Liminal Rites perform their annual New Years Eve matinee at the beautiful May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery. Entry is free and open to the public.

IBISES, featuring Dan Bitney (Tortoise, Isotope 217) on drums, Nick Macri (Stirrup, Euphone) on bass, and Steve Marquette (The Few, Ken Vandermark's Marker) on guitar, trade sounds freely, converse in liminal crosstalk, and flip through the channels of experimentation long characterized by Chicago’s deep, cross-pollinating music community. 

For the second set, IBISES will be joined by pianist Mabel Kwan, a performer of classical, improvised, and experimental music. She is fascinated by sound, contradictions, and our perceptions of what is familiar or strange.

The final night of 2024 Instigation Festival features a reunion between Sasha Masakowski and Marvin Tate (a highlight of this year's New Orleans festival) and a new quintet led by Dan Oestreicher.

Set 1

Sasha Masakowski - voice, electronics

Marvin Tate - voice, words

Set 2

Anton Hatwich - bass

Quin Kirchner - drums

Steve Marquette - guitar

Dan Oestreicher - saxophones, compositions, arrangements
Dave Rempis - saxophones 

Experience extraordinary guitarists Nels Cline, James Elkington, Steve Marquette, and Bob Palmieri and support The People’s Music School at Constellation Chicago!

Set 1

Bob Palmieri & Nels Cline

Set 2

James Elkington & Nels Cline

Set 3

Steve Marquette & Nels Cline

Set 4

Nels Cline, James Elkington, Bob Palmieri & Steve Marquette Quartet

Performing as a member of Fire! Orchestra

Timing (per day)
- 3 p.m.: doors open
- 4pm: start of concerts
You can find further timing on this website.

/ The Collectives

For the ninth edition, the Summer Bummer Festival is addressing the request of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, Anna Lindal, Mats Äleklint, Alexander Zethson and Mads Forsby to kickstart a community-based activity (CBA) of the renowned Fire! Orchestra in Antwerp. The festival opens with Fire! Orchestra CBA Youth – with musicians between the ages of 8 and 12 – and concludes with Fire! Orchestra CBA, with more than 20 musicians in its ranks.

Another collective at Summer Bummer is that of Ensemble Nist-Nah. Led by Australian drummer Will Guthrie, this eight-piece gamelan beast serves you a percussive Tsunami of Javanese and Balinese gamelan, seasoned with a healthy dose of experiment and free jazz.

/ The Trios

With the improvisation pioneers Evan Parker (saxophones), Barry Guy (bass), and Paul Lytton (drums), one of the longest recording and best trios ever will grace the Summer Bummer stage. The legacy of adventurous music will further be spontaneously passed on to younger generations in the unprecedented collaboration between free jazz pioneer Cel Overberghe (saxophones) and the 60 years younger reed players Ornella Noulet and Adia Vanheerentals.

The British trio of reed player Rachel Musson, drummer Mark Sanders, and bassist Olie Brice just released 'Immense Blue' their highly acclaimed debut for West Hill Records and will be performing on a Belgian stage for the first time. Bassist Nils Vermeulen met Norwegian alto saxophonist Heidi Kvelvane during the previous Summer Bummer edition and now presents a brand new trio featuring Tollef Østvang – one of the most active drummers on the Norwegian scene. Armed with 16 mm film projectors and analog electronics, Jérôme Noetinger, Xavier Quérel, and Christophe Auger, performing as Cellule d’Improvisation Metamkine, deconstruct the concepts of viewing (film) and listening (concert) and do everything with them, except what you expect.

/ The Duos

Farida Amadou (bass) and Heather Leigh (pedal steel) will play for the first time as a duo on stage. They previously graced the Summer Bummer stage – albeit separately – with the legendary reed player Peter Brötzmann, who passed away in 2023. During a tribute to Brötzmann in London this year they – in collaboration with a host of freejazz mainstays – jointly delivered quite some sonic fireworks on stage. And Sonic fireworks are exactly what the Lebanese-Swiss tandem of clarinet player Paed Conca and multi-instrumentalist Nadia Daou offer under the name The Mad Laboratory Of Anti-Matter.

