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| Who rocks the music world in Chicago 1998 | BACK | |
| Nos. 10-18 | MUSIC 45 HOME | |
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10
DANIEL BARENBOIM
CSO MUSIC DIRECTOR |
High class |
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In the nineties, when the standard unit of fame measurement is the number of websites devoted to you, Daniel Barenboim's influence ranks somewhere between Billy Corgan (5,229) and Dennis DeYoung (223), with 1,229 hits on a Hotbot search. Barenboim's been a big, if unpronounceable, name in Chicago music since taking over for George Solti as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the top five jobs in the classical music world, in 1991. Critics carp about the Argentinean-born baton tapper's conducting, but get gaga over his piano playing. He got back to his Rio roots with 1996's tango recording, "Mi Buenos Aires Queridos: Tangos Among Friends."
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11 BILLY CORGAN | Wild Bill |
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Mr. Smashing Pumpkin. A bona-fide superstar. The 31-year-old Silly Billy is a darling child of Chicago (Elk Grove actually), the main songwriter for the Pumpkins and a force in the music world. Radio stations everywhere play his songs. MTV plays SP's videos repeatedly (at least as much as they play videos at all). From his first band, The Marked, to the Pumpkins' first gig (opening for Jane's Addiction at the Metro), to the much-anticipated, long-awaited release of the Pumpkins' latest "Adore" (and with rumors of another release set for December), Mr. Bill helped forge an entire genre of music. Hell, if you believe Corgan, he also contributed heartily to the latest Hole record (marking the second time Love has used the help of a rock legend). And damn it, there's a good chance that he's a pretty nice guy, what with trying to give Chicagoans a free show, and then in lieu of that, donating $500,000 from the New World concert to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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12
JULIA ADAMS & SUE MILLER
OWNERS, LOUNGE AX |
Rock chops |
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Small, narrow, and smoky, the little space on North Lincoln Avenue is the darling live music venue of Chicago. Its owners, Julia Adams and Sue Miller, are venerable leaders of the music scene in Chicago. Palace's Will Oldham once called Lounge Ax the "best rock 'n' roll club in America." Adams opened Lounge Ax in 1987 (the space had been a stand-up comedy joint), but things really got rolling when she was joined by Miller in 1989. Since then Lounge Ax has been a preferred stopping point for numerous bands who like the intimate space, and who like Julia and Sue. After an irritating neighbor threatened to have the club closed in 1996, Touch & Go! came to their defense armed with national acts such as Guided by Voices, Superchunk and Yo La Tengo to establish a relocation fund. The relocation hasn't happened, but the point was made. Julia and Sue have given a lot to Chicago'sÐand the country'sÐmusic scene, and the scene proceeded to give some back.
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13
HANK NEUBERGER
CHAPTER PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES |
Grammys house |
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Although its members' taste in music is often lame, NARAS, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, still carries big weight worldwide. The academy, which boasts about 1,000 members in Chicago alone, is three-pronged in purpose: in addition to selecting Grammy winners, NARAS also holds panels, classes, workshops and small trade shows to help aspiring Madonnas learn the ropes of the industry. Lastly, NARAS' outreach program brings education and music to children. With more than 100 annual events, Chicago's three-decade-old chapter boasts engineer/producer and former Grammy winner Neuberger as president. Neuberger, the former national chairman of NARAS is also VP/general manager of the sixteen-studio complex Chicago Recording Company, and the sound consultant for the Grammy Awards telecast. Neuberger displays a proven dedication to the cultural advancement of all types of music.
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14
BOB KOESTER
DELMARK RECORDS |
All that jazz |
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As founder and head of the oldest continuously running indie label in the country, the 45-year-old blues and jazz-oriented Delmark Records, Bob Koester has planted himself squarely in the heart of Chicago's two biggest musical traditions. Koester runs the label, serves as its prime talent scout, produces an average of thirty releases a year, and still finds time to own and operate the 8,000-square-foot Jazz Record Mart, purportedly the largest blues/jazz record store on earth. Koester has worked with greats including Junior Wells, Luther Allison and Sleepy LaBeef, but he's not resting on his laurels: just this year, his label landed distribution in Brazil.
