Best of the Fests: Bitchfest, Chicago Summer Psych, and Black & Brown Punk Show

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We’re deep into festival season, struggling to keep our heads about an endless sea of body chains, matching crop-top-and-shorts-sets, sole-sucking fields of mud, blurry tattoos, overpriced beers, and nineteen year olds on molly. Over here at the old soda mines, we’re free to train our eye on some of the more unusual and underground festivals that are taking place this summer.

Bitchfest

bfest

Bitchfest aims to celebrate women and their work, but is inclusive of “all Chicago’s brilliant and resilient artists, musicians and writers who tirelessly use creative mediums to express what it means to live in this beautifully fucked-up world.” More than just a stacked bill of not-all-dudes bands, DIY space Young Camelot aims to offer a film program, live screenprinting, zines, murals, and art. Daily schedules have not yet been finalized, so keep an eye on the Facebook event for more specifics.

Bitchfest
Yoko and the Oh No’s, The Iceberg, Strawberry Jacuzzi, She Speaks In Tongues, Bruiser Queen, Oshwa, Beat Drun Juel, Mr. Ma’am, Brenda, WAD, Not For You, BLOOM, Impulsive Hearts, DEADBEAT, The Baby Magic, Night & Gale
Friday August 7th – Saturday August 8th
Young Camelot (ask a punk)

Chicago Summer Psych Fest

CHIPSY

If you read enough of this website, you’ve probably gleaned that I have a weakness for good ole three-chords-and-two-toms rock’n’roll. This is because I am dumb and I have bad taste. However, perhaps you have more sophisticated tastes: a palate that can accommodate gauzy shoegaze guitar, krauty synths, and meandering prog. If that’s the case, my dear, you’re in luck: for the seventh year running, the Hideout is bringing you Chicago Summer Psych Fest, with some superstars and heavy hitters in the line-up.

Chicago Summer Psych Fest – Friday
Djin Aquarian with Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, Vyto B, Shah Jahan, Hands Of Hydra, DJ Psychedalex
9pm on Friday August 14th
The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave
21+ / $10 advance tickets / $18 at the door

Chicago Summer Psych Fest – Saturday
Psychedelic Supersession with special guests, Chicago Triangle, VCSR featuring Bil Vermette, Moss Folk, Carbonleak
9pm on Saturday August 15th
The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave
21+ / $10 advance tickets / $18 at the door

Black and Brown Punk Show

bandbpunk

Black and Brown Punk Show is an annual festival highlighting the black and brown, queer and trans DIY punk scene in Chicago. The collective wants to create a safer space to push back against oppression, bond over a shared sense of struggle, and celebrate the creativity of black and brown musicians, artists, and educators.

Black and Brown Punk Show – Friday
Black Bandits and the Stickups, Vagabon, Moor Mother Goddess, Yva Las Vegas, Bruised, Tigress, Crude Humor, TBA
6pm on Friday, August 28th
Location TBA

Black and Brown Punk Show – Saturday
Kris de la Rash, Aye Nako, L(a)kras, The Breathing Light, Ono, La Armada, Through and Through, The Kominas, Huasipungo, R-Tronika
5pm on Saturday, August 29th
ChiTown Futbol, 2255 South Throop Street

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Punk or Bunk #1 Answers & Winner!

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Congratulations to Jessica for winning our very first Punk or Bunk trivia challenge! It turns out that NO ONE got the answer right, so we’re giving the tickets to you for being the first to email.

For those playing along at home, here’s the answers:

1. Peggy O’Neill and Danny Kroha of The Gories met when they developed mutual crushes on each other in high school.

TRUE. As revealed in the recent Detroit Punks documentary on The Gories, Peg was obsessed with The Who and mod culture as a teenager, and Danny was running around on a scooter with a fishtail parka. They met through their similar interests, and briefly dated – a relationship that dissolved long before The Gories did.

This was actually our readers’ #1 Guess for which one was a lie! Sometimes the truth is strange, y’all.

