The Fold Rocks

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

The Fold will play at The Bottom Lounge in Chicago tomorrow (Friday, February 12) night.  They will be also at the Apple Store in Michigan Avenue  on March 21, 2010.  Bring your iPhone and be part of their new video!  Hear more about that during my conversation with Dan Castady, lead singer of The Fold in Cara’s Basement.

Listen here:

The video they made for “Every Band In The U.S.A.” is amazing and is burning up on youtube:
Get more from The Fold here:

• www.TheFoldRock.com
• www.youtube.com/TheFoldMusic
• www.myspace.com/TheFold
• twitter.com/TheFoldRock
• www.facebook.com/TheFold

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Rock With Rik Emmett Oct 24

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

If you’re a fan of rock music then you must be very familiar with the legendary guitar riff’s of Rik Emmett.  He was part of the amazing power trio Triumph, providing killer licks in great songs like “Fight The Good Fight”, “Lay It On The Line”, etc.  Here’s an opportunity to catch him in an intimate environment and also help out a great cause, Pizza’s 4 Patriots:

Wow, what killer line-up.  As it turns out, several of those artists have appeared in my podcast Cara’s Basement:

Rik Emmett-

Ronnie Platt-

Kevin Chalfant-

See you at Durty Nellies on Saturday, October 24!

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Pizzas 4 Patriots Celebration Concert

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

“Pizza’s 4 Patriots” is such a cool concept.  Literally, giving those who serve our country a slice of home.  Go here to find out more about what they do – and go to Durty Nellie’s on October 24th to see a great show while supporting the cause.  Details below:

Here’s a blast-from-the-past interview with Rik Emmett:

Here’s a blast-from-the-past interview with Kevin Chalfant:

Here’s a blast-from-the-past interview with Ronnie Platt:

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Who Says There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch?

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

Okay, people think the biggest perk of working in radio is free concert tickets.  Or meeting celebrities.  Nope…it’s the free food, and lots of it!  Seriously.  Especially in a town that has so many incredible restaurants.  And of all the stations I’ve worked at, I’ve never seen so much complimentary grub as at WTMX.  It seems every restaurant in Chicago wants to feed Eric and Kathy - which makes perfect sense since their huge ratings dwarf the competition.  And lucky for me, Eric and Kathy are kind enough to share with the rest of the staff so I rarely even need to pack a lunch.

Yesterday I walked into work to find an amazing buffet of gyro’s from Kronos in Swany’s production studio.  He wisely moved the food to the kitchen so nobody made a mess near his equipment.  As soon as the food hit the table in the kitchen “the vultures” (myself included) descended up the chow.  Delicious lamb, incredible tzatziki (creamy cucumber sauce), onions, tomatoes, pita bread and even foil wrappers for each sandwich made.

Hungry?  Here’s the best part.  These tasty gyros are free for you, too!  Mark you calendar for Tuesday, September 1…it’s the premier of “Kronos Free Gyros Day”.  Yep.  You get a free lunch.  Head to www.kronosfreegyros.com to download and print a free coupon.  Yum!

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Plain White T’s TONITE

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

Wow, this is a way cool bang-for-the-buck concert experience. Don’t miss your chance to see The Plain White T’s in a very intimate setting tonite (8/28/09). Only 1500 tickets are being sold for Lake Effect, a charity show they are headlining tonight at The Palmer House.

$75 includes three bands performing (Plain White T’s, Chicago blues artist Melvin Taylor plus the Gentlemen Of Leisure Band which happens to be one of President Obama’s favorite Chicago bands)…it also includes an open premium bar, an amazing array of food stations created by the Palmer House’s Executive Chef Stephen Henry and Pastry Chef Fabrice Bouet…and, as an added bonus, a limited number of behind-the-scenes tours of Palmer House will be conducted by docents from the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  Most importantly…100% of the proceeds benefit the Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care’s Good Mourning Program (providing support for families and children of all ages in overcoming the loss of a loved one).

Don’t pass up this opportunity to help out a wonderful organization while enjoying a phenomenal experience.  Got o www.LakeEffectParty.com or call 847-692-8897 to purchase tickets.

