Past Million Tongues:

Aug 4-8, 2004
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Simon Finn
LSD March
Michael Yonkers Band
6 Organs of Admittance
Jutok Kaneko/Shimura Koji
Charalambides
PG6
Plastic Crimewave Sound w/guests
Espers
Kawabata Makoto w/Kinski
Matt Valentine
Fursaxa
Nisennenmondai
Paul Flaherty/Chris Corsano
Josephine Foster & The Supposed
Taurpis Tula
Spires That in The Sunset Rise
The Cherry Blossoms
By Lightning to the Womb
The Civilized Age

Sidestage:
Panicsville
Lichens
Born Heller
Monostripe
Tom Carter
Goldblood
Inner Throne
Frankie Delmane
Nick Castro
Farms
MV Carbon
Davenport

Nov.3-6, 2005
2 Million Tongues
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Tony Conrad
Michael Chapman
Charlie Nothing
Jack Rose
No Neck Blues Band
Andrew Ortmann
Whitehouse
Ed Askew
Hototogisu
Gary Higgins
Jackie O Motherfucker
Pearls and Brass
Josephine Foster
Miminikoto
Mountains
Haptic

Sidestage:
The Singleman Affair
Traveling bell
Number None
Chris Connelly
Tim Kinsella/Amy Cargill
Tar Pet
Birdshow
Hardscrabble
Lux

Nov. 17-19 2006
3 Million tongues
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Bert Jansch
Smegma
Steve MacKay w/Radon Ensemble
Charalambides
Michael Yonkers and the Blind Shake
Spires That in the Sunset Rise
The Singleman Affair
Burning Star Core
Aleks and the Drummer
White Lichens
Dreamweapon
Nick Schillace

Sidestage:
Th' Exceptional Child
Skog Device
Frankie Delmane
The Joy Poppers
Folk and Violence
Yellow Universe
J. Glenn
Michael Young
Hands of Hydra

Nov 2007
4 Million Tongues
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Peter Walker
Neptune
Alasdair Roberts
Ruthann Friedman
Up-Tight
Alela Diane
Heather Murray
Charalambides
The Molten Truth Ensemble
Alla
Aleks and the Drummer
Angel Olsen

Sidestage:
Mike Tamburo
Horseback
The End of the World Band/ONO
Outpost
Kohoutek
Scarcity of Tanks
Terminal Lovers

Million Tongues Events:
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Nov.21 2008

Terry Reid
Mark Fry
Ellen Mary McGee
Hans Condor
PissPissPissOnOOnOOnO

Sidestage:
Gutzeit/Hess duo
Virginia Tate

Mar.25 2009
Michael Yonkers w/Plastic Crimewave Sound
Mannequin Men
Gunslingers
Cave

Sidestage:
Bicycle Tricycle
Ray Donato

July 9, 2009

Ya Ho Wha 13
Ga'an
The Singleman Affair
Daughters of the Sun (MN)
Great Society Mind Destroyers

Sidestage:
Plastic Boner Band

past descriptions:

Terry Reid should need no introduction, but this incredible talent should've been THE hugely successful powerhouse UK singer/guitarist of the 60s/70s, as he certainly blew away Joe Cocker, Paul Rodgers or even ol' Robert Plant--who Terry recommended for the singer-spot in Led Zeppelin, when he TURNED IT DOWN! He also turned down Deep Purple for the vocal slot! Wow--the mind boggles. His LPs are full of classic tracks covered by all from Donovan to Cheap Trick, and he toured in the day with the Stones (yes, the "Altamont tour"--yikes) , Cream ("The Farewell Tour!"), Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac. His works like "River," "Seed of Memory," and "Bang Bang" are all classic albums of rural folk, psych-blues, earth shaking soul, and mod pop bliss. He's collaborated w/the Stones, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, Mickie Most, Bonnie Raitt, even ol' Donny Henley, and countless others....He will be served well with a backing band organized by guitarist wunderkind Emmet Kelly and most of his Boogie Band (Leroy Bach, Ryan Rapsys, etc), who helped make this exciting one off gig possible. even terry couldn't remember when he played Chicago last.

Mark Fry made one of THE classic conceptual UK acid-folk LPs in 1971, "Dreaming with Alice"--recorded in Italy when Fry was a teenager!! Bootlegged and lauded by heads for years, this album is easily on par with any by Donovan, Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, and even some of the groovier Can stuff. We are honored to present his absolute first US appearance. Expect sympathetic backing from Dan "The Singleman Affair" Schneider on guitar, Virginia Tate on flute, and Adam "Hands of Hydra" Krakow on sitar.

