Sound Ground #85

Lady Luck was not with The Greedy Loves at the premiere of Seussical: The Musical! last Thursday. Outside Virginia Theatre, the minute they were supposed to start, a sudden sunshower erupted. Like champs and not missing a beat, they launched into a cover of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The sky darkened, and the rain strengthened, though, and they had to call it quits after just three songs. Good sportsmanship and the smell of ozone are in style every summer.

Luckier were The Opportunists, whose album Your Problem Is YOU came in time for the final show last Saturday. Amid unscripted banter, the slap-happy band played all nine songs on the album. (“Big Drum” is unlisted but bundled on track five with “Just like Reading Rainbow.”) Although the show was the same time as Intonation Music Festival, concertgoers crowded the beer garden at Mike ‘n Molly’s throughout the night.

Temple of Low Men guitarist and post-grunge solo artist Anthony Gravino recently opened his own recording studio. Last week, he finished production on his first full-length album as a recording and mixing engineer. The band is The Goran Ivanovic Group, whose last album was the Acoustic Guitar Magazine 2004 Album of the Year. Goran Ivanovic is a classical guitarist. The release party is July 29 at The Metro in Chicago. Show time is 9 p.m., and cover is $16.

The first five advance copies of long-awaited Terminus Victor album Under Surveillance arrived last week. The ambitious 10-track album is due for release in September on Innocent Words Records. In the meantime, Terminus Victor are the only one of seven bands on both the Chicago and Champaign bills for RAWK and ROLL(er coasters), a concert event July 30 and 31.

“We put RAWK and ROLL(er coasters) together because we wanna begin to build stronger connections between?the people and places?involved in creating good, nonpretentious rock music and scenes in and outside of our area,” explained Zbignu O’Shae, former guitarist for The Violents. “And because roller coasters are fun.”

RAWK and ROLL(er coasters) takes place July 30 at Six Flags and Cal’s in Chicago and July 31 at Brass Rail in Champaign. Alongside Terminus Victor at Brass Rail are Camaro Rouge, Lil’ Isaac (Johnson) & The Dirty Stank, and Cameo Turret. Show time is 9:30 p.m., and cover is $4.

Champaign, Ill., turned San Marcos, Texas, band Solips have two songs from their new Woodlands EP available for free download at myspace.com/solips: “Sliding My Love” and “Liza.” The quartet has a tentative tour date Aug. 20 in Urbana. Solips last played here Aug. 16 (2004) at WEFT and moved away that week.

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