Unscene Media Blog

Introducing Rich P. Song (The Video)

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:54:00 +0000

Like I was saying in my previous post, I was out shooting Rich P. Song the other day in his old neighborhood. Having an artist on the same page as the creative people behind him isn't necessary a regular occurrence, so being that he was a rare exception to the trend, he was really awesome to work with.

Aside from visiting his old neighborhood, we also hit up a couple places that he holds near and dear to his heart. It was great to see how close he's kept himself to his roots in Chicago even now that he's going bigger places.

As far as the video goes, I tried to give the video a similar feel to the photos and share a little bit of Rich P. Song's world with you all. I downloaded a couple mixtapes lately and one of the more recent tracks I have been jamming to just fit so perfectly that I had to use it. Enjoy it and stay tuned for more!

Introducing Rich P. Song (The Photography)

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:16:00 +0000

After working with Pheave on a couple videos and photoshoots (view video 1 | video 2), Bailey from My Media Group and I got the call to make something happen for another local artist making waves for himself - Rich P. Song.

Steering clear of the typical hip-hop cliches, I was happy to shoot Rich P. Song in his old neighborhood and give everything a "real", homestyle-type feel even with his successes. It was so much fun shooting outside of a studio setting and be able to evoke more feeling out of the photos despite the cloudy day. Everyone else being so eager to be a part of his photoshoot and video made things super easy too. Stay tuned - the introducing Rich P. Song video will be up soon! Enjoy the photos while you wait!

Are You Born Free?

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:23:00 +0000

So while I was making my rounds online, I came across this video directed by Romain Gavras for M.I.A's newest single "Born Again". I love music videos like this and I absolutely LOVE what Gavras did with it. Such a strong/controversial message set against an equally powerful song. It's brilliant. I usually don't like videos that pause the music for "storyline" (e.g. more than a fair share of uninspiring hip hop videos...gag), but M.I.A's video does it so well that everything still flowed. Needless to say, it extended my break from combing through photos from a recent photoshoot to play it over and over again. Okay back to work. Enjoy!

"The French director created a nine minute-clip filled with explicit, violent, graphic, politically-charged images that come in accordance with the powerful single. M.I.A.’s still-untitled album is scheduled to drop June 29 via N.E.E.T./Interscope." - Via [Hypebeast]

Cristeta Comerford says...

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:44:00 +0000

Over the weeekend I headed over to Northwestern University to attend a lecture from White House executive chef, Cristeta Comerford - the first female and first minority chef in the White House. Even first family cooking aside, she's had quite a decorated resume. So when I heard she was coming back to Chicago, I definitely wanted to listen in on what she had to say. The event was graciously put together by Kaibigan, Northwestern's Filipino student organization, and was co-sponsored by Multicultural Student Affairs, ECO, Food Health Initiative (FHI), One Book One Northwestern and SEED.

Although we didn't get to sample some top tier Obama-style cuisine, it was really interesting to hear how she got her start, how it is to work for the first family and how she envisions healthy living will evolve from the uber-processed fast food life we know (and gluttonously love & twit-pic) to a smarter, more conscious dining experience. I was also happy to hear that her knowledge went beyond the kitchen and into the impact of greener food production solutions to help us all lower our carbon footprints. Oh and yes she does make Filipino food for the Obamas, but she has found ways to put healthier, yet amazingly tasty spins on our traditionally artery clogging deliciousness. Hmmm...maybe we can snag her recipe for adobo for next year's Adobofest?! Hahaha.

Anyway, in addition to snapping some photos, Ryne from BakitWhy and I got some face to face media time with her after the event which was great.

I also got to meet another Canon red-ringed faithful (albeit the pure video iteration) from TFC who was covering the event. Nice meeting and chatting with you, Ted! I'm excited to collaborate with you and TFC more in the future!

At any rate, enjoy the photos everyone! For higher-res requests, shoot me an e-mail and I'll take care of you.

And by the way, big thanks to AJ Aguado (outgoing president of Kaibigan) for inviting me to the event (and for snapping the last pic of me and Cristeta Comerford, haha) - you guys did a great job putting the event together!

