Heat On’s second album 150 Swirl is out today on Cuneiform Records!!!!

THANK YOU TO EDWARD WILKERSON JR, FRED JACKSON JR, AND NICK MACRI FOR TAKING PART IN THIS PROJECT! ALSO TO KATE IN FOR HER GENIUS RECORDING AND STUDIO WORK!

Order the CD! I can also send a download code if you can’t afford. Cuneiform does not take part in streaming, which is an important but rare stance from labels these days.

The album came together last fall. Every day I would sketch out a melodic and/or bass line. I’d then add a second line, knowing Ed, Fred, and Nick would blend, stretch, and scratch them together. Not thinking about “what” the harmony is, but focusing on if the phrases are strong enough statements that they’re in conversation. Some of the pieces are straight up in unison, others more arranged. Ed helped affirm the narrative progression of a composition: No need to come back to ‘A’. I appreciate the band’s flexibility and ability to piece together the pages of music, usually titled a number to reflect the date it was written. Eventually the title inspiration came from ice cream and the novels of Tom Robbins.

Excerpt from track, “Lovebird Nextdoor”:

You can hear us next week at the Chicago Jazz Festival! We play September 4th at Von Freeman Pavilion, 12:40-1:35. It’s a real honor to be a part of; I saw some of the first examples of improvised music here as young one.

Officially our release shows are in November:

Nov 20 Madison, WI at Arts and Lit Lab

Nov 22 Chicago, IL at The Hideout (with Original Time Demonstrations)

Tonight and tomorrow I get to make music with one of my favorite people creating TODAY: Moor Mother. It’ll also be my first time playing in Denver!

Upcoming shows:

August 28 Moor Mother and Lily Finnegan at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

August 29 Moor Mother and Lily Finnegan at Hi-Dive *Ghost Canyon Festival (Denver, CO)

September 4 Heat On at the Chicago Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)

September 5 Next Jazz Legacy Band DC Jazz Festival (DC)

September 17 Stefan Gonzalez, Andrew Scott Young, LGF at Elastic Arts (Chicago, IL)

September 19 Erez Dessel/Garrett Frees/LGF at Cafe Coda (Madison, WI)

This year I’ve been thinking of music as collage, whether composed or fully improvised. Layering phrases, textures, dynamics that span from total opposition to unity. Often both + at the same time. For the second night of the HillHillHill (trio of comprised of Will Greene, Ishmael Ali, and myself) tour a few weeks ago, we got to play at the legendary Black College Mountain Museum. Surrounded by art, the exhibit was a spotlight on collage. From 2D to 3D. We added our own elements, both sonically and physically. 2 nights into a 10 day tour and the gears clicked in my brain. Here was a sign that we’re on THE path. It was great to get the opportunity to improvise in such a rapid succession. Never toured this long in a solely improvised ensemble. We noted that this is not spontaneous composition, rather making music (sound) with compositional elements in real time. Another fun take away was the realization that improvisation is the shared experience with the musicians and audience of experimentation; therefore the rawness of a new extended technique on the spot is part of it. Yes, I can then go back and practice how I make the sounds. But not having practiced everything upfront is okay. Or at least some may never have be created if I didn’t let myself feel free.

Some may have heard and it is true I will be fluttering around Montréal this year. My amazing partner Ivette begins a postdoc at McGill and I am eager to spend more time in another country. If you have friends/connections/work/recommendations in Montréal I'd love to hear! Open and excited for new collaborations to begin. If you’re looking for a drummer, touring musician, or lessons, reach out!!! Contact here! Chicago will still be home base and I plan to be back often. It’s a season of newness, in line with tonight’s blood moon .

XOXO LILY

Live At Elastic Arts was recorded last year. I knew it would be a night to document not only because of the stellar musicians, but the rare chance to play live with drummer Vincent Davis. Bill Harris (another amazing drummer) recorded the concert and was down to release it on Chicago-based label Amalgam Records. Now it’s preserved FOREVER. You can have your own version, fresh on wax, by purchasing directly from the label here.

Making this record gave the chance to explore a new physical media: stained glass. Thanks to Ivette for teaching and spending hours with me, so patient, as I put assembled the 3x3 squares.

Chicago album release show is June 17th at Constellation!!!! Get your tickets here.

In line with the double theme,, the night is a co-album release show with Jon Irabagon, celebrating his new solo album Raw Dog. The double drum quintet will include Vincent Davis, Will Greene, as well as Sarah Clausen and Christopher Dammann subbing in for Anisha and Emma.

The OPTION Series starts June 14! Co-curated with Dorothy Carlos and Andrew Clinkman and made possible by Experimental Sound Studio. A great way to spend your Sunday afternoons! Always free and 3-5pm in the courtyard of ESS. This season I’ll be doing the interviews with Stefan Gonzalez, Amirtha Kidambi, and Christopher Dammann.

SHOWS SHOWS SHOWS

June 13 Emma Blau, Anaeit Soul, Carmani Edwards, LGF at the Land School (Chicago, IL)

June 17 Lily Finnegan Double Quintet Release Show at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

June 22 Devon Gates, Adam Turay, Rocio Sanchez, LGF at Brothers Wash & Dry (Queens, NY)

July 11 Robbie Hunsinger, Beth McDonald, LGF at Bridgeport Music Collective (Chicago, IL)

July 12 Erez Dessel, Garrett Frees, LGF at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

July 16 Voluntary Logic (Dortmund, Germany)

July 30/31 Julia Blair Band UP Michigan

GAF TRIO EAST COAST TOUR (WILL GREENE, ISHMAEL ALI, LGF)

August 6 Lafayette, IN / August 7 Asheville, NC / August 8 Columbia, SC / August 9 Richmond, VA / August 10 Rhizome DC / August 11 Baltimore, MA / August 12 Fire Museum Presents Philadelphia, PA / August 13 Lava Club Brooklyn, NY / August 14+15+16 TBA

