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Event
Chicago Farmer Live Recording Show (Night One)
Uncommon Ground presents a special acoustic seated dinner show with Chicago Farmer...
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Chicago Farmer, the moniker Bloomington, Illinois Cody Diekhoff performs and writes under, released his 7th album titled Midwest Side Stories on September 30, 2016. Midwest Side Stories is about hope, depression, job loss, meth, skateboards, a divided nation, used cars, the late shift, farms, factories, the destruction of our environment, and still being around to sing about it. The new release contains ten tracks all of which were written by Diekhoff (pronounced dee-cough), with the exception of the John Hartford classic Im Still Here.
Folk hero Todd Snider says, I love Chicago Farmers singing and playing and songs, but its the intention behind the whole of his work that moves me to consider him the genuine heir to Arlo Guthrie or Ramblin Jack Elliott. He knows the shell game that goes on under folk music which is sacred to me. Chicago Farmer is my brother; if you like me, youll love him.
Lyrically driven, Chicago Farmer delves into the social and political issues of todays world, taking it all in and putting it back out through music as a commentary on modern times in the Midwest. With his unfeigned and relatable approach, Chicago Farmer has earned a place in the heart of this generations rise of protest songs. He composes music written and sung by and for the working man, the regular person, bringing to mind modern day folk tales.
I arrived here, kicking and screaming the day that I took the stage, I went searching for some kind of meaning, like words looking for a page. Came up empty and full of worry that nothing could cover the pain, then these songs and stories began unfolding like an umbrella in the rain. This is the opening stanza to the first song Umbrella, a song that speaks of the power of music in peoples lives and is dedicated to songwriters everywhere, including many of whom weve lost in 2016.
With heartfelt observations of the world around him, Chicago Farmer has been around the folk scene for a while now singing the stories he has written along the way, aiming to capture the essence of the human condition and putting it all on display. He has gotten to know a variety of players over the years and brought together a wonderful cast of musicians to perform on the album. Diekhoff co-produced Midwest Side Stories, with engineer Chris Harden at I.V. Labs Studios in Chicago, Illinois. Harden also played Glockenspiel and harmonized vocals on select tracks. Others on the album include vocalist and guitarist Ernie Hendrickson, drummer Darren Garvey, vocalist Heather Horton, and a handful of other Midwestern mainstays.
Cody has his finger on the pulse of middle America. Coming from a long line of family farmers and factory workers in central Illinois and growing up in a rural farming community has inspired many songs that are autobiographical in nature. Farms & Factories is a workgrass song featuring fiddle, tempo changes, and the farming side of Chicago Farmer. In 2002 he moved up north to the big city where he came up with the name Chicago Farmer for what was initially intended to be a band, but ended up keeping the name for himself and started writing and recording albums. Eventually he moved back in 2008 to central Illinois where he makes his home in Bloomington. The Midwest is where he was born and raised. Its where he first started to write poetry and where he would eventually set those words into motion with his guitar.
Midwest Side Stories captures everything that Chicago Farmer is capable of as a performer, songwriter and story teller. He draws you in with the emotion in his voice and holds you captive with the lyrical pictures he paints about the real struggle the common man is up against.
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Locationuncommon ground - Lakeview (View)
3800 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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