Recent Articles
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Love and Rockets at Riviera Theatre • Chicago
Love and Rockets The Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL Tuesday, June 6, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Few would have begrudged the reason, but many festival ticketholders were crestfallen when singer Peter Murphy stepped away for rehabilitation treatment and pulled the plug on Bauhaus’ summer tour soon before last year’s scheduled date […]
Stage Buzz: The Sisters of Mercy, Love and Rockets, The Cure, Martin Barre
Hailing from Leeds, The Sisters of Mercy helped spawn the goth rock movement of the 1980s, even if they shun the “goth” label. Frontman Andrew Eldritch remains an icon with his brooding attitude, menacing stance, and unmistakable melodic baritone vocals. Though they haven’t released a new album since 1990’s Vision Thing, the band […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Taylor Swift • Night 3 • Soldier Field • Chicago
Taylor Swift Soldier Field Chicago, IL June 4, 2023 Review by Riley Vernon. Photos: Aubrey and Riley Vernon Just when you think she’s peaked, Taylor Swift keeps climbing. The global powerhouse dazzled Soldier Field by wrapping up the final night of three sold-out Chicago shows on her highly anticipated “Eras Tour.” It’s been a long […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: Ultra Q at Metro • Chicago
When Jakob Armstrong decided to end Mt. Eddy, the band he formed in high school with brothers Enzo and Chris Malaspina, later joined by Kevin Judd, and regroup as Ultra Q, he wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. Weeks away from the release of Ultra Q’s debut album, he still […]
Media: June 2023 • Powering WGN AM 720
Mary Boyle is the first female general manager in WGN Radio’s history. The rest of the industry has taken note. This past month she was once again named one of the Most Influential Women in Radio by **Radio Ink Magazine. Her journey up the ladder, to the top job at the most iconic Chicago […]
Cover Story: Moby • Liberating Me
If you had the luxury of compiling a wish list of gab-gifted guests for the Perfect Dinner Party, you could do a lot worse than inviting techno-jazz-pop-ambient-symphonic Renaissance man Moby. Personally — without even touching on his four-decade, genre-jumping musical career— he has a true wealth of achievements to discuss, including his photography […]
Stage Buzz: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Do Division Fest, Legions of Metal
Yeah Yeah Yeahs made a triumphant return last year with their album Cool It Down, their first in nine years. Karen O and co. will play cuts from their latest release along with classics and fan favorites this weekend when they perform at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on Thursday, June 1 at […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Poster Children at Bottom Lounge • Chicago
Poster Children Saturday, May 27, 2023 Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL Review and photos by Jeff Elbel “We are Poster Children from Champaign, Illinois” has been bassist Rose Marshack’s salutation to audiences for decades. After extending a welcome to Saturday’s audience at Bottom Lounge, Marshack took questions while brothers Jim and Rick Valentin tuned […]
Stage Buzz: Helloween, Seal, NKOTP Blockfest, Adelitas Way
German metal legends Helloween, recently inducted into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in New York, come to the Riviera Theatre on Friday, 5/26. Their debut album Walls of Jericho, has stood the test of time as one the greatest speed metal debuts ever.  Helloween is touring with metal stalwarts Hammerfall – making this tour one of […]
Rock of Pages: Rose Marshack • Play Like a Man
Play Like a Man by Rose Marshack (University of Illinois Press) Following decades of fan engagement through road diaries and groundbreaking podcast predecessor Radio Zero, Poster Children bassist Rose Marshack has gathered stories and experience for this fast-paced and wide-ranging but well-balanced rock/tech/spiritual memoir. Hard-won lessons, road stories, tech geekery, entertaining anecdotes, and lessons […]
Stage Buzz: Chicago Drum Show • Kane County Fairgrounds • St. Charles
Chicago Drum Show May 20 & 21 Kane County Fairgrounds St. Charles, IL Michigan-based Rebeats (longtime retailer, drum historians/authors, and aficionados) is back post-pandemic to host a full-fledged Chicago Drum Show. Now in its 32nd year, the show is a must-attend event for drummers in the area, featuring a host of corporate and independent drum manufacturers […]
Live Review: Hozier at Metro • Chicago
Hozier Metro Chicago, IL May 16, 2023 By Aubrey Vernon Irish singer/songwriter Hozier’s “pop-up show” at Metro was, as expected, a uniquely intimate moment for lucky fans who were able to score tickets at the iconic 1100-seat venue. 2023 promises to be a good year for Andrew Hozier-Byrne, who just announced his third album (with […]
Live Review: Glenn Kotche at Senior Hall • Homewood
Glenn Kotche Senior Hall Cabin Homewood, IL May 6, 2023 By Craig Frank Bang a gong, play it with wooden spoons, or rattle it with paint scrapers, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche recently treated listeners with his insights, tricks, and inspirational sources to both his methods and musicality. On a recent Homewood evening in a Depression-era forest […]
Live Review: Hoodoo Gurus at City Winery • Chicago
Hoodoo Gurus City Winery Chicago Sunday, May 14, 2023 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Australian garage rock legends Hoodoo Gurus made their first visit to Chicago since 2007 on Sunday, bringing potent new songs from the 2022 album Chariot of the Gods to a sold-out audience at City Winery. The band’s 40th-anniversary tour date was two years […]
Photo Gallery: Doyle at Art Theatre • Hobart
Doyle Art Theatre Hobart, IN May 11, 2023 Photos by Edward Spinelli Misfits co-founder and acclaimed guitarist Doyle arrived at Hobart’s historic Art Theatre Tuesday to a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd. The axeman and his band were fit both musically and physically, running through a set of Misfits classics and solo material.
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