Live Reviews
Erykah Badu, N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe live!
Chicago Theatre, Chicago Thursday, June 3, 2010 If you thought pop music had dissolved into flashy diva spectacles with lots of hooks and no soul or substance, you may have missed a few musical revelations. Specifically, Erykah Badu’s singular brand of tripped-out soul and hip-hop funk, N.E.R.D’s vivacious rock and hip-hop mélange, and Janelle Monáe’s […]
Carole King & James Taylor live!
Allstate Arena, Rosemont Monday, May 24, 2010 Forty years ago, right on the crest of the singer/songwriter movement, Carole King and James Taylor first shared the stage at West Hollywood’s now legendary Troubadour. Though their paths have crossed on the pop and rock charts repeatedly since (and they’ve also swapped album credits), the Troubadour Reunion […]
A-ha live!
A-ha live! Riviera Theatre, Chicago Thursday, May 13, 2010 To the bulk of American audiences, A-ha will always be remembered for its monster smash “Take On Me,” which once topped the charts and has since been spun an average of 375 times a day. But to the rest of the world, especially in Europe, […]
Ben Folds live!
Vic Theatre, Chicago Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Anyone who’s ever seen Ben Folds perform live in front of a crowd of die-hard fans (and really, is there any other kind of Ben Folds fan?), or is even just familiar with the piano man’s solid 2002 live disc, Ben Folds Live, knows full well the events […]
Thom Yorke live!
Aragon, Chicago Saturday, April 10, 2010 It’s not unusual for musicians to moonlight when an opportunity presents itself. Thing is, for every so called supergroup that finds a genesis in the curiosity of what could be, very few achieve the critical or commercial success of, say, Blind Faith or The Traveling Wilburys. More often than […]
Drive-By Truckers live!
Vic Theatre, Chicago Friday, April 9, 2010 Chicago is a special place for Drive-By Truckers. The band still talk about the lift they felt by a line outside Hideout back when nobody else cared they were making records.
Florence + The Machine live!
House Of Blues, Chicago Monday, April 12, 2010 Florence Welch is no fluke. The British 23-year-old wowed an already converted, sold-out audience during her debut Chicago appearance. In just over an hour, the fiery redhead’s bellowing vocals and surprisingly demure demeanor brought her lone album, Lungs to life with the determination of a woman poised […]
Stone Temple Pilots live!
Riviera, Chicago Saturday, March 27, 2010 After a five-year hiatus, which included the formation of several new groups, a couple of solo albums, and several stints in rehab, the ’90s’ other grunge pioneers Stone Temple Pilots have reunited for a tour and a new album.
Michael Bublé live!
Allstate Arena, Rosemont Saturday, March 27, 2010 If it seems like Michael Bublé exploded from obscurity to being able to sell out arenas in a finger snap, that’s because the 34-year-old was instantly embraced for his ability to juggle traditional ideals with contemporary pop appeal. Raised just as much on Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin […]
Puscifer live!
Vic, Chicago Saturday, March 27, 2010 In some ways, Puscifer’s Saturday-night set — if not the band’s entire approach and aesthetic — shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. After all, frontman Maynard James Keenan is no stranger to elaborate stage props and jarring costumes.
Loyal Divide & A Lull at SXSW!
Tap Room, Austin, TX Friday, March 19, 2010 The motto around South By Southwest might be “Keep Austin weird,” but a Friday-afternoon set from Chicago’s Loyal Divide took things one step further in making Austin creepy, courtesy of the band’s white-lined black body suits and face-obscuring emoticon masks.
Hey Champ at SXSW!
Vice, Austin, TX Thursday, March 18th, 2010 It was around midnight last night when Hey Champ took the stage at dance club/rock venue Vice, which, while hardly late by SXSW standards, was still almost an hour-and-a-half after than the band’s initially set start time. Yet the room didn’t seem to mind too much, as the […]
Kid Sister at SXSW!
Beauty Bar, Austin, TX Wednesday, March 17, 2010 Chicago came at Austin hard on Wednesday afternoon, with a hyper-kinetic set from Kid Sister at the glam-dive Beauty Bar.
Megadeth live!
Murat Theatre, Indianapolis Thursday, March 11, 2010 “We know why we’re here, so let’s stop fucking around.” With that Dave Mustaine declaration, Megadeth launched into “Holy Wars . . . The Punishment Due” and Tom Araya was immediately forgiven for the American Carnage tour.
Ray Davies live!
Riviera, Chicago Saturday, March 13, 2010 A show that could have been billed AcoustiKinks ambled along smoothly if unexceptionally on Saturday night, until Ray Davies remembered from whence he came.
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