Brain Damaged Eggmen ~ August 5th, 2006

What started out on the high seas aboard Jam Cruise 4 featuring members of Umphrey's McGee and the Disco Biscuits performing sets of the Beatles & Pink Floyd covers has once again spawned a late night Lollapalooza showcase that had Chicago jamband fans whistling a familiar tune early Sunday morning as they left the Vic Theatre.

The Brain Damaged Eggmen features Brendan Bayliss, Jake Cinninger, and Kris Myers from Umphrey's McGee along with Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner from the Disco Biscuits.

The concert was a benefit for the Ustorm Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at raising funds to help needy children and young adults improve their lives by providing access to various music and art educational programs. The Foundation was formed by Umphrey's own Brendan Bayliss, a popular Chicago musician named Barry Brown known to perform in Jack Straw, Mike LeMaistre of Jam Productions & Kevin Kostelecky, owner of The Store, the popular north Halsted bar that's not only a hit after 3 a.m. bars in Lincoln Park close but has also been known to have been frequented regularly by members the Umphrey's McGee.

Set I: Come Together > Baby You're a Rich Man > Norwegian Wood, I've Got a Feeling, Tomorrow Never Knows, Dear Prudence, I am the Walrus, While my Guitar Gently Weeps, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End

Set II: In the Flesh > Good Buy Blue Sky > Another Brick in the Wall > Have a Cigar, Fearless, Breathe*, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, Pigs on the Wing^, Nobody Home#, Brain Damage>Eclipse

E: Hey Jude%

* w/ a dub section
^ w/ only Brendan on acoustic and Jake on vocals
# w/ only Jake and Aron
% w/ Jake on drums, Jon Gutwillig (Disco Biscuits) replacing Jake on guitar

Flatstock 9 / Pitchfork Music Festival ~ July 29th & 30th, 2006

Raawwkkk Posters!

Flatstock 9 occured July 29th and 30th, 2006 during the Pitchfork Music Festival. Poster artists from around the world pitched tents in Union Park for the world famous convention sponsored by the American Poster Institute.

Jim Pollock displayed never before seen pieces and sold many older rare prints for unbelievable prices to appease hardcore collectors who'd driven from as far west as California to as far east as Washington D.C. to meet Pollock in Chicago for his first Flatstock appearance and only second public art show ever.

Sales were brisk but the weather was HOT! The heat index reached over 100 degrees in the windy city over the two day event. The humidity hung so dense in the air that as some artists left their booths set-up overnight, when they returned in the morning, many found their posters damp with condensation or their make-shift gallery walls crumpled over limp from the sweltering humidity absorbing into the oversized cardboard backing boards.

Over 60 acts performed on three stages throughout the 2 day independant music festival. Here's a look at the descending line-up:

Saturday, 7/29/06

Aluminum Stage

9:10 - Silver Jews

7:10 - The Walkmen

5:10 - Art Brut

3:30 - Mountain Goats

2:00 - Man Man

1:00 - Hot Machines

Connector Stage

8:10 - The Futureheads

6:10 - Ted Leo & Rx

4:20 - Destroyer

2:35 - Band of Horses

1:30 - Chin Up Chin Up

Biz 3 Stage

8:40 - A-Trak

7:40 - Matthew Dear

6:45 - Matmos

5:25 - Spank Rock

4:30 - Ghislain Poirier

3:45 - Tyondai Braxton

2:50 - Chicago Underground Duo

1:50 - Flosstradamus

1:00 - 8 Bold Souls

Sunday, 7/30/06

Aluminum Stage

7:10 - Yo La Tengo

5:10 - Mission of Burma

3:30 - Liars

2:00 - Jens Lekman

1:00 - Tapes 'n Tapes

Connector Stage

8:10 - Spoon

6:10 - Devendra Banhart

4:20 - Aesop Rock/Mr. Lif

2:35 - The National

1:30 - Danielson

Biz 3 Stage

8:10 - Diplo

7:10 - Dominik Eulberg

6:10 - Glenn Kotche

5:20 - Ada

4:30 - Tarantula A.D.

3:40 - Cage

2:50 - CSS

1:55 - Bonde Do Role

1:00 - Jeff Parker / Nels Cline Quartet

(above: Jim Pollock signs & numbers his stack of Flatstock posters)

(above/below: Jim Pollock's art on display at Flatstock 9)

Thanks to Jay Ryan, the A.P.I. and all who volunteed to help pull this amazing event off!

Jim Pollock's 10,000 Lakes Festival Posters

Jason Kaczorowski © 2006

I had the honor of capturing linoleum block concert poster artist Jim Pollock producing this year’s 10,000 Lakes Festival run of four, limited edition posters. Each piece was produced by Pollock carving 5 separate linoleum blocks that were later run through a Heidelberg press at Bruno Rohner’s Letterpress in Chicago, Illinois.

As in the past, Jim hand signed and numbered each piece. This edition is somewhat unique however in that the artist chose to implement polymer plates - created using film and light - hammered directly into the linoleum blocks, a process he's never worked with prior.

Pollock has been kind enough to donate two rare, signed, uncut artist's proof sheets containing all four posters to Headcount, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization devoted to voter registration and participation in democracy. These pieces will be raffled off for FREE at 10,000 Lakes, giving everyone a chance to visit their booth (fill out their voter registration, they haven't previously and wish to do so) and enter to win these special posters*.

