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

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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.

Around Hear: April 2012

Around Hear: April 2012

NTD Records’ HiFi Superstar continue to refine their power-pop hooks on their third long-player, One Hit Wonder. Maturing as songwriters and as tight as a band that performs nearly 150 shows a year

Caught In A Mosh: April 2012

Caught In A Mosh: April 2012

The giveaway — apart from the byline and absence of Super Troopers references — that Trevor Fisher has been taking some deserved time off from IE has been zero babbling on one of three fronts: High On Fire, Superchrist, or Bible Of The Devil.

Digital Divide: April 2012

Digital Divide: April 2012

There are two things with which Hollywood has a spotty record. The first is making decent films out of popular fiction. Notice I didn’t say successful films from popular fiction, but decent.

Hello, My Name Is Rebecca: Wild Flag Q&A

Hello, My Name Is Rebecca: Wild Flag Q&A

IE: Now that you are a veteran of a supergroup, does that open up doors to a supergroup secret society?
Rebecca Cole: [Laughs.] Yeah! Actually, we get together with Chickenfoot every now and again

File: April 2012

File: April 2012

The Portillo’s Music Shell? President Obama flushed his Al Green capital down the toilet when he butchered the word “Lollapalooza” in his explanation for the G-8 deserting Chicago.

Gear: April 2012

Gear: April 2012

If Joe Strummer, Thurston Moore, and Kurt Cobain can have their have their own signature guitars, why not Jeff Tweedy?