Holy shit you guys there are like a billion goddamn shows this week/weekend. Cupcake picked this week to go out of town and visit family or whatever *sad trombone* so […]

We received a lot of responses to a recent article we published, many so vitriolic, injurious and unproductive that we didn’t see fit to respond to them or publish them.

There are people out there who still think punk is about senseless aggression, about mayhem and violence. Hidden behind a computer, they’ll tell you that they’re still 77 as fuck, that stinky leather is their second skin, that they are fully prepared to die in a knife fight at every show and if you aren’t you should just stay home.

These are not the people we created Store Brand Soda for. We update our calendar, explore and find new music, and write about culture all while thinking about a different sort of person.

Everyone who doesn’t go to shows anymore because you don’t feel safe, or to everyone who coordinates with friends so you don’t have to walk to and from the train alone: we do it for you.

Everyone who struggles with anxiety, back against crumbling brick, shaking wrist spilling warm High Life in a room full of low lifes: we do it for you.

Everyone who doesn’t go to shows as much any more due to age, children, or physical ability, but who still loves music, supports it, and might go to an early instore if you manage to hear about it: we do it for you.

Everyone who has ever had your credibility questioned, who has had to fight to be taken seriously, who has been dismissed and criticized due to swift-moving undercurrents of sexism, racism, and transphobia most punks refuse to even acknowledge: your experience is valid and real, we’ve been there too, and we do what we do for you.

Everyone who works in the shadows, running zine distros and booking shows and scuttling around doing sound and cleaning 400 half-drunk beers out of your basement the day after a show, we see you. Not everyone can be in the spotlight all the time, and we think everything you do is just as important, maybe more so, than standing on a stage with a bass in your hands.

Staying strong in the face of so much opposition is punk as fuck. Struggling and fighting to be part of what you love is punk as fuck.

We wrote this weekly agenda with you in mind. While you’re filling out your Hello Kitty datebook with rad shows to see, why not listen to this podcast interview with Jenna Pup of +HIRS+? Learn about gender and sexuality, substance abuse and suicide, and the Philly underground scene from a member of a super rad trans queer grindcore band (who you’ll get a chance to see this summer at Fed Up Fest).

Tuesday, May 12th

Daikaiju, Space Blood, Kinda Good
Beat Kitchen, 2100 West Belmont Avenue
8pm / free with RSVP / $5 / 17+

Le Tour, Penicillin Baby, Bad Bad Meow
The Burlington Bar, 3425 W Fullerton Ave
9pm / $5 / 21+

Strawberry Jacuzzi, Gnar Wave Rangers, KO, Il Soffitto
Tour kick off for Strawberry J!
The Mutiny, 2428 North Western Avenue
free / 21+

Wednesday, May 13th

Caleb Willitz, Gloom Balloon, Christopher the Conquered, Bienart
Gloom Balloon and Christopher the Conquered are two of the nicest, hardest-working, and most fun bands coming out of Iowa right now. If you want to get happy with some sad kids (which is pretty obviously Emily’s MO), stop by this show on Wednesday!
Fizz Bar & Grill, 3220 North Lincoln Avenue
8pm / $6, 21+

Paperhead, LA Witch, Follakvoid, The Holydrug Couple
I really enjoyed this interview with LA Witch.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
9pm / $5 (limited), $10 (ADV), $12 / 21+

Thursday, May 14th

Lycanthropy, Bloody Phoenix, Cryptic Void, Sick/Tired, xAbruptx
LiveWire Lounge is truly like the weirdest crappiest venue, which is sad because it’s pretty close to my house.
Live Wire Lounge, 3394 North Milwaukee Avenue
8pm / 21+ / $10

Direct Hit!, Brokedowns, Success, Nervous Passenger
Beat Kitchen, 2100 West Belmont Avenue
7:30pm / 17+ / $10

