This week’s fantasy gig poster arises from the disappointments that many concertgoers are facing. Illustrator and designer Heather Anderson made this image in response to a show that was canceled out from under her.
Heather says, “My boyfriend bought us tickets to our first-ever CocoRosie concert in April. We’ve loved them for years, so we knew our first show would be moving and beautiful.” Unfortunately, that Metro concert was canceled, but Heather turned her loss into our gain: a fantasy gig poster advertising an imaginary CocoRosie show at the Empty Bottle in September 2020. It wouldn’t be the band’s first time at the Bottle, if it happened: Reader critic Peter Margasak wrote about CocoRosie when they opened for 90 Day Men there in 2004.
“We are appreciating and feeling every moment fully,” Heather says. That’s not just a good way to approach a concert but also a helpful daily meditation. In that spirit, Heather invites us to check out local nonprofit Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.), which provides valuable services to Chicago’s senior citizens, including home repair and free rides to the grocery store. Many seniors who benefit from H.O.M.E.’s programs are low income, and monetary donations are especially welcome now.
The Reader continues to accept submissions of fantasy gig posters to be featured in this column. To participate, please e-mail [email protected] with your name, contact information, and your original design or drawing (you can attach a JPG or PNG file or provide a download link). We won’t be able to publish every submission, but we’ll feature as many as possible while the pandemic continues. Your submission can also include a nonprofit, fundraiser, or action campaign that you’d like to bring to the attention of our readers.
Not everybody can make a fantasy gig poster, of course, but anybody with a few bucks to spare can support the out-of-work staffers at Chicago’s music venues–here’s our list of fundraisers. And don’t forget record stores! The Reader has also published a list of local stores that will let you shop remotely.
ARTIST: Heather Anderson
FANTASY GIG: CocoRosie at the Empty Bottle on Sat 9/12
ARTIST INFO: thisnewforest.com
NPO TO KNOW: H.O.M.E.