August 28 Moor Mother and Lily Finnegan at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

September 4 Heat On at the Chicago Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)

September 5 Next Jazz Legacy Band DC Jazz Festival (DC)

Going to finish with what I’ve been checking out this week →→→→→→

→Deep Listening: A Composer’s Sound Practice - Pauline Oliveros

→Mr Vampire (1985)

→All the Magic! / The One and Only - Lester Bowie

→James Blood Ulmer ❤️

Thank you for reading!! 💜 Lily

Shows Coming Up (april/may/june so far)

April 23 Take This Stone featuring Indigo, Carmani Edwards, Erez Dessel and LGF at Dorothy (Chicago, IL)

April 29 Heat On at The Whistler (Chicago, IL)

April 30 Will Greene/Ishmael Ali/LGF Trio at Elastic Arts (Chicago, IL)

May 22 Throw It In The Sink (gabby fluke mogul and LGF) at Mitchell Park Community Center (Palo Alto, CA)

May 23 Throw It In The Sink at Lytton Plaza 2pm (Palo Alto, CA)

May 25 Throw It In The Sink and Trio with Patrick Shiroishi and gfm at 2220 (LA, CA)

May 29 Josh Harlow Trio at Lemon (Chicago, IL)

***June 15 Lily Finnegan Double Quintet Release Show at Constellation (Chicago, IL)***

LISTENING TO

*streaming has killed my listening habits and im back to Soulseek and investing in an mp3 player and of course physical media. Encourage others to follow and keep sharing!

Big Boys (perfect Texas crazed tweaker dance punk- IYKYK )

Henry Threadgill Sextett (2 drummers is ONE)

Mississippi John Hurt (new understanding and appreciation after visiting Mississippi)

Marilyn Crispell - (Marilyn has been a part of so many groups. Loving this quartet with Billy Bang/John Betsch/Peter Kowald, along with trio with Reggie Workman, duo with Joseph Jarman, and of course solo)

James Black (found this great psychedelic soul/jazz compilation of favorite New Orleans drummer James Black)

Wendy Eisenberg (Dear friend Wendy CRUSHED it with this record plus ultimate band)

Smerz (if you’re going to make pop music make it sexy and danceable)

Revolutionary Ensemble (Never had listened to this particular album w/Leroy Jenkins, Sirone, Jerome Cooper until gabby and Hans recommended it! Immediate new favorite)

Keith Frank (Zydeco discovery, recommended by musicians while in Lafayette)

700 Bliss (Dj Haram and Moor Mother magic)

Shira Small (one of these songs was used in a new popular movie- listen to the whole album and try not to associate with the movie)

READING

Valencia by Michelle Tea (just now reading this lesbian classic)

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen (exploration of the extinction of the magnificent Sea Cows, originally in Finnish)

Endling by Maria Reva (dark humor odyssey through Ukraine)

The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey (heavy new Irish novel)

Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist by Diane DiMassa (Great comic book from Sarah!)

WATCHING

Send Help 2026 (Great Valentines Day movie theater date movie)

The Ugly Stepsister 2025 (gory spin on Cinderella)

Nadja 1994 (David Lynch produced trippy 90’s vampire movie)

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Reminder to embrace life)

Face/Off 1997 (Nic Cage movie magic)

Drumline 2002 (still holds up!)

MORE THOUGHTS

If you are in Chicago, make sure to check out the archives at the University of Chicago. There is a huge Sun Ra Archive where you can look through boxes of artifacts. There’s a big jazz archive as well, with folders of prominent musicians and venues. ANYONE can make an account, request material, and visit! Wherever you are, there is somewhere with a cool archive.

Even Sun Ra had band art doodles in a notebook. Reminder to keep your archive sustained!

With love, Lily

Hyde Park Jazz Festival starts tomorrow, September 27! This will be my debut at HPJF as a bandleader. I’m looking forward to presenting the music of Heat On, featuring Edward Wilkerson Jr., Fred Jackson Jr., and Nick Macri. We perform in the beautiful Hyde Park Union Church at 4pm. Check out the full weekend lineup here (note that my 2 all time favorite drummers Andrew Cyrille and Hamid Drake will also be performing!!!!)

There is a really beautiful preview in the Chicago Sun Times by Erica Thompson spotlighting 3 young Chicago musicians (including myself) who are leading their own groups. It was also featured on WBEZ. It is true that Hamid Drake’s encouragement helped me trust myself! Kudos to everyone keeping these festivals going despite major budget cuts. Lucky to be in Chicago that has such a dedication to cutting edge music and the arts!

Here I am sitting with Micah Collier and Frank Morrison! Below tapping on my lap.

Next week Edition Redux leaves for our third international tour. In the end our third album will also be recorded. We start in Europe and finish in Shenzhen China! We had a great September Residency at the Hungry Brain performing 15 new compositions. Can’t wait to be back on the road!

In November of 2023, I got to play with El Infierno Musical, a group led by Viennese musician Christof Kurzmann based on the poetry of Alejandra Pizarnik. The recording is now out! Features Dave Rempis, Katinka Kliejn, Lia Kohl, Ken Vandermark, Christof and myself.

