Chicago dream-pop artist Alana Schachtel, who records and performs as Lipsticism, has a seemingly effortless command of melody, and her ethereal, diaphanous productions make her songs feel like floating through a tranquil sky filled with gorgeous fluffy clouds. In December, she released the outstanding album Two Mirrors Facing Each Other (Earth Libraries), and it’s been in constant rotation at Gossip Wolf headquarters ever since. She followed it in February with “Forever Forever,” a new collaborative single with producer Erik Gunther (aka DJ Immaterial) that she says “explores wanting to transcend a singular self bound by finite time and wanting to irrevocably meld into one with the ones we love for eternity.” On Friday, April 7, Lipsticism performs at Sleeping Village, opening for Avey Tare of Animal Collective.
Lipsticism released the album Two Mirrors Facing Each Other in December 2022.
Over the past year, Legend Conversation—an ongoing interview series launched in 2018 by Closed Sessions honcho Alex “RTC” Fruchter—has hosted hip-hop royalty such as Raekwon, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Just Blaze. Gossip Wolf is intrigued, to say the least! On Thursday, April 6, Legend Conversation returns to Dorian’s for a sit-down with DJ Premier, who will also perform behind the turntables; DJ Ca$h Era and RTC will spin too. The event starts at 10 PM and runs till 1 AM; admission is $20 at the door.
On Sunday, April 9, Metro hosts a celebration of life for queer artist and veteran club kid JoJo Baby, who died last month at 51. After switching from seminary to beauty school as a teenager, they became a hairstylist, puppeteer, doll maker, costume designer, and drag artist. Their biggest heroes were Boy George, Jim Henson, and Clive Barker. JoJo Baby’s extravagant, otherworldly outfits made undreamed-of possibilities tangible, and they left an indelible mark on generations of Chicagoans who found refuge in nightlife. The free celebration runs from 7 PM to 11 PM.
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