The first of May is coming up – May Day! Many people celebrate International Workers’ Day on this date. Others frolic around the maypole. Mayday is also the international signal of distress often used as an interjection (“Mayday! Mayday!”) or an adjective (“a Mayday signal”).
Here in Evanston, May Day means “More music!” A great cover band will be rocking the house at Double Clutch Brewing on Thursday. Pianist Ben Paterson and guitarist Joel Paterson (nope, they are not related) will bestow their gifts on the crowd at Studio 5 on Friday, and an amazing classical pianist, Gabriela Montero (pictured above), will be performing at Northwestern’s Galvin Recital Hall on Sunday. Lots of other great shows are happening – you can hear tango music, a world-famous jazz vocalist, a bass trumpet player and a punk polka band! Yes, there is something for everyone.
Thursday, April 25
- BYO Vinyl Night, Bitter Blossom, 6:30 p.m. at 1707 Maple Ave. OK, this isn’t live music, but it’s awesome. Bitter Blossom is one of Evanston’s newest bars, located next to the AMC Theatres. They host do-it-yourself DJ nights on Thursdays, vinyl only. You also might get to see artist Daniel Burnett work on an amazing mural on the bar’s wall. As a bonus, the drinks are very good. Free admission.
- In Time Out, 7 p.m. at Double Clutch Brewing, 2121 Ashland Ave. This is a solid cover band, reproducing some great hits by Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, Pat Benatar, Alanis Morisette and many more! In Time Out has been playing at venues from Chicago to Highwood. They rock!! Free admission.
- Ben Paterson Organ Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Downbeat Magazine said Paterson is “as soulful a pianist/organist as exists anywhere.” He played for several years with the great Chicago tenor sax player Von Freeman. Paterson also has a wonderful singing voice. LePiano has a Hammond B3 organ performance every Thursday evening. $15.
- Sondheim Tribute Review, 7:30 p.m. at Theo, 721 Howard St. Stephen Sondheim was one of the giants of musical theater and left us with a mother lode of iconic songs. Theo has devoted much of its 2023-24 season to Sondheim’s works – this tribute show plus the musicals Assassins and A Little Night Music. Theo’s Artistic Director Fred Anzevino has created a cabaret revue that is a one-of-a-kind tribute evening. The show runs through April 28. Tickets start at $54/$49 seniors.
- Suzanne Vega, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Vega has been to Evanston several times and always packs the house at SPACE. She will present two shows before leaving town. Vega broke out in 1985 and was one of the leaders of the neo-folk scene; her second album Solitude Standing, is a classic. Vega’s hit song Luka is still in heavy rotation on Spotify and broadcast radio. Her other hit song, Tom’s Diner, has been re-mixed and covered several times. It is a dance club staple. SOLD OUT, there may be a few tickets available at the door just before showtime.
- Ashrey Shah, clarinet, graduate student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Shah will be accompanied by Carina Yee on violin and Ke Wang on piano. The program will include works by Leonard Bernstein, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Paquito D’Rivera. Free admission.
- Canon Shibata, cello, graduate student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, McClintock Choral & Recital Room, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Shibata will be accompanied by Liang-yu Wang on piano. The program will include works by Hindemith, Grieg and Piazzolla. Free admission.
Friday, April 26
- Saeyeong Kim, flute, graduate student recital, 6 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Kim will be accompanied by Kay Kim on piano. The program will include works by Bach, Schubert and Telemann. Free admission.
- Reggae Music Night, 7 p.m. at Good To Go Jamaican Cuisine, 711 Howard St. Lenice and Tony Levy have created a marvelous destination for Jamaican food and reggae music. Tony is from Jamaica and has said “I want to bring Jamaica here!” Music happens every Friday night – the Hurricane Reggae Band is one of the regular bands. Free admission.
- Tom Neilson, Laugh While It’s Still Legal, 7 p.m. at Lake Street Church, 607 Lake St. Neilson is a folk singer who combines music with satire and social commentary for an entertaining political entertainment experience. He is a long-time social activist who has taken his message all over the United States and to several other countries, including Morocco, Kenya, Eritrea and Columbia. Suggested donation $20/$10 students.
