Chicago Underground Duo

It's a trip how things come full circle. You see, on February 7, 1999, the modest red-brick building at Roosevelt and Fourth streets, formerly known as Metropophobobia, celebrated its grand opening as Modified Arts with a sold-out performance by the Chicago Underground Duo. Nearly 11 years to the day, the...

By Steve Jansen

February 11, 2010

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It's a trip how things come full circle. You see, on February 7, 1999, the modest red-brick building at Roosevelt and Fourth streets, formerly known as Metropophobobia, celebrated its grand opening as Modified Arts with a sold-out performance by the Chicago Underground Duo. Nearly 11 years to the day, the space, which recently underwent personnel and operational changes as former director Kimber Lanning passed the reins over to Adam Murray and Kim Larkin, will host its first show by an out-of-town band. Guess who it is? The Chicago Underground Duo, the jazz-centric twosome (or trio, depending on the album) led by group founder Rob Mazurek and Tempe-born Chad Taylor. The Thrill Jockey-staple, who recently dropped Boca Negra, focuses on playing ambient originals of the composed and improvised varieties — Mazurek creates angular textures on cornet and pensive electronic soundscapes while Taylor lays out superhuman, mind-altering percussion quotations as only Taylor can. In our humble opinion, they're the absolute perfect band to (yet again) rechristen the contemporary art space that Peter Ragan founded so many years ago.

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