A Very Girl Group Xmas w. Summer Girlfriends and Kitchen Hips

A Very Girl Group Christmas
With music and cheer from
Summer Girlfriends & Kitchen Hips
Hosted by Phil Spector
Saturday, December 15th, 7pm. FREE.

saki is excited to announce its third annual holiday party. This year's celebration of everything warm, friendly, and non-denominational about the month of December is filtered through the lens of one of our favorite Christmas albums, "A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector."

Our special guests Summer Girlfriends and Kitchen Hips will be performing original arrangements of classic holiday songs in addition to their own material. saki staffers will keep the holiday vibes going in between sets with joyful DJ sets and other treats, including:

A holiday photo booth!
The return of the Christmas freakout room!
A cookie potluck!
Presents for YOU!
Complimentary festive drinks!
& more!

RSVP on FACEBOOK
Listen to Summer Girlfriends: https://www.facebook.com/summergirlfriends
Listen to Kitchen Hips: https://www.facebook.com/kitchenhips

Senorita Weiner's Top Secret Humor Experiment and Ice Cream Social Club!

Just over a year ago, Adam and I stumbled out of AV Fest shortly after Archers of Loaf's headlining set, and headed south on Ashland towards Cobra Lounge for the debut of a new standup showcase produced by two local comedy giants, Junior Stopka and Mike Lebovitz. Being a sucker for gimmicks, I was immediately won over by the concept behind Señorita Weiner: when the comedy show ends, the entire audience gets free ice cream sundaes.

Since that first date at Cobra Lounge, Señorita Weiner's Top Secret Humor Experiment and Ice Cream Social Club has traveled to a few more of saki's favorite places in Chicago, like the Empty Bottle and Bucket O'Blood. We were lucky enough to be approached by Junior a few months ago about hosting the Señorita here at saki. Being fans of both comedy AND ice cream, we were happy to oblige!

For those who might not be familiar with the two producers, Junior recently finished a tour of the Southeast with Doug Stanhope (and also did probably my favorite set of the 5 Creative Control shows at saki), and Mike's a producer at one of the city's best-run local comedy showcases, Comedians You Should Know. In a preview of a past SW event, Junior and Mike were christened by the Chicago Reader as "two of the scene's most unabashedly bizzarre performers."

The show is this Friday, September 21st at 8pm. In addition to sets from Stopka and Lebovitz, local humorists Liza Treyger (whose Creative Control appearance a few months back absolutely wrecked me) and Charlie Bury, who you may know from being very funny at The Lincoln Lodge and as a part of the staff on The Late Live Show.

You might have noticed that the last word in the show's long-form title is "Club." You might be asking yourself "What is this club and how do I join it?" or "What are the stipulations of joining said club?" or "Are there any barriers to entry?" Here are the answers: it's mostly just a mailing list but there are other hidden perks, too!; go to senoritaweiner.com and enter your name and email address; there are none, I guess; no, there aren't.

Once again:

Senorita Weiner's Top Secret Humor Experiment and Ice Cream Social Club!

featuring standup comedy from

Junior Stopka

Mike Lebovitz

Liza Treyger

Charlie Bury

plus free a ice cream sundae party afterwards!

8pm.

Friday 9/21/12

Free (but bring $5 to donate to the performers, they deserve it)

All Ages

Xiu Xiu FREE 12:30pm.

Did you miss Xiu Xiu @ Schubas last night? Bummer! But not really. Because come over to saki around 12:30pm to see a FREE in-store performance! Grab a slice and some cold beverages and come hang out with us today. Not the worst way to start a new week. Well, come to think of it, you might feel like the worst after a Xiu Xiu set. But in a good way?

You can also pick up any in-stock Polyvinyl titles for 20% off (today only) in Xiu Xiu's honor!

BV Chicago: Xiu Xiu playing an in-store at saki after Schubas

Facebook Event

The Sun Will Rise With Me: An Exhibition by Shawn Stucky

The Sun Will Rise With Me: An Exhibition by Shawn Stucky, a set on Flickr.

The Sun Will Rise With Me: An Exhibition by Shawn Stucky at saki

Saturday, June 2, 6-9pm

Taste whiskey and spirits from KOVAL Distillery, enjoy cool beverages from Cellar Rat, and food provided by saki.

This event is FREE. 