Tom Higgins from The Plain White T’s just spoke to me about this show – listen here:

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Jordin Sparks

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

My jaw hit the floor when I heard that Jordin Sparks was touring with Britney Spears on the second leg of her “Circus” tour (coming to the Allstate Arena September 9).  C’mon…Jordan is a sweet innocent 19 year old that proudly wears a purity ring and just spent the summer on the road with super-sweet-goodie-guys The Jonas Brothers (also known for their purity rings)…if I was Jordin‘s mother I’d be very nervous knowing she’ll be on the same bill as Britney.  They’ll be spending a lot of time together on the road.  Do I really need to list the reasons why it’s worrisome?  OMG.  Heck, maybe Jordin‘s behavior (ie, morals) will rub off on Britney…wouldn’t that be special!

I just spoke to Jordin Sparks for WTMX and she is thrilled about all of the things going on in her career.  She’ll be part of “VH1 Diva’s” airing live on September 17 hosted by Paula Abdul, and Jordin is very blatant about her opinion regarding Paula no longer being a judge on American Idol.  Listen here:

Catch Jordin Sparks at “Skate For The Heart” September 19 at the Sears Centre Arena.

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The Steepwater Band = True Rock and Roll

 Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

If you dig what I call straight ahead real rock with a tinge of blues…like The Black Crowes, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Allman Brothers, etc…you absolutely will love The Steepwater Band.  The hail from Chicago and frankly I’m surprised they aren’t more of a national presence yet.  But they are certainly on their way.  Check out their new video for their song Lord Knows.  I’m sure you’ll sense a bit of a Black Crowes influence – that’s probably because Marc Ford (ex-Black Crowes guitarist and currently playing with Booker T) produced their Grace And Melody album.

More on The Steepwater Band in Cara’s Basement:

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Lollapalooza Artist Interviews

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

Three long days of great music and fun at Lollapalooza along with 2 nights of latenight Lollapalooza parties absolutely wore me out.  It literally took me three days to recover.

WTMX's Cara Carriveau & The Local Tourist's Theresa Carter

The latenight parties were insane.  And I do mean that in a good way.  My party buddy all day and night all weekend was Theresa Carter from The Local Tourist.  On Friday night we hit the exclusive Rock the Vote Late Night after-party in the Music Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.  In fact, Lindsay Lohan was spotted there with her sister Ali so you know it was a major blow-out.  The Virgins among other artists performed and I don’t think we ever stopped dancing until at least 3am.

We went back to the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago the next night for an even more exclusive party and an even crazier, later nite.  Thank goodness for the unlimited supply of redbull.

Oh yeah, we also caught some great acts at Lollapalooza last weekend.  Even chatted with some artists.  Here’s a few conversations you can check out…I’ll have more soon:

The Airborne Toxic Event: 

Brandon Flowers of The Killers:

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Party In The Park

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

This weather has me confused – has summer begun yet, or is it over?

Okay, it must be summer.  Feels like it today.  And, because every Thursday afternoon, 4-6:30pm, Party In The Park is rockin’ at The Park Grill…outside on the plaza at Millenium Park, right below the infamous bean.  101.9 WTMX puts on these free shows every week all summer.  Yep…FREE!  Two or three bands jam live while you relax outside sipping Bud Select.  In fact this year The Park Grill even put couches out in front of the stage…so you couldn’t possibly be any more relaxed.

Skip out of work a bit early today and join me for live music from State Of Man and Tom Butwin.

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Laps For Lucy

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

People who hear me on the radio, listen to my podcasts or read my blogs are certainly aware of my passion for music.  But first and foremost I am a mother, and without a doubt the main focus of my life is my kids.   Not a day goes by where I don’t feel extremely thankful for their health and happiness. 

My heart breaks when I hear of families that have to deal with terminal health issues, especially those involving sick children.  I can’t imagine the pain of knowing your child is suffering and/or might not make it to their next birthday.  So, when I heard about a young toddler  ”Lucy” (her name is an alias to protect her privacy) stricken with such a horrible disease I felt compelled to share her story. 

photo courtesy of Maura Gaskill

Lucy has a genetic disease called SCA7 (Spinocerebellar Ataxia 7) which will eventually shut down all her abilities to walk, see, talk, breathe, think, and pump blood to her heart thus killing her.   As if that isn’t heartwrenching enough – she is part of a large but very close foster family in Oak Park, and one of her brothers wrote a very touching story about her situation.

You can help Lucy and the 150,000 Americans and their families who suffer from the devastating effects of Ataxia. Your participation in the 2009 Laps For Lucy this Saturday morning will bring the world one step closer to a cure for Ataxia.  The race is at Oak Park River Forest High School Track (Lake Street and East Avenue, Oak Park, IL).  All Proceeds go to the National Ataxia Foundation.