Upcoming Shows

September 27 Heat On at The Hyde Park Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)

October Edition Redux Tour

October 5 Cafe Theodore (Trédrez-Locquémeau, France)

October 7 Banlieues Bleues (Paris, France)

October 8 Théâtre du Grand Rond (Toulouse, France)

October 9 Solo Sets (Brussels, Belgium

October 10 Werkplaats Walter (Brussels, Belgium)

October 11 Club Manufaktur (Schorndorf, Germany)

October 12 Soulbar Parazzar (Bruges, Belgium)

October 13 OCCII (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

October 25 and 26 OCT-LOFT (Shenzhen, China)

November 29 Voluntary Logic at Tedans (Bergen, Norway)

December 2 gabby fluke-mogul and Lily Finnegan duo at Fri Form (Trondheim, Norway)

December 4 Voluntary Logic/gabby fluke-mogul and Lily Finnegan duo Catalytic Sound Festival (Oslo, Norway)

December 14 Lily Finnegan Trio at the Whistler (Chicago, IL)

Very fascinated by the Richard Crumb documentary called Crumb (1994). Rewatched an all time favorite Watermelon Woman (1996) with a group of my gay friends. Got to see Weapons (2025) and Altered States (1980) in theaters this past month. Extremely moved by the new docuseries Pee Wee as Himself. Movies are simply the best.

More soon xxxxoooo LILY

This past weekend at the Green Mill with Edition XL featuring Ken Vandermark, Erez Dessel, Beth McDonald, Nick Macri, and Josh Berman was truly special. And we got to share the stage with the incredible poets Ed Roberson, Ken Taylor, and Kai Ihns! Years and years of great music and characters in that space creates wild energy. Thanks to everyone who came out. Lucky for everyone it was recorded so expect a new album next year :)

I really appreciate everyone who checked out the new Heat On! Getting some GREAT feedback which is inspiring me to write more. Check it out here!

https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/heat-on

Also some very sweet reviews from Richard Kamins, The Vinyl District, and Tracce Di Jazz (crazy to see a review in another language). In addition the Milwaukee show was taped and you can it hear it here with a nice write up!

When I get back there a bundle of Chicago shows I’m super excited about:

August 20 Duo with Erez Dessel at Constellation

August 25 Ed Wilkerson/Erez Dessel/LGF trio at Fred Anderson Park 6pm

September 7, 14, 21 (Sound and Gravity Festival!), 28 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain

And then back in Europe (France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands) for the first half of October with Edition Redux! Following that we head to Shenzhen, China! More on that soon!!

Finishing out the year in Oslo for the Catalytic Soun Festival on December 4, plus some additional shows Norwegian shows ⛸️❄️

So blessed to do all this traveling!

Books I’m reading (summer books + inspiration): The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet, The Institute by Stephen King, Free Play: Improvisation in life and art by Stephen Nachmanovitch.

Music I’m listening to: The Force by Max Roach and Archie Shepp, Judy and the Jerks, later Meat Puppets (not the same but still great), Musical Attack: Communist and Anarchist Friendship by Chronophage, Cities of Fear by Kaleidoscope.

Movies: 28 years later rocked!!! Also Body Melt (1993)

Always want to hear what others are checking out!!!

Thanks for reading! Maybe I’ll see some of you in Germany!

Today is the day! My album debut as bandleader is out now! A BIG thanks to Steve at Cuneiform Records for releasing the album in to the world. Amazing to be alongside such a vast and inspiring discography. Get it here on Bandcamp!

Album art by Ivette Colón

Photo by Leah Wendzinski

This band came together after an improvised set at Elastic Arts in the summer of 2023. It was such a joy to play with Edward Wilkerson Jr, Fred Jackson Jr, and Nick Macri that I wanted to make this a band. I wrote tunes and we then played and recorded them the following summer at Experimental Sound Studio. Kate In did an incredible job recording, mixing, and mastering the album. It’s been an experiment in form and flexibility. The folks at Cuneiform did a nice write up of the album.

We will be playing release shows in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit. Definitely come out and get a CD at one of these shows!

July 6 Chicago at the Hungry Brain

(We got a great concert preview in the Chicago Reader!)

July 8 Milwaukee at the Jazz Gallery

July 19 Detroit at Trinosophes

Also excited to announce that we will be playing the Hyde Park Jazz Fest! One of my all time favorite festivals and I can’t wait to present this band.

September 27 at the Hyde Park Union Church 4-5pm

I just got back from a full trip to the east coast where I got to play 5 special shows. It was great to start off by playing duo with Brandon Seabrook at an Arts for Art organized show. Then got to share the stage with my wonderful friend gabby fluke-mogul for 4 nights! We started off by playing with the great Bill Orcutt, opening for Tropical Fuck Storm, at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. First time as a trio and I hope it happens again. Deep appreciation to Bill for inviting us! We then went on to DC and Philly to play 2 HOT duo shows. It’s amazing to travel for music. The presence of queer folks at these shows meant so much to us. We do it for you! Finished out back in Brooklyn in Samantha Kochis’s quartet with Hans Young Binter. Played as Zohran won the election, an extremely memorable night.

Thank you for supporting!!!!!

❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊❤️🔥🧊

First off want to say solidarity with everyone protesting ICE, occupation in the middle east, climate destruction, fascism, surveillance police state…the list goes on. Joining together and keeping each other other safe is the only option. Mutual aid feels like a crucial way forward. A reminder (to myself as well) to keep showing up by sharing resources with your community however you can. There’s a great directory of Chicago mutual aid groups that be can checked out here. I’m sure many cities have similar networks and resources that only a little research could help find. Getting a little extra from the grocery store, sharing skills, donating part of your paycheck, etc, is possible for many.

Today I’m driving to New York to do a slew of shows. First up is a duo show with Brandon Seabrook on banjo. It’s also a birthday bash for Ava Mendoza!

Then, I’ll be touring with violinist gabby fluke-mogul in honor of our duo album “Throw It In The Sink”. One of the shows will be trio with the great Bill Orcutt. The last will be a quartet with long time friend Hans Young Binter and new collaborator Samantha Kochis.

The Option Series started this week!!! This is my third year curating the series at Experimental Sound Studio with Andrew Clinkman and Dorothy Carlos and has quickly become a summer staple for me. Great music and interviews outside for free. Check out the full lineup, as well as previous performances.

