“Rock The House” this Tuesday!

Cara “Cara’s Basement” Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

Longtime rockers in Chicago have a stong admiration for The Boyzz. They were local boys (pun intended) who hit it big and were the epitome of blue collar straight-up rock & roll. “Too Wild To Tame” is still such a cool song! Original guitarist Mike Tafoya is still rocking these days – in fact, next Tuesday you can experience his fret-work. Details coming in a moment, but first, the backstory:

When I first started up my podcast Cara’s Basement last year, The Boyzz founder/guitarist Mike Tafoya was eager to appear as a guest. I thought it was quite cool of him considering my podcast was so new, but he was happy to get the exposure for his current band Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz. We had a whole lot of fun recording that interview. Ever try Big Butt Beer? We did – listen here:

I recently talked with Mike Tafoya again for The Chicago Music Guide about a very unique music project he’s involved with in Chicago, mixing up rock & roll and house music. “Rock The House” is the third Tuesday of every month at Chicago’s world famous Dark Room. The next show is coming up this Tuesday, April 15 – so finish your taxes and come get your groove on with Tafoyas Lost Boyzz and Screamin’ Rachel Cain! Find out more here:

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Live Life! A Benefit For Breast Cancer

Cara “Cara’s Basement” Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

The Chicago Music Guide is working to help the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer raise money through a music benefit. I’ll be the emcee of this fun night of music. Live Life is at Joe’s Bar in Chicago on Sunday, April 27. Come experience live music from Paris Delane’s Tye Dye Skye, Jennifer Peterson Band, Ellen Rosner, Tracylynn & 55 South, Gina Gonzalez, White Buffalo Is Born and Twin Ray (Desiree Irwin). Doors open at 5:30, the live music begins at 6:30pm.

Tickets are only $20 plus there is an awesome silent auction. All net proceeds will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Funding is a critical component to identifying a cure and eliminating the suffering of those who are affected by the disease.

I recently spoke to one of the Live Life performers, Ellen Rosner. She’s a breast cancer survivor and thrilled to be part of this benefit. Listen to our conversation here:

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15th Annual Original Chef’s Fest

Hungry Z, NBC5 Street Team

Every summer, millions of Chicagoland residents flood Grant Park for the “Taste Of Chicago”. A wonderful event where people can sample multiple cuisines all in one place. But wouldn’t it be nice to attend a more upscale version of this wonderful festival? Well here’s your chance. Arlington Park is hosting an event that should have foodies dancing in the streets!

On April 22nd, Arlington Park will be the place to be for the “15th Annual Original Chef’s Fest”. The fest is a fun filled event that allows guests to sample food and wine from 70 restaurants! And unlike the “Taste”, it’s all indoors where the elements have no effect.

In addition to all the wonderful food, there will also be live cooking demonstrations, wine tutorials, and a silent auction. Tickets are $25 per person if you purchase before the event and $30 at the door.

I will be attending this event and reporting back afterwards with a wrap up. Please remember, that this is a more upscale event, so dress accordingly.If you would like more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit chefsfest.com or call 847-490-1010

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Politically Motivated Comedian Lee Camp

Cara “Cara’s Basement” Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

First, I have to mention that it’s quite an honor to join the NBC5 Street Team! I really dig interviewing entertainers of all types and I’m absolutely thrilled to do it for you here.

Recently, comedian Lee Camp was invited by Fox News to appear as a “left wing” comedian vs. a “right wing” comedian. Everything went fine until he surprisingly spoke his mind after the segment ended…watch what he did on youtube. You’ll also hear the clip in the beginning and again at the end of this podcast. It’s one of those rare unexpected live TV moments that really made me laugh.

In our conversation he explains why he said what he said and why it wasn’t a planned move to boost his career (burning bridges isn’t exactly a great idea for an up & coming comedian).

Here’s my conversation with Lee Camp from my podcast Cara’s Basement:

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Thieves In A Giving Mood

Erik Sorensen (Video)

Company of Thieves hit the ground running in 2007 and haven’t stopped since. And while few things in 2008 can be predicted with certainty, this act’s success is a safe bet.

I caught up with the guys (and girl) after their most recent performance, and it seems the weather isn’t the only thing that’s changed since the last time you saw them. Brad Sawicki (bass) and Jim Ratke (drums) are the newest additions to the lineup, and former Wax On Radio member, Scott Heatherly has assumed permanent keyboard duty, as opposed to select appearances from Ryan Gray. Fresh off a group of East Coast performances, including the Yahoo! Billboard Live! showcase in New York City, the band returned to Chicago for it’s biggest hometown gig to date with the new lineup, which served an even larger purpose.

Joining Company of Thieves on the Metro bill were: Skybox, The Young Sea and Sars Flannery: All of them playing for Illinois based chairties. The Tolbert Refugee Assistance Foundation as well as the Dave Eggers 826CHI Organization (dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills) both benefited directly from the elaborate performance.

C.O.T. Vocalist Genevieve Schatz recently collaborated on a track with Kevin Prchal (The Young Sea), Adam Krier (Lucky Boys Confusion, American Taxi),Ryan O’Neil (Sleeping at Last), Mikey Russell (Wax on Radio), and Dan Monahan (Last Fast Action). The song can be purchased at www.myspace.com/theyoungsea. All proceeds go to the Bryan House charity.

A special thanks to Daniel Shaughnessy (dshaughnessy47@gmail.com) for filming/editing the event and interview.

For donations and information on the 826CHI and Bryan House charities, visit:
http://www.826chi.org/ andhttp://www.bryanhouse.org/

Info and showdates:
http://www.myspace.com/CompanyofThieves

Click here for a previous review on Company of Thieves.

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