Shawn Stucky began his early work by taking the intangible passions and feelings that people share in music and translating them into physical form. This has progressed to reproducing what he calls his “silent film animations” that appear in his head on the verge of sleep. When looking for new sources of inspiration, Stucky later found it in the most personal of places. It was quietly lurking in that mysterious space between waking-life and dreams, hidden in plain sight. In these “silent film animations,” he sees films vividly playing in stop-motion. The imagery ranges from children on swing sets to odd-looking elderly men spinning chairs above their heads. Through these waking dreams, Stucky consciously collects the imagery to reproduce in his art.

Stucky was born red/green colorblind and moved from McPherson, Kansas to Chicago in 2002. He created his first screen print in 2006 and identifies that moment as the first time he was able to put his artistic visions onto paper. His process is based on simultaneously engaging his conscious and unconscious mind to express an intense emotion or complex thought based on personal experience. He utilizes the challenge of being red/green colorblind in his work by relying on value more than color.

Shawn Stucky has shown his work nationally and internationally in New York, London, Pescara, Italy, the recording studio of Sigur Rós in Mosfellsbær Iceland, Keflavík, Iceland, and Chicago.

RSVP on Facebook!

Want a signed M. Ward LP jacket or poster!?

How would you like your very own autographed LP jacket for M. Ward's Wasteland Companion??? Oh, you would like that very much? Ok, well all you have to do is come in to saki and buy Wasteland Companion and this one (in the picture) is yours! We've got one LP jacket & 3 posters ALL SIGNED & they're going to the next 4 people who buy Wasteland Companion! First person gets the LP jacket, obviously, but the poster ain't a band consolation prize, especially just for buying a record that you should be buying anyway!

We also have a pair of tickets for M. Ward's 5/22 show at The Vic! So, I guess the first person to come in gets to choose between the free show or the free signed LP jacket... decisions, decisions.

The tickets have been claimed!

Thanks to Merge Records for the hook up!

Enter and win free Megan Reilly CD!

Win a free CD of Megan Reilly's "The Well"! Just enter and give us your info and second born child. Mwahahahahaha...

Metro ticket giveaways!

We've got one pair each for these upcoming Metro shows! Just buy one of the band's releases at saki and we'll put you and friend on the guest list for that show. We only have one set to give for each show, so act fast!


Nada Surf 4/2


Neon Indian 4/6 The Neon Indian spots have been claimed!


JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound 4/27


Maps & Atlases 5/11 The Maps & Atlases spots have been claimed!


Mark Lanegan Band 5/17

Hideout ticket giveaways!

Our best buds at The Hideout hooked us up with a guest list spot to give away for each of these upcoming shows! The first person to purchase an item from each of these artists can claim the spot (no +1's)!


3/9 Laura Gibson


3/22 Psychic ills/Prince Rama This guest list spot has been claimed!


3/23 Andre Williams/Jon Langford


3/30 Nat Baldwin

saki After Hours: Predictive Gaming this Friday!

Predictive Gaming for Substandard Films is an evening of entertainment that incorporates game show elements into a screening of a "so-bad-it's-good" style movie. Halfway between Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Scene It!, Predictive Gaming invites movie fans to place bets on the plot of a campy B-movie throughout the screening in hopes to take home fabulous prizes - like Schubas, Lincoln Hall & Metro guest list spots & saki gift certificates! So as to prevent precocious predictors from premeditating their prizewinning, the film being screened will not be announced in advance, but bad movie fans (and game show enthusiasts) must trust that saki has dug up a real winner!

Predictive Gaming for Substandard Films, the bad movie game show, is Friday, February 17th at 8pm, at saki.

RSVP on the book of faces if you wanna be all social media about it... As with all our events, Predictive Gaming is FREE & BYOB if you've got your ID. And yes, there WILL be popcorn.

Sharon Van Etten pre-order and ticket giveaway!

Sharon Van Etten's new album, Tramp, comes out 2/7 on Jagjaguwar & saki is offering a pretty crazy deal for pre-orders! First, all pre-orders are 15% off! Just pay in advance and pick up the record on or after 2/7. In addition to the pre-order discount, we also have a pair of tickets for each of Sharon's shows at Lincoln Hall on 2/16 and 2/17! The first two customers to order will be put on the guest list for the night of their choice (with a +1! In addition to all of this, we'll also have a limited number of Sharon Van Etten promo 7"s and posters to give away with purchase. If you pre-order, you'll get your poster and 7" when you pick up your record.

We love Sharon Van Etten and we're so excited to offer this promotion for all of you! Don't miss out. Come pre-order Tramp right away!

The guest list spots for this show have been claimed, but you can still pre-order the CD or LP at 15% off!