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Lovehammers Are Back Rocking!

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

If I could have bottled up all of the sheer happiness at Chicago’s House Of Blues last Friday night and sold it, I’d be a millionaire. Many happy Hammerheads were immensely enjoying a moment they feared would never come.

Lovehammers at House Of Blues, photo courtesy of Christie LaMountain

Marty Casey shocked Lovehammers fans (and, in fact, the rest of the Lovehammers) about a year ago when seemingly out of blue he announced that he was leaving the band he had been the lead singer of for over a decade (more about that here) to front L.A. Guns. Thankfully, that lasted exactly a year and he has now returned to his fellow Lovehammers. A packed house at the House Of Blues got to experience one of Chicago’s premier rock bands put on one of their greatest shows ever. They performed songs off of every single one of their albums, including the soon-t0-be-released Heavy Crown.

I spoke to the band hours before they hit the stage Friday night. Heavy Crown won’t be out until July 21 but you can hear most of the songs from it and the truth about Marty leaving and then coming back to Lovehammers HERE:

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P!nk Performs Upsidedown

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

She’s the coolest chick ever.  Catch P!nk on her Funhouse Tour at the Allstate Arena Saturday, September 26.  Tickets go on sale today.

I recently chatted with P!nk on 101.9 WTMX.  She shared her secret in keeping amazingly fit, which is necessary for this tour since she’s hanging upside while singing much of the show.  She’s actually in the best shape of her life…in fact, she says she is ”on like Donkey Kong”! 

Will her honey Carey Hart be with her on tour?  Will she do “So What” acoustic?  Find out here:

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Creed is reuniting!

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team
Okay so they claim it’s more of a “re-birth”. Whatever. Creed was one of the hugest bands of the late 1990′s, so news of the original line-up of Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall getting back together is huge.

Listen to Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti chat in Cara’s Basement about their new album, summer tour and how having kids made them fiinally able to get the band back on track.

Funniest part is when Scott Stapp refers to the infamous Chicago Creed concert where he was so waisted that he forgot the words to all the songs and laid down on stage aparrently napping as a “not-so-great-show”. Gee…ya think???  But he does have a point…he’s had far more good shows (where he didn’t nap and/or forget the lyrics) than bad ones.   Let’s hope their August 30 gig at The First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre isn’t a “not-so-great” show.

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It’s the song stuck in your head…

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

“Nothing matters but the weekend.  From a Tuesday point of view.”

If you found yourself humming the tune as you read the words, then you’re familiar with “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ To Glide” by The Kings.  Possibly, you have heard that song every Friday for the past two decades – many radio stations STILL play it religiously to kick off the weekend.  And rightly so.  It may have been a one-hit wonder, but it’s one of the most sustainable one-hit wonders ever.  It totally encapsulates the feeling of…well, the weekend!

Check out the backstory of what lead up to that hit song from Mister Zero, songwriter/guitarist for The Kings, in Cara’s Basement.

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with U2 (almost)

Cara Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

Here’s one more chance to almost rock with U2.  No better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day then with the rockers from Ireland…or, in this case, St. Louis…Elevation is at Durty Nellies Palatine tonight.

Check out my chat with Elevation‘s Bono“:

Check out more of my celebrity interviews in Cara’s Basement and in Cara’s Connection.

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You can (practically) rock with U2 this weekend!

Cara Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

With all the hupla this week over U2 coming to town, the big let down was the fact that they never even played a single note.  Sure, it was cool that a few hundred lucky souls got to be in close proximity to such a legendary band as they spun music and answered questions, but many folks in Chicago were hoping for some kind of surprise performance. 

You’ll fiinally get the chance to see U2 live when they play Soldier Field on September 12, kicking off the North American leg of their world tour.  But what if you don’t want to wait until the fall to hear U2 play live in Chicago?

If you saw me walking around Chicago Tuesday afternoon with Bono that was actually the lead singer of Elevation, the greatest U2 Tribute band. You can catch them:

Friday, March 13…Abbey Pub, Chicago

Saturday, March 14…McGee’s, Chicago

Tuesday, March 17…Durty Nellies, Palatine

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Here’s what you missed at the U2 “secret show”

Cara Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

Well, the rumours were true.  The “secret” location for U2‘s live event in Chicago last night wound up being The Metro on Clark.  I was among the lucky few who were bussed to the location, and when we saw “Stand Up Comedy, U2” on the sign board when we pulled up to the Metro, everyone clapped & screamed.  There were TV crews and throngs of fans waiting nearby, hoping to get a glimpse of the band.

