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Photo Gallery: Shania Twain at Credit 1 Amphitheatre • Tinley Park
Shania Twain Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL July 1, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Although she never technically went away, it really feels like Shania Twain is “back.” The Canadian import largely owned the pop-leaning tendencies of country music during her heyday in the ’90s and early aughts. Her sophomore release, […]
Media: July 2023 • Catching up with Mr. Wert
After more than four decades in the media business as a sales manager/general manager/vice president for places like WLS-TV, The Loop AM & FM radio stations, NBC-5 Chicago, and the Tribune Company, Larry Wert considers himself semi-retired. “But I’m working way more than I should be, considering I’m semi-retired,” he admits. “I’m working on […]
Photo Gallery: Dead & Company – Night One • Wrigley Field • Chicago
Dead and Company Wrigley Field Chicago, IL June 9, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran To paraphrase one of their songs: Is this the moment when the music finally stops?!? Dead and Company, the collective hexad comprised of former Grateful Dead members, has hit the road on what is being billed as “The Final […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Love and Rockets at Riviera Theatre • Chicago
Love and Rockets The Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL Tuesday, June 6, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Few would have begrudged the reason, but many festival ticketholders were crestfallen when singer Peter Murphy stepped away for rehabilitation treatment and pulled the plug on Bauhaus’ summer tour soon before last year’s scheduled date […]
Media: June 2023 • Powering WGN AM 720
Mary Boyle is the first female general manager in WGN Radio’s history. The rest of the industry has taken note. This past month she was once again named one of the Most Influential Women in Radio by **Radio Ink Magazine. Her journey up the ladder, to the top job at the most iconic Chicago […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Poster Children at Bottom Lounge • Chicago
Poster Children Saturday, May 27, 2023 Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL Review and photos by Jeff Elbel “We are Poster Children from Champaign, Illinois” has been bassist Rose Marshack’s salutation to audiences for decades. After extending a welcome to Saturday’s audience at Bottom Lounge, Marshack took questions while brothers Jim and Rick Valentin tuned […]
Rock of Pages: Rose Marshack • Play Like a Man
Play Like a Man by Rose Marshack (University of Illinois Press) Following decades of fan engagement through road diaries and groundbreaking podcast predecessor Radio Zero, Poster Children bassist Rose Marshack has gathered stories and experience for this fast-paced and wide-ranging but well-balanced rock/tech/spiritual memoir. Hard-won lessons, road stories, tech geekery, entertaining anecdotes, and lessons […]
Photo Gallery: Flaming Lips • Friday, May 5 • Chicago
Flaming Lips The Salt Shed Chicago, IL May 5, 2023 Ed Spinelli captured Wayne Coyne and company and their psychedelic mayhem on the North Branch on Friday, enjoying 160 minutes of musical love in Wayne’s bubble. See his gallery. Set 1: (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots) Fight Test One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 Yoshimi Battles the Pink […]
Media: May 2023 • Andrea’s Illini Calling
After decades of working at WGN Radio and WGN Television, Andrea Darlas has fond memories of her time there. “I loved all the people I worked with at WGN. Working with Spike O’Dell was a joy. He was a legend. Being his news anchor for five years is probably the highlight of my career. I […]
Photo Gallery: Joe Perry Project at Arcada Theatre • St. Charles
Joe Perry Project Arcada Theatre St. Charles, IL 4/21/2023 Recap and Photos by Edward Spinelli With Aerosmith still on break (but rumored to announce a tour at any moment), guitarist Joe Perry hit the road for a very limited number of “intimate” dates in support of the guitar hero’s latest album, Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII. Chicago-area […]
Photo Gallery: Depeche Mode at United Center • Chicago
Depeche Mode United Center Chicago, IL April 5, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Considering that he wasn’t even in the room, Andy Fletcher’s (“Fletch”) posthumous presence loomed large at Chicago’s United Center on Wednesday night. The longtime Depeche Mode keyboardist passed away suddenly in May of 2022. For four decades, he was part […]










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