In a world where current political events have taken on the vibe of a daytime talk show, Page’s ability to use “shock and awe” for the sake of art makes him stand out in Chicago’s busy music scene.
Winnie Page is headlining the Beat Kitchen in Chicago on Friday December 29th, marking the release of his new solo album, supported by Ableist, baad.APLS and Deem. Purchase tickets here.
Winnie Page’s latest music video “A Great Consolation”, with Hollywood-style gore and dark humor surrounding a lead character that wants to end it all, pushes the limits of what people expect or can handle. Winne Page (and his band) march through the video with elements of The Offspring, Frank Zappa and Ozzy Osbourne. Like these artists, Page has command of his medium of expression, and is able to be disturbing in a socially-conscious way, while being unabashedly entertaining. (Add a dash of Anthony Kiedis for good measure).
Upon picking up a guitar in his teens, James Page noticed right away that his name sounded, well, very similar to another guitarist. A friend suggested that he go by his middle name instead, and it worked. Winnie Page and the Dirt Band performed throughout Chicago and traveled to Detroit to try out for America’s Got Talent (the staff of the national television show were enamored by one of his tunes, and Page received a phone call at work inviting him to perform). In the Motor City, they all slept in a giant king size motel bed in a very “rock and roll style”. This epitomized the tongue-in-cheek trashy vibe and flashy lifestyle in the music.
This debut solo album and upcoming show feature a new band (billed simply as Winnie Page )– and a new approach to songwriting that draws from reality.
The song “Live Again” is inspired by a story. At one point, Page struggled with alcohol and its effects on ego, band mates and significant others. When Murphy’s Law, and a few too many, caused all three to cave in at once, Page knew he had to make a change. “Live Again”, a song from the new album, builds on this idea.
He found that the “extreme and wild” side of his personality is simply the way he is. With boundless energy and a sense of humor, he explains that now he is “writing from the heart, and not from the dick.” Building on songs based on real life changes in a person are compared to the changing seasons in the song “Autumn”.
Page’s videos are attention-grabbing even in the highly bombastic online world. The video for “A Great Consolation” is aligned with life, of course. Page emphasizes that the video features the situation in an extreme way, so it removes stigma. In 2018, there will be another video released — this one with the theme of alien abduction.
Friday December 29th at Beat Kitchen, Winne Page and his band are supported by Ableist, baad.APLS and Deem; all of whom are “working hard to put out new material.” Page is also collaborating with baad.APLS on a gooey rap album entitled Smack ‘N’ Cheese.
Purchase tickets to December 29th Album Release Show, at Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, (8:30pm Doors, 21+) here: http://bit.ly/WinnieRocks