Recent Articles
Stage Buzz: Heaven 17, Prognosis, Ivy Ford Band, Damaged Justice
Some of the best “new” blues players in the city are now women. You can add Ivy Ford and her band near the top of that list. Her soulful voice matches her abilities on the guitar. Raised in Waukegan, Ford’s self-released albums  (Harvesting My Roots is an in-office favorite) show she’s become one of […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2022 • Day One • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest Day One Douglass Park Chicago, IL September 16, 2022 Words and photos by Curt Baran They waited. They waited again. They waited some more. But this past weekend, their patience finally paid off. Way back in the pre-pandemic days, word went out that My Chemical Romance would reunite and play Riot Fest. Given […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2022 • Day Two • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest Day Two Douglass Park Chicago, IL September 17, 2022 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Two of Adult Warped Tour (we kid you, Riot Fest) proved to be no less epic than its predecessor. With another kiss from the meteorological gods, the second summer was in full effect. Saturday’s headliners, The Misfits […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2022 • Day Three • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest Day Three Douglass Park Chicago, IL September 18, 2022 Riot Fest arguably left the loudest for last. If someone did somehow beat them, then, without question, Nine Inch Nails certainly brought the most angst. The Industrial behemoth sent voluminous waves of anger across Douglass Park as they closed out the 2022 version of […]
Live Review: Spiritualized at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Spiritualized The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Thursday, September 15, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) and company brought the hypnotic space-rock of Spiritualized to the Vic Theatre on Thursday. The English band performed fresh material from its captivating new album Everything Was Beautiful. Pierce’s finely crafted songs overflowed with […]
Photo Gallery: Cheap Trick at Genesee Theatre • Waukegan
Cheap Trick Genesee Theatre Waukegan, IL Sat September 10, 2022 Recap and photos by Edward Spinelli Cheap Trick – “the pride Rockford” entertained a healthy crowd at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan last Saturday with a hit-heavy setlist. Â Guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, and vocalist Robin Zander have secured their place in the Rock […]
Stage Buzz: The Riot Fest 2022 Undercard Preview
Riot Fest returns for its 18th year to historic 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 […]
Stage Buzz: Q&A with Glenn Hughes of The Dead Daisies
Sometimes — especially over the last couple of soul-trying years — it just feels great to be alive. Or, as Dead Daisies/Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes recently put it in an online posting on his 71st birthday, August 21, he was just “Thankful for another trip around the sun, grateful to see the sun […]
Stage Buzz: Spiritualized, Alkaline Trio, The Dead Daisies, Panic! at the Disco
In a short number of years, Post Malone went from an unknown rapper to a music superstar. Now, the singer will bring his unique blend of rap, rock, metal, and pop to the United Center as part of his “Twelve Carat Tour” this Wednesday, September 14, at 8 PM. Tickets. Jason Pierce and […]
Live Review: Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden • New York
Pearl Jam Madison Square Garden New York, NY September 11, 2022 Review and live photo by Curt Baran Anything that takes place on September 11th in New York City is obviously going to carry with it a significant amount of gravitas. Be it the memorial events down in lower Manhattan or something as […]
Live Review: Echo and the Bunnymen at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Echo and the Bunnymen The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Echo and the Bunnymen returned to the Vic Theatre on Wednesday, bringing a tour dubbed “40 Years of Magical Songs.” The show emphasized the English alternative rockers’ influential first five albums, including 1980 debut Crocodiles, 1981’s Heaven Up […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: The Fixx at House of Blues • Chicago
The Fixx House of Blues, Chicago, IL Tuesday, September 6, 2022 Live Review and photos by Jeff Elbel The Fixx visited Chicago’s House of Blues on Tuesday, bringing songs from the band’s first new album in ten years. The British alternative rockers’ eleventh album Every Five Seconds succeeds 2012’s critically praised album Beautiful Friction. Both sets of songs […]
Photo Gallery: Scorpions at Allstate Arena • Rosemont
Scorpions Thursday, Sept 1 Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL Recap and photos by Edward Spinelli Speeding by their 50th Anniversary, Scorpions returned back to the Allstate Arena Thursday for an evening of their rock hits yolked with some offerings from their latest album, Rock Believer. With a lineup that is clearly still firing on all cylinders, […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Neko Case at Out of Space • Evanston
Neko Case Out of Space Temperance Beer Co. Evanston, IL Saturday, September 3, 2022 Review and Gallery by Jeff Elbel Cover photo by Ebru Yildiz Last year’s Out of Space performance by Neko Case and her band was postponed due to an illness in the touring party. On a blustery Saturday, Case made a […]
Hello My Name Is Peter Hook
Arguably, Mancunian musician Peter Hook’s primary survival skill is his totally unique bass-playing style, a melodic, stage-scraping thrum that — ever since he launched with the legendary but short-lived outfit Joy Division, then perfected it in his ensuing combo New Order; it’s a sound that’s often been imitated but never once been equaled. […]
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