October 2025 • Volume 51, Number 12 • www. illinoisentertainer. com
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LOCAL H cott Lucas of Local H has had a complicated relationship with their debut album Ham Fisted. Though it helped kickstart Local H’ s career, he doesn’ t like the record. Ham Fisted wasn’ t a success. It didn’ t chart, failed to register with listeners, and received poor reviews. Amid lackluster sales and unfair comparisons to Nirvana, Local H rushed back into the studio to give it another shot before their label dropped them. As Good As Dead arrived the following year to bigger fanfare, selling over 320,000 copies, thanks in part to their hit single“ Bound for the Floor.”
30 years later Lucas has re-recorded his debut. Much like Ministry rehabbed their new wave work on The Squirrely Years, ReFISTED is Lucas’ way of making peace with a record that hasn’ t sat right with him for the past three decades. By revisiting his past, Lucas is now poised to move forward into the future. Ashley Perez-Hollingsworth spoke to founder and Lifer from Zion’ s greatest export.
06 FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS
Michael“ Fitz” Fitzpatrick, the anchor for funky soulpop combo Fitz and the Tantrums, is exactly where he should be at 55, and not pining for any long-lost yesteryear frivolity. On the group’ s latest Man on the Moon outing, the singer is appropriately steadfast, reflective, and lyrically philosophical, while pushing the group’ s once joyful, partygrounded sound far from its blue-eyed soul debut, Pickin’ Up the Pieces way back in 2010. Even his appearance has matured gracefully; His trademark dress suits and signature swoosh of white hair are now complemented by a closetrimmed salt-and-pepper-streaked beard, giving him the regal look of a vintage Vaudeville magician, or possibly the distant SoCal cousin of Marvel’ s Dr. Strange. Mention the truly eerie comparison to him, and Fitzpatrick chuckles happily, admitting,“ Well, you know, I’ m just embracing the Silver Fox of it all.” No beatnik-poetry collection required. Tom Lanham had an inspiring an entertaining chat with“ Fitz.”
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Spins
Deftonfes, Rick James, Pink Floyd and more.
CinemaScopes
61st Chicago International Film Festival.
Media
Mitch Michael gets his Hall of Fame hardware.
Calendar
1453 shows and 3809 bands, it’ s IE’ s live music calendar.
Classifieds
Music services, musicians and more.
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4 illinoisentertainer. com april 2019 Contributing Editors Curt Baran T L h illinoisentertainer. com october 2025
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