Hip Hop Connxion: The One 2010

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:51:00 +0000

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow | Right click & save

The next day after the Prelude Midwest event, I met up with Lakhi from Ascene Chicago to shoot for "The One", which is an annual event spearheaded by the various chapters of Hip Hop Connxion. What I can thoroughly appreciate, aside from the amazing event they put together, is the fact that they really have their focus down. In addition to their incredible talent, they strive to make that positivity a magnetic force all over the world, educate others, inspire self-confidence and deter the youth from drugs. Pretty amazing mission statement. And it goes well with one of their mottos:

“It’s not about who you beat, it’s about who you inspire” - Suavé

To make things even sweeter, Suavé from Hip Hop Connxion brought in some incredible regional talent (Nonstop, Culture Shock Chicago, House Arrest 2, HHC-Michigan, Design, Hip Hop Force, Phaze II, CODA, MADD Rhythms, HHC-Chicago, FootworKINGZ, Purifyied, HHC-Indiana, Be the Groove and Gifted Souls) and the infamous KABA Modern in to treat the crowd with some awe-inspiring choreography. While getting some photos n' footage done with Ascene, it was great to delve into some of the crew's backgrounds and inspirations for why they do what they do. We also got in a quick word with Suavé, the man behind "The One", and picked his brain about what the show is all about. In a way, it made me take a look back and think about where Unscene Media has gone, what it strives to be and done and where it wants to go.

We also got some time to get to know KABA Modern a bit better (OMG!) which was great. I remember watching them back in the (single digit) Vibe days and thinking they were going to be HUGE. What's great is that despite all their successes, they are still down-to-earth, funny and really chill people to talk to. Really nice meeting all you guys and I hope we cross paths again soon! (and I hope Portillos was all you hoped for, Cindy haha)

FYI, I really had a hard time narrowing down the photos I really liked to post up on the blog...so if you guys want to view the photos in their entirety, you can see the lot of them on the slideshow at the top of this post). Cool? Cool. Enjoy the photos!

Lastly I wanted to express my personal condolences for the loss of Katie Lunn - a Chicago member (then and always) of Hip Hop Connxion. I didn't know her personally, but the impression that she left on her fellow dancers was felt to the fullest. Suavé himself made it clear that the entirety of this year's show was dedicated to her memory. Rest in peace.

Prelude Comes to the Midwest

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:39:00 +0000

So over the weekend, Chicago welcomed the Prelude Urban Dance Competition to the Midwest for the first time - HECK YEAH! Redefinition did a great job pulling it all together and brought some amazing talent, sponsors and people through the doors for the event.

By the way if you haven't had a chance to check out the new spring line from Ethnikroots, you definitely missed out 'cause they're selling a few pieces from the line at events. Lucky for you, a couple more pieces are in store for you guys, so stay tuned and keep your eyes on the site for when the new line gets uploaded. Gotta give some quick props to Potential Villian who have been really hustling lately. Glad to hear your trip on the west coast went well! OH...and I have to give some massive love to DESIGN who were announced the winners of Prelude Midwest. AMAZING job guys! I was happy to see you guys perform the next day at "The One" also.

Here are some photos from the night as a quick preview:

Stay tuned for more photos and maybe a little video in the near future!

Thread Meddle Outfit x Lumino Mag x UMG

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Switching gears a bit, I met up with Barmey from Lumino Magazine again to check out the Thread Meddle Outfit dance troupe perform over the weekend. From checking out their website briefly, I was super excited to get out to their performance and shoot.

Needless to say, I was left in awe of the performance - the choreography, the music, the thought processes behind the piece in itself. It all fit beautifully and unconventionally together in a way that echoed their rhythmic mission statement: "to generate original dance pieces that are created out of the desire to meld together two different artistic personas into one unique movement voice...with the idealistic belief that two contradictory elements can exist together."

