Monthly
Media: November 2019
For seven months, Jenniffer Weigel occupied a co-host chair in Mancowâs studio at WLS. She already knew him socially but was impressed by seeing Mancow work firsthand. âHe works very hard on his show,â she says. âHeâs the first one there every morning. Watching him run the board is like watching someone with ADD fly […]
Cover Story: Sam Fender
Ostensibly, this is an article about British rock newcomer Sam Fender and his brilliant, one-in-a-million debut disc, Hypersonic Missiles – easily the best album of the year. Nothing can touch it; itâs so far ahead of the pack. But itâs also a moment where we canât help but break with a few staid journalistic traditions […]
Stage Buzz and Gallery: The Hu at House of Vans
The Hu Vans Chicago October 31, 2019 Nothing says âHappy Halloweenâ like a morin khuur solo, am I right? What the hell is a morin khuur you ask? Exactly! Anyone who attended the 2019 version of Riot Fest may have encountered such an instrument if they caught the much talked about set from The Hu. […]
Photo Gallery: Melanie Martinez at The Riviera Theatre
Melanie Martinez brought a bit of Broadway to Lawrence and Broadway Friday. The native New Yorkerâs âK-12 Tourâ landed at Chicagoâs Riviera Theater with enough set and costume changes to rival both Madonna and Cher. Her blend of pop and hip-hop had a mostly female audience singing along from start to finish. But unlike most […]
Photo Gallery: Sleater-Kinney at The Rivera Theatre
Even if Olympia, Washingtonâs Sleater-Kinney had remained on hiatus after their 2006 break, their legacy would have already been secured. But they came storming back in 2014 with their eight long player No Cities To Love, seemingly without missing a beat. Even the recent departure of long time drummed Janet Weiss hasnât diminished the remaining […]
Q&A and Live Review: Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman Arcada Theatre (St. Charles, IL) October 4, 2019 Celebrated prog-rock keyboardist and raconteur Rick Wakeman visited the Arcada Theatre on Friday night, performing a set of classically oriented solo piano pieces. The songs performed as part of Wakemanâs Grumpy Old Rock Star tour are connected by stories that were equally poignant and ludicrous. […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2019 – Day One
Industry reports indicate summer festival attendance is down across the country, but Riot Fest’s healthy crowds show that the 15-year-old homegrown punk and indie rock festival is not suffering from a lack of dedicated fans. Friday’s RF 2019 kick-off delivered a virtually sold-out crowd (it was packed)Â in Douglas Park in near-perfect September weather. Day One […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2019 Day Two
Day 2 of the 2019 edition of Riot Fest arrived and the prevailing vibe of the day was Metal! Earth scorchers Slayer eviscerated Douglas Park during what is sure to be their final Chicago performance before calling it a career. In fact, the Riot stage could have been re-christened All Metal – All The Time […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2019 Day Three
Day Three in Douglas Park proved as worthy as the first two, and the incredibly healthy and dedicated crowds dodged the morning storms by minutes as the gates opened at Ogden and Sacramento. Our day started with Oakland’s Ultra Q, and it was all good from there, capturing sets by “house band” Ganser (as seen […]
Photo Gallery: Bush and Live at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
The ’90s were celebrated in full force on Friday night. This year marks the 25th anniversaries of two records: Liveâs Throwing Copper and Sixteen Stone from Bush-that emerged from that decadeâs âalternativeâ scene. The previous quotation marks are certainly tongue in cheek, seeing as how there was nothing out of the ordinary about distorted guitars […]
Photo Gallery: ZZ Top with Cheap Trick at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
That âlil old band from Texasâ found its way into the southwest suburbs of Chicago Saturday. ZZ Top has hit the road in celebration of 50 years as a band. The trio, know for excessive facial hair and boogie-infused blues, plowed through five decades of hits and crowd favorites, delivered with a charming dollop of […]
Live Review and Gallery: Squeeze at The Chicago Theatre
Squeeze Chicago Theatre August 31, 2019 When alt-pop superheroes Squeeze last visited Chicago, the group performed at the Vic Theatre in support of 2017âs LP The Knowledge. On Saturday night at the venerable Chicago Theatre, the band led by singer Chris Difford and guitarist Glenn Tilbrook hosted a considerably larger crowd for its âThe Squeeze […]
Studiophile: September 2019
Chicago indie rockers Signal The Launch were at ELECTRICAL AUDIO in Chicago with acclaimed producer/engineer Steve Albini recording two tracks for their EP Dance Like a Vampire. The “Vampire” track has been a fan favorite since 2018, and the band has also shot an engaging F. W. Murnau inspired 1920’s horror-inspired music video conceived […]
Media: September 2019
Tim Virgin first hit the airwaves in Chicago over twenty years ago. â(Loop program director) Greg Solk hired me in 1996. At that time, they were thinking of turning the Loop into an XRT-ish type format, the best music on the planet, and he needed an alternative guy, and that was me. When they went […]
Cover Story: The B-52s
Kate Pierson may not have coined the suddenly-popular new portmanteau “glamping,” a mashup of glamorous and camping. Nor did she come up with its posh concept âexperiencing the great outdoors, but through the comfortable buffer of the most modern of conveniences. No, the bouffant-haired B-52âs founder had nothing to do with any part of this […]
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