Live Reviews
Amy Winehouse live!
Amy Winehouse Vic Theatre, Chicago Thursday, May 3, 2007 Click here for more pics from the show To hear her voice is to assume Amy Winehouse is an Amazonian reincarnation of Ronnie Spector or Dinah Washington. But there she was, onstage at a sold-out Vic Theatre, a five-foot-nothing frame struggling to support her barely there […]
Ben Gibbard live!
Ben Gibbard Metro, Chicago Friday, May 4, 2007 “Those guys were kind of obscure.” Such was the quip delivered onstage by Ben Gibbard during his Friday night, late show at the Metro, following a piano-only cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies.” While obviously overly ironic, the statement very well could have applied to Gibbard’s full-band/day-job outfit, […]
Heaven And Hell, Megadeth live!
Heaven And Hell, Megadeth Allstate Arena, Rosemont Saturday, May 5, 2007 Metalheads, you may want to turn away from your screen and not read the next paragraph. Words no heavy music fan wants to say or read will appear. This is your last warning.
The Kooks, Illinois live!
The Kooks, Illinois Metro, Chicago Saturday, May 5, 2007 Watching The Kooks gratify a sold-out Metro on Saturday must have been what it was like to guard the French side of the Maginot Line in the early 1930s. Critics are lined up to shoot them down, but it probably won’t be enough to stem the […]
Art Garfunkel live!
Art Garfunkel Genesee Theatre, Waukegan Friday, April 27, 2007 Considering Art Garfunkel reunited with Paul Simon in 2003 and released the CD/DVD concert chronicle Old Friends (Warner Bros.) a year later, the half decade between solo albums and tours doesn’t seem nearly so long. But that’s indeed been the gap between a Park West performance […]
Kaiser Chiefs Live!
Kaiser Chiefs Vic Theatre, Chicago Friday, April 20, 2007 When Lollapalooza was baptized as a yearly Chicago event two summers back, some of the best surprises were the lesser known bands who handed in stellar sets. Case in point: Kaiser Chiefs from Leeds, England.
The Decemberists, My Brightest Diamond Live!
The Decemberists, My Brightest Diamond Riviera, Chicago Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Archaic. Cumbersome. These are words often applied to the bombastic, highly literate “rock” purveyed by The Decemberists. By arriving onstage to a Russian maritime anthem (the band’s name is an intentional misspelling of a 19th-century uprising against the czar) and lulling the audience through […]
Chris Cornell live!
Chris Cornell Metro, Chicago Wednesday, April 11, 2007 During the last decade or so, the stars of the alternative nation have engaged in what could be described as a massive game of musical chairs. And while the results — the likes of Audioslave, Zwan, and Velvet Revolver, to name a few — have arguably produced […]
Peeping Tom live!
Peeping Tom Park West, Chicago Sunday, April 15, 2007 Rap and rock? What is this 2000? No, no, wait. What is this . . . 1990? After all, that was the year Faith No More, fronted by Mike Patton, introduced themselves to mainstream music with a song called “Epic,”which combined rap vocals and heavy metal […]
Placebo live
Placebo House Of Blues, Chicago Friday, April 13, 2007 Placebo might not be who you think they are. Or, rather, they might not be who you thought they were.
John Vanderslice live
John Vanderslice Lakeshore Theater, Chicago Friday, April 13, 2007 To some, the idea of a stripped-down John Vanderslice concert would defeat the purpose. Vanderslice made his name as indie rock’s consummate studio maestro, churning out sonic adventures like a raconteur strings a yarn. While his deft songwriting and humanistic insights do tend to get underrated, […]
Son Volt, Jason Isbell Live!
Son Volt, Jason Isbell Vic Theatre, Chicago Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Jay Farrar, despite the country overtones on nearly everything he has recorded, gives the impression he’s all business. After Son Volt went on “hiatus” around 1999, he pursued his own goals as a solo artist, teeming with outside-the-box ideas. Bored, he reformed Son Volt […]
Lindsey Buckingham Live!
Lindsey Buckingham House Of Blues, Chicago Monday, April 9, 2007 There aren’t many folks in the music biz like Lindsey Buckingham. Nor are there as many as polarizing. To some, he’s a musical genius — an alchemist — who pushes the boundaries of studio technique and craft to new heights. To others, he’s a studio […]
Rocky Votolato Live!
Rocky Votolato Abbey Pub, Chicago Friday, April 6, 2007 During an ultra-abbreviated set Friday night, Rocky Votolato seemed out to prove he’s no self-destructive sally, despite what his records might say about him.
Stephen Marley live
Stephen Marley Vic Theatre, Chicago Saturday, March 31, 2007 As Bob’s second eldest son, Stephen Marley’s talents have often floated under the radar. He has always played a supporting role for his siblings, whether it was singing background with the Melody Makers or producing and writing hit albums for Julian and Damian. But if his […]
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