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Showing posts from November, 2021

Music Matters - Music of the Native American Music Awards

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The new episode of Music Matters is available, featuring winners of  Native American Music Awards . This show features a wide variety of music. From pop and rock, to hip hop and country, to gospel and traditional, the Native American Music Awards represents a cross-section of the diversity found in contemporary music of First Nation peoples. The Native American Music Awards were founded in 1998 to highlight and celebrate the music of contemporary Native musicians, artists and bands. This playlist on Music Matters has a wide variety of music, including tracks from Jim Boyd, Redbone, Twin Flames, Joanne Shenandoah and many, many more. Join us for this special episode, and then head on over to the NAMA website to dive further into the wonderful world Native music. Listen below, or on our  Mixcloud  channel.
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Harold and Maude -- TONIGHT -- 7pm

By Bruce Janu -
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 Why come to see Harold and Maude ? This trailer has three great reasons: Harold and Maude was released in 1971. When it was released, people didn't know how to take the film. After all, it is essentially a love story between two people nearly 50 years apart in age. I remember renting it on VHS in high school in the 80s, and was really taken with its dark humor. By that time, public opinion had changed and Harold and Maude was considered a classic.  Despite all of its darkness, there is a tremendous amount of heart in Harold and Maude . Ruth Gordon is a treasure. And the soundtrack from Cat Stevens is a classic. The film screens as part of our ARCLight Film Series, bringing you classic films, cult films and films of cultural significance. Harold and Maude definitely fits that bill. The screening starts at 7pm. I will briefly introduce the film, talking about its historical place and a little about director Hal Ashby. Then, stay for a discussion. See you in the ARC!
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The ARCLight Podcast Explores Native history on the Next Episode

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You ever wonder what is was like here before there was Arlington Heights, or Chicago for that matter? On the new episode of the ARCLight Podcast, Joe Podlasek, the founder and CEO of Trickster Cultural Center , talks about Native history and reminds us that Indigenous people are not just found in history, but continue to impact the region and country today. This area is home to the largest population of Native people outside of traditional Tribal lands. And the Trickster Cultural Center aims to raise awareness and place indigenous people rightfully in the present. Listen to the episode below or in your favorite podcast app. This short video is an introduction to the Trickster Cultural Center. Stop down and take a look at the ARC display case to see more videos from Trickster. Trickster Gallery from The Doc Unit on Vimeo .
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Harold and Maude at the ARCLight November 9

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When it was released in 1971, Harold and Maude received mixed reviews and low box office attendance. People thought the film was weird. And a little too dark. However, within a decade--with the film getting a second life on VHS tape--attitudes changed. By the 80s, Harold and Maude was an acclaimed masterpiece.   Harold and Maude tells the story of two people, separated by over 50 years, making a connection. Harold, played by Burt Cort, is a morose young man, obsessed with death. Maude, played brilliantly by Ruth Gordon, is a nearly 80 year-old woman who meets Harold at a funeral. Her attitude and love of life is infectious, and Harold catches it and is changed.  Today, the film is critically acclaimed. Mark Caro, critic in Chicago, recently wrote about Harold and Maude in the New York Times .  "I’m sorry, "Harold and Maude,” for denying you for so long," he writes.  "You’re my favorite movie once again."  We will be screening Harold and Maude on Tues...
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Artist of the Month: Jim Boyd

By Bruce Janu -
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  I first became acquainted with the music of  Jim Boyd when I saw the 1998 film, Smoke Signals . He contributed three songs to the soundtrack, and I was  immediately drawn to his voice, which to me seemed to have not just intensity, but an emotional fragility as well.  This is particularly true with "A Million Miles Away," which remains one of my favorite songs: When I see you read by the candlelight I wonder if you'll hurt your eyes Some people like happy endings But I've always liked a surprise And I've got a map here in my pocket That shows where Lucifer fell Ya I'll fall from Heaven If you guide me through Hell From that point on, I purchased every available album produced by Boyd. This was not easy, because Native artists are not necessarily carried by major suppliers or played on mainstream media outlets, even though someone like Boyd had the potential to reach a much larger audience, as his music is American music, plain and simple.  Although he oft...
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Native American Heritage Month

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It is Native American History Month , and the ARC is celebrating in several ways. First of all, check out our book selections that highlight Native American voices. These books span from non-fiction to fiction, poetry and graphic novels. You can browse the collection through our catalog or view these books in a downloadable pdf . This month, we are featuring the music of Jim Boyd, our artist of the month. His music can be streamed via our Spotify playlist . On an upcoming episode of the ARCLight Podcast , we sit down with Joe Podlasek, the founder fo the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg. He talks with us about the work the center does in raising awareness of Native issues. We also touch on the people who lived in the area before European settlement. Finally, listen for the new episode of Music Matters , which will feature artists who have won Native American Music Awards, or "Nammies" as they are know. Coming soon!
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Artists of the Month: Jerry Butler and Betty Everett

By Bruce Janu -
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My first exposure to Jerry "The Iceman" Butler came from a K-Tel commercial for an album called Superbad   in 1973 that I saw when I was a kid. I didn't know much about him at the time.  It wasn't until I was much older that I became a fan. Although Jerry Butler was born in Mississippi, he moved with his family to Chicago in 1941, and grew up in the  Cabrini Green housing projects. It was in church where he met Curtis Mayfield. Together, in 1958, they joined with three other singers to form "Jerry Butler and the Impressions." After leaving the group a couple of years later, Jerry Butler went solo and received the moniker "The Iceman" from a Philadelphia DJ, to highlight his cool, baritone voice. The name stuck. Betty Everett, too, was born in Mississippi. At the age of 18, she moved to Chicago in 1957 to pursue a music career. In 1964, she produced a hit single. You probably know it, because it has been covered by many people including Linda Ronsta...
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"Race Music" and the Beginning of Rock and Roll

By Bruce Janu -
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Last month we highlighted Elvis Presley. He may have been the “King of Rock and Roll,” but in no way did he invent the music. In fact, he merely copied the music that had been invented and played in the Black community for years.   Not to diminish the importance of Elvis, though. He would eventually develop his own style. But more importantly, he introduced Rock and Roll to a whole new audience. Billboard , January 1, 1949 Public Domain Like Blues and Jazz before it, Rock and Roll music was developed by Black musicians in Black communities. But it was not known as Rock and Roll, however. It was, at the time, called “rhythm and blues,” or “R & B.” Which, according to Little Richard , stood for “real Black.” To White America, however, it was called “Race Music.” Major record labels refused to record it. White-owned establishments did not put the music in their juke boxes. White performers did not record the music, either. At least, not yet. This was a pattern that had played o...
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Summer Reading Book #6: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

By Bruce Janu -
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Alright. I've said this before. And I will say it again. This may be my favorite book so far this summer. (Sorry Pride ) To be honest, I haven’t read too many books like this---a book written in verse. And I loved how it looked on the page. I loved the cadence of it. It “sounded” good in my head, if that makes sense.  The Poet X is the story of Xiomara Batista, the daughter of Dominican immigrants. She lives in Harlem in a cramped apartment with her parents and twin brother, Xavier. She finds refuge in her poetry, and keeps her thoughts and poems secret in a journal.  Her poetry reveals a sensitivity and vulnerability that is absent from her tough exterior:  The other girls call me conceited. Ho. Thot. Fast.  When your body takes up more room than your voice  you are always the target of well-aimed rumors,  which is why I let my knuckles talk for me.  Which is why I learned to shrug when my name was replaced      by insults....
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