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TechNews | Tuesday, january 24th, 201 7

 

Independent musicians respond to Trump presidency with charity releases

Soren Spicknall
WIIT STATION MANAGER

In the wake of a surprising
presidential election victory by Donald
Trump, a significant number of notable
figures in the American professional music
community expressed dismay at the state
of their nation and the safety of causes they
support. Independent labels and artists, whose
core demographic is typically of college age
(and who, like participants in many forms
of art in this country, typically skew left on
the political spectrum), almost immediately
began preparing for inauguration in a way that
came naturally: through song. Their efforts,
both individual and organizational, have led
to a flood of new protest music as Trump
has assumed the presidency, the proceeds of
which have largely been donated to charitable
organizations whose agendas are seen as
opposed to that of President Trump.

Even in the leadup to election,
projects like “30 Days, 30 Songs” (which
curated a playlist of tracks meant to resist the
prospect of a Trump presidency and spur voter
registration) were active signs of widespread
worry among independent musicians. That
particular project immediately expanded
following the results of the election, rebranding
as “1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs” to continue its
progressive mission throughout the coming
presidential term. The effort features some
original music composed specifically for the
playlist, interspersed with relevant tracks
from indie music history (like R.E.M.’s “It’s
the End of the World As We Know It (and I
Feel Fine)” for example). Headed up by author
and McSweeney’s” founder Dave Eggers (best
known for the memoir “A Heartbreaking Work
of Staggering Genius”), as well as Zeitgeist
Artist Management owner Jordan Kurland,
the project is backed by college radio promo

 
 
 

servicer The Syndicate.

Following the election, the number
of similar projects expanded exponentially.
The most notable immediate effort was the
result of a partnership between the creators

but with two key differences: every song is
an original composition created specifically
for the release, and listeners are asked to pay
a minimum of $30 for access to all 100 songs
in the comp. Proceeds will be distributed

 
 
 

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THAT INSPIRE F'FIEIEHESE
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of “30 Days, 30 Songs” and Secretly Group,
which operates indie labels Secretly Canadian,
Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans (home to
Anohni, Bon Iver, Foxygen, Unknown Mortal
Orchestra, Destroyer, Dirty Projectors, and
many more). Dubbed “Our First 100 Days,” it
is a song-a-day project formatted similarly to
the original “30 Days, 30 Songs” compilation,

Photo Courtesy ofOur First 100 Days

between organizations covering a number
of progressive causes, including The People’s
Climate Movement, All Above All, Cosecha,
Southerners On New Ground, Hoosier
Action, and Revolutions Per Minute. The
artists contributing to the composition aren’t
limited to the Secretly Group roster, and the
list includes notable names like Toro y Moi,

the Mountain Goats, and PWR BTTM.

Even on a smaller scale, though,
other labels and artists are working to make a
difference in the beginning stages of Trump’s
presidency. Barsuk Records announced
a label compilation titled “Sadl,” whose
proceeds will benefit the ACLU. That same
organization is also receiving the proceeds
from “Don’t stop now: a collection of covers,"
a 37-song comp that includes performances
from Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Stevenson, and
others mostly involved in music scenes near
Philadelphia and New York City. The band
Pinegrove, who made minor waves last year
for their decision to spend a month sending
all their online sales profits to a Standing Rock
protest group, has spent the last two months
foregoing those profits once again to donate to
Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty
Law Center. Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of
notable independent artists are taking similar
action, especially with online sales.

Aside from diverting their own
income to political causes, many in music
are taking more direct personal action, and
urging others to do the same. The day after
election results, alternative hip hop figure
El-P (onetime head of the Definitive Jux
record label and current member of the
critically acclaimed duo Run the Jewels) made
a donation to Planned Parenthood and took
to Twitter to urge his fellow artists to follow
suit in public view. Amanda Palmer, Wilco,
tUnE-yArDs, and plenty others participated
in Saturday, January 21’s Women’s March in
various locations across the US, and Arcade
Fire, Gorillaz, and more have independently
put out new singles with messages of rebellion
and resolve. It may be challenging for many
to face these next four years, but a large body
of musical artists in the US. and around the
world are using their talents to work toward a
progressive future.

Newly opened P Berry Kafé fills the need for coffee, tea, more near campus

Soren Spicknall
CO PY E DITOR

Like any major city, Chicago has
no shortage of offerings for those into café
culture. The coffee shop as a meeting place, a
workspace, and a neighborhood focal point
is a time-honored tradition, and in the era of
telecommuting it has become more important
than ever. Even small towns are catching on:
a recent visit to Fairhope, Alabama, a well-
heeled bayside suburb of Mobile that’s home
to 15,000 people, revealed a count of no less
than six cafés, up from three just two years
ago. And yet, in areas of Chicago that have
historically been underserved by medium-
range restaurants and similar amenities, coffee
shops like those that are popular in more
established neighborhoods are only beginning
to pop up.

