Live Reviews
Jim Peterik And World Stage review!
McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn Saturday, January 15, 2011 From founding Ides Of March through even more success in Survivor, his newest melodic rock project Pride Of Lions, several solo sidesteps and co-writes for Brian Wilson, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, .38 Special, and Lynyrd Skynyrd (to name a handful), Jim Peterik is more than […]
Double live Weezer!
Aragon Ballroom, Chicago January 7 and 8, 2011 Andy Argyrakis hit both Weezer shows this weekend: one in support of the band’s debut, the next starring Pinkerton. Both albums were played from front to back.
Chuck Berry’s aborted New Year’s show
Photographer Tim Hiatt was shooting Chuck Berry’s rare, local appearance on New Year’s Day, a gig that was cut short when the rock legend slumped over his keyboard and couldn’t continue. Click for photos.
Elvis Costello’s Coffee House Show
Chicago Theatre, Chicago Monday, December 20, 2010 You would have been forgiven, on a cold and snowy winter’s night, if you chucked your Elvis Costello tickets and just hunkered down in front of a crackling fire. Never mind the Bears were also playing, nothing else seemed to matter to the 3,500 who saw Costello at […]
Usher & Trey Songz live!
Allstate Arena, Rosemont Friday, December 3, 2010 While Usher could’ve very easily ended up in the early-’00s R&B bargain bin, his career found an unexpected resurgence thanks to a pair of hot new projects (Raymond v. Raymond and follow-up EP Versus), plus an arena show that had no trouble selling out the Allstate Arena. But […]
‘Aftermath’ Recreates Vintage Rolling Stones
Satisfaction Guaranteed Aftermath, a dramatic play with live music that runs through January 23rd at Signal Ensemble Theatre on the North Side, takes audience members back to a critical point in the career of The Rolling Stones.
No Age live!
7th St Entry, Minneapolis Tuesday, November 23, 2010 No Age is at that tenuous career juncture where competing contrasts often tear bands apart. No longer scrappy young upstarts, there are certain divergent expectations that can pull in opposing directions.
Grinderman live!
Riviera, Chicago Monday, November 22, 2010 The mid-life crisis is usually personified by the sports car, a younger girlfriend, and the divorce that follows said paramour. Unless you’re Nick Cave. The lead singer of The Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party has addressed his growing years by staring them down and assembling a band that […]
El DeBarge live!
The Shrine, Chicago Saturday, November 5, 2010 In his prime, El DeBarge and his family band bearing the same last name were competing neck in neck with The Jacksons, Prince and the early days of New Edition. Aside from rock solid status on the Motown label and R&B hits galore, the group’s been covered […]
IE at Austin City Limits!
Austin. Texas. The city whose official slogan is, boldly, “The Live Music Capital of the World.” Insert heated debate…here. Just voted “Best Music Town” by the readers of Frommer’s Budget Travel, Austin boasts over 200 live music venues, in a metro area of just 1.7 million.
Live: Mayer Hawthorne & The County
Subterranean, Chicago Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Crooner-producer Mayer Hawthorne has come a long way with his stage show in the short time he has been performing as a suit-wearing soul purveyor. Seeing him at a Stones Throw Records showcase in the spring of 2009, Hawthorne was just trying to figure out how to introduce his […]
Bell X1 live!
Schubas, Chicago Thursday, October 14, 2010 Bell X1’s lanky frontman lost his dance moves — and with good reason. During a sold-out, whirlwind stop at Schubas, Paul Noonan plopped himself on a stool beside bassist Dominic Phillips and multi-instrumentalist Dave Geraghty and poured over the band’s catalog, stripped-down and acoustic.
Mary J. Blige live!
Chicago Theatre, Chicago Sunday, October 17, 2010 Even though this year’s Lilith Fair suffered terrible ticket sales, one of the few successes was the attention-commanding appearance by Mary J. Blige. Aside from expanding her audience to convert the Sarah McLachlan-loving masses, “the queen of hip-hop soul” proved she’s finally hitting her stride as a live […]
High On Fire at Riot Fest!
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: High On Fire was great the other night. That could be the lead sentence to any High On Fire live review. Ever read a piece that says the band was just O.K. at such-and-such venue in such-and-such city? Or “High On Fire sounded good, but lacked stage presence”?
Farm Aid 2010
The 25th annual Farm Aid took over Milwaukee’s Miller Park Saturday for an 11-hour beer, cheese, and music fest. We sent photographer Brian Ormiston to investigate.
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