makes Me Want to Rock Out - Opening This Weekend!

The eyes of the art world will be on Chicago this weekend, Saturday May 16th, as the Art Institute of Chicago opens its new Modern Wing. This $283 million addition will be featuring a modern European collection (including Picasso, Matisse, and Kandinsky), a contemporary collection (including Jackson Pollock, de Kooning, and Eva Hesse), and a new exhibition featuring Cy Twombly's "The Natural World, Selected Works 2001-2007," which is on view from May 16 – September 13, 2009.

In addition, on Saturday the Art Institute plans to shut down Monroe St. to bring in the entire city of Chicago with live music and family activities throughout the galleries. With a dedication at 9:00am with city officials and Renzo Piano, Modern Wing architect, and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00am, the entertainment plans to begin at 11:00am and continue until 5:00. Bands performing include Swing Gitan, Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and more.

Tom Pritzker, chairman of the board of trustees, said that the opening of the Modern Wing was a "historic moment for the Art Institute of Chicago. [It] signals to the world the cultural caliber of the city of Chicago and reaffirms its place as a leading cultural destination." Everyone throughout the city and the suburbs is excited for this event, and the Art Institute knows it. As a thank you to the city for its support and in celebration of the opening, admission to the museum will be free from opening day through Friday, May 22, 2009.

So! Get out to the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.) starting Saturday, May 16th to see the new Modern Wing! For more information go to http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/modernwing !

-L.A.U.R.E.N.