Recent Articles
Cover Story: Sam Fender
Ostensibly, this is an article about British rock newcomer Sam Fender and his brilliant, one-in-a-million debut disc, Hypersonic Missiles – easily the best album of the year. Nothing can touch it; itâs so far ahead of the pack. But itâs also a moment where we canât help but break with a few staid journalistic traditions […]
Stage Buzz and Gallery: The Hu at House of Vans
The Hu Vans Chicago October 31, 2019 Nothing says âHappy Halloweenâ like a morin khuur solo, am I right? What the hell is a morin khuur you ask? Exactly! Anyone who attended the 2019 version of Riot Fest may have encountered such an instrument if they caught the much talked about set from The Hu. […]
Photo Gallery: Melanie Martinez at The Riviera Theatre
Melanie Martinez brought a bit of Broadway to Lawrence and Broadway Friday. The native New Yorkerâs âK-12 Tourâ landed at Chicagoâs Riviera Theater with enough set and costume changes to rival both Madonna and Cher. Her blend of pop and hip-hop had a mostly female audience singing along from start to finish. But unlike most […]
Stage Buzz: Michael Franti at Concord Music Hall
In this era of building walls, unsettled government and strife at the border, Michael Franti continues his message of positive vibes and bringing people together. Franti made his mark a decade ago with his massive hit “Say Hey (I Love You).” Mixing rock steady beats, ska, reggae, rock, hip-hop and electronica – Franti has […]
Spins: The Beatles “Abbey Road” 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set Reviewed
The Beatles Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe box set (Apple/Universal) As with the 50th anniversary editions of Sgt. Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles (aka The White Album), any fan could argue that this new mix of Abbey Road is unnecessary. Some may go as far as saying that tinkering with the […]
Live Review: Saga at Arcada Theatre
Saga Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL October 16, 2019 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Wednesday nightâs concert at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles was impressive on multiple counts. Credit goes to promoter Ron Onesti for listening to patrons and taking the risk to book Sagaâs first standalone US show in ages. Although the […]
Photo Gallery: Sleater-Kinney at The Rivera Theatre
Even if Olympia, Washingtonâs Sleater-Kinney had remained on hiatus after their 2006 break, their legacy would have already been secured. But they came storming back in 2014 with their eight long player No Cities To Love, seemingly without missing a beat. Even the recent departure of long time drummed Janet Weiss hasnât diminished the remaining […]
Live Review: Madonna at The Chicago Theatre
Madame X Tour Chicago Theatre October 16, 2019 “Artists are here to disturb the peace.â One has to wonder if Madonna Louise Ciccone has accepted this James Baldwin quote as her lifeâs mantra. Letâs face it; the native Michigander has always had a reputation as a rabble-rouser. So, when it was announced that she would […]
Stage Buzz: Municipal Waste at Metro
Richmond, Virginia crossover party animals Municipal Waste return from a two-year recording hiatus with the raging four-track EP The Last Rager (released on Oct. 11 via Nuclear Blast). Featuring vocalist Tony Foresta, guitarists Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos, drummer Dave Witte and bassist LandPhil Hall, the retro-thrash quintet will be returning to Chicago on […]
Live Review: Adrian Belew at Arcada Theatre
Adrian Belew Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Avant-rock trailblazer Adrian Belew brought his quartet to the Arcada Theatre with new material from 2019âs Pop-Sided. Featuring songs like âEverybodyâs Sittingâ and its tuneful critique of modern inertia, the album is Belewâs first solo outing in a decade and follows 2009âs adventurous instrumental […]
Stage Buzz: Art Alexakis at S.P.A.C.E. Evanston
Art Alexakis and Everclear defined the post-grunge ’90s where melodies were king, and dirty guitars were toned downed mercifully down to manageable, yet filthy levels. Singles “I Will Buy You A New Life” and “Santa Monica” are practically genres unto them themselves, which are not only benchmarks for melodic rock in the Friends-era but the […]
Q&A and Live Review: Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman Arcada Theatre (St. Charles, IL) October 4, 2019 Celebrated prog-rock keyboardist and raconteur Rick Wakeman visited the Arcada Theatre on Friday night, performing a set of classically oriented solo piano pieces. The songs performed as part of Wakemanâs Grumpy Old Rock Star tour are connected by stories that were equally poignant and ludicrous. […]
Cover Story: Bastille
Dan Smith canât help it. Heâs one contemporary music artist that always finds himself thinking visually, like a Barry Sonnenfeld-edgy cinematographer, giddily filling every frame with kinetic action. So his British band Bastille isnât just one-dimensional â it can be appreciated on multiple sensory levels, all the way down to its carefully-situated album cover photos […]
Media: October 2019
Next year will be Rob Hartâs 20th year on the radio in Chicago, and he has worked at several stops along the way, including WGN, News 101, and the Loop. But now heâs manning the anchor desk at the dream destination for any radio newsman: NewsRadio WBBM 780. âItâs a great radio station,â he says. […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2019 – Day One
Industry reports indicate summer festival attendance is down across the country, but Riot Fest’s healthy crowds show that the 15-year-old homegrown punk and indie rock festival is not suffering from a lack of dedicated fans. Friday’s RF 2019 kick-off delivered a virtually sold-out crowd (it was packed)Â in Douglas Park in near-perfect September weather. Day One […]
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