Monthly
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day One ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 1: Friday, September 18, 2026 Photos by Curt Baran Congratulations Riot Fest! Youâre officially old enough to drink legally!!! That, of course, means that the 21st addition of the now annual event once again converged on Chicagoâs Douglass Park, bringing with it w Punk Rock-leaning lineup that focused […]
Photo Gallery + Bonus Coverage: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day Two ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 2: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Moderate temperatures and overcast skies were a boon for bands that played early on Saturdayâs bill at Riot Fest. Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon and his band, the Painkillers, played to a respectable crowd on […]
Photo Gallery + Bonus Coverage: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day Three ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 3: Sunday, September 20, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Recap and Photos by Curt Baran. Rain that altered parts of Saturdayâs schedule persisted overnight. Doors shifted to 2 p.m., reshaping the timeline again. Puddles of mudâno pun intendedâformed on the Douglass Park grounds, echoing moist Riot Fests from […]
Media: September 2026 ⢠Champaignâs Indie Filmmaker
Robin Christian is an Indie-filmmaker, the writer of over a hundred film scripts, and the director of films for more than twenty years. Yes, thatâs all very impressive. But what makes his accomplishments even more impressive is where he is doing it: right here in Illinois. Robin is based in Champaign. His journey into this […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day One (Part Two)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day One Lollapalooza, the massive annual four-day music festival, returned to its home in Chicagoâs Grant Park for its 2026 edition. The festival featured dozens of bands spread across four days, all performing on the cityâs front lawn. On the first […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day Two (Part Two)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Two The second day of Lollapalooza provided no respite for those seeking diverse musical experiences. The afternoon commenced with a performance by The Army, The Navy, and continued to keep the crowd entertained with a series of performances from High […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day Three (Part One)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Three Mother Nature attempted to thwart everyoneâs plans for Saturday, and she managed to succeed momentarily. Severe overnight storms persisted into early morning, making it increasingly challenging for Chicago Park District officials to prepare the park for another day of […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day Three (Part Two)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Three Mother Nature tried to ruin everyoneâs plans for Saturday, and she briefly got her way. Severe overnight storms continued into early morning, making it increasingly difficult for Chicago Park District officials to ready the park for another day of […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day Four (Part One)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Four On the final day of Lollapalooza, there was still a bevy of music to get lost to. Attendees got to see sets from Sunshine Benzi, Easy Honey, New Constellations, Destin Conrad, Adela, Amber Mark, Muna, Hot Muligan, Turnstile, […]
Photo Gallery: Lollapalooza 2026 – Day Four (Part Two)
Lollapalooza Grant Park Chicago, IL July 30-August 2nd Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Four On the final day of Lollapalooza, there was still a bevy of music to get lost to. Attendees got to see sets from Sunshine Benzi, Easy Honey, New Constellations, Destin Conrad, Adela, Amber Mark, Muna, Hot Muligan, Turnstile, […]
Cover Story: Queensrÿche ⢠Prog Metal Titans Return to Arcada Theatre
Power/prog metal innovators QueensrĂżche are among the first bands to capture this style of metal before most of their peers eventually caught on. QueensrĂżcheâs 1983 self-titled EP remains one of metalâs most significant EPs ever recorded and still holds up well 43 years later. Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, QueensrĂżche were unstoppable, largely […]
Feature: Arcada Theatre Celebrating 100 Years
The historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles celebrates its 100th anniversary on September 6 this year. Owner Ron Onesti, who also owns the Des Plaines Theatreâwhich celebrated its 100th anniversary last year â couldnât be happier to be celebrating the venueâs history. âThe Arcada Theatre has become a nationally recognized iconic music venue, and […]
Media: August 2026 ⢠Kev Meets the Pope
Kevin Matthews is still fondly remembered in Chicago for his days on the radio here, particularly his time at the Loop (AM 1000/FM 98). Those crazy days of improv radio are chronicled at the Museum of Broadcast Communications if you want to check it out. Kevin was just over there recently and signed the […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Rush at United Center ⢠Chicago
Rush United Center Chicago, IL July 22, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. The unexpected reignition of Rush has emerged as the must-see concert tour of the year, as witnessed on Wednesday by an ecstatic audience at the United Center. In addition to touching 13 of the Canadian rockersâ 19 studio albums, […]
Photo Gallery: Summer of â99 and Beyond at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre ⢠Tinley Park
Summer Of â99 And Beyond⌠Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL July 18-19, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Tinley Park hosted their annual Time Machine festival this past weekend, titled âThe Summer Of â99 And BeyondâŚâ. The festival took place at the outdoor venue in the southwest suburbs and featured a diverse […]
Recent Comments