More exciting news….my first album as a bandleader comes out on June 27th on Cuneiform Records. All compositions by me. It has been described as “A Love Letter to Chicago” which feels like the highest complement. Pre-sales are up! So far release shows are planned for Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit.

Summer Shows

June 18 Duo with Brandon Seabrook at Nublu (NYC)

June 21 Bill Orcutt trio with gabby fluke mogul opening for Tropical Fuck Storm at Bowery Ballroom (NYC)

June 22 Duo with gabby fluke-mogul at Rhizome (Washington D.C)

June 23 Duo with gabby fluke-mogul at The Perch (Philadelphia, PA)

June 24 Quartet with Samantha Kochis, gabby fluke-mogul, Hans Young Binter, LGF at Young Ethels (Brooklyn, NY)

June 28 Julia Blair Band at Dirt Camp Festival (Sauk City, Wisconsin)

June 29 Kelly Bray/Jeb Bishop/Beth McDonald/Josh Berman/LGF at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

July 2 Sarah Clausen Quartet at The Hideout (Chicago, IL)

July 6 Heat On at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

July 8 Heat On at Jazz Gallery (Milwaukee, WI)

July 10 Lia Kohl/Patrick Shiroishi/Norman Long/LGF at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

July 19 Heat On at Trinosophes (Detroit, MI)

July 26 Edition XL at the Jazz Estate (Milwaukee, WI)

August 1 Edition XL (Ken Vandermark, Josh Berman, Nick Macri, Erez Dessel, Beth McDonald, LGF) at Green Mill (Chicago, IL)

August 2 Edition XL at Green Mill (Chicago, IL)

August 14-16 Festival Parzelle (Dortmund, Germany)

September 4 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 11 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 18 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 25 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 27 Heat On at The Hyde Park Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)

That is all for now. Hope to see you at a show one of these shows <3

First thing: 2 SHOWS VERY SOON!

APRIL 2 (WEDNESDAY)

HEAT ON AT THE WHISTLER 9PM FREE

Features:

Ed Wilkerson Jr. - Tenor Saxophone

Fred Jackson Jr. - Alto Saxophone

Nick Macri - Bass

LGF - Drums

Heat On is my current quartet as a bandleader. We will be playing all original compositions of mine. Honored to share the bandstand with each of these special, Chicago musicians! First show after recording our debut album this past summer (which is going to be released June 27th on Cuneiform Records!) Stay tuned for more info on that…

APRIL 10 (THURSDAY)

DOUBLE DRUM QUINTET AT ELASTIC ARTS 8:30 $15

Features :

Vincent Davis - Drums

LGF- Drums

Emma Dayhuff - bass

Anisha Rush - Saxophone

Will Greene - Saxophone and Guitar

Double drums quintet with the one and only Vincent Davis. First met around 7 years ago. Through out the years and trips to his legendary drum filled basement, he’s imparted wisdom and inspiration. Excited to now play a show together! Emma Dayhuff, another collaborator and student of Vincent, along with Anisha Rush and Will Greene, will also be on the bill. I’ve played with all these musicians separately and am excited to bring them together for this show.

Following these April shows, plans are spread out across the rest of 2025. I’ll be back in Europe, on the east coast, in Salt Lake City for the first time, SHENZHEN CHINA! and at Chicago’s staple venues.

Stay updated here: https://www.lilyglickfinnegan.com/shows

May 18 Hannah Frances at Kilby Block Party (Salt Lake City)

May 18 Hannah Frances at The Urban Lounge (Salt Lake City)

May 23 Emma Dayhuff/Anisha Rush/LGF Trio at Lemon (Chicago, IL)

June 21 Bill Orcutt trio with gabby fluke mogul, LGF at Bowery Ballroom (NYC)

June 22 Duo with gabby fluke-mogul at Rhizome (Washington D.C)

June 23 Duo with gabby fluke-mogul at The Perch (Philadelphia, PA)

June 28 Julia Blair Band at Dirt Camp Festival (Sauk City, Wisconsin)

June 29 Kelly Bray/Jeb Bishop/Beth McDonald/Benjamin Gay/LGF at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

July 10 Lia Kohl/Patrick Shiroishi/Norman Long/LGF at Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

August 1 Edition Redux XL (Ken Vandermark, Josh Berman, Nick Macri, Erez Dessel, Beth McDonald, LGF) at Green Mill (Chicago, IL)

August 2 Edition Redux XL (Ken Vandermark, Josh Berman, Nick Macri, Erez Dessel, Beth McDonald, LGF) at Green Mill (Chicago, IL)

August 14-16 Festival Parzelle (Dortmund, Germany)

September 4 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 11 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 18 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 25 Edition Redux at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

September 27 Heat On at The Hyde Park Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)

__—-___-__-_—_-_—-_—_—_-—Checking out__—-___-__-_—_-_—-_—_—_-

Another quick note: I’m teaching drum lessons! If you or someone you know is interested in learning to play the drums, contact me! Open to all skill levels and ages. I can come to you if in the Chicago area or do video lessons.

—-Lily <3

Speaking of, two bands I love being a part of just put out music!

Edition Redux - Broadcast Transformer

This is the second Edition Redux album! All music written by Ken Vandermark. We recorded it following our 2024 Southeastern US Spring Tour. The CD features beautiful textile are from Chicago’s own Beth Tuba.

Cucuy- People Talking

This is the first release by new hardcore punk band Cucuy featuring Ralph Rivera on vocals, Omar Ortiz on guitar, Greg Clow on bass, and myself on drums. Fast, loud, and funky. Out on tape, handmade by Ralph!

SHOWS COMING UP!

