Tons of new vibes we got goin' on these days. For one, we have a
subscription service! Yes, it's true. Also, we are proud to help sponsor The 2010 Chicago Zine Fest March 12th and 13th! More details elsewhere in this letter. Then of course, we have February events listed and also new stuff we've received since the last time you heard from us. Have we totally blown your minds yet? Aren't you glad you subscribed to the Quimby's mailing list?

For more info about events at Quimby's, see our event blog here.

Tainted Reality presents J-Rock bands GPKISM and Seileen Signing, Sun, Feb 7th, 2pm

Put on your goth-loli duds, pop open your Vivienne Westwood parasol, and meet the Japanese rock (J-Rock) bands GPKISM and Seileen, who will be signing their merch here at Quimby’s. No, they’re not playing any sets here. They’re just signing stuff. Only their stuff you buy here. Later that day, they’ll be J-rockin’ out at the Subterranean, down the street from Quimby’s.

GPKISM (see above) is the gothic/industrial group consisting of Gothique Prince Ken and Kiwamu (former guitarist of BLOOD). GPKISM is the manifestation of baroque essence fused with electro/industrial sound, creating a unique world both decadent and sublime. GPK’s (Gothique Prince Ken) operatic vocals, and Kiwamu’s gothic guitar come together to create a dramatic sound, which combines baroque and EBM styles. Their current music is themed around the “Bloody Lady of Cachtice”, Countess Elizabeth Báthory. Visit www.myspace.com/gpkism

Seileen (see below) is the goth/industrial dance group started by Selia and SiSeN in 2005. The group’s sound puts a mystic emphasis on Selia serene, mysterious vocals set to SiSeN’s dark electro DJ styling. Half of the band is DJ SiSeN, a professional model who showcases for Japanese clothing designer, Takuya Angel. His unique fashion sense and blazing DJ style have made him a world-renowned icon of the Japanese cyber goth and club scenes. Visit myspace.com/sisen and myspace.com/seliasisen
 

Bands play at 7pm down the street at Subterranean, 2011 West North Avenue. Opening band: Buranden, and DJ set before the show by DJ SiSeN.

Tainted Reality is the premiere source of J-Rock entertainment in the U.S., which hosts an internet radio network dedicated to Japanese musical programming, organizes tours, and produces a variety of media. Visit www.taintedreality.net.

Amelia Klem Osterud Reads From The Tattooed Lady: A History, Fri, Feb 19th, 7pm

Amelia Klem Osterud is an academic librarian from Milwaukee who is working diligently on becoming heavily tattooed. Osterud has a master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and writes and lectures on the subject of tattooing. She is the author of “A Life of Her Own Choosing: Artoria Gibbons’ Fifty Years as a Tattooed Lady,” published in the Wisconsin Magazine of History. This is her first book.
“Tattooed ladies were a part of forgotten American history, often dismissed in print as second-rate circus freaks or as monstrous, yet sexy anomalies,” explains author Amelia Klem Osterud.
There is shockingly little documentation recounting the women (and men) who launched the cultural movement of tattooing. Publicity photos show up in general tattooing books, but the real stories behind these sideshow marvels remain a mystery, until now.

The first book of its kind, The Tattooed Lady explores the duality of life on- and offstage for these gutsy women. Through photographs, interviews, work histories, and newspaper articles, women such as Artoria Gibbons, Nora Hildebrandt, and Irene Woodward are fully fleshed out, allowing us a greater understanding of why they got tattooed, the rewards and regrets that came along with that career path, and the women behind their onstage, larger-than-life persona.

Visit Amelia Klem Osterud’s author blog at www.tattooedladyhistory.vox.com . For more info: www.fulcrumbooks.com

Troy Taylor Presents The Murder & Mayhem in Chicago Series, Sat, Feb 20th, 7pm

From the North Side to the South, and from Downtown to the outer edge of the West Side, every Chicago neighborhood has at some point been home to violence, gang influence, and corruption. Local Author Troy Taylor airs all of Chicago’s dirty laundry in this five-part series, chronicling the infamous destruction of the Great Chicago Fire, the most shocking crimes of the 1800s and the rise of the mafia during Prohibition leading to Al Capone’s eventual domination in the Windy City’s underworld. Discover the notorious capers, cons and killings that terrorized a city, and unearth the brutes, bank robbers and burlesque dancers that history could never forget as the Murder & Mayhem in Chicago series exposes the Second City’s darkest sins and dirtiest secrets.

Troy Taylor is the author of more than sixty books on history, crime, mystery and the supernatural in America. He was born and raised in Illinois and currently resides in Chicago.

For more info, go to www.historypress.net
 

Oyez Review  #37 Launch Reading, Fri, Feb 26th, 7pm

A new year, a new Oyez Review and the best issue yet. The submissions have been through the editorial gauntlet, fire-proofed, crash-tested, and are now ready for readers’ consumption. Contained between these eighty-eight pages are twenty-two inspired pieces of poetry, four ripping short stories, one moving non-fiction narrative, and ten luminous photos on which to fix your gaze.

Oyez Review staffers and visiting authors will read from selected works. Authors for Oyez Review Volume 37, Spring 2010 include Ace Boggess, Brad Buchannan John F. Buckley, Meghan Cadwallader, Lydia Cesarz, Joanne Riley Clarkson, Okla Elliott, Robert Haynes, David James, Susan Johnson, Don Peteroy, Linda Scotto, Susan Slaviero, Joseph A. Soldati, John Surowiecki, Richard G. Sweitzer III, Mark Taksa, Suellen Wedmore, Alexander York, and photography by Prin X. Amorapanth.

Oyez Review is the literary magazine of the Creative Writing Program at Roosevelt University. It is published annually, edited by an all-student staff under the direction of Professor Janet Wondra. Founded in 1965, Oyez Review has featured work from such writers as Charles Bukowski, James McManus, Carla Panciera, Michael Onofrey, Tim Foley, John N. Miller, Gary Fincke, and Barry Silesky, and visual artists Vivian Nunley, C. Taylor, Jennifer Troyer, and Frank Spidale.

For more info: http://legacy.roosevelt.edu/oyezreview/

*****
March Events at Quimby's, Details TBA:
 

Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz and Shappy Seasholtz, Mon, Mar 1st, 7pm

Chicago Zine Fest Kick Off Reading, Fri, Mar 12th, 7pm

Are you interested in being one of those people who wants to hear from us every time there's an event promoted at Quimby's? Or perhaps you're a press person who wants to receive our press releases that we send out? That means you'll get multiple e-mails from us a month, as well as weekly Top 10 Lists and various other things. We don't want to send you more than one e-mail a month, but if you want all that news, we're happy to oblige. If that is the case, send us an e-mail at liz (at) quimbys (dot com) . Please put "press contact request" in the subject heading.