2 SoSaLa Chicago concert reviews

SoSaLa performing at SURPLUS OF OPTIONS (Chicago), March 8, 2013 (photo by Eric Ricks)
SoSaLa performing at SURPLUS OF OPTIONS (Chicago), March 8, 2013 (photo by Eric Ricks)

#1 Middle-Eastern-Infuzed Free Jazz Delivers Amazing Experience

SoSaLa Performance Review
Date: Saturday, March 9th, 2013

Although I am a music enthusiast and have opinions about performances and content, I am willing to acknowledge when I am out of my depth. For example, because I am not very familiar with classical music and performances, I do not believe I could give a fair estimation of either. This holds true to a certain extent with Jazz, the particular subject of this article, and so I will tread lightly and offer the commendation I believe the artists deserve, although acknowledging I cannot give a perfectly-informed estimation of their artistry.

That being said, this past Friday night I had the pleasure to see SoSaLa at Surplus of Options, an independent antiques, furniture, and obscure art and objects buyer, seller and trader up on Lincoln Avenue. Initially, after reading the description of the band and considering the obscurity of the locale, I expected an amateur, indie effort—akin, perhaps, to a performance I once saw in a basement in which the “artist” periodically sipped wine from a bottle and put a microphone in his mouth to simulate a-melodic electronic crackles. Nevertheless, I went because I wanted to explore music in the city and hopefully make some contacts for my radio show. Read more here

#2 Concert review: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi mixing Iranian influences with the passionate tone of a well seasoned club musician.