ilentertainer's Latest Posts
Stage Buzz: U.D.O. at Concord Hall
Former Accept and current U.D.O. vocalist Udo Dirkschneider is saying farewell to his former band’s material with his Dirkschneider band’s live album, LIVE — Back To The Roots Tour. The album features 25 classic Accept tracks performed by his U.D.O. band in their native Deutschland on April 2nd, 2016. The live album and current Farewell […]
Feature: Bash & Pop
Say what you will about the record industry death harbinger known as Chinese Democracy — The New York Times once called it “the most expensive album never made” — the 2008 GN’R album without Slash and Duff that has somehow maintained its footing in the fickle populist rock vocabulary. Who would have guessed that Slash […]
Photo Gallery: Patti Smith at the Riviera Theatre
Photographing one of his most anticipated shows to close 2016, IE’s Ed Spinelli captured the poet of punk, Patti Smith Friday at the Riviera. On her birthday, performing her groundbreaking debut album Horses. Whoa. We’re going to need her wisdom more than ever in 2017. Here’s what he captured on night one of her two-night […]
Cover Story: AFI
Davey Havok would like to take a vacation. He really would. But at this point – as the AFI bandleader and latter-day Renaissance man grapples with one of the busiest schedules in show business – he very well might have forgotten how. Rest and recreation are for other rockers – not him. “Two months off […]
Media: January 2017
2016 was a rough year. We lost some of our favorite musical and pop culture icons. But we also lost some beloved members and former members of Chicago’s media community. I had the opportunity to interview a few of them, and for those I never met, I reached out to some of their former […]
Photo Gallery: Metallica at the Fox Theater
IE’s Gene Ambo couldn’t wait for Metallica to announce their anticipated Chicago 2017 tour date(s), so he went to them – capturing James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujilio at the legendary Fox Theatre in Oakland, California. On the heels of 2016’s biggest rock record – Hardwired…To Self Destruct, the boys from the […]
Photo Gallery – 5 Nights with Los Lobos
L.A.’s legendary Los Lobos has been an IE favorite since their days on Slash Records. Our SoCal soaked Tex Mex heroes spent 5 nights in Chicago commencing with City Winery and finishing up at SPACE in Evanston. Ed Spinelli captured the future HOF’ers.
Photo Gallery – Roger Hodgson at Arcada Theatre
IE’s Ed Spinelli captured Supertramp co-founder and classic rock radio staple, Hogdson at the historic Arcada Theater.
Spins: Reviewed – The Rolling Stones – “Blue and Lonesome”
“Britain’s oldest hitmakers” return to their blues roots. Instead of revisiting tired cliches, Jeff Elbel says they sound inspired and re-energized, in Spins.
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 […]
Photo Gallery: Jim James at The Vic Theatre
Jim James played the Vic on Saturday to a generous Chicago crowd. The My Morning Jacket front man graciously returned the favor by offering a few surprise tracks including The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Set Free” and a nice tribute to the late Leonard Cohen performing “Suzanne.” – Photos via Ed Spinelli
Photo Gallery: Bruce Springsteen Book Signing
Bruce Springsteen made a rare Chicago appearance Monday, but it was not for another sold-out show where 20,000+ fans left the United Center exhausted after a four hour rock celebration. Making an appearance at a Books A Million, a relatively small number of Bruce fans got a chance to share a moment and grab a […]
Stage Buzz: Cage The Elephant @ The Aragon Ballroom
Bowling Green’s Cage The Elephant are arguably one of the finest live acts currently working the floorboards. The only thing predictable about lead singer Matt Shultz is his unpredictability. After four releases, including 2015’s Tell Me I’m Pretty their set lists are stocked with a seemingly endless supply of rock radio staples (“Ain’t No Rest […]
Cover Story: The Pretty Reckless
Batman had his recessed Batcave. Superman had his Arctic Fortress of Solitude. And rocker/actress/artist Taylor Momsen has her own off-the-map hideout, an idyllic place in an unspecified part of New England where she regularly goes to collect her thoughts, create new paintings and sculptures, and generally recharges her creative batteries. And going off the […]
December 2016: Media
WBBM-News Radio’s Josh Liss grew up in Skokie, and there was one voice that had a real impact on his career direction, though it didn’t manifest itself for a few years. “Harry Caray was the big reason I wanted to do sports broadcasting,” he says. “I didn’t have a dad to take me to […]
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