Gossip Wolf has known Sullivan Davis since he started working at dearly departed local record store Logan Hardware almost a decade ago. When Davis replaced Seth Dodson as the Hideout’s talent buyer in 2015, this wolf was sure that the storied dive’s bookings were in good hands—and all the amazing shows since then have more than justified that confidence! Alas, all good things come to an end. In a bittersweet Instagram post last week, Davis announced that he’ll be leaving his job at the Hideout in a few weeks. “I’ll miss my community a lot,” he wrote. “Don’t you think I’m going anywhere like LA or something truly horrible.” Hideout co-owner Tim Tuten isn’t sure who’ll fill that position next or when, but time will tell. “We hope the best for Sully!” he says. “The Hideout doesn’t know when we will reopen. But in the meantime, our longtime ‘residencies’ will continue virtually, and our awesome staff is pitching in with our online programming.” Good luck whatever you do, Sully!
The Chicago Independent Venue League, which represents the Empty Bottle, Metro, Sleeping Village, the Promontory, Schubas, and many others, formed in 2018 to oppose the Lincoln Yards development and its cozy relationship with Live Nation. This year, to mitigate the brutal effects of pandemic closures, CIVL has teamed up with the Giving Back Fund to found the CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund, which benefits staff, artists, and venues. This week CIVL launches the virtual concert series CIVLization to promote the fund, with 15 artists filmed at 15 of the spots we’ve all been missing since March. On Friday, November 27, at 8 PM, you can watch ESSO at Subterranean, Dos Santos at the Hideout, and Half Gringa at Tonic Room for free at civlchicago.com, where you can also donate to SAVE. Further shows will be announced via CIVL’s website and social media.  v
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