Enjoy West Chicago's Local Music Night June 17
"Local Music Night" features singer/songwriters Adam James Sorensen and Marlon St. John from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 17 at West Chicago's Gallery 200/STUDIO, 203 Turner Court.
Performances will include original music in a variety of genres. Open mic will begin at 8:30 p.m., and anyone in attendance is welcome to participate. A signup sheet will be available Friday evening, or interested persons may contact Mandy Rakow at localmusicnight@gmail.com to sign up in advance. As always, admission is free (refreshments included), but the group does appreciate donations to help cover their costs.
The venue has become an outlet for the talents of many incredible performers, and gained added recognition from music lovers in the Chicagoland area who enjoyed performances of some of the talented regulars at the City's recent downtown garden festival, Blooming Fest.
"Each month, Mandy manages to pull a schedule together to delight audiences who are making Local Music Night a regular monthly entertainment outing. The quality of music is outstanding," said Rosemary Mackey, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the City of West Chicago. Rakow, the founder and organizer of Local Music Night, does a great job of sharing the backgrounds and experiences that contribute to the music of the performers on a monthly flyer which is posted to the City's website. "The facts and photos about the musicians add another whole layer of interest," said Rosemary Mackey of the City of West Chicago. "Sometimes it brings you closer to understanding the motivations for their music and deepens your appreciation for it. I really enjoy that."
June 17, 2011 Performers
Adam James Sorensen - Born in Chicago, singer/songwriter Adam James paints sonic pictures of his life in New York City, Salt Lake City, Edinburgh and Berlin from the perspective of a Midwest, suburban childhood. Leaving the Midwest at age 19, he traversed the country and headed West. After several years in the Western desert, he then moved to New York to focus on his music career. His work took him to the U.K., Europe, and recently back to his childhood home, Chicago. James' songs reflect his life's journeys, as they continue to shape and define his music. His voice has a warm strength that conveys an honest fragility. He simply tells the story of his life. His new record with producer Evan Brubaker is due to be released in early summer 2011.
Marlon St. John is a Chicago singer-songwriter whose songs have been recorded by such acts as Cries and Whispers and Borrowed Time. He has toured regionally appearing on the bill with the late Jimmy Rogers as well as Leon Redbone, Delbert McClinton, and Marsha Ball. He has made frequent Chicago appearances with songwriters such as Kris Nichols and the Houston-based Mark Zeus, and is a founding member of Mark Zeus' Thunderboltz. He has written scores for theater productions such as Beth Henley's "The Wake of Jamie Foster" and Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". He currently has a number of singles available for download from iTunes and Amazon.com.
Gallery 200 is a cultural initiative supported by the City of West Chicago and the West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission, and is one more reason West Chicago was named an Illinois Arts Friendly Community in 2007 and again in 2010. For more information, including a complete list of current art classes, featured artist openings and Local Music Night, visit www.gallery200.org.