Archive for September, 2018
Photo Gallery: Bourbon & Beyond, Champions Park, Louisville
A rain shortened Bourbon & Beyond still delivered a world-class music line-up on Day One at Champions Park in Louisville. Ed Spinelli donned his rain gear and his Hefty-covered Nikon in a steady rain, while capturing Swimming With Bears, Larkin Poe, Mindi Abair & Boneshakers, Joseph, JJ Grey & Mofro, Keb Mo, Sheryl Crow, David Byrne […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2018 – Day Three
As the 2018 version of Riot Fest plowed into its third day, July weather returned full stop, beating down on the thousands who assembled for performances from (insert deep breath here) Pronoun, No Small Children, Just Friends, Calpurina, Kevin Devine, JD McPherson, Fear, SWMRS, Johnny Marr, The Dangerous Summer, The Audition, Suicidal Tendencies, Superchunk, Dillinger […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2018 – Day Two
Day Two of Riot Fest was greeted by arguably the best weather the festival has ever seen. It was also the hardest hitting line-up of the weekend. Attendees were baptized by sunshine, cool breezes and sets from Beach Bunny, Total Chaos, Badflower, The Frights, Piebald, Lower Class Brats, Health, Mannequin Pussy, Gary Numan, Reignwolf, Twin […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2018 – Day One
The 2018 version of Riot Fest, in the tradition that is life in Chicago, hit a few speed bumps on its way to Douglas Park. The rollout leading up to Day One was a bit dramatic. Headliners Blink-182 had to cancel for health reasons at the eleventh hour and their understudies, Weezer were announced only […]
Hello My Name is Andrew W.K.
Like Alexander the Great centuries before him, mega-metaller Andrew W.K. is probably weeping because he has no more worlds to conquer. Justifiably so. After recording 2001’s I Get Wet – a multi-tracked ELO-meets-Sweet-at-Slayer-junction masterpiece so addictive that we guarantee that there will be days you’ll wake up needing to hear it right then, this […]
Stage Buzz: Riot Fest 2018 – Undercard Picks
Riot Fest returns for its 14th year in to historical Douglas Park at Chicago at Ogden & Ashland. From its humble beginnings in small clubs to its current incarnation as a classic punk and hip-hop celebration each Fall, Riot Fest has a connection to Chicago like no other festival. Here are some of our must-see […]
Cover Story: The Voidz
“A man’s got to know his limitations,” Clint Eastwood once observed as the defiant renegade cop Dirty Harry. Similarly unforgiving Strokes bandleader Julian Casablancas is still gradually discovering his own with his latest splinter combo –initially dubbed Julian Casablancas + The Voidz, now known simply as The Voidz – and its sleek, sophisticated sophomore […]
Cover Story: Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr just made the best record of his life. And he knows it. Dubbed Call the Comet, it’s the ex-Smith guitarist’s third, following 2013’s The Messenger and 2014’s Playland. And it finds him: Lyrically delving into grim socio-political issues that he’d often avoided; Letting his axe provide the chiming hooks in places instead of […]
Photo Gallery: Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band at BMO Harris Pavillion
The famous Beatles second drummer was joined (“with a little help from his friends”) in Milwaukee by and a famous band including Colin Hay from Men at Work (“Who Can It be Now”, “Land Down Under”), Steve Lukather from Toto (“Africa”, “Hold The Line”, “Roseanna”), Gregg Rolie from Santana (“Black Magic Woman”, “Evil Ways”) and […]
Stage Buzz: Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live at Arcada Theatre [Updated with Photo Gallery]
Hard rock pioneers Deep Purple are one of the fortunate bands that have had multiple legendary, Hall Of Fame members, and Glenn Hughes (who replaced Roger Glover/and Ian Gillan) performed with the band as co-lead vocalist (with David Coverdale) in their California Jam heyday (1973-1976), is a favorite for many DP fans. After musical stints […]
Stage Buzz: Jay Aston’s Gene Love Jezebel at Bottom Lounge
Like the Davies (The Kinks) and Gallagher (Oasis) brothers, Jay and Mike Aston have had a hard time getting along both personally and legally, so Gene Loves Jezebel has been offering two touring versions of the band for quite some time. Like the two versions of UB40, it’s “hard to keep track of players without […]
Photo Gallery: Fall Out Boy and Rise Against at Wrigley Field
For the entirety of the concert going season this summer at Wrigley Field, it has been the “away” teams that have dominated. Well, all that changed this past weekend when home-towners Fall Out Boy brought their Mania Tour to the baseball cathedral at the corner of Clark and Addison. The Chicago natives also bolstered up […]
Stage Buzz: The Way Down Wanderers at City Winery
The Way Down Wanderers City Winery Chicago Sunday, September 9 Recalling the sounds of WLS’s vintage Barn Dances with more modern nu-grass like the Avett Brothers and The Ghost of Paul Revere, Chicago’s Way Down Wanderers live it and play it authentically as a modern folk band blessed with layered and rich harmonies and soul. […]
Stage Buzz Q & A: Ed Kowalczyk of Live
On the surface, it resembles any other cleverly-conceived summer shed tour – alt-rock powerhouse Live co-headlining a massive jaunt with folk-rocking combo Counting Crows, celebrating the 25th anniversaries of both. Great bang for your concert buck, all told. But to Live leader Ed Kowalczyk – who acrimoniously quit the band in 2009, then later rejoined […]
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