Starting March 28, Chicago Singles Club (@ChiSinglesClub) will be hosting a free monthly show featuring a variety of local bands at Cole’s Bar (2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.).
Chicago Singles Club is an online music publication and record label that promotes independent bands and artists from the local music scene. Organizers at Chicago Singles Club say they aim to bring emerging acts to new and larger audiences through video interviews, photo shoots and original recordings.
Now, Chicago Singles Club is looking to further their mission at Fourth Fridays at Cole’s. On the fourth Friday of every month, Chicago Singles Club is set to showcase a handful of independent musicians at Cole’s free of charge.
“One of the main goals of Chicago Singles Club in general is to bring our favorite local bands to a wider audience, and free shows are a great way to do that,” says Kerri Hacker, social media and promotions director for Chicago Singles Club. “We want to foster a stronger community within the local music scene, and as musicians, we know it can be tough to shell out $8 to go see a band you don’t know super well.”
Shows at Cole’s
Event organizers say they expect more than 100 neighbors to check out the local music. Previous events have packed Cole’s to maximum capacity, and they’re hoping to continue this trend with Fourth Fridays.
“We all really love Cole’s,” Hacker says. “It really reminds me of Cheers in a way. It’s the neighborhood bar where you can walk in and the bartenders know you by name, and are always ready to hand you a cold, tall Old Style.”
The March 28 Lineup
The Fourth Fridays series will provide neighbors a chance to check out independent bands and artists from a wide variety of genres. Though each lineup will showcase bands with similar styles, each event will be distinct, according to Hacker.
“Each Fourth Friday will be very different from the last,” she says. “For example, the first Fourth Friday is going to feature some really weird, dance-y bands, and our second showcase is going to feature mostly punk rock.”
March 28 at Cole’s will host local acts such as Bring Your Ray Gun (@BringYourRayGun), a self-titled disco punk act from Chicago who recently completed a short tour run during SXSW in Austin. Local indie-electronic singer songwriter, Natalie Grace Alford also will be playing the first Fourth Fridays at Cole’s. Natalie Grace Alford has played a handful of shows in Chicago area, and recently graced the stage at The Whistler (@WhistlerChicago, 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.) on March 6. Experimental and electronic indie-rock group, The Iceberg is slated for the bill for the show. The Iceberg most recently played at Wicker Park’s barcade, the Emporium Arcade Bar (@EmporiumChicago).
Chicago Singles Club and Fourth Fridays
The Fourth Fridays series at Cole’s developed as “an overflow for all the bands we love, but may not be able to feature in the immediate future, “ Hacker says. “Right now, we’re booked up through the summer, but have way more bands that we’d like to work with.”
The Chicago Singles Club team listens to every album that they receive. The organization is run by a small group, but they say they find the time to check every email and talk to local bands at shows.
Local music fans interested in attending can mark their calendars for the Fourth Fridays at Cole’s. For more information on the March 28 show, visit the Chicago Singles Club Facebook event.
Cover Photo: Kerri Hacker
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