But in the mean time, here's a nice overview about it, Kevin and Shaming.
Found linked here on the January 19th Listing
8:00pm $10.00
Sex! Drugs! Rock-N-Roll! It's all here, and more - fame, greed, exploitation, despair - everything you¹d expect from a night at the opera, right here at Shank Hall. Chicago's Champions Of Nothing bring the saga of "Johnny Virgil" to life. The late Kevin Gilbert, composer of "Shaming," actually performed here at Shank Hall in 1995, and The Champs are excited to be taking the stage where their hero once stood. Opening will be special guests Department Of Revenge, and hosting will be Mark Krueger of WMSE's Planet Prog, heard every Sunday at 9 PM. We will be filming the show, so come on down and be a part of history!
The Band:
With a combined professional experience of over a century in a wide variety of genres, the Champions Of Nothing came together in 2009 to realize the revival of one of the greatest rock operas ever written: "The Shaming Of The True" by the late Kevin Gilbert. In addition to their many other projects, these eight Chicagoland musicians have taken it upon themselves to rescue this masterpiece from undeserved obscurity, in order to keep the musical legacy of Kevin Gilbert alive for future generations of music lovers everywhere. For more information on "The Champs" and their many other projects, please visit www.ChampionsOfNothing.com.
The Man:
Kevin Gilbert was one of the most talented musicians/composers/producers of Generation X, counting among his many collaborators Michael Jackson, Madonna, Keith Emerson and Eddie Money (with whom he earned a Gold Record, at age 22) during his tragically short life. His bands "Giraffe" and "Toy Matinee" achieved critical acclaim but little commercial success, and his major contribution to Sheryl Crow's hit album "Tuesday Night Music Club" was mostly unrecognized. Gilbert died in 1996 at the age of 29 during the recording of his magnum opus "The Shaming Of The True." His colleagues, recognizing the brilliance of the material, completed the album for release in 2000 and gave its only live performance at the ProgWest festival in 2002 - until the debut of "The Champs" in August 2010. More information on this amazing musician can be found at www.KevinGilbert.com.
The Story:
"The Shaming Of The True" is a variation on the classic rags-to-riches-to-rags story arc; we follow the adventures of a young singer/songwriter named "Johnny Virgil," largely patterned after Gilbert's own personal experience, who moves to L.A. to try to become a rockstar. In order to achieve this goal he is forced to compromise his artistic integrity and become a "sellout," getting rich and cynical in the process. Yet eventually, fame and fortune prove to be too much for Johnny and a nervous breakdown forces him out of the game and into further misadventures. This story is all-too-common in show business, but made much more poignant given that it's mostly autobiographical. Mostly - because whereas an aging Johnny Virgil sometimes hears his songs "on the oldies radio," Gilbert passed away at the beginning of a most promising solo career. Our revival of "Shaming" is therefore also a celebration of the life of Kevin Gilbert and the star he would have become if fate had been kinder to him.
