Latest news with #LydiaCash
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Lydia Cash peels back the layers of her own life to share rich, evocative Americana-inspired rock music
'I kind of love that mix of excitement and fear, like on a roller coaster,' says Lydia Cash. Those warring emotions permeate Cash's latest body of work, including the singles 'We Can Never Go Back' and 'A Whole Summer of Loving You,' which were both released earlier this year. Confident and lyrically naked, Cash (yes, of that Cash family) peels back the layers of her own life — including the end of an eight-year relationship and marriage — to share rich, evocative Americana-inspired rock music. New and old fans can hear her latest tracks during a solo set at the Empty Bottle on May 23. 'I grew up knowing that I'm related to Johnny Cash, but it actually took me a really long time to realize the impact this man had,' Cash said about the famed country musician, her distant relative. 'I grew up thinking that he was a cousin who picked up a guitar sometimes. I didn't understand the weight of that until high school.' Yet despite the family connection, music performance was not modeled to Cash during her childhood. Having grown up in a conservative home in a small town outside of Birmingham, Alabama, writing and performance were things she discovered on her own. 'Music is something that I've always naturally felt drawn to for as long as I can remember,' she said. By age 9, Cash was writing lyrics in a Lisa Frank notebook. During high school, she began singing in church. But it was college that proved to be a major turning point for the musician. There, she made friends with artists and writers around the Auburn, Alabama, music scene who inspired her to take performing seriously. So she did. In 2013, Cash moved to Chicago to pursue music and visual art. 'It opened up my entire world,' she said about the city. 'It's honestly the best decision I've ever made, moving here.' Yet music didn't always come naturally. Cash focused on visual art, her other talent, becoming a full-time painter by 2016. The pandemic, like for many musicians, became a turning point. Cash and her then-husband moved to Nashville. 'I wanted to do the full thing. I wanted to tour. I wanted to play the big shows,' she recalled. The city, rich with songwriters pursuing country music, pushed her forward. 'Everyone's good there, so I really started digging in,' Cash added. But after two years of Nashville's competitive, sometimes 'pay-to-play' atmosphere, Cash came back to Chicago. Surprisingly, it was here where she connected to the local country music scene filled with musicians, fans and two-steppers. This found family filled with encouraging friends and collaborators has now made the music creation process easy and fulfilling for Cash. 'It's just the best, most humbling feeling in the world that my friends want to play my songs with me and share that experience with me,' she said. 'I think I just got addicted.' And creating has been a healing, transformative experience for Cash. While going through her separation, Cash found music — not visual art — to be her strongest creative outlet. 'Writing songs was almost all I could do,' she said. 'It's all I wanted to do.' Most of Cash's songs are a reflection of things happening to her in real time. 'Blush,' a sweet EP she released last summer, focused on the ups and downs — the intimacies — of new romance. Raw and vulnerable, Cash leans into her openness rather than shy away from it. 'I know that we all need more empathy. We all need more connection, and that's really the only goal at the end of the day,' she offered. 'To write a song that someone else is going to relate to in some way and feel that it's genuine.' But her latest batch of music signals a new direction in Cash's life and musical direction. The single 'Joshua Tree,' released earlier this month, takes on a more structurally assailing tone. Grungy yet melodic, the track is about wanting to start over and feeling frustrated with your current situation. Inspired by a trip last year to the desert California city, Cash called it a 'symbolic trip' and the beginning of a new, unpredictable single life. 'I think part of that trip was learning to lean into my friendships and let people in. It was exhilarating,' she recalled. That spirit will permeate Cash's upcoming record, titled 'Violet,' which is slated for release this fall. Filled with a mix of angry and restorative songs spun through ripping electric guitar solos, Cash said this new record is a reflection of everywhere she's been these last few years, and this invigorating, musically-rich state of her life. 'I truly just write when I feel like I've got something to say, or when the ideas are flowing, which I feel lucky about,' Cash began. 'Because lately, there's been a lot.'
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Navy Pier summer 2025: Fireworks, live concerts and LatiNxt in August
Navy Pier has announced it summer 2025 lineup of events, including the usual twice-weekly fireworks, as well as concerts, trivia contests and themed cruises. Live On The Lake! (May 23 to Sept. 1): Navy Pier's weekend music series is performed live at the outdoor beer garden every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus Memorial Day and Labor Day Mondays. Summer Fireworks (May 24 to Aug. 30): Every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Wave Wall Wax (May 24 to Aug. 30): Wave Wall Wax brings city DJs to the Ferrara Candy Wave Wall Stage every Saturday, spinning house and dance music. Skyline Sessions (May 29 to Aug. 29): A variety of live music genres are featured from 5 to 9 p.m. every Thursday and Friday at the Ferrara Candy Wave Wall Stage. Among the featured artists are Partywatcher, Lydia Cash, Fuego de Cumbia, MER's Music Showcase, Jamiah Rogers, and Meg & The Wheelers. Trivia on the Lake! (May 22 to Aug. 28): Trivia contests from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Navy Pier Beer Garden. Rack up points each week in the hopes of winning a summer-long grand prize. Pier Fitness: Rush Hour Workouts and Sunset Yoga (June 3 to Aug. 26): Tuesday exercise classes with a fusion of Zumba and Jazzercise at 6 p.m. and yoga at 7:30 p.m. in Polk Bros Park. Wave Wall Moves (June 7-28): Live outdoor performances every Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Ferrara Candy Wave Wall Stage. Featured groups include Devika Dhir/Dilshad Khan Kathak, Niko8, Clinard Dance's Flamenco Project, Yielded Vessels and Queer Dance Freakout. City Cruises Live (June 8 to Aug. 24): In addition to the season-long Wednesday and Saturday night fireworks cruises, City Cruises is selling tickets for some new offerings. June 8: An Intimate Evening with Ken Block & Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel. June 13: Loud & Legendary, A Night with John Daly. July 5: A Night with Captain Sandy and Hannah Ferrier from Below Deck Mediterranean. July 20: A Night with Chicago Football Conference Champions: Brian Urlacher, Rex Grossman & Alex Brown. And multiple options for a 2005 Chicago White Sox World Champions Cruise with A.J. Pierzynski & Teammates. Navy Pier Open Air (June 20 to July 18): Performances at the east end of Navy Pier include Camelphat on June 20, Gorgon City Enter the Realm on July 18 and The Chainsmokers on Aug.18. Tickets ages 18 and older, starting at $55. Summer Block Party (June 25): Live bands, DJs and a Beer Garden stage. Family-friendly activities include arts and crafts, video games, physical movement activities, interactive spray paint murals, corn hole and hop-scotch, all along the South Dock. Starting at noon, both parties will conclude with fireworks at 9 p.m. Navy Pier Pride (June 28): Celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community with live music, dance, storytelling, educational programs and on-site resources from community partners Fresh Fest (July 11): Young musicians, dancers and artists will perform starting at 11 a.m. Bastille Day (July 13): Pack a picnic to celebrate the French national holiday in Polk Bros Park with live music. LatiNxt (Aug. 9-10): Two-day festival with music from the Latin American diaspora. Performances will take place across three Pier stages, and include an array of vendors. The Chainsmokers (Aug. 16): The EDM-pop rock band and DJ duo will take the stage at the Aon Grand Ballroom at 7 p.m. Aug. 16. Tickets for this 18+ event start at $88; on sale now.
