Come Together

Photo of Carlos Hernandez Gomez from Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page.

I can’t claim to have known Carlos Hernandez Gomez, but those who did paint quite an affectionate portrait of him. Gomez, a political reporter for WBEZ radio as well as for the local television station CLTV in Chicago, passed away from cancer at age 36 this past January. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin called him, “streetwise and smart, punky yet sweet.”

He also made numerous friends among musicians in the city, and loved hanging out at Fest For Beatles Fans when it came to the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont each August. A post on the Facebook page for Fest For Beatles Fans notes that he was one of the people who sang “under the stairs.” This is an area in the hotel’s lobby where anyone at The Fest can join in on the communal spirit of singing Beatle songs. Terri Hemmert, the host of the weekly Breakfast With The Beatles show on WXRT, and a longtime emcee at The Fest, recalled Gomez as a friend, in a recent blog post on the station’s website.

On Thursday, April 8th, there will be a special Concert For Carlos, with a multi-media slide show, live bands, and an auction featuring donations from Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies, and other well-known musicians. Performers will include The Gear; Eric Howell; The Beatle Brothers; Phil Angotti; and special guest Brad Elvis. The show starts at 7PM.

It will take place at Fitzgerald’s Night Club, at 6615 Roosevelt Road, in Berwyn. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. All proceeds go to Living Water International Haiti, a charity Gomez was actively involved with up until his death. There is also an online auction. For more information, see fitzgeraldsnightclub.com and www.water.cc/carlos

CD Review: The Handcuffs - Electroluv

Brad Elvis Steakley, former drummer with The Elvis Brothers, first hooked up with vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell in the band Big Hello, and they continue to make top notch power pop as The Handcuffs. Electroluv, their second effort, also features guitarist Ellis Clark from the band Epicycle, as well as a few guest appearances from Brad’s former Elvis Brother, Graham on bass. Emily Togni plays bass on most of the other tracks.

The title track, a tribute to a vacuum cleaner, shows Steakley’s knack for writing songs that combine fun lyrics and strong melodies. The catchy “Baby Boombox” celebrates audio cassettes, 8 tracks, and turntables, while the very short “Russian or Polish Girl” is a micro-sized Gilbert & Sullivan opera. The only lyrics to “Gotta Problem With Me?” are “You gotta problem with me, I gotta problem with you” but Orwell’s feisty attitude and the energetic arrangement somehow make it work.

Not that everything on Electroluv aims for the funny bone. The mid-tempo “Wonderful Life” takes a bittersweet look at living alone, and “Turn It Up,” the only song written by Orwell, is more of a lush ballad. The various keyboards used on “Fake Friends” evoke a James Bond movie theme as Orwell sings, “Creatures like you make my skin crawl.” “Somebody Somewhere” may be the CD’s best track, an energetic blast of power pop at its best.