Drummer Mauricio Takara has collaborated with artists like Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef, Naná Vasconcelos and Damo Suzuki, while Carla Boregas is known from the avant-punk band RAKTA and her superb solo work – check ‘Pena ao Mar’ for iDEAL Recordings. Takara and Boregas, both mainstays of the São Paulo experimental music scene, recently relocated to Berlin and shake up jazz, kraut, experiment, improvisation and composition as genre-defying drums and electronics duo.

Cellist Jasmijn Lootens‘ contribution to the success of the world premiere of The Death of Kalypso (Angles) during Summer Bummer 2023 did not go unnoticed, earning her an invitation to Fire! Orchestra CBA. But there’s more to Lootens and her adventurous cello, as will be evident during her duo with the French, Brussels based violinist extraordinaire Clara Levy. And there’s more string power on the horizon. Alison Chesley (Helen Money) who prefers to let her cello roar while standing, often performs with renowned players like Anthrax, Bob Mould, Thalia Zedek, or Jarboe and finds a perfect partner in guitarist Steve Marquette (The Few, Marker, Instigation Orchestra/Festival) for Liminal Rites, a duo that navigates between noise and sheer beauty in their cinematic soundscapes.

/ The solos

And then there is also the necessary space for a number of musicians - who often serve other musicians and collectives - to profile themselves solo. Guitarist Ava Mendoza (Quok, Nate Wooley, William Parker, ...), saxophonist Sakina Abdou (Trapeze, Muzzix, ...) and cellist Lia Kohl (Makaya McCraven, Circuit Des Yeux, Steve Gunn, ...) will receive a forum to share their unique individual musical approach with the Summer Bummer audience.

/ The framework

An exhibition with images of previous Summer Bummer Festival editions is presented in a surprising way and a second festival magazine, with interviews of central festival guests and a handy timetable, is in the making. The high-quality record fair during the Summer Bummer Festival has become both for the artists and for the visitors a very appreciated tradition. The same goes for the stand with freshly made slow food: rich flavors and pure ingredients prepared with love and care by the Summer Bummer crew.

A detailed overview of the program can be found at this page!

With the support of: Flanders, Sound in Motion, Trix, De Studio, The Swedish Art Council, PKHedborg, Pro Helvetia, Radio Centraal, B&B Hotels

Performing with Liminal Rites

Timing (per day)
- 3 p.m.: doors open
- 4pm: start of concerts
You can find further timing on this website.

/ The Collectives

For the ninth edition, the Summer Bummer Festival is addressing the request of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, Anna Lindal, Mats Äleklint, Alexander Zethson and Mads Forsby to kickstart a community-based activity (CBA) of the renowned Fire! Orchestra in Antwerp. The festival opens with Fire! Orchestra CBA Youth – with musicians between the ages of 8 and 12 – and concludes with Fire! Orchestra CBA, with more than 20 musicians in its ranks.

Another collective at Summer Bummer is that of Ensemble Nist-Nah. Led by Australian drummer Will Guthrie, this eight-piece gamelan beast serves you a percussive Tsunami of Javanese and Balinese gamelan, seasoned with a healthy dose of experiment and free jazz.

/ The Trios

With the improvisation pioneers Evan Parker (saxophones), Barry Guy (bass), and Paul Lytton (drums), one of the longest recording and best trios ever will grace the Summer Bummer stage. The legacy of adventurous music will further be spontaneously passed on to younger generations in the unprecedented collaboration between free jazz pioneer Cel Overberghe (saxophones) and the 60 years younger reed players Ornella Noulet and Adia Vanheerentals.

The British trio of reed player Rachel Musson, drummer Mark Sanders, and bassist Olie Brice just released 'Immense Blue' their highly acclaimed debut for West Hill Records and will be performing on a Belgian stage for the first time. Bassist Nils Vermeulen met Norwegian alto saxophonist Heidi Kvelvane during the previous Summer Bummer edition and now presents a brand new trio featuring Tollef Østvang – one of the most active drummers on the Norwegian scene. Armed with 16 mm film projectors and analog electronics, Jérôme Noetinger, Xavier Quérel, and Christophe Auger, performing as Cellule d’Improvisation Metamkine, deconstruct the concepts of viewing (film) and listening (concert) and do everything with them, except what you expect.

