Live Reviews
Todd Rundgren live!
Todd Rundgren Park West, Chicago Thursday, January 31, 2008 It has been four years since Todd Rundgren’s last proper studio CD, Liars, but he has been far from inactive during the gap. Outside of embarking on an extensive solo tour (which spawned the Liars Live DVD in 2005) he became the unlikely though fairly well-fitting […]
Joe Henry live!
Joe Henry Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Saturday, February 2, 2008 A rare tour by producer/songwriter Joe Henry found him in “Storytellers” mode at the Old Town School on Saturday night. During the first of two shows, he mocked his role in the world while quietly lamenting the country’s.
The Teenagers live!
The Teenagers Dark Wave Disco At Sonoteque, Chicago Saturday, January 26, 2008 There’s a good chance a group whose most notorious song is a document of the narrator sleeping with his step-cousin shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Perhaps that should’ve been the first indication of what was to come.
Lenny Kravitz live!
Lenny Kravitz Riviera Theatre, Chicago Saturday, January 26, 2008 These days Lenny Kravitz is more likely to play an arena than an intimate setting, making a pre-release warm up tour at the Riviera Theatre a somewhat unusual occurrence. The retro rocker likened it to being “just like the old days,” but with longevity under his […]
William Elliott Whitmore live!
William Elliott Whitmore Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago Friday, January 18, 2008 It has become tradition when William Elliott Whitmore plays Chicago for audience members to continuously feed him booze. Couple that with the fact each time Whitmore comes to town he plays a bigger venue, which means even more fans, which means even more whiskey […]
Exile In Old Town School
Tribute To Exile On Main St. Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Friday, January 18, 2008 Having an ensemble recreate a classic album is hardly a novel concept, but there was something diabolically reverent and iconoclastic going on with Exile On Main St. on Friday. As performed by Old Town School faculty, alumni, and […]
The Dresden Dolls live!
The Dresden Dolls Vic Theatre, Chicago Saturday, January 5, 2008 When you describe your music as “Brechtian punk cabaret,” like The Dresden Dolls do, you very well might be relegating yourself to underground, or cult status, for the length of your career. But something weird is happening with The Dolls: More and more people are […]
Duran Duran live
Duran Duran Chicago Theatre, Chicago Friday, December 14, 2007 For those who think Duran Duran went off the deep end by working with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake on its new CD, step outside the ’80s and consider the basics. To start with, Red Carpet Massacre (Epic), is loaded with robust beats destined for the dance […]
Wu-Tang live
Wu-Tang Clan Metro, Chicago Saturday, December 15, 2007 Less than four months after successfully headlining the Rock The Bells hip-hop festival at Northerly Island, the Wu-Tang Clan returned to Chicago to kick off a 25-stop nationwide tour. Not so surprisingly, the group’s producer-on-the-mic, Rza, was the only absent member at the Metro.
Silverchair live
Silverchair House Of Blues, Chicago Thursday, December 12, 2007 In an iTunes-dominated era, five years is a lifetime between albums. It not only puts act’s longevity in jeopardy, but can find a fanbase shift a complete generation. Though Silverchair tempted fate by stalling for a half decade, the time was clearly well spent.
Dewey Cox live!
Dewey Cox Cubby Bear, Chicago Thursday, December 6, 2007 South Side native and Brother Rice graduate John C. Reilly is a rock star. This designation may confuse anyone familiar with the Academy Award nominee’s past appearances in Chicago, Boogie Nights, and The River Wild because Reilly resembles Fozzy Bear more than Elvis. But, as Dewey […]
Patterson Hood live!
Patterson Hood Empty Bottle, Chicago Saturday, December 8, 2007 Despite the growing popularity of his main gig fronting Drive-By Truckers, Patterson Hood has struggled to keep his solo career on track. Trying to will the (eventually) forthcoming Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs) into existance, he skipped a friend’s wedding to promo it during the […]
Michael McDonald live!
Michael McDonald Chicago Theatre, Chicago Thursday, December 6, 2007 As a man with many artistic personas, it’s not always easy to guess exactly how Michael McDonald will put together a set list. Based on his latest CD, Through the Many Winters, A Christmas Album, seasonal offerings were a sure-fire bet. They were presented in ample […]
Hall & Oates live
Daryl Hall & John Oates UIC Pavilion, Chicago Friday, November 30, 2007 Commercial pop and soft rock from the late ’70s and early ’80s are in the process of a comeback, but we’re not just talking about the grocery store, overhead mall-speaker, and dentist office circuit. The scene’s forebearers are actually experiencing a cult-ish resurgence […]
This Is American Music reviewed
This Is American Music Hideout, Chicago Thursday, November 29, 2007 The Drams You can bemoan today’s youngsters, who aren’t aware there was a time when people actually paid for music and vinyl was more than a poor choice to upholster your car’s interior. But The Drams, Grand Champeen, Two Cow Garage, and Glossary went further, […]
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