Big Head Todd singer at home in Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

01.19.07

Big Head Todd & The Monsters frontman Todd Park Mohr loves coming back to Chicago to play.

"It was one of the first places that we started to go when we were getting our start as a group," Mohr said. "We grew to have a really great relationship with the city."

Don't be surprised to see Big Head Todd playing more in the Chicago area. For the past six months, Mohr, a Denver native, has been living in Northfield (located just north of Chicago) with his longtime girlfriend.

"There's a lot of places to play, and a lot of neighborhoods," Mohr said.

Big Head Todd will perform Jan. 26 at the Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $34, available through all Ticketmaster outlets.

He already is getting recognized in his newly adopted village of Northfield.

"A lot of people from Northfield will be going to the show, that's my understanding," Mohr said. It's going to be a busy year for Big Head Todd, starting with the release this month of "From the Archives Vol. 1."

"Most of the material I think kind of predates our career," Mohr said. "It's pretty old stuff but it's really cool stuff. It seemed an ideal time to get it out, since we are preparing our next studio album right now."

Big Head Todd formed in 1986 with Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin on drums and Rob Squires on bass. They attended Columbine High School together and formed a band at the University of Colorado. The band made sure that "From the Archives" included songs like "There is a Reason" and "House Burn Down."

"These are all B-sides that didn't make it on a record or that came from our early beginnings of the band," Mohr said. "It's a little bit historical, but it has a great energy to it, so we thought the fans would like it."

This will be the first time fans will have the chance to hear the songs since Big Head Todd hasn't performed any of them live. The band also has been giving its fans a musical treat by releasing new songs via its Web page, www.bigheadtodd.com.

"We've been releasing two to three tracks a month," Mohr said. "Our fans love it, and it helps us to keep in touch with our fans and give them a reason to come out and see the band."

For those planning a trip to Hawaii this year, they might want to consider going at the end of May. Big Head Todd will spend the week of May 20 to 26 on Hawaii's Big Island.

The trip takes the place of their annual fan cruise to the Virgin Islands.

Big Head Todd & The Monsters