Friends of Red Red Meat

Nice post from awesome Chicago photographer Jim Newberry about the sudden mid-90's musical renaissance going on here, with Liz Phair, Urge Overkill and RED RED MEAT
all playing within a week of each other. A RRM reunion is huge news for many of us. Urge Overkill not so much. Been wishing them away since their second album and, like ring wraithes, it only seems to make them stronger. Working to confirm that Liz did in fact have to reunite with herself.

So, GO SEE this rare performance by RED RED MEAT at The Hideout on Thursday July 11. It's a warm up for their big slot at the SubPop 20th Anniversary Party in Seattle this weekend—a chance for them to kick off the twelve ten year old rust and see a bunch of old friends in one place. The entire SP20 festival is a huge benefit concert, and RRM have benevolently decided to donate their money to the Accelerated Cure Project, a group aggressively working on finding a cure for multiple sclerosis.

Califone grew directly out of the demise of RRM, so if you dig their wonderful craziness, time to find out the roots!

And speaking of mid-90's Chicago rock, MANTIS are also reuniting for a gig on Thursday, July 17 at Ronnie's, currently the local club most closely resembling their original stomping ground The Czar Bar, in all of it's Algrenesque glory. Rock on Gene, Dave, and Rian!

Trivia: In 1993, The Coctails held their record release party at the Division Street jazz club The Bop Shop. Who played the opening set for The Coctails at this coming out party for their genre bending, critic confounding, garage jazz album "Long Sound?" First correct answer in Comments gets a free copy of "Popcorn Box" mailed to their home. (CT employees and band members not eligible.)