PORTAGE PARK — The sounds of New Orleans will fill the Filament Theatre Monday as the Filament House Concert Series kicks off at the Six Corners performance venue.
The series was designed to bring folk-based music and musicians from all over the world to Six Corners, organizers said.
"We want to present artists who are not only great musicians, but who have stories, have life to share as well," said Filament concert producer Luke Heiden. "[We want] somebody who's been around the block, or the world, a time or two and can make the audience howl with laugher at a great anecdote, then turn around and bring tears to their eyes with a song about that same anecdote."
The concert series is sponsored by the Mystick Krewe of Laff, which strives to educate Chicagoans about Carnival as well as and Southern Louisiana culture through special events.
The concerts will be hosted by Tom Jackson of "Somebody Else's Troubles" and the "New Orleans Music Hour" on WLUW-FM 88.7.
New Orleans guitarist Jimmy Robinson, who made his Chicago solo debut at the Filament, will kick off the series at 7:30 p.m. Monday with Lily Kiara and Floatstone as part of his U.S. tour.
The other concerts in the series are:
• Multi-instrumentalist Beth Patterson will perform folk, progressive and Celtic music at 7:30 p.m. July 21. This concert is recommended for those 15 and older, organizers said.
• Tom McDermott, one of New Orleans' premiere piano players and composers, will regale the crowd with stories about the history of New Orleans jazz and perform the score as the Buster Keaton classic "Cops" is shown at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5.
• A Super Stolie show will take place at 2 p.m. Aug. 9. The all-ages show is designed to inspire children to get up and sing, dance and perform.
• The Celtic and American folk band 4 Shillings Short will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 4.
• Self-described "tree-hugging troubadour" Amy Andrews will make her Filament debut at 7 p.m. Oct. 18.
• Kim Carson, known as the Queen of Louisiana honky-tonk music will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 25.
All concerts will take place at the Filament Theatre Ensemble's Six Corners home, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Tickets are $12-$15, and attendees can bring an alcoholic beverage of their choice.
For more information, go to filamenttheatre.org/2015concerts or email boxoffice@filamenttheatre.org.
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