SUNDAY 7/21 | BEAT KITCHEN | 2100 W Belmont | $10 | 21+ | Doors at 2PM

MIDWEST SING & STOMP presents:

BUBBLES BROWN 2:15-2:50PM
SQUARE DANCE 3:00-4:50PM
by Barlow with calling by Chris Kimmons
+ a raffle to raise funds for Midwest Sing & Stomp 2019 Festival at Beat Kitchen!

Gritty Chicago blues duo Bubbles Brown joins forced with leaders of the city’s young old-time community, for an afternoon of roots blues and square dancing! No prior dance experience necessary. All dances will be taught–inclusion is the goal.

BUBBLES BROWN
Bubbles Brown is a two-piece early blues outfit from Chicago. Bubbles (guitar, vocals) and washboard Ben (percussion, vocals) cut their teeth on the blues deep in the subways of Chicago, busking for change and the occasional dollar. With only a guitar, washboard, sock cymbal, assorted percussion and a suitcase bass drum, the duo evokes the home-spun, kitchen-sink aesthetic of rural, pre-war blues and country–combined with aggressive, modern electricity to create a sound that’s at once nostalgic and distinctly progressive. The Bubbles Brown sound defies expectations, and their rich and reverent brand of the blues, country and jazz of the 20s and 30s greatly exceeds the sum of its parts, transforming stages of any size into roadside juke joints and skeptics into believers.
http://www.bubblesbrown.com

BARLOW
Barlow is a Chicago-based old-time string band playing hoedowns, ballads and rags from Illinois and Appalachia. Mareva Lindo (fiddle/vocals/guitar) and Jay Desrosiers (mandolin/vocals/guitar)–joined for this dance by Jordan Wankoff on guitar–have put on dances and shows for years, as organizers with the Midwest Sing & Stomp and Old Lazarus’ Harp folk collective. They can be found playing halls, bars and back yards all around town, including the Queer Contra and Chicago Barn Dance. Jay is a classically trained composer with a deep knowledge of all things mandolin. Mareva is currently apprenticing with Genevieve Koester, learning traditional fiddle tunes of Illinois and original tunes by Genevieve’s dad, Garry Harrison.

CHRIS KIMMONS
Chris Kimmons is a West Virginia-born square dance caller who moved to Chicago years ago to pursue a career in music. Having studied music composition at Columbia College Chicago when he first arrived, he’s learned from many of the city’s finest musicians. In that time he’s also been a stalwart of Old Lazarus’ Harp folk collective, and longtime member of old-time string band Can I Get An Amen. Chris calls dances for beginners as well as seasoned dancers, from the Fermilab Barn Dance to Rogers Park alleys.

Proceeds from this event will go towards the upcoming festival on Sept 14th! Funds raised will help us tell our story by documenting the artists we feature with professional audio, photos and video; make it possible for us to sponsor more events throughout the year; and help keep our ticket prices accessible. At the end of the night we’ll raffle off prizes from local bands and businesses, as well as a pair of tickets to this year’s fest!