Jeff Tweedy and Fred Armisen to Participate in Chicago Holiday Benefit Gala

On Saturday, November 23, a three-tiered night of music, comedy, and giveback is set for the Chicago area. The holiday gala, dubbed Letters to Santa, will feature hometown hero, Wilco’s frontman, Jeff Tweedy, fresh off the release of his triple album and fifth solo collection, Twilight Override, as well as fellow Lounge Ax [the club owned by Tweedy’s wife, Sue Miller] frequenter, SNL alum, Fred Armisen. 

The fête will provide financial support to local families in need. 100% of every ticket sale will be hand-delivered as gifts or cash grants for those facing hardships during the Brooksfield Zoo gathering, hosted by Windy City improv masters Nnamdi Ngwe and Patrick Rowland. 

The occasion will also include a reception with a heavy selection of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, before the night’s performances. After songs and laughs, an array of desserts and hot chocolate will be served while the house DJ spins to wind down the event. 

Before Armisen’s SNL come-up, he worked at Miller’s Lounge Ax venue, answering phones, stamping hands, and notably taking on characters, as mentioned in Tweedy’s memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back), where the pair crossed paths prior to the dawn of the aughts and the venue’s subsequent closure. Armisen has also appeared on entertainment bills for Wilco’s biennial Solid Sound Festival [early-bird tickets went on sale today]. 

Notably, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched to support the making of a new documentary film about the venue, Last Night at the Lounge Ax. “Lounge Ax was a cultural anchor, one of those rare places where the music came first,” Director Brian DeRan said via press release. “This film is about preserving that spirit and telling the story of a community that left a mark far bigger than the size of the room.”

Tickets for the Letters to Santa event and additional information, including a link to donate to the cause, can be found at https://www.letterscharity.org/gala.