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January 2020

Monday January 27 | 9:00 pm
$10

Roidl-Ward/Mercer, Zafa Collective, & Ashley Daneman Sextet

This triple bill feautures a pair of duos specializing in contemporary classical music and a jazz sextet led by vocalist Ashley Daneman.
Tuesday January 28 | 9:00 pm
$10

Rempis/Lopez/Packard Trio – Tuesday Residency

This working trio comprised of New York bass phenom Brandon Lopez, now ex-Chicagoan Ryan Packard, and hometown stalwart Dave Rempis converge on our fair city for the month of January, taking on a weekly Tuesday night residency at Elastic Arts. This week they'll be joined for the second set by Jen Hill on electronics.
Thursday January 30 | 9:00 pm
$10

Jake Wark Solo & Gerrit Hatcher Group

Firebreathing saxophonist Gerrit Hatcher returns to Elastic Arts with his working quintet for a record release party celebrating their recording debut. Fellow saxophonist Jake Wark opens with a rare solo set.
Friday January 31 | 9:00 pm
$10

Jared Brown, Falling Flower & Long/Zanolini Duo

A night of Creative Magickal Machine Music embodying Multi-dimensional futures and making new memories

February 2020

Monday February 3 | 9:00 pm
$10

Leroy Bach / Tim Stine & The Brunt

Guitarists Leroy Bach and Tim Stine join forces for a duo set, followed by a chordless quartet featuring saxophonists Dave Rempis and Gerrit Hatcher.
Thursday February 6 | 9:00 pm
$10

Sandy Ewen Solo & Ewen/Berman/Stein/Smith

Dynamic guitarist Sandy Ewen makes a rare Chicago performance on her winter tour of the Midwest, presenting a solo set, and a new quartet collaboration.
Friday February 7 | 9:00 pm
$10

D. Wyche 40th: Wyche/Shippy, Allen Moore, Bill MacKay, DJ Rob S

Beloved Elastic curator Daniel Wyche will be celebrating his 40th birthday and his PhD completion with this great lineup. Come celebrate!
Monday February 10 | 9:00 pm
$10

Matt Riggen Quartet & Greg Dudzienski Quartet

Trumpeter Matt Riggen and saxophonist Greg Dudzienski lead their respective quartets.
Friday February 14 | 9:00 pm
$10

Kaze

Japan meets France in this international pairing of like-minded experimentalists. Returning to Elastic Arts after their Chicago debut in 2017, this stunningly austere and outright gorgeous band makes their second Chicago appearance.
Saturday February 15 | 9:00 pm
$10

HYPERBOREAN, a night of sonic and visual storytelling in the middle of winter…

9 artists; 4 collaborative relationships; yielding 4 sets of improvised, experimental audio/visual performance...{{{hot toddies for your soul}}}
Sunday February 16 | 8:00 pm
$10

Josh MacPhee & Damon Locks: When Future Unfolds

Josh MacPhee will be spinning records from the labels in his recent book, An Encyclopedia of Political Record Labels. Focusing on vinyl records, and the labels that produced them, this groundbreaking book traces the parallel rise of social movements in the second half of the twentieth century and the vinyl record as the dominant form of music distribution. Between songs, MacPhee will discuss the role of the vinyl record as agitprop in international social movements. Over many years of being an avid record collector and a record store employee, Damon Locks has amassed quite a collection of civil rights era vinyl. He will be drawing from this cache when joining Josh on the decks. Evidence of his fascination of archival recordings can be found woven into the music of his release with the Black Monument Ensemble, Where Future Unfolds on International Anthem.
Monday February 17 | 9:00 pm
$10

Michael Zerang’s Blue Lights

Drummer Michael Zerang's Blue Lights perform two sets of his original compositions which blend the energy of free bop with Middle Eastern tonalities.
Thursday February 20 | 9:00 pm
$10

Kimmel/Zucker/Roebke/Harris & Albert/Abrams/Reed

A new grouping of Chicago-based improvisers makes their debut concert as a quartet, and longtime visitor to Chicago Jeff Albert returns to undertake a new trio collaboration with longtime colleagues Joshua Abrams and Mike Reed.
Monday February 24 | 9:00 pm

Darren Johnston’s Breathing Room & James Davis’ Beveled

Bay Area trumpeter Darren Johnston organizes a wind quartet of experienced improvisers, and James Davis presents his original compositions, lushly orchestrated in the mellower end of the spectrum of instrumental coloration.
Thursday February 27 | 9:00 pm
$10

Eli Namay Solo & Berman/Jackson/Strom/Ostvang

Recent Chicago ex-pat Eli Namay returns for his first visit since decamping to Pittsburgh for a rare solo performance, and an ongoing collaborative quartet featuring two Chicago musicians in partnership with their Norwegian counterparts makes its Elastic Arts debut.
Saturday February 29 | 8:30 pm
$10

Wooden Rings & Blow Wind Blow: Dual Record Release

Local singer-songwriter projects Wooden Rings and Blow Wind Blow will both release records this leap year, February 29th, at Elastic Arts. Doors open at 8:30 PM with sound healer Jay Taylor creating a sonic landscape throughout the audience, which dovetails into the first song of Blow Wind Blow's set at 9:00 PM. The show continues with sound healing, projection, and light play by light artist Rachel Winslow and filmmaker Brian Wilson. Heliocentric, the vinyl record self-released by Wooden Rings, was made possible with support from the 3Arts Foundation, support from listeners, and was pressed locally at Smashed Plastic.

