Live Reviews
Say Anything, Hellogoodbye live!
Say Anything, Hellogoodbye Congress Theatre, Chicago Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Say Anything are not pop punk. At least, not entirely (contrary to popular belief, and even some evidence that would suggest otherwise). If there was ever any doubt before, it was made abundantly clear Wednesday night at the Congress, where the six-piece live outfit, more […]
Atmosphere live!
Atmosphere Metro, Chicago Monday, October 22, 2007 For most MCs, there are a few givens in the hip-hop game: boisterous claims, a righteous sense of entitlement, and a ludicrously inflated ego regardless of the quality of work being put out. Looks like no one told Slug.
Bruce Springsteen live!
Bruce Springsteen United Center, Chicago Sunday, October 21, 2007 Sunday night’s appearance by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band wasn’t anything close to the three-and-a-half-hour lovefests of the recent past. Instead The Boss and co. pushed a trim, two-hour piledriver that leaned heavily on the new Magic (Columbia). Visit illinoisentertainerphoto.com for an exclusive Bruce […]
CMJ Marathon Report
CMJ New Music Marathon New York City, New York October 16 through 20, 2007 Much like its sister conference South By Southwest, the 2007 version of the annual CMJ New Music Marathon emerged with no clearer vision of tomorrow. No rapscallioin Midwesterners established themselves as the new “it” band, and no NME-sanctioned Brit sensation had […]
New Pornographers live!
The New Pornographers Metro, Chicago Friday, October 19, 2007 The enthusiastic ovation that greeted the much-revered Canadian collective The New Pornographers was startling, even after taking into consideration this was the second of a sold-out, two-night run at Metro. The voluminous salutation rose even higher when head Pornographer A.C. Newman and silver-throated siren Neko Case […]
Jersey Boys review!
Jersey Boys LaSalle Bank Theatre, Chicago Sunday, October 14, 2007 The Frankie Valli love fest finally arrived in Chicago with an audience so eager to express their affection for the octave jumper they rose to their feet after “Walk Like A Man.” Maybe it was a case of opening night fever or maybe the man […]
Van Halen live!
Van Halen Allstate Arena, Rosemont Tuesday, October 16, 2007 The summer of reunions continues. We’ve had the Police, Genesis, hell even The Bangles have shown up. Now it’s Van Halen’s turn with David Lee Roth in tow. If you close your eyes and listen, you’d swear it was 1984 again. For the Van Halen live […]
Jethro Tull live!
Jethro Tull Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet Saturday, October 13, 2007 Prior to Jethro Tull’s sold-out performance at the ornate and acoustically complimentary Rialto Square Theatre, an announcement was made stating whistling, shouting, and even drinking at any point during the concert would be completely inappropriate. At first, the list of regulations was meant with defiant […]
Down live!
Down House Of Blues, Chicago Wednesday, October 10, 2007 “Fucking Chicago, we’re Down” frontman Phil Anselmo roared as he and his all-star crew of bandmates — guitarists Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity) and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), bassist Rex Brown (ex-Pantera), and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) — took the stage at House Of Blues. Not exactly […]
Yo La Tengo live!
Yo La Tengo Lakeshore Theater, Chicago Thursday, October 11, 2007 Having never seen one of Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah-in-Hoboken residencies, I can only imagine the randomness of the covers and arrangements they choose. A window was opened, however, on Thursday night, during the first of two stripped-down-and-tossed-in-the-air gigs at the intimate Lakeshore.
Brandi Carlile, A Fine Frenzy live!
Brandi Carlile/A Fine Frenzy House Of Blues, Chicago Thursday, October 11, 2007 Kicking off a two-night stand at House Of Blues, ingénue Brandi Carlile enticed the rowdy crowd to put up or shut up when she veered dangerously close to the lip of the stage and belted out a chugging new tune, “How These Days […]
Interpol live!
Interpol Aragon Ballroom, Chicago Thursday, October 11, 2007 For the third time this year, Interpol visited Chicago with its haunting, atmospheric indie rock. Though it may seem like overkill, each setting and circumstance was remarkably diverse, from its Our Love To Admire prerelease publicity gig at the intimate Metro, to a co-headlining slot alongside Muse […]
Patrick Wolf live!
Patrick Wolf Metro, Chicago Tuesday, October 9, 2007 If he so chose, Patrick Wolf could probably get by on spectacle alone. Maybe on just his fans. One curiously dressed attendee donned a silver-sequined frock while another, sporting homeless chic, tapped away on an iPhone. Somehow the South London prodigy retains the headliner status at his […]
Beirut live!
Beirut Portage Theater, Chicago Thursday, October 4, 2007 Rock ‘n’ roll is a young man’s game, but what about European folk? For 75 minutes on Thursday night, 21-year-old Zach Condon led his Beirut on a pseudo-Old World tour with a bandleader presence that approached James Brown.
Beastie Boys live!
Beastie Boys Charter One Pavilion, Chicago Thursday, September 27, 2007 Two sides of the Beastie Boys touched down in Chicago for the trio’s tour behind this fall’s all-instrumental CD, The Mix-Up. The first was a chilled-out, stripped-down, generally wordless affair held at the intimate confines of the RivieraTheatre (billed as “A Gala Event,” complete with […]
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