Live Reviews
Live Review: Nick Cave at the Auditorium Theatre
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Friday, June 16, 2017 Review by Jeff Elbel So much for the fourth wall. Early during his concert at the Auditorium Theatre, Nick Cave blurred the line between the audience and the stage. By the end of the show, he had simply erased it. As […]
Live Review and Gallery: Iron Maiden at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Iron Maiden Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL June 15, 2017 Photos by Curt Baran Review by Jeff Elbel The weekend began a day early for local headbangers of all ages, when legendary British metal band Iron Maiden made the final Chicago stop on its juggernaut The Book of Souls World Tour. The six members […]
Live Review and Gallery: U2 at Soldier Field
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Saturday, June 3, 2017 Reviewed by Jeff Elbel Veteran Irish rockers U2 took a detour from the road to their upcoming Songs of Experience project in order to revisit the “desert songs” that put them firmly on the map. The band’s first night at Soldier Field […]
Live Review and Gallery: Neil Diamond at United Center
Neil Diamond United Center, Chicago Sunday, May 28, 2017 It didn’t take a virtual “Carpool Karaoke” ride with James Corden, Jennifer Lopez, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, John Legend and many others clamoring to get next to Neil Diamond at this year’s Grammy Awards to prove that he was cool again (at least somewhat). For […]
Photo Gallery: Eric Johnson at the Acorn Theater
If Eric Johnson isn’t your favorite guitar player, than odds are he is your “favorite guitar player’s guitar player.” He was especially impressive in the intimate confines of Three Oak’s (MI), Acorn Theater Thursday Night. Johnson’s two-hour set included an extended electric guitar performance, a short acoustic set, and a few tunes his from baby […]
Live Review and Gallery: Midnight Oil at the Vic Theatre
Midnight Oil The Vic Theatre May 18, 2017 The glorious roar and jangle of Midnight Oil’s twin guitars and the band’s righteous fury have been sorely missed by many fans in Chicago since their last date here in 2002, when the group headlined Taste of Chicago in support of the Capricornia album. The politically-charged […]
Review and Photo Gallery: Hall & Oates/Tears For Fears at Allstate Arena
If you graduated high school in the 80s, loved your radio, and wanted your MTV, Allstate Arena was the place to be on Monday night. Judging by the packed hall, word had gotten around. Two disparate but defining bands from the era joined forces for a satisfying night of music and memories. Tears for Fears […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Rise Against at House Of Vans
It’s been way too long, right?” Thirty minutes into Rise Against’s Friday night set at House of Vans new location in the West Loop, frontman Tim McIlrath voiced what so many in the crowd were thinking. Rise Against’s last full length, The Black Market, dropped in 2014, and the band has kept a relatively low […]
Recap and Photo Gallery: John Mayer at United Center
John Mayer essentially wore 3 hats during the course of his show Tuesday at the United Center: pop songster with full band; singer/songwriter solo acoustic, and blues rock guitar aficionado with power trio. His rhythm section for the full band and trio was Steve Jordan on drums and Pino Palladino on bass, was exceptional. In […]
Stage Buzz Review: The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism at Navy Pier
The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism Navy Pier, Chicago Wednesday, April 12, 2017 With exponential amounts of albums, books, photographs, memorabilia and merchandise on the market relating to The Rolling Stones, it seems impossible that anyone could possibly unearth another morsel on what many might call the world’s greatest rock n’ roll band. But thanks to the […]
Photo Gallery and Show Review: Radiohead at Sprint Center, Kansas City
If you scanned the parking lots at Kansas City’s Sprint Center on Wednesday night, you would have noticed something peculiar about the motionless cars. For each Missouri license plate, there were as many, if not more, vehicles adorned with placards from neighboring States and beyond. It would certainly seem to infer that if Radiohead doesn’t […]
Review and Gallery: Regina Spektor at Chicago Theater
It’s a seemingly innocuous statement taken at face value. But color in Regina Spektor’s back story, and the words take on a considerate amount of heft. Fleeing the former Soviet Union when anti-semitism became “too much to bear.” Spektor reflected onstage at the Chicago Theatre, thousands of miles from her former homeland and a […]
Live Review and Gallery: Bon Jovi at United Center
Bon Jovi United Center, Chicago Sunday, March 26, 2017 As Bon Jovi kicked off its first concert in Chicago since Soldier Field in 2013 with “This House Is Not For Sale” (the title track from the band’s 13th standard studio album), original members Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan (keyboards) and Tico Torres (drums) seemed to […]
Live Review and Gallery: Andrew Bird at Allstate Arena
Andrew Bird Friday, January 20, 2017 Allstate Arena A week after performing for A Prairie Home Companion at Symphony Center, Andrew Bird returned to open for the Lumineers at Allstate Arena. Showing his hometown roots, Andrew Bird marveled at finding himself onstage at the former “Rosemont Horizon.” He stopped short of naming shows he had […]
Recap and Gallery: Future Islands at House Of Vans Chicago
In a city filled with storied musical venues, the prevailing attitude seems to be that there’s always room for more. So this past weekend, the creative community welcomed House of Vans Chicago. Situated on the city’s near west side, the new venture is a bit of an anomaly. On its first official night, it was […]
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