Live Reviews
Photo Gallery: The Black Keys at Aragon Ballroom
Q101 WKQX, Chicago’s flagship and only Alt-Rock station, threw itself a birthday party, Thursday. More specifically, hosted one to celebrate the one year anniversary of the morning drive time trio known as Brian, Ali and Justin. And they did so in glorious style by inviting a sold out Aragon Ballroom audience to enjoy a live […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Tool and Killing Joke at United Center
Tool has always conducted itself as an unconventional anomaly. From their cryptic videos and ambiguous album art, their image has always thrived in the dark spaces that leave almost every aspect of their aesthetic open to interpretation. Who else but this band could wait 13 years between (arguably non-mainstream) records, knock Taylor Swift of the […]
Live Review & Photo Gallery: Swervedriver at Bottom Lounge
Swervedriver Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL October 28, 2019 Following a ten-year absence, ‘90s alt-rock groundbreakers Swervedriver unparked in 2008. By the time of 2015’s I Wasn’t Born to Lose You – the Oxford quartet’s first album in 17 years – it was clear that frontman Adam Franklin and co-guitarist Jimmy Hartridge weren’t dabbling. The […]
Live Review: Bob Dylan at Credit Union 1 Arena
Bob Dylan Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, IL October 30, 2019 After several local visits promoting his excursions through standards from the Great American Songbook and Frank Sinatra’s repertoire, Bob Dylan returned to Chicago with a show focused on his own celebrated catalog of original material. Fans entered Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion) […]
Live Review: Saga at Arcada Theatre
Saga Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL October 16, 2019 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Wednesday night’s concert at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles was impressive on multiple counts. Credit goes to promoter Ron Onesti for listening to patrons and taking the risk to book Saga’s first standalone US show in ages. Although the […]
Live Review: Madonna at The Chicago Theatre
Madame X Tour Chicago Theatre October 16, 2019 “Artists are here to disturb the peace.” One has to wonder if Madonna Louise Ciccone has accepted this James Baldwin quote as her life’s mantra. Let’s face it; the native Michigander has always had a reputation as a rabble-rouser. So, when it was announced that she would […]
Live Review: Adrian Belew at Arcada Theatre
Adrian Belew Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Avant-rock trailblazer Adrian Belew brought his quartet to the Arcada Theatre with new material from 2019’s Pop-Sided. Featuring songs like “Everybody’s Sitting” and its tuneful critique of modern inertia, the album is Belew’s first solo outing in a decade and follows 2009’s adventurous instrumental […]
Live Review: Slayer At Riot Fest
Slayer at Riot Fest Douglas Park, Chicago, Sept. 14, 2019 Slayer killed during a 90-minute headlining set that seemed to be cut short on a perfect late-summer evening in Douglas Park. At 9:56 p.m., minutes before the 10 p.m. curfew for music, singer-bassist Tom Araya told the crowd: “They are making us cut it short. […]
Live Review: King Crimson at The Auditorium Theatre
King Crimson Chicago Theatre Tuesday, September 10, 2019 When progressive rock titans King Crimson last visited Chicago in 2017, the proceedings at Chicago Theatre went so well that the band released an officially sanctioned live album of the concert. On Tuesday night, the English septet stopped at the venerable Auditorium Theatre for its 2019 […]
Live Review and Gallery: Squeeze at The Chicago Theatre
Squeeze Chicago Theatre August 31, 2019 When alt-pop superheroes Squeeze last visited Chicago, the group performed at the Vic Theatre in support of 2017’s LP The Knowledge. On Saturday night at the venerable Chicago Theatre, the band led by singer Chris Difford and guitarist Glenn Tilbrook hosted a considerably larger crowd for its “The Squeeze […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Iron Maiden at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Iron Maiden Thursday August 22, 2019 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park Full disclosure… August 5, 1982 I was forever ruined by Iron Maiden. That was the day of the band’s legendary appearance on the shores of Lake Michigan at ChicagoFest. I had already seen the band several times at that point, but that night was […]
Photo Gallery: Knotfest at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Metal from around the world converged last weekend in Tinley Park. The occasion was the 2019 Knotfest Roadshow, a sort of mini-festival curated by Iowa shock rockers Slipknot. The band has also invited Poland’s Behemoth, Gojira from France and Denmark’s Volbeat to join their current sojourn. Well, the masked metal collective from the Hawkeye State […]
Live Review/Photo Gallery: John Paul White at Lincoln Hall
John Paul White Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL Thursday, July 25, 2019 After a rough patch on the road due to illness that caused cancellation of shows in Kentucky and Tennessee, lucky fans saw John Paul White return to Chicago on Thursday night in good health and good spirits at Lincoln Hall. “How are you […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Jeff Lynne’s ELO with Dhani Harrison at United Center
Jeff Lynne’s ELO United Center, Chicago, IL Saturday, July 27, 2019 After a 37-year gap as of 2018, many Chicago-based fans of the Electric Light Orchestra had resigned themselves to enjoying their favorite ELO music through their record collections – or perhaps by catching “Mr. Blue Sky” on repeated views of Guardians of the Galaxy […]
Live Review: Garth Brooks at Joe’s on Weed Street
Garth Brooks Joe’s Bar, Chicago Monday, July 15, 2019 As the best-selling solo artist of all-time in America, it was far from expected that Garth Brooks would step down from filling stadiums to play for less than 500 people in a spot as intimate as Joe’s Bar on Weed Street. But considering the man […]
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