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Spins • Cheap Trick: “In Another World”
Cheap Trick In Another World (BMG) Cheap Trick’s 20thstudio album packs what fans need from one of Illinois’ most reliably satisfying institutions. “The Summer Looks Good on You” offers stacked harmonies led by Robin Zander, who once again earns his position in the upper reaches of any list of rock’s premier vocalists. The song […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz August 12th-15th
Performing from his home studio in Denver, Nathaniel Rateliff will present his latest album, And It’s Still Alright, in its entirety. Rateliff will also sit down for a one-on-one interview with Rolling Stone editor David Fricke. The show airs Tuesday, August 11th at 5 PM. Tickets can be purchased using a “Pay What You Want” […]
Cinemascopes: July 2020
I was fully prepared to write, with a plethora of enthusiasm, about all the films finally coming to THEATERS in July. Well, stick a pin in that, as it seems many of those new movies we thought would be releasing have now been postponed. Again. And with good reason. We are still in the middle […]
File: Hello My Name Is… Cherie Currie
A full decade ago, ex-Runaways “front fox” Cherie Currie began work on Blvds of Splendor with former Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum producing. But a funny thing happened on the way to the glam-rock forum. “The plan was to get it done and get it out there,” she says of the set, which […]
Spins – The Boomtown Rats • “Citizens of Boomtown”
The Boomtown Rats Citizens of Boomtown (BMG) The Irish rockers’ first album in 36 years finds them reinvigorated and ready to do the Rat. Citizens of Boomtown’s palette connects to the group’s history while flinging them into sonic settings not yet invented when the group hung up its tails in 1986. Singer Bob Geldof has […]
Live Review: Los Lobos at City Winery [with added photo gallery]
Los Lobos City Winery Sunday, December 8, 2019 Los Lobos set up camp at City Winery on Sunday for its eighth annual residency of Christmas shows. This time, the band brought new songs written specially for the occasion. Material from the band’s first Christmas album, LlegĂł Navidad, added to the already festive spirit of […]
Photo Gallery: George Clinton and Ohio Players at Horseshoe Casino
Ed Spinelli captured two of the most important members of Funk’s hall of fame class, George Clinton (with Funkadelic) and Ohio Players (who recorded many of their biggest hits in Chicago). George told Spinelli that retirement is not in the cards right now (“I’m having too much fun”), and proved it to an adoring crowd […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Celine Dion at United Center
Celine Dion Sunday, December 1, 2019 United Center Over a decade has passed since Celine Dion performed in Chicago. Still, as the dynamite vocalist proclaimed at the start of another United Center sell out, “It’s All Coming Back To Be Now.” Indeed, the women who captivated the generations between Barbra Streisand and Adele sounded as […]
Recap and Photo Gallery: Slayer, Ministry, Primus and Phillip H. Anselmo at Tax Slayer Center
Slayer/Ministry/Philip H. Anselmo And The Illegals TaxSlayer Center Moline, IL 11/14/2019 Slayer made the last “area” appearance ever (after their Riot Fest appearance in September), and the Quad Cities (Moline, IL) got the honors. They brought a “cast of thousands” with them, including Philip H. Anselmo And The Illegals, who started the evening with a […]
Photo Gallery: Angel Olsen at The Riviera Theatre
Former Chicago native Angel Olsen made the most of her recent homecoming. She’s hit the road in support of her acclaimed album All Mirrors, and her performance was a kaleidoscope of dramatic strings, ethereal synths and Area 51-worthy strobes. But even if you stripped away all the extracurricular aesthetic, you’d still be left with Olsen’s […]
Cover Story: Bastille
Dan Smith can’t help it. He’s one contemporary music artist that always finds himself thinking visually, like a Barry Sonnenfeld-edgy cinematographer, giddily filling every frame with kinetic action. So his British band Bastille isn’t just one-dimensional — it can be appreciated on multiple sensory levels, all the way down to its carefully-situated album cover photos […]
Media: October 2019
Next year will be Rob Hart’s 20th year on the radio in Chicago, and he has worked at several stops along the way, including WGN, News 101, and the Loop. But now he’s manning the anchor desk at the dream destination for any radio newsman: NewsRadio WBBM 780. “It’s a great radio station,” he says. […]
Photo Gallery: The Who at Alpine Valley
We had a feeling Alpine Valley was gonna be a good show. Photographer Ed Spinelli confirmed Pete and Roger were in good spirits on their Wisconsin tour stop. Here’s a recap of the setlist to go along with the visuals. Setlist via Setlist FM SHARESETLIST With Orchestra Overture 1921 Amazing Journey Sparks Pinball […]
Photo Gallery: Korn and Alice in Chains at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
The cool in the evening air hinted that summer might be eyeing its inevitable exit. But the upside to that is that it results in a perfect evening for outdoor music and the Chicagoland area continues to show no signs of surrender when facing down the waning, open-air concert season. Two mavericks of the ’90s […]
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