After having a lengthy pre-Broadway run in the Windy City as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, Levi Kreis returns to Chicago for a special acoustic concert on Monday, Nov. 1, at Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln. The Tony winner scored sizeable hits on Logo’s Click List with the bringing-down-the-house gospel-flavored “Nothing at All” and the coming-out tale “We’re Okay.” The openly gay crooner’s catalog boasts four albums, featuring the standout tracks “U Found Me,” “Hardly a Hero” and “With You.”
I am going to come out and say it—I am not much of a Maroon 5 fan. The group’s radio hits fail to be distinctive and the videos are oversexualized, but not in a fun, campy David Lee Roth or Motley Crue kind of way. The quintet’s fingerprints are found easily on its latest, Hands All Over, with its trademark wah-wah guitar and lead singer Adam Levine’s unmistakable vocals carrying on about his unsatisfying romantic escapades. This outing is produced by John “Mutt” Lange, who has worked with gay favorites Cher and Shania Twain. The Beach Boys-inspired “Stutter,” the slower-paced “Just a Feeling” and a joint effort with Lady Antebellum on “Out of Goodbyes” highlight the package. Hands All Over is out now via A&M. The boys in the band are scheduled to perform at The UIC Pavilion, 1150 W. Harrison, on Wed., Oct. 27.
Last year I dubbed Songs from the Red Room by Shakespears Sister as the album of the year. Finally, this superb set is available stateside. Just imagine Blondie, Love and Rockets and Siouxsie and the Banshees collaborating on “You’re Not Yourself” or the remake of Linda Lamb’s “Hot Room.” There is a glimmer of darkness coming through frontwoman Siobhan Fahey’s smile on “Bad Blood.” “Someone Else’s Girl” and “Baby It’s You” have a wonderful ’60s girl-group glow, while the Death in Vegas Mix of “Cold” is deliciously icy and robotic.
A limited-edition version of Songs from the Red Room is available with brilliant interpretations of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control.” Fahey is ageless and energetic in the video for “It’s a Trip.” She looks spectacular in a tie and a form-fitting suit. Rumors of a stateside tour and live DVD have me dizzy with anticipation.
It is a shame that Faithless’ success does not cross the Atlantic. Fronted by rapper Maxi Jazz and DJ extraordinaire Sister Bliss, the band is a festival headliner in its native England and spawned the career of guest vocalist Dido.
Faithless is back with The Dance. The title gives it away; The Dance is dark, moody music made to make you move. The opener, “Not Going Home,” recalls previous outings “God Is a DJ” and “We Come 1.” “Feel Me” is a nod to The Talking Heads, while “Love Is My Condition” is a step into Delirium’s domain, with vocals from Mia Maestro. Dido cameos on the danceable “Feelin Good” and on the electronic “North Star,” which will leave listeners spellbound. “Sun to Me” is melodic and dreamy enough that it should find its way onto radio, but not when fodder like Justin Bieber and Ke$ha rules the airwaves. Now, let’s see about getting Faithless to headline Lollapalooza.
Last time around, The Ladies of the Canyon created a lively dance party by fantastically covering Madonna’s material. On Wed., Oct. 27, the Chicago-based outfit is going to salute the legendary Diana Ross at Fitzgerald’s, 6615 Roosevelt, Berwyn.
The grand diva scored hits as the centerpiece of The Supremes and has gone onto claiming Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s duet “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as her own, topping the charts with Lionel Richie on “Endless Love” and remaking the gay anthem “I Will Survive” with a drag queen-rich video. My favorite is “Reflections,” which was used as the theme song on the ’80s Vietnam War drama China Beach. The madly talented artists comprising Ladies of the Canyon proved they can shine performing any genre with past tributes ranging from Chaka Khan to The Indigo Girls. For more information, please find Ladies of the Canyon on Facebook or visit www.lotclive.com.
In light of the tragic LGBT youth suicide string and the “It Gets Better” campaign from The Trevor Project, I wanted to share some related musical references. First, we lost many in the industry who have killed themselves, most notably Kurt Cobain. This left us wondering what could have been if the voice of a generation did not turn the gun on himself. Don’t be mistaken into thinking gay bullying is new. Bronski Beat’s 25-year-old video to “Smalltown Boy” documents this. In the wake of Marvin Gaye’s murder, Diana Ross released “Missing You.” This ballad captures the heartache, devastation and questioning that one faces after losing a loved one. Similarly, Michael Jackson penned “Gone Too Soon” after Ryan White lost his battle to AIDS. Billy Joel’s 1985 video to “You’re Only Human (Second Wind) ” has Joel serving as a suicidal teen’s guardian angel, not unlike how Clarence does for George in It’s a Wonderful Life. But D:Ream sums it up best with the uplifting British smash hit “Things Can Only Get Better.” And they do.