FitzGerald's Celebrates 35th Anniversary with 7 Nights of Music

Submitted by FitzGerald’s

FitzGerald’s celebrates its 35th anniversary with a lineup of shows and holiday extravaganzas. The club opened 35 years ago on December 18 and we’re celebrating with a great lineup of some of our favorite artists from New Orleans, Austin, Nashville and Chicago.

FitzGerald’s, a club that the New York Times says is “a musical gem,” has been a home to a vast array of music from jazz, blues and rock to roots, funk and world music. There aren’t many owner booked clubs around and Bill FitzGerald continues to put his heart and soul into making this the best musical experience in town for both artists and fans.

HERE IS THE LINEUP FOR THE ANNIVERSARY MONTH CELEBRATION:

December 4 (9 p.m.; $22 advance, $25 at door): Sonny Landreth, John Mooney

December 5 (9 p.m.; $15): New Orleans Suspects, John Mooney

December 11 (9 p.m.; $10): A Beatles Show: ‘Rubber Soul’ played live

December 11 (9 p.m.; $12): Kevin Gordon Band, Ron Lazzeretti

December 12 (9 p.m.; $20): Marcia Ball Band

December 13 (8 p.m.; $15) Jon Dee Graham, Mike June

December 18 (9 p.m.; $15): Brave Combo Holiday Spectacular

December 19 (9 p.m.; $20 advance, $25 at door): Junior Brown, Cannonball

December 31 & January 2: (9 p.m.; $30 Dec. 31, $20 Jan. 2) Robbie Fulks Raps Up 2015, The Famous Brothers

ABOUT THE BANDS:

SONNY LANDRETH: Mascot Label Group’s Provogue Records recently released Sonny Landreth’s new album “Bound By The Blues.” The recordings mark a return to the slide guitarist’s musical roots, presenting a bold, big-sounding collection of tracks that swagger like the best of classic rock, climb to stratospheric heights of jazz informed improvisation, and inevitably remain deeply attached to the elemental emotional and compositional structures that are at the historic core of the blues. Landreth offers, “Ever since “The Road We’re On” [his Grammy-nominated 2003 release], fans have been asking me, ‘When are you going to do another blues album?’ After expanding my songs for “Elemental Journey” into an orchestral form, I thought I’d get back to the simple but powerful blues form. I’d been playing a lot of these songs on the road with my band, and we’ve been taking them into some surprising places musically. So going into the studio to record them with just our trio seemed like the next step.” http://www.sonnylandreth.com

JOHN MOONEY: Throughout the years John Mooney has developed one of the most distinctive and easily identifiable guitar and vocal signatures of anyone alive today. His newest disc, “Big Ol’ Fiya” with special guest Jon Cleary has been a long time coming but Mooney has brought some profound musical styles and songwriting to his signature syncopated delta blues sound. If there was ever a Mooney CD to own, this one is truly it. By far his most heartfelt, intimate, soulful and incredibly intricate vocals, this is a John Mooney album that is simply like none other. http://www.intrepidartists.com/artists/john-mooney/

NEW ORLEANS SUSPECTS: THE NEW ORLEANS SUSPECTS: It’s been said that the musicians of New Orleans are all members of one gigantic band that breaks up into smaller groups on a nightly basis. If this were really the case, The New Orleans Suspects would be in a class all their own. The group is comprised of musicians with experience and versatility that rival any other band the city has ever produced — drummer “Mean” Willie Green (The Neville Brothers, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon), bassist Reggie Scanlan (The Radiators), guitarist Jake Eckert (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), pianist CR Gruver (“The Meters Experience”) and tenor saxophonist Jeff Watkins (James Brown Band, Joss Stone). Together, these five musicians are The New Orleans Suspects. Known for their high-energy live shows, they create music that is firmly rooted in the modern New Orleans sound with compelling originals and tasteful covers. http://www.neworleanssuspects.com/

A BEATLES SHOW: ‘RUBBER SOUL’ LIVE: The Beatles “Rubber Soul” 50th anniversary celebration. Chicago musicians Phil Angotti, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough and Matt Warren will perform the album in its entirety. And after a break, a second set of Beatles’ and ‘60s music.

