Musical Guests

An ensemble of musicians will perform over the run of SKETCHBOOK on different nights.  To learn more about these musicians, including when they're playing, see below. Click HERE for the schedule and tickets for each performance.   

Musical guests include:(Click on the musician to go to their page)

Anacron-- Thursday April 16th @8pm;  Saturday April 18th @7pm

Anacron is the living, breathing personification of the pseudo culture called Hip Hop. A true modern renaissance artist, he is the master of many forms of expression. He is an accomplished and professionally trained instrumentalist, a composer, a songwriter, a music producer, and a disc jockey. However, his talents expand beyond the audible ranges of artistic output; Anacron is also a graffiti artist, a visual artist, a graphic designer, a break-dancer, as well as an accomplished businessman. Musically, Anacron is best known for his casual and conversational yet in-depth lyrical delivery, and his amazingly crafted and ingenious instrumental production. Boasting a catalog of over 15 releases on his own independent PntGllryNtwrk label since 1995, and countless other projects and contributions to various labels and recording artists internationally, Anacron is the icing on the cake of any project. His presence adds an intense yet inviting feel to any musical endeavor, whether his role is vocal or musical.  Born on the East coast, raised on the West coast, and having resided in the Midwest has had a grand effect on the development of Anacrons signature and recognizable styles of production and lyricism. From the original Peanut Gallery Network recordings to the West coast classic Netherworlds album, Anacron stands out; his participation and performance is always charismatic, thoughtful, and fitting. With a broad yet bluntly honest and clearly defined view of the world around him, he always leaves a lasting impression as a guest on any album. His amalgamation of live instrumentation and sampling, mainstream appeal and independent creativity makes for one of the most imitated and sought-after production styles in the industry. Outside of his collaborations with colleagues and friends in the hip-hop underground, Anacron also plays an active role in the musical expansion of singers of various genres, jazz groups, pop and rock bands, and even film and stage soundscapes. Appreciated and admired around the world on an independent platform, Anacron has spent a decade teetering on the edge of commercial success; ultimately, it is only a matter of time before he is rightfully recognized by all as the stellar talent that he is. 

Julius the Mad Thinker--Sunday April 19th @7pm

If you close your eyes, open your ears, open your mind, and let your body flow, you will find yourself in a new plane previously unexplored. Seamlessly blended tracks vibrate your spine while soothing your soul. Many people refer to the genre as house, but Julius the Mad Thinker makes it home. Approaching each endeavor with heart, soul and passion, Julius builds you up gradually through loops of energy bursts and just when you reach your climax, he drops you back to a lounge state awaiting the next climb to the peak. This illustrious dynamic was first identified by the founder of Large Music, Jeff Craven, when he invited Julius to open and close the first annual Get Large party at the Winter Music Conference. From there, John Davis, a top NYC promoter and co-founder of Body&SOUL, witnessed the dynamic when he came upon Julius and installed him as a resident of Sunday Sessions in NYC. Chicago house pioneer Chip E, witnessed the dynamic when he invited Julius to be interviewed for house music documentary, the Unusual Suspects, to which Julius was the youngest interviewee to appear. And NYC’s Undaground Archives Choice Award gave tribute to the dynamic when Julius was awarded the “Best Emerging Talent” recognition. As the co-founder and partner of the internationally renowned promotional and DJ collective, 3Degrees Global, and a resident of the 3Degrees “Some Call It House . . . We Call It Home” tour, the dynamic has been witnessed throughout the most notorious clubs of house music’s homeland in Chicago, including Smartbar, Soundbar, Sonotheque, Ohm, The Note and Zentra. Across the nation the dynamic has been witnessed on the main stage at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Marques Wyatt’s DEEP event in LA, Soul Revival in Boston, Devotion at The End Up & Pink in San Francisco, Club Five in Washington DC, Pearl at Nikki Beach in Miami, Kevin Hedge and Louie Vega’s Roots at Cielo in New York as well as stops in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and France. In addition the dynamic has cross pollinated with house legends via Julius DJing alongside Frankie Knuckles, Joe Claussell, Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, Lil’ Louis, Derrick Carter, Louie Vega, Derrick May and Ron Trent amongst others. As he continues to manifest this vision in music, Julius says, “My purpose in this journey of music and life is to help others get to places that they never imagined possible, and as a DJ, I’m here to live that message as an example.” - written by Brent Crampton

 

Bounte-- Thursday April 23rd @8pm

Bounte is a cross-boundary electronica producer in Chicago. His music blends slices of pop, IDM, hip-hop, rock, dance, jazz, and classical, into a hypnotically energetic, collaged groove.

