Like many recent gig posters of the week, today’s selection isn’t something you’ll see stapled to telephone poles, but we’re happy to highlight it on account of the festive ridiculousness of its photo. The Empty Bottle is copresenting a livestream reunion concert by the Snow Angels, which Reader contributor Monica Kendrick described in 2010 as a “seasonal supergroup.”
From the mid-2000s till the mid-2010s, the band came together every December to perform a set of holiday-flavored originals, standards, and should-have-been standards (think Chuck Berry’s “Merry Christmas Baby” or the Sonics’ 1965 garage-rock single “Don’t Believe in Christmas,” not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). The lineup has changed a bit over the years, and several members now live in other states, but for this show the Snow Angels include Chris Maas (aka Dan Lang of Vee Dee, the Brides, and Stabcats) and Santa Coz (aka Reader contributor Brian Costello, formerly of Shame That Tune, the Functional Blackouts, Outer Minds, and Johnny & the Limelites). They plan to play some of their own tunes for this concert (hoping for “CTA X-mas Train”), and the entire shablam is a fundraiser for the Save Our Stages campaign.
The Reader continues to accept submissions of made-up posters for made-up gigs, made-up posters for shows that really happened, posters for livestreamed shows, and posters for concerts where the audience can attend in person (with safety guidelines in place).
To participate, please e-mail scollojulin@chicagoreader.com with your name, contact information, and original design or drawing (you can attach a JPG or PNG file or provide a download link). We won’t be able to publish everything we receive, but we’ll feature as many as possible. Your submission can also include a nonprofit, fundraiser, or action campaign that you’d like to bring to the attention of our readers.
Not everybody can make a gig poster, of course, but it’s simple and free to take action through the website of the National Independent Venue Association—click here to tell your representatives to save our homegrown music ecosystems. You can also pitch in using the Reader‘s list of fundraisers for out-of-work or underemployed staffers at Chicago’s venues. And don’t forget record stores! We’ve also published a list of local stores that will let you shop remotely.
ARTIST: The Empty Bottle, with a photograph by John Sturdy
GIG: The Snow Angels, Sun 12/20, 8 PM, livestream hosted by the Empty Bottle
ARTIST INFO: johnsturdy.com
NPO TO KNOW: The National Independent Venue Association’s Emergency Relief Fund