KEVIN GORDON: Kevin Gordon’s voice is made from dust and red clay. And the songs on the Louisiana-born performer’s latest album “Gloryland” are chiseled from the bedrock of life — the honest facts of rambling, needing, loving, soul-searching and experience. “I like the unfinished ending — the story that just continues when the song’s over,” says Gordon. “Life never sums itself up in three-and-a-half minutes, and a good song doesn’t need to do that either. But it should tell a story.” There is a depth and personality that brings Gordon’s songs of the South into sharp focus, even if their essential questions about the mysteries of faith, truth and humanity hang in the air as he moves on to the next tale. http://kg.kevingordon.net

RON LAZZERETTI: Singer/songwriter Ron Lazzeretti sings simple songs about love and redemption — alternately dark, funny and buoyant. A local poster boy for late bloomers everywhere, Lazzeretti just recently released his first record, “Battle Of The Planets” after years of writing and playing in venues all around Chicagoland. http://www.ronlazzerettimusic.com/rl/

MARCIA BALL BAND: Bill FitzGerald saw her on his first trip to New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and set his sights on having her at the club. Since then, the piano great has come back year after year, bringing her brand of rollicking NOLA R&B, soulful ballads and Texas stomp. She has been nominated for several Grammys and has garnered scores of other awards during her career. A Marcia Ball show is always one of the highlights of our musical year--don’t miss it! http://www.marciaball.com/bio-text.html

JON DEE GRAHAM has always had a special place in our hearts and we in his -- his annual “Run For The Roses” tour grew around his yearly appearance at our American Music Festival. We’re not the only ones who recognize Jon Dee’s amazing talents as a songwriter and showman; Graham was named the Austin Musician of the Year during the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in 2006. He also was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame three times: as a solo artist in 2000, again in 2008 as a member of The Skunks, and again in 2009 as a member of the True Believers. http://www.jondeegraham.com

BRAVE COMBO: Brave Combo returns for its annual holiday party! Trying to describe Brave Combo’s music requires a pretty extensive vocabulary – at least when it comes to musical styles. For the past three decades the Denton, Texas based quintet has perfected a world music mix that includes salsa, meringue, rock, cumbia, conjunto, polka, zydeco, classical, cha cha, the blues and more. They are America’s Premier Dance band and a rollicking, rocking, rhythmic global journey — offering what one critic recently wrote, “Even if you come for the party, you’ll leave with something of a musical education.”
 http://bravecombo.com

JUNIOR BROWN: Junior Brown’s music combines the soul of country and the spirit of rock and roll. The crooner with the deep, dry voice invented his own instrument, the guit-steel, a double-necked contraption that combines the best of electric guitar and lap steel. But it wouldn’t matter what he played if he didn’t play with such passion and drive. You hear echoes of other guitar greats, from Ernest Tubb to Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughn, but the sound is all Junior, country and bluesy and funny too – which may be why Junior was tabbed to write the theme song for the TV show, Better Call Saul. Junior has a way of singing that sounds dead serious and yet entirely aware of the humor of any situation.
 http://www.juniorbrown.com

CANNONBALL: Cannonball is a group of musicians based in Chicago who connect with the same rock sensibilities and merriment to create an explosive sound rooted in the American folk tradition of blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll and all their offspring — hillbilly, rock-a-billy, folk rock, psychedelic, punk. They play a mixture of original songs and interpretations of personal favorites that veer from swinging rock ‘n’ roll to swaying country blues with detours down musical guitar exchanges between the dual lead guitarists that ride on a freight train rhythm bed.

ROBBIE FULKS RAPS UP 2015: What better way to end the year and anniversary celebration than joining Robbie Fulks as he salutes the happenings of 2015. Includes a champagne toast at midnight, party hats and favors. Each year this annual show gets better and better. And it always sells out to the disappointment of many. So this year we’ve got two shows — Dec. 31 and an encore on January 2. Alt-country hero Fulks presents his annual year-end show that takes a biting, humorous look at events of the past year. This is the best kind of showcase for Fulks who’s as strong a comic as he is a songwriter, singer and picker. One of the highlights is Fulks’ Rap of the Dead, an irreverent reprise of those who passed in the last year. All told, this is one of Fulks’ favorite shows. It’s a must-see and a lot of fun. http://www.robbiefulks.com

FitzGerald’s is at 6615 W. Roosevelt, Berwyn. Tickets are available at the club and TicketWebhttp://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=32814&pl=.

For more information, go to http://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.