We walked into the Metro around 6pm but the “show” wouldn’t start until 8pm.  My husband asked the bartender if they had any food and she suggested getting a Guiness because “it drinks like a meal”.  So, it was two hours of drinking and no food for a few hundred folks – you can imagine how high the energy level and volume of the crowd was by the time Shirley Manson of Garbage strolled onstage to introduce U2.

This was a live radio event simulcast all over the country, so the radio geek in me was fascinated by how technically trouble-free the event was pulled off.  Each member of U2 chose a song to play, and they explained the story of why they chose each song before playing it.  Larry Mullen was first (OMG he looks really amazing up close!).  Thank goodness he chose “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones, because prior to the broadcast the dj at the Metro played that song and for some unknown reason abruptly stopped playing it and threw on a country song resulting in an angry crowd screaming profanities at that poor guy.

The best part of this intimate U2 experience was what did not get broadcast across the country.  As each song played and during commercial breaks Shirley Manson fielded questions from the crowd.  It’s too bad that no one was able to record this part because there were some great questions and fabulous answers.  Such as…

Someone asked The Edge if he would ever sing lead vocals in the future since he has such a great voice.  Bono stepped in and said jokingly that “his BACKING vocals are particularly good”, causing the audience to erupt in laughter.

Bono was asked to name his favorite song on their new album No Line On The Horizon.  He said that his favorite part was actually about 1/3 of the album, particularly “Breath” because it’s autobiographical.  “Here we are, traveling town to town selling you our wares”. 

When asked what their favorite song to play in concert is, Larry Mullin said it’s “a song that hasn’t even been written yet”.

Several members in the audience commended Bono on his humanitarian work, including the One campaign.  How did Bono feel when the wall came down in Germany?  “The idea that geography decides whether you live or die…I want to outlaw that.”

The sweetest answer came from Bono when someone asked him his secret to having such a good marraige.  “I don’t feel like I’ve fully gotten to know her”, he said.  “She’s a very beautiful person, but hard to know.” And he explained how he met his future wife as a kid when she was “in class with The Edge, that bastard!”

Prior to the show I had fun walking around Chicago with the lead singer of the U2 tribute band Elevation.  NBC5 filmed as folks came up to him asking for his autograph! To say he is a total Bono clone is an understatement.  See for yourself – check out the pictures here.

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An intimate U2 experience…FREE!!!

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

U2 is definitely an “arena rock band” with the ability to instantly sell out any venue they book. Getting tickets, even if you’re willing to pay top dollar, is always a challenge.

Here’s spectacular news: you can see U2 up close & personal for free! U2 is celebrating the release of their new CD No Line on the Horizon next week by coming to Chicago for an awesome live event on Tuesday, March 10. This will most definitely not be a huge arena show. It will be much more intimate and private, with the location being kept top secret. Shirley Manson of Garbage will be the host and U2 will actually be “deejaying”! You cannot purchase these tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime-experience, you must win to get in. And I’m just the gal for that…

I’m giving away a bunch of free U2 tickets next week on “The Mix”. You’ll have three chances to win each day (Mon-Fri): at 10:20am, 11:20am and 1:20pm. Just be sure to be listing to 101.9 WTMX at those times and I’ll tell you what to do to win.

Good luck!!!

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FREE Screening Party of TNT’s Saving Grace

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

Who says the stars are only out in Hollywood.  So many TV shows are now holding exclusive premiers right here in Chicago.   In fact, I have the pleasure of moderating a TNT show premier next week – actor Kenneth Johnson will take part in a Q/A session right after the premier of  “Saving Grace” is viewed at Chi Bar inside the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Chicago…this Tuesday, February 24, 7pm-9pm.

If you want to take part in the fun, the good news is that it’s free to attend - but you’ll need to preregister.  Tickets are first-come-first-served, so hurry and shoot an email to savinggracechicago@gmail.com if you’re interested.

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Kelly Clarkson’s Life Does Not Suck

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

American Idol’s very first winner Kelly Clarkson is proving once again that she is the most worthy of winning in the entire span of the series.  No other AI winner had even come close to her level of success.  Her new single “My Life Would Suck Without You” has even set a record as the quickest jump to number one on the Billboard charts, going all the way from number 97 to number 1 in just one week!

