Illinois Entertainer

Puscifer
The Escape Of Maynard James Keenan

Maynard James Keenan doesn’t want to talk about Tool, and if anyone deserves some slack, it’s probably him. In the midst of rock’s declining presence in amphitheaters and arenas alike, Tool has achieved the unfathomable, pushing its international 10,000 Days tour past the year-and-a-half mark, selling out huge sports stadiums, and daring to emphasize visual art over greatest hits in venues as standardized as Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

• Read more: Cover Story: Maynard James Keenan

Say Anything, Hellogoodbye
Congress Theatre, Chicago
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Say Anything are not pop punk. At least, not entirely (contrary to popular belief, and even some evidence that would suggest otherwise). If there was ever any doubt before, it was made abundantly clear Wednesday night at the Congress, where the six-piece live outfit, more than anything, thrashed through their co-headlining set following the otherwise, and especially uninspired, Hellogoodbye.

• Read more: Say Anything, Hellogoodbye live!

Atmosphere
Metro, Chicago
Monday, October 22, 2007

For most MCs, there are a few givens in the hip-hop game: boisterous claims, a righteous sense of entitlement, and a ludicrously inflated ego regardless of the quality of work being put out. Looks like no one told Slug.

• Read more: Atmosphere live!

The Whigs
Schubas, Chicago
Friday, November 2, 2007

How do you possibly follow up a record that led Rolling Stone to proclaim you “the best unsigned band in America”? That’s the daunting challenge The Whigs face in January, when their new album is released.

• Read more: The Whigs preview

Hellyeah, Otep
House Of Blues, Chicago
Sunday, November 4, 2007

After his brother Dimebag Darrell was murdered onstage – right in front of him – in 2004, ex-Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul hinted he would never play music professionally again. There was always the feeling, though, Paul would return, it’s just too bad it couldn’t have been with something better than Hellyeah.

• Read more: Hellyeah, Otep preview

Cass McCombs/Euros Childs
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Monday, November 5, 2007/
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

The “singer-songwriter” label frequently oversteps its bounds. In the ’70s it referred directly to the James Taylor/Joni Mitchell/Jackson Browne types, and is used as a perjorative these days to mean any sort of coffeehouse qhinwe. Invoke Elliott Smith at your own risk.

• Read more: Cass McCombs & Euros Childs previews

Koop
Double Door, Chicago
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Koop’s third full-length, Koop Islands (Atlantic), finds the Stockholm-based duo providing a soundtrack to a week-long vacation onboard the “Love Boat.”

• Read more: Koop preview

Tom Brosseau
Cavalier
(FatCat)

Reducing Tom Brosseau to just him and an acoustic guitar isn’t much of a pare down. A bigger test would be surrounding him with a marching band and patching some electrical tape over his yap.

Appearing: Thursday, November 1st at Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago.

• Read more: Tom Brosseau reviewed

Magnet
The Simple Life
(Filter)

Magnet, aka Even Johansen, is proof you can’t bank a living on having one of your songs played on The O.C.

Appearing: Friday, November 2nd at Vic Theatre in Chicago.

• Read more: Magnet reviewed

Les Savy Fav
Let’s Stay Friends
(Frenchkiss)

For their first album in six years, New York’s Les Savy Fav embrace the disco punk/Gang Of Four revival (they helped touch off) without showing a bit of rust.

• Read more: Les Savy Fav reviewed

Coheed & Cambria
Alertante Ending

For Coheed And Cambria, it was the end of the world. For most bands, such a statement would easily qualify as hyperbole or, at the very least, exaggeration. Yet for emo/prog rock stars Coheed And Cambria — vocalist and guitarist Claudio Sanchez, guitarist Travis Stever, bassist Mic Todd, and new drummer (and former Dillinger Escape Plan member) Chris Pennie — it rings startlingly true, on multiple levels.

Appearing: November 2nd at Riviera Theatre in Chicago.

• Read more: Coheed And Cambria interview

Avenged Sevenfold
Got The Time

It’s 4:15 p.m. and still no word from Johnny Christ.

The Avenged Sevenfold bassist was supposed to call Illinois Entertainer at 3:30 Central time, 1:30 at the band’s Huntington Beach, California homebase. Forty-five minutes later, though, still nothing.

Appearing: November 8th at Congress Theatre in Chicago.

• Read more: Avenged Sevenfold interview

Hello, My Name Is Sammy
Q&A With Sammy Hagar

IE: What were some of the highlights from your 60th birthday celebration?
Sammy Hagar: The highlights were two things: 1) They had huge surprises for me, I mean everyone kept calling me or leaving me messages or e-mailing me saying ‘Hey, we can’t make it. Tell Sammy we love him” — people who have been coming every year, people like Toby Keith. They all told me they weren’t coming. I didn’t mind, though, because sometimes too many people come and it makes it very hard for me and my band because we have to share the stage, and we like to play! And the fans are there to hear certain songs and sometimes we don’t get to play enough.

• Read more: Hello, My Name Is Sammy

The 1900s
Panit The Town Red

Whoever said blondes have more fun never met redheaded kindred spirits Jeanine O’Toole and Caroline Donovan. The duo are better known as “The Murphs” to their five comrades in Chicago-based and South Side-representing, ’70s-influenced band The 1900s.

• Read more: The 1900s interview

Chaka Khan
“This” Is Not A Test

Getting on the phone with Chaka Khan for even a few minutes is an arduous planning process, but that’s only because the famed funk diva is currently being pulled in a million different directions.

• Read more: Chaka Khan interview