Nice Tix: Numero Group's Chicago soul revue

For a few years now, the local fanatical crate-diggers behind the Numero Group have been salvaging dusty soul gems from the apathetic grip of time. Thanks to these record geeks, killer regional R&B lives on, preserved in pristine packages. Quite often the stories behind the tunes are more fascinating than the music, as more of these never-were's and dreamers lost it all to drugs, crime, heartbreak, death, religion or good ol' economic shortcomings. When listening to little known heartbreakers like Renaldo Domino's "Not To Cool To Cry" or Annette Poindexter's "Mama," one wonders how the hell these people fell through the cracks and what end came to these underground lives.

Ah, but now's your chance to find out in person. In a brilliant, long-coming move the Numero Group is taking over the Park West on Saturday, April 4, for the (hopefully first of many) Numero Group’s Eccentric Soul Revue. The night spotlights the South Side's long gone Twinight Records. And while the imprint's stars—Syl Johnson, the Notations, and Nate Evans—still pop up from time to time, Renaldo Domino, the Kaldirons, and the Final Solution (see our article on the Final Solution's lost Brotherman soundtrack) haven’t been on stage in over 30 years. Backing the unearthed singers will be the funky Uptown Sound, expanded to include horns, backing vocalists, and strings. Numero is nothing if not down to the fine details. So, naturally, the show will be preceded by an interactive slideshow of Chicago soul memorabilia and a DJ set from The Numero Group, followed by an autograph and photo line.

Tickets are on sale for the Jam event starting right now for $22 from the reissue label's website. Get 'em in advance before Ticketmaster tacks on the $10 fee in January.