Bounte grew up in Chicago, and started playing trumpet at an early age. He began his fascination with computer production in the 80s with bleeps and clicks on the Apple IIe, which eventually escalated in to the fluid modern production environment of Ableton Live, his current tool of choice. He is able to use his classical and jazz training to bring an air of sophistication and a new palette of sounds to the electronic music genre, while still drawing on the deep tradition of Chicago's rich blues and electronic histories. Bounte is an accomplished visual artist, and his compositional ethic reflects that. "Art and music compliment one another, satisfying different basic compulsions that we have," he notes. "I approach music with a very visual mindset, sequencing samples, grooves, and melodies together like a collage, refining my compositions layer by layer, and hopefully sharing a few moments of how I experience the world."

 

Leroy Bach-- Friday April 24th @8pm

LeRoy Bach has been active in the Chicago music scene for over twenty years. He has played with Marvin Tate’s D-Settlement, 5ive Style, Wilco, Beth Orton, and Iron & Wine, among others. In 2004 he played guitar in the Lookingglass production of “The Shagg’s Philosophy of the World.” In 2006 he was artist-in-residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California. Most recently, he acted as music director for Collaboraction's co-production with Walkabout of "Goldbrick." Currently, Bach is playing with Theater Gates’ “Black Monks of Mississippi," performing regularly with bABY ALLright, working on Marvin Tate’s upcoming album, and maintaining his Monday night residency with Dan Bitney, at the Hideout in Chicago.

Eric Ziegenhagen--Saturday April 25th @7pm

Eric Ziegenhagen is a self-taught singer-songwriter. He released his first CD, You're Talking to the Wrong Guy, in 2005. He has performed throughout Chicago at the House of Blues, Schubas, Uncommon Ground, and elsewhere. In addition to performing at previous Sketchbook festivals, he also has directed three sketches in previous years by Wendy MacLeod, as well as his own sketch Bad News. More info can be found at his webpage.

 

TJ Travelbee--Saturday April 25th @9pm

TJ Travelbee has been playing, writing, and performing music since age 6. His parents started him out with classical piano training, and his first shows were the recitals and competitions for that. In addition, he is an accomplished songwriter, with more than 80 original songs recorded and distributed through publishing deals and distribution channels at Blue Sky Fable (Film, TV, commercial, retail). Collaboraction plays a consistent role in the portfolio. TJ also works as the music producer for the Blue Sky Fable label in Chicago. They have 2 albums released, 3 in the digital distribution pipeline, 1 in mastering, and a full funnel of awesome projects coming up.

Matthew Kerstein-- Sunday April 26th @7pm

For most, the reaction of Matt leaving the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir was that of sadness as a short lived legacy was coming to an end. SYGC was well on their way to indie rock success, supporting such acts as Spoon, Arcade Fire, Tegan & Sara, The Walkmen and many many more. As Co-Founder of The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Matt has gained the respect of fans and members of the press for his unique perspective in songwriting. Now, as Matt, and Sam Koentopp (drums), have left SYGC and have added Jim Tuerk (Arrangements/Guitar/Keys) they hope to continue on and take their new project to new heights. Matt will continue to play solo shows around town so keep checking in and seeing what he and the band have been up to.

Jefferey Thomas--Thursday April 30th @8pm

Andrew Fraker-- Friday May 1st @8pm

The Changes--Saturday May 2nd @7pm 

The Changes are Darren (Singer/guitar,) Dave (guitar / vocals / songwriter) Rob (bass) and Jonny (drums) & they all man the keys. In combination they make up four of Chicago's favorite sons. The quartet self-produced their forthcoming debut long player entitled Today Is Tonight which will properly introduce The Changes to the world care of Drama Club Records in the US and Kitchenware in the UK and Europe.

