Recent Articles
Media: March 2023 • Sky Daniels Remembers The Loop FM98
Sky Daniels was one of the biggest stars at the Loop in their first heyday (1979-1981), and although he has gone on to an incredibly successful career in the record and radio business and is now retired and living in California, he still has very fond memories of his time in Chicago. But […]
Cover Story: Betty Who
As Australian-born pop composer Betty Who recalls it, the only things missing from her recent spine-tingling trip into the supernatural were Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and their trusty old VeeDubs Mystery Machine with which to beat a hasty retreat. Because Zoinks! The three specters she encountered were all too real and not engineered by some local huckster […]
Stage Buzz: Soulfly, Elle King, Badflower, John “Papa” Gros
Twelve albums in and thrash metal staples Soulfly show no signs of stopping soon. They’ll bring their fusion of groove metal, nu metal, and world music to The Forge in Joliet, IL, with special guests Bodybox, Skinflint, Embryonic, and Autopsy on Friday, March 3rd. Doors open at 6 PM. Grab tickets here. It’s hard […]
Live Review: Remain In Light : Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Saturday, February 25, 2023 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and the band’s veteran sideman Adrian Belew brought a tour celebrating their work on 1980’s influential Remain in Light album to Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Saturday. The pair were accompanied by seven-piece funk/jam/rock band Cool Cool Cool, […]
Photo Gallery: Viagra Boys at The Salt Shed • Chicago
Viagra Boys Salt Shed Chicago, IL February 24, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran “He says he don’t believe in science/He thinks that all the news is fake/And late at night he sits at his computer/And writes about the things he hates.” If you need a sense as to where the left-leaning Viagra Boys […]
Stage Buzz: SZA, Rick Springfield, Local H, Muse
The release of SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album SOS was a huge moment not only for the singer but for music in general. It became her first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and broke the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the US. Now, SZA […]
Stage Buzz: We Came As Romans, Great Pretenders, GoRilla, Norma Jean
The future of We Came as Romans was uncertain when frontman Kyle Pavone passed away in 2018. Rather than call it quits, the band decided to move forward without replacing Pavone as a way of honoring his memory. With keyboardist Dave Stephens taking over vocal duties, the band released its sixth album Darkbloom last […]
Stage Buzz: Our Lady Peace, Teenage Bottlerocket, Sheila E
Canadian alternative rockers Our Lady Peace aren’t afraid of taking risks. Their tenth album Spiritual Machines 2 is not only a sequel to their art-rock concept album Spiritual Machines, but it was also initially released as an NFT, which also led to a successful multi-media tour. Now, you can catch the band’s “The Wonderful […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: Tim Burgess of The Charlatans • Vic Theatre February 7 • Chicago
English band the Charlatans (aka The Charlatans U.K.) came of age with 1990’s Some Friendly. The album featured the organ-fueled alternative rock hit “The Only One I Know,” which nodded to classics by the Byrds and Deep Purple. The quintet’s sound was bundled into the era’s Madchester scene, with danceable house rhythms, R&B grooves, […]
Cover Story: The Church
Sometimes, great art can become something like a snowball as it tumbles downhill after its initial creation, colliding with — then absorbing — many other diverse mediums, expressions, and even creators themselves as it goes. Take, for example, Australian author Jane Harper’s riveting mystery novel from 2016, The Dry. It lures you in from the […]
Hello My Name is Sam from The Bobby Lees
Sam Quartin knows she might resemble a misanthrope. But the powerhouse Bobby Lees front-woman simply despises modern technology and all of its cold, clinical trappings. Don’t ask her about any currently popular memes, viral videos, or TikTok influencers — she’s never online to see them, she swears, and she’s proud to note that she has […]
Media: February 2023 • Waking Up with Q101’s Brian and Justin
Brian Haddad and Justin Nettlebeck have been doing mornings at Q-101 for the last four years, but there have been a few changes in the last few months. First, long-time co-host Ali Mattacola left the show in November. As of this writing, they are still looking for the right person to fill that slot. But […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Fall Out Boy at Metro’s 40th Anniversary Show • Chicago
Fall Out Boy Metro, Chicago Wednesday, January 25th, 2023 By Jaime de’Medici; Photos Elliot Ingham Before Fall Out Boy performed a sold-out show at the Metro Wednesday night, the band’s crew set up their stage, including a backdrop with a half-smiley, half-frown face resembling a yin and yang symbol. It’s a design that’s been heavily […]
Stage Buzz: Wynton Marsalis, Couch, Anthrax with Black Label Society
Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy continues his annual January residency with friends and peers at his club Buddy Guy’s Legends. Thursday (Jan. 26), he performs with special guest Mzz Reese; Friday (Jan. 27), you can see him with Sheryl Youngblood; and Saturday, he performs a sold-out show with Nublu Band featuring Carlise Guy. He’ll […]
Spins: Crosby, Stills & Nash Debut Album Reissue Box
Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash  LP reissue box (Mobile Fidelity/Rhino) As this pristine LP reissue of 1969’s debut release by Crosby, Stills & Nash goes to press, news has just arrived of the passing of David Crosby on January 18, 2023, at the age of 81. Crosby’s notable career spanned nearly 60 years, […]
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