Looking forward to all these midwestern winter shows. Keeping the shows page on my website updated as well.

2/2 Jason Stein/Eli Winter/Erez Dessel/C Mikhail/LGF at the Hungry Brain (CHI) TICKETS

2/5 Splice Series with Josh Harlow/Carol Genetti/Peter Maunu at Beat Kitchen (CHI)

2/10 Cucuy at Cafe Mustache (CHI)

2/13 Heavy Air Happy Hour: Aaron Kaufmann Levine/Deirdre Fromberg/LGF at Cafe Mustache (CHI)

2/16 Maggie Cousin Quintet at North St Cabernet (Madison, WI) TICKETS

3/7 Sarah Clausen Trio at Lemon (CHI)

3/20 Cucuy at Not-Not (CHI)

3/31 Cucuy at The Orphanage (CHI)

4/2 Heat On at the Whistler (CHI)

What I’m Checking Out

The Empusium by Olga Tokurczuk (book)

Alien Daughters Walk Into The Sun by Jackie Wang (book)

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii (album)

The Great Bailout - Moor Mother (album)

Four for Trane - Archie Shepp (album)

You’re Wrong About (podcast)

Crochet/Amigurumi (fiber arts)

A lot of Fiona Apple

and yes,,, Severance (show)

(
ON THE HORIZON:

• New album HEAT ON! featuring Ed Wilkerson, Fred Jackson Jr. Nick Macri and myself. All new original compositions. To be released on Cuneiform Records!

• Cucuy Midwest Tour May 30th to June 7th

• Option Series 2025

Love to All

*************************************************************************************************************

“When Lily says things like, “Today… I’ll write a Substack post!,” my mouth fills with a funky taste, one that can only be described as light-hearted skepticism and overwhelming anticipation. What will she share? Are there simply shows upon shows in the horizon, an endless sea of Live Music as far as the eye can see (January-June in the Google Calendar)? Or will she say something kinda off-the-cuff, out-of-pocket? Today, for instance, she declared a liking for tuna melts— who could have seen that coming? She’s a mystery. All I’ll say is we’re all hanging on her every email.” -YIC

Big thanks to Bill Meyer for featuring my new album with gabby fluke-mogul “Throw It In the Sink” in the Chicago Reader! You can read the full article in print or online. He really encapsulates the joy and intimacy of making this album with gabby. We are celebrating the release this Sunday, December 8th, at the Chicago Catalytic Sound Festival. We will be joined by Kim Alpert. You can get tickets here. The following day, December 9th, we will be playing at Moondog Cafe in Detroit, sharing the bill with Ben Hall and Mike Khoury. You can get the new CD at the shows. Or if you can’t make it, order from Bandcamp (today is bandcamp Friday!) Great holiday music 😈

Shout out to Ralph Rivera for the awesome album art and Ingebrigt Häker-Flaten for releasing it on Sonic Transmission Records!

As mentioned above, Catalytic Sound Festival is this weekend! I had the pleasure to help curate the 3 days in Chicago. In addition to Sunday, I will be playing this Saturday with Chris Corsano and Ben Hall. Hope to see you at one or all of the days! The fest will be live streamed as well.

Thanks for reading! More soon…. xoxo

A band I’m super proud to be a part of, Edition Redux, is beginning our October Residency TONIGHT at the Hungry Brain! In this last year we’ve recorded 2 records, spanning over 20 compositions written by Ken Vandermark. This follows our 2023 release, Better a Rook Than A Pawn, which included a whole previous book of music. Broadcast Transistor is the name of the new album which will be released at the end of this. Come celebrate the music with us in the greatest city (Chicago) at the Hungry Brain October 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.

In addition, we are playing October 7th alongside the great film “the Passion of Joan of Arc” (very relevant!) at the Music Box. Unfortunately it is sold out, but hopefully there will be more. Then we are playing A VERY SPECIAL show in Milwaukee with one of my favorite bands out there, DUSK! Part of the ethos of this band is to mix up and question categories put onto music. Spirit is maybe what connects us more than styles. This double bill with Dusk is a something I’ve always dreamt of doing and now it’s actually happening. The show is at the Cactus Club on October 20th. Milwaukee is not far from Chicago and would make a perfect Sunday day trip!

Following this great month of October we will be crossing the Atlantic to play some shows in Spain, Portugal, and Austria! The finale show will then take place in Wels, Austria at the Music Unlimited Festival (this year curated by Ken Vandermark!).

Dates:

Nov 1 Madrid Jazz Festival Madrid, Spain

Nov 2 Vic, Spain

Nov 3 TBA

Nov 4 TBA

Nov 5 TBA

Nov 6 Lisbon, Portugal

Nov 10 Wels, Austria

I am then going to embark on a tour with the phenomenal saxophonist James Brandon Lewis!!!! I will be drumming with the his Red Lily Quintet, which includes JBL, Tomeka Reid, Kirk Knuffke, and Silvia Bolognesi. I’m sooooo honored to be playing with these heroes. We will be in numerous European countries from November 14- 30. Full schedule here!

One more exciting event that is happening this month is the release of a new duo record with gabby fluke-mogul entitled “Throw It In The Sink”. It’s coming out October 26th. For now you can preorder from the Sonic Transmissions bandcamp , as well as pre-save on streaming. gabby is an extraordinary friend and collaborator and I can’t wait for this to be out in the world!

Enjoy fall. It’s probably my favorite season. Maybe I’ll follow up with a stack dedicated to my favorite horror/camp movies…

HAPPY NEW YEAR , WE MADE IT TO 5785

FREE PALESTINE

Lots of love,

Lily

(me and Muñeca)

Musical highlights

Julia Blair Summer Tour-absolute blast to play Julia Blair’s music with Meredith Nesbitt and Caley Conway. Every stop was special and made me appreciative of the DIY music underground. Stay tuned for her new album.