- Chad Willetts Quartet, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Willetts is a drummer, pianist, and owner/operator of this excellent East Rogers Park jazz club/restaurant. His jazz quartet features a guest artist every Friday night. $15.
- Clarinet Showcase, 7:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, McClintock Choral & Recital Room, 70 Arts Circle Dr. First-year Bienen clarinetists present a program of music written and arranged to showcase the distinctive tonal colors of the clarinet. The ensemble will be accompanied by Nathan Canfield on piano. Free admission.
- Sergei Babayan, piano, Bach Week Festival, 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. Babayan is a renowned Armenian-American pianist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist. He will open the 50th and final season of the Bach Week Festival. The program will be heavily weighted towards Bach (of course), but will also include works by Liszt, Rachmaninov and Gershwin. $35/$25 seniors/$15 students.
- Sondheim Tribute Review, 7:30 p.m. at Theo, 721 Howard St. Stephen Sondheim was one of the giants of musical theater and left us with a mother lode of iconic songs. Theo has devoted much of its 2023 – 2024 season to Sondheim’s works – this tribute show plus the musicals Assassins and A Little Night Music. Theo’s Artistic Director Fred Anzevino has created a cabaret revue that is a one-of-a-kind tribute evening. The show runs through April 28. Tickets start at $54/$49 seniors.
- Ben Paterson on piano and Joel Paterson on guitar, 8 p.m. at Studio 5, 1938 Dempster St. These two musicians share a last name but are unrelated. They are united by their mastery of their respective instruments, however. Ben’s gorgeous piano stylings include chordal voicings that evoke the late, great Bill Evans. Joel is a guitarist with big ears – he dives into lots of musical pools, from mainstream jazz to rockabilly. Steve Rashid at Studio 5 books great shows, and this one looks even better than average. $27.
- The Arcadian Wild with Park Hills Circle 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. This acoustic group is not easily categorized. They use instrumentation common to folk and bluegrass genres (no drum set, please), but their lush vocal harmonies and rhythmic intensity evoke gospel and classical counterpoint. Not surprisingly, they are from Nashville, which seems to be the hot spot for genre-benders. The band began in a choir course at Lipscomb University in Nashville in 2013. Personnel shifted through the years but founding member Lincoln Mick has held the enterprise together. Opening act Park Hills Circle is led by Maris O’Tierney, a Chicago-based singer/songwriter born and raised in Alaska. $20/$30.
- Eliana Kim, violin student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Kim will be accompanied by Liang-yu Wang on piano. The program will include works by Beethoven and Fauré. Free admission.
- Gatorwater, 8:30 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 W. Devon Ave., Chicago. This blues/rock/boogie band stirs up a ruckus with hot slide guitar riffs, raucous honking harmonica and unrestrained vocals. They cover Muddy Waters, ZZ Top and Tom Waits! What’s not to like? Free admission.
- Rivero, Scofano, y Paolisso: Encuentro, 9 p.m. at Sabor A Café Steakhouse, 2439 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago. This trio delivers the music of Argentina (tango and much more). Damian Rivero is a passionate vocalist – he is the grandson of Edmundo Rivero, one of the most popular tango singers of all time. Richard Scofano is a master of the bandoneon (a button accordion popular in Argentina) and Guillermo Paolisso is a virtuoso guitarist. People are likely to start dancing the tango during this show! $20.
- Christy Bennett, 11 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Bennett is a busy jazz vocalist who performs a late-night set at Le Piano every Friday night. She is accompanied by Kevin Fort on piano. $15.
Saturday, April 27
- Fiona Shonik, trumpet, 12 p.m. noon at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Shonik will be accompanied by four other brass players. Her program will include works by Antoine Tisné, Jason Dovel and Victor Ewald. Free admission.
