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Archive for October, 2019

Live Review & Photo Gallery: Swervedriver at Bottom Lounge

Live Review & Photo Gallery: Swervedriver at Bottom Lounge

| October 31, 2019 | 0 Comments

  Swervedriver Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL October 28, 2019 Following a ten-year absence, ‘90s alt-rock groundbreakers Swervedriver unparked in 2008. By the time of 2015’s I Wasn’t Born to Lose You – the Oxford quartet’s first album in 17 years – it was clear that frontman Adam Franklin and co-guitarist Jimmy Hartridge weren’t dabbling. The […]

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Live Review: Bob Dylan at Credit Union 1 Arena

Live Review: Bob Dylan at Credit Union 1 Arena

| October 31, 2019 | 6 Comments

Bob Dylan Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, IL October 30, 2019 After several local visits promoting his excursions through standards from the Great American Songbook and Frank Sinatra’s repertoire, Bob Dylan returned to Chicago with a show focused on his own celebrated catalog of original material. Fans entered Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion) […]

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Media: November 2019

Media: November 2019

| October 31, 2019 | 0 Comments

For seven months, Jenniffer Weigel occupied a co-host chair in Mancow’s studio at WLS. She already knew him socially but was impressed by seeing Mancow work firsthand. “He works very hard on his show,” she says. “He’s the first one there every morning. Watching him run the board is like watching someone with ADD fly […]

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Cover Story: Sam Fender

Cover Story: Sam Fender

| October 31, 2019 | 2 Comments

Ostensibly, this is an article about British rock newcomer Sam Fender and his brilliant, one-in-a-million debut disc, Hypersonic Missiles – easily the best album of the year. Nothing can touch it; it’s so far ahead of the pack. But it’s also a moment where we can’t help but break with a few staid journalistic traditions […]

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Stage Buzz and Gallery: The Hu at House of Vans

Stage Buzz and Gallery: The Hu at House of Vans

| October 30, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Hu Vans Chicago October 31, 2019 Nothing says “Happy Halloween” like a morin khuur solo, am I right? What the hell is a morin khuur you ask? Exactly! Anyone who attended the 2019 version of Riot Fest may have encountered such an instrument if they caught the much talked about set from The Hu. […]

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Photo Gallery: Melanie Martinez at The Riviera Theatre

Photo Gallery: Melanie Martinez at The Riviera Theatre

| October 29, 2019 | 0 Comments

Melanie Martinez brought a bit of Broadway to Lawrence and Broadway Friday. The native New Yorker’s “K-12 Tour” landed at Chicago’s Riviera Theater with enough set and costume changes to rival both Madonna and Cher. Her blend of pop and hip-hop had a mostly female audience singing along from start to finish. But unlike most […]

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Stage Buzz: Michael Franti at Concord Music Hall

Stage Buzz: Michael Franti at Concord Music Hall

| October 21, 2019 | 0 Comments

  In this era of building walls, unsettled government and strife at the border, Michael Franti continues his message of positive vibes and bringing people together. Franti made his mark a decade ago with his massive hit “Say Hey (I Love You).” Mixing rock steady beats, ska, reggae, rock, hip-hop and electronica – Franti has […]

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Spins: The Beatles “Abbey Road” 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set Reviewed

Spins: The Beatles “Abbey Road” 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set Reviewed

| October 20, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Beatles Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe box set (Apple/Universal) As with the 50th anniversary editions of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles (aka The White Album), any fan could argue that this new mix of Abbey Road is unnecessary. Some may go as far as saying that tinkering with the […]

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Live Review: Saga at Arcada Theatre

Live Review: Saga at Arcada Theatre

| October 20, 2019 | 0 Comments

Saga Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL October 16, 2019 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Wednesday night’s concert at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles was impressive on multiple counts. Credit goes to promoter Ron Onesti for listening to patrons and taking the risk to book Saga’s first standalone US show in ages. Although the […]

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Photo Gallery: Sleater-Kinney at The Rivera Theatre

Photo Gallery: Sleater-Kinney at The Rivera Theatre

| October 20, 2019 | 0 Comments

Even if Olympia, Washington’s Sleater-Kinney had remained on hiatus after their 2006 break, their legacy would have already been secured. But they came storming back in 2014 with their eight long player No Cities To Love, seemingly without missing a beat. Even the recent departure of long time drummed Janet Weiss hasn’t diminished the remaining […]

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Live Review:  Madonna at The Chicago Theatre

Live Review: Madonna at The Chicago Theatre

| October 17, 2019 | 2 Comments

Madame X Tour Chicago Theatre October 16, 2019 “Artists are here to disturb the peace.” One has to wonder if Madonna Louise Ciccone has accepted this James Baldwin quote as her life’s mantra. Let’s face it; the native Michigander has always had a reputation as a rabble-rouser. So, when it was announced that she would […]

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Stage Buzz: Municipal Waste at Metro

Stage Buzz: Municipal Waste at Metro

| October 15, 2019 | 0 Comments

  Richmond, Virginia crossover party animals Municipal Waste return from a two-year recording hiatus with the raging four-track EP The Last Rager (released on Oct. 11 via Nuclear Blast). Featuring vocalist Tony Foresta, guitarists Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos, drummer Dave Witte and bassist LandPhil Hall, the retro-thrash quintet will be returning to Chicago on […]

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Live Review: Adrian Belew at Arcada Theatre

Live Review: Adrian Belew at Arcada Theatre

| October 6, 2019 | 2 Comments

Adrian Belew Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Avant-rock trailblazer Adrian Belew brought his quartet to the Arcada Theatre with new material from 2019’s Pop-Sided.  Featuring songs like “Everybody’s Sitting” and its tuneful critique of modern inertia, the album is Belew’s first solo outing in a decade and follows 2009’s adventurous instrumental […]

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Stage Buzz: Art Alexakis at S.P.A.C.E. Evanston

Stage Buzz: Art Alexakis at S.P.A.C.E. Evanston

| October 4, 2019 | 0 Comments

Art Alexakis and Everclear defined the post-grunge ’90s where melodies were king, and dirty guitars were toned downed mercifully down to manageable, yet filthy levels. Singles “I Will Buy You A New Life” and “Santa Monica” are practically genres unto them themselves, which are not only benchmarks for melodic rock in the Friends-era but the […]

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Q&A and Live Review: Rick Wakeman

Q&A and Live Review: Rick Wakeman

| October 1, 2019 | 0 Comments

Rick Wakeman Arcada Theatre (St. Charles, IL) October 4, 2019 Celebrated prog-rock keyboardist and raconteur Rick Wakeman visited the Arcada Theatre on Friday night, performing a set of classically oriented solo piano pieces. The songs performed as part of Wakeman’s Grumpy Old Rock Star tour are connected by stories that were equally poignant and ludicrous. […]

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