I felt a little guilty snapping photos because it was super quiet during a majority of the performance (and also because I just wanted to watch), but it was worth clicking and filming away to share these performers with you all. Here are some of the photos:

I'll be sure to try and get a video up soon so you guys can see what they're all about. Thanks again to Barmey at Lumino magazine for the heads up on this one - it was great catching up! Can't wait until our next shoot!

Nanotech 210 x Cypher (Part 1)

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:53:00 +0000

A little while ago, I put together a little teaser for the Nanotech210 cypher we filmed over at Pressure Point Studios. After recently getting the audio from the studio, I went ahead and threw together the first part of the cypher. Also, if you watch closely, you'll see Pheave, another artist I recently covered getting in on the piece. Make sure you keep an eye out for him on here and on French Kiss Music Group.

Anyway, stay tuned for more on Nanotech210 and Pheave - new projects are already in the pipeline. Big thanks go out to Bailey from MY Media Group for linking me and Ray from Komifoto up again - it's been an absolute blast to mesh minds with you guys!

Nanotech 210 x Live Well x Bentley Gold Coast

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:42:00 +0000

In continuing work with Nanotech 210, Ray from Komifoto and I headed over to Bentley Gold Coast to take a few snaps for the brand. Here are a few samples:

The Great Dr. Nakamatsu

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:06:00 +0000

A documentary about the world’s greatest living inventor: The Great Dr. Nakamatsu. The Japanese inventor holds more than 3,000 patents, including the floppy disk, the CD, the DVD, the digital watch, CinemaScope, armchair “Cerebrex”, sauce pump, and the taxicab meter.

[Via Staple Design]

Pheave: The Music Teaser

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:28:00 +0000

If you didn't catch the behind the scenes video from the most recent MY Media x UMG x Komifoto collaboration, be sure to check out the post.

But what I'm REALLY excited for is linking back up with Pheave to put together his full music video for his newest single - 21 and Ova. While I was over at the Komifoto studio over the weekend, we also decided to do some quick filming for a music video teaser. The full video should pan out to be pretty sick, so stay tuned! In the meantime, enjoy the vid and check out French Kiss Music Group to listen to the full track and read up on Pheave's rise in the Chicago music scene.

Ethnikroots at Pag Asa

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 04:16:00 +0000

If there's a brand that continually supports social cause as much and as often as UMG, it would have to be Ethnikroots. CJ and I have found ourselves in a lot of similar situations having built our brands from the ground up without much help and definitely with odds stacked against us. This, amongst other things, has made working with CJ so easy since we operate on such similar mindsets and goals.

After filming the Ethnikroots holiday videos and having several great creative meetings, we both decided that more collabs between us are going to happen.

Just recently, I went with CJ and company to Northern Illinois University (NIU) for the Pag-Asa Benefit Show to shoot some footage n' photos and check out some of their newest spring line. It always impresses me how Ethnikroots pushes their boundaries and keeps things fresh throughout the years. The new additions to the EKRS line are definitely SICK.

Here are some photos from the day:

Introducing Pheave (A Behind the Scenes Look)

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:35:00 +0000

I made another stop over the weekend to the Komifoto studio (where we do a lot of our collaborative filming and shooting) to mesh minds with Ray (Komifoto) and Bailey from My Media Group. Bailey's done a great job linking us all up, so big thanks to him for always staying on the grind. He's actually launching an all-new site in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. Ray and I got a preview of it before we got down to business and it is AWESOME. Can't wait to link you guys up to it when it drops.

Anyway, the three of us got together to compile some initial material for Pheave from French Kiss Music Group. We also got Nanotech 210 to lend us some of their watches for the shoot. Thanks for the hook, Tracey!

I put together a little behind the scenes video to wet your appetite before the single teaser and the official music video are released.

Here are a few photos from the shoot also:

Believe International: A Benefit Concert

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:54:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to shoot another benefit on the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus for Believe International - an organization driven to "provide educational, values training and leadership opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the Philippines who show a passion to learn and make a difference in society by serving others." [Via Believe International]

The benefit concert was put together by Filipinos in Alliance (FIA) and Manny Garcia. Not only were some amazing acts brought in for the cause (Melissa Polinar, LeeJay Abucayan and Alfa Garcia) but they collaborated with one another on stage to give us all a really unique sound and a glimpse into what we should all be doing more - working together for something bigger. It's great to see people aiming for more than their own successes.