March 2020

Monday March 2 | 9:00 pm
$10

Kyle Madsen Trio & Cosmograph

Saxophonists Kyle Madsen and Will Barnard present their original music in trio and sextet formats, respectively.
Monday March 9 | 9:00 pm
$10

Steve Marquette Trio & Trapper Keaper

Guitarist Steve Marquette opens with a trio set, followed by New Orleans-based duo Trapper Keaper.
Sunday March 15 | 8:00 pm
$10

Oops! Pow! Surprise!

This improvisational multi-sensory event, curated by dancer/choreographer Cristal Sabbagh, unites musicians, dancers, vocalists, technology and artistic documentation!
Monday March 16 | 9:00 pm
$10

Quost/Ali/Harris & Mazzarella/Hesse/Sommers/Raynor

French trumpeter Timothée Quost is joined by two of his American collaborators, and Chicago expat drummer Michael Raynor returns for an improvised quartet set.
Monday March 23 | 9:00 pm
$10

The Unknown New & Leslie Beukelman Quartet

Multi-instrumentalist Paul Mutzabaugh's sextet returns to Elastic, and vocalist Leslie Beukelman leads a quartet.
Thursday March 26 | 9:00 pm
$10

Exposure Series 2020 : Night One

The fifth annual Exposure Series at Elastic Arts kicks off with one of three featured artists for 2020, vocalist Fay Victor. For tonight's performance, Fay is joined by her working band "Barn Songs" featuring Marika Hughes on cello and Darius Jones on alto saxophone. The band is wrapping up a Midwestern tour with this performance, and should be in top form!
Friday March 27 | 9:00 pm
$10

Exposure Series 2020 : Night Two

Night Two of the 2020 Exposure Series pairs our visiting artists Fay Victor, "Maya Madas", and Nate McBride in groupings with several of their Chicago counterparts. Fay Victor revisits a collaboration with drummer Mike Reed that began in 2019, and "Maya Madas" launches a new quartet featuring our third Exposure artist for 2020, bassist Nate McBride.
Saturday March 28 | 9:00 pm
$10

Exposure Series 2020 : Night Three

Night Three of the Exposure Series showcases each of our visiting artists in a unique setting, including a solo set from bassist Nate McBride, and brand new collaborations pairing "Maya Madas" and Fay Victor up with more of their Chicago contemporaries. "Mayas" works with like-minded experimentalist Olivia Block for the first time, and Victor assembles a quintet grouping.
Sunday March 29 | 2:00 pm
FREE!!

Exposure Series 2020 : Day Four

This afternoon's Exposure Series concert takes us to the gorgeous May Chapel, where afternoon sunlight filters through the warm colored stained glass, pouring over the dark wood and tile, to create a strangely mystical listening environment. For this concert, "Maya Madas" convenes a new string trio, and Nate McBride revisits his longstanding trio Wheelhouse featuring Chicago stalwarts Jason Adasiewicz on vibes and Dave Rempis on saxophones. Although the trio was active for eight years from 2005-2013, this will be their first performance since McBride decamped for Boston in 2013.
Sunday March 29 | 9:00 pm
$10

Exposure Series 2020 : Night Four

Night Four of 2020's Exposure Series features all three of our visiting artists in a collaborative trio grouping, followed by a new quintet performing original compositions by bassist Nate McBride. This grouping features a cross section of the current Chicago improvised music scene, with journeyman trumpeter Russ Johnson alongside some of the newer generation's finest improvisers including Molly Jones on saxophones, Andrew Clinkman on guitar, and Emerson Hunton on drums.
Monday March 30 | 7:30 pm
$10

Exposure Series 2020 : Night Five

For the fifth and final night of Exposure Series 2020, "Maya Madas" performs a solo concert, and discusses her artistic practice with Experimental Sound Studio curator, percussionist, and composer Tim Daisy..
Monday March 30 | 9:00 pm
$10

Sun Speak & Clark Sommers’ Ba(SH)

Guitar/drums duo Sun Speak performs a set of original electric chamber music, and Clark Sommers' trio Ba(SH) presents compositions from its new album Peninsula.
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