Hal Leonard: Episode III

For the third year that I've been coming to Midwest, Hal Leonard is pushing it's collection of Star Wars music. Back in 2015 it was a score for The Force Awakens being kept under lock and key until the movie came out. Last year it was a collection of parts for Rogue One. This year, it's a spread at the front corner with various Star Wars scores, flanked by cardboard cutouts of figures from the new movie. But Hal Leonard isn't the only exhibitor getting into the spirit. The North Shore Concert Band is devoting its 2017-2018 season to performing some of the music from the saga on each of their concerts. Star Wars mania is indeed alive and well at the 71st Annual Midwest Clinic.

And He Huffed! And He Puffed! And He...

One of the biggest requirements of being a wind player is heing able to draw upon your breath to support your playing. Over the years, many tools have been put out to help in that endeavor. One that is at Midwest this year is Lung Trainers. These guys have a booth where you can test out their units, letting you pit your lung capacity against the trainer. In the back, they have one unit that is loaded with 5 weights. (The hardest training unit only has 3) Anyone blowing those weights to the top wins a crisp $2 bill. To my knowledge, nobody has gotten that bill yet (or passed out trying, haha).

Music From Down Under

One of the many exhibitors at The Midwest Clinic is Brolga Music, an Australian music publishing company. They have sample CDs, pamplets, Australian chocolate, and small stuffed wallabies. All you could ever want! Make sure to check them out this week at McCormick Place.

Invision Yourself Anywhere!

One of the primary concerns for any touring music group is knowing what to expect when you arrive at your destination. Director's Choice has made that task far easier with their Invision Virtual Reality App. Now you can just download the app to any smartphone, insert your phone into the viewer, and you'll be transported to Chicago, New York City, or San Antonio. This promises to be an invaluable tool for both band directors and tour organizers to use. You can check out the app at invisionyourself.com

Lollapalooza Update #3: Making a Killing

     After an unexpected rainout the night before, Day 2 of Lolla went much more according to schedule. There were the usual obscure(at least for now) acts in the morning, sporting such names as Lard Dog & The Band of Shy, Mura Masa, Slothtrust, Slushll, 3LAU, and(my personal favorite) San Holo. Going later into the day, a few more well-known acts started to creep up, such as Tegan and Sara, Foster The People, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. That last act may not sound too familiar at first blush, but Andrew McMahon is a familiar face. He started Jack's Mannequin back in 2004 and had some respectable success with the group. Ever since 2014 he's been touring as part of his own solo act, which was performing onstage yesterday. Arguably his best-known song with the new act is Fire Escape, which I'm sure was played last night. Then we move into the headliners: DJ Snake, Blink-182, and The Killers. Blink-182 is several years into their second go-around as a band, and they seem to be doing just fine. DJ Snake is firmly into his career, and he executed another fine performance last night. The Killers were the final act of the night, and they gave a great show as well. They've been in the news lately for the fact that their single "Mr. Brightside"(which was released way back in 2003), has a peculiar habit of popping up every so often on the UK singles charts, even 14 years after it came out. I've listened to the song myself, and it is quite catchy. Certainly deserving of being popular all these years later. As for their show, the crowd loved it. "[It was] definitely a great show, The Killers were amazing" said Leah Wineland, who attended the show. And to top it all off, it didn't get rained out! Lollapalooza is rolling along today for Day 3, with arguably the biggest act of the weekend up tonight. But more on that in the next entry.

Lollapalooza Update #2: When it Rains, it Lordes

     After infesting the regional rail system with loud teenagers, Lolla got around to its intended purpose with some music yesterday. The first couple of hours were, as usual, filled with acts that people really haven't heard of(though you could always find a future star out there, like a 2007 Lady Gaga for instance), interspersed with a couple more notable acts. As the evening rolled in, Cage The Elephant played on one main stage, while Wiz Khalifa was whizzing away on the other.Then, the day's final acts took the stage. Muse succeeded Cage The Elephant, and Lorde took over for Wiz. However, both acts ended up featuring the same surprise guest: Mother Nature in the form of torrential rain. In short order, things went from being a re-enactment of Woodstock to a recreation of the first night game at Wrigley Field. Without much warning at all, Muse and Lorde both had to cut their acts short and send fans scurrying to safety. Lorde has said she would try to be back, but no steady plans have been made as of yet.

Lollapalooza Update #1: Shitheads on a Train

     It's the first couple of days of August. That means that Chicago's annual attempt to re-enact Woodstock in Grant Park is underway. For it's 27th year, Lollapalooza is back. And it's bringing, Lorde, Chance the Rapper(no word yet on whether Malia Obama will be in the crowd this time), The Killers, and hordes of other acts(including Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness). Of course, it's also bringing thousands upon thousands of people to the city, many of whom are taking the train. Over at Chicagoist, they're reporting that the Metra system is quickly turning into The Walking Dead, just with over-hyped teenagers instead of zombies. For those of you unfortunate enough to be using commuter rail this week, you have my deepest sympathies. Just remember, it'll be all over by Monday(all except the court proceedings, that is)