Musician and filmmaker Chris Shern getting ready to premiere his latest movie, "Vic Effects," at Classic Cinemas movie theater in St. Charles next month

 

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

Aurora resident Chris Shern's creative juices take him in many directions.

Along with being the frontman of the band Invisible Cartoons, Shern is a filmmaker. His second feature film, "Vic Effects," will premiere at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 XQ,  3740 E. Main St., St. Charles. 

Tickets are available at eventbrite.com/e/vic-effects-movie-premiere-tickets-1381155726959.

I had the chance to talk to him about the movie.

Q – Wow, you are just juggling so much these days. Your band in May released a new album, "Sci-Fi Disco Carnival."

Yeah, we released that back on May 17. We're playing at least one show a month for the rest of the year, so we'll be busy doing that.

Q – Of course, "Vic Effects" will premiere next month.  How did you come up for the theme for this movie?

I was doing a film and I was doing some Foley work on the film. (Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to films, videos, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality.)

 

It popped in my head that there's not really a lot of movies about people who make sound effects for horror movies. The sound effects, especially in horror movies or action movies, take the movie to another level.

 

I think I'm bringing something different to the table with this film.

Q – And I see there are a couple of actors in "Vic Effects" that were in your previous movie. 

Amanda Winston, who plays Vic Paulette, she was in "Evil Lurks" as well. She also is the lead character in this movie.

And Bill D. Russell, who was in "Evil Lurks" playing the creepy neighbor, plays controversial film director Milo Kemp in "Vic Effects."

Milo approaches Vic if she can work on a movie he's been working on. His previous Foley artist passed away, so he asks Vic if she can finish the movie.

That is how that plays out with those two.

Q – Did you like working with these two actors in your first film and did you think they would be a good fit for this film?

Absolutely. I really liked working with them and I'm going to continue working with them for as long as they want to work with me.

Q – You must be happy that you far exceeded your fundraising goal for "Vic Effects."

Originally, I didn't know if I wanted to do a fundraising campaign for the movie. I self financed "Vic Effects," but getting towards the end, when I was in post production, I wanted to raise some money for visual effects and certain things like that.

My initial goal was to raise $2,000. I raised that in less than 24 hours and I ended up raising almost $8,000 overall.

I thought that was pretty good for my first go around of doing this.

Q – To me, that shows that people believe in what you do and want to support it.

I'm very happy and fortunate there are people who believe in what I'm trying to do. It made me have a little bit of money to pay for some of the visual effects in the movie.

I'm trying to build my brand, so I think that's helpful for me for this movie and also for things that I try to do in the future when it comes to crowdfunding.

Q – As far as the other actors in the movie, how did you pick them?

Well, one of the other actors, Dennis Newport, I worked with him a little more than 10 years ago.

He plays Thomas Raven. I really love this guy.

He's a great actor. And I knew when I wrote this script that I wanted him to be a part of it.

He was one of the main actors that I was really seeking out. 

Katelin Stack also is amazing. She plays four different characters in this movie.

And she also did some makeup effects for the movie as well. So she's multi talented.

Q – Along with being the movie's writer and director, I understand you are in "Vic Effects" as well.

I play multiple characters as well in the movie. I play monsters and creatures and killers.

Playing one of the creatures in the movie was very difficult while directing at the same time. That was the most stressful day in shooting the movie.

I am hoping people will get the vibes of different horror genres that we connected with this movie.

We had a lot of fun working on this movie.

Q – What was the most fun part about it?

I think the most fun about it was just knowing that the actors I picked to be in this movie, they understood what the assignment was and what they needed to do.

Q – Which do you like better, making movies or making and performing music? Or do you feel you need both in your life?

At this point in my life, I definitely need both.

I've been making music and have been in bands for 30 years. I still love it.

We have a show every month for the rest of the year and I'm happy about that.

I love the balance between creating and writing songs and performing and then making movies.

I already have my script ready for my next film. I can't wait to make another film.

I'm actually going to start working on short films as well, just to have more material out there. 

It's definitely an equal balance when it comes to those things that I'm doing right now.

Chicago band Liquid Soul kicks off The Venue's outdoor concert season in exhilarating fashion

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

There are not many bands that can match the energy level of Chicago band Liquid Soul.

As such, Liquid Soul was the perfect band to kick off the outdoor concert season at The Venue in downtown Aurora on June 28.

 

Liquid Soul certainly has made its mark not only locally, but nationally as well. With its blend of jazz, hip-hop, world music and other genres, the band caused quite the stir when it burst onto the scene in the mid-'90s.  

The band quickly gained a following and in 2001, its album "Here's the Deal" was nominated for a Grammy Award for best contemporary jazz album.

The band's sound is as fresh as ever. And the spirit of founder Mars Williams remains strong with the band.

Williams, who passed away last year following a battle with cancer, was the man behind the band's vision.

One of the things that makes Liquid Soul so fun to watch live is the interplay between band members. It's like watching friends hanging out with each other.

 

The show was filled with magical moments, including when singer Omega took the stage and elevated the show to another level with her strong vocal power. 

 

More videos from the show are at https://www.youtube.com/@ericschel12/videos.

The Venue's outdoor concert series will continue on July 13 with Cesar Rosas & The Chi-Town Playboys. The third annual Summer Jam concert featuring Peach Jam, Cream Puff Warriors and Scott Tipping will take place on July 25.

More information is available at The Venue's website, themusicvenue.org.

Chicago band Ascendant to bring its uplifting sound to City Winery Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

With the release of its latest single, "Love Saved My Life," Chicago band Ascendant continues to make music that lifts your soul.

Those who come to the band's show at 7:30 p.m. June 11 at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, will hear that for themselves. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at City Winery Chicago's website, citywinery.com/chicago.

