Staff Hottt List Picks 2006

Venus Zine editors and interns unload their picks for best (and worst) shows, moments, and entrepreneurs of 2006 — and possible hot band names of 2007

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: December 4th, 2006 | 4:48pm

5 BEST CHICAGO CONCERT MOMENTS OF 2006
By Sheba White, Editorial Intern

1. Joanna Newsom on November 8, 2006 at Logan Square Auditorium: I don't know if you've ever cried at a concert, but I was balling from the moment Newsom stepped onstage. Maybe it was the heat generated from the packed Logan Square attendees. Or maybe it was hearing "Sprout & the Bean" and "The Book of Right On" sung better than I could have ever imagined and with a confidence that could break a weak heart like mine. All I know is that when she introduced a Scottish lover’s dirge, and then played her new album, Ys, from start to finish without so much as a flinch, I was wiping away the embarrassing tears and rocking back and forth like a revival mourner.

2. Chin Up Chin Up on October 13, 2006 at Empty Bottle: “You know it's OK to dance. Sometimes you just need to dance," said natty keyboardist Greg Sharp. I imagine it's tough playing the Chicago crowds, arms folded in front of them, beers snugly in hand, just staring blankly with their "entertain me" gaze, but I haven't danced so much since Sleater-Kinney a year ago. They were great. Their new album, This Harness Can't Ride Anything, is the shit: lively, crisp, clean. Eventually, some hips were shaking, some hands were clapping. I stayed until the last song, drank more than I should have, lost a glove somewhere, and overslept, waking up hearing the lyrics playing over and over in my head as I slogged my way through my early morning shift. What more can you ask for from a show?

3. Sally Timms on September 9, 2006 at the Touch & Go 25th Anniversary Celebration: Sally Timms was hilarious as only the Scottish can do hilarious: taunting, flippant, and downright rude, but with a jolly smirk. Think: the guy on Star Trek at the soundboard controls. "Ya meen tah tell me yah a bastahd Captain Kirk?" That's Sally Timms. It was so good seeing her take control of the stage with such womanly confidence in the age of fairies and nymphs. This is also Sally Timms: "David Yow and his fantastic penis will be out in a moment. It's currently in a jar backstage. He'll just reattach it and come out in a moment." Ahh, she’s a cheery lass, that one.

4. Boredoms on June 24, 2006 at Intonation Music Festival: Blistering hot Intonation weather is to be expected, but the heat turned up 50 trillion degrees when the Boredoms played their set. Think Carlos Castaneda seriousness mixed with Polyphonic Spree giddiness under a papery-thin sun that seems to emanate from the three enormous drum sets facing each other and the strange half-coherent rants of their lead singer (for an hour straight!) and you will need to sit down just at the thought.

5. Bellrays June 17, 2006 at Chicago’s Randolph Street Fair: "We're not here to watch you stand there and try to look cool, we're here to rock you!" shouted Lisa Kekaula, lead singer of the BellRays and rocknsoul leader of my heart. I don't know who the hell beamed her down here, but thank god they did. It was another 90-plus–degree day at the Randolph Street Fair, but with makeup dripping, hair frizzed out, and just in from Canada she shook, and shimmied, and belted her way through more than an hour of their songs while a small crowd of hipster onlookers sat tapping their toes and looking at each other for directions when they only had one: dance, hipsters, dance.

5 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A VENUS ZINE INTERN
By Kelly Mellott, Editorial Intern

1. Getting to meet all the other cool, sassy ladies of Venus Zine.
2. Free CDs! Free shows!
3. Getting to spend an entire day with bands I love like Ladytron and Minus the Bear.
4. Seeing the finished magazine, in all its glossy glory, after months of planning and hard work.
5. Being taken seriously, as a writer and a person, and not just being made into the office errand girl, as many internships tend to do. I speak from experience.

5 WORST THINGS ABOUT BEING A VENUS ZINE INTERN
By Kelly Mellott, Editorial Intern

1. Two words: Warped Tour. It was 105 degrees in asphalt hell!
2. Trying to take Chicago public transit to the Venus Zine office during rush hour.
3. Getting Piebald lost for an hour in the far north side of Chicago while doing the “Almost Famous with Piebald” story because I’m the worst navigator. Ever.
4. Knowing the free CDs and shows won’t last forever.
5. Getting stuck in the worst rainstorm and what I believe to have been my very first “welcome to the Midwest” tornado with fellow intern Lisa Wagner at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

10 BEST MUSIC FESTIVALS OF 2006 (AND TOP 5 EXPLANATIONS)
By Kristen Ford, Promotions Intern

1. Intonation
2. Bonnaroo
3. South by Southwest
4. Lollapalooza
5. Burning Man
6. Coachella
7. Pitchfork
8. Michigan Womyns Festival
9. Pitchfork
10. Bumbershoot

1. Choosing Intonation as the best festival of 2004 is strictly for personal reasons. While on the surface this small Chicago festival drew more than 10,000 to Chicago’s west side to see Bloc Party, the 2006 festival was a much greater statement of Chi-town pride. Three local music fans teamed up with Pitchfork Media to create Intonation Music festival in 2005. After Pitchfork saw the success of the festival, they decided to create their own (see #7) summer music festival — without the Intonation boys. Undeterred, the three founders produced this year’s fest on their own, creating such beautiful moments as Blue Cheer sharing ice cream with Ghostface Killah, and Lady Sovereign terrorizing concertgoers in a stolen golf cart. Industry VIPs got tipsy on free Goose Island and Sparks energy drinks; the Streets brought the crowd to their knees in honor of an audience member taking a shot from Mike Skinner’s flask. Jon Brion — super producer behind the likes of Kanye West and Aimee Mann — delivered a spellbinding show, a full band conjured from loops he recorded himself. Armed with my walkie talkie and an all-access pass, Intonation was my first starry-eyed look into festival production. I can’t wait for next year.