Mary Ellen McGee hails from London, and also makes her first Chicago appearance with her unique brand of off-kilter transcendental folk on guitar, banjo and zither primarily. Ellen has toured widely in the UK and US, playing at various psych/folk festivals in San Francisco, New York and Providence and has an album The Crescent Sun ready for a January/ February 2009 release. Ellen has been likened to Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan and sings about Greek mythology, sublimation, the ocean and metaphysics, usually involving a pretty high death toll. she's gigged with Bridget St. John, Jack Rose, Marissa Nadler, Ghost, etc.

Hans Condor are a relatively new band from Nashville, TN whose passion for all things '70s lay the groundwork for ripping solos, roaring blues riffs and some funky noodling in between. They mix up the razor-sharp delivery of early punk, the glittery swagger of glam and the earthy aftertaste of Southern rock. They even touch on a little Zep-style hard rock reggae...

Piss Piss Piss OnO OnO OnO is the fusion of local concussive drums and electronics duo PissPissPissMoanMoanMoan and 80s experimental legends OnO, who played notorious gigs with Naked Raygun, Snakefinger and Ministry "in the day." OnO released two LPs On Thermidor records (SPK, Birthday Party, Flipper) which explored all from Throbbing Gristle-ish electro-grind to Residents-style doo wop and everything in between.

Gutzeit/Hess Duo is the collaboration of two local experimental mainstays, Brent Gutzeit of TV Pow and other countless units, and Steven Hess of Haptic and many other improvisational ensembles. What the two will come up with together is sure to be some sort of sonic alchemy.

Virginia Tate will be coming from NY to back Mark Fry on flute, but will also apply her magic to a solo set of guitar, voice and beyond. In the past she was in underrated 80s no wave outfit Killwillow, and she has worked with legends like Mick Ronson (Bowie's main guitarist for many years), Daevid Allen of Gong, Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine, Kramer of Bongwater, and even members of The Clash!

Mannequin Men--
Chicago's favorite fucked-up sons hardly need any introduction, but their rockist racket is informed of Chi-towne's past dangerous bands like the Jesus Lizard and Big Black, and the shambling pop of New Zealand avant-janglers like the Clean or Tall Dwarves. This'll be their first performance in some time, and they are known for selling out the house, so please get there early if ya wanna catch the hijinks (and you should arrive fashionably early anyhow and see the other amazing acts).

Michael Yonkers with Plastic Crimewave Sound--
Underground legend and artistic anticipator of all from experimental noise, post-punk to loner folk, Michael Yonkers has been fiercely doing his own thing since the mid-60s. His visionary shelved 1968 LP, "Microminiature Love" was rescued by Sub Pop and promptly blew every mind that thought Sonic Youth or even the Velvet Underground invented agit-noiserock. In the mid-70s Michael suffered from a terrible accident, breaking his back-- so he then stripped down his sound to create some of the most harrowingly beautiful bedroom acid folk ever committed to private press vinyl (DeStijl reissued the classic "Grimwood," and Galactic Zoo Disk/Drag city will issue the never-released "Lovely gold" later this year).
Michael is basically coming out of retirement for this show, and it may be his last in Chicago--he is preparing a set of sounds like none have ever heard of him before, and local spacepunks Plastic Crimewave Sound will be backing him up for half of his set. PCWS will also be celebrating the release of their latest album, "Painted Shadows," on the Italian 'A Silent Place' label.

Gunslingers--
Perhaps best described by ace head Sir Julian Cope as "French super freaks and guitar manglers who put to shame each n’ every proto-metal musician across this lickle planet," The Gunslingers will be making their US and windy city debut. The Parisians are acsending stars of the blown-out biker movie fuzzrock action, and they give even the best Japanese psychedelic speed freak a run for their money--be prepared for an incendiary set.

Cave--
Leading the current expansive, Kraut-worshiping pack is local heroes Cave, who are equally known for blowing minds as getting asses to shake with their spaced out trancerock. Indebted to groovy jammers like Can and crusty freefest chuggers Like Hawkwind, their gigs are a damn party and not to be missed, as well as their sweet LP release on the local Permanent label.

Thee sidestage:
A Million tongues tradition where the best of stripped-down local acts perform in between sets to the left of the main stage...

Ray Donato--
Psych-pounders Dark Fog's kingpin steps into the solo spotlight, with what will certainly be a face-peeling skree of a performance.

Bicycle Tricycle--
Chicago music scene stalwart Bohb Blair performs with a leaner version of his ongoing project, with melodious and spacious astral folk moves.