In 2004 Headcount registered 48,500 voters – more than any all-volunteer group in the country. This year Headcount is staging the "Midterms Matter Tour," bringing voter registration and education to about 30 festivals and amphitheater concerts around the country. The organization believes that music, expression and freedom are all intrinsically intertwined. Many artists and fans have strong convictions and a deep personal belief in democracy which is why Headcount created an organizational structure to channel those beliefs into action.

* - Due to various voting enticement acts, these posters are available to anyone who wishes to stop by the Headcount booth at the 10,000 Lakes Festival and sign-up for the free raffle only. This raffle is not intended to sway your vote in favor of any political party or affiliation. Headcount is strictly a nonpartisan organization merely interested in registering folks to vote. If you're not registered to vote yet and you wish to participate in a democratic society, why not sign up?

Jason Kaczorowski © 2006

You may not reproduce any information or pictures
presented here without prior written consent.

Pearl Jam ~ May 17th, 2006

I just got back from the first Pearl Jam concert I've seen in over 11 years. The first time I saw the band was in 1992 and the last time before tonights performance was at Soldier Field just days after the Grateful Dead had played their final performance on the same stage in 1995.

It's just past 2:20am CST and I've only had a chance to grab the over 700 photos I shot tonight off the cards. Here are a few that jumped out at me immediately though. Check back Friday, May 19th, and I'll try to have some more up.

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United Center
May 17th, 2006

Set 1 Severed Hand, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Animal, Marker In The Sand, Do The Evolution, Whipping, 1/2 Full, I Am Mine, Even Flow, Gone, Insignificance, Better Man, Save it for Later, Down, Garden, Inside Job, Lukin, Why Go

Encore 1 Wasted Reprise, Man Of The Hour, Footsteps, Once, Alive

Encore 2 Last Kiss*, Last Exit, Glorified G, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Crown Of Thorns, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter

* - Eddie sang Last Kiss from the soundboard

Pollock Pays Respect to the Snucka

It’s a sunny April early afternoon in Chicago – just a few short days before Umphrey’s McGee prepares to take the stage at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium for a two night run – and Jim Pollock diligently continues to finesse his final linoleum block, concluding the fifth color in his limited edition concert poster.

“I’m really starting to get finicky” says Pollock before brandishing his Speedball™ carving tool and taking another swift splice from the dense block.

The factory doors let in a temperate breeze across the cold concrete floor that is a maze of heavy industrial printing equipment. Sam Wilder smears a thick layer of sapphire blue ink across a trough on the same Heidelberg press used to print many of Pollock’s post-hiatus Phish concert posters. To Wilder who has been working here at Rohner Letterpress for over eight years at its current location, it’s just another day on the job. But for Pollock, it’s stoking the fire for the next generation of poster collectors.

“I like working with a young crew” admits Pollock. “It feels like a starting point, working with new bands … creating a buzz”.

The edition will be printed on 80# natural white Living Tree™ recycled hemp content stock (10% hemp/flax & 90% post-consumer waste), signed & numbered out of an edition of 500, with a very small percentage of the total run being printed on Stardream Silver stock specially allotted for the band and artist.

Look for more of this interview in the next issue of the "Dump City Gutter" coming soon to the merchandise table of an Umphrey's McGee concert near you this Spring! Dump City Gutter is a gratis publication produced & distributed by fans of the band Umphrey's McGee.

Interview/Photos: Jason Kaczorowski © 2006

You may not reproduce any information or pictures
presented here without prior written consent.

Umphrey's McGee ~ March 10th, 2006

My friend Mike, Grande Miguel as he was dubbed for his physical size and moreover his larger than life persona, took me to go see Umphrey's McGee back in late '98 at their first show in Chicago at the Elbo Room (11/27). Since then they've become one of my all-time favorite live improvisational acts.

I interviewed the band for a fanzine I was writing (The Helping Phriendly Phanzine) while following Phish in 1999. I ran into their manager Vince Iwinski (after never meeting prior yet passing his SUV on the Lake Shore Drive seemingly every day, giving a cordial thumbs up to his 'UM' bumper sticker) at a rest stop on the way to a festival in Oswego, New York and he gave me a copy of their album, Songs for Older Woman which became my favorite CD to listen to and turn-on other friends to while driving across the country that summer.

I've likely seen the band perform nearly a hundred times during the past seven years and like fine wine, they just keep getting better with age. I always wished I'd had the opportunity to see Phish play their early home town and east coast stints... Seeing Umphrey's perform at small clubs back-in-the-day and even now in front of mid-sized venues these days is comparable to such a blessing. These guys just continue to propel themselves further, cementing their legacy in the jamband genre. I've ushered in the past two New Years with the band (2005 - The Riviera Theatre; 2006 - Aragon Ballroom) and will likely continue to watch them fill larger and larger halls as their audience continues to grow year after year.

They've made smart business decisions, pair with the brightest names in the industry and compliment art-to-art with leading poster artists, photographers & graphic designers.

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Chicago Theatre
March 10th, 2006

Set I: Uncle Wally*, Pequod*, Eat > Higgins > Out of Order > The Fussy Dutchman, The Triple Wide > "Jimmy Stewart" > Morning Song

Set II: JaJunk, Sociable Jimmy > "Jimmy Stewart"** > Sociable Jimmy > Raymond, August > Mulche's Odyssey, Atmosfarag > "Jimmy Stewart", Liquid*** > "Jimmy Stewart"

Encore: Plunger

* Brendan and Jake on acoustics
** with jams similar to 11.13.04 JaJunk
*** first time played, original/Ali Baba's Tahini

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You may not reproduce any information or pictures
presented here without prior written consent.