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Pitchfork Festival 2023 • Day Three • Union Park, Chicago
Pitchfork Music Festival Day Three Union Park Chicago, IL July 23, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Day Three of the Pitchfork Music Festival made its way for the exits in grand fashion. Arguably the most raucous and anticipated day of the extended weekend had performers and attendees alike sweating bullets. Palms, who had […]
Photo Gallery: Le Tigre • July 15 • Chicago
Le Tigre The Salt Shed Chicago, IL July 15, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran If the revolution isn’t going to be televised, at least Le Tigre has made certain its soundtrack will be danceable. Rising from the ashes of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna left minimalist punk rock in her rearview mirror to find […]
Photo Gallery: Jenny Lewis at The Salt Shed • Chicago
Jenny Lewis The Salt Shed Chicago, IL July 7, 2023 Recap and photos by Curt Baran It’s only the second night of the “Joy’All” tour, but you’d never guess it from the sounds emanating from the stage. Jenny Lewis is tearing through “Psychos,” the first single from her album that shares a name with her […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: American Music Festival – FitzGerald’s • Berwyn
American Music Festival FitzGerald’s June 30 – July 3 Berwyn, IL Reviewed by William Tokash Photos from Day One, Three, and Four by Curt Baran FitzGerald’s iconic American Music Festival in Berwyn, commenced on 4th of July weekend, celebrating its 40th year, making it one of the longest-running and storied music festivals in the country. […]
Hello My Name is Tommy Stinson
Some folks just attract trouble magnetically. Take ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, for example — when the coronavirus hit him, post-lockdown, it smacked him upside the scruffy head and just kept knocking him senseless. “That was horrible, and I’m still reeling from it,” the rasp-throated rock rapscallion recalls from his rustic home in upstate New York. […]
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 […]
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