- Ernie Wang, jazz saxophone, student recital, 2:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Wang will be accompanied by two other saxophonists and a jazz rhythm section. He will play original compositions and arrangements. Free admission.
- Jenny Bienemann and the People She Loves, 4 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 W. Devon, Chicago. Bienemann is a singer/songwriter who evokes Ricki Lee Jones and Suzanne Vega. She has assembled a group of her musical friends for this matinee show. Bienemann is also Vice President of Development at the Music Institute of Chicago. Free admission
- Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and Choirs, 7:30 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dr. This massive assemblage of the top music students at Northwestern will perform Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Op. 86 and Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Dona nobis pacem. This is a fabulous classical music event at a bargain price! $12/$6 students.
- Chad Willetts Quartet, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Willetts is a drummer, pianist and owner/operator of this excellent East Rogers Park jazz club/restaurant. His Saturday night quartet features Dez Desormeaux on tenor sax. Desormeaux has that full-throated Chicago tenor sax tone! $15.
- Time for Three, 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. The musicians in the trio describe it as “a classically trained garage band.” The musicians – violinists Zachary De Pue and Nick Kendall with double bassist Ranaan Meyer – met as students at the famed Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. They jump over all conventional boundaries – Bach/rock/bebop/bluegrass and several other genres end up in the mix. Oh, and these fellows sing, too. $30/$40.
- Sondheim Tribute Review, 7:30 p.m. at Theo, 721 Howard St. Stephen Sondheim was one of the giants of musical theater and left us with a mother lode of iconic songs. Theo has devoted much of its 2023 – 2024 season to Sondheim’s works – this tribute show plus the musicals Assassins and A Little Night Music. Theo’s Artistic Director Fred Anzevino has created a cabaret revue that is a one-of-a-kind tribute evening. The show runs through April 28. Tickets start at $54/$49 seniors.
- The Arcadian Wild with Rachel Swain, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. This acoustic group is not easily categorized. They use instrumentation common to folk and bluegrass genres (no drum set, please), but their lush vocal harmonies and rhythmic intensity evoke gospel and classical counterpoint. Not surprisingly, they are from Nashville, which seems to be the hotspot for genre-benders. The band began in a choir course at Lipscomb University in Nashville back in 2013. The personnel shifted through the years, but founding member Lincoln Mick has held the enterprise together. Opening act Rachal Swain migrated from Texas and is now a Chicago-based singer/songwriter who has been a working musician for 20 years. Her music is described as “honest, soulful and steeped in her Texas roots.” $20/$30.
- The Polkaholics, 8:30 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 W. Devon, Chicago. Punk rock & polka got married! The Polkaholics have been ripping up clubs and outdoor festivals in Chicago since the 1990s! The Chicago Sun-Times said “The Polkaholics stun and amaze while wreaking havoc to both traditional polka and rock genres.” Free admission.
- Petra Van Nuis, 11 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Van Nuis is jazz vocalist with a light, delicate voice. She performs the late-night set at Le Piano every Saturday. Van Nuis is a very active artist in Chicago and often works with her husband, jazz guitarist Andy Brown. Pianist Dennis “Deluxe” Luxon accompanies Van Nuis during the late-night set at Le Piano. $15.
Sunday, April 28
- Sheldon Frazier, conductor, graduate student recital, 12 p.m. noon at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, McClintock Choral and Recital Room, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Doctoral candidate Frazier will conduct a 21-member ensemble with a program including works by Stravinsky and Mozart. Free admission.
- John Hanrahan Quartet presents Wayne & Trane, 1 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Hanrahan is a drummer and a Chicago native currently living in Santa Cruz California. He has been performing the music of Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane with his quartet at various venues around the country (including the Monterey Jazz Festival in northern California). He re-unites with his Chicago collaborators for this afternoon show. $15/$25.
- Minghao Liu, clarinet, graduate student recital, 2:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Liu will be accompanied by Ke Wang on piano with works including Brahms and Verdi. Free admission.
- Reverie Stone, 3 p.m. at the Fat Shallot, 2902 Central St. Husband & wife team Mitch and Lee Stein have performed Americana, country, folk and rock music together for 25 years. Free admission.