I had the chance to talk to Ascendant frontman Kael Mboya about the band and the new single.

Q – Congratulations on the release of your new single, “Love Saved My Life.” What were your goals in sitting down to make the song and does it meet or exceed your expectations?

"Love Saved My Life" was an idea I've had since around 1999. I had the bass line, beat and chorus. 

 

Sometimes, I'd go through the unfinished songs we had and remember it was there: "Oh, man. Maybe we should finish this." We never got around to fleshing it out until about 10 years ago but still didn't get to record it until a few years later. 

 

 

With that being said, the goals were to finally lay that recording down. The idea kept coming back so it was meant to be.

 

Any time the band gets hold of my ideas they take them places I wouldn't expect. They bring so much life and musicianship to the songs.

Q – The song is from your forthcoming album, "Illuminate: RED,” which I understand will be released in the fall. What should people expect from the rest of the album?

They can expect songs about love...many aspects of love, romantic and personal. "Love Saved My Life" is both the first single from the album and the first track.

 

It sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is also on the album (but further down in the track listing) as an echo or a whisper of what was initially stated. 

 

It will make sense when you hear the album. 

Q – As I understand, "Illuminate: RED” is the fourth chapter in the four-album “Illuminate” concept. How did you come up with the concept?

After our first release, "Where You Are Now," our lives started to go through some transitions (band mates leaving, parents passing away, children born). We wanted to shine some light on those transitions. 

 

Many of the songs from "Illuminate" are taken from our own personal life lessons. We went with "Illuminate" to present that idea. 

 

Once we landed on that concept, it became clear very quickly that we could give focus to different aspects of life we were living at the time. So as light can be fractured/separated into different colors by a prism, each color would then set a theme. 

 

BLUE represents wisdom...from mistakes; GREEN represents rebirth...for the band; YELLOW represents joy/reminiscing of life; RED represents love.  

 

Initially, I thought of "Illuminate" as being a double album. Unfortunately, I forgot that you can only fit so much music on a side (vinyl). If we come out with a vinyl record for the Illuminate series, it might have to be a quadruple LP.

 

Q – After “Illuminate: RED” is released in the fall, what’s next for the band? 

We're working on setting up a tour after the RED release. That tour will comprise most of the songs in the 'Illuminate' series and we'll take the live versions to some new places like we always do live. 

 

After that is another album for which there are already song ideas.

Q – The band is composed of some of your musical friends from over the years. I would imagine that creates a closeness that other bands might not have.

There is a trust, musically, that I have in these individuals. It happens in studio as well as on stage. All you have to do is tell them where we're going...where we want to land...then allow the water...the journey, to take you there.

 

"Brand New Me" from "Illuminate: GREEN" is a great example of that. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is another good example. We set the groove and then allowed it to breathe. This happens when you know each other and trust that we'll all get to where we intend to be (musically) together.
 

Q – It seems like the band wants to release songs that carry a positive message, such as your song “Power” from your debut album “Where You Are Now.” What are you trying to do with your music?

Really, I'm just trying to uplift people...starting with myself. These songs are for me as much as they are for anyone else.

 

When we started, I didn't fully believe in myself. It was easier to believe in US than just myself alone. "I've got all this power in me" is a mantra.

 

I wanted to believe it. I wanted to become it but I needed to get that self-doubt out of the way. 

 

I figured if I'm getting something from these songs, there must be more people who could use it too. It has been helpful to me and to the people who have become fans over the years. 

 

The more Ascendant performs, the more I rise in myself and we hope the audience rises with us.

Q – Soul music has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. I personally am a fan of the Black Pumas and Thee Sacred Souls. What do you think it is about soul music that draws people in? 

When it's authentic, it takes you to some place inside yourself; your core being, for lack of a better concept. It's a place where you don't feel wrong, or right or short or tall. 

 

It's a place of BE-ing where feeling, being, and doing are one and the same. This is because, I think, that is where the music is originating from...that same place.

 

It is music that is meant to be truly listened to and not skimmed over. If you take a moment and really listen, it can transform that moment, your mood and your mind. That is an authentic purpose...soul music. 

 

Musicians Anne Harris, Joanna Connor engage in music and conversation at The Venue in Aurora

Chicago area musician Anne Harris, left, interviews Chicago-based blues musician Joanna Connor, right, on May 17 at The Venue in Aurora.

 

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

For me, going to a concert is not just about listening to the songs being performed on stage.

It's also about being able to connect with the musicians on stage. 

Fortunately, Chicago area musician Anne Harris is helping to do that through She Said, the music and conversation series that she hosts at The Venue in downtown Aurora.

 

The series, which features performances and conversations with female musicians, is funded in part through a grant from the Aurora Women’s Empowerment Foundation.

On May 17, Harris and Chicago-based blues musician Joanna Connor engaged in conversation and performed together.

 

Those attending the show had the opportunity to hear Connor's riveting guitar work as well as learn how she became the powerhouse guitarist that she is today.

Once a student of the Chicago blues scene, Connor is leading the scene today. 

 

As we learn through the conversation, Connor first saw Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy perform when she was 10 years old. After that experience, she became hooked on the blues and eventually moved to Chicago.

Connor learned what it takes to be a Chicago blues musician by performing at Guy's club, the Checkerboard Lounge. Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry were some of the notable musicians who performed at the Checkerboard Lounge.

 

She was taken by surprise after Guy challenged her to a guitar battle. Guy was mesmerized by her playing and acknowledged that Connor "has got the blues."

Guy was right. And we are blessed to be able to hear her play the blues.

More videos from the show are at youtube.com/@ericschel12/videos.