Calling all college students, former Chicagoans, and visitors! Metro welcomes you back to Chicago with Metro’s Home For the Holidays Concert Series. Featuring six special concerts showcasing the city’s most promising bands, there’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than with some great music. Low ticket prices make the series a great gift or holiday outing with family and friends, and there will also be a food drive, giving patrons an opportunity to give back to those in need this holiday season. Meet up with old friends, expose your relatives to new music, or just come check out what’s new in the Chicago music scene, at Metro’s Home For The Holidays Concert Series on December 18, 19, 20, 26 and January 2, 8 and 9. The Chicago Independent Radio Project will also host a food drive on December 18, 19, and 20 to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository – donors will be entered into a raffle for a Metro prize package!
First up, on Friday December 18, Rise Against kicks off the Home For The Holidays series. It’s been 10 years since Rise Against came on the scene and to celebrate they will be playing only songs from their first two records – “The Unraveling” and “Revolutions Per Minute” at a very special show. “Songs from the Fat Years” will take place December 18th at Metro and will feature fellow Chicago punk band The Bollweevils as well as Noise By Numbers. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Chicago’s Intonation Music Workshop (IMW), a music education program that provides access to instruments, instruction, and performance opportunities for Chicago youth aged 6-17 in under-served neighborhoods. IMW provides a safe and positive environment in which young people can learn to express themselves musically, at the same time developing life skills and values such as cooperation, practice, risk taking, and setting and meeting goals. Bring canned goods to the Chicago Independent Radio Project table in the Metro Store for your chance to win a Metro prize package.
On Saturday, December 19, Kill Hannah headlines the second night of the series. For Chicago natives Kill Hannah, it was a bitter break-up that brought the guys together. Formed in 1993 by singer-songwriter Mat Devine, the band took its name from Devine’s ex-girlfriend. The band’s first two albums, The Beauty in Sinking Ships and Here Are the Young Moderns in 1998 were both self-released. It was in 1999 with Kill Hannah’s album, American Jet Set, released on Brat Pack Records, that the band was thrust into the forefront of the Chicago rock scene. In 2006, the Chicago quartet released their first major label record, For Never & Ever. While the album was primarily a re-recording of past songs that were live favorites, the breath of fresh air into their hard-hitting melodic masterpieces was a success. From there, the band went on to tour nationally and internationally with such artists as: Dashboard Confessional, 30 Seconds to Mars, AFI, The All-American Rejects, and The Sounds. In support of their newest album, Wake Up the Sleepers, Kill Hannah will be coming home for the holidays to play a show at the Metro on December 19 as part of Metro’s Home For The Holidays concert series. Bring canned goods to the Chicago Independent Radio Project table in the Metro Store for your chance to win a Metro prize package.
Also on Saturday December 19, UR Chicago Online, Untitled, We Are The Weekend and Metro welcome The Official Kill Hannah After Party and December Edition of One Night Stand, with Dark Wave Disco DJs, Willy Joy, Kid Color, Team Bayside High and Midnight Conspiracy. A monthly 18 & over dance party that’s quickly become the talk of the town, One Night Stand is the place to be on Saturday night, and a great place to kick off your holiday week festivities and continue the Kill Hannah party!
Sunday, December 20, it’s Super Band Sunday with Lasers and Fast and Shit (and friends), Old Fake, Call Me Lightning and Driftless Pony Club. Lasers and Fast and Shit are quickly becoming one of Chicago’s most talked about bands, with their penchant for showmanship and live performances bordering on insanity. Not only does their music – which features a seemingly incongruous blend of raucous rock, punk, stoner and melodious sounds that somehow works for them – capture the attention of audiences, the band also plays on instruments and gear they largely build themselves. From their unparalleled light show, controlled by the band on stage, to their use of toys and non-instruments in their performances, this band will hold your attention from the first note to the last. They’ll be joined at this show by some surprise guests. Old Fake, Call Me Lightning and Driftless Pony Club will also play. Bring canned goods to the Chicago Independent Radio Project table in the Metro Store for your chance to win a Metro prize package.
After Christmas, Home For The Holidays picks up again on Saturday December 26. Keep your holiday festivities going and celebrate Chicago bands with Lucky Boys Confusion’s annual Songs From A Scene show! Together since 1997, suburban Chicagoans Lucky Boys Confusion quickly gained the attention of fans with their mixture of punk, ska and pop sounds. After self-releasing their first album, the band was signed to Elektra and released Throwing the Game in 2001 and Commitment in 2003, achieving mainstream success that built upon their loyal indie following. Several self-released EPs and a live album followed, but it wasn’t until this summer that LBC released their first full-length album in several years, Closing Arguments, to the delight of fans. An annual Metro tradition since 2000, the Songs From A Scene show features local bands hand selected by Lucky Boys Confusion, and is always a wonderful celebration of the talent of the Chicago music scene. This year, the band will be joined by The Fold, The Action Blast and The Attraction. Tickets are $18.50 in advance and $20 day of show. The show is all ages and starts at 6pm.