- Northwestern University Symphonic Band, 3 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dr. The Symphonic Band’s first performance of the spring quarter includes Sure-fire, a new concerto by Australian composer Catherine Likhuta, featuring faculty French horn soloist Gail Williams. Shawn Vondran will conduct the band. $6/$4.
- Cheap Talking Wine, 4 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 W. Devon, Chicago. This acoustic trio will perform classic rock covers with a unique spin. Playing primarily at bars, dives and honky tonks on the North Side of Chicago, these musicians know how to keep bar patrons happy!
- Annalee Koehn, 4 p.m. at Sketchbook Brewing, 4901 Main St., Skokie. Koehn is a singer and guitarist who plays roots music. She will be joined by Chuck Cox on guitar and Jess Baldissero on violin. Free admission.
- Sondheim Tribute Review, 6 p.m. at Theo, 721 Howard St. Stephen Sondheim was one of the giants of musical theater and left us with a mother lode of iconic songs. Theo devoted much of its 2023-24 season to Sondheim’s works – this tribute show plus the musicals Assassins and A Little Night Music. Theo’s Artistic Director Fred Anzevino has created a cabaret revue that is a one-of-a-kind tribute evening. This is the last performance of the show. Tickets start at $54/$49 seniors.
- Lizz Wright, 7 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Wright has delighted jazz fans worldwide for 20 years. She started out as the musical director of a small church in Georgia (where her father was pastor). These gospel roots are still apparent when she pours out her gorgeous alto voice. Wright has ties to Chicago – she is married to Chicagoan Monica Haslip, an arts administrator and non-profit CEO. Wright is also a chef – she developed the menu for Carver 47 Food & Wellness market, a business that Haslip launched in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood during the pandemic. This show is SOLD OUT, but a few tickets may be available at the door close to show time.
- Amr Fahmy Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Fahmy is the pianist for the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, a hard-grooving group of top-notch musicians who often perform with the marvelous vocalist Dee Alexander. Fahmy brings his trio to Le Piano every Sunday. $15.
- Gabriela Montero, piano, 7:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. This is part of the Bienen School’s Skyline Piano Artist Series. Montero has played with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Vienna Radio Symphony. She also was a featured performer at Barack Obama’s 2008 inauguration. Montero is also well-known for improvising during her concerts. The New York Times said “Montero’s playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power in climactic moments, soulful lyricism in the ruminative passages, and, best of all, unsentimental expressivity.” Montero will play works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. $30/$10 students.
Monday, April 29
- Nick Shoulders and the Okay Crawdad with Jack Studer, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Shoulders started out his musical career in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as a punk rocker – he had a band called the Thunderlizards that released an EP in 2013 that included songs with true punk titles – Embrace the Suck and God Hates You were part of that release. He has shifted to the country music genre, but he retains quite a lot of punk sensibility. He has a touch of carnival barker in his vocal delivery and has brought back some old-time country music staples – like yodeling. Shoulders’ Okay Crawdad band is highly skilled and tight. There is hardcore rockabilly in the mix, too. His songs have clever, occasionally hilarious, lyrics. Shoulders’ music is addictive – it is not that slick Nashville crap. Oh, another thing – Shoulders has a different take on the entire country music segment. He has criticized “fake twang,” that many “non-country” people deploy when trying to make it in the country music industry. He attributes this to the close association between mainstream country music and conservatism in the U.S. He said that he hopes to make country music “more accessible and more welcoming to people outside of the white rural experience.” Opening act Studer is a singer/songwriter from Nashville who writes very accessible tunes. He is also a member of the Okay Crawdad band, playing some serious guitar. SOLD OUT, but there may be a few tickets available at the door prior to showtime.
Tuesday, April 30
- Irish Music Session, 7 p.m. at Sketchbook Brewing Evanston, 821 Chicago Ave. Traditional Irish music session with a shifting cast of players; Sketchbook owner Shawn Decker usually brings his fiddle and joins in the session. Folks who can play Irish music can join in! Free admission.
