Illinois Entertainer September 2022 | Page 14

A

Photo from Facebook

Remembering Jimy Sohns

The Shadows of Knight , ( Jimy Sohns striped shirt ) circa 1966
fter losing Off Broadway ’ s Cliff Johnson in July , Chicago music fans were saddened to learn that one of the pioneers of Chicago garage-rock Jimy Sohns , co-founder of The Shadows of Night , passed away on July 29 . Sohns made his mark as the lead singer of the band , scoring a top ten Billboard charting hit with a cover of Them ’ s “ Gloria ” in 1966 . Sohns wasn ’ t limited to just playing in his band ; he also managed Chicago punk rock pioneer Skafish in the ' 70s . One of Sohn ’ s most storied moments was dragging Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious down a flight of stairs at an NYC club after a dispute near the stage at a Skafish gig . In many ways , Sohns life was that of a fictional rock movie , but it was real . He had also served a short prison term for selling cocaine to an undercover agent in the ' 80s . “ While serving time at East Moline Correctional Center , he led the band Jimy Sohns and the Cons ,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times . Sohns had fronted his version of The Shadows of Knight over the years , keeping the spirit of the band alive , playing their final show in 2016 . Rest in Power Jimy Sohns .
- John Vernon
Continued from page 11
Patti Smith ’ s “ Dancing Barefoot .” With its Led Zeppelin III meets “ Behind Blue Eyes ” 12-string psych-pop jangle , “ Come On Hey Hey ” is a personal manifesto and call to unity . Zeppelin roots reappear during “ The Ballad of Fritz and Zoom ,” which borrows an oceanic , odd-time groove that also hints at Soundgarden . “ I ’ m Happy Just to Dream with You ” blends Wizzard-styled swing and stomp with the melodic pop charm of Cheap Trick ’ s “ I Want You to Want Me .” The song also boasts a cartwheeling saloonstyled tack piano during a second guest spot by Mott the Hoople ’ s Fisher . The hazy elation of Sgt . Pepper-y carnival “ End of the Party ” describes the frazzled but seemingly happy conclusion of a gathering of the tribe . “ We ’ re confetti from a gun , bang-bang ,” sings Orwell with weary warmth . “ Aim all your love on everyone tonight ,” she adds .
In any Handcuffs feature , it ’ s easy to focus on Elvis ’ assured and pop-perfect drumming or Orwell ’ s seasoned and expressive singing . But what makes Burn the Rails the best album of Elvis and Orwell ’ s lengthy partnership is the power of an integrated and intuitive band that knows how to amplify each other ’ s strengths and push them through the speakers . It has been 11 years since the release of Waiting for the Robot . During that time , the Handcuffs have played piles of hometown shows to a growing audience while refining already sharp songwriting sensibilities and interplay . It ’ s a real asset that a band known for style , fashion , spectacle and showmanship can embed that sense of fun into the grooves of such irresistible songs . Appearing 10 / 16 at Reggies , Chicago
– Jeff Elbel
9
concerts as a budding student several years ago , but has since carved out his own singer / songwriter niche as a full-blown recording artist . Everything And Nothing marks his debut long player , encapsulating a lifetime of influences gleaned along the way , including rock , psychedelia , jazz , soul , and perhaps a bit of Survivor / Ides Of March song craftsmanship , despite sharing little sonic similarity . Instead , Peterik evokes retro shades of The Beach Boys , Steely Dan , and The Zombies , but with a decidedly contemporary flavor that ’ s been honed throughout a decade since the founding of The Jam Lab studio in the suburbs . The multi-instrumentalist is perhaps at his peak when unpacking the keyboard-powered positivity of “ Kill Em With Kindness ,” though deeply personal , melodic mini-symphonies such as “ Lessons I ’ ve Learned ” and “ Bad Days ” rank right up there . All the while , he ’ s relentlessly creative yet impossible to pinpoint , somehow managing to tie it all together with enough continuity and the promise of plenty more to come .
– Andy Argyrakis
8
DANGER MOUSE & BLACK THOUGHT Cheat Codes
( BMG )
Brian Burton , aka producer Danger Mouse , first made a name for himself near the dawn of the file-sharing era when his 2004 mixtape The Grey Album leaked . Comprised of Jay-Z ’ s vocals over choppedup samples from The Beatles ’ White Album , the project certainly wasn ’ t something that could be monetized , but it spread like wildfire throughout the internet . Within months he was offered the job to produce the breakout second album by Gorillaz Demon Days which eventually earned Danger Mouse a Grammy for Producer Of The Year . After a full-length collaboration with Cee-Lo Green under the moniker Gnarls Barkley with the group scoring a worldwide hit (“ Crazy ”), Burton was elevated to the upper echelon of in-demand producers , now creating stuff with Adele , Norah Jones , Black Keys , Beck ,
14 illinoisentertainer . com september 2022
COLIN PETERIK Everything And Nothing
( Self )
The apple doesn ’ t far fall from the tree when it comes to Colin Peterik , who may have been introduced to area audiences via his father Jim Peterik ’ s World Stage all-star
Continued on page 16