Live Reviews
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 […]
The Aliens live!
The Aliens Schubas, Chicago Tuesday, September 25, 2007 When the core members were known as The Beta Band, The Aliens dealt in a sort of musical disinformation campaign. The promise of their debut EPs was purposefully sent up in smoke, live performances abused patience, and it seemed their interest was inversely proportionate to their fans’.
Hip-Hop Honors Tour live!
The Roots, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane House Of Blues, Chicago Saturday, September 22, 2007 Considering the popularity of crunk, “pop, lock, and drop it,” and everything else that passes for hip-hop these days, a tour highlighting the golden days of beats and real rhymes proves to be sorely necessary. With hip-hop revolutionaries The Roots […]
Common live!
Common Charter One Pavilion, Chicago Thursday, September 20, 2007 If he were born a century ago, Forrest Gump might have uttered “Life is like Common: You never know whatcher gonna get.” On the one hand there’s the Gap commercials and wannabe-Lothario stage antics — a newsboy-cap wearin’ radio hopeful who references Jennifer Aniston and Vince […]
The Chemical Brothers live!
The Chemical Brothers, Ladytron Riviera Theatre, Chicago September 24, 2007 Since 1993, The Chemical Brothers have consistently churned out an evolutionary form of electronica music that could find dual footing in a club or on the radio. Thankfully the dance-derived duo are also known for an equally enthralling stage show, complete with lights, lasers, and […]
Turbonegro, Mondo Generator live!
Turbonegro, Mondo Generator Metro, Chicago Wednesday, September 19, 2007 For the first stop on their U.S. tour, Turbonegro took not one, but two encores. For most rock bands this would be one too many and a bit pretentious for a group playing a 1,100-capacity club. For this Norwegian act, though, it was perfect – maybe […]
Blaqk Audio live!
Blaqk Audio Double Door, Chicago Tuesday, September 18, 2007 Given the over-the-top cartoon goth character Davey Havok perpetually lives in as the frontman for AFI, it’s understandable even he might need an escape. The concept came to life last Tuesday at the Double Door, where Havok and AFI bandmate Jade Puget debuted the Chicago appearance […]
Wall To Wall Guitar Festival live review
Wall To Wall Guitar Festival, Take Two Krannert Center, Urbana September 13 – 15, 2007 When curator and artistic director David Spelman brought the first Wall To Wall Guitar Festival to Champaign-Urbana’s Krannert Center For The Performing Arts in 2005, it presented the guitar as an object worthy of Serious Study. Through 30 artists and […]
Rilo Kiley, Johnathan Rice live!
Rilo Kiley, Johnathan Rice Riviera, Chicago Saturday, September 15, 2007 Stationed in front of a gold lamé curtain Saturday night at the Riviera, Rilo Kiley proved they’ve officially gone Hollywood. Then again, the quartet (now aided by two backup singers/instrumentalists) have always had ties to Tinsletown. Guitarist Blake Sennett and lead vocalist Jenny Lewis’ former […]
Okkervil River live!
Okkervil River Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago Tuesday, September 18, 2007 Okkervil River are a sloppy band — it’s largely what makes them so effective. Frontman Will Sheff sings as if he has no control over his voice while the rest of the Austin band claw at their folk rock with more crazy, less horse.
Rush live!
Rush First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, Tinley Park Saturday, September 8, 2007 Some people call Rush dinosaurs. After all, the three bandmates have been around for more than 30 years churning out the same quality pseudo prog-rock that fans know and love. Judging from the myriad plastic dinosaurs adorning guitarist Alex Lifeson’s amp rig, Rush knows […]
Editors live!
Editors Park West, Chicago Tuesday, September 11, 2007 The sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and English post punk quartet Editors have little in common other than the band’s scheduled performance Tuesday night at Park West. The band weren’t even a twinkle in NME’s eye in 2001 and deal almost exclusively in personal politics.
Hideout Block Party review
Hideout Block Party The Hideout, Chicago September 7 & 8, 2007 After last year’s ridiculously perfect pairing of Touch And Go’s eclectic roster of artists and Chicago’s most delicious “dump” (as Frames frontman Glen Hansard eloquently put it Saturday night), the 2007 edition of the annual Hideout Block Party had big shoes to fill.
VHS Or Beta, Walter Meego live!
VHS Or Beta, Walter Meego Subterranean, Chicago Tuesday, September 4, 2007 There are certain shows where it’s obvious why one act is performing as the opener. There’s an apparent schism between skill level, stage presence, and/or notoriety, to name a few differentiating factors. And then there are shows where two or more acts share a […]
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