August 8, 2014

Friday night live at Transistor: Liesl Downey, Liz Bagby, and The Boobie Drothers. Sound by Jon Monteverde.

Liesl Downey is an acoustic singer-songwriter in the business of occasionally performing her music since 2005. She’s been seen recently with Elizabeth Bagby at The Ace Bar and with Strange Tree Theatre Group, less recently a member of the American Arsonists, whose claim to fame was opening for the Avett Brothers, and way less recently as a dancing hot dog. Original songs influenced by Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Kris Kristofferson and Dylan bring out elements of the Wild West, late-night country roads, city streetlights and the passage of time. This Transistor performance featured elements of the secret, sad, silly, and simplified; Elizabeth Bagby provided backing vocals on a few songs. There are a few songs onYouTube if you’re curious.

Elizabeth Bagby is a Chicago musician, writer and actor. When she isn't playing solo, she plays guitar with The Loudness War and bass with The Unswept and The Enablers. She has written and arranged music for a dozen or so productions with various theater companies. As an actor, she has appeared in shows with Signal Ensemble Theatre, The Ruckus, the side project, Actor's Gymnasium, Raven and many others. A company member of Strange Tree Group, she has performed in six of their shows and composed for two; later this month she travels to Fringe New York with their remount of "The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen" (originally part of the 2011 Steppenwolf Garage Rep). Currently Liz is in the studio with the Baguettes, recording her first full-length album, "Everything I Think I Know Is Wrong."

Also available: a previous Liz Bagby Transistor performance from May 17, 2013.

The Boobie Drothers is a group that was formed a few years ago in Chicago when two actors, Mike Mazzocca and Eric Loughlin, figured out they each played a little bit of music as well. The group comes and goes throughout Chicago playing at various venues, including The Gallery Caberet and Transistor, to name two. Christine Kent, another Chicago singer-songwriter, recently joined the group as well allowing the group to finally split a bar tab three ways. The Boobie Drothers have a folk music feel with several other musical influences driving their sound, from country music to blues to covers, a unique combination of harmonious voices and slightly tuned guitars. Always a fun show, usually a good time, never an empty glass. In this Transistor set, expect to hear a mix of their own material plus a few covers with an individual twist.

Also available: a performance Transistor performance by Little Dickens (featuring Mike and Eric) from September 7, 2012.