Tag Archives: performance

Christmas music in Chi-town

My band Thornfield has been gigging the second Saturday of every month at CityGrounds coffee bar, but we’re taking a lil’ break this month because of multiple other musical commitments, including a wedding! More about that soon–especially because we’ll be singing the Electric Slide. Well–Carrie will be singing, and I’ll be tambourine-ing and occasionally shouting “It’s electric!” Yup.

However! Even though we’re shirking our duties, there’s still lots of great music happening in Chicago this holiday season . . . yes, even without us. Unbelievable, I know.

One of them is a cello ensemble concert. Our friend Jon Lin, a cellist who joined our last Thornfield gig, also belongs to a cello ensemble (there’a whole whoopload of cellos! Oh glory). There are two performances (December 3rd at 7pm–that would be tomorrow!–or December 7th at 8pm), so if you’re in town, check it out! Here’s the facebook event page, and for the record, we’ll be there for the Wednesday concert.

The other concert I wanted to mention is Christmas on the Town, which is Friday the 9th starting at 8pm (here’s the facebook event page with the details).

What is Christmas on the Town, you ask?

Well, it’s our church’s Christmas concert extraordinaire. And it is extraordinaire. This is no tiny choir of elderly ladies with poofy white hair and gently wavering voices singing “Away in a Manger”–no offense to any aging ladies with wavering voices. Our church has many professional musicians in its fold, so the concert is of the blow-your-socks-off variety. This year it’s in Hyde Park, and there will be a choir, an orchestra, Christmas favorites and original compositions.

Seriously–it’s an amazing event. Here’s a lil’ video of a song Carrie did at last year’s concert, for your enjoyment!

Live music . . . Christmas cheer . . . Carrie’s angelic voice . . . do you need any more reasons to come on out??

Singin' and shakin'

I’m still getting used to saying the phrase “I’m in a band.” But I am. In fact, after months of anguish trying to name our little band (this involved multiple rounds of picking a name and then discovering to our chagrin that it had already been taken), we finally have one on lockdown. We’re just waiting to announce it until the corresponding website is up and running. In the meantime, you can check out Carrie’s music website and listen to some of her beautiful melodies.

Regardless of what we’re currently calling or not calling ourselves, music will be happening tomorrow at our regular once-a-month gig at CityGrounds coffee shop in Lincoln Park. The music starts at 7pm and we’re doing two 45 minute sets, so come one and come all if you’re in town. There will definitely be singin’ . . . as for the shakin’ part, probably not so much. I just put it in there to sound more interesting. I should also mention that the coffee shop has one of the best fruit tarts I’ve ever tasted. I will personally be snagging one during the break between sets, to the dismay of my vocal chords. Vocal chords schmocal chords . . . they’re not the boss of me!

If you’ve heard us before, don’t worry–you’ll be hearing some fresh material along with the oldies but goodies–the 3 new songs we inaugurated last month as well as 3 brand-spankin’ new ones.

Love you guys! If we can get a good recording I’ll make sure to post it for all you wonderful people.

Also, I, um, wrote some songs. More about that at a later date.