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Photo Gallery: Corey Taylor and Cherry Bombs at The Forge of Joliet
IE’s Ed Spinelli captured Corey Taylor on night two of his three sold-out shows at The Forge. Taylor’s set list served up primarily solo and Stone Sour material, as well as a stellar acoustic version of Slipknot’s “Snuff,” alone worth the price of admission. Other surprises in his set included deep-cut covers like “Lunatic Fringe” […]
Spins: George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners • Crying for Hope
George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners Crying for Hope (Controlled Substance Sound Labs) Bassist George Porter Jr.is widely recognized as a prime mover of funk and soul music, and an ambassador of New Orleans’ treasured musical heritage since the formation of the Meters in 1965. Crying for Hope is Porter’s first album with his crew of […]
Spins: Colin Hay • Going Somewhere – 20th Anniversary Reissue
Colin Hay Going Somewhere (Compass) The collapse of Men at Work was the end of stadium-level stardom for Colin Hay, but it left an open door. Hay stepped through that door and persevered through hard times to rebuild his brand as a respected guitarist, master storyteller, and unparalleled songsmith. True, Hay’s career as a New […]
Cover Story: Royal Blood • “No More Dirty Mirrors”
When you’re young, the adages you get handed as advice from your elders might sound cheap and corny — ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ ‘Adversity often leads to great art,’ ‘What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.’ “Uh-huh,” most kids always nod begrudgingly, with a ‘Whatever’ eye roll, “I’ll be […]
Hello My Name is Juliana Hatfield
No man is an island, John Donne once wisely noted. Juliana Hatfield would respectfully like to disagree. At 53, the charming Boston folk-rocker is quite happy just kicking back at her Cambridge home with her beloved 11-year-old chocolate lab, Charlie (who’s actually female, she points out), sans any unwelcome interlopers. And while other […]
File: Peoria’s Way Down Wanderers New Album Announced and Video Single Released
Peoria’s country-roots stalwarts, The Way Down Wanderers (featured cover story in March 2019 IE), just announced their new album More Like Tomorrow drops on September 10. More Like Tomorrow finds the Peoria, Illinois-based quintet refining their music, pushing new boundaries of roots-based music with their blend of folk, rock, bluegrass, and deep harmonies. Their first single […]
CinemaScopes: May 2021
Sequels, Remakes, and Adaptations As we gear up for a more Post-Vax world, many films previously on hold are finally coming out, and May traditionally is the tentpole month for theaters. One theme we see is the tendency to rely on tried and true formulas to draw people out again – especially when so many […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz May 17-23
A rare Monday VIP Livestream commences at the “Night of Covenant House Stars,” a virtual gala on Monday, May 17 featuring appearances by Jon Bon Jovi, Charlie Day, Jewel, Audra McDonald, Dolly Parton, Vanessa Williams, Sara Bareilles, Chita Rivera, Dionne Warwick, and more. RSVP to the event here. Philly’s acclaimed Disco Biscuits added a last-minute hometown […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz May 5-10
Celebrate the life of the late acclaimed songwriter Adam Schlesinger during the Adam Schlesinger, A Music Celebration, Virtual Show. Performers include Micky Dolenz (Monkees), Sean Ono Lennon, Courtney Love, Jody Porter and the Berlin Waltz, Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional), James Iha, Taylor Hanson, Ben Kweller, Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Drew Carey, Peter Buck […]
Cover Story: Del Amitri • “In The Flesh”
Over the years, Justin Currie seems to have survived the turbulent music industry on his shrewd wits alone. And he does not suffer any less street-savvy fools gladly. Take, for example, when the Del Amitri frontman was padding his income a few years ago, working part-time as a bartender in his native Glasgow. If […]
Spins • Rob Zombie: “Lunar Injection Kool-Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”
Rob Zombie Lunar Injection Kool-Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast) For the past three decades, Rob Zombie has been music’s master of macabre. He’s built his career on disco metal groove songs about witches, monsters, and sexy mamas. He excels in disco sleaze groove metal horror-inspired songs to shake your ass to. And that’s exactly […]
Media: April 2021
It’s hard to describe everything Jon Hansen brings to Chicago media. He’s really a Jon-of-all-trades, able to shift from television to radio to just about anything else that requires a microphone. First and foremost, he’s one of the stars of the nightly gabfest (6-7 pm), The Jam on WCIU-TV. “It’s your Twitter feed on […]
Cover Story: Cheap Trick
At a seasoned 72, Rick Nielsen is the Frank Buck of the rock and roll world. By his own admission — and he’s not bragging, just stating the facts — the Cheap Trick axeman and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has bagged and brought home over 2,000 guitars in his lifetime. His trophy room […]
CinemaScopes: April 2021
New film releases are finally starting to pick up, with more cinemas opening around the country (specifically on the West Coast). The backlog of film debuts begins this month as we lead up to the summer season. Here are some top picks for April. Concrete CowboyDirected by Ricky StaubRated RApril 2nd on Netflix Inspired by […]
Stage Buzz Review and Photo Gallery: Todd Rundgren Clearly Human Livestream from Chicago
Todd Rundgren Clearly Human Virtual Tour Private Venue, Chicago, IL Friday, February 26, 2021 Review by Jeff Elbel Photos by Jim Snyder Celebrated innovator and musical polymath Todd Rundgren is conducting his 25-date “Clearly Human” tour entirely from an unnamed theater in Chicago. Each show has featured all of the songs from 1989’s Nearly […]
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