Live Reviews
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 […]
Recap and Gallery: Frank Turner at HOB Chicago
How fortuitous that Frank Turner’s 2017 tour would kick off just as this country faces the aftermath of one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history. The English folk-punker’s musings have always leaned toward the political, so it seemed all to apropos that he’s still out supporting his most current release Positive Songs […]
Live Review and Gallery – Steve Nicks and The Pretenders
Stevie Nicks/ The Pretenders United Center, Chicago Saturday, December 3, 2016 By the dates on their birth certificates, Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde could easily qualify for retirement, but rather than tossing in the towel or being satisfied with repeated trips down memory lane, both the longtime Fleetwood Mac member and The Pretenders’ fearless leader […]
Live Review: Robyn Hitchcock at City Winery
Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift Thursday, November 17, 2016 City Winery As Robyn Hitchcock’s touring partner for a number of years, Emma Swift received a warm welcome at City Winery from the headliner’s fans. The Australian transplant by way of Nashville colored tremulous guitar chords with her rich and winsome alto on songs including […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Peter Wolf at City Winery
When Peter Wolf introduced “Nothing but the Wheel” from his 2002 solo album Sleepless, he described the distinguished company he kept while creating it. “I had the pleasure of recording this song with rock and roll royalty,” he said. “Well, real royalty – Sir Mick Jagger.”
Live Review – ARW at Chicago Theatre
Generations of Yes fans gathered to celebrate at the Chicago Theatre when principal members of two key line-ups combined forces for the first time since 1991’s Union tour. Billed as ARW, Singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman from the classic ‘70s line-up that created progressive rock masterpieces Fragile and Close to the Edge were joined by guitarist/vocalist Trevor Rabin from the ‘80s pop powerhouse incarnation that produced 1983’s 90125.
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