Live Reviews
Band Of Horses & Mt. Egypt Live!
Band Of Horses, Mt. Egypt Schubas, Chicago Tuesday, June 6, 2006 The only bad thing people have had to say about Sub Pop upstarts Band Of Horses is how much they sound like My Morning Jacket. It has less to do with country-ish pop bearing a shake of psychedelia, than vocalist Ben Bridwell. Holding back […]
The New Cars & Blondie Live!
The New Cars, Blondie Ravinia, Highland Park Saturday, June 3, 2006 Either the glam-leaning power pop of the ’80s is coming back in full swing or the groups who led the genre the first time around are tired of hearing their ideas borrowed and are coming back to reclaim their thrones. After all, everyone from […]
INXS, Scott Stapp live
INXS, Scott Stapp Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont Tuesday, May 23, 2006 While the rest of the country was busy picking the next “American Idol” the Tuesday before last, a former rock idol and a new “rock star” stormed the sold-out Rosemont Theatre. But this wasn’t just another ’80s rock sensation attempting to revive their career with […]
Mogwai live!
Mogwai First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN Saturday, May 20, 2006 Having made a name for themselves with their notoriously loud live shows, it was probably inevitable Mogwai would finally dial it back a notch. Though the ferocity and apocalyptic ambience are ever present, they’ve moderated the harrowing volume and piercing electronic screeches to more comfortable levels.
Alice In Chains Live!
Alice In Chains Metro, Chicago Sunday, May 21, 2006 How to get around the Layne Staley comparisons when summing up William Duvall’s Chicago debut as Alice In Chains’ singer? It’s nearly impossible to stay away from the ridiculous argument, or steer clear of an “Are frontmen replaceable in general?” thesis. Duvall is no Staley. But […]
Islands Live!
Islands Metro, Chicago Thursday, May 17, 2006 The primary thing Islands have working against them is their past — O.K., a second is their sense of how to close a show, but we’ll get to that later. Being remnants of The Unicorns, an inventive but incoherent early-millennium indie rock act, invites skepticism and likely will […]
Erasure Live!
Erasure Park West, Chicago Thursday, May 18, 2006 Any Erasure concert veteran can attest to an overblown spectacle loaded with pageantry, dancing, costumes, and club beats. A visit to the Chicago Theatre last year supporting Nightbird was evidence of that very vibe, bringing two sold-out crowds to their feet within seconds of singer Andy Bell […]
Wolfmother Live!
Wolfmother Metro, Chicago Thursday, May 18th, 2006 The next “next big thing” stormed into the sold-out (and then some) Metro on Thursday night, and expectations ran high. Fortunately for the Australian trio, Wolfmother were able to blow doubts away along with the crowd. Frontman Andrew Stockdale brought his larger-than-reality persona (he’s almost six-feet, five-inches with […]
GNR cont’d
Click here to go back. Rose switched gears into new GN’R material with longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed at the helm. The duo hammered out a Use Your Illusion II-worthy ballad, “The Blues,” against comforting instrumental backup. The new song — already familiar to much of the sold-out audience due to Internet leaks — recalled “Estranged” […]
Guns N’ Roses live
Guns N’ Roses Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City Sunday, May 14, 2006 The wait is finally over. Yes, Virginia, there is an Axl Rose. GN’R lives again in a real-life Miracle on 34th Street. Welcome to the jungle (for a New York minute, at the very least).
Tool live
Tool Auditorium Theatre, Chicago Saturday, May 13, 2006 Tool are in a precarious position. It’s entirely possible, though just as likely not, they’re aware of it. It’s also remarkably more likely they don’t care even just a little bit. The Los Angeles-based outfit wields a rabidly loyal, insanely passionate fanbase. A fanbase who will trek […]
Avenged Sevenfold/Coheed live
Avenged Sevenfold, Coheed And Cambria Aragon, Chicago Wednesday, May 10, 2006 There were so many pre-driver’s license females at Avenged Sevenfold and Coheed And Cambria’s co-headlining stop in Chicago we felt dirty being there, convinced directing our eyes anywhere but the stage would surely earn us a savage beating from an unhappy father. And this […]
John Corbett live
John Corbett Joe’s, Chicago Saturday, May 12, 2006 Many of you may have no clue that actor John Corbett has a country record out, and a song, “Good To Go,” that debuted at 48 on the Billboard country chart earlier this spring. Having been a fan since his “Northern Exposure” days, and being somewhat of […]
Alkaline Trio, Against Me! Live
Alkaline Trio, Against Me! Metro, Chicago Thursday, May 4, 2006 Now that two-thirds of the band live outside Chicago, Alkaline Trio’s homecoming shows truly are homecomings. To celebrate the end of one leg of their latest tour, they spun off three sold-out shows at Metro with Against Me! and basked in the adulation as much […]
Jon Langford, Cowboy Jack Clement Live!
Jon Langford, Cowboy Jack Clement Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Sunday, April 23, 2006 For April’s installment of his country music series, Robbie Fulks pulled together two of its most disparate elements: one making his millionth appearance in Chicago, another who had never performed here once.
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