2. Lester Bangs once published a piece that claimed to expose the “rock culture FAGGOT MAFIA” in Creem magazine.

FALSE. Ok, so this is from the era of swaggering macho rock journalism that I couldn’t care less about, but it’s linked to early transgender punk pioneer Jayne County, which is how I know about it. Inspired by an infamous incident where Jayne County tried to brain Handsome Dick Manitoba of The Dictators with a mic stand when he heckled her at CBGB’s, Bangs wrote a rambling, incoherent screed that did in fact threaten to expose the “rock culture FAGGOT MAFIA.” However, it was slated for the pages of Punk Magazine, and Bangs requested that they not run it, worried that it would hurt his freelance career, something I can totally identify with as a fellow freelancer, albeit one who can edit myself a little better.

3. Iggy Pop’s favorite drink is Kahlua and milk.

TRUE. Iggy’s preference for hard drugs and weak drinks is mentioned several times in the classic oral history of early punk, Please Kill Me.

“We’d get to Memphis, the newspaper has my picture on the paper, with the headline ‘Vice Squad to Attend Concert Tonight.” I get to my hotel, I’m nervous, so I take all my per diems and buy twenty Kahlua and milks, because I’m nervous, but I only like pussy drinks, right?”

-Iggy Pop

Even if you didn’t win, you can try your wits next time, and you can still go see the show for a measly $7! It’s way cooler than Pitchfork, and I’ll be there, swigging from a pitcher and doing really pathetic bowling moves.

Blizzard Babies, Squish, Boots, Pink Bathroom
Fireside Bowl, 2648 West Fullerton Avenue
17+ / $7

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Punk or Bunk: Win Tickets to see Blizzard Babies, Squish, Boots, & Pink Bathroom!

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We’re introducing a brand new feature on Store Brand Soda called Punk or Bunk. Based on the old party game Two Truths and a Lie, we present you with three punk rock history facts, with one little detail – one of them is made up. The first person to email storebrandsoda@gmail.com with the correct answer on which “fact” is really fiction wins tickets to a SBS-approved show.

You’re extra lucky this round, because the prize for being the first person to email us the correct answer is two tickets to see Blizzard Babies, Squish, Boots, & Pink Bathroom at The Fireside Bowl on Sunday, July 19th. This is going to be an awesome show with some of our favorite babes in the city. You can bowl beforehand, or take your 17 year old sister and blow her mind with a whole new world of rock-n-roll possibilities.

Ready to get started? Here’s your three statements:

1. Peggy O’Neill and Danny Kroha of The Gories met when they developed mutual crushes on each other in high school.

3.. Lester Bangs once published a piece that claimed to expose the “rock culture FAGGOT MAFIA” in Creem magazine.

3. Iggy Pop’s favorite drink is Kahlua and milk.

Got your answer? Email storebrandsoda@gmail.com ASAP and you might be the winner! Comments, Facebook messages, etc don’t count: you have to email us. We’ll announce the winners on Wednesday.

And if you’re stumped? We’ll announce the answers then, as well. Good luck and godspeed!

Blizzard Babies, Squish, Boots, Pink Bathroom
Fireside Bowl, 2648 West Fullerton Avenue
17+ / $7

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Brisbane Noise Punks Sewers Play Last-Minute Show Tonight

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Antipodean punks Sewers have used the Coriolis effect to their advantage, swirling counter-clockwise down a filthy dive bar toilet and surfacing clockwise here in Chicago covered in grime, gore, and black blood. They lurched, Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon style, into Permanent Records yesterday, completely obliterating the sparse crowd with their nasty swamp sludge.

Too tight for the skronky post-punks and too full of wild abandon for the math-rock nerds, Sewers is the evil, abrasive thudding squall you’ve been looking for to rip you away from your boring life and everything you hold dear and deposit you in the bowels of a waste treatment plant.

They were supposed to play last night at The Burlington, but apparently a local band they were going to play with dropped out and the show was cancelled. The whole thing seems pretty sus to me – do you know how hard getting 5 visas for traveling musicians is? – but thankfully Aaron Dexter, booker for The Owl and label head over at Automatic Recordings, pulled through and they were able to jump on the bill with Whitney (ex-Smith-Westerns) for tonight. Hopefully he doesn’t mind me telling you all who “the special guest” is a bit early. Go buy a record from him so he doesn’t get mad at me for blowing up his spot.

