Live Reviews
Buckcherry Live!
Buckcherry, The Exies Austin’s Saloon, Libertyville Tuesday, January 23, 2007 You could almost see the members of Buckcherry holding their breath when they released their third LP, 15, a year ago. It was clearly a labor of love — after much soul-searching they decided not to make their breakup permanent, but instead try a little […]
O.A.R. & Gomez live
O.A.R./Gomez U.I.C. Pavilion, Chicago Friday, January 19, 2007 Calling O.A.R. a Dave Matthews Band rip-off is both unfair and misleading, though it’s a frequent comparison from critics and casual fans alike. Sure, the guys have opened for Dave and company on numerous occasions, built their fan base with a similar grassroots approach, tour incessantly, and […]
The Chamber Strings live
The Chamber Strings Double Door, Chicago Saturday, January 20, 2007 Those wondering if The Chamber Strings have lost a step since their last gig are missing the point. Seeing how founder Kevin Junior was literally scrounging for heroin from a cardboard box in an L.A. slum quite recently, Saturday’s reunion wasn’t about gelling or marketing […]
The Ponys, Sano live!
The Ponys, Sano Schubas, Chicago Friday, January 12, 2006 The flagship showcase for this year’s Tomorrow Never Knows festival at Schubas featured the first performance by Chicago’s Ponys in several months. Fueled as the night was by an ad hoc, adventurous spirit, the real winner was a side project by The M’s Josh Chicoine, called […]
Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths live!
Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths House Of Blues Sunday, January 14, 2007 Dancehall reggae, with its rough riddims and often explicit lyrics continues to dominate Jamaica’s music scene but for evidence that singer-songwriters still command influence, one only needs to turn to Beres Hammond.
Anita Baker Live!
Anita Baker Chicago Theatre, Chicago Saturday, December 09, 2006 When Anita Baker released her comeback CD, My Everything, in 2004, she was slated to perform at the United Center with duet partner Babyface, but the concert was canceled due to undisclosed reasons. A royalty-related lawsuit from Babyface crept into the picture shortly thereafter, but the […]
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Live!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra East Allstate Arena, Rosemont Saturday, December 9, 2006 By the time the second act of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s first Chicagoland show of the Christmas season fired up, audience members were either with them or against them.
Wilco live!
Wilco Auditorium Theatre, Chicago Friday, November 24, 2006 Wilco play Chicago so frequently it’s easy to arrive at a show with expectations, have them met, and swish-swash your corudroy’d ass back to the North Side. Throw in last year’s live album, this fall’s Jeff Tweedy live DVD, and the coming second album from Pat Sansone […]
Tenacious D live!
Tenacious D UIC Pavilion, Chicago Friday, November 24, 2006 Click here for Tenacious D Photo Gallery Say what you will about Jack Black, the one thing he’s not looking for is work. With two films in theaters during the holidays, you won’t have to look far to get your Black fix.
Morrissey live!
Morrissey, Kristeen Young Aragon Ballroom, Chicago Tuesday, November 21, 2006 The generally reclusive, somewhat tour-shy Morrissey came out of his shell once again in support of 2006’s Ringleader Of The Tormentors (Attack), even if it was for just a single day in America. Though he’d previously debuted the material at South By Southwest in Austin, […]
Lloyd Cole, Dick Prall Live!
Lloyd Cole, Dick Prall Park West, Chicago Friday, November 10, 2006 On record, Lloyd Cole makes for a generally compelling listen, combining the stocky swagger of Elvis Costello, the mythical sense of Nick Cave, and a wry sense of humor akin to Leonard Cohen. On stage, one would expect all of those qualities to translate, […]
Riot Fest recap
Riot Fest Congress Theater, Chicago Sunday November 5, 2006 Celebrating its second anniversary as an annual event, Riot Fest 2006 set out to prove it’s the one-stop-shop for all things punk rock. A dozen or so equally minded (aesthetically speaking) bands stretched out sets over the course of a smoky, sweaty Sunday at Bucktown’s Congress […]
Trail Of Dead, Blood Brothers live
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Blood Brothers House Of Blues, Chicago Tuesday, October 31, 2006 In a great many obvious ways, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and The Blood Brothers are two very different outfits. Never mind the superficial or aesthetic differences that would […]
Acoustic Africa Review
Acoustic Africa Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Saturday, November 4, 2006 With all of the “unplugged” pop performances and “stripped down” rock tours, an acoustic African tour seems a tad ironic. At its core, African music is acoustic anyway so it makes little sense to jump on that bandwagon. Leave it to Putumayo, […]
Pet Shop Boys Live!
Pet Shop Boys Chicago Theatre, Chicago Friday, October 27, 2006 The Pet Shop Boys’ tour behind 1999’s Nightlife set a benchmark for the dance duo given its lavish production, glittering costumes, beehive-high headdresses, dancers, and two acts of hits. Though the duo hasn’t quite kept up with that since (including a failed musical, overlooked specialty […]
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