“White Mystery moves into House Of Vans to mark 15 full circle years of Windy City garage rock,” Chicago Concert Reviews
Posted Monday, April 10th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Over the course of the last 15 years, brother/sister garage rock duo White Mystery has carved out a unique niche as one of Chicago’s most intriguing acts.
While they’ve performed over 1,200 concerts on three continents, sharing the stage with artists like Dave Davies, Iggy Pop, Garbage, Weezer and Patti Smith, the Windy City has always informed the group’s work and path.
Born and raised in West Rogers Park, singer/guitarist Miss Alex White and drummer Francis Scott Key White forged ahead on a do-it-yourself path, successfully self-releasing nine albums thanks to a keen eye on the business side, while super serving a loyal fan base.
Embracing Chicago’s vibrant music scene, the group has mentored 50 students since forming in 2008, passing along the shrewd music industry instincts that have guided them.
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, White Mystery will celebrate 15 years on stage at House Of Vans in the West Loop, a free, all ages show alongside DJ Jill Hopkins, opening acts Neptune’s Core and Roof Dogs, plus actor, writer and musician Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live,” “Portlandia”) as special guest master of ceremonies.
“Playing in a band with my brother is one of the most amazing and meaningful adventures that I’ve had in my life,” Alex White told Chicago Concert Reviews. “Playing our 15th anniversary show on the 15th of April – and having it be free and all ages – are all of the ingredients that we needed to make this a successful show. The first 50 people get Vans swag so you can expect that when you line up. We’re giving away shoes. You can RSVP online. And it will be a pre-teen and teen-friendly event. If parents want to bring their children or tweens, that’s definitely fine. So bring the kids! We’re going for a family feel for sure.”
Here’s more from the phone call conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, including thoughts about the anniversary, fond moments spent on stage in town and what to expect at House Of Vans.
Well, 15 years of White Mystery… How has the city of Chicago kind of informed everything you guys have done over that time?
Miss Alex White: White Mystery is a Chicago band. It’s the core of our identity. We’re born and raised in West Rogers Park up on the north side and went to Chicago public schools. Growing up in the city, just the constant hum and rhythm of Chicago really drives the sound of White Mystery in terms of being intense, loud and persistent.
The city definitely inspires the songs that we write. We have a song called “Two Flats” about growing up in a two flat that talks about John Wayne Gacy, Dillinger and the Red Line – all of those kinds of things that Chicagoans would recognize. “Take A Walk” is about the waves being frozen during winter time. So, Chicago is a huge part of White Mystery.
Whether it’s on stage, in the studio or anywhere else, what are a few local highlights that stick out?
White: We’ve played 1,200 shows around the world. It’s a lot. And a good majority of them were in Chicago, playing Taste Of Chicago, Millennium Park and all of these iconic landmarks.
We played at the top of the Willis Tower [in 2016]. We went all the way up to where the window washers push off. It was for an advertising campaign that never came out. We played songs about Chicago up there – and not on like an observation deck. We played in an industrial level, one below the antenna. They said we would’ve been microwaved by the antenna if we went to the very top. But seeing Chicago from all of those floors up was just a majestic experience. That was really cool.
Something else that stands out was opening for Garbage at the Metro, where we learned that Shirley Manson is just one of the most amazing people in the music industry. She’s lovely. When you meet your hero and they’re an incredible person on top of being an incredible talent, that’s always very uplifting. And because of that Metro show, Garbage actually took us on the road with them to play a couple more shows in these big theaters. So that was really awesome.
Third, we started playing Riot Fest when it was indoors. We played our first time at the Congress Theater for Riot Fest with Weezer and Urge Overkill [in 2011]. I remember waiting in line at Tower Records on Clark Street for Weezer to sign my jean jacket when I was, like, a freshman in high school. So being able to open for them, bring that jacket and show it to them in person was a really cool full circle moment.
