Soft Targets 6/19 @ Reggies Rock Club, Chicago

Soft Targets have a live show this Thursday, June 19 at Reggies Rock Club (2109 S State St, Chicago - map).

Show is at 8 PM. 17+. With Mean Ohio (myspace), Papillion (myspace), and Bone Tosser (myspace).

More on the upcoming Soft Targets seven-inch single on Loud Devices as the release gets closer...

Soft Targets 5/22 @ Darkroom, Chicago

Soft Targets are playing a show tomorrow night, Thursday, May 22 at Darkroom (2210 W Chicago Ave, Chicago - map). It'll be the debut show for their new drummer (myspace), and they'll be playing new songs.

Show is at 9 PM. With Farewell Captain (myspace) and The Ellie Maybe Experience. 21+ only.

Why are we telling you this? They're a great band and we're pleased to announce that a new Soft Targets 7" is in the works; it'll be coming out this summer on the Loud Devices label. (We'll have further details as the date gets closer!)

UPDATE: no Promoters Ordinance vote tomorrow

Jim DeRogatis reports the ordinance is “tabled (for now).” No vote on it tomorrow.

Don't let Chicago kill rock-n-roll, other “events”

Many, many sources have brought this to our attention. On Wednesday, a proposed new ordinance to regulate “Event Promoters” passed the Chicago City Council's License Committee. It's to be voted on by the full City Council of Chicago this Wednesday, May 14.

As we understand it, the proposed ordinance would place unreasonable burdens (and expenses) on people and venues involved in putting on (or publicizing) rock shows (and other events) anywhere except the city's biggest venues. If the proposed ordinance becomes law, it will be bad for Chicago.

As Jim DeRogatis blogs (“Musical advocates gear up to fight the promoter's ordinance at Wednesday's City Council meeting”),

As irony would have it, at the same meeting Wednesday when the City Council will consider a resolution opposing war on Iran (as if that august body has anything to do with national policy), it is expected to approve a law that will pretty much drop a bomb on Chicago's independent music community, if not nuke it entirely.

In a poorly designed attempt to reign in underground party promoters in response to the E2 tragedy in 2003, the City Council is rushing to pass legislation that will make it more difficult and sometimes impossible for responsible concert organizers to present music at many legitimate licensed venues in Chicago.

savechicagoculture.org lays out the concerns and is collecting signatures (comments).

The Chicago Music Commission page on the proposed Event Promoters Ordinance provides a fair amount of info and links, including a link to a PDF of the draft ordinance.

The draft ordinance (PDF) has an insanely broad definition of the (therefore) insanely large number of people to whom it could (would?) apply:

“Event promoter” or “promoter” means any person who: (1) is directly or indirectly responsible for the organization of an amusement or event, as evidenced by activities such as contracting with the principals, selecting entertainment, advertising or otherwise holding out an amusement or event to members of the general public, inviting participants to an amusement or event, or renting or controlling the site of an amusement or event; and (2) directly or indirectly receives or shares in any of the following: (a) admission or entrance fees paid by participants or spectators at the amusement or event; or (b) compensation, consideration or other revenue from sponsors of or private donors to the amusement or event; or (c) revenues from concessions or other sales at the amusement or event. The term “event promoter” includes nonresident event promoters who do business within the City of Chicago.

Plastic Crimewave in LA

Plastic Crimewave has a couple appearances of note coming up in Los Angeles this week.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 7, 7-8:30 PM, he will be DJ-ing on the stage inside Amoeba Records Hollywood (6400 W Sunset Blvd - map).

Then on Sunday, May 11 at 8 PM, an ensemble of Plastic Crimewave, Ariel Pink, and Jimi Hey be be doing a live score to 1928 German expressionist thriller/proto-horror film The Man Who Laughs at the Silent Movie Theatre (611 N Fairfax - map). Plastic Crimewave will also perform a solo score to Georges Méliès' Trip to the Moon. (We were lucky enough to see/hear Plastic Crimewave accompany this short in Chicago a bit over three years ago.) Co-presented by the Cinefamily and Arthur Magazine.

On Thursday, the Trip Inside This House blog published a Ten Questions interview with Plastic Crimewave.

Saturday, April 19 is Record Store Day -- as brought to our attention by Martina Sheehan in a Time Out Chicago blog post and Miles Raymer in a Chicago Reader blog post.

Also in a Reader blog post, Monica Kendrick offers a quick guide to (free!) "Random goodness in celebration of Record Store Day" at Chicago record stores.

Chicagoist offers a bit of background (which we'd missed until this evening).

Support your local record stores!

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