In October 2016, Dumpster Tapes co-owner Alex Fryer debuted Demolición, an annual showcase of Latinx Chicago musicians that’s named after a 1965 single by Peruvian protopunks Los Saicos. On Friday, December 8, this year’s Demolición comes to the Auxiliary Art Center. “We wanted to showcase a whole new set of artists from across the city and the Latinx diaspora,” Fryer says. “Each of these groups are so talented.” The bill consists of neosoul crooner Lester Rey, power-pop band Laverne, dynamic DJ duo the Ponderers, garage-psych outfit Cafe Racer, and smoky desert-rock act Los Gold Fires. It starts at 7:30 PM, and part of each $7 cover goes to the Center for Popular Democracy’s Hurricane Maria Community Relief & Recovery Fund.
At this summer’s Chicago Jazz Festival, Gossip Wolf was blown away by the Lowdown Brass Band, whose music combines New Orleans-style second-line rowdiness with hip-hop and reggae—it had a pavilion of folks shaking their rumps! In October the 11-member local groove machine dropped a video for the Specials-infused “Ghost Town,” shot aboard a boat in Alaska’s Prince William Sound on tour in July. On Friday, December 8, at Subterranean, Lowdown celebrate the new self-released Lowdown Breaks with guests from the album, including MC Ang13 and Dubasaurus singer Fada Dougou. They plan to have LP and CD copies at the show.
This weekend the fine folks at Logan Hardware celebrate the seven-inch with a sale they’re calling the “Big Dig.” On Saturday and Sunday (with extended store hours) they’ll sling singles for cheap—and in a truly special occasion, they’ll open their basement to the public. DJs spin seven-inches all weekend; Sunday’s sets are all about the Gospels and Christmas, featuring All Natural owner Tone B. Nimble and Jam Productions VP Andy Cirzan (a Christmas music fanatic). The shop will also raffle off a 1960s Seeburg jukebox! v
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