Other favorites like TK Proposal, The Roxas Brothers, Ashlee Barrera, Abet Speaks and Alex 'Excel' Cruz also graced us with their respective talents. It's amazing how much talent we can find in Chicago that are willing to put in effort for social cause.

In the end, the concert was a big success. Anthony, it was great chatting with you - I can't wait to work on more Believe International projects with you and your team! Timmy from TK, you're hilarious and nice to finally meet you officially...keep doing your thing! Here's a couple photos from the event:

After the event and despite staying up late night to work on the event program, a bunch of us decided to hit up Ken Kee in Chinatown for some late night celebration eats. Thumbs up!

And I just have to give a special shoutout to Melissa, Leejay and Alfa - you guys are AMAZING and it was a blast hanging with you guys over the weekend! I really hope we can all get together and hang out again soon! And Melissa, huge thanks for the shout out again and playing one of my favorite songs! :smiles: Until next time!

A Night at the Fairmont

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow | Right click & save

Last thursday I got the opportunity to shoot at the Fairmont Chicago for a penthouse suite event. Thanks for hooking it up, Phalkun! It was apparently one of the first times they've rolled out the red carpet in the hotel, but the event was really catering to big wigs and CEOs of companies. No pressure right?? Haha.

Anyway, I was able to take a quick survey of the space upstairs since I arrived 3 hours early to prep and test out my new Canon 580EX II. I had been shooting with natural light (and on occasion, with strobes when necessary), so having the luxury of a portable and capable flash really made things easier.

My camera aside, the event was really fun - everyone was very friendly, eager to take photos and the food was absolutely AMAZING. After getting a few bites in at the end of the night and chatting with some of the staff, I was ready to call it a night and put another great event on the books. I can't wait to come back for another event soon! Here are some of the photos:

Help Me, Help Haiti: The Intro

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow | Right click & save

So awhile back, I shot at the Portage Theater in Chicago for an event called "Help Me, Help Haiti". I feel like I've been non-stop shooting of late, so this is extraordinarily late for me to post, haha. Anyway, the event was put together by Jen DeLeon who I had met a week before I signed on to do the event.

One of the things I was asked to make was an intro video to kick off the show, but I wanted to do something a little more fancy than just lazily throw together some photos of the performers off of Google. So I decided to shoot the performers while they were going through sound check and render a slideshow on the spot with photos and video. Sounded like a good plan, right?

Well, I was a little flustered when I looked in my camera bag and found that my CF card reader had decided to wander off, but luckily Mclaren, one of the other photogs on location, had his handy. FHEW! Thanks again, Mclaren! I thought I was going to have to make a mad dash to Calumet. Anyway, despite some technical difficulties and time issues, I managed to get the vid completed before the show started and this is the result.

Stay tuned for some more photos from the show! I promise you won't have to wait long, haha.

Talk at Playground: Pharrell x KAWS

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:48:00 +0000

I came across this while I was making my rounds 'round the blogs last night. Pharrell and the artist KAWS met up with Talk@Playground for a little interview sesh...aka just sitting around talking about some really cool stuff. I always like listening to artists speak their mind freely...it's great to hear what makes them tick, how they operate and the moves they want to make. Oh, and Abet Abet Speaks loves Pharrell. So there's that. Enjoy!

Nanotech 210 Teaser

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Like I mentioned in a previous post, UMG linked up with Bailey who heads up MY Media and Ray from Komifoto to shoot a new project for Nanotech 210.

It was really refreshing to do something different that is sure to get people's attention and put the watches on the map even more. The Nanotech guys really gave us creative license to do what we needed to do on set which made our jobs a little easier. Anyway, here's a little teaser vid I threw together while I wait for some video material and the audio recordings from the studio. Enjoy!