We also played with Sir Richard Branson. It was a “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” kind of parody or homage I guess. It was the grand opening of the Virgin Hotel and they asked us to be the band for this huge pop-up activation when flash mobs were a thing. “Danke Schoen,” like in “Ferris Bueller,” came on and then we played “Twist And Shout.” Sir Richard Branson was Ferris. He was hiding in a parade float. They sent us down Wabash and then he emerged.
But I think that the most important kind of Chicago experience for us is connecting with our community of DIY musicians and all of the students that we mentored from Columbia College. A lot of young people who are trying to break into the music industry, which many times requires clout that a lot of people aren’t born with per se. We mentored 50 students over the course of being in a band, talking about the music industry and taking them to our shows.
All of those things really stand out. And you can listen to an archive of our live shows at our White Mystery Bandcamp. So if anyone is trying to go deep with all of those different shows that I’m talking about, we actually archived something like 100 concert recordings…
What can fans expect at House Of Vans?
White: Playing our 15th anniversary show on the 15th of April – and having it be free and all ages – are all of the ingredients that we needed to make this a successful show. The first 50 people get Vans swag so you can expect that when you line up. We’re giving away shoes.
Neptune’s Core, who is opening for us, their parents first brought them to see us when they were three and five years old [at] The Hideout Block Party [in 2011] with Mavis Staples, Booker T. Jones and Kids These Days. Those girls are opening for us in Neptune’s Core -and have red hair. There’s a picture of me holding one, because she’s basically an infant, and holding the hand of the other one. They are now old enough to open for us, so that’s cool.
The Roof Dogs are a very awesome, up-and-coming indie rock band. Post lockdown, it was like, “How do we find these amazing bands anymore?” That put such a pause on the development pipeline of these really cool garage rock bands. I’m really excited to have them.
And, of course, the pièce de résistance is Fred Armisen! “SNL,” “Portlandia,” the list goes on. He’s flying in from L.A. to emcee! I messaged him and I was like, “Hey, it’s a big milestone for us. We’d love to have you…” And he was like, “OK. I’ll see you there.” So, we’re delighted. It’s just going to be a big free-for-all and we’re excited to invite Chicago to celebrate with us.
No one starts a band thinking about how it’s going to resonate. What’s it like pondering White Mystery at 15?
White: Playing in a band with my brother is one of the most amazing and meaningful adventures that I’ve had in my life. Sharing that with him and the things that we’ve seen – so far – I can only imagine how far the world will have come [in 15 more years].
We used to be driving around in, like, 2009 before smartphones were super widely available and would use an actual GPS machine – not our phones, that wasn’t a thing. But we used to fantasize about how cool it would be if we could share everything we were seeing live with our audience. And now we have live streaming. And it’s totally accessible and totally free. That was like a pipedream for us that many years ago.
My dream would be if we could get places more quickly. Because the biggest drag of being in a band is traveling all day to get to your destination. An eight hour drive or a four-and-a-half hour flight. I could hope that in the year 2038, we could get places more quickly with less of an impact on the environment.
Our big dream is to capture all of these special memories in some kind of way and share it with our audience. We’ve talked about doing a book or a podcast or something. As far as what’s next, I would just say stay tuned. I would say that’s the mystery!
White Mystery performs at House Of Vans on Saturday, April 15. For additional details, visit WhiteMysteryBand.com, HouseOfVans.com and Eventbrite.com.
Leave a comment Posted in Press Tags: Anniversary, interviewWhite Mystery 15th Anniversary
Posted Friday, April 7th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
YOU’RE INVITED to the White Mystery 15th Anniversary show on April 15 at House of Vans Chicago featuring Fred Armisen, Neptune’s Core, The Roof Dogs, DJ Jill Hopkins, and your favorite sibling duo. The first 50 people in line get swag bags and 1 lucky person wins a pair of Vans! Free and all ages at 6:30 pm.
Leave a comment Posted in News Tags: fred armisen, skateboard, vansDJ Miss Alex White NYE
Posted Saturday, December 31st, 2022 at 4:20 am
It’s only rock’n’roll but I like it! Join DJ Miss Alex White and Sonic Trek in Seattle to bring in the New Year at Revolver Bar. Click here for the event!