The Changes were the only unsigned band on 2005's Lollapalooza, and as a band's band, have played with the likes of Stephen Malkmus, Kaiser Chiefs, Ted Leo, The Futureheads, The Walkmen and more. The Changes have garnered raves and accolades in a slew of the most discriminating music magazines', critics' and blogs' pick lists and radio programs, including Billboard, Time Out Chicago, The New York Times, Brooklyn Vegan (blog), USA Today (blog), featured segments on NPR & KEXP, and even landed in a full page feature in the NME appropriately entitled "The Buzz".

Miles Polaski--Saturday May 2nd @9pm

Miles Polaski is a sound designer, composer and musician in Chicago, IL. He is the resident sound designer with Collaboraction and a music director/curator with Serendipity Theatre’s 2nd Story.  In 2008, Miles worked on music for Lie of the Mind at Strawdog Theatre which won a non-equity Jeff Award and his sound design for White People at The Gift Theatre was nominated for an equity Jeff Award. In 2007, he was nominated for two non-equity Jeff Awards for his sound design and original compositions for Equus at Actor’s Workshop.  Miles has had the pleasure of working with many Chicago theatre companies, since moving to Chicago in 2004, including TUTA, Chicago Dramatists, Noble Fool Theatricals, The House Theatre of Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare, Light Opera Works, Redmoon, The Hypocrites, Theatre Seven, Infamous Commonwealth, Backstage Theatre, among others.  Before moving to Chicago, Miles worked as an actor and sound designer at The Barter Theatre, state theater of Virginia.

Allison Chesley AKA Helen Money--Sunday May 3rd @7pm

Alison Chesley is a Chicago based cellist who has become known for her unique sound and compelling stage performance. Using the tools of a lead guitarist to compose and perform what are essentially rock songs without words, she channels her sensibilities and experience as a rock musician through a classical instrument. A founding member of Epic Records recording artist Verbow, Alison was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University where she received a Master's Degree in Cello Performance in 1994. Jason and Alison (with Jason Narducy - currently of the Bob Pollard Band), the acoustic rock duo that became Verbow, was formed around the same time and went on to release two albums for Epic Records - Chronicles, produced by Bob Mould and White Out produced by Brad Wood. Opening for such bands as Frank Black, Bob Mould, Counting Crows, Live, Morrissey, Liz Phair and Brad with Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, Verbow toured nationally for seven years. They received enthusiastic praise from numerous critics, including Timothy White of Billboard Magazine, who devoted his May 1997 Billboard column “Music to My Ears” to Verbow's first album and opened with the words “Good music compels one to think about the musicians, but great music compels us to think about ourselves.” As a solo artist, Chesley's work has included recording her debut album Helen Money, as well as studio work and live performances. She appears on recordings with Disturbed, Bob Mould, Archer Prewitt, Mono and Chris Connelly among others. She has performed and recorded as a member of Poi Dog Pondering and recently completing the full-length album Aural Anarchy with poet Krista Franklin, exploring the life, work, mythology and influence of Jimi Hendrix, to be released by Naiveté Records this fall. Chesley is currently Composer In Residence for Mordine and Company Dance Theater, led by Shirley Mordine -- Twyla Tharpe contemporary and founder of the Dance Department at Columbia College. Last year, she was honored by a being granted a full scholarship to study composition with guitarist/composer Fred Frith at San Francisco's esteemed Mills College. She decided against the move to concentrate on Helen Money.

 