/ The Duos

Farida Amadou (bass) and Heather Leigh (pedal steel) will play for the first time as a duo on stage. They previously graced the Summer Bummer stage – albeit separately – with the legendary reed player Peter Brötzmann, who passed away in 2023. During a tribute to Brötzmann in London this year they – in collaboration with a host of freejazz mainstays – jointly delivered quite some sonic fireworks on stage. And Sonic fireworks are exactly what the Lebanese-Swiss tandem of clarinet player Paed Conca and multi-instrumentalist Nadia Daou offer under the name The Mad Laboratory Of Anti-Matter.

Drummer Mauricio Takara has collaborated with artists like Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef, Naná Vasconcelos and Damo Suzuki, while Carla Boregas is known from the avant-punk band RAKTA and her superb solo work – check ‘Pena ao Mar’ for iDEAL Recordings. Takara and Boregas, both mainstays of the São Paulo experimental music scene, recently relocated to Berlin and shake up jazz, kraut, experiment, improvisation and composition as genre-defying drums and electronics duo.

Cellist Jasmijn Lootens‘ contribution to the success of the world premiere of The Death of Kalypso (Angles) during Summer Bummer 2023 did not go unnoticed, earning her an invitation to Fire! Orchestra CBA. But there’s more to Lootens and her adventurous cello, as will be evident during her duo with the French, Brussels based violinist extraordinaire Clara Levy. And there’s more string power on the horizon. Alison Chesley (Helen Money) who prefers to let her cello roar while standing, often performs with renowned players like Anthrax, Bob Mould, Thalia Zedek, or Jarboe and finds a perfect partner in guitarist Steve Marquette (The Few, Marker, Instigation Orchestra/Festival) for Liminal Rites, a duo that navigates between noise and sheer beauty in their cinematic soundscapes.

/ The solos

And then there is also the necessary space for a number of musicians - who often serve other musicians and collectives - to profile themselves solo. Guitarist Ava Mendoza (Quok, Nate Wooley, William Parker, ...), saxophonist Sakina Abdou (Trapeze, Muzzix, ...) and cellist Lia Kohl (Makaya McCraven, Circuit Des Yeux, Steve Gunn, ...) will receive a forum to share their unique individual musical approach with the Summer Bummer audience.

/ The framework

An exhibition with images of previous Summer Bummer Festival editions is presented in a surprising way and a second festival magazine, with interviews of central festival guests and a handy timetable, is in the making. The high-quality record fair during the Summer Bummer Festival has become both for the artists and for the visitors a very appreciated tradition. The same goes for the stand with freshly made slow food: rich flavors and pure ingredients prepared with love and care by the Summer Bummer crew.

A detailed overview of the program can be found at this page!

With the support of: Flanders, Sound in Motion, Trix, De Studio, The Swedish Art Council, PKHedborg, Pro Helvetia, Radio Centraal, B&B Hotels

Liminal Rites - the duo of Alison Chesley and Steve Marquette - finds two of the leading voices in Chicago’s creative music community combining their singular approaches to cello and guitar into a new and dynamic band. Drawing upon Chesley’s [under the stage name Helen Money] decades of pioneering electric cello in the drone, ambient and heavy music fields and Marquette’s [Ken Vandermark’s Marker, Mars Williams’ Exit Plan & Devil’s Whistle, the Instigation Festival, the Few, Ibises] extensive work in free jazz & improvised music contexts, Liminal Rites’ sets explore the full extent of their instrument’s acoustic and electric capabilities through improvised pieces that are cinematic in their scope and deftly move between walls of dense noise, sparse textures and moments of unapologetic beauty.

This concert marks their "send-off" performance before playing the Summer Bummer festival in Antwerp later in August.

In the second set, Marquette joins veteran collaborator Macie Stewart in a new trio with the boundlessly creative Chris Corsano on drums and percussion. 

