Live Reviews
Live Review: Spiritualized at The Vic Theatre ⢠Chicago
Spiritualized The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Thursday, September 15, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) and company brought the hypnotic space-rock of Spiritualized to the Vic Theatre on Thursday. The English band performed fresh material from its captivating new album Everything Was Beautiful. Pierceâs finely crafted songs overflowed with […]
Live Review: Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden ⢠New York
Pearl Jam Madison Square Garden New York, NY September 11, 2022 Review and live photo by Curt Baran Anything that takes place on September 11th in New York City is obviously going to carry with it a significant amount of gravitas. Be it the memorial events down in lower Manhattan or something as […]
Live Review: Echo and the Bunnymen at The Vic Theatre ⢠Chicago
Echo and the Bunnymen The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Echo and the Bunnymen returned to the Vic Theatre on Wednesday, bringing a tour dubbed â40 Years of Magical Songs.â The show emphasized the English alternative rockersâ influential first five albums, including 1980 debut Crocodiles, 1981âs Heaven Up […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: The Fixx at House of Blues ⢠Chicago
The Fixx House of Blues, Chicago, IL Tuesday, September 6, 2022 Live Review and photos by Jeff Elbel The Fixx visited Chicagoâs House of Blues on Tuesday, bringing songs from the bandâs first new album in ten years. The British alternative rockersâ eleventh album Every Five Seconds succeeds 2012âs critically praised album Beautiful Friction. Both sets of songs […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Neko Case at Out of Space ⢠Evanston
Neko Case Out of Space Temperance Beer Co. Evanston, IL Saturday, September 3, 2022 Review and Gallery by Jeff Elbel Cover photo by Ebru Yildiz Last yearâs Out of Space performance by Neko Case and her band was postponed due to an illness in the touring party. On a blustery Saturday, Case made a […]
Live Review: Riot Fest Night with the White Sox – Guaranteed Rate Field ⢠Chicago
The Chicago White Sox and My Chemical Romance clinched wins at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday night. The ballparkâs Riot Fest Night event reminded Southside baseball fans that the cityâs premiere punk rock festival will launch its 2022 event in one month. The game was a match-up between the surging White Sox and 2021 playoff […]
Live Review: Elvis Costello and the Imposters ⢠Out of Space ⢠Evanston
Elvis Costello and the Imposters Out of Space at Canal Shores Golf Course, Evanston, IL Friday, August 5, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel Elvis Costello last visited Chicago in November, previewing material from 2022âs The Boy Named If album. Fans who missed that concert at Chicago Theatre were given a second chance to experience the […]
Live Review: Adrian Belew at City Winery ⢠Chicago
Adrian Belew Tuesday, July 19, 2022 City Winery, Chicago, IL by Steven Kikoen Gallery photos (at Arcada Theatre) by Jeff Berger Adrian Belew is the sonic equivalent of an M.C. Escher lithograph. Escher created impossible visuals, Belew creates impossible sounds. He is the âfluxâ capacitor that makes guitar wizardry possible, and his importance in the music world cannot be overstated. John Lennon […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: ABC at Des Plaines Theatre ⢠Des Plaines
ABC Saturday, July 9, 2022 Des Plaines Theatre Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Never let it be said that ABC founder and frontman Martin Fry doesnât know his audience, and how to butter them up. âYou look too young to be children of the â80s,â he said, wondering aloud whether heâd accidentally walked into […]
Reviewed: American Music Festival – FitzGerald’s ⢠Berwyn
American Music Festival FitzGerald’s July 1-4 Berwyn, IL Reviewed by William Tokash Photos from Day Four by Curt Baran FitzGeraldâs legendary American Music Festival returned to Berwyn this 4th of July weekend following a 2-year Covid-induced hiatus with one of the most diverse musical lineups this venerable fest has seen in its 39-year history. This […]
Live Review: The Musical Box at Arcada Theatre ⢠St Charles
The Musical Box The Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Friday, June 10, 2022 The Musical Box, the renowned Genesis-with-Peter Gabriel tribute band, has long been a fan-favorite musical export from The Great White North. This Canadian marvel has entertained the enormous Genesis and Peter Gabriel following for 29 years, with next year marking […]
Live Review: Steve Hackett at Copernicus Center ⢠Chicago
Steve Hacket and his band (Photo: Steven Kikoen) Steve Hackett Copernicus Center Chicago, IL Thursday, May 5, 2022 Reviewed by Steven Kikoen I first saw Steve Hackett live at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago in the â70s. It was the first Genesis tour after the departure of Peter Gabriel. The previous year, I […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: The Claudettes at The Venue ⢠Aurora
The Claudettes The Venue, Aurora, IL Friday, April 29, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel This year holds the potential for good things for the Claudettes, and the band is working hard to make up for the lost time. The Chicago-based quartet released High Times in the Dark in early 2020 to a strong response from […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Wilco at Auditorium Theatre ⢠Chicago
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 20th Anniversary Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL April 24, 2022 Review by Jeffrey Kotthoff; Additional photos by Jeff Elbel and photos courtesy of Auditorium Theatre/Andy Argyrakis Wilcoâs 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was born of dysfunction and chaos. For most bands, the idea of looking back and celebrating what by all accounts […]
Live Review and Gallery: Transatlantic at Arcada Theatre ⢠St. Charles
Transatlantic Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL Thursday, April 21, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Ed Spinelli. Thursday was a big night for Chicagoland fans of progressive rock. Transatlantic returned to the genreâs haven at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, where the prog supergroup also performed on its last major tour in 2014. […]
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