Featured
Stage Buzz Q&A: Wednesday 13
For Wednesday 13 [Joseph Michael Poole], horror and spooky things arenât just a hobby. Itâs his full-time job. Thereâs a reason heâs known as The Duke of Spook. For the past three decades, heâs been making music about hideous creatures, evil monsters, and all things horror. Heâs a modern-day Alice Cooper. He lives and breathes […]
Stage Buzz: Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Cutthroat, Perfume Genius
Chicagoâs own Brigitte Calls Me Baby is going back to where it all started. The band will preview new music from their upcoming album, Irreversible, during a special, intimate hometown show. The sold-out performance takes place at Schubas this Wednesday, January 21st. If you canât make this one, the band will be back in April […]
Stage Buzz: DIIV, Armnhmr, Deacon Blues, Youth Fountain
Youth Fountain Pop punk fans in the know have been buzzing about Youth Fountain since the release of their 2023 album, Together in Lonesome. What started as a solo project for singer/songwriter Tyler Zanon transformed into a full band a few years later. And though they may not be a household name (yet), the band […]
Spins: Oasis ⢠Familiar to Millions 25th Anniversary 3xLP
Oasis Familiar to Millions 25th Anniversary 3xLP (Big Brother) As part of the juggernaut Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour selling out stadiums worldwide, Oasis’ stop at Soldier Field was the hottest ticket in town last summer. Fans can relive some of the energy generated that night by spinning this 3xLP audio reissue of 2000’s live […]
Spins: Dr. John ⢠Live at the Village Gate
Dr. John Live at the Village Gate (Omnivore) The late Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack and his Louisiana Luminoids raised the spirit of New Orleans in New York City’s Greenwich Village on March 5, 1988. This previously unreleased 12-song set stretches beyond 90 minutes, giving ample opportunity to revel in the sound of Rebennack’s sparkling […]
Spins: Stevie Nicks ⢠Bella Donna Ultradisc One-Step 2xLP
Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Ultradisc One-Step 2xLP (Mobile Fidelity) 2025 was a good year for devotees of audiophile vinyl and Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab followers. The label reissued pristine pressings of albums reviewed in Illinois Entertainer, including Rick James’ soul-funk classic, Street Songs, and Miles Davis’ genre-blending jazz standout, Sketches of Spain. Fans of the best ’80s […]
Spins: Emmylou Harris ⢠Spyboy expanded LP reissue
Emmylou Harris Spyboy expanded LP reissue (New West) After releasing a startlingly potent and career-redefining album, Wrecking Ball, helmed by producer Daniel Lanois in 1995, Emmylou Harris assembled a band she dubbed Spyboy to bring the songs to life on the road. This live album from 1998 documents the Wrecking Ball tour, during which Harris and her Spyboys, including guitarist […]
Stage Buzz: State Champs, Mavis Staples, Bill Murray
Pop punk staples State Champs are celebrating ten years of their 2015 album, Around the World and Back, with a series of special headlining shows in select cities. And lucky for us, Chicago is one of the stops. Rock out to classics like âLosing Myself,â âShape Up,â and âBack and Forthâ when the band plays […]
Cover Story: Kenny Wayne Shepherd ⢠30 Years of Ledbetter Heights
Growing up, blues-rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd was privy to a wealth of musical knowledge, as his father, Ken, was a local radio personality, a part-time concert promoter, and an avid music collector. These behind-the-scenes experiences led the youngster on the path to a future in the music business. âI would say yes, although I […]
Media: January 2026 ⢠In Remembrance
2025 was an especially cruel year for this media writer because I lost two personal friends, Harry Teinowitz and Tony Fitzpatrick. Harry passed away in July, and Tony died in October. If the crowd you draw at your memorial is any indication, both men had a significant impact on the people who knew them. Harryâs […]
Stage Buzz: Local H, LSDREAM, Umphreeâs McGee, Dru Hill
Want to spend New Yearâs Eve vibing to â90s R&B? Dru Hillâs got you covered. Join the group as they ring in 2026 performing their biggest hits, like âTell Me”, “5 Steps”, “In My Bed”, “Never Make a Promise”, and “How Deep Is Your Love.â The celebration goes down with two shows at City Winery […]
Spins: Spinal Tap ⢠The End Continues
Spinal Tap The End Continues (Interscope/Universal) Fictitious metal icons Spinal Tap transcend genre. Practically any band covered in Illinois Entertainer likely has a tale of a “Spinal Tap mishap,” and most readers of a specific age range can surely quote the 1984 mockumentary’s satirical script, whether they prefer Taylor Swift, Deltron 3030, or AC/DC. […]
Spins: Various Artists ⢠Stax Revue: Live in â65
Various Artists Stax Revue: Live in â65 (Stax/Craft) Stax Revue: Live in ’65 expands the content of the 1991 CD Live at the 5/4 Ballroom, documenting the potent music and influential presence of Memphis soul & R&B label Stax Records in the mid-1960s. The eight artists on the original release were not only dynamite entertainers […]
Spins: Tom Petty ⢠Wildflowers One-Step LP
Tom Petty Wildflowers One-Step LP (Because Sound Matters/Warner Bros.) This review focuses on the quality of a new prestige-format vinyl pressing of Wildflowers. For this writer’s retrospective assessment of the songs on the album, search illinoisentertainer.com for the feature-length November 1, 2020, review of Wildflowers & All the Rest. Wildflowers is a special album in […]
Spins: The Rolling Stones ⢠Black and Blue Super Deluxe LP box
The Rolling Stones Black and Blue Super Deluxe LP box (Interscope/UMe) Featuring Billboard Hot 100 #10 ballad âFool to Cry,â 1976 album Black and Blue found the Worldâs Greatest Rock and Roll Band continuing a transition away from its reliable foundation of blues and roots rock that it undertook with 1974âs Itâs Only Rock ânâ […]
Recent Comments