Leave a comment Posted in NewsDJ Miss Alex White in Seattle!
Posted Wednesday, November 30th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
DJ Miss Alex White at Taste of Chicago
Posted Monday, August 1st, 2022 at 4:20 pm
“Successful ribbon-cutting,” Greek Town Chicago
Posted Thursday, July 21st, 2022 at 4:20 pm
On June 30th, we officially cut the ribbon in celebration of the opening of our new outdoor art exhibit, My Painted Lyre: Seeing Music in Chicago’s Greektown. This exhibit features twenty-six three-dimensional sculptures lining Halsted Street and inspired by music and the lyre, one of the principle instruments of ancient music.
The wonderful event, held at the National Hellenic Museum space, included a program of remarks by honored guests including: Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., Consul General of Greece in Chicago Emmanuel Koubarakis, Commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner of Greektown SSA#16 and Greektown Arts Committee Eve Moran, Chairman of Greektown SSA#16 Frank Caputo and President of Chicago Greektown Educational Foundation Irene Koumi.
The event included a harpist who played music at the reception in advance of the ribbon-cutting to accompany the music-themed exhibit, as well as a celebratory toast courtesy of “Lyre Non-Alcoholic Spirits.” We are so grateful for all who joined us to kick off this special celebration of art and music in our community!
My Painted Lyre includes 26 vibrant three-dimensional artworks lining Halsted Street from Monroe to Van Buren Streets now through spring 2023. A map showing the locations of the artworks in Greektown is available HERE. Visit greektownchicago.org for more information. My Painted Lyre is sponsored by Greektown SSA #16, the neighborhood’s business improvement district, in partnership with the Chicago Greektown Educational Foundation.
Leave a comment Posted in Art, Press Tags: Art, Greek Fest, sculptureGlenwood Avenue Arts Fest
Posted Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 at 9:00 am
For the second year in a row, White Mystery booked and produced two stages and 30 bands for the 3-day Chicago street festival, Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest. In addition to curating and directing the acts, including diverse musical genres and dance troupes in conjunction with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events “Year of Chicago Dance,” we also served as the creative force behind all of the digital and print media assets. Miss Alex White & Francis White also managed the social media for the event and grew the brand audience.
Press
Event Details
Event: Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest 2022
Dates: Friday August 19, 20, 21
Location: 1400 W. Morse Avenue, Chicago IL
Admittance: Free & All Ages
Artists
Friday, August 19, 2022 East Stage – 1330 W. Morse Ave
6:00 PM Radio Free Honduras
7:00 PM Tierra Roja
8:15 PM Psalm One
Friday, August 19, 2022 Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce West Stage – 1430 W. Morse Ave
6:00 PM Adam Gottlieb & OneLove
7:15 PM ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat
8:30 PM LowDown Brass Band
Saturday, August 20, 2022 East Stage – 1330 W. Morse Ave
12:00 PM Gustavo Cortiñas & Desafío Candente
1:30 PM Menjunje
3:00 PM Glenwood Dance Studio
4:30 PM Son Monarcas
6:00 PM Hiplet Ballet
7:00 PM Rhapsody Theater
7:30 PM Attack the Sound
Saturday, August 20, 2022 Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce West Stage – 1430 W. Morse Ave
12:00 PM Rogers Park Community Singers
1:15 PM School of Rock Andersonville
2:30 PM Clickbait
3:45 PM IfIHadAHiFi
5:00 PM Yoko and the Ohnos
5:45 PM Rhapsody Theater
6:30 PM White Mystery
8:00 PM Screaming Females (Philadelphia, PA)
Sunday, August 21, 2022 East Stage – 1330 W. Morse Ave
12:00 PM Thaddeus Tukes
1:30 PM The Nordic Folk Dancers of Chicago
3:00 PM Mariachi Sirenas
4:30 PM Muntu Dance Theatre
6:00 PM Funkadesi
Sunday, August 21, 2022 Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce West Stage – 1430 W. Morse Ave
12:00 PM Sad Songs
1:15 PM Neptune’s Core
2:30 PM The James Dean Joint
4:00 PM The Polkaholics
5:30 PM The Avondale Ramblers
Social Media
- Instagram @glenwoodaveartsdistrict #gaaf2022
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/421158733185761
- Do312 Link: Click here.