2. Bonnaroo has grown to epic proportions since its 2002 conception. Held on a (barren, treeless, sun-will-wake-you-up-at-9-a.m.) farm in Manchester, Tennessee, the festival brought the likes of Radiohead, Tom Petty, and Beck. This year the number of tight-pants hipsters almost outnumbered the hippies, where we put aside our differences in search of sunburns, illegal drugs, great music, and something uniquely Bonn-a-roooo (A really good time)! At the end of three days I was ready for a hot shower, a bottle of Advil, and hoped to never see another Birkenstock or hear “where am I?” again. This year’s top show stealers: The Magic Numbers, Samantha Stalenwerk, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and the Dresden Dolls.

3. South by South West is probably the most over-hyped festival in history, right behind Woodstock. The scary part is that every March the Austin music fest totally deserves it.

4. Lollapalooza was a three-day party brought back from 2004’s cancellation to a confirmed Chicago fest through 2007. Those lucky enough to squeeze into downtown’s Grant Park caught performances from Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flaming Lips, Wilco, international superstar Manu Chao (score!), and one of Sleater-Kinney’s last high-kicking performances.

5. While Burning Man is not technically a music festival, what doesn’t sound appealing about spending eight days in the uninhabited desert of Nevada, 90 miles from the closest city while renouncing capitalism and engaging in performance art, the barter system, and the collective burning of a giant wood man? Apparently nothing, as the faraway Chicago was completely devoid of drugs that Labor Day weekend. Burning Man participants had stocked up, leaving the rest of us to wonder what the hell was goes on out there

TOP 10 CREATIVE LADY ENTREPRENEURS OF 2006
By Amy Schroeder, Editor

Kathy Cano-Murillo
CraftyChica.com
Mexican pop artist, author of five books, star of DIY Network TV shows, arts and entertainment reporter for the Arizona Republic, and “Crafty Ideas” syndicated newspaper columnist. Can you say DIY renaissance woman?

Jenny Hart
Sublime Stitching
Ms. Hart owns the embroidery revival.

Wendy Mullin
Built By Wendy
I know … she’s been your favorite for years too. This lady seems to never run out steam. With three stores, a partnership with Wrangler, a book (Sew U), and Simplicity patterns, my question is: what next? Films, albums, a TV show? I wouldn’t rule it out.

Jessa Crispin
Bookslut.com
She makes a living by reading books and interviewing authors. Total dream job or what?

Christen Carter
Busy Beaver Buttons
She’s got one of the most reputable names in the punk and DIY community for being a reliable source for buttons. She got her start as a one-woman operation as a college student in 1995. Now with the help of several employees, Busy Beaver cranks out thousands of orders per year.

Margot Jacobs & Una Kim
Keep Company
I’ve been saying for years, “When will someone from the DIY community design shoes?” These ladies are doing it.

Maggie Kleinpeter
Supermaggie.com
Maggie got her start in branding her signature style of wool felt scarves and flower pins, and when other crafters started to make similar goods, I wondered what would happen next for the Baton Rouge designer. By expanding her brand to include silk-screened clothing, wallets, and Love Creatures, Maggie has taken her business to the next level.

Erica & Sara Kubersky
Moo Shoes
Vegan shoes + mad style = way to go.

Rachael Sage
Mpress Records
In addition to performing with Ani DiFranco, Lilith Fair, Sarah McLaughlin, and Judy Collins, Rachael Sage has been running her own record label for 10 years. One of the hardest-working women in the music industry, Sage is more than a singer-songwriter, she’s a machine.

Indie Finds
Operated by six women, this biz has upped the ante of the concept of DIY collaboration. The idea is simple: dozens of crafty businesses combine forces by promoting IndieFinds.com as a central hub for their respective Web sites. Each business chips in its own funds to take out ads in magazines and Web sites, therefore upping their exposure. The most important thing is that IndieFinds delivers: All of their accessories and crafts are top-quality.

TOP FIVE HOTTEST MENACING CREATURES POISED TO USURP THE WOLF IN POPULARITY IN INDIE ROCK BAND NAMES
By Eugenia Williamson, Writer-In-Residence (with special thanks to Joel Thomas)

The word “wolf,” once a source of awe and terror, has become as staid as a pair of argyle socks. Let’s face it: the wolf has jumped the shark. The venerable creature is more overexposed than Britney Spear’s ladyparts, its currency hovering somewhere around that of the Venezuelan Bolivar. Those trying to name a band, take heed! Try these instead:

5. Wildcat
4. Alleycat
3. Tomcat
2. Housecat
1. Bear