Recent Articles
Photo Gallery: Farm Aid 2023 • Ruoff Music Center • Noblesville, Indiana
Farm Aid Ruoff Music Center Noblesville, IN September 23, 2023 Photos by Edward Spinelli IE’s Ed Spinelli spent the day at Farm Aid 2023 perched in the photo pit on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Noblesville, Indiana. The sold-out crowd of more than 22,000 people showed great enthusiasm for the event; the all-star cast was […]
Stage Buzz: Slowdive, Chappell Roan, Violent Femmes, Tommy Lefroy
Shoegaze giants Slowdive returned this year with their acclaimed fifth album, Everything Is Alive. Originally forming in 1989, the British band continues to hypnotize listeners with their psychedelic soundscapes, ambient noise, and Rachel Goswell’s dreamy vocals. The band will perform tracks from their new album along with a slew of classics at the Riviera […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Peter Gabriel at United Center • Chicago
Peter Gabriel United Center Chicago, IL Saturday, September 30, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Peter Gabriel has publicly described a new album called i/o since the days soon following the release of 2002’s Up. The British singer/songwriter and activist even teased individual songs from the long-gestating project on prior trips to Chicago in 2012 […]
Photo Gallery: Nick Cave at Auditorium Theatre • Chicago
Nick Cave Auditorium Theatre Chicago, IL September 29th, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Perhaps it was the influence of the harvest moon that hung like low-hanging fruit above the surface of Lake Michigan or some other unseen, celestial force. Whatever was lurking about, its presence seemingly helped to provide some additional voodoo when […]
Cover Story: Corrosion Of Conformity • Destination: Heavy Chicago
Chicago’s newest music venue, Avondale Music Hall, will be hosting its inaugural heavy metal festival Heavy Chicago over the course of two weekends. Headlining the festival on Saturday, October 28, is Chicago’s beloved doom pioneers Trouble, which will be extra special as this will be the band’s first hometown show in five years. “We are […]
Media: October 2023 • Listening in on Internet FM
Steve Leventhal is no stranger to terrestrial radio. He spent quite a few years as a broadcaster on stations like WVVX and the Bear (WCBR), doing his Sports Radio Nightly show with people like late sportscasters Les Grobstein, Jerry Kuc, and Bob Greenberg. “In 2012,” Leventhal says, “I started working with Bart Shore […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: The Darkness • Appearing at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Stage Buzz: The Darkness Q&A with Frankie Poullain Written by Jeff Elbel British band The Darkness made an auspicious arrival in North America in 2003. The band’s bombastic lead single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” was an explosive blast of hard rock replete with a soaring falsetto melody, rich harmonies, guitar heroics by […]
Stage Buzz: Asking Alexandria, Run The Jewels, Maneskin, Riot V
For the past 15 years, Asking Alexandria has been one of the most dominating forces in rock and metal. Having experienced many ups and downs throughout their career, the band is stronger than ever, as heard on their latest album, Where Do We Go From Here? The band will celebrate their latest and greatest […]
Spins: Bob Dylan • Shadow Kingdom • Appearing at Cadillac Theatre • Chicago
Bob Dylan Shadow Kingdom (Columbia/Legacy) The pandemic lockdown finally brought Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour to a halt in 2020 after 31 years on the road. A few short months before resuming band travel in late 2021, the Bard gathered a stripped-down ensemble of trusted players for a streamed concert in July as a […]
Stage Buzz: Royal Blood, Dethklok, Ben Gibbard
The world’s most popular, successful, and dangerous metal is finally back after a lengthy 11-year break. Dethklok made their grand return this year with their highly anticipated new album Dethalbum IV and new movie Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. Prepare for face-melting riffs, spine-crushing drum fills, and blood-curdling screams when the band delivers the […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2023 • Day One • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest 2023 Day One Douglass Park September 17, 2023 Chicago, ILÂ Recap and photos by Curt Baran As the 2023 festival season draws to a close and summer winds down, Riot Fest takes its annual shot at pushing the sun up into the sky one last time. The punk-centric gathering of the tribes may […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2023 • Day Two • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest 2023 Day Two Douglass Park September 16, 2023 Chicago, IL Douglass Park greeted attendees of the second day of Riot Fest with open arms. The open spaces on Chicago’s West side were eventually packed with bodies on another ideal late summer day. Fans queued up early at the Roots stage to watch Queens […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2023 • Day Three • Douglass Park • Chicago
Riot Fest 2023 Day One Douglass Park September 17, 2023 Chicago, ILÂ Recap and photo gallery by Curt Baran Heavy rain in Chicago and its suburbs delayed Riot Fest’s opening for 2 hours on its final day bringing back memories of “Riot Fest weather” from its days when the festival was held in Humboldt Park […]
Live Review: Honeymoon Suite with Aldo Nova at Arcada Theatre • St. Charles
Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova The Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Friday, September 15, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel Fans of Canadian rock flocked to the Arcada Theatre on Friday for rare local appearances by ’80s hitmakers Honeymoon Suite and Aldo Nova. Hailing from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Honeymoon Suite arrived to play a 65-minute opening set […]
Spins: Repentance • The Process of Human Demise
Repentance The Process of Human Demise (Nobel Demon) Local metal journeyman Shaun Glass (Sindrome, Soil, The Bloodline, Dirge Within, Broken Hope) has been an integral and crucial part of the Chicago metal scene for decades. With his “new” band Repentance, Glass has been highly prolific since its 2018 formation by releasing an EP and two […]
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