What’s even more amazing than her success is the fact that she somehow has remained genuine and sweet.  The music industry can be anything but genuine and sweet, so Kelly Clarkson sure is a rarity.

I talked to her about her career and also delved into personal stuff.  I’ve always wondered if she is really different than the image we have of her…for instance, does she really go home and crank out Megadeth and rock out???  You may be surprised at her answer.  I also got her to declare her love for me.  Twice.  So not only is she genuine and sweet, she also has marvelous taste.

This conversation with Kelly Clarkson is currently the featured interview in Cara’s Basement.  Give it a listen!

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Ice Skating For Newbies

Theresa Carter, The Local Tourist, NBC Chicago Street Team

Despite growing up in rural Indiana with a pond 200 yards from my front door, the first time I ice skated was when I was 15 and visiting family in Colorado. The second time was shortly after I moved to Chicago and visited the then-new Millennium Park Ice Skating Rink. The third time was Friday.

Every winter I think it’s a shame that I hadn’t gone the year before, and every year come April I realize I’ve missed it again, so when fellow street team-er & Mix DJ Cara Carriveau invited me to go skating with her I just had to accept.

Amazingly we escaped bruise-free, and here’s how you can enjoy one of Chicago’s fun winter activities with bum – and ego – intact.

1. Get on the ice shortly before they’re going to resurface it. It’ll be all bumpy and craggy and you can’t do much more than shuffle along.
2. Sit down and congratulate yourselves on circling the rink a couple of times without a) falling down and b) tripping one of those show-off skaters that’s at least 20 years younger.
3. Watch the Olympia (not a Zamboni, I learned) bring the ice to a shiny, glass-smooth surface.
4. Watch while those show-off skaters who are 20 years younger scuff up the ice enough that you don’t step on it and slide all the way to Michigan Avenue.
5. Step back out into the rink and glide atop the smooth-but-not-slick surface until you can almost do a roller-rink style crossover at the turns.
6. Quit while you’re ahead.

When Theresa isn’t keeping her bum and ego bruise-free, she’s writing about all the fun things to do in Chicago on The Local Tourist.

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Interview: Peter Facinelli from TWILIGHT

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

Twilight is such a highly anticipated movie that literally mobs of excited fans are attending all the promotional stops prior to the movie (especially when the incredibly handsome Robert Pattinson is involved). I’m halfway through the book by Stephenie Meyer right now and definitely understand what draws the fans. Her story is very intriguing. I am absolutely glued to the book. And from what I’m hearing from those who attended the preview earlier this week, the movie is very true to the book. And the ladies all agree that Robert Pattinson is yummy.  The movie officially opens here this weekend.

I spoke to actor Peter Facinelli this week. He plays the very handsome Dr. Carlisle Cullen, one of the vampires in Twilight. He was incredibly modest not only about his good looks (c’mon!) but also about assuming that the movie would be hugely successful garnering a guaranteed sequel. He spilled to me that he was a vegetarian until he filmed this movie. Apparently, playing a vampire made him crave red meat!

You can listen to our conversation by clicking HERE.

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Interview: Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor

Cara Carriveau, NBC Chicago Street Team

I’ve been recording my podcast Cara’s Basement from my house for almost two years.  It’s very convenient – I do interviews over the phone with artists who are all over the world, so sometimes I’m talking to them at strange times.  In this case, it was 7am.  I had just gotten out of the shower.  Wearing nothing but a towel, I chatted with former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor.  Maybe that’s “TMI” but I can’t tell you how wierd it was to be talking to him while I was practically naked.  I kept thinking how envious many other women would be.  Let’s face it, Duran Duran played a pretty significant role in the popularity of MTV and was a majorly H U G E group in the 1980′s.  They still are – I have plenty of friends who still totally dig Duran Duran and their recent material has been great.

Andy Taylor wrote a juicy tell-all book, “Wild Boy” .  If ever there was someone who lived the life of a rock star, it was him.  It’s a really fun book to read and it was remarkable talking to him about what it was like to play at Live Aid  when the much-anticipated Led Zeppelin took place (they were onstage right after Zep!), performing for Princess Diana and almost getting assassinated, filming video’s with real elephants and almost drowning, and much more.   You can listen to our conversation now at www.CarasBasement.com.

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