Carter Tanton: Epitonic saki Session & ticket giveaway!

Yeah, it's a Monday, but January 16th will be one of the best Mondays ever at saki! Western Vinyl's new guy, Carter Tanton is playing an Epitonic saki Session! Carter has worked with some pretty amazing artists, and some our favorites around these parts: Marissa Nadler, Twin Shadow & Lower Dens. His new solo record "Freeclouds" has seen Carter Tanton quickly ascending to the top of the indie-singer/songwriter pile, garnering praise from NPR, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, SPIN & many, many more.

So take off work early on the 16th! It's a free show and the experience is well worth the lost wages!

We've also got 2 pairs of tickets for Carter's 1/15 Tomorrow Never Knows show at Lincoln Hall w/ Two Gallants, Boy & Death Ships! All you've got to do is come in to saki and buy ANYTHING to enter. If you buy Carter's, Melissa's or Lower Den's stuff you get to enter your name twice! We'll draw the winners on the 12th!

We also have Epitonic saki Sessions in January with Hospitality, The Damn Choir, Paper Thick Walls, Brokeback & Miracle Condition!

Epitonic saki Session w/ Hospitality!

Merge Records' new "it" kids, Hospitality are playing an Epitonic saki Session @ 6pm on Friday, January 13th! They're New York transplants who sing about being young adults in the city that never sleeps. Hospitality are an indie-pop group that seems perfect for this moment, but show a promise to stick around long past it too. Their set will be filmed and recorded for an Epitonic saki Session!

Chicago's own Deep Sea Mammal will be opening for Hospitality. Deep Sea Mammal is the collaboration between veteran Chicago drummer/vocalist Daniel Majid (Panoramic & True, Woo-man and the Banana, Julia Klee), Cleveland, Ohio guitarist/vocalist Shawn Flowers (CHUM, Flat Black Tornado) and Indiana University Masters of Music graduate bassist/vocalist Peter Debelak. They will play a fitting host for our out of town friends!

We will most likely have a tickets to give away for Hospitality's Lincoln Hall show on the 14th, but stay tuned for details on that. We're not sure yet...

Candy Dinner, sweet.

Candy Dinner is a locally operated collective geared at giving artists the opportunity to distribute their music to a wide audience without any long-term commitment or physical media. While many people, myself included, might find digital-only releases by nature disappointing, the fact remains that it isn't easy or cheap to put a record out. Most artists need to put on their working-stiff hats at least sometimes to make ends-meat (and art), and in an ever changing industry landscape it's understandable that fewer and fewer labels are willing or able to take risks. It's a shame that the albums, only exists in the ether, but having any format is better than none, right?


Candy Dinner's latest release was the seven track sophomore release from local surf-tinged post-punk combo Tiger Bones. Before that, "You Can't Win", a full-length from howling organ-lead garage trio, and personal favorite, The Runnies. The digital distro community has also made available releases from Grey Ghost and the Dave Rempis Percussion Quartet.

You can download the records for free at candydinner.com There's a donation button right next to the download link, support the artists and use it.

Epitonic saki Session w/ Murder By Death on New Year's Eve!

Well, our New Year's plans just changed a little... instead of closing at 4pm (like we just announced yesterday) we'll actually be staying open a little later. No, this isn't a lame attempt to eek a few more bucks out of payroll... we've got an in-store with MURDER BY DEATH!

Yup! Bloomington, Indiana's, Murder By Death will be playing an Epitonic saki Session for us at 4pm on December, 31st! If you're not familiar, MBD has been pretty much shattering the lines between country, folk, rock & punk for the past 10 years and they are without a doubt one of the best live bands currently out there!

This is the best early New Year's Eve party you're likely to hear about, so don't miss it!

December 31st - 4pm - FREE - BYOB!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite Murder By Death songs:

"Brother"

Schubas/LH giveaway amendment!

Hey folks, just want to make you all aware of a slight change to the Schubas/Lincoln Hall promotion we've been doing. First, let me say thanks to everyone who's come in and picked up an album as part of the promotion. You're awesome and we hope you enjoyed whatever record you bought AND the show you got to see just for buying it from us!

Now, the slightly bad news: The promotion is now limited to ONE show per customer per month. Really that's what the giveaway should have been from the start, but we're dummies and we misunderstood. On the PLUS side, you can still get to see a free show EVERY MONTH if you stop in and pick up a record from one of the performers at saki, so really it's not so bad.

