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![Cover Story: Ministry [Updated]](http://illinoisentertainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/MINISTRY43-150x150.jpg "Cover Story: Ministry [Updated]")
Cover Story: Ministry [Updated]
Chicago’s beloved industrial metal machine Ministry is back. After the sudden death of longtime guitarist and friend Mike Scaccia in 2012, leader/vocalist Al Jourgensen decided to put Ministry on indefinite hiatus. During the band’s downtime, “Uncle Al” spawned a side project, Surgical Meth Machine, and released a self-titled debut record in 2015. It was pretty […]
Cover Story: The Vaccines
Fans will have to forgive the cheesy film reference, chortles Justin Young. But for a while there recently, the anchor for brainy British folk-punkers The Vaccines actually came to believe that he’d somehow lost his magical inner mojo, just like Austin Powers in Mike Myers’ hilarious espionage spoof The Spy Who Shagged Me. And no […]
Live Review and Gallery: Robert Plant at Riviera Theatre
Riviera Theatre, Chicago Tuesday, February 20, 2018 Leave it to Robert Plant, arguably rock n’ roll’s most famous and ferocious front man of all time, to keep his eyes focused primarily on recent interests rather than recycling his glories of yesteryear. The man who turned down more cash than could ever be counted to reunite […]
Eddie Shaw (1937-2018)
A huge, gaping hole has been left in the foundation of the Chicago blues scene with the passing of Eddie Shaw, who died on January 29 at age 80. Beloved by all for his warmth and charisma, Eddie was also a walking encyclopedia of blues history. Born in Mississippi, he learned to play blues by […]
![Stage Buzz : The Jesus Lizard at Metro [Updated with Photo Gallery]](http://illinoisentertainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/the-jesus-lizard-photo-2-150x150.jpg "Stage Buzz : The Jesus Lizard at Metro [Updated with Photo Gallery]")
Stage Buzz : The Jesus Lizard at Metro [Updated with Photo Gallery]
Though they stopped just short of a “full monty” (as the gallery will atest), Chicago’s Jesus Lizard showed everyone their goodies during a sold-out show at Metro, Friday. Performing in Wrigleyville on only one of only six tour dates, the powerful quartet pulled themselves out of the mothballs, playing with precision and aplomb, and sounded […]
Cover Story: Wolf Alice
It’s what every artist aspires to; one would imagine – a famous director one day finding their life so remarkable and their look so photogenic that it warrants its own documentary. But UK rocker Ellie Rowsell was just surprised that hers happened so fast, last year when her quartet Wolf Alice had only a single […]
![Stage Buzz: [Updated with Gallery] Doyle at The Forge of Joliet](http://illinoisentertainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DOYLE-02roatte-150x150.jpg "Stage Buzz: [Updated with Gallery] Doyle at The Forge of Joliet")
Stage Buzz: [Updated with Gallery] Doyle at The Forge of Joliet
Under the eponymous Doyle banner, the dominating ex-Misfits axeman has conjured up 13 metallic horror-punk tracks on his sophomore solo effort that was released this past summer, Doyle II: As We Die. Currently on his As We Die World Tour, Doyle (real name Paul Caiafa) and his band – vocalist Alex “Wolfman” Story, bassist […]
IE Rewind: New Order comes to Riot Fest
When New Order keyboardist Gillian Gilbert stopped touring with the band in 1998, then quit altogether during the recording of its 2001 album Get Ready, she did it graciously, almost secretly, without any official departure announcement in the press. “And I wanted it that way,” she admits of her decision to stay home and take […]
Cover Story: Scorpions
They say you should always err on the side of caution. And Scorpions bandleader Klaus Meine wholeheartedly agrees. So he isn’t taking anything for granted as his band celebrates its 50th anniversary with its umpteenth world juggernaut, backing its recent Return to Forever album, a compendium of mostly unearthed, unfinished demos from the Blackout and […]
Cover Story: Depeche Mode
At 56, Depeche Mode bandleader Martin Gore no longer feels the need to pull any lyrical punches. So he gets right to the prickly, political point on the band’s latest Spirit set, starting with its clickety-clacking rhetorical question of a lead single “Where’s the Revolution,” with a grim societal accusation intoned in unusually ominous fashion […]
Photo Gallery: Dreamcar at The Vic Theater
Take three parts No Doubt (bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young), one part A.F.I (vocalist Davey Havok) and you’ve got yourself a new supergroup called Dreamcar. The band, which graced the cover of IE’s April issue, recently hit the road in support of their eponymous debut album. Curt Baran commenced his […]
Cover Story: Rise Against
More than any other time in the band’s 18-year career, the cultural and political climate of 2017 is the perfect environment for Rise Against. Buoyed by singer-songwriter Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes, and guitarist Zach Blair, it’s bittersweet for McIlrath, frontman and guitarist for the socio-political melodic punk act. The band’s leader […]
Live Review and Gallery: Neil Diamond at United Center
Neil Diamond United Center, Chicago Sunday, May 28, 2017 It didn’t take a virtual “Carpool Karaoke” ride with James Corden, Jennifer Lopez, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, John Legend and many others clamoring to get next to Neil Diamond at this year’s Grammy Awards to prove that he was cool again (at least somewhat). For […]
Feature Story and Gallery: John 5 at Reggies
Astute music fans should already know that John 5 takes guitar playing to a stratospheric level. The virtuoso guitarist performs diverse musical styles including country swing, jazz, rock and industrial metal on his eighth solo album, Season Of The Witch. Joining John 5 on the album is his excellent band, The Creatures, consisting of […]
Riot Fest 2017 First Wave Of Bands Announced
RIOT FEST 2017 ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF BANDS September 15-17, 2017 / Douglas Park, Chicago IL Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, and the reunion of pioneering punk band Jawbreaker headline Riot Fest 2017. New Order, Paramore, Prophets of Rage, M.I.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Mike D (DJ set) also among the 70+ artists revealed […]
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