Soul Sonic Sirkus rocked the stage at The Old Town Folk and Roots Festival
We are huge fans of circus arts and of excellent live music. So we were elated to see members of the band, Liquid Soul, other major Chicago jazz musicians, and Midnight Circus meld into Soul Sonic Sirkus--something completely new, where the whole is certainly greater than the sum of it's parts.
ChiIL Mama's Du-Jay and Sagezilla were jazzed to see the father of one of their school friends, world renowned jazz player, Jeff Parker (Tortoise) on guitar and their juggling teacher from CircEsteem in on the circus arts action. We've known the Midnight Circus people since Dug shot a movie waaay back in the day with Julie Greenberg, ringmastermind behind Midnight Circus and Chicago Mom. I was pretty stoked to see Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs, Liquid Soul). He even got in the circus spirit and got harnessed and hoisted up to played an airborne solo!
Here's the band bio from the Folk and Roots Fest's Site:
The Soul Sonic Sirkus is an extremely unique, spectacular collaborative between two Chicago arts institutions - The Midnight Circus and genre-defying saxophonist Mars Williams of Liquid Soul fame. The Soul Sonic Sirkus premiered at the esteemed Moers Jazz Festival in Moers, Germany in 2003. The highly anticipated show took the festival by storm with its groundbreaking collision of jazz, hip-hop, circus acrobatics, and a performing Pit Bull. Festival headliner and saxophone player extraordinaire Mars Williams assembled a wildly eclectic band to take the stage with Chicago's Midnight Circus, a daring ensemble of highly skilled acrobats and eccentrics and for a solid hour created a fully improvised, high-flying, music and theatrical explosion. The Soul Sonic Sirkus was born!
Over the years Williams and his Grammy nominated band Liquid Soul and the Midnight Circus have come together in various forms in various venues to re-create and re-invent the Soul Sonic Sirkus. At times the show is scripted, at times it is improvised on the spot. But one constant is the blurring of boundaries between live musicians and circus acrobats. Anything is possible in a performance where the musicians take to the air and the acrobats make music.
Joining the one of a kind, high-flying, genre-defying Soul Sonic Sirkus at The Folk and Roots Festival will be guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and others.
Here's what the Soul Sonic Sirkus website says:
Mars Williams & The Midnight Circus
Present a interactive musical extravaganza written and concieved
by Mars Williams
Present a interactive musical extravaganza written and concieved
by Mars Williams
SOUL SONIC CIRCUS
d.j. logic:turntables - rob wasserman:bass - kent kessler:bass - hugh rogin:trumpet - wayne kramer:gtr
frederic lonberg holm:cello/ringmaster - joseph miller:trumpet - andy baker:trombone - tom klein:guitar
jim baker:piano/arp - david suycott:drums/loops/samples - michael zerang:drums - hamid drake:drums
frederic lonberg holm:cello/ringmaster - joseph miller:trumpet - andy baker:trombone - tom klein:guitar
jim baker:piano/arp - david suycott:drums/loops/samples - michael zerang:drums - hamid drake:drums
Midnight Circus performers: jeff jenkins - julie greenberg - andrew adams
erika gilfether - almas miermonov - douglas grew - george fuller - lola (the dog)
erika gilfether - almas miermonov - douglas grew - george fuller - lola (the dog)
Our fingers are crossed that this unique and fantastic pairing of circus arts and improv jazz becomes a regular fixture on the Chi-Town scene. We're jonsin' for more already. In the meantime...
Check out Liquid Soul playing twice this coming weekend!
8/27/11
Streeter Fest Lakeshore Park
808 North Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, IL
6:30PM
808 North Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, IL
6:30PM
8/28/11
Logan Square Boulevard Bash
Logan Blvd. at Milwaukee ave.,
Chicago, IL
7-9pm.
Here's Liquid Soul's main site for more details.
Save the Dates:
Midnight Circus at Circus In The Parks!
Check out some great circus shows for a great cause!
Midnight Circus returns with an all new show and a brand new purple & blue little Big Top for the expanded 2011 Circus In The Parks Tour. This one-of-a kind family-friendly event has amazed and delighted thousands of Chicagoans with all proceeds going toward local park improvements.
| 2011 Circus In The Parks Tour | ||
| Sep 17 & 18 | Welles Park | 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 |
| Sep 24 & 25 | Holstein Park | 2200 N. Oakley Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 |
| Oct 1 & 2 | Independence Park | 3945 N. Springfield Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 |
| Oct 8 & 9 | Mt. Greenwood Park | 3724 W. 111th St. Chicago, IL 60655 |
| Oct 15 & 16 | Commercial Park | 1845 W. Rice St. Chicago, IL 60622 |
| Oct 22 & 23 | Chase Park | 4701 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60640 |
| Each park has 4 performances: Saturdays at 2 & 5 pm and Sundays at 1 & 4 pm All Tickets $15.00 - Under 3 years old free | ||
| | ||
Inspired to do Circus Arts yourself?
Du-Jay and Sagezilla have taken Saturday classes at CircEsteem for a year, and we highly recommend them. They have classes for kids and adults, too. Come check out their open house/free class
CircEsteem is offering a day of free classes in tight wire, tumbling, aerials, unicycling and Circus level 1.
Youth ages 7-17 are invited to join us for CircEsteem's Open House on September 10th from 8am - 11:30 a.m. This is a great opportunity to meet CircEsteem teachers and try out new classes. RSVP is required. Please email Rachel@CircEsteem.org before September 9th.
Feel free to bring a friend and spread the word! More info can be found on their website.
New fall classes begin September 10th.
Check out ChiIL Mama's video interview with CircEsteem's Executive Director, Maribeth Joy. And check back soon for some pretty fantastic stills and loads of live show YouTube clips ChiIL Mama shot at their big Spring Circus Show.
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