Surprising almost everyone, not least its organizers, last year’s Midwest Music Conference was a success by just about any standard. Its organizers–Dave Bernstein, Peter Katsis, and Jeff Kwatinetz, under the rubric of Kwatinetz’s Q Productions–saw their primary goal of putting Chicago back on the national record-industry map fairly well accomplished. And even by an outside standard, the conference seemed useful, interesting, and even, sometimes, fun–the panel members only rarely embarrassed themselves, relatively dependable information was more than occasionally dispensed, and the band showcases ranged from the OK (a disappointing Shoes reunion) to the terrific (Material Issue proving itself at the Cubby Bear, Soul Asylum closing down the conference at Cabaret Metro).
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And while no one can say for sure what effect these events had on the fairly numerous label A and R people present, it is true that a number of bands prominently showcased last year–including Material Issue, Scott Bennett and the Obvious, and Minneapolis’s Gear Daddies–have since been scooped by major labels. That doesn’t mean all that much–Ministry, Souled American, and Eleventh Dream Day, the cream of what local scene there is, had already been grabbed before last year’s conference. Perhaps the conference is just helping the wave along.
Of the showcases, there are a few bills that stand out. Friday, popster Jim Ellison and his delicious Material Issue are triumphantly headlining Cubby Bear (1059 W. Addison, 327-1662); Mr. Lee and a full bill of Chicago dance and house music will play at the Riviera (4746 N. Racine, 769-6300); and Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans’ friendly and percolating roots rock fills Lounge Ax (2438 N. Lincoln, 526-6620). But the hottest bill of the night is at Cabaret Metro (3730 N. Clark, 549-0203), where the outlandish New Duncan Imperials open for Indianapolis’s luminous Vulgar Boatmen; there’s a buzz out as well for openers the Something Brothers, from Bloomington.