Saturday, January 2, Kid, You’ll Move Mountains headlines Metro’s first concert of 2010. Picture Books, Venn and Crayolala will also play. Kid, You’ll Move Mountains is looking to start the New Year off right, playing Metro’s first show of 2010. Shotgun drumming, ambient, effect-laden guitars, jitterbug bass lines and vocal interplay between male and female singers are the trademarks of Kid, You’ll Move Mountains. Live, this indie pop band can best be described as sounding like a hybrid of Death Cab for Cutie and The Hush Sound, with their mellow tunes with an occasional upbeat twist and collaboration of male-female vocals. The band has joined with openers Picture Books, Venna and Crayolala to declare it to be the Greatest Show Ever, and all four bands are offering free MP3s for download on the website http://www.greatestshowever.com.
The final weekend of the Home For The Holidays concert series is a last hurrah before classes start up again. Friday January 8, Decal Productions welcomes Skank, Loosing Scarlet, Inn Cinema, Seven Day Sonnet and Westbury. Bringing it from the blue-collar brutality of Chicago, Skank plays heavycore music with catchy hooks and rhythmic grooves. A down and dirty sound, chunky, greasy riffs and horny bull bellowing round out the sound of the suburban Chicago band. Could Skank be the next heavy band you’ll fall in love with? Find out live on January 8. Loosing Scarlet, Inn Cinema, Seven Day Sonnet and Westbury also play.
The series wraps up on Saturday, January 9 with Treaty of Paris, AM Taxi, The Insecurities, Last Fast Action and The Victory Gins. Treaty of Paris hit the ground running four years ago and hasn’t stopped since. Their love affair with anthemic, poppy songs and compact arrangements has won them fans across the country, and their full-length debut, Sweet Dreams, Sucker, released last year, was a turbine-powered album that introduced Treaty Of Paris as a band that pens smart, taut arrangements catchy enough to make even the most tone-deaf sing along. With a dedication to their energetic live performance, Treaty of Paris is a band that doesn’t disappoint. The band has supported major tours across the United States and Canada with such acts as Jack’s Mannequin, Spill Canvas, Yellowcard, Secondhand Serenade, Fun, Eric Hutchinson, Augustana, and Meg and Dia. They were part of Warped Tour in 2008 and played the last two years of Bamboozle, New Jersey’s annual spring music festival. Treaty of Paris has also received accolades and features from music magazines Alternative Press and Guitar World. Following the success of their last album, the band dedicated the entire last year to writing and recording the follow up EP Currents. Currents is set for national digital release in January 2010. The band will kick-off the EP release with the concert at Metro that night. With a dedication to their energetic live performance, Treaty of Paris is a band that doesn’t disappoint.
Come join Metro and some of Chicago’s best and brightest bands for the 2009 Home For The Holidays Concert Series!
Friday, December 18: SOLD OUT!
Home For The Holidays Welcomes…
Songs From “The Fat Years”…Ten Year Anniversary Show…
RISE AGAINST * THE BOLLWEEVILS * NOISE BY NUMBERS
$26 / All Ages / Doors: 6PM / Show: 6:30PM
Proceeds from tickets will go to the Chicago’s Intonation Music Workshop
Saturday, December 19:
Home For The Holidays Welcomes…
KILL HANNAH * HEY CHAMP * 1997
$20 – $50 VIP Tickets / All Ages / Doors: 6PM / Show: 6:30PM
$50 VIP ticket details will be available at metrochicago.com
Saturday, December 19:
UR Chicago Online, Untitled, We Are The Weekend & Home For The Holidays Welcome…
The Official Kill Hannah/NHFXM7 After Party…
ONE NIGHT STAND with
DARK WAVE DISCO DJs * WILLY JOY * KID COLOR * TEAM BAYSIDE HIGH * MIDNIGHT CONSPIRACY
Visuals by HEY! CLICHÉ! VIDEO CLUB
$6 / 18 & Over / Doors: 11:30PM / Show: 11:30PM
First 250 receive FREE admission
Sunday, December 20:
Home For The Holidays Welcomes…
Super Band Sunday…
LASERS AND FAST AND SHIT (and friends) * OLD FAKE * CALL ME LIGHTNING * DRIFTLESS PONY CLUB
$9 / 18 & over/ Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm
Saturday, December 26:
Home For The Holidays Welcomes…
Songs From A Scene…
LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION * THE FOLD * THE ACTION BLAST * THE ATTRACTION
$18.50 adv. – $20 day of / All Ages / Doors: 5:30PM / Show: 6:00PM
Saturday, January 2:
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS * PICTURE BOOKS * VENNA * CRAYOLALA
$9 / 18 & Over / Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM
Friday, January 8:
Decal Productions Welcomes…
SKANK * LOSING SCARLET * INN CINEMA * SEVEN DAY SONNET * WESTBURY
$11 / All Ages / Doors: 5:30PM / Show: 6PM
Saturday, January 9:
TREATY OF PARIS (CURRENTS EP RELEASE PARTY) * AM TAXI * THE INSECURITIES * LAST FAST ACTION * THE VICTORY GINS
$11 adv. – $13 day of / All Ages / Doors 5:30PM / Show: 6PM
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
Metro Box Office
Internet sales at www.metrochicago.com