Hope you all understand that we had to put some limitations on this. It's still an amazing deal and we hope you take advantage of it! If this news has a really negative effect on you emotionally, we know a good therapist. Her name is Whiskey and she can help you get over just about anything. If you have any questions about the change, please stop in or call.

Thanks, customers. You're the best!

Hideout ticket giveaways!

There's a lot of great people that we are excited to work with in Chicago, but none of them top The Hideout. We've got some guest list spots to give away for a few upcoming Hideout shows. Same ol' deal. By something from the band at saki and we'll get you on the list.

The Hideout Block Party 9/24!
Buy anything from Andrew Bird, Mavis Staples, White Mystery, Jon Langford, Booker T. Jones, The Eternals or Dosh!

Joan of Arc 9/30!
Buy anything from Joan of Arc, Brokeback & Coins!

David Daniell/Douglas McCombs 10/6!

Sonoi & A Tundra 10/13!

Buy It At saki, See It For FREE!

By now you should know all about our deal with Schubas & Lincoln Hall. If there's a show coming up at either venue that you'd like to see you can buy that artist's album at saki and we'll get you on the guest list with a friend! That's like the definition of "good deal." Here's some upcoming shows that we recommend:

UPDATE: Sorry, sold out shows are excluded from the promotion.

Schubas
Active Child, 9/16
Viva Voce, 9/19
Japandroids, 9/23 SOLD OUT
Peter Wolf Crier, 9/24
Asobi Seksu, 9/25
Megafaun, 9/28
Pig, Swig & Record Dig (no giveaways, but we'll be there, so come hang out!) 10/1
Gauntlet Hair, 10/14
The Rosebuds, 10/15
Nurses & Dominant Legs, 10/22
Sebadoh, 10/30
In Tall Buildings (As Deerhoof) 10/13
Loney Dear & Daniel Knox, 11/7

Lincoln Hall
Matt Pond PA & Rocky Votolato, 9/12
Tapes n Tapes, 9/16
Laura Marling, 9/22
Toro Y Moi & Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 9/24
The Horrors, 9/25
Starfucker, 9/26
Girls & Nobunny, 9/29
Wild Beasts & Twin Sister, 10/1 (Come over after the pig roast at Schubas!)
Twin Shadow & Diamond Rings, 10/2
Jens Lekman, 10/3 SOLD OUT
Besnard Lakes, 10/4
Mekons!!!!!, 10/5
Zola Jesus, 10/12
Neon Indian & Com Truise, 10/14
CANT, 10/18 (Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear)
Gang Gang Dance & Prince Rama, 10/20
Moonface, 10/26
Future Islands & Javelin, 10/30
Real Estate & Big Troubles, 10/31
Shlohmo & Shigeto, 11/4
A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Ken Camden & Benoit Pioulard, 11/6
A.A. Bondy, 11/8
tUnE-yArDs, 11/9 & 11/10 SOLD OUT
The Radio Dept. & Memoryhouse, 11/16
M83, 11/17 SOLD OUT

Spots are limited, so don't wait!

No more guest list spots for The Horrors!

Sorry folks, we've already exhausted all our guest list spots for the Horrors show at Lincoln Hall on 9/25! We've still got room for all of the other bands that I mentioned here.

For anyone asking about Toro Y Moi, we'll have it back in soon. Unknown Mortal Orchestra is playing with Toro Y Moi, so you can always buy that album to get in as well!

That is all. Carry On, good people.

Any of these shows for FREE!

Here's a list of artists who saki has in stock and are playing an upcoming Schubas or Lincoln Hall show. Just buy anything from these artists at saki and we'll get you and friend on the list!

Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Horrors, Breathe Owl Breathe, Matt Pond PA, Starfucker, Girls, Rocky Votolato, Tapes n Tapes, Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Megafaun, Tim Kasher (or Cursive or The Good Life), Doug Paisley, Japandroids, Bass Drum of Death, War On Drugs, Tammar, Asobi Seksu, Houses, Pet Lions, Peter Bjorn & John, Viva Voce and Dntel.

That's better than a sale!

Adrian Younge: Venice Dawn FREE EP

Adrian Younge is a hip-hop producer turned orchestral mastermind. He's probably best known for his score to the 2009 blaxsploitation film, Black Dynamite.

Venice Dawn is a piece that predates his Black Dynamite work, and is actually a sort of film score itself - an italian horror film score that is. The EP was originally pressed in a run of 1,000 and sold personally by Younge in the LA area. Now the venerable Wax Poetics has released it as a free EP download in anticipation of an upcoming debut full-length called Something About April