There’s other weird free noise rock shows tonight, which you know because you check our calendar every morning, but let’s be real, Toupee plays all the time. You’re lucky to get another chance to see Sewers; I suggest you take it.

Whitney, Sewers
The Owl, 2521 North Milwaukee Avenue
10pm / free / 21+

Ono, Hums + Haws, Toupee, Richard Album
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
9pm / free / 21+

Wildhoney, Carbonleak, Population
Rancho Huevos
8pm / ask a punk / $6-$8

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Getting Randy for Randy Records

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If Randy Records was a person, they’d be like seven feet tall, with perma-stoned eyes going off two different directions, wearing a greasy leather jacket and playing the organ effortlessly with one hand while casually drinking a beer with the other.

Wait; that actually sounds like someone I know.

nathan

I’m just going to call him Randy Rexington, as per his Instagram, because homie shows the magic wonder of mathematics to impressionable youth as a day job and I’m not trying to help any Google-happy superintendents figure out that their teachers might have a life beyond the schoolyard.

Anyway, Mr. Rexington, divider of fractions and presser of records, singer in The Yolks and organ-stroker in Uh Bones, dropped me a line to share a special fancy treat for Store Brand Soda readers: preview tracks off the two new albums on Randy Records.

eric gage

CLICK THROUGH TO THE POST TO STREAM THE PREVIEW TRACK

Eric Gage, front dude of The Memories has to be one of the best connected dudes out there. He’s in White Fang, performs solo as Free Weed, and founded Gnar Tapes, a cassette label that recently traded daps with quasi-independent garage giant Burger Records on the opening of their new joint-venture record store Gnar Burger in a run down, middle-of-nowhere stretch of Los Angeles neighborhood Cypress Park. Last time I was there it took me like twenty minutes to check out because the extremely stoned dude at the counter needed change; Gage himself emerged from the back to pull some money out of his wallet.

Anyway, The Memories have never been one of my favorite bands; their simplistic take on summer psychedelia seems more suited for messy-bearded bros in tie-dye shirts covered in Dorito crumbs. Also, last time I saw them on tour one of their roadies/back-home-buddies made me cry, ha ha ha. Anyway, if YOU have never personally been driven to tears in the back room of The Burlington by someone associated with The Memories, go ahead and give these preview tracks a listen; you can also listen to the full album over on Soundcloud.

uhbones

CLICK THROUGH TO THE POST TO STREAM THE PREVIEW TRACK

Ah, that’s better. So, as hinted above, Randy Rexington himself is in longtime local lovers-of-loudness Uh Bones. You’ve probably thrown beer cans at them at Wally World or whatever, so I’m not sure I have to describe them, but they take the sweet, classic rhythm-n-blues jams of The Yolks and flesh them out into something more howling and rollicking and weird. It’s Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, but by “modern” I mean you’re double-fisting thirty-twos and have nineteen tattoos and your shorts don’t cover your butt all the way.

There’s even more reason for you to ACT NOW, OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY: both these jammers are getting pressed to white vinyl for the first sure-to-sell-out 100, so if like your record collection to coordinate with your yayo, you should act quickly. Uh Bones is touring this summer, and getting familiar with their songs now is a great way to impress all your friends as you casually mouth all the words in whatever dive bar or DIY venue in your town is lucky enough to host them.

You can preorder The Memories and Uh Bones LPs over on the Randy Records site, and keep that shit bookmarked; later this summer, they’re putting out the debut album from Spike and the Sweet Spots and a new Yolks 7″.

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Best New Music Blogger of 2015

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We’re incredibly proud to announce that our very own Cupcake was named Best New Music Blogger of 2015 by The Chicago Reader. Music editor Philip Montoro had these kind words to say:

Friendly, playful, and no-bullshit, Cupcake’s posts use a dirt-under-the-fingernails familiarity with Chicago underground rock to convey unpretentious, all-aboard enthusiasm rather than clubhouse exclusivity: “Dem Platinum Boys sound like the kind of old school butt rock that you listen to on a shitty radio in your back yard while drinking Miller Lite in a kiddie pool,” to quote a recent example. Periodic “Show Horoscope” roundups categorize concerts according to imagined subtypes of fan (“You’re a Baby Teen,” “For the Basement Dweller,” “You Just Wanna Fucking Party”), but it’s basically all about dirty weirdos banging on guitars.