Sonic Gifts of Sisterhood new group formation. Love playing with Nicole Mitchell, Fay Victor, Devon Gates, and Shanta Nurullah! Video coming soon.

Option Series-thank you to everyone who has come out! It has been such an inspiring lineup. We have a few left, with Chris Williams and Trae Crudup this Sunday August 11th (I’ll be doing the interview!).

Edition Redux and John Yau collaboration -Edition Redux just recorded a new album with poet John Yau. This is our first multi-disciplinary project, which will include a vinyl release with art by Richard Hull.

Recording Session with Mike Watt, Patrick Shiroishi, and Eli Winter-don’t know what more to say, insane band!!!! Album soon.

Upcoming Shows

August 9th Hannah Frances Ensemble at the Avrom Farm Party (Green Lake, WI)

August 10th Hannah Frances Ensemble opening for Whiney at Thalia Hall (Chicago) *soldout

August 11th Hannah Frances Ensemble opening for Whitney at Thalia Hall (Chicago) *tickets still left!

August 14th Erez Dessel Quartet with Anisha Rush and Garret Frees at the Whistler (Chicago)

September 5 Tuva Olsson Group (all the way from Norway!) at Elastic Arts (CHI)

September 13 Aaron Kaufman Levine Quartet at Clara (CHI)

September 17 Duo with Erez Dessel, Resonance Art Series at Color Club (CHI)

September 18 Christopher Dammann Quartet plays Monk at The Whistler (CHI)

September 27 Christopher Dammann Quartet plays Monk at Clara (CHI)

September 29 Cucuy opening for Pissed Jeans at the Empty Bottle (CHI)

October 3, 10, 17, 25 Edition Redux Residency at the Hungry Brain (CHI)

October 20 Edition Redux with Dusk at the Cactus Club (Milwaukee, WI)

THIS FALL»»»»album with gabby fluke-mogul to be released, Europe tour, more music….<3

I first want to thank everyone who came to the LGF Quartet show. All the support and positive feedback means a lot to me. Playing with Ed Wilkerson Jr., Fred Jackson Jr, and Nick Macri is such an adventure. I’m learning to trust my ear. Trust the band. Trust myself! All of the new compositions were recorded a few days later at Experimental Sound Studio. New album imminent!

Fred Jackson Jr. , Nick Macri, Ed Wilkerson Jr., myself (photo by Kate In)

Julia Blair Summer Tour

Hitting the road with Julia Blair!!!! Americana power pop country soul twang. Maybe see you in one of these cities?

6/21 - Bloomington, IN at The Bishop Bar

6/22- Columbus, OH at @spacebarcolumbus

6/23 - Cleveland, OH at @the_little_rose_tavern

6/24 - Toronto, ON at Cameron House

6/25 - Rochester, NY at @smallworldbooks

6/26 - Hudson, NY at Bird Bath (dm for address)

6/27 - Queens, NYC at Bar Sundown

6/28 - Philadelphia, PA at @gods.automatic.body (dm for address)

6/29 - Washington, DC at Cool Ranch (dm for address)

7/1 - Baltimore, MD at The House Chief Venue

7/2 - Pittsburgh, PA at @thegovernmentcenter

7/3 - Cincinnati, OH at @motrpub

Sonic Gifts of Sisterhood- July 6th at the Logan Center

This show is EXTREMELY exciting. Nicole Mitchell, Fay Victor, Shanta Nurullah, Devon Gates, and myself. Get your tickets quick!!!!

Cucuy Show July 13h at Archer Ballroom and 2 New Songs

Cucuy - Chicago raw dbeat funk punk. Playing Archer Ballroom (reach out for address) on July 13th. Put on by Open Palm Tapes. Also, check out our first 2 recorded songs!

Option Series

The Option Series has started and it’s been going great! Curated by myself, Ken Vandermark, and Andrew Clinkman. Every Sunday at 3pm during the summer at ESS. Free drinks and outside. Incredible lineup!

June 23: Jake Meginsky

June 30: Nick Dunston

July 7: FLUTTER (Fay Victor & Nicole Mitchell) with Devon Gates

July 14: Brandon Seabrook

July 21: John Yau

July 28: Kim Alpert

August 4: Brittany Karlson

August 11: Chris Williams & Laura Sofia Perez

August 18: Tomeka Reid

August 25: Mark Johnson

More Shows (Stay Up To Date Here)

July 11- Heavy Air Happy Hour at Cafe Mustache 7-9 Trio TBA

July 12- ESS archive jam with Erez Dessel and Tyler Wagner at Experimental Sound Studio (Chi, IL)

August 9- Hannah Frances Ensemble at the Avrom Farm Party (Green Lake, WI)

August 10 and 11- Hannah Frances Ensemble opening for Whitney at Thalia Hall (Chi)

August 14- Erez Dessel Quartet with Fred Jackson Jr., Garrett Frees, and myself at The Whistler

August 15 - Edition Redux and Dusk at Sleeping Village

September 5- Tuva Olssen Ensemble at Elastic Arts

September 17- Duo with Erez Dessel at Resonance Arts

September 18- Christofer Dammann Quartet plays Monk at The Whistler

September 27- Christofer Dammann Quartet plays Monk at Clara

October 3, 10, 17, 24 Edition Redux Residency at the Hungry Brain

November 1-10 EDITION REDUX EUROPE TOUR (SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AUSTRIA)

What else…

Reading Chelsea Girls, Low Low Woods, Daphnie Byrne, Saving Time, and The Cabinet.

Watching I Saw The TV Glow, Gap Toothed-Women, Perfect Days and Opera.

