Sound check: Shallow Side, Homegrown battle at BaseCamp Pub
Night of bands at BaseCamp
It's a double-feature at BaseCamp Pub Saturday: The night starts out with Aaron Williams and the Battle to Homegrown. The battle of the bands features FERN, Jason Paul Jeka and Radiatör playing before judges for a slot at the upcoming Homegrown Arts & Music Festival. After the battle, the national rebel rockers of Shallow Side - featuring Elk Grove native Matt Daniels - take the stage for songs from their upcoming album and a few old favorites. 7 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at BaseCamp Pub, 5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle. $10. (331) 777-4712 or facebook.com.
Summer Camp weekend
This Memorial Day weekend, experience more than 180 bands across nine stages at Summer Camp Music Festival's unique celebration of tunes. The festival, launched in 2001, has grown exponentially from those humble beginnings to what now draws fans (and bands) from all around the region and nationally. Tickets include on-site camping and access to all the stages, featuring sets from favorites including Moe., Umphrey's McGee, Sun Stereo, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Blues Traveler and Future Rock, as well as great acts from our area, such as Mike Maimone, Manic Focus, The North 41, Steady Flow, the Family Groove Company and more. Also set aside time for presentations on henna, yoga and gardening and to party with Joe Domingo and the Good Bus crew. Friday through Sunday, May 24-26, at Three Sisters Park, 17189 IL-29, Chillicothe, Illinois. Three-day general admission passes (including camping) are $249.50; pre-party, VIP packages and RV upgrades are also available. summercampfestival.com.
Wild Earp rides into town
Chicago Americana band Wild Earp and The Free For Alls leans hard into its country and bluegrass roots, delivering a spittin' and a-cussin' and a rollicking live show bound to get the crowd hollering for more. Alt-country singer-songwriter Michele McGuire joins the jams this weekend in Arlington Heights. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. $12-$22. (224) 202-0750 or heynonny.com.
'Sleepwalk' with Ember Oceans
Palatine's Ember Oceans is growing up. The band still bears the hallmarks of the fresh synth-pop sound members commandeered in their earlier days, but Ember Ocean's new music amps up the darker tones and dances within the funk genre's borders. The pulsing, energetic beats behind the band's newest single, “Sleepwalk,” out next week, keep the dance vibe going, but the richly layered melodies and instrumentation illustrate a new depth and maturity. Hear it when the four-song “Sleepwalk” EP drops next Friday on streaming networks, or catch the band's free 18-and-older show this weekend with Capital Soiree, Stay Outside and August Hotel at HVAC Pub. 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at HVAC Pub, 3530 N. Clark St., Chicago. Free. (773) 789-8864 or hvacpub.com.
New music from The Belvederes
The Northwest-suburban garage-rockers of The Belvederes pack even more Americana charm into the new album, “Connoisseurs & Critics,” which premieres at Saturday's release show at FitzGerald's. The quartet is known for its modern twists on rockabilly, funk, blues and even power pop-influenced songs, and the new album showcases the band's proficiency as it leaps from genre to genre with grace and youthful energy. The Belvederes have cultivated a reputation for fun, energizing shows evocative of a simpler time, so be sure to catch the new songs, as well as old favorites, when the band is joined by longtime collaborator and mentor Bart Alonzo on the Berwyn stage. 9 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at FitzGerald's, 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $10. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.
Leah Shoshanah drops 'Brave Woman'
Singer-songwriter Leah Shoshanah's uplifting new tune, “Brave Woman,” is a pep talk of sorts: “You're a brave woman. You're a strong woman. You're a tough woman. Never give up, woman.” But the danceable samba beats belie a darker truth; The song's origins were a therapy of sorts, helping Shoshanah shine a spotlight on an abusive and traumatic relationship. “I wanted to change my life, to move out of that pain, to stop being the victim and emerge into the woman I've always wanted to become.” Hear the new song when she plays a single release show Tuesday, May 28, to benefit Sarah's Circle, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization providing shelter to homeless and abused women. Joining her onstage will be The Herbal Remedies and Victoria Storm. The “Brave Woman” single and video will be streaming online Friday, May 24. 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 404-9494 or martyrslive.com.
Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music fanboy. Find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter at @thatshamieguy. Brian also keeps tabs on the Chicago-area music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.