As part of the final night of the Instigation Festival

Mike Reed's Separatist Party

Mike Reed - drums, percussion,

Rob Frye -  tenor saxophone, flute, percussion

Cooper Crain - guitar, synthesizer

Dan Quinlivan -  synthesizer

Marvin Tate - vocals

Ben LaMar Gay - cornet, flugelhorn, percussion

Kobra Club

Aurora Nealand - alto saxophone, voice, accordion

Steve Marquette - guitar, synthesizer

Anton Hatwich - bass

Paul Thibodeaux - drums

MJ Guider

Melissa Guion - synthesizer, electronics

Rob Frye - tenor saxophone, flue, percussion

Steve Marquette - guitar, synthesizer

Sasha Masakowski 

DJ SET

Set 1

Josh Berman - cornet

Jason Roebke - bass

Set 2

Liminal Rites

Alison Chesley - cello
Steve Marquette - guitar

Set 3

Jeb Bishop - trombone

Mabel Kwan - piano

Mike Reed - drums

Liminal Rites perform their annual New Years Eve matinee at the beautiful May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery. Entry is free and open to the public.

An evening of mixed groupings curated by Jeb Bishop featuring Byron Asher, Rob Cambre, Helen Gillet, Steve Marquette, Mathias Muche, Dan Oestreicher & James Singleton

An evening of mixed groupings curated by Jeb Bishop featuring Jeff Albert, Rob Cambre Helen Gillet, Steve Marquette & Mathias Muche

The Instigation Orchestra is a large ensemble made up of performers from the Festival’s pool of artists. 

This year, the Instigation Orchestra celebrates its 8th year of bringing Chicago and New Orleans music-and-movement artists together for a week of interdisciplinary collaboration by partnering with the 2023 Hyde Park Jazz Festival to premiere a new composition by multidisciplinary artist Aurora Nealand.

Previous iterations of the orchestra have premiered pieces by Jeff Albert, Katinka Kleijn, Lia Kohl, Damon Locks, and Mars Williams.

The musicians:

Jeff Albert - trombone

Anton Hatwich - bass

Ben LaMar Gay - cornet, voice

Helen Gillet - cello, voice

Katinka Kleijn - cello

Quin Kirchner - drums

Damon Locks - electronics

Steve Marquette - guitar

Sasha Masakowski - electronics, voice

Aurora Nealand - saxophone, composition

Dan Oestreicher - saxophones

James Singleton - bass

Macie Stewart - violin, voice

Part of the 2023 Chicago Instigation Festival

Set 1

Damon Locks - electronics

Sasha Masakowski - electronics, voice

Set 2

Ibises with Anton Hatwich & Aurora Nealand

Dan Bitney - drums

Anton Hatwich - bass

Nick Macri - bass

Steve Marquette - guitar

Aurora Nealand - saxophone, voice, aaccordion

Set 1

Liminal Rites

Alison Chesley - cello
Steve Marquette - guitar

Set 2

Haley For - voice

Bill Nace - hurdy gurdy

Mute Duo record release show for “Migrant Flocks”

Set 1

Ibises

Dan Bitney - drums

Nick Macri - bass

Steve Marquette - guitar

Set 2

Helen Money

Alison Chesley - cello

Set 3

Mute Duo

Skyler Rowe - drums

Sam Wagster - pedal steel

Liminal Rites perform their annual New Years Eve matinee at the beautiful May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery. Entry is free and open to the public.

Record release show for Ibises “In the Swim”

Set 1

Douglas McCombs - guitar

Set 2

Ibises

Dan Bitney - drums

Nick Macri - bass

Steve Marquette - guitar

Set 1

Steve Marquette - guitar

Set 2

Ibises

Dan Bitney - drums

Nick Macri - bass

Steve Marquette - guitar

Two sets with Mars Williams’ Exit Plan

Mars Williams - saxophones, toys

Brian Sandstrom - bass, guitar

Steve Marquette - guitar

Tyler Damon - drums

Two sets with Mars Williams’ Exit Plan

Mars Williams - saxophones, toys

Brian Sandstrom - bass, guitar

Steve Marquette - guitar

Tyler Damon - drums

Set 1

Bill Harris - drums, percussion

Set 2

Ibises

Dan Bitney - drums

Nick Macri - bass

Steve Marquette - guitar

Opening for Dosh

Part of the Catalytic Sound Festival

Set 1 - Tim Daisy / Mark Feldman

Set 2 - Damon Locks

Set 3 - Marker

Mars Williams - reeds, toys

Tyler Damon - drums

Brian Sandstrom - acoustic & electric bass, trumpet

Steve Marquette - electric guitar