- Cabaret Night featuring Nitz and Friends North, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Daryl Nitz has been performing and producing cabaret shows in Chicago for years while teaching for three decades in Chicago area public schools. He retired last year from his teaching career and is devoting his full efforts to his art. This is a recurring show every Tuesday night. $15.
- Jade Bird with Emsea, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Bird is a young singer, songwriter and guitarist from England who launched her career in 2017 before her 20th birthday. Her music falls into the space occupied by artists like Olivia Rodrigo. It’s high-quality new pop. Bird may soon graduate to much larger venues – catch her in an intimate space while you can! Opening act Emsea is a Toronto-based singer/songwriter who has focused on deeply introspective songs. SOLD OUT, but there may be a few tickets available at the door prior to showtime.
- Open blues jam, 8 p.m. at Fritzy’s Tavern, 6156 Clark St., Chicago. We have no blues jam sessions in Evanston – the Tuesday night jam at the defunct Bill’s Blues Bar was epic, but it’s gone. This jam is a 10-minute drive from Evanston’s southern border, and it’s worth the trip. The “jam master” is Ed Genne, a solid blues guitarist and a fine human being. Fritzy’s is owned by Karen King, a tenacious small businesswoman who’s managed to keep her bar from dying during COVID. The drinks are reasonably priced and the jammers are often quite talented. Free admission.
- Aiden Alcocer, French horn, graduate student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Alcocer will be accompanied by Joel Kang and Brian Zhan on violin, Sanford Whatle on viola, Sarah Chong on cello and Yoko Yamada-Selvaggio on piano, The program will include works by David Lyon, Roxana Panufnik and York Bowen. Free admission.
Wednesday, May 1
- Olga Kossovich, violin, graduate student recital, 6 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Doctoral candidate Kossovich will be accompanied by Dong-wan Ha on piano. The program includes works by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Paganini. Free admission.
- Stuart Rosenberg Ensemble, 6 p.m. at Le Tour, 625 Davis St. Local violinist/ mandolinist Rosenberg and his backing band have a Wednesday evening residency at Amy Morton’s newest restaurant. The repertoire includes Django Reinhardt jazz, Brazilian Choro, Italian film music and more. Free admission.
- The Tim Fitzgerald Guitar Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Fitzgerald is a skilled guitarist heavily influenced by jazz great Wes Montgomery. Organist Tom Vaitsas often joins Fitzgerald. This is a recurring show on Wednesday nights. $15.
- Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings, 7:30 p.m. at SPACE, 1635 Chicago Ave. Based in northern California, Rogers is an under-appreciated giant of the blues who has kept on playing in the traditional style, a master of the Delta slide guitar. He also has produced records for a “who’s who” list of artists, including John Lee Hooker and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and has played with just about everybody, from Bonnie Raitt to Sammy Hagar. He also had a roots duo for several years with the late, great harmonica player, Norton Buffalo. $20/$30.
- Brian Zahn, violin, student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Zahn will be accompanied by Liang-yu Wang on piano. The program includes works by Schubert, Fauré and Sibelius. Free admission.
- Leo Buckman, double bass, student recital, 8:30 p.m. at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, McClintock Choral and Recital Room, 70 Arts Circle Dr. Buckman will be accompanied by Nathan Canfield on piano. The program will include works by Bach, Bruch, Xavier Foley and Reinhold Glière. Free admission.
- Jay Thomas Sextet, 9 p.m. at Prairie Moon,1635 Chicago Ave. Thomas is a veteran jazz trumpet player who also plays other instruments (flute and saxophone). He lives and works primarily in the Seattle area, but is connected to the Chicago jazz community. He is coming to Evanston as part of the Moon Jazz series. Thomas’ Chicago bandmates are Chad McCullough on trumpet, Ryan Shultz on bass trumpet (a fun instrument!), Jeremy Kahn on piano, Clark Somers on bass and George Fludas on drums. These musicians have awesome chops! $7.