Nanotech 210 x MYMG x UMG x Komifoto (Teaser) from Mike Maravilla on Vimeo.

Nurses 4 Haiti: The Photography

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:49:00 +0000

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow | Right click & save

So if you've been following the blog, you'd know UMG (along with Mix Media sponsored the Nurses 4 Haiti event at Filipiniana restaurant last Friday. RJ (DJ Rex) from Mix Media got there early to set up and I wasn't too far behind to start shooting some set up photos and video.

As people started filing in as 8pm approached, you could tell it was going to be a packed house. Some of my friends actually weren't able to grab seats, but every one of them stuck around to support the cause and the artists performing. Thanks for coming out guys! Anyway, as I mentioned in my previous blog, Chris put together a great lineup of performers - including TK Proposal, Manny Garcia, Alan Tiongson & Francis Perfecto and the recent Battle of the Bamboo champions - KAPWA.

At the end of the event, the Haiti-bound ER nurses came up and expressed their thanks for the support...though I'm sure we all felt that their contributions for the Haitian people was the support that truly deserved praise. I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say thank you for being so selfless and doing what you're doing. It's not only an amazing journey of unselfish aid, but the N4H cause has also has brought more of us together to support and educate others on these worldwide matters through our collective talents.

I had so much fun shooting, connecting with new people and catching up with friends. Thanks again to Chris for putting this all together! If you guys are still feeling philanthropic (or couldn't make it to the N4H event at Filipiniana) don't worry...there's another one this Friday, March 12 at the Portage Theater called Help Me, Help Haiti. You can check out more info on Jen Deleon's blog. I won't be scarfing down any kare kare this time around, but I'll still be the guy snapping photos and video if you've got time to swing by. Hope to see you then!

Nanotech x MY x UMG x Komifoto

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:57:00 +0000

The other day I got an e-mail at 3am from Bailey who heads up MY, Inc about shooting some photos and video for Nanotech 210 at a downtown music studio.

I looked into the brand for a bit and was really impressed by not only the technology (can you believe we even HAVE cell phone watches?) but also by the attractive design and thought process that went into the watches themselves. I know a couple people were watching Avatar on their watches when nothing was going on in the studio...so sick! Anyway, Ray from Komifoto was the man that actually referred me for the gig so I definitely have to say HUGE thanks for the opp...it was a blast working with you again after the Ethnikroots Holiday shoot. If you haven't checked out the Nanotech site yet, give it a look...Ray snapped all the photos on there. And I have to add...super nice touch with the subtle pattern you used under the watches on some of the shots.

When I got to the studio, a good handful of the artists were there along with some of the producers sampling beats for the shoot. I had a chance to explore the studio with Ray to look for good locations to shoot aside from the booth and this place is absolutely brimming with creative energy. Not to mention some very notable Chicago talents have put down some tracks here (e.g. R Kelly).

Anyway, the vids should be pretty cool. As per usual, I was faced with a ton of low-light difficulty (I think it's time to reinvest in flashes and video lights), so I really had to push the 5DII to its limits. Here are some of the photos I snapped while I was filming:

Super Sweet Between Private Party

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Justin from Mix Media and I headed out to Between last Saturday to shoot some photo and video for a private (surprise) party set up by Mark Capulong.

Once I walked in, I was really taken aback by the setup. Mark did a great job planning the party and the Between staff really pieced everything together flawlessly. The staff was also incredibly attentive - even to the DJs and I behind the booth (I was definitely chowing down on the amazing food while I uploaded some photos, haha).

I was definitely hurting without a video light (or a flash), but I think I was able to make it work for the most part. Regardless, it was a blast to come out, shoot and meet new people. The night went on long after the surprise party was over which, if you know me, doesn't happen very often. DJ Erge and DJ Rex from Mix Media kept the beats going all night, which definitely made the night complete. I had a chance to talk to Erge for a bit about collabing a bit more in the future. Strangely enough when I went to meet up with Morris from Equilibrium USG to work on an upcoming project, he showed me the skyn he designed for Erge - EQ is taking over the DJ world for sure!

