April concerts at Chicago’s small and midsize club scene
Besides the new buds popping up in gardens and parks throughout the Chicago area, another sign of spring is an active music calendar.
Here are April highlights at the area's small and mid-size clubs:
Krasno Moore Project
Garcia’s Chicago, 1001 W. Washington
8 p.m. April 12 at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. April 13; tickets, $25+
This guitar-drum duo has been years in the making. New Orleans jazz and funk drummer Stanton Moore of Galactic first met New York funk guitarist Eric Krasno when both Grammy Award winners collaborated onstage in their respective hometowns. After playing a joint set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2022, they decided to record together. Along with Hammond B3 organist Eric Finland, their debut, House of Queens, is an instrumental fusion interpretation of songs made famous by female vocalists, including Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish and Nina Simone.
Sierra Hull with Mason Via
Thalia Hall (1807 S. Allport St.)
8 p.m. April 12 ; tickets, $30+
Bluegrass songwriter and mandolinist Sierra Hull sits at the forefront of expanding the audience for the genre today. A child prodigy now 33, her early career was boosted by fellow former prodigy Alison Krauss. Today, Hull is an accomplished bandleader and Grammy nominee who is considered one of acoustic music’s most inventive artists. Her latest record is A Tip Toe High Wire.
Goldie with Submotive
Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
8 p.m. April 18; tickets, $30+
British producer, DJ and occasional actor Goldie helped pioneer jungle and drum-and-bass music. He’s on tour following the 30th anniversary of Timeless, his 1995 album that singlehandedly set the benchmark for drum and bass. To recreate this tour, he’ll be joined by drummers Adam Betts and John Blease, vocalist Natalie Williams and bass synthesist Dan Nicholls.
Nad Navillus with The Lost Year
The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia St.
8 p.m. April 18 at 8 p.m.; tickets, $15+
Nad Navillus is the showbiz moniker of guitarist and instrument Dan Sullivan, whose instrumental music on Upper Constant, his sixth album, is a hypnotic blend of minimalist, melodic jazz. Soprano saxophonist Eddie Matthews helps tighten the mood of these songs, along with the intricate textures of percussionist Madeleine Aguilar and drummer Andy Hall. Unlike many fusion albums, the melodic sense here is ever-present, which makes Upper Constant such a pleasure on repeat. Sullivan has also recorded and performed with Glen Hansard and Songs: Ohia.
Sonia Astacio Band
Rosa’s, 3420 W. Armitage Ave.
9:30 and 11 p.m April 23; tickets, $15+
This Chicago blues vocalist is a longtime staple on the current blues scene, having played venues like Kingston Mines, Buddy Guy’s Legends and yes, Rosa’s in Humboldt Park. Astacio, a Dominican American, often sings blues standards in Spanish; her originals also explore her Chicago heritage.
Winard Harper and Jeli Posse
Jazz Showcase (806 S. Plymouth Ct.)
8 p.m. April 24–27; tickets, $25+
Jazz drummer and composer Winard Harper became one of the original post-bop stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the Harper Brothers, after working for years with such legends as Betty Carter, Pharoah Sanders and Clifford Jordan. In performance, he focuses not just on the drumkit but also the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba. His band, Jeli Posse, is a regular presence on the New York club scene; their approach to jazz runs the gamut, from West African rhythmic improvisations to the American songbook.
Ben Kweller with Cheese Touch
Lincoln Hall (2424 N. Lincoln Ave.)
8 p.m. April 26; tickets, $35+
Texas-based Ben Kweller was a teenage prodigy in the early 1990s, coming into his own the decade after as a prolific singer-songwriter. His songs “Wasted and Ready,” “On My Way,” “My Apartment” and “Run” have earned him indie-pop veteran status. His forthcoming album Cover the Mirrors is set to release on May 30, the birthday of his late son, who died in a car accident in 2023. While Ed Sheeran hired him to open stadium tours in the U.K., Kweller is most potent in small clubs, where his punk and country influences shine.