Recent Articles
Photo Gallery: The Last Dinner Party • Turner Hall • Milwaukee
The Last Dinner Party Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI April 5, 2024 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Months before the release of their debut album (2024’s Prelude To Ecstasy), The Last Dinner Party had already captured plenty of attention from music lovers. Advance singles like “Nothing Matters” and “Sinners” have garnered copious amounts of […]
Media • April 2024 • Me-TV FM’s Deep Cuts
After a 20+ year stretch on the air in Chicago (WCKG, WLUP, and the Drive), most music fans know Phil Manicki as a disc jockey. But before he became known on the air, Phil had a vibrant background in programming, and that history is helping him in his new role as the program director of […]
Cover Story: Elbow • Love & Friendship
In Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film covering his early mid-‘70s music-scribe years, Philip Seymour Hoffman — channeling legendary rock critic Lester Bangs — has some sage advice for Patrick Fugit’s earnest teen hopeful William Miller. In the cold, cutthroat new world he’s entering of publicists, exotic junkets, free booze, and possibly drugs, it’s all […]
Stage Buzz: Savage Master, Drowning Pool, Beach Fossils
Celebrating the ten-year anniversary (and reissue) of their debut album Mask of The Devil, Louisville’s Savage Master mixes a unique blend of early ’80s metal infused with their love of bondage masks and horror movies. they arrive at Reggies Wednesday April 3. Openers include acclaimed Swedish headbangers Screamer and Blood Star. Tickets are still available. […]
Live Review & Photo Gallery: Mitski at Auditorium Theatre • Chicago
Mitski Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Review of Friday, March 22, 2024, show by Jeff Elbel Photos of Sunday, March 24, 2024, show by Curt Baran On Friday, Mitski performed the second in a series of four sold-out concerts at Chicago’s storied Auditorium Theatre. The run of shows launched a new leg of touring in support […]
Stage Buzz: Matt Maltese, The 69 Eyes, Steve Hackett, Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny is known as the “King of Latin Trap” and after taking a few years to explore and expand his sound, he’s returning to his Latin Trap roots on latest album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. Get ready for night full of dancing when the rapper performs three nights at the […]
Photo Gallery: Sleater-Kinney with Black Belt Eagle Scout at Riviera Theatre • Chicago
Sleater-Kinney Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL March 21, 2024 Recap and gallery by Curt Baran Loss loomed large during Sleater-Kinney’s performance at the Riviera Theatre in Uptown Thursday night. The Olympia, Washington duo (expanded into a quintet for touring purposes) are out promoting their tenth studio album (Little Road) and grief certainly seems to be riding […]
Photo Gallery: Olivia Rodrigo with Chappell Roan • United Center • Chicago
Olivia Rodrigo with Chappell Roan United Center Chicago, IL Tuesday, March 19 Recap by Riley Vernon. Gallery by Curt Baran. Pop-rock superstar Olivia Rodrigo arrived in Chicago on Tuesday night with much fanfare on Night One of two sold-out performances as part of her highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Guts World Tour. Rodrigo brought a […]
Stage Buzz: Chelsea Wolfe, Mitski, Health, Buried and Me
Singer/songwriter Chelsea Wolfe invents her own musical hybrids. Throughout her career, she has fused together folk, doom metal, goth rock, industrial, experimental music, and noise rock to create a sound that’s truly her own. But the one thing that never changes is how entrancing and haunting her songs are. See Wolfe in action at […]
Photo Gallery: KK’s Priest • Arcada Theatre • St. Charles
K.K.’s Priest Arcada Theatre St. Charles Friday, March 15 Photo Gallery by Ed Spinelli Co-founding guitarist of Judas Priest, K.K Downing, brought his band K.K.’s Priest to the Arcada Theatre on Friday, March 15. Like many former band members from high-profile rock acts – his time in Judas Priest didn’t end so amicably, but that hasn’t […]
Photo Gallery: Alkaline Trio • Aragon Ballroom • Chicago
Alkaline Trio Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL March 16, 2024 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Chicago’s favorite coffin chasers (and February IE cover stars), Alkaline Trio, brought their Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs tour to Uptown’s Aragon Ballroom for a much-anticipated hometown show. Hours before even a single note was played, the line to enter the […]
K.K.’s Priest, KMFDM, Ministry, Alkaline Trio, Olivia Rodrigo
Industrial pioneer’s Ministry has been threatening to split up many times throughout their careers. Their latest album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, is supposed to be their last, but as fans know, frontman Al Jourgensen isn’t shy about changing his mind. Either way, you won’t want to miss Ministry in action when they play Aragon Ballroom this […]
Recap and Photo Gallery: Mammoth WVH with Nita Stauss at The Forge • Joliet
Mammoth WVH The Forge Joliet, IL Saturday March 2, 2023 Recap and Photo Gallery by Edward Spinelli Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH treated fans to an intimate sold-out show at The Forge in Joliet on Saturday. After a stunning show at The Vic Theatre last Fall – WVH’s return to the Chicago area shows the […]
Cover Story: Ministry • Age of Disinformation + March 14 Aragon Ballroom Photo Gallery
My apologies, Dear Readers. And I’m not joking here. I really believed that — after an adventurous, always enlightening, occasionally drug-blurred four-decade career in rock journalism that kicked off in the Midwest fresh out of high school back in halcyon 1977 — I had nothing left to offer, no moving words left to conjure, no […]
Media • March 2024 : Tom Skilling’s Parting Words
You won’t be surprised to discover that retiring WGN-TV meteorologist Tom Skilling has loved the weather since he was young. “My parents couldn’t figure out where the heck this weather passion came from,” Skilling admits. “I had a psychic tell me one time that I was a ship captain in a previous life. It’s […]
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