Listening to Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle, Kleenex/LiLiPUT, 3+3, Urban Bushmen, Raven, Bearcat, Street Gloves, Elis, and I Killed Your Dog

Adjusting to the heat.

~~~❤️Thanks for reading ❤️~~~

Here are some upcoming special shows! You can see the full list here.

June 2nd, Lily Finnegan Quartet, Hungry Brain 9pm

I’m premiering new compositions with my absolute DREAM ensemble. I’ll be playing with Ed Wilkerson Jr on tenor sax, Fred Jackson Jr. on alto sax, and Nick Macri on bass. This will send us off to a recording session the following week which I can’t wait to eventually share.

June 8th, Cucuy, Bric-a-Brac Records, 5pm Free

New hardcore punk band’s first show. Great to be making music with friends who I’ve known for a while now. Great poster too by vocalist Ralph Rivera!

Summer Tour with Julia Blair

Hitting the road with the great songwriter Julia Blair! We will be in these cities (more details to come).

June 21 Bloomington, IN

June 22 Indianapolis, IN

June 23 Cleveland, OH

June 24 Toronto, Ontario

June 25 Montreal, Quebec

June 26 Albany, NY

June 27 New York City, NY TICKETS

June 28 Philadelphia, PA

June 29 Washington, DC

June 30 Richmond, VA

July 1 Baltimore, MD

July 2 Pittsburgh, PA

July 3 Cincinnati, OH

July 6th, Sonic Gifts of Sisterhood, Logan Center Penthouse

Early announcement, this is going to be crazy. I will be joining Fay Victor, Nicole Mitchell, Shanta Nurullah, and Devon Gates. Playing with my heroes.

Option Series, every Sunday afternoon, 3pm at Experimental Sound Studio, free!

The Option Series is happening again this summer! It’s been joy to co-curate with Ken Vandermark and Andrew Clinkman. Every Sunday afternoon of June (not june 2nd)-August there will be a show in the beautiful backyard of Experimental Sound Studio. The performances are followed by a live interview, which I will be doing some of!

Mannyyyyy more shows are to follow and you can keep updated here!

Today, I’m thinking about Eric Dolphy. I keep coming back to him. There’s a light and warmth that I feel when I hear him on recordings. Somehow he directly penetrates the mental, physical, and spiritual essence of human existence in the most genuine, playful, and intentional way. His compositions are beautiful and create an open space for the musicians he plays with. He was known to be a great person and friend. I often think about where music could be today if he didn’t die tragically young at the hands of medical racism. We are blessed to have the recordings that we do.

I first heard him because of my dad. Together we listened to “Out There” and “Out To Lunch”. From their I discovered his Live at the Five Spot recordings, collaborations with Mal Waldron, Richard Davis (who i get the pleasure of speaking directly to about him-he said playing with Dolphy was like playing with god), the Charles Mingus Composer’s Workshop groups, “Last Date” album featuring the young Han Bennink, and his great influence and relationship with John Coltrane (plus more).

“There’s so much to learn, and so much to try and get out. I keep hearing something else beyond what I’ve done. There’s always something else to strive for. The more I grow in my music, the more possibilities of new things I hear. It’s like I’ll never stop finding sounds I hadn’t thought existed.” -Eric Dolphy

I think this sums up why I love improvisation. You don’t know what’s going to happen. When you play a planned out song, the structure is mostly given. But not with improvisation. Within that possibilities are endless and the ability to transcend something you weren’t aware of can happen. You surprise yourself. I hear that with the musicians I admire. You can feel their curiosity and acceptance of the unknown.

Thanks for reading. Free Palestine. Invest in your communities. I hope to see you soon 💜

Edition Redux Tour Schedule:

February 19 at State Street Pub (Indianapolis, IN)

February 20 SCFA Expansive Sound Series #2 at UKY Singletary Recital Hall (Lexington, KY)

February 21 at Pilot Light (Knoxville, TN)

February 22 at GROW Space (Columbia, SC)

February 23 at Cat’s Cradle Back Room (Carrboro, NC)

February 24 at Rhizome (Washington, DC)

February 25 at The Front Porch (Charlottesville, VA)

February 26 at 3 Dots Downtown (State College, PA)

February 27 at The BOP STOP (Cleveland, OH)

March 1 at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

^^^^^^Specifically want to point out the Chicago show which got rescheduled from January!!!^^^^^^^^^^^

More shows on the horizon!!

March 8 Hannah Frances Ensemble at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

Excited to hit again with the Hannah Frances large ensemble! Described as sounds that “melds avant-folk, progressive rock, and baroque jazz”, this will be her album release show for Keeper of the Shepard.

March 14 Benefit for Gaza at the Empty Bottle (Chicago, IL)

I am honored to be a part of organizing a benefit show for Gaza. The ongoing genocide of Palestinians should be on the forefront of all our consciousnesses. Save the date, details TBA. Free Palestine 🍉🇵🇸

March 22 Duo with Jason Stein at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

Very stoked to play duo again with the prolific bass clarinetist Jason Stein! Opening for Jonah Parzen-Johnson.

March 27 Christof Dammonn Quartet at the Whistler (Chicago, IL)

First time assembly playing all Thelonious Monk songs!

April 19 Aaron Kaufman Levine, Erez Dessel, Leo Buczkowski, and LGF opening for Myra Melfords “Fire and Water Quintet” at the Logan Center (Chicago, IL)

Opening for Myra Melford’s “ Fire and Water Quintet” ( a band of ALL legends) with a new group led by Aaron Kaufman Levine.

June 2 NEW QUARTET! with Ed Wilkerson Jr, Fred Jackson Jr, Nick Macri, and myself at the Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

Will be a premiere of all new music (written by me!) with 3 of my favorite Chicago musicians. More plans to come….

