There’s something devilish about Andrew Bird, the thrilling young violinist whose group, Bowl of Fire, has been setting Chicago audiences aflame for the last year.
When Bird, who mixes attitude, smarts and immeasurable talent on the brand new CD “Thrills,” gets going on stage, he transports the audience to Berlin cabarets for German leider music, to New Orleans for ragtime, and out of this world with his swirling, soaring solos. It’s all sexy and fun, smooth but hot as hell.
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Bird’s Bowl of Fire debuts “Thrills,” which is on the Rykodisc label, with three shows: Saturday’s Southern hot swing special at the Old Town School of Music and then his “Calvacade of Characters” concerts Monday and Tuesday at the Ivanhoe Theatre (in conjunction with Prop Theatre).
“(This record) is kind of like when a cartoonist finds the character they’re going to put in their strip for the rest of their lives,” says Bird of “Thrills.”
“I just started writing like crazy. (It’s) better realized than my previous record, `Music of Hair,’ which I consider a document of my musical wanderings. This one’s more of a band effort, and it required a great deal of self-control.”
Recorded live in New Orleans with a single microphone, “Thrills” captures the spontaneity and delight of Bowl of Fire performances. Featuring all-Bird compositions (except for two tunes by country blues immortal Charlie Patton), the new CD is chock-full of wry vocals, enchanting swing arrangements and the dark lyrics for which Bird is becoming increasingly known.
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TeenStreet, Free Street Programs’ at-risk youth employment program, has consistently put together compelling theatrical productions, but the last two years, with the exuberant “Mad Joy” and the wildly experimental “Body House — a jazz tricycle,” the group hit a kind of creative apogee. Besides being in top form, it was recognized by the President’s Commission on Arts and Humanities, was invited to strut their stuff on the Steppenwolf stage and got unabashedly and overwhelmingly positive critical response.
So what next? “BoOom,” that’s what. This one, created, written and performed by many of the same young people who performed in “Mad Joy” and “Body House,” continues the tradition of excellence and energy, street smarts and polish that have marked TeenStreet.
“BoOom” is about confronting negative energy and remaining pure in the face of adversity and temptation. It features original music, in collaboration with jazz whiz Ken Vandermark, original choreography and a text composed in the imagistic street verse that has become the group’s signature.
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Money is always on the mind of J.S.G. Boggs, a performance artist whose work once attracted the attention of the feds. They thought he was passing counterfeits; he thought he was making a statement about the concept of value in our society.
This time out Boggs will use money again (of course), a mound of dirt, a shovel and a wheelbarrow to further develop his commentary in “Work/Not Work,” his new show playing one night only (Mother’s Day) at the Chopin Theatre.
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This is NOT the Mother’s Day event to which to take your mom. But, hey, if your dysfunction’s in high gear, this could be a blast.
Drag mistress Honey West hosts a screening of 1981’s cult classic “Mommie Dearest,” which will be preceded by a live Joan Crawford look-alike contest. Dress up like your fave Joan celluloid incarnation, show up a half early and you could walk home with an extra $50 in your pantyhose.
But that’s not all: Christina Crawford, the patron saint of wire hangers and author of the book “Mommie Dearest,” will make an appearance at the screening.
Don’t worry: It’s all for a good cause. The $20 ticket goes, in part, to Open Hand Chicago.
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the facts
Fridays, 7 p.m., Saturdays, 2 p.m, through May 23, “BoOom” by TeenStreet, Pulaski Park fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. $8, students with ID $4. Call 773-772-7248.
Saturday, 7 and 10 p.m., Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, Old Town School of Folk Music, 909 W. Armitage Ave. Call 773-522-7793. Monday and Tuesday, Ivanhoe Theatre, 750 W. Wellington Ave. Call 773-486-7767 for times and other information.
Sunday, 8 p.m., “Work/Not Work” by J.S.G. Boggs, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. For reservations, call 773-743-2825.
Sunday, 9:30 p.m., “An Evening with Christina Crawford” (including a contest, screening and interview), Music Box Theater, 3733 N. Southport Ave. $20. Call 312-337-6012 for more. Music Box is wheelchair accessible.
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