Them Vs. Them– JQ & Iguana-- Thursday May 7th @8pm

The Q Brothers are GQ and JQ. They both started in the off-broadway smash hit, "The Bomb-itty of Errors." G and three of his friends adapted Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors into modern rhyme and J made the beats. G played more than four characters in the play and J was the live DJ. G's been on the silver screen in a number of movies, including "Drumline", "What's The Worst That Could Happen", and the forthcoming "Rescue Dawn" starring Christian Bale and directed by Werner Herzog. The twosome also wrote and starred in their own hip-hop/sketch comedy TV show for MTV, along with other Bomb-itty guys. It was called "Scratch and Burn", and it has become somewhat of a cult classic to young people everywhere. During this time, G worked on a movie script and Showtime gave him the money to shoot the film "Just Another Story", written and directed by and starring himself. J, his trusty sidekick, once again held down the audio end of things, providing the score and the original soundtrack for the film. It was featured in the Tribeca Film Festival and the Hamptons Film Festival, has aired on Showtime, and is widely available on DVD. G has also had prominent roles on Boston Public and co-starred in Johnny Zero, another Fox one-hour drama. J has produced the Grommits album "Smashing" and a solo hip hop album entitled "Foul Mouth Poet" under his moniker J.A.Q. He toured the country extensively with The Grommits for much of 2004. He is now the lead singer of Them Vs. Them, a new rock band out of Chicago. The Brothers came together once again for "The Feel Good Album Of The Year", a serious departure from everything that's been going on in hip hop (and music, for that matter) right now. There is only one rule: It has to be fun. Remember when hip hop was fun? Well, it's back. Crossing heavily into jazz, rock, R&B, and electronica, The Q Brothers shatter any one category or box and in turn give birth to a brand new category-- FEEL GOOD MUSIC! Enjoy...it's difficult not to.

 

Charles Kim--Friday May 8th @8pm

As a composer, Charles Kim has been commissioned by England's Royal College of Art, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, and the University of Chicago Doc Films Center, and has scored pieces for Collaboraction, 2nd Story Theatre, Showtime, Redmoon Theater, and the Zephyr Dance Company. He also composes for film, tv, commercials, and has published a book on guitar playing. He is a full-time teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where teaches songwriting, composition, music theory, guitar, bass, pedal steel and ensembles. Common to all his compositions is a close, sympathetic working relationship with the director's thematic vision. 

 

Starina--Saturday May 9th @7pm

"Her songs are like the dandelions that bloom over the family plot of Leonard Cohen and Aimee Mann, rooted in the soil of Memphis and beyond. Catchy with hook-filled, yet dark melodies and vocals." Most of Starina's life has been surrounded by music. She wrote her first song at the tender age of 9 while completing an assignment for her Girl Scout camp group. It was performed on a faux-wooded plastic recorder. She considers herself more and an artist than a Girl Scout. Hating her life and the town she lived in, she escaped to art school where she learned the arts of exposing oneself on stage, and of Camel cigarettes. Tough having long given up the Camels, she still enjoys exposing herself on stage. She is currently working on a full length album. Available now at superstarina.com is the EP "Back Home" with her one time band, the vel johnsons, which was featured on NPR's national podcast program "All Songs Considered," as well as her self titled debut album.

 

Jon Langford-- Saturday May 9th @9pm

Jon Langford is "L'homme de Renaissance" of indie rock. (That's "Renaissance Man" for all you eating "Freedom Fries.") He's done it all in his time. He's created lots of cover art, produced lots of records, lent his ham-fisted guitar stylings to recordings by the Old 97's, Kelly Hogan, Sadies, Sally Timms, Danbert Nobacon, Jon Rauhouse, Alejandro Escovedo, among others, written a book, and appeared as the backing band on This American Life. He draws a comic strip, plays in the long running art/punk collective the Mekons and acts as a reeling papa bear figure to many of Chicago's musicians looking for direction and reassurance in this vicious racket we call the music industry. He is among the guiding forces in the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and the Waco Brothers and Wee Hairy Beasties. At any given time, he has several projects going, and he is as nice as he is prolific. In fact, he's sort of rare in the hyper-rarified environment of notoriety.

Mikhail Fiksel-- Sunday May 10th @3pm

Originally transported from the frozen steppes of Siberia (hence the "white russian"), Mikhail found his way to the great Windy City in 1997. Since then, he has become a regular noisemaker, especially in the theatre industry and the moody circles of Chi-town's dj culture. He is a member of Teatro Vista, Strawdog Theatre Company, and Serendipity Theatre Collective and an Artistic Associate with Collaboraction. In addition to those fine people, he designs and composes for a variety of other folks including ATC, The House, Redmoon, Victory Gardens, The Goodman, The Hypocrites, Loyola University and The Vittum Theatre, where he is currently a resident designer. As his alter-ego, "dj white russian", he performs throughout this city, either as a solo artist or with his live project "Seeking Wonderland". He holds residencies at sushi wabi and the morseland, and was regularly featured on Q101's Sonic Boom: Subsonic, a program dedicated to new electronic music.