“I spend hours a week sifting through show listings, writing up show previews, boosting and promoting the work of my friends. I know that’s seen as inherently less valuable than picking up a bass and being in a band,” Cupcake says. “I strongly believe that people who are willing to do behind-the-scenes work are part of what makes the scene work, and I’m totally fine with most of what I do being out of the spotlight.”

Go read the whole article, if you haven’t already. If the Best Of issue brought you here, welcome!

Our tagline is “dumb punk, cold pizza, and cheap pop” and that pretty much sums us up. We cover Chicago’s garage, punk, lofi pop and indie pop scenes, with a huge emphasis on DIY culture.

Most of our articles are show previews. Emily and Cupcake collaborate on Weekly Agenda, which usually lists 7-10 days of every show (that we would theoretically go to) in Chicago. These don’t come out every week; we’re not paid enough for that.

To cover the gaps, Cupcake writes Your Show Horoscope, which takes aspects of your personality and musical taste and predicts the best shows for you to see in the next month or so. They’re pretty fun to write, and hopefully to read.

We rarely do show recaps; we mostly want you to see shows yourself, not just look at photos some annoying guy with a giant camera took. However, Emily’s Annual SXSW Recaps are hilarious (and usually a good preview of the coming year’s buzz bands), and our post about going to Milwaukee to see Frankie Teardrop, Peach Kelli Pop, and Sheer Mag is the closest you can come to hanging out with us without actually hanging out with us.

While we’re happy to promote bands that probably can’t afford a decent PR team, we also aim for a deeper view on experiencing live music. Punk isn’t just a genre on Bandcamp; it’s a new lens to use to view the world, one that can illuminate injustices and raise our awareness to solutions. We will, humbly, never stop going in. Some of our most acclaimed articles include:

🍕 The Art is Not The Artist: On Holding Abusers Accountable and Enjoying Problematic Media was Store Brand Soda’s first essay. Cupcake explains their thought process when considering the creative output of an abusive individual, and pours forth conflicted feelings about The Beatles, James Brown, Modest Mouse, Drunkdriver, and Pablo Picasso.

🍕 Why We’re Not Boycotting Indiana is Emily’s response to Indiana’s Religious Freedom bill. Sometimes the proper response to oppression is more nuanced than it seems at first glance.

🍕 Imagining a Safer Space: Building Community and Ending Harassment in Punk is, to date, the most popular article we’ve ever published. It uses the framework of an experience Cupcake had at a bar in Austin to examine the larger issue about how abuse in punk is often tolerated due to a lack of concrete policies and staff training at venues and a lack of social consequences for abusing women and queer people within scenes.

You can submit shows to storebrandsoda@gmail.com. Cupcake freelances, writing about music as well as other issues; you can check out their freelance portfolio and email them if you feel like their writing would be a good fit for your publication.

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Your Show Horoscope: June, July, & August 2015

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Your Show Horoscope is the time when I wrap a Stevie-Nicks-shawl around my shoulders, light some copal incense, and peer into a murky crystal ball to divine your future. Rather than the All-You-Can-Eat smorgasbord overload of our show calendar, it’s more like a tiny perfect sandwich made just for you, with the crusts cut off just how you like it, and a little thermos of tomato soup on the side.

FOR THE PIZZA LOVER

You were putting hot dogs in your pizza crust long before Pizza Hut; hell, they jacked that idea from you, and no one can convince you otherwise. You burn your mouth on the sauce everytime, because you just can’t wait for it to cool down enough to eat safely. You’re either on Team Bagel Bite or Team Pizza Roll, and you hate the opposing team with a vengeance. You have a pizza pentagram tattoo, and the local by-the-slice place recognizes you as the person who gets a cold slice to go so that you can warm it up fresh in your oven once you get to the proper level of stonedness.

