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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 […]
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 […]
Stage Buzz: Hozier, Supernatural, Time Zone, SWAK, Riot Fest, Smashing Pumpkins
Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, may be known for his groundbreaking single “Take Me to Church,” but that was just the beginning. He comes to Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion on Tuesday, September 12, after a triumphant pop-up show at Metro in June. AKA Andrew Hozier-Byrne’s third album Unreal Unearth dropped in August – he proves himself to […]
Live Review & Photo Gallery: Duran Duran with Nile Rodgers and Chic and Bastille at Charter One Pavilion • Chicago
Duran Duran Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island Chicago, IL Friday, September 1, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Philamonjaro. With temperatures in the mid-70s and clear skies, it was a perfect Friday night in the fading summer for a concert outdoors along Lake Michigan. ‘80s alternative-pop survivors Duran Duran arrived at Northerly […]
I Want My ’80s Tour: Rick Springfield, The Hooters, Paul Young, Tommy Tutone: River Edge • Aurora
I Want My ’80s Tour River Edge Aurora, IL Thursday, August 31, 2023 Recap (David Gedge) and Photo Gallery by Edward Spinelli Nostalgia sells, and it was proven at River Edge Aurora on Thursday by a sold-out crowd featuring some of the bigger and more acclaimed acts from the heyday of MTV. Rick Springfield, ’80s […]
Media: September 2023 • More Stories From The Heartland
Max Armstrong spent a lifetime in broadcasting, both in radio and television, but he is also an author. In fact, now he’s an author for the second time. His first book was called Stories from the Heartland. Can you guess what the second one is called? “It’s called More Stories from the Heartland,” Armstrong says […]
Cover Story: Juliana Hatfield • Can’t Get it Out of My Head
It was a great lesson to learn during the pandemic: Sometimes, if you’re open to it, the Universe will reward you with small, subtle signs that everything — despite any outward appearances to the contrary —is alright with the world at that particular moment. Even something as insignificant as a digital clock can prove […]
Stage Buzz: Corey Taylor, Duran Duran, North Coast Fest, Last Fling
Corey Taylor is best known as the crazed masked leader of Slipknot, but lately, he’s been pulling double duty, performing with the Masked Nine, and breaking out on his own for a new solo career. Taylor returns this year with his second album, CMF2. Hear cuts from his upcoming album and from his previous […]
Photo Gallery: The Offspring, Sum 41, Simple Plan at Credit 1 Amphitheatre
The Offspring Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL August 26, 2023 Words and photos by Curt Baran Perhaps it was the perfect convergence of a lingering, post-COVID thirst for live music and an absolutely beautiful summer evening. Of course, a triple bill of pop-punk featuring The Offspring, Sum 41, and Simple Plan might have […]
Stage Buzz: Lollapalooza, Repentance, Voice of Baceprot, Mudvayne
Whether it’s his outrageous outfits or causing controversy, Boy George knows how to get attention. Though he has a prolific solo career, he’s best known as the androgynous singer of Culture Club. In a sea of endless new romantic acts and lots of hairspray, the band stood out not just for their look but […]
Cover Story: Butcher Babies • Double Trouble
From just a quick glance at each other while on stage, Butcher Babies’s duo bombshell vocalists—Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey—know exactly what each other is thinking… and they can’t help but to crack up or give each other a sly smile. As best friends performing in a band, Shepherd and Harvey have been slugging it […]
Media: August 2023 • Road to Rock’s New Class
The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 is going to induct a new class to the Hall of Fame on September 17. This year’s musical acts include Earth Wind & Fire, the Cryan Shames, the Shadows of Knight, Nat King Cole, and Miles Davis. John Prine is being inducted into the songwriting […]
Spins: Pete Townshend • Empty Glass (Vinyl Remaster)
The Who’s acclaimed, Rock Hall-of-Fame guitarist’s heralded second album (including breakout AOR single “Rough Boys”) gets a vinyl remaster.
Plus: Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane’s “Rough Mix”
Stage Buzz: Avenged Sevenfold, Wicker Park Fest, Q101 Piqniq
Avenged Sevenfold became critical darlings of the metal scene with their breakthrough album City of Evil. In the nearly two decades since its release, the band has become heavy metal titans racking up a stream of accolades along the way. Though known for their heavy sound and iconic twin guitar solos, their latest release, Life is […]
Live Review: Cheap Trick at Metro • Chicago
Cheap Trick with Brokeback Sunday, July 16, 2023 Metro, Chicago, IL Review by Jeff Elbel The 40th-anniversary celebration at Chicago’s venerable Metro continued on Sunday by welcoming Rockford’s finest rock and roll export, Cheap Trick, for a sold–out show. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers maintain a regular presence in the area, but Sunday’s show […]
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