Woodstock started today . . .
. . . and The Spirit Of Peace And Music Festival begins this weekend in Freeport, just west of Rockford. Also this week, donate some coin for the damaged Garfield Park Conservatory, see George Thorogood revisit Chess Records, and Incubus commit career suicide.
The inaugural Spirit party launches Friday and lasts all weekend, during which camping is encouraged to catch all 40-plus bands. Headliners include Chevelle, Everclear, Filter, BoDeans, Los Lonely Boys, Tonic, and Big Head Todd & The Monsters on three stages. The town of Freeport — meaning not just the city council and some out-of-town promoters — has united to produce the event, held at the Rock Hollow Hunt Club, a 400 acre lot with 20 fields for camping. Weekend passes are only $55, with other fees for camping, parking, etc. (in case you live nearby and don’t want to be kept awake by college kids who don’t sleep). The full list of bands can be found here.
During this summer’s merciless storms, the Garfield Park Conservatory — just a couple blocks from one of IE’s offices — sustained heavy damage and, as the mayor continues nicking items from the city budget, needs a financial boost to expedite repairs. As such, Bobby Conn headlines a benefit concert/silent auction that will include surprise items from Warner Bros., a four-LP LCD Soundsystem set autographed by James Murphy, autographed Andrew Bird memorabilia, a David Yow-signed 7-inch Jesus Lizard box set, signed items from Alkaline Trio and Smoking Popes, books, posters and more. (Thursday@Lincoln Hall with Del Rey, Sunken Ships, Bare Mutants, and Rivals Of The Peacemaker.)
Just today, the Sun-Times launched an editorial begging for the old Record Row on Michigan Avenue to be redeveloped as an international music destination. Could they have known that George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be here this weekend to celebrate the exact same thing? 2120 South Michigan Ave. (Capitol) mixes original, Thorogood devotionals (“Going Back”), with iconic covers (“Spoonful,” “My Babe”), and, naturally, Buddy Guy himself. Being Thorogood, the renditions naturally fall forward into fast-paced, barroom rock (word is some of these cuts were once played behind the beat), but it’s a fitting tribute nonetheless. (Saturday@House Of Blues.)
Pity the procrastinating Incubus fan who hasn’t yet picked up the new album, but has tickets for this show. (Doubly if they’re unaware of the opener’s metamorphosis.) If Not Now, When? (Epic) depicts a band willing to change, regardless of whether anyone else is ready. Gone are the steady Red Hot Chili Peppers undercurrents. And even though a power-ballad like “Dig” or “Love Hurts” fell on the mellower side of their funk-metal, there was always the threat those drum beats would drop off waterfalls and the guitars would crash down. When dispels those notions by the end of its five-minute opening track, grabs you by the hand, and takes you for ice cream. (Sunday@Charter One Pavilion with Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman.)
— Steve Forstneger
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
