Illinois Entertainer February 2020 | Page 4

February 2020 • Volume 46, Number 03 • www.illinoisentertainer.com COVER STORY: CAROLINE POLACHEK French painter Henri Matisse, said that the main impetus for creativity was simply courage,And ex-Chairlift singer Caroline Polachek (who just played a sold-out show last month at Lincoln Hall in Chicago) could not agree more. Otherwise, she never could have made Pang, her first official solo album, whose generous 14 songs fly in the face of chart-safe convention and run an eclectic gamut that’s daring, demanding, and ultimately downright dazzling. It’s instinctu- ally experimental music that she is driven — or creatively compelled — to make. If you study this New York-born artist’s career, she’s been pursuing the Muse down every last rab- bit hole since childhood, when she grew up in Japan and became intrigued by that country’s more complicated musical scales. She took up the synthesizer and flexed her voice in various choirs, and formed Chairlift (originally a trio, later pared down to just her and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Wimberly) while attending the University of Colorado before moving back to New York. Tom Lanham spoke to Polachek. 6 Page 22 - Caroline Polacheck HELLO MY NAME IS STEVE Sweet Home Blues reviewed. 6 12 14 A Chicago radio stalwart lands in Central Illinois. Media 16 Spins 24 File Liam Gallagher always said that there are only two ways for an English lad to break free from his grey, oppressive, working-class envi- ronment — become a professional footballer or start a rock and roll band. Growing up in the London suburb of Leytonstone, Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris clearly remembers doing both. Quite well, in fact, and con- sequently being torn by his love of the twin pursuits. “Football was a big part of my life in the teenage years,” says the musician, 64, who nearly signed with West Ham United. “But music grabbed me even before that — I remember listening to stuff as a kid, and I remember the first single my parents ever bought me when I was five years old. But then I got into football, and only started to take music seriously when I was 16 — I started listening to rock and prog-type stuff, and I actually thought, ‘I’d really like to have a go at this myself and try to play music.’ And that was it, really.” Now, the man is so accustomed to staying busy that he’s formed a spinoff outfit during Maiden's downtime, British Lion, which just issued its sophomore set The Burning. Tom Lanham talked to Harris beafore his show at the Forge. Dorothy gets the funk out, Skafish is back. Cinemascopes Winter Movie Preview. Supergrass, The Police and more. Calendar Over 1300 shows to see, the best bands, at the best venues. Caught In A Mosh UFO says goodbye. Classifieds You dumped your ex- wife's drummer, now you're looking for another. Studiophile Local H is back. Gear Tommy's monkey. Publisher Advertising Sales Contributors: John Vernon Scott Assmann Mike Engel Andy Argyrakis, Guy Arnston, Penelope Biver, Patrick Conlan, Deena Dasein, Jaime de'Medici, Jeff Elbel Terrence Flamm, Steve Forstneger Michael Gallucci, Michael C. Harris, Max Herman, Tom Lanham, Carter Moss, Michael Obrecki, Greg Olma Arsenio Orteza, Rodney Pawlak, Bruce Pilato, Matthew Pollock, Jason Scales, Kelley Simms, Ed Spinelli, James Turano, Aubrey Vernon Contributing Editors Lori Vernon Tom Lanham Curt Baran Advertising Director Design Team Website Direction Notion Pool Dragon Design Vision Design Teknigram Graphics Notion Pool Classified Advertising Rosalind Cummings-Yeates - Sweet Home Rick Kaempfer - Media David Gedge Founder John Vernon Senior Columnists Kenneth L. Voss Kelley Simms - Caught In A Mosh Publisher Emeritis David C. Eldredge - East Coast David Roberts 4 illinoisentertainer.com february 2020 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 per year (first class). Material for insertion must reach our office by the First Of The Month preceding publication. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicit- ed manuscripts or photographs. Follow us online at: facebook.com/ieentertainer instagram: illinoisentertainermagazine twitter.com/ie_entertainer 28 34 42 45 46 Address All Correspondence to: Illinois Entertainer 4223 W. Lake St., Suite 201 Chicago, IL 60624 [phone] - Chicago/North Sub [phone] - West/South Suburbs [phone] - Fax email us at: Editorial: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] The ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER is published monthly by Roberts Publishing, Inc, All materials copyright 2020 by Roberts Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from Roberts Publishing, Inc. Current and back issues of the IE are $10.00 postpaid.