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LIVE ENTERTAINMENT IN THE WESTERN BURBS !
SAT , JULY 06
FILTH
NARCOTIC WASTELAND
SAT , JULY 13
TRIBUTES TO BLACK SABBATH , SLAYER , KING DIAMOND
AFTER FOREVER POSTMORTEM ABIGAIL
FRI , JULY 19
DANNY WORSNOP
of ASKING ALEXANDRIA
THUR , AUG 08
THE BLACK MOODS
THE LONELY ONES
SAT , AUG 10
BEAR GHOST
SAT , AUG 17
MERKULES
www . thewcsocialclub . com ★ facebook . com / TheWCSocialClub 8/ illinoisentertainer . com july 2024
SUN , JULY 07
EVERY AVENUE MAKEOUT
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
THUR , JULY 18
CITY OF THE WEAK
LIVING DEAD GIRL
SAT , JULY 27
KRS-ONE
FRI , AUG 09
JONNY CRAIG
CALL ME KARIZMA
FRI , AUG 16
WOE IS ME
WED , SEPT 4 SIGNS OF THE SWARM CANE HILL OV SULFUR 156 / SILENCE A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE
SHELLAC To All Trains
( Touch and Go )
To All Trains blazes through its brief 28- minute run time with the subtlety of a streetsweeper , almost as if the band knew that time was of the essence . When Steve Albini succumbed to a heart attack on May 7th at his Chicago recording studio Electrical Audio , this album was already finished and being prepared for release . The perfect Albini farewell , To All Trains , saves the listener from any sappy or profound meditations on loss of life and death . Instead , the record finds Shellac in top form , bashing out a succinct punk rock love letter to the city of Chicago . Arguably , the aorta of Chicago ’ s transportation center , Union Station , adorns the album ’ s cover . The bustling streets are populated with metal “ Scrappers ,” and even the album liner notes feature a plywood-modified scrapper pick-up truck for each band member . Iconic labor union mascot “ Scabby The Rat ” even gets his own theme song . Feminist rants like “ Girl From Outside ” and “ Chick New Wave ” find Steve bleating funny one-liners over sludgy math rock , really locking in with his longtime rhythm section of Todd Trainer ( drums ) and Bob Weston ( bass ). Almost a noise-rock suite , To All Trains , finds motifs and sections coming and going through separate songs , with Steve spewing his hot vitriol over all of it . Sheet-metal spaghetti-western guitar leads grind away and have a palpable tug and pull with Todd Trainer ’ s savage kit work . It ’ s difficult , nay impossible , to enjoy this record without facing its reality . The sudden loss of a local legend who had his DNA all over the underground / alternative rock world of the past four decades was jarring and dizzying . The man had recently come to terms with his 80s / 90s “ edgelord ” status , where he often made shocking statements in the media that came from his nihilistic worldview . In recent years , he matured and achieved somewhat of a domestic bliss , running the recording studio , cooking , gardening , and winning multiple professional poker tournaments . He remained an opinionated lightning rod , but he did so with dry humor and sarcasm that could often be considered lighthearted or at least lighthearted-adjacent .
On the album ’ s final song , the provocatively titled “ I Don ’ t Fear Hell ,” he comedically leaves us with “ If there ’ s a heaven , I hope they ’ re having fun , cuz if there ’ s a hell I ’ m gonna know everyone .” For decades , Steve and friends have donated time , money , and gifts during the holidays to Chicago families in need , so I think we can rest assured we know where Steve is , and to put it in poker terms , it ’ s likely he left the world with a Royal Flush . Requiescat .
– Andy Derer
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UB40 UB45
Ultimate Edition ( SRG )
UB40 , the Birmingham , England-based reggae band best known for their reggae cover of Neil Diamond ’ s “ Red Red Wine ,” was one of the seminal offshoot voices of the British late ' 70s era of ska and punk . Though not directly labeled as a 2-Tone band with The English Beat , The Selecter , and Madness , you could call them first cousins . Their two main original members ( Ali and Robin Campbell ) are also the sons of Birmingham folk legend Ian Campbell . Talk about a family legacy . Sadly , Ali Campbell left UB40 in 2008 , and drama and an ugly legal battle over the name followed for several years . The fallout has also affected the Campbell family , with brother Duncan filling in on vocals for 14 years with the original UB40 . Further complicating the band ' s future was the 2021 death of main songwriter and instrumentalist Brian Travers . For over a decade , two versions of the band Arm ,” “ New Orleans is Sinking Continued ,” and on “ At page the 8