Sincerely appreciate all of you!!! Signing off with an impeccable song I can’t get out of my head (and yes I just bought Crazy Horse tickets) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I woke up this morning at 5am to see the winter solstice concert played by drummers Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang. Only 7 hours prior, I watched them play with the mesmerizing flautist Nicole Mitchel. In the past, I’ve never really taken in the solstice. But after these 2 shows and some space, I can see why it’s such a powerful time. Following the morning time performance, there was a minute of complete silence. Hamid said “And this is why we play drums-to bring in the silence!” A lot clicked for me when he said this, but I’m not fully sure why. There’s not much silence in my life, and when there is, I often feel an urge to fill it. All the darkness and slowness the solstice brings is a reminder that silence is actually okay. Hamid blows my mind daily.

Now something to fill the space up with (and then appreciate the silence!) is the new Edition Redux album “Better A Rook Than a Pawn”. This band has had incredible impact on me this past year. Big thanks to Ken Vandermark for inviting me to be a part of this group. I’ve never been in a band where I’ve felt so embraced for who I am as a musician and person. Lesson learned-you don’t have to chose to be a certain way because it’s more convenient. Letting all the influences in that don’t neatly fit into a box creates beauty. Ken, Beth McDonald, and Erez Dessel have been the greatest bandmates and friends.

You can purchase the music and CD here on Bandcamp! We purposefully chose not to put it out on streaming services because of how exploitative they are to artists. So here on Bandcamp you can directly support. I can also bring you a copy if you don’t want to go through the hassle of shipping!

The art for this album came from a sketch my dad, Mike Finnegan, drew. This drawing felt strangely relevant to the music, even though it was created some years ago. A goal of his was to work with musicians to create multi-media relationships. He started while he was alive and it has kept going since. It feels like the only way I really got to this point is because of his momentum that lives through me.

We are doing an album release show on January 5th. The performance is happening at Constellation, one of my favorite venues in Chicago. You can get CD’s there and see what this band is all about. Get your tickets here!!!!!

More shows are happening this winter which include:

January 4 Shanta Nurullah’s Sitarsys at Hey Nonny Women’s Jazz Festival (Arlington Heights, IL)

January 5 Edition Redux Album Release Show at Constellation (Chicago, IL)

January 7 Colloidal Silver (new band with James Wetzel, Tyler Wagner, and Lia Kohl) at the Empty Bottle (Chicago, IL)

January 25 Steven Lugerner, Ro Lundberg, and LGF at Elastic Arts (Chicago, IL)

Edition Redux February 2024 Tour

February 19 (Cincinnati, OH)

February 20 (Lexington, KY)

February 21 (Knoxville, TN)

February 22 (Columbia, SC)

February 23 (Carrboro, NC)

February 24 (Washington, DC)

February 25 (Charlottesville, VA)

February 26 (State College, PA)

February 27 (Cleveland, OH)

I appreciate you all reading. Have a great new year!

💜💜💜💜Lily💜💜💜💜

I’ve switched over to Substack and brought all the original Mailchimp followers with me! Now you can comment 😏 A lot is going on and I appreciate you reading.

To be honest, it is hard to talk about what’s going on in my life when there is a massive cleansing of a group of people. I grew up with the phrase “never again” ingrained in me. And now it’s happening through the nation-state (with the help of the US and other western states) in the name of defending Judaism. Clearly this does not represent all Jews, including the vocal anti-zionist Jewish community which I identify with. The greatest rally for peace in Palestine led by Jews happened last week in DC. It is clear that apartheid is hurting everyone to some degree. Apartheid is, has been, and will keep killing Palestinians. Calling for a ceasefire is the minimum we can do right now. Standing AGAINST apartheid is an essential step in creating a world of peace and total liberation for all. Feel the grief. But also know you must take a stance because the “never again” situation is happening now. We must cherish and protect the community’s we are a part of AND stand in solidarity.

Call for a ceasefire here:

https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource/ceasefire/

https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource/urgent-tell-congress-to-stop-fueling-violence/

More helpful resources:

https://jewishcurrents.org/a-textbook-case-of-genocide

https://jewishcurrents.org/we-cannot-cross-until-we-carry-each-other (I found this particularly moving)

Donation:

https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-relief

https://donate.unrwa.org/gaza/~my-donation

I am about to embark on first European tour and feel so blessed for the opportunity. Here are the places I’ll be coming to:

EDITION REDUX EUROPE 2023 (featuring Ken Vandermark, Erez Dessel, Beth McDonald, and LGF)

October 26 Edition Redux at Occii (Amsterdam, NL)

October  27 Edition Redux at Club Manufaktor (Schorndorf, DE)

October 28 Edition Redux at SARP social club (Poznan, PL)

October 29 Edition Redux at Club Alchemia (Krakow, PL)

October 30 Edition Redux at Punctum (Prague, CZ)

October 31 Edition Redux at Alte Gerberei (St. Johann, AT)

EL INFIERNO MUSICALE ‘A Tribute to Alejandra Pizarnik’ EUROPE TOUR 2023 (featuring Christof Kurzmann, Katinka Kleijn, Lia Kohl, Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, and LGF)

November 5 Infierno Musicale at Porgy & Bess (Vienna, AU)

November 6 Infierno Musicale at Dialograum Kreuzung an St. Helena (Bonn, DE)

November 8 Infierno Musicale at Kulturforum Villach (Villach, AU)

November 9 Infierno Musicale at JazzIt (Salzburg, AU)

November 10 Infierno Musicale at Alternativa Festival (Prague, CZ)

November 12 Infierno Musicale at Music Unlimited Festival (Wels, AU)

I believe most of the people reading this do not live in any of these places. Excited to say that Edition Redux will continue the wave with an album release show January 5th at Constellation! Save the date. We will have copies of our brand new album along with some cool new buttons. All original art work by the legend Michael Finnegan.

Love to all,

Lily