CANASTA - Free, Outdoor Show Tom. (Tue.) in Lincoln Park / New Benefit Comp Track

(sent on 2009-09-28)

Greetings, pop fans. There a lot to cover today, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to business...

1) FREE, OUTDOOR SHOW TOMORROW NIGHT (6PM, TUE.) @ LINCOLN PARK MARKET - Just like the title says... It's part of the Clark Street Concert Series" and it's going down at 2500 N. Clark St., in the Lincoln Park Market parking lot. We'll be playing a 90 min. set and supposedly, there will also be free refreshments on hand too. I can't imagine there will be any more outdoor shows happening in town beyond this one, so get while the gettin's good.

2) NEW/OLD CANASTA RECORDING ON CATHOLIC HYMN BENEFIT COMPILATION - About four years ago (!), we recorded a version of the traditional Catholic hymn, "Praise to the Lord," for inclusion on a compilation intended to benefit survivors of priestly abuse. It was an interesting idea: the album was to feature all Chicago artists doing all Catholic hymns. But not long after we turned in our finished track, the project seemed to fade from reality. Well, I'm happy to say it was finally released last week. It's entitled Crosswalk: A Chicago Band Catholic Hymn Compilation and features The M's, Office, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Midstates, The Aluminum Group, Brad Peterson, The Detholz and others. There doesn't seem to be an official website up just yet, so for now, you can go here to find out where to pick up your copy. But because it doesn't seem to be readily/widely available right now, feel free to check out our song here.

3) NEW PRESS / INTERVIEWS WITH ELIZABETH - A few weeks back, we traveled to Benton Harbor, Michigan for a blast of a show at The Livery. In anticipation of the show, our own Elizabeth Lindau was interviewed by two local papers, The South Bend Tribune and The Herald-Palladium. And in somewhat related news, our Madison show with White Rabbits has garnered another nice write-up... this time, from Spectrum Culture, which calls us a "critically up-and-coming band" with a "promising future." You can read it online here, so it must be true.

4) FILM FESTIVAL LOVE FOR THE "MICROPHONE SONG" VIDEO - While y'all have been busy watching videos of spiders taking drugs and babies dancing to Beyonce, Alex Mechlin's music video for "Microphone Song" has quietly made its way all over the city and state-wide film fest circuits. Since it was filmed in 2007, it has been screened at the Midwest Independent, Chicago International REEL Shorts, Illinois International, IFP / Chicago's Short Cuts, Lake County and Festivus Film Festivals. Not bad, huh? So happy were with Alex's work on that video, that we've been collaborating with him on one for "Slow Down Chicago" (to be entered in The Chicago Public Library's search for "the next great Chicago song" contest), as well as planning another one for the first single, TBD, from our record due later this year. Stay tuned...

5) CANASTA'S MUSIC TO APPEAR IN AN EXTREME SKIING DVD AND THEATER PRODUCTION - In some offbeat Canasta news, "Microphone Song" will soon be seen accompanying some other highly intense imagery, as it's been chosen by Matchstick Productions for their upcoming "extreme skiing" DVD, entitled Quest for Deep Powder Snow. Okey doke, then. Also, for those of you who live near Flint, Michigan, you might consider checking out Flint City Theater's original production of Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune, which features Canasta's music as its soundtrack. The play opened last weekend and plays again this coming Friday and Saturday.

Canasta // Website // MySpace // YouTube // Last.fm // Facebook
What are the members of Canasta into these days, you ask? Today, we check in with Matt...
Album: XX by The xx, Song: "In the NA" by The Hidden Cameras, TV Show: Flash Forward
Music Video: "When I Grow Up" by Fever Ray, Movie: Tyson, Restaurant: Philly's Best


Tuesday, September 29th
@ Lincoln Park Market Parking Lot
(2500 N. Clark St. - Chicago, IL)

FREE
"Clark Street Concert Series"
with...
CANASTA

Show - 6 PM // Canasta - 6 PM
FREE / Refreshments included! / All Ages
Presented by The Clark Street Special Service Area #23

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