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15
DAVID "BOTCH" VIECELLI
PRESIDENT/OWNER BILLIONS CORPORATION |
Book maker |
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A veritable heavyweight in the nation's behind-the-scenes music process, David Viecelli's Billions Corporation books appearances for up to forty-five bands at any given time. For nearly ten years, operating exclusively out of Chicago, Billions has booked bands throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the John Spencer Blues Explosion, the Mighty Blue Kings, Cibo Matto and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. To people not heavily involved in music, Billions Corporation doesn't hold much name value. But for bands that are less-than mega-millions unit sellers, the weight carried by Billions, as well as its continually solid reputation, makes Viecelli's enterprise among Chicago's most influential.
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16 JEFF TWEEDY | Alt-country icon |
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Whether it's a title he sheepishly shrugs off or not, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy is oft revered as a crown prince of No Depression. After all, Tweedy was a founding and integral member of the much-lamented Uncle Tupelo and, hell, the alt.country zine/bible and corresponding movement is named for one of that band's albums. Wilco fans awaiting a follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed 1996 record "Being There" (Reprise Records) can just keep on waiting, though. The band's just-released project finds Wilco working with cool Brit folkie/social activist Billy Bragg on a collection of songs by folk hero Woody Guthrie. But don't call it a "tribute." Bragg, who handpicked Wilco after being wowed by a live set, and was himself chosen by Guthrie, calls it instead "a collaboration between contemporary artists and the original singer/songwriter." And don't fear any creepy duets from beyond the grave, a la Natalie and Nat King Cole. Tweedy, Wilco guitarist/keyboardist Jay Bennett, and Bragg co-wrote the music for Guthrie's never-before-heard lyrics, and Tweedy and Bragg shared lead vocal duties. No official word yet on that next Wilco record, but we'll keep you posted.
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17
WILLIAM MASON
GENERAL DIRECTOR, LYRIC OPERA |
Lyrically sound |
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With Lyric Opera leading light Ardis Krainik's death in January 1997, artistic director William Mason scored a bittersweet promotion to general director. A native Chicagoan who rose through the company ranks after coming to the Lyric for good in 1980, Mason grabbed the bullish Lyric OperaÑit's a perennial cash cow with a worldwide reputation for artistic excellenceÑby its Wagnerian horns. And by most accounts, the general director of the company has kept the cultural juggernaut charging right along. Although the Opera had an unusual brush with controversy during the threatened orchestra strike last fall, Mason finessed the Lyric out of that sticky situation just in time for the big-money Opening Night fundraiser. For the tenth consecutive season, the Lyric attained 100 percent-plus capacity in 1997-98Ðcementing its best fiscal year in history. And while the coveted seats at the Civic Opera House on Upper Wacker can be as hard to come by as Bulls playoff tickets, WFMT-FM 98.7 radio broadcasts put the Lyric Opera's stable of Don Giovannis and Aidas within earshot of 2 million annual listeners.
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18
BRUCE FINKLEMAN
OWNER, EMPTY BOTTLE |
Underground Maestro |
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For nearly seven years, the corner of Western and Cortez has been nearly as much a mecca as Lounge Ax for new bands, small bands, punk bands and pretty much anything that's underground, on tour and needs a place to play. The cornerstone of the Bottle, owner Bruce Finkleman, has brought bands in to play whether they be an Estrus garage-rock outfit, a no-wave noise band on Skin Graft, or up-and-comers like the Apples in Stereo. Finkleman also dips into the record business; his Tug-of War Records, which he founded as "a live record label only," has put out records and seven-inch singles by the likes of Frontier and Cash Money. Although you'll get a variety of answers when you ask various bands and performers about Bruce, everybody agrees on one thing: he's doing what he loves, and he's doing it well. AndÐmost importantly to the regularsÐhe keeps it cheap.
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