Full Moon Rises on Lincoln
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The folks who brought you Maestro Subgum and the Whole and the Curious Theatre Branch have a new venture–a combination restaurant and performance venue on North Lincoln called the Full Moon Cafe and Lunar Cabaret. It’s owned by a collective of five Maestro Subgum members–Michael Greenberg, Kate O’Reilly, Ned Folkerth, Beau O’Reilly, and Jenny Magnus, most of whom will live on-site. They plan an eclectic mix of rock bands like Maestro and Las Toallitas, theater and performance art, and the occasional out-of-town guest artist. Cover will be kept low, Greenberg says–in the $4 to $6 range, higher for the out-of-town acts. Canadian singer-songwriter Ferron, who has a show scheduled for November 18, will probably have a $12 or $15 ticket, which Greenberg acknowledges is as much as her last show at Park West. “But for a show like that we’re going to limit the attendance to about 100,” he promises. “For those who can get in, it will be magical.” The club, a BYOB affair, is at 2827 N. Lincoln and will be open for lunch daily and until 2 weekend nights. The group’s aiming for a Halloween weekend opening. Scheduled: performances by Magnus, Paula Killen, and Betty’s Mouth Friday the 28th, along with the Vandermark Quartet; Las Toallitas and Wiseacre the 29th; Theater for the Age of Gold doing five short plays Sunday the 30th; and a costume party hosted by Maestro on Halloween.
That full-page ad from RCA records in last week’s Reader–what was that all about? “The RCA Records Label supports the Chicago music scene & The Independent Label Festival,” the ad trumpeted. Nice sentiment, but who was asking? The ad’s genesis was in the comments of one John “Skippy” McFadden in the previous week’s Hitsville. The irrepressible McFadden, articulating the view held in some of the more self-consciously indie parts of the local record industry, was quoted slagging the ILF, held last weekend at Columbia College. Trouble was, McFadden is a new A and R talent scout for RCA, which recently signed the local band the Lupins and sent an A and R rep out to attend the fest. While McFadden wasn’t exactly taken out to the woodshed by his masters in New York, neither were they pleased. “They want me to be opinionated and do what I’ve always been doing and basically be Skippy, but to be a little more selective,” McFadden says. “It’s going to be really hard; we’ll see.”