Closet Burner, Sputter, The Disinherited, Tigress
This is a benefit show *tonight* for everyone’s favorite queercore fest, which I previously wrote about for xoJane. It’s free to get in, but please donate! Also, buy some pizza: $1 per slice sold between 8:30-10:30pm goes to Fed Up Fest!
Dimo’s Pizza, 1615 North Damen Avenue
Tuesday, June 23rd at 9pm / AA

Skip Church, Glyers
Swing by Chicago’s chillest record store with the best in-store sight lines for Tip Your Delivery Boy: A pizza themed art show benefiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository. All art proceeds will benefit hungry people here in town, and Dimo’s Pizza will be donating slices to make sure you don’t go hungry, either.
saki, 3716 West Fullerton Avenue
Sat, July 11, 6pm / free / aa

changeofscene

YOU NEED A CHANGE OF SCENERY

Listen, it’s not that you have anything against seeing Yet Another Show at your favorite venue. There’s a reason it’s your favorite venue, after all. But as the weather warms up, the idea of drinking one more lukewarm Tiger tallboy in “your” corner makes you want to scream. Why not try something new?

Bongripper, Oshwa, Taught Abroad
If seeing a stoner doom band play at the foot of a towering monument crowned with a screaming eagle is old hat to you, please relocate to Mars where you can perhaps find new, challenging experiences.
Logan Square Monument at Logan Square Arts Festival
Fri, June 26, 5pm / $5 suggested donation / all ages

The Last Flowershop Show: 6 Bands TBA
Flowershop has been claiming every show they throw is their last show for a while now. Maybe this one will actually be the last one. Maybe it won’t. Either way, it’s still going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Flowershop
Fri, June 26, 8pm / $5

Fountainsun, Wrekmeister Harmonies, HIDE
Dude. It’s in a cemetary. That’s pretty cool.
Bohemian National Cemetery, 5255 North Pulaski Road
Thu, July 2, 7pm / $20 / 21+

Murder City Devils, Diarrhea Planet, Swirlies, Nobunny, EZTV
Isn’t it about time you introduced your seven year old to Diarrhea Planet? Thanks to the magic of all ages street fests, you finally can.
Chicago Avenue between Damen Ave and Wood
Sun, July 12, 12pm / West Fest / $5 suggested donation / AA

No Age, Sun Foot, Devin Gary & Ross
This is a totally unique event called Generationalpictomusicapolis (try saying that three times fast); it’s a “is a celebration of collaborative music and art-making.” Did I mention the “Gary” in Devin, Gary & Ross is GARY FUCKING PANTER? THE GUY WHO DID THE SETS FOR PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE? Yeah. Now I did.
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 South Morgan Street
Tue, July 14, 8pm / $12 / $15 / 17+

broke

YOU CAN’T PAY MY TELEPHONE BILLS, YOU CAN’T PAY MY AUTOMOBILES

Oh, honey. Top Ramen for dinner again? Is that….is that duct tape holding your Converse together? You know that me and your dad can always….no, no, I get it, I’m glad you’re trying to save money, but….ok, well, do me a favor and at least treat yourself to some free shows, ok? And call more often. I miss you.

Chastity Belt
If, for some reason, you can’t make their set at the Bottle tonight but you are able to get out of work with basically zero notice, you can totally see Chastity Belt for free this afternoon at the Wicker Reckless.
Reckless Records, 1379 N Milwaukee Ave
Tue, June 23, 4:30pm / free / all ages

Bleach Party, The Van Goghs
Bleach Party play really fun fuzzy party punk and I love them. Keep an eye on ChicagoSinglesClub.com for an upcoming exclusive single.
The Whistler, 2421 North Milwaukee Avenue
Wed, June 24, 8:30pm / 21+ / Free