Anyway, here are a few photos from the night. The vid to come soon!

Nurses 4 Haiti: Come Support!

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:54:00 +0000

As we all know, Haiti had been struck by serious devastation only a few short months ago. And with the even more recent misfortunes in Chile, relief efforts are, unfortunately, spread even more thin. The economic tides that we have been stricken with (for what seems like an eternity) have made it extremely difficult for many to monetarily donate to the relief, but there are ways to provide meaningful assistance without having to break the bank.

In addition to supplemental efforts that I posted up on the Selfless blog, my friend Chris had recently informed me of a local event he put together to support Nurses 4 Haiti. The guys over at Mix Media and UMG jumped on board to help with the event along with some great performers like TK Proposal, Manny Garcia, Alan Tiongson & Francis Perfecto.

We're all coming out to the Nurse 4 Haiti event to share our collective talents, enjoy some great food and good company and, of course, support the cause. I'm sure I speak for all of us in saying that we'd love to see you come by, say hello and take a seat at Filipiniana this Friday, March 5th for the event. So far over 150 people have RSVP'd, so if you're looking for UMG, I'll be the guy juggling a camera and some kare kare. See you all Friday!

A Night at Chicago Oven Grinder

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:16:00 +0000

After the University YMCA Alumni Event, Ryne from BakitWhy and I hit up Chicago Oven Grinder to meet up with another BakitWhy member from out west (Kathlyn), Voltaire (from the Roxas Brothers) and his gf Rowie and singer/songwriter Manny Garcia.

Despite the obnoxiously loud girl a table away, we were able to enjoy the deliciousness, good conversation and some intense twitpic-ing and digicam snaps. Yup, you could tell we were a table chock FULL of bloggers, haha. Here are some snaps:

The twitpics begin!

Before commencing, 3 people at the table popped some Lactaid, hahaha

The result of obligatory 5 minute silence

Table spread (L to R): Ryne, Voltaire, Rowie, Kathlyn & Manny

I took a little video of the waiter distributing the pies. Don't mind the ridiculously high ISO on the vid - it was hella dark in there...just focus on the deliciousness, haha.

University YMCA Alumni Event

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:27:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I reunited with some old friends from college and others involved in the University YMCA from UIUC in downtown Chicago. It was really great to get together and see what not only we were all up to, but also the new direction the University YMCA is going under the direction of the new Y Executive Director, Mike Doyle. Even more than that, the University Y has given its alumni an open door to really give back to the org that provided so much for us during our tenure on campus.

Alumni of all generations (and programs) came out to the event and enjoyed great company and amazing food - all hosted at a fantastic location. It was obvious that with our collective talents, we could all do something really big for the org and for social cause as a whole. The event was extremely inspirational and I am truly looking forward to more of them in the future! I didn't really end up taking photos until later into the night, but here are a few snaps that I went through today:

Brandi Shearer & Cracker at SPACE

mike@unscenemedia.com (Unscene) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Click here or the image above to watch the slideshow

On Tuesday (thanks to Barmey over at Lumino Magazine) I headed over to SPACE in Evanston to shoot for Brandi Shearer and Cracker. The last time I had seen a live band performance was in the Philippines with my cousins (in December), so it was a treat to get out to see these two acts do their thing and let us forget about the frigid Chicago weather for a couple hours.

The acts were nothing short of amazing and it made me realize how much I missed being immersed in the music scene. I didn't have too many chances to sit and talk with the artists, but during the break I had a chance to pick Barmey's mind about how he writes for Lumino and his own musical pursuits over some 312. Really inspirational stuff going on with Barmey's projects - can't wait to dig into some of them!

Anyway, the space at err...SPACE is incredible for any of you artists looking to book a gig. It manages to be acoustically sound but stylish and trendy at the same time. It's easy to miss from the street (since the front is actually a restaurant), but if you're in the area, it's a nice concert nook you should definitely check out. Here are some of the photos from the night: