Brian Costello
Encyclopedia
Brian Costello is a musician
, live talk show
host and writer
living in Chicago
, Illinois
, USA. Born in Florida
, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music. He studied at Columbia College Chicago
, and is now an adjunct professor of Fiction Writing at the college as part of the author-teacher program.
Costello's comedy talk show, "The Brian Costello Show with Brian Costello" is performed live from The Empty Bottle
in Chicago to an audience of between 30 and 50 regulars. Performing with Ken Kagawa, the show features interviews with an assortment of guests ("People who are interesting" as Costello described them in the Chicago Tribune
) and live music. Costello was also the drummer in local band Functional Blackouts, who have gained a reputation for "controlled chaos" which has resulted in the band being banned from a number of clubs in the region.
As an author, Costello's writing has appeared in Bridge, THE2NDHAND, Sleepwalk, F Magazine, and Hair Trigger. His first novel, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, was released in 2006 by Featherproof books
. The novel follows Shaquille Callahan, a drummer for the band The Enchanters in the fictional community of community of Sprawlburg Springs. It took ten years to complete, and was offered as his thesis
at Columbia College. The novel draws on his own experiences, both as a drummer and as a native of Florida, and, like Costello, the protagonist
of the novel winds up in Chicago. In spite of this, Costello has stated that the novel is not autobiographical. His novel has generally been well received, although it has been criticized for the use of "heavy-handed" satire. Costello's second novel, Losing in Gainesville, is due for release in 2008.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, live talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
living in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA. Born in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music. He studied at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
, and is now an adjunct professor of Fiction Writing at the college as part of the author-teacher program.
Costello's comedy talk show, "The Brian Costello Show with Brian Costello" is performed live from The Empty Bottle
The Empty Bottle
The Empty Bottle is a nightclub and concert hall located at 1035 N. Western Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Located in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood, this has been one of the many venues for Chicago's alternative music scene. This venue hosts a variety of forms of music, ranging from...
in Chicago to an audience of between 30 and 50 regulars. Performing with Ken Kagawa, the show features interviews with an assortment of guests ("People who are interesting" as Costello described them in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
) and live music. Costello was also the drummer in local band Functional Blackouts, who have gained a reputation for "controlled chaos" which has resulted in the band being banned from a number of clubs in the region.
As an author, Costello's writing has appeared in Bridge, THE2NDHAND, Sleepwalk, F Magazine, and Hair Trigger. His first novel, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, was released in 2006 by Featherproof books
Featherproof books
Featherproof Books is a small, independent publisher working out of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Messinger and Zach Dodson. They publish perfect bound novels, short story collections and other works, and provide "mini-books" containing short stories and novellas for free...
. The novel follows Shaquille Callahan, a drummer for the band The Enchanters in the fictional community of community of Sprawlburg Springs. It took ten years to complete, and was offered as his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
at Columbia College. The novel draws on his own experiences, both as a drummer and as a native of Florida, and, like Costello, the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the novel winds up in Chicago. In spite of this, Costello has stated that the novel is not autobiographical. His novel has generally been well received, although it has been criticized for the use of "heavy-handed" satire. Costello's second novel, Losing in Gainesville, is due for release in 2008.