Absolutely Not, Foul Tip, Radio Shaq, Gnar Wave Rangers
Last time I was at Cole’s, for the Fungi Girls show, a stranger came over to me to tell me how much he likes my Twitter account (he is alone in this sentiment; don’t follow me) and I got to point out that there’s a nine-foot-high portrait of me painted in the bathroom of Cole’s from when I was like, 23 and didn’t completely hate hanging out in Logan Square bars yet. Anyway, if you haven’t seen it, go check it out, and ignore the fact a bitter ex wrote my phone number all over it telling people to call me for a good time back in the day.
Cole’s Bar, 2338 North Milwaukee Avenue
Fri, June 26, 10pm / 21+ / Free

Sewers, Den
Cleo’s has $10 pitchers and $6 nachos on Sundays if you want a thing to walk to after.
Permanent Records, 1914 West Chicago Avenue
Sun, July 5, 5pm / Free / AA / BYOB

Dead Moon, Spray Paint, Negative Scanner, Jamaican Queens, Absolutely Not, Tjutjuna
Heads up: people manning the gates at city street fests really don’t care if you pay the $5 or not. Even if you pony up, though, $5 to see Dead Moon is a deal. Their show the day before at The Empty Bottle has been sold out for ages.
Chicago Avenue between Damen Ave and Wood
Sat, July 11, 12pm / West Fest / $5 suggested donation / AA

The Sueves, Teenage Moods
Getting Suevey is the new getting wavvy.
Cole’s Bar, 2338 North Milwaukee Avenue
Sat, July 11, 10pm / free / 21+

metal

YOU LIKE METAL

We don’t actually write about metal here on Store Brand Soda. Or, rather, we don’t know what to write about metal. We’ve always been more comfortable in glitter eyeshadow than corpsepaint, and it’s such a big and convoluted scene that we leave the in-depth coverage to people who can actually decipher Christophe Szpajdel’s handlettering at a glance. At the same time, the borders between the ground we cover and the blood-dripping and bat-infested territory of metal are so blurry; it’s not too far of a stretch to find a Weekend Nachos show on our calendar. Here are some shows a little closer to that border, for intrepid wanderers and devout devotees alike.

Bongripper, Oshwa, Taught Abroad
Oshwa plays at 7:30, Bongripper plays at 9:00pm.
Logan Square Monument at Logan Square Arts Festival
Fri, June 26, 5pm / $5 suggested donation / all ages

Nervosas, Red Dons, Mac Blackout Band, Daylight Robbery
Mac Blackout Band has a new drummer (well, new to MBB; he’s always played with frontman Mark in another project, Mickey). The new rhythm section has taken MBB in a more glammy classic metal direction, and I’m really into it, actually. If you miss this show, they’re also playing the next day at Observatory, and a few days later at East Room. Check the calendar, homie.
The Burlington Bar 3425 W Fullerton Ave
Thu, June 25, 9pm / 21+ / usually between $5-$10

Liturgy, Locrian
I promise to never stop thinking it’s hilarious that the dude from Liturgy is a oil heir billionaire. Maybe all the assholes who steal stuff from the vans of extremely broke bands should pick better targets.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
Sat, July 18, 9pm / 21+ / $10

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PUNK SHOWS

You’re a cool person. You’re not a jerk, your politics are chill, you generally care about the right stuff. All these bands have cool people in them too. Maybe you should go make friends?

Broken Prayer, Hound, Fake Limbs & Split Feet
Jes Skolnik is a major inspiration behind all my writing and their band, Split Feet, is rad. All these bands are rad.
Subterranean, 2011 West North Avenue
Sat, June 27, 7pm / $8 / 17+

Negative Scanner, Scary and the Scrapers, Bad Eric, Wriggle, The Jig
My roommate is in Negative Scanner and they have a new album coming out on Trouble in Mind and I’m so fucking proud I could spit.
Old Mount Happy
Tue, June 30, 7pm / $7-$8 / everyone welcome

Dick Diver, Cococoma, Clearance, Comm to Black
Ok, obviously Australian band Dick Diver are the headliners, touring in support of their new album out on Trouble in Mind. However, we have to give a shout-out to locals Cococoma (LEGENDS, THEY ARE) and newbies Comm to Black, who are still figuring things out but are worth supporting because there’s a pretty good chance the tall guy in the leather jacket is gonna put out your next record.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
Wed, July 1, 9pm / 21+ / $10