Hollow Mountain, Slushy, Today’s Hits, The Lemons, The Eye Dolls
Premier of Animal Kingdom’s Kelly Nothing’s new project The Eye Dolls.
Emporium Arcade Bar, 1366 North Milwaukee Avenue
9pm / Free / 21+

Heaters, Uh Bones, Bleach Party
According to SBS co-editor Emily, “Heaters play very surfy psych rock and are fucking perfect to listen to on a boat.”
Schubas Tavern, 3159 North Southport Avenue
9pm / $8 / $10 / 18+

The Sueves, Flesh Panthers
This is a kickoff pre-party for Blackout Fest.
Virgin Hotels Chicago, 203 North Wabash, 25th Floor
6pm / free / 21+

Jovontaes, Werewheels, Luggage, Communion
The Owl, 2521 North Milwaukee Avenue
10pm / free / 21+

Nak’ay, Gnarly Death, Deterioration, Agitate, Georgia O’Queef
Supposedly starting on time. Also bae says I can’t start a band called “Al’s Italian Queef” because it’s not as funny as Georgia O’Queef but I think there’s enough room in the world for both of us.
The Mousetrap
7pm / $6

Friday, May 15th

Crown Larks, Daymaker, Longface, Forget the Times, Yeesh
ECO, 2042 w. 21st St
7pm

Burning Palms, The Bingers, American Breakfast
Emporium Arcade Bar, 1366 North Milwaukee Avenue
9pm / free / 21+

Real Kids, Cozy, Platinum Boys, MAMA
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
9pm / Hozac Blackout Fest / 21+ / $20

Saturday, May 16th

Nones, Mac Blackout Band
Nones are super weird skronk and Mac Blackout is a psych punk freakout. Peanut butter and jelly. Also, Rob is a great photographer and Mark is an amazing artist, go check their work out.
saki, 3716 West Fullerton Avenue
4pm / Rob Karlic & Mac Blackout Art Show / free / AA

Mako Sica, Daniel Wyche, onYou
Permanent Records, 1914 West Chicago Avenue
5pm / free / aa / byob

Indonesian Junk, The Gnar Wave Rangers, Baby Money, DEN, MTVGhosts, The Baby Magic, The Liqs
Super fun indie fest times with dual venue ping-ponging!
Auxiliary Art Center (3012 West Belmont Avenue) & Reed’s Local ( 3017 W Belmont Ave)
7pm / Arts-n-Drafts Fest / $10 for a wristband that gets you into both venues / 21+

Absolutely Not, The Cellphones, Dumplings, Ego
the flowershop
8pm / $5

The Avengers, Sweet Knives, Nervosas, THING, Gross Pointe
If you missed it, we brought up our reservations about endorsing a Nervosas show and Mickey from Nervosas responded.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
9pm / Hozac Blackout Fest / 21+ / $20

Evasive Backflip, Hammell On Trial, Nnamdi’s SDSSP, Petty Crimes, & Il Soffito
Young Camelot
9pm / 18+ to attend / 21+ to drink / $5

The Treasure Fleet, Roach Beach
Beat Kitchen, 2100 West Belmont Avenue
10:30pm / 21+ / free

ONO, Tape Loop Orchestra, Lil Tits, Toupee, TV-MA
University of Chicago Main Quad, 5801 S Ellis Ave
11am / WHPK Summer Breeze

Sunday, May 17th

Cozy
I always joke that Cozy is “cosplaying that it’s the 70s” and scheduling a “photoshoot and autograph signing” at a local record store goes right along with that.
Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles, 3156 West Diversey Avenue
2:00pm / free / AA

Treasure Fleet, Jaime Rojo, Young Marshall
saki, 3716 West Fullerton Avenue
3pm / AA / free

Chui Wan 吹万, Flavor Crystals, Krol Kleks
Chui Wan is all the way from Beijing! You can listen to a live recording of them from The World Underground here!
The Burlington Bar, 3425 W Fullerton Ave
9pm / 21+ / usually $5-$10

Le Tour, Nest Egg, Potions, Idpyramid
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
9pm / $5 / 21+

I don’t know about you guys, but it’s been kind of a crazy week over here at Store Brand Soda. We’re ready to just curl up on a couch, hug a dog or a cat, and watch every Keanu Reeves movie we have on VHS. Too bad there’s a utter fuckload of stuff happening in Chicago this weekend.

