It’s the Made in Aurora Christmas Special!
Your favorite songs and artists from the new album – plus a stand-up comedian and a no-horse open sleigh.
When: 5pm Sunday, December 18, 2011
Where: The Copley Theater at North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
How: Get tickets here for $15 each, or visit Kiss the Sky in downtown Geneva.
On Thursday, we’re giving you the chance to visit Backthird Audio and hear some behind-the-scenes stories about the making of Volume 2 at the “Making Made in Aurora” open house.
Can’t wait that ’til Thursday? Engineer Kyle Schmidt’s thoughts are online right now, right here.
tracking harp for "Warmest Time"
Recording your own music is one thing – but what does it take to interpret a song you didn’t write? And if the person who wrote it is known around town as “Mr. Mayor”- would that make a difference?
I asked arranger John Papadolius and vocalist Kevin Trudo to tell us about the creative process for “Christmas is the Warmest Time of the Year.” Read their responses here.
Catch a sneak peek – make that sneak listen – of the new record today, Friday Nov 18th, over lunch or with that morning or afternoon cup of coffee. The following locations will be playing 7 tracks from Made in Aurora Vol. 2:
The preview sampler includes tracks by HOSS, Jeremy Keen and the False Starts, Mary Lou O’Brien, Empty Can Band, Greg Boerner and Benjie Hughes.
Andrea Dawn has been a key part of City of Lights and Tiny Candle – and now, of Made in Aurora. You’ll hear her voice three times on Side One of the LP alone. We asked her for her thoughts on the “musical family” behind these three Aurora holiday traditions. Read them here.
my version was uglier
When I was 10, my sister and I made a great series of Claymation spinoffs in which the Saturday Night Live character “Mr. Bill” met aliens, drove a car and (literally) got smashed every night. We used living room furniture for sets. We wrote credits with white crayons on black paper, then held them up to the camera while we hummed end-credit music. We shot on VHS, so every frame was 5-10 seconds long, which made for some VERY slow-moving animation.
Technology is better now, but kids – I’m assuming – are no less creative than they used to be. And if they can do it, so can you. This is a golden era for filmmaking - and we’re going to prove it with the Made in Aurora video contest.
Maybe you’re a big-time filmmaker looking to help local music. Maybe you’re a small-time filmmaker looking to get your film screened at the Copley Theater (win this contest, and you will!). Or maybe you’re just a bored 10-year-old with nothing better to do than show us all up.
Whoever you are, if you have access to a computer or camera – or can get one from your local library – there’s no reason not to do this. Action!
Made in Aurora Publicity TeamWant to help local music? I need you.
We’re 5 weeks from the release of Made in Aurora: Volume 2. This a double vinyl release featuring 16 songs and 47 musicians from up and down the Fox Valley. Downtown Aurora is on the cover.
For the project to succeed, I need 5 hours of your life.
You’ll spend the first hour at Backthird Audio with me this Saturday, eating bagels and learning about the project. I’ll play you some preview tracks from the album that NO ONE ELSE has heard yet.
You’ll spend another 4 hours (or so) doing something to help us publicize over the next month. Hunt up old photos from Aurora and other towns, organize a video contest, or call and write radio or press contacts. You decide on Saturday which project to volunteer for.
All I ask is that if you say you’re going to do something, you follow through and do it.
Run the course with us and Steve will give you an MiA T-shirt. More importantly, you’ll help us recoup our costs so we can do more local-music projects like Made in Aurora. And you’ll end up more connected to your town. (Even if your town happens to be Geneva or St. Charles.)
Who’s needed? People of any age who:
• Can write ok
• Can take photos ok
• Can edit video ok
• Can make checklists and organize a stack of stuff without losing it
• Are not too shy to pick up the phone and call a stranger more than once
• Are on Facebook, like, all the time
• Are into web stuff like Spotify and Bandcamp
Who’s not needed?
• People who have lots of suggestions but cannot give 5 hours to help us act on them.
Ideas are easy. What we have to do is execute. Many hands make light work.
If you can be one of those hands, RSVP “yes” on Facebook or e-mail me at benjie@backthird.com.
Questions? Ask me!
Can’t make Saturday? Tell me! We’ll connect another way.
Catch the artists of Made in Aurora LIVE next Saturday, July 9 in – of course – downtown Aurora.
7:30 Noah Gabriel
8:15 Greg Boerner
9:00 Hoss
9:45 Dick Smith
10:30 Empty Can Band
11:15 Jeremy Keen
12:00 The Kevin Trudo
when: 7pm – 1am Saturday, July 9
where: 43 E. Galena Blvd. (the “Vargas Building”), Aurora, IL
how much: $5 at the door. Advance tickets available at Kiss the Sky, 301 W. State St., Geneva, IL.
The Vargas Building is at the corner of Galena Blvd. and Water Street in downtown Aurora – immediately across the river from the Paramount Theatre. There is a public parking garage located at 5 E Downer Pl., about a block’s walk from the show. Street parking is free in Aurora on Saturdays.
We asked Steve Warrenfeltz, who provided the financial, emotional and creative push to get Made in Aurora off the ground in the first place, to share his thoughts on the journey so far. Read what he said here.
Made in Aurora has been out for a week now – and we’ve sold more than half our initial album pressing in that time. Have you heard us yet? Then let us hear you!
This week we’re asking for reviews, feedback and comments of any kind from anyone who’s heard the album. What do you like? What don’t you like? Which new artists are you excited to have found? What would you do differently if you were in charge?
If you’ve heard the album, please leave us your review or comments of any length. Stop by the Facebook wall or use the “comments” field below this post. Local music is a local effort – let us hear from you!
