Recent Articles
Stage Buzz/Recap/Gallery (Updated): Wolf Alice at Schubas
North London’s Wolf Alice completely eviscerated Chicago’s Schubas Tavern Wednesday. The intimate confines at Belmont and Southport proved to be the perfect setting for the quartet to preview songs from their forthcoming release (due this fall). They also tore through fan favorites that included “Moaning Lisa Smile,” “Bros,” “Giant Peach” and “Lisbon.” Curt Baran managed […]
Live Review and Gallery: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Chris Stapelton at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL Thursday, June 29, 2017 Reviewed by Jeff Elbel; Photos by Curt Baran Tom Petty paused during a deep dive through the Wildflowers album to tell Thursday’s sold-out Wrigley Field crowd exactly what it has been like to celebrate 40 years with the Heartbreakers. “I was going to say we’re having so […]
Media: July 2017
When Len O’Kelly was working in Chicago as a music director and disc jockey for radio stations like WJMK (104.3), academia was the furthest thing from his mind. At the time he was a college dropout and working in one of the top markets in the country. He thought he’d be doing that the rest […]
Cover Story: Megadeth
Not too long ago, Dave Mustaine brought his pile driving thrash-metal outfit Megadeth on tour – backing its recent Grammy-winning return to form, Dystopia — to Jakarta, the bustling capital of Indonesia on the island of Java that boasts a population of over ten million people. And he has a heartwarming when-in-Rome philosophy that guides […]
Photo Gallery: Def Leppard/Poison/Tesla at HCA
Ed Spinelli captured the stalwarts of ’80s metal in Tinley Park on June 24.
Photo Gallery and Recap: Metallica with Avenged Sevenfold and Local H at Soldier Field
Metallica Soldier Field, Chicago Sunday, June 18, 2017 In their 36-year career, Metallica never previously played Soldier Field until Sunday night, and while the home of the Chicago Bears doesn’t come equipped with a dome, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich would’ve surely blown the roof off the joint if it […]
Live Review: Nick Cave at the Auditorium Theatre
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Friday, June 16, 2017 Review by Jeff Elbel So much for the fourth wall. Early during his concert at the Auditorium Theatre, Nick Cave blurred the line between the audience and the stage. By the end of the show, he had simply erased it. As […]
Live Review and Gallery: Iron Maiden at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Iron Maiden Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL June 15, 2017 Photos by Curt Baran Review by Jeff Elbel The weekend began a day early for local headbangers of all ages, when legendary British metal band Iron Maiden made the final Chicago stop on its juggernaut The Book of Souls World Tour. The six members […]
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: HBP at Northerly Island
Ed Spinelli captured Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds acoustic tour at the former Meigs Field Setlist Lie in Our Graves Satellite Save Me What Would You Say Dive In Funny the Way It Is Warehouse Proudest Monkey Stay or Leave So Damn Lucky Bismarck Crush Che * Out of My Hands Worried Man Blues Samurai […]
Photo Gallery: Phoenix at Aragon Ballroom
French popsters Phoenix are just one of many bands to grace the pages of the June 2017 issue of Illinois Entertainer. They recently hit the road in support of their latest release Ti Amo. Curt Baran rolled into Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood to snapped off some shots at the band’s sold out show at the […]
Photo Gallery: Rise Against and Deftones with Thrice at Huntington Bank Pavilion
On a picture perfect evening adjacent to Lake Michigan, Rise Against chose to kick off the “Wolves” tour in their hometown of Chicago. The tour’s first date also coincided with the release of Wolves, the quartet’s ninth album. The current trek will keep the band on the road deep into the summer and fall. To […]
Photo Gallery: Tool at Allstate Arena
Headlining one of 2017’s most anticipated tours, L.A.’s prog/art/metal legends Tool arrived at the former Rosemont Horizon insisting on a highly regimented “1 song” photo limit for members of the press. With 42 years under our belts – and thousands of bands photographed in our library, IE management would usually tell the said “one song […]
IE Rewind: Kansas at Taste of Joliet
Kansas returns for a homecoming show June 23rd at Taste of Joliet. IE Rewind flashes back to November, 2016 and our Q&A with Chicago native Ronnie Platt. For as long as he can remember, powerhouse vocalist Ronnie Platt was a passionate appreciator of the legendary progressive/classic/melodic rock band Kansas. In fact, the group’s original singer […]
Live Review and Gallery: U2 at Soldier Field
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Saturday, June 3, 2017 Reviewed by Jeff Elbel Veteran Irish rockers U2 took a detour from the road to their upcoming Songs of Experience project in order to revisit the “desert songs” that put them firmly on the map. The band’s first night at Soldier Field […]
Recent Comments