Perfect weather, many shows, my pozole addiction

Lia Kohl's October Newsletter

Hi buddies,

It’s officially The Two Weeks of Perfect Fall in Chicago — warm and fresh and breezy. Sartorially, the two weeks that allow for anything that gives you sweat stains in both the summer (heat) and winter (under a coat). And that weird jacket you bought that isn’t warm but is still…a jacket. I’m having a great time. I rearranged our living room and made good banana bread for the first time ever (brown the butter, add a little molasses).

Normal Sounds has been out for one whole month — it feels like a long time already. I’ve loved getting feedback from friends and strangers; knowing that people are listening is really special. I especially like hearing about moments of cognitive dissonance, when the sounds of the world enter the soundscape of the album in unexpected ways. A few people told me that they listened to Plane while they were in the airport, for example. Perfect!

It also got a bit of nice press, which I’m grateful for, mostly because some of these conversations were really interesting (especially this one, with Tine Bek, who made the album’s cover art), and I found a few of the reviews to be illuminating. I like when people connect my work to the work of other artists I’m not familiar with. And I do love NPR.

My favorite thing about music making is sharing it live, and the release show at Constellation was particularly special. Thank you so much to those of you who were able to be there.

This month is busy with —

a few shows:

10.4 Performance with Gasira Timir: University of Chicago

10.9 Solo + duo with Zander Raymond: Hearth ACRE Annual Benefit, Villanelle, Chicago

10.9 Duo with Whitney Johnson: Empty Bottle, Chicago

10.10 Solo in response to Spirits, Spirits: Circle Contemporary, Chicago

10.11 Performance with Gabriel Chalfin-Piney as part of Voices Embodied: Design Museum, Chicago

10.12 Heavy Tiny at Side Yard Sounds: Compound Yellow, Oak Park

10.17 Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein at UW Madison: Madison, Wisconsin

10.19 Trio with Peter Maunu and Lou Mallozzi: Constellation, Chicago

10.20 Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein at CUNY Purchase: Purchase, New York

10.24 Akenya Under the Dome: Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago

10.25-27 Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein at Studebaker Theater, Chicago

10.30 In These Times with Makaya McCraven: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Early warning: I’m premiering a SEPTET at Constellation on November 16th!

recent good signs

tiny recommendations:

1. My friend Nadia Daou lives in Beirut and is working with Nation Station to provide roughly 2,800 meals a day to folks who have been displaced by the bombings in Lebanon. They are taking donations of any amount and I know that it’s a huge help. That’s a LOT of food. If you want to give, email me back here and I’ll give you more details (thanks to those of you who already gave via Instagram).

2. The (original) Matrix is 25 years old this year, and let me tell you, it holds up. They were playing it last week at the Regal Cinema on Western, my third favorite movie theatre, and boy was it worth $15.

3. This is so fun to play with.

4. We’ve been looking for a good Mexican cookbook for a while, and finally got Rick Martinez’ Mi Cocina. It’s a great combination of an overview of cuisines from different parts of Mexico, and recipes from specific people and restaurants. I’ve made his pozole verde three times in the last three weeks (too long for this newsletter but I’ll email you a picture if you want).

5. Whitney Johnson’s two (2!) new albums out last week.

6. My post album release treat to myself was a membership to the neighborhood pottery studio. This isn’t a recommendation for that specifically, but more an encouragement to do something that you love to do, just for that reason.

7. I’ve probably recommended him before but we love watching Chef Wang Gang on youtube — we finally made this spicy beef recipe and it was VERY good.

8. And: what are your favorite artist talks? I am giving a few in the coming year and because I didn’t go to art school, its not a format I’m super familiar with. Will you tell me about them or send me videos you like?

That’s all, for now,

Lia