Recent Articles
Media: August 2020
Andy Masur knows his new gig as radio play-by-play man (WGN Radio) for the White Sox is a great opportunity, but he also realizes who he is following. “There’s a little pressure because it’s not so easy to replace someone like Ed Farmer (who passed away a few months ago). I don’t ever feel you […]
Cover Story: The Go-Go’s – Document This!
Not that anyone should sink so deep into navel-gazing that they find fuzzy lint in these reflective post-pandemic times, but — as many folks are discovering — all this imposed downtime can lead to some eye-opening, perhaps life-changing introspection. The kind that might otherwise go unobserved back when we were all rushing through our hectic, […]
Spins: Taylor Swift – Folklore
Taylor SwiftFolklore(Taylor Swift) Taylor Swift surprised fans with her eighth studio album in late July, and as expected – many fans and this writer think it’s her best. Swift heavily strays away from her history of pop radio hits with her first alternative album, collaborating with Jack Antonoff, who has worked closely with the singer […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz July 29th – August 1
Large concerts may be mostly done this year (carpool concerts remain), but there’s still a lot of live music to enjoy on the web. From classic performances to virtual festivals, here are this week’s can’t miss livestreams. Join the Stone Temple Pilots as they perform their iconic debut album, Core, in its entirety on July 31st at 8 […]
Stage Buzz Promo: “Live From The Lot” – Local H, Hairbanger’s Ball, Smells Like Nirvana August 6-8
Last we saw Local H, they were pioneering one of the first drive-in social distanced concerts in downstate Gibson City. In a summer where you’re never quite sure if you’re going to see your favorite bands because of safety precautions, we’re happy to announce that Scott Lucas and Ryan Harding are performing much closer to […]
Q&A: CeeLo Green
It’s not an idyllic color-blind utopia, by any means. But the modern music world has certainly become a comfortable place of artistic collaboration where just about anything goes — Ariana Grande could record a squawky duet with a great blue heron, theoretically, and a waiting audience would snap up every last 12” remix. And chances […]
Spins: Michael McDermott • What in the World…
Michael McDermott What in the World… (Pauper Sky) Chicago’s Americana and folk-rock hero Michael McDermott’s 15th solo album finds his songwriting sharp and full of fire. The high-spirited title track of What in the World… is a thundering folk-rock anthem for the election year that unleashes a torrential flood of words a la Bob Dylan’s […]
Spins: Bob Dylan • Rough and Rowdy Ways
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways (Columbia) In 2012, Bob Dylan released his 35th studio album Tempest. The collection was loaded with potent songs like “Pay in Blood,” “Scarlet Town,” and “Early Roman Kings” that served Dylan well during stops on his Never Ending Tour. The album earned stellar marks from musicologists, but despite a […]
Spins: INXS • Live Baby Live: Wembley Stadium
INXS Live Baby Live: Wembley Stadium (Eagle Vision) INXS’ concert film Live Baby Live was originally released on VHS in 1991, following the Aussie dance-rock kings’ juggernaut world tour supporting 1990’s X album. The Summer XS event was held at London’s original Wembley Stadium at the peak of the sextet’s popularity, cementing the multiplatinum success […]
Hello My Name is…Mike Peters of The Alarm
by Tom Lanham You can hand Mike Peters the sourest, acrid batch of lemons ever harvested and the scrappy Alarm bandleader will make a refreshing, ice-cold pitcher of tasty lemonade with it every single time. This Welshman has often endured more hardships in a single month than most so-called rock survivors endure in a lifetime, […]
File: Live Music is alive at the Drive-In
One of the unfortunate casualties of the coronavirus is the loss of live music. While music from the stage is only in a self-induced coma, Chicagoland has essentially been music free from stages since the lockdown went into effect on March 19. As we’ve waded through our first three phases of Governor Pritzker’s quarantine in […]
Cinemascopes: July 2020
I was fully prepared to write, with a plethora of enthusiasm, about all the films finally coming to THEATERS in July. Well, stick a pin in that, as it seems many of those new movies we thought would be releasing have now been postponed. Again. And with good reason. We are still in the middle […]
Cover Story: Jehnny Beth
There are Renaissance women, dream-driven ladies who tirelessly toil their way to coveted career kudos like gaining elite EGOT status by winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. There is even a further achievement to shoot for once that title is secured — the PEGOT, via the added plaudit of a Peabody Award, a category […]
Media: July 2020
When John Williams arrived at WGN in 1997, he was thrilled because he grew up listening to the station. “I grew up listening to Wally (Phillips) and Roy (Leonard) and Kathy (O’Malley) and Judy (Markey) and Bob (Collins). I thought Roy was one of the most capable interviewers I ever heard. Wally was one of the most seamless broadcasters I ever heard. Bob Collins had the most […]
Recap and Gallery: Local H Live at Harvest Moon Drive-In
“Is this weird for you guys? It’s weird for us, too.” This was Scott Lucas of Local H at the Harvest Moon Drive-In in Gibson City, Illinois, just a few songs into an epic 30-song set Thursday in east central Illinois. IE attended the first of two sold out shows that Local H played on […]
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