Great American Songbirds -- June 4, 2008

Today at the Andersonville street fair as I was leaving, a cover band was singing that 80s hit, “500 miles”. And the cover was just so-so, but it didn’t matter. As my friend and I walked out, everyone in the crowd was DAh dada DAh – ing right along, mouthing the lyrics into their beers and at their friends. I even saw one woman singing into her cell (insert eye roll here) and, in spite of my best efforts, my whole bike ride home, I was dadadada ing in my head, too.

What is it about a quirky pop tune that ignites subconscious memory and inspires temporary glee, and makes even the worst singers among us totally dork out in public and burst into song?
Whatever that thing is, it inspired rec room alum Abby Cucci and her co-curator Ryan Brewster to bring rec room a night of music, dedicated to the American Songbook. As the show description illuminates: "The years between about 1920 and 1960 saw the emergence of new works of popular songwriting now known as the American Songbook. Catalyzed by the free-wheeling and nascent forms of Jazz music and fortified by the simple structures of Tin Pan Alley, the American Songbook has been rediscovered and reinterpreted by every generation since. Come take a stroll through the Songbook with some favorite Chicago songbirds. You'll hear classic melodies--Gershwin, Porter, Berlin--and remember why this music strikes a chord in all of us, year after year. "

As I sat in the back room of Black Rock Wednesday, June 4, the team of talented Chicago songbirds Cucci and Brewster assembled struck so many pleasant chords with me. I vacillated between broadly grinning, outright chuckling and downright laughing and bouncing up and down in my seat for: Brigette Ditmar’s pizzazz on “Accentuate the Positive”, Melissa Young’s refreshingly exuberant version of “On a Clear Day you Can See Forever”, Jonny Cunningham’s dangerously tongue-in-cheek take on “Let’s Do It”, as well as Cucci and Gerald Richardson’s charming rendition of “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”. And who wouldn’t be show-stopped by Bethany Thomas’s powerful, resonant version of “At Last”, or compelled by Vallea Woodbury’s sultry cover of “My Funny Valentine”, or moved by Richardson’s version of “Sophisticated Lady”, or delighted by Young and Stephanie Layton’s campy rendition of “Friendship”?
Seriously, people. There were so many things to be happy about with this show: the approachable cool of Rob Smith’s “One More for my Baby Tonight”, the unexpected poetry Jayson Brooks introduced to us in his cover of “Lush Life”. When the show closed with an ensemble version of “The Best is Yet To Come”, well, I believed them. I was standing on my feet – happy, clapping, hooting out my praise for the performers. These songbirds filled my head with tunes I won’t be able to stop singing for a good long time.

Thanks to our girl Abby for providing witty and insightful “liner note” introductions that helped us all become even more familiar with the Songbook, and to Ryan for his stellar accompaniment, which supplied the essential spirit necessary to showcase these hits. Thanks to the full house of listeners, who cheered for the singers and generously donated to rec room. And special thanks to all the talented Chicago songbirds who came to the back room of a bar on a Wednesday night, and gifted us all, with music.

Your Way With Words Makes Me Act A Fool -- June 18

Dear rec roomer,

Have you ever tried to paint an opera, dance a photograph, sing a statue?

This Wednesday at rec room, poets open themselves up to interpretation, and improvisers set themselves up for failure or glory, as we present a one-of-a-kind poetry/improv collaboration, "Your Way With Words Makes Me Act A Fool".

Join us at black rock June 18 at 8 p.m. for a night where lyric poetry spawns improvised sketch comedy.

Curated by: Pat Babbitt and Erin Teegarden, with readings by: Joshua Dumas, David Digangi, Nicolette Bond, Meg Barboza, Katie Hartsock, Erin Teegarden, with performances by: Lindsey Fisher, Heath Cordts, Chris Dingwall, Dave Rispoli, Pat Babbitt.

((REC ROOM INFO))
What: the reconstruction room (a biweekly theme party -- with art, literature and performance)
Website: www.recroomers.com (contains a calendar of upcoming shows and an archive of past shows)
When: the first and third wednesdays of every month -- 8:00 p.m.
Where: Black Rock (a bar at the corner of damen and addison in roscoe village. two blocks west of the addison stop on the brown line. Address: 3614 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL, 60618)
Cost: free
Contact: recroom@recroomers.com

Bestiarum Vocabulum - May 21, 2008

Did you ever play that game where you look at people and try to decide what kind of animal they look like? For example, I went to grad school with a lemur, an orange cat, a gander, and a bull, and I also knew someone who was an ewok (I’m not sure if that counts as animal or not, though). My best friend from high school always told me that I looked like a stuffed squirrel with shiny glass eyes, which always creeped me out. I thought of this game during Bestiarum Vocabulum, the May 21st show curated by Jacob S. Knabb, but I’ve only come up with a couple of examples. I could tell you that Nicolette Bond is a barn swallow, her preferred habitat being “open country with low vegetation, such as pasture, meadows and farmland, preferably with nearby water,” and I think Philip Jenks and Simone Muench are cats, all lean and sassy hanging out on an alley fence. But what about Jonathan Messinger, Greg Purcell, Erikka Mikalo, Nick Garcia and Aras and the Volodkas (we’ll just go ahead and assume that I’m a stuffed squirrel)? I would love to hear what you think.

