Archive for May, 2017
Photo Gallery: Dreamcar at The Vic Theater
Take three parts No Doubt (bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young), one part A.F.I (vocalist Davey Havok) and you’ve got yourself a new supergroup called Dreamcar. The band, which graced the cover of IE’s April issue, recently hit the road in support of their eponymous debut album. Curt Baran commenced his […]
Cover Story: Rise Against
More than any other time in the band’s 18-year career, the cultural and political climate of 2017 is the perfect environment for Rise Against. Buoyed by singer-songwriter Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes, and guitarist Zach Blair, it’s bittersweet for McIlrath, frontman and guitarist for the socio-political melodic punk act. The band’s leader […]
Media: June 2017
When WXRT night jock Ryan Arnold says he grew up on WXRT, he doesn’t just mean that he listened to the station. His mom Marge Arnold worked there when he was growing up, and he spent a lot of time in the hallways. “I literally grew up in the bowels of WXRT back when it […]
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 […]
IE Rewind: Chris Cornell 1964-2017
He was one of the seminal voices in rock history, not just the Seattle grunge movement of the early ’90s. His music was as complicated as he was, Soundgarden rarely dabbled in normal time signatures or regular love songs. His death in Detroit last night is shocking, and of course – it’s not. Our […]
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 […]
Stage Buzz: Ratt at Concord Hall
Are you ready to Ratt ’N’ Roll again? The recent court battles between former drummer Bobby Blotzer and the rest of the members over the use of the RATT band name has finally been determined. The winners singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Warren DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier, who are now joined by guitarist Carlos Cavazo […]
Feature Story – Joker Reunited
Do you remember Joker? The Chicago-based glam metal band of the late ’80s/early ’90s is making a comeback. Joker had a dedicated local following when hairbands roamed the earth, and they cut their teeth at the famed Thirsty Whale in River Grove. The band was also in rotation on local radio outlets WVVX, WWBZ “The […]
Photo Gallery – the xx at the Aragon Ballroom
Buoyed by the success of their new album, The xx brought the I See You tour to a sold-out Aragon Ballroom on a rainy Monday. The band returns later this summer as part of the considerably larger musical festival that will be affiliated with a musical operation called Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park. Curt Baran […]
May 2017: Media
When Wally Phillips retired from WGN Radio, the afternoon man Bob Collins replaced him. When Bob Collins died in a plane crash, the afternoon man Spike O’Dell replaced him. When Spike O’Dell retired, Steve Cochran was doing the afternoon show at WGN. “They offered me the job, and it was the worst deal offered to […]
Cover Story: Flogging Molly
In a few short days, the life of Django the Irish wolfhound would be over. At the age of eight – a long span for such a large breed – the gentle giant was suffering congestive heart failure, and in the past two months had lost over 40 of his original 195 lbs., and […]
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