Ivy, Fad, Sin Orden, Liquids, Go-Go, Udusic
This is a really cool hardcore lineup, and Sin Orden are amazing, bringing brutal honesty & forthright politics to the Chicago Latinx punk scene for years now. Ivy and Fad are both touring so make sure to bring some dollars to help fill up their gas tanks and bellies.
The 2040
Thu, July 23, 8pm / $8

Blizzard Babies, Squish, Boots, Pink Bathroom
Blizzard Babies and Pink Bathroom are both great not-all-wack-dudes bands and friends of SBS! I really wanna get a crew together and go bowling first, so hit me up if you’re in.
Fireside Bowl, 2648 West Fullerton Avenue
Sun, July 19, 8pm / 17+ / $7

Frau, Broken Prayer, Boots, The Bug, TBA
I was introduced to Frau by an article about the best punk songs of 2014 I helped work on for Pitchfork, and I’m so glad I was. These feminist punks did-it-themselves all the way from the UK, so show some appreciation and show up.
The 2040
Mon, August 10, 8pm / $7-10

Homeshake, Sheer Agony, Pleasure Leftists, Negative Scanner, Split Feet
This is a while out but worth remembering.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
Sat, August 15, 9pm / $8 / $10 / AA

Sheer Mag, Royal Headache, Daylight Robbery
WHAT IS EVEN WITH THIS LINEUP, I CAN’T.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
Wed, August 19, 9pm / 21+ / $10

diy

YOU’RE DIY UNTIL YOU DIE (OR MAYBE YOU ALREADY DIED AND YOU’RE A GHOST, WHOA)

Whether is because you love supporting your local scene, or just because you’re punk as fuck like that, you prefer your shows intimate, sweaty, and possibly violating a noise ordinance or two.

Slushy, Soddy Daisy, MOP, Slackluster, The Gold Web, Gnar Wave Rangers
Everyone’s favorite former-church-turned-sweaty-naked-partyplex has been through some rough times lately; a staggering heating bill and flooding from the recent relentless thunderstorms have left the DIY space denizens in need of some community support. Throw an extra bill in the hat, buy some t-shirts or refreshments, celebrate their indomitable spirit and Maureen’s birthday!
Young Camelot
Sat, June 27, 8:30pm / 21+ to drink / donation

Heart Attack Jizzers, Poison Boys, Wingtips, FYCs, Bitter Fruit
Wingtips are the only Chicago band on this bill! Poison Fruit is from Oakland, and everyone else is from Indiana.
The Danger Zone
Sat, June 27, 7:00pm / $6-9

EGO, Heinous Orca, The Cell Phones, The Phone Calls
♪♬♪ ring ring ring ring ring ring, banana phone ♪♬♪
Wally World
Sat, June 27, 9:05pm / $5 / 21+ / byob or hit the cheap bar

Scalped, Cracked Vessel, Sputter, Tensions
Albion House
Sun, June 28, 7pm

Daymaker, Not For You, Zach Wilson, TBA
Please note, Dollhouse DIY has moved! Don’t go to their old house!
Dollhouse DIY (New Location)
Sun, July 5, 7pm / $5

Logan & Lucille, Wingtips, Boxing Fetish, Mormon Toasterhead
Please note, Dollhouse DIY has moved! Don’t go to their old house!
Dollhouse DIY (New Location)
Tue, July 7, 7pm / $5

Mtvghosts, Opposites, Fatkid, Donkey Hotel
Ratt House
Sat, July 18, 8:30pm / $5

Sacred Memories, Psycho Sister, Radio Creeps, Skizzwhores, Cellar Rats, Mandatory Abortions, Ultrahazard
The Orphanage
Sat, July 25, 4pm

Dark Thoughts, Laffing Gas, Chud, Bruised, TBA
Rancho Huevos
Fri, July 31, 8pm / $7 – $10 for touring bands

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Weekly Agenda: Fests & Instores Galore

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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

sakitreasurefleet
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+

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Weekend Agenda: Comics, Books, and Slippery Kingdom Fest

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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

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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???

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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+

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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.

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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

FCBD-Extravaganza

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

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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+


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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

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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+

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