Recent Articles
Spins: Woke Mountain Boys • Afraid of Leaving Home
Woke Mountain Boys Afraid of Leaving Home (Independent) Long before earning acclaim as a documentary filmmaker (notably including 1997’s In Whose Honor?, examining the use of Native American archetypes in sports), Jay Rosenstein was a local hero on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. His band Otis and the Elevators were roots-rockers with jam […]
Live Review: The Claudettes at Mary’s Place • Rockford
The Claudettes Mary’s Place October 18, 2024 Rockford, IL Review and photos by Jeff Elbel. Enjoying a busy fall season on the road, Chicago’s inimitable wonders, The Claudettes, swung to nearby Rockford for a return visit to Mary’s Place. The watering hole rests along the Rock River and is the oldest bar in town. “This […]
Stage Buzz: The Sisters of Mercy, Iron Maiden, Justin Timberlake
British post punk icons The Sisters of Mercy are hailed as the godfathers of goth rock. Known for songs like “Temple of Love,” “Lucretia My Reflection,” and “This Corrosion,” the band’s influence spans across generations. They even influenced tour openers Blaqk Audio. Catch the two bands at the Aragon Ballroom on Wednesday, October 23 […]
Photo Gallery and Reap: Jelly Roll • United Center • Chicago
Jelly Roll with Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay Thursday, October 10 United Center Chicago, IL Photo Gallery and Reap: Edward Spinelli Some call him country; others say his style is southern rock with a hint of hip-hop, although perhaps most accurately, it’s a hybrid of them all; no matter how Jelly Roll is categorized, the […]
Stage Buzz: Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party Film Screening
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ fifth album, Long After Dark, added indelible singles, including “You Got Lucky” and “Change of Heart” to the band’s canon. In the studio and on the road in 1982 with the Heartbreakers, Cameron Crowe and his crew rolled film to create Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party. The documentary was the […]
Stage Buzz: Local H, André 3000, Rise Against, SAGA, Mushroomhead
You can’t keep Local H down. From lineup changes to last-minute tour cancellations, the Illinois natives keep moving forward. After their tour with Helmet was axed in August, the duo regrouped and planned a new tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fifth album, Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? The duo will perform the 2004 album […]
Live Review: The Red Pears with Ultra Q at Park West • Chicago
The Red Pears with Ultra Q Wednesday, October 9 Park West Chicago, IL Review by Ashley Perez-Hollingsworth The Red Pears are proof that rock isn’t dead. It’s just underground. The El Monte band brought their garage-rock/Latin-infused sound to Chicago’s historic Park West in support of their latest album, Better Late Than Never. With The […]
Photo Gallery: Fontaines D.C. in Chicago
Fontaines D.C. The Salt Shed Chicago, IL October 9, 2024 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Over the course of nearly a decade, Dublin, Ireland’s Fontaines D.C., has cultivated an audience that is one performance at a time. Their take on Post-Punk across four albums has ensnared them a larger audience upon each subsequent release. […]
Stage Buzz: King’s X, Air, The Red Pears, The Psychedelic Furs
French electronic duo Air earned critical acclaim with their debut album, Moon Safari, back in 1998. With its blend of dream pop, downtempo beats, electronica, and trip-hop, the album was only the start of their influential legacy. The band will celebrate the 26th anniversary of their debut album with a full album performance at the Auditorium Theatre this […]
Photo Gallery: PJ Harvey • The Salt Shed • Chicago
PJ Harvey The Salt Shed Chicago, IL September 30, 2024 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Throughout her extraordinary career, Polly Jean Harvey has excelled at shape-shifting. It’s an extraordinary talent that has kept her audience guessing since her debut back in the early 90’s. What has never been in question is her galvanized status […]
Cover Story: Myles Kennedy • The Golden Voice
Since stepping up on stage from the audience to join the fictitious metal band Steel Dragon from the 2001 motion picture Rockstar, starring Mark Wahlberg, Myles “Thor” Kennedy has shuffled from one extraordinary musical opportunity to the next. In 2002, Kennedy was offered an audition for the vocalist spot in the newly formed supergroup Velvet […]
Media: October 2024 • Chicago’s Very Own Dean Richards
Dean Richards had an entire career before he started working at WGN-TV. He had been working in radio for nearly twenty years at stations like WFYR, WCFL, WIND, WCLR, WNUA, and WGN Radio. He had been a morning host, program director, and production director and held down nearly every day on the air. The […]
Recap and Gallery: Jeff Lynne’s ELO at The United Center • Chicago
Jeff Lynne’s ELO United Center, Chicago, IL September 28, 2024 Photos and recap by Jeff Elbel; Additional Photos from Palm Springs, CA, from Jeff Stoltzfus Jeff Lynne’s ELO played the second of two nights at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday. The band’s Over and Out Tour has been promoted as Jeff Lynne’s farewell […]
Photo Gallery • The Jesus Lizard in Chicago
The Jesus Lizard The Salt Shed Chicago, IL September 28, 2024 Recap and photos by Curt Baran The mic cord sat coiled at the edge of the stage, resting like a coal-colored pasta nest. Fifty-something feet of foreshadowing. The Jesus Lizard, arguably one of this city’s most significant exports (sorry, Hog Butchers), returned home, and […]
Photo Gallery Day One: Riot Fest at Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest Recap: Day One Recap by Justice Petersen; Photos by Ed Spinelli Despite the scorching heat, thousands of punks, metalheads, and goths joined forces to raid Douglass Park for music’s most renowned punk rock music festival. Riot Fest took place in Douglass Park this year as per tradition, despite a close call of moving […]
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