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Chicago songwriter Sue Fink celebrates the 10-year anniversary of her first-ever gig, at Uncommon Ground (3800 N. Clark St., Chicago, 773.929.3680), Sunday, August 14th, 7:00 pm. She’ll play a retrospective of her songs, accompanied by various friends, who will also perform their own songs. Musicians include Al Day, Dean Milano, Jordi Kleiner, Jeanne T. Arrigo, Robin and Jenny Bienemann, Brad Cole, Kristin Cotts, Amy Dixon-Kolar, Patti Ecker, Terry MacNamara, and Patti Shaffner. Day and Milano have been Chicago music scene fixtures since the sixties (Milano is also author of a book on that scene). Arrigo, MacNamara, and Shaffner are also known in the acting community.
In the late 90s Fink, who dabbled in poetry and fiction, wrote what appeared to be lyrics. For the first time, a melody came to her, too. She took a songwriting class with local legend Andrew Calhoun (Waterbug Records), and it was confirmed: Fink had written her first song. With encouragement, she wrote a few more.
Although she was still a musical novice, a friend convinced her to play at Uncommon Ground’s open mic. She discovered it was also a competition, the winner based on audience applause. “My voice quavered, I said ‘oops’ between chord changes,” Fink recalls,“but the audience was very encouraging. They thought I was funny, that ‘oops’ was part of my act. At my second open mic, I won the contest: $20 and a future gig!”
That gig took place in August, 2001. She was accompanied by Dale Petersohn (Old Town School) on guitar and Nancy Walker (formerly of Sons of the Never Wrong) singing harmony. The audience was comprised of family and friends. Fink wore the same frozen grin throughout the evening. “I definitely felt the love, but it was largely an out-of-body experience. Woosh! Over in a flash. Thank goodness someone took pictures so I could re-experience it, after the fact!”
For Fink, her upcoming performance is an opportunity to take stock and give thanks. “Ten years goes by in a flash, too, unless you ponder where you are now in relation to where you started,” she muses. In Fink’s case, she’s improved her musical skills by taking numerous classes, and participates in Old Town School’s monthly Songwriter’s Exchange. She’s recorded two full-length CDs and a 5-song sampler, which have received local and national airplay. She performs locally (Schubas, Martyrs, Evanston SPACE) and has toured Wisconsin, Michigan, and Toronto. At Uncommon Ground, she curates once every few months, sharing the night with musician friends. Recently Fink learned that she’s a finalist in a songwriting competition (“Celebration of Song,” Big Top Chautauqua).
“None of this,” she affirms,“could have happened without the support of the music community, and venues like Uncommon Ground, which give songwriters a shot and a place to play... or the people who come out to hear us! I’m so fortunate to have all these wonderful opportunities. I love Chicago!”
Reservations highly recommended. Call 773.929.3680 or visit UncommonGround.com/.
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