“Drive-By Truckers, Local H, DJ Miss Alex White of White Mystery,” Oh My Rockness
Posted Friday, June 17th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
“DJ for the evening: Miss Alex White (White Mystery),” ABC 7 News
Posted Friday, June 10th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
CHICAGO (WLS) — The city has announced the 2022 Taste of Chicago lineup.
The event, presented by John Deere will take place on June 11, June 18 and June 25 in the neighborhoods. A Bite-sized Taste of Chicago will happen in Grant Park July 8-10.
Taste of Chicago Grant Park
Friday, July 8 – Sunday, July 10
12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain (Jackson & Columbus)
Free Admission
Food vendors include Whadda Jerk, The Original Rainbow Cone, Don Paleta, Mr. Quiles Mexican Food, Decadent Flavor, Ms Tittle’s Cupcakes, Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, Buona Beef, Cynthia’s Gumbo Express Inc, AUNTIE VEE’S KITCHEN, La Cocinita Food Truck, Taco Sublime, Josephine’s Cooking, Robinson’s No.1 Ribs, Churro Factory, Yum Dum, Mr E Chef Catering LLC, The Sole Ingredient Catering LLC, Doom Street Eats, Chicago’s Doghouse, Prime tacos, Healthy Substance, Seoul Taco Chicago LLC, Eli’s Cheesecake Company, Barangaroos Aussie Pies, BJ’s Market & Bakery, SJL Inc DBA Arun’s Thai Restaurant, Classic Cobbler Baked Goods Company, Tandoor Char House, Porkchop, Esperanza Kitchen Delights, Connie’s Pizza, and Restaurante Franco Inc.
Taste Main Stage – Schedule of Performances
Friday, July 8
Host and DJ for the evening: DJ Mike P
5 p.m. Shayln B and John The Author, presented by Chicago Made
6 p.m. AMI
7:15 p.m.Nelly
Saturday, July 9
DJ for the evening: Sandra Treviño
5 p.m. Vivian Garcia and Pinqy Ring, presented by Chicago Made
6 p.m. Girl K
7:15pm Aterciopelados
Sunday, July 10
DJ for the evening: Miss Alex White (White Mystery)
5 p.m. Rebecca Brunner and Marina City, presented by Chicago Made
6 p.m. Local H
7:15 p.m. Drive-By Truckers
Goose Island Stage schedule
Friday, July 8
10:45 a.m.-1 p.m. DJ Janesita Bandwith Chicago
12:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m. DJ Ayana Contreras
4 p.m.-5 p.m. Happy Hour Karaoke with The People’s Stage
5 p.m.-6 p.m. Stroll Exhibition, hosted by Lizzie G with DJ Breathlezz
6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Trqpiteca
Saturday, July 9
10:45 a.m.-2 p.m. DJ Johnny Jones Lingo Chicago Lane Tech Varsity Band
12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Eli’s Cheesecake Birthday Celebration
2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. DJ Lady D
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Happy Hour Karaoke with The People’s Stage
4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Sadie Woods
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. DJ Mike P
Sunday, July 10
10:45 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. DJ Chuck Wren Lakeside Pride Marching Band
12:15 p.m.-2 p.m. DJ Machede
2-3:30 p.m. DJ Selah Say
“Taste of Chicago food and music lineups,” TimeOut
Posted Monday, June 6th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
Sunday, July 10 – DJ Miss Alex White (White Mystery)
5pm: Rebecca Brunner and Marina City, presented by Chicago Made
6pm: Local H
7:15pm: Drive-By Truckers