The warm weather this week has us looking forward to getting outside this summer! We’re excited to be returning to Taste of Chicago to headline the Bud Light Stage on Friday, July 7th. The full lineup for “We’ve Got the Blues” Day is The Congregation (6:20), Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials (5:20), Zora Young (4), Tommy McCracken (2:40), Omar Coleman (1:20) and Mary Lane (12). ALL AGES AND ALL FREE.

In a few days we’ll be packing up the van to head down to Austin for SXSW 2013. Can’t wait! But before that, we’ll be playing The Hideout’s Annual SXSW Send Off Party, Saturday, March 9th. Doors open at 3PM. We hit at 5:30PM. $10 at the door. Join us for beers, music and good times!

Catch us tonight at 8PM CT on Vocalo 90.7FM’s “Live from Studio 10″. We’ll be performing a live set and talking shop with MusicVox host Jesse Menendez.

 Tune in to 90.7FM in Chicago or stream it live at www.vocalo.org

Join us in celebration of Chicago music as Chicago Mixtape turns two. February 23rd at Empty Bottle (our EB debut!)  Click here for tix.

Live Sets The Congregation / Psalm One / Santah / Animal City
DJ Sets White Mystery
Analog Video Art by brownshoesonly
Masters of Ceremony Alison Cuddy (WBEZ) and Casey Meehan (Chicago Mixtape)

Two and a half years ago we recorded Not for Sleepin’ at West Town Recording–a basement studio in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. The latest release to come out of WTR is The Jordan Year’s “Homemade Hustler”. It’s funky, soulful and provocative. We’re very excited to be joining TJY for their record release show at Subterranean on Friday, February 1st.  The lineup also includes The Skinny (instrumental soul, think Booker T & the MGs!) and DJ Intel on the turntables.

Tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. Must be 21+ with ID to get in.

Hope to see you at the show!

The New Balance, The Congregation, Michele McGuire and DJRC
Friday, January 11th at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.
Doors @ 8PM The Congregation @ 9:45PM
$10 at the door / 18+ with ID
www.lincolnhallchicago.com

Few things…

1/4/13 – Show at Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier - 7:30pm

1/10/13 – TV appearance on WGN‘s Midday News 12-1pm central
(WGN/The CW 9 in Chicago) (WGN America channel varies nationally)

1/11/13 – Show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago – 9PM

And in case you missed it over the holidays….
We made the Chicago Sun-Times list of best local albums.
And Deli Magazines’s list of best Chicago acts.

This Saturday, December 1st, The Congregation will be performing at FitzGerald’s with Go Long Mule and The Crane Wives. This will be our last show of the year–what a year it has been! We’re looking forward to closing out 2012 with an evening of great music at this legendary music venue. We hope you can join us! Click here for tickets.

P.S. We’re very excited about what we’ve got in store for 2013, including upcoming Chicago shows at Lincoln Hall, Subterranean and The Hideout. We’ll be hitting the road to showcase at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March. And the band will be featured on an upcoming episode Science Channel’s Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. We’ll be debuting new music all along the way as well!

Right Now Everything!

It’s here! Our debut album, Right Now Everything, is available for digital download on Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon. The CD is also available for purchase at Dusty Groove–both online and at their brick and mortar store at 1120 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago.

Our Chicago friends can also pick up a copy of the album at the Record Release Show this Friday night 9/28 at Martyrs’–3855 N. Lincoln Ave. The Shams Band, The Sometimes Family and DJRC will be joining us for an awesome night of music. 9PM / 21+ / $12

Get tickets in advance at www.martyrslive.com

Right Now Everything hits online stores (Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, Bandcamp, etc.) and our favorite record store–Dusty Groove America on Tuesday, September 25th. If you can wait a few more days, we’ll also have the CDs for sale at the Album Release Show at Martyrs on Friday, September 28th.

We’ve already been getting some positive feedback on the album:

This past Sunday “I Know You Will”, was featured on WXRT’s Local Anesthetic program. Stream the the broadcast here (we’re the fourth track in).

And the first review is in! Check out Music.Defined’s write up of Right Now Everything here.

We can’t wait for you to hear it!

xoxo,
The Congregation