Back to the show, though. This was a fun night for everyone involved. There were several performers new to the rec room stage, and it’s always delightful to hear new voices. I also learned new things about old friends—for example, Jacob does a pretty good Louis Armstrong impression, and Nicolette’s pet goat shares a name with my wonky-eyed cat. I just want to thank Jacob and all of the performers for the cool show. I mean, I guess I’m a dork, but sorry, animals are awesome!

"Bestiarum Vocabulum" at rec room May 21

Dear rec roomer,

I once had a penny goldfish (Hermie) who lived 12 years. Other than that, I've never really had any pets, or formed any bonds with animals. Probably my favorite animal as a kid was this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8aGlOj2VFo&feature=related.

Nothing against animals, I'm really just more of a children and houseplants kinda girl. So this Wednesday, May 21 @ 8 p.m., as rec room presents a show devoted to animals, I'll leave the pontificating to the experts. Namely, this week's curator, Jacob S. Knabb, and these cool cats/farmers/zoologists/shepards/safari guides, etc. who will be performing along with him: Philip Jenks & Simone Muench, Matthew Guenette, Jonathan Messinger, Greg Purcell, Erikka Mikalo, Aras and the Volodkas, Nick Garcia, Miki Howald, and Nicolette Bond.

If instinct compels you, come to the neighborhood where cougars run free (till they are gunned down in alleys), this third Wednesday in May, one day after the full moon, for: "Bestiarum Vocabulum" a show Jacob describes like this: "Here begins an examination of the nature of beasts. Of lions and panthers and tigers, wolves and foxes, dogs and apes. Of poets and fictioneers and audio-visual mavens, lurkers and disreputable types, hyenas and scalawags, and all of the mean, lean, mangy, hidebound skinny, worthless cattle in every particular drove."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBBaw_HrCco&feature=related,

Erin

((REC ROOM INFO))

What: the reconstruction room (a biweekly theme party -- with art, literature and performance)

Website: www.recroomers.com (contains a calendar of upcoming shows and an archive of past shows)

When: the first and third wednesdays of every month -- 8:00 p.m.

Where: Black Rock (a bar at the corner of damen and addison in roscoe village. two blocks west of the addison stop on the brown line. Address: 3614 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL, 60618)

Cost: free

Organizers: erin teegarden, trinette mura, meg barboza, miki howald, nicolette bond

Contact: recroom@recroomers.com

wordsmaybe...

wordsmaybebeverly, we don't know. What we do know is that rec room's May 7th show, curated by Beverly Nelson, made for a delightful evening filled with thoughtful and entertaining performances. We weren’t just celebrating words and music and sound and movement, we also celebrated Beverly’s 55^th birthday. Between honeybees and bats, Alex’s crooning, poems, quartets and Beverly’s raucously rewarding dance number, there was plenty to celebrate. Thank you to all of the new faces who performed—we certainly hope to see you back at Rec Room soon! And Happy Birthday again!

rec room -- Wed. May 7

Dear rec roomer,

What is the sound of one word clapping? What is the word for one clap sounding? What the clap is one sound, wording?? To (maybe) find out, come to black rock Wednesday, May 7 at 8 p.m. for: wordsmaybemusic, curated by Beverly Nelson.

Description: wordsmaybemusic. we don't know. we are explorers. our intentions are to probe magnify scrutinize analyze or otherwise mess with any connection to be found while slapping spoons, plucking strings, clashing cymbals, and pecking the keys of very small pianos to the accompaniment of our tales concerning madness, faith, and love ---maybe. you are invited and expected to join in with your own instrument, whistles, singing, and clogging.

Featuring: A D Jameson, Alex Jovanovich, Allison Gruber, Ira S. Murfin, Karen Faith, Meredith Clark, Michelle Tupko, Devin King, Beverly Nelson, Gwenyth Anderson, Jeff Harms, Jeffrey Ediger, Jennifer Sporcich, Justin Cabrillos

See you then, Erin

Rec Room Info

What: the reconstruction room (a biweekly theme party -- with art, literature and performance)
Website: www.recroomers.com (contains a calendar of upcoming shows and an archive of past shows)
When: the first and third wednesdays of every month -- 8:00 p.m.
Where: Black Rock (A bar at the corner of damen and addison in roscoe village. Two blocks west of the Addison stop on the brown line. Address: 3614 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL, 60618)
Cost: free
Organizers: erin teegarden, trinette mura, miki howald
Contact: recroom@recroomers.com

Findings

April 16, 2008

On the nobility of otters: I had never noticed before just how noble this creature is, how patriotic, how symbolic it is. Had it not been for Dave Snyder and Chris Bower’s symposium on Dunholt, I would have never laid eyes on that solemn otter in the middle of the town’s flag. Nor would I have seen the pile of ash, the drops of blood and the twin crows.

From Jill’s study of the historic treatment of women in Dunholt to Scott’s history of the flag; from Tim’s faulty dissertation to Chris’s life on the river; from Dave and Matt’s fascination with the town’s music and even to Mark’s Bush-like facilitation, the aspects of the town presented by this panel of experts kept the audience enthralled for the evening.

What I learned from this academic evening is that a town is really far more than the sum of its parts—it’s more than songs about losing things and looking for them and finding them only to thoughtlessly lose them again, or about accidental cannibalism and severed hands. It’s more than the struggles of a flag maker or of a female novelist, or the thesis of an inept scholar. How much can one really know about a long ago place? How does one really ever know a city, fictional or not? You see, a town like Dunholt is continually molting and evolving as we learn and unlearn about it; it exists only in our minds; it lives for only as long as we conjure it. A town like Dunholt, well, I mean hell, it’s not real—make it what you want.