Friday, May 1

Terror Pigeon / Fee Lion / Richard Album
Hey, remember Hyde Park? You know, one of those neighborhoods that aren’t Logan Square? Well, there’s a totally kickass show going on down there tonight at 8:30. I know, weird, right? And speaking of weird, there’s a lineup of weirdo jams, headlined by Terror Pigeon, who have been my favorite weird kid dance party for 5 years running. Shout along to songs about partying despite your anxiety in a big, sweaty group hug of punk kids. There aren’t many better ways to spend Friday night.
Cobb Coffee Shop, 5811 S Ellis Ave
8:30 pm, All Ages, Free???

Multicult / Moral Void / DEN / Street Creature
Maybe you’ve had the kind of crappy week best addressed through losing your shit at a festival. Lucky for you, Slippery Kingdom Fest is happening all weekend at The Burlington. For $8/night you get 4 awesome bands each day. And it’s sponsored by Revolution, so there’s probably some good beer in there too.
The Burlington, 3425 W Fullerton
8:00 pm, $8, 21+

The Bingers / Slushy / The Uglies / Liqs / Zigtebra
Has your week sucked so bad you’re not even up to seeing new bands? Well, we’ve got you covered with this lineup of local favorites playing tonight at The Dandelion. Wrap yourself in the warm, fuzzy blanket of garage/pop/rock/awesome from right here in Chicago.
The Dandelion, ask a punk
9:00 pm, 21+, Donations Please

Saturday, May 2

You’re a sensitive soul and you love a good book, but you’ve spent all your money on PBR and tapes? Me too! Luckily for both of us, free shit abounds at the confluence of Free Comic Book Day and Independent Bookstore Day.

Indie Bookstore Day at Uncharted
Uncharted Books has our favorite indie bookstore day lineup, in addition to our favorite store dog. Show up early for a passport to collect a free Stuart Dybek story illustrated by Dmitry Samarov. Raffles will happen throughout the day, along with snacks from Dinner was Delicious at 3 pm, a reading from Nathan Rabin at 7 pm, and awesome company and reasonably priced used books all day.
Uncharted Books, 2620 N Milwaukee
10:00 am, Free

Drop-In Comics Workshop
Got a minicomic idea you’ve been working on, but you don’t have the time or resources to get it in print? Stop by the drop-in comics workshop at Spudnik on Saturday for a chance to use their equipment to make your comic happen. Attendees will also have the chance to work together on a collaborative comic.
Spudnik Press Cooperative, 1821 W Hubbard, Suite 302
1:00 to 4:00 pm, $10 Suggested Donation

Dam Gila / Luggage / Michelles / The Symposium / Glyders
After a day of making comics and reading books, there’s no better way to unwind than a music fest! Swing by The Burlington for Day 2 of Slippery Kingdom Fest.Cupcake saw in your show horoscope that you’d go.
The Burlington, 3425 W Fullerton
8:00 pm, $8, 21+

Kangaroo / Sophagus / Shiloh / Bike Cops
Even more broke from buying comics and books all day? Luckily, Cole’s has a free show (and some cheap cans of beer) for you! This is the kind of good time you’ll feel good paying $0 for.
Cole’s Bar, 2338 Milwaukee
10:00 pm, Free, 21+

Sunday, May 3

The Bingers / POST CHILD / Peoples Temple of America / Supreme Nothing / Pet Vices
Close out your weekend with Day 3 of Slippery Kingdom Fest, which finishes off strong with a solid lineup of rock ‘n’ roll. This is your second chance to see The Bingers this weekend, so don’t fuck it up!
The Burlington, 3425 W Fullerton
8:00 pm, $8, 21+