Here in Bronzeville, there existed a
coffee shop named after the neighborhood at
the corner of 43rd Street and South Forestville
Avenue for a few years, but the surrounding
area could not support it at the time and
the location closed its doors long before
any current student reading this lived in the
community. The owners of that café went on
to found Sip 81 Savor, a store in comparatively
wealthy Hyde Park, home to the University
of Chicago. With Bronzeville in their hearts,
though, Sip 81 Savor opened a second location
a couple years ago in the same space once
occupied by their previous endeavor, and Sip
81 Savor Bronzeville is currently going strong
as a comfortable, art-filled space that’s popular
with the area’s rapidly expanding middle and
upper middle class.

Though Sip 81 Savor exists on 43rd
Street, it’s far enough from campus that getting
there from Illinois Tech is not significantly
more convenient than heading west into
Bridgeport to grab a drink at Bridgeport
Coffee House or Jackalope Coffee 81 Tea. In a
time when Bronzeville is still in early stages of

renewal, some students also feel uncomfortable
venturing far south. There was a brief period
of time during 2015 and early 2016 when a
café called Sapa was operating near the corner
of 35th 81 King Drive, but the business suffered
from low visibility and eventually was forced
to close facing mounting costs.

Out of the remains of Sapa’s physical
space, which takes up what was likely once a
basement apartment just north of the Chicago
Public Library’s King branch, a brand new

coffee option has risen to take its place. Called
P Berry Kafé and open since December, it
features a selection of typical coffee- and tea-
based drinks, accompanied by a small menu of
food for breakfast and lunch. The staff of the
shop are warm and welcoming, and eager to
guide newcomers around their menu (which
wasn’t yet posted anywhere at the time of
writing). While the drinks aren’t of the same
quality as those on offer at Currency Exchange
Café or Intelligentsia, they are far above the
fare available at Brii or at Global Grounds, for
that matter. A variety of flavorings are available
to cover the full range of essential lattes, and a
few options for tea can be purchased as well.

P Berry Kafé’s food offerings are
somewhat limited at this point, but they
encompass a number of local favorites for
casual lunch. Bare-bones sandwiches, such as
a jerk chicken option, are made in-house, as
well as nachos and other unpretentious food. P
Berry Kafé can reasonably cover a customer’s
need for a full meal, rising a step above the
basic pastries offered by many cafés. They still
seem to be settling into their menu and trying
new things as they go, so their regular array of

 

Photo by Soren Spicknall

eats may expand in the future.

For plenty of potential customers,
though, what’s important in a coffee shop isn’t
necessarily the food and drinks on the menu.
For those seeking a place where they can get
away from campus and get some work done
while supporting a local business, P Berry Kafé
has a large space suitable for gatherings and
individual pursuits alike. The store is arranged
into three basic sections, with couches and a
television up front that can be used for flipping
channels or playing video games. In the
middle next to the counter, a row of two-seat
tables has easy access to electrical outlets along
the wall. In the rear, near the café’s bathroom,

a small corner is carved out for friends or
coworkers to gather.

While all the essential elements
of a coffee shop are present, there are some
drawbacks to P Berry Kafé’s setup. The
location in a sub-ground-level unit means
that natural light is at a premium, and
bookworms may desire a more sunny locale.
On TechNews’s visit to the café the heat was
also quite high, which is relieving upon entry
but can be fatiguing after significant time
spent inside. And while some obvious work
has gone into making the café an inviting
and polished place to be, it lacks a distinct
personality at this point, something that local
competitors Sip 81 Savor and Jackalope Coffee
81 Tea both do very well. Perhaps the addition
of some artwork to the walls, or the erection
of personalized decorations as the staff settles
into their business’s home, could benefit its
overall atmosphere.

On the subject of art, works of
a different sort are on exhibit regularly at
P Berry Kafé. As part of an effort to reach
out to the community better than Sapa did
while they were open, the shop hosts weekly
performances from DJs, comedians, and other
Chicago figures, each performer helping to
promote the café in the process. For the first
month of the café’s existence these shows
took place only on Thursday nights, but
programming has now expanded to Sundays
as well.

While it’s not perfect, P Berry Kafé
represents the most impressive stab yet at
creating a great Bronzeville café within easy
walking distance of Illinois Tech. Just down a
few steps from the sidewalk in the 3400 block
of King Drive (near a corner that’s seeing heavy
investment soon, with the coming opening of
Chicago’s first Culver’s and redevelopment of
the plaza which currently holds a Jewel-Osco in
planning stages) is one of the neighborhood’s
newest small businesses, and it’s worth a look.