Mayne Stage Chicago
John Barleycorn Schaumburg
The Arboretum Music Fest June 23-24

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Cover Story: The Beach Boys

Cover Story: The Beach Boys

Many casual rock fans get stuck on this poser: name the band who were greatly influenced by both Bob Dylan and The Beatles, and in turn had major influence on Bob Dylan and The Beatles. The answer is The Byrds. Similarly, another ’60s-born Southern California-based outfit led several lives

Interview: Brian Wilson

Interview: Brian Wilson

IE: Are there any that you’re more excited to approach than others?
Brian Wilson: Not really. Well, “California Girls” I look forward to, and “Good Vibrations.” I look forward to those.

Interview: Mayer Hawthorne

Interview: Mayer Hawthorne

Superman had his Fortress Of Solitude; Mayer Hawthorne has his records and the stores scattered around the globe devoted to housing rare and overlooked vinyl.

Interview: Eric Church

Interview: Eric Church

Even if he was preemptively playing along with what he assumes to be a skeptical urban magazine, Eric Church raises some salient points about country music. His career, after all, could be one of its songs.

Hello, My Name Is Alex

Hello, My Name Is Alex

Q&A with Alex Ebert (a.k.a. Edward Sharpe)

IE: So there’s actually a film, Big Easy Express, of the Railroad Revival Tour you took last year by vintage train cars, with Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show?
Alex Ebert: Yes. And it was shot really beautifully. But in some ways,

Around Hear: May 2012

Around Hear: May 2012

With equal influence from The Allman Brothers and Jeff Beck as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, The Flyin’ Ryan Brothers offer a plethora of dueling guitars throughout Under The Influence.

Caught In A Mosh: May 2012

Caught In A Mosh: May 2012

Staring at the cover of Iron Maiden’s En Vivo! (UME) DVD — Bruce Dickinson exulting in front of what looks like Chile’s entire population — you get a vivid sense of metal’s enduring popularity, something dissected heavily in the book Metal Rules The Globe I reviewed in March.

Digital Divide: May 2012

Digital Divide: May 2012

There’s something about hearing dir-ector Steven Soderbergh making a straightforward action film that immediately sent up a few red flags. First and foremost is the fact that Soderbergh has never made a straightforward film in his life.

File: May 2012

File: May 2012

Red or white, Todd Rundgren? And which would you choose to sip while listening to the soothing singer/songwriter? Have an answer ready when hitting up the Chicago outpost of City Winery. New York’s staple will open its second location come August in the West Loop

Gear: May 2012

Gear: May 2012

It’s been a few years since “Gear” reported on the new crop of commercial vans that could haul your gear and your bandmates. Since that time, Nissan and Chrysler got in the game. Here’s our wrap-up of this year’s models:
Nissan NV SERIES
Thumbing its nose at the iconic Ford E-Series and the Chevy Express, Nissan joined [...]

Media: May 2012

Media: May 2012

From bizarro Eddie and JoBo wreaking havoc at the auto show to John Tesh backing up a yellow-haired “Christoper Walken” crooning holiday tunes to a wacky “Jerry Lewis” performing with the Million Dollar Quartet, the “WGN Morning News” dances the line between news and entertainment.

Studiophile: May 2012

Studiophile: May 2012

Heavy South Siders Delightful Downfall — featuring Mike Kehoe, Joey Hammond, Nick Barelli, Alex Vincent, and Steve Eldridge — finished drum tracking at Chicago Recording Company in Chicago for Wild And Reckless

Sweet Home: May 2012

Sweet Home: May 2012

Much has been discussed about the direction that blues will take as the genre enters the crossroads of redefining itself while the last of the Delta bluesmen pass away. The past few decades have introduced more rock into the traditional blues sound, but soul has always been a more devoted offspring.

Willie Nelson photos!

Willie Nelson photos!

We sent Ed Spinelli out to the Paramount Theater in Aurora on April 12th to capture Willie Nelson as he embarks on his Heroes tour.

Cover Story: Creed

Cover Story: Creed

The idea of an artist staging an entire tour around a successful album is a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing, and in the case of Creed’s upcoming outing, fans actually get a double-decker front-to-back rendering.