Live Reviews
Live Review: Calexico at Metro ⢠Chicago
Calexico Metro Chicago, IL Friday, October 7, 2022 Reviewed by Jeff Elbel On a fall night when Chicago temperatures plummeted into the thirties, Calexico brought a blast of arid desert sunshine to the Metro. The band from Tucson, Arizona, arrived with songs from its latest album El Mirador on ANTI-Records. âChicago, Que Paso?â […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery : Iron Maiden at United Center ⢠Chicago
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast tour United Center, Chicago, IL Wednesday, October 5, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel; (Photo Gallery by Curt Baran) With Halloween fast approaching, what better time could there be to catch Iron Maidenâs literally incendiary heavy metal show and its creepy accouterments? The bandâs Legacy of the Beast tour returned to Chicago […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Gorillaz at United Center ⢠Chicago
Gorillaz United Center, Chicago, IL Monday, October 3, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photo Gallery by Curt Baran. Four years to the month after bringing The Now Now Tour to Chicago, Gorillaz ringleader Damon Albarn brought his live bandmates, guest performers, and cartoon avatars for a return visit to the United Center on Monday. […]
Photo Gallery: Smashing Pumpkins at Metro ⢠Chicago
Smashing Pumpkins Tuesday, September 20 Metro Chicago Chicago, IL Review by Jaime deâMedici; Photos by Curt Baran Thereâs no concert hall more meaningful for The Smashing Pumpkins, and by extension, the bandâs fanbase, than Metro Chicago. Any true fan, and even many casual fans, are almost certainly aware of the bandâs extensive history with the northside […]
Live Review: Roxy Music at United Center ⢠Chicago
Roxy Music United Center, Chicago Tuesday, September 19, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Can it really be 50 years since the release of Roxy Musicâs self-titled debut album? The English bandâs music documented across seven albums spanning 1972 to 1982, still seems modern and forward-looking, even considering the longstanding acclaim that […]
Live Review: Spiritualized at The Vic Theatre ⢠Chicago
Spiritualized The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Thursday, September 15, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) and company brought the hypnotic space-rock of Spiritualized to the Vic Theatre on Thursday. The English band performed fresh material from its captivating new album Everything Was Beautiful. Pierceâs finely crafted songs overflowed with […]
Live Review: Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden ⢠New York
Pearl Jam Madison Square Garden New York, NY September 11, 2022 Review and live photo by Curt Baran Anything that takes place on September 11th in New York City is obviously going to carry with it a significant amount of gravitas. Be it the memorial events down in lower Manhattan or something as […]
Live Review: Echo and the Bunnymen at The Vic Theatre ⢠Chicago
Echo and the Bunnymen The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Echo and the Bunnymen returned to the Vic Theatre on Wednesday, bringing a tour dubbed â40 Years of Magical Songs.â The show emphasized the English alternative rockersâ influential first five albums, including 1980 debut Crocodiles, 1981âs Heaven Up […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: The Fixx at House of Blues ⢠Chicago
The Fixx House of Blues, Chicago, IL Tuesday, September 6, 2022 Live Review and photos by Jeff Elbel The Fixx visited Chicagoâs House of Blues on Tuesday, bringing songs from the bandâs first new album in ten years. The British alternative rockersâ eleventh album Every Five Seconds succeeds 2012âs critically praised album Beautiful Friction. Both sets of songs […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Neko Case at Out of Space ⢠Evanston
Neko Case Out of Space Temperance Beer Co. Evanston, IL Saturday, September 3, 2022 Review and Gallery by Jeff Elbel Cover photo by Ebru Yildiz Last yearâs Out of Space performance by Neko Case and her band was postponed due to an illness in the touring party. On a blustery Saturday, Case made a […]
Live Review: Riot Fest Night with the White Sox – Guaranteed Rate Field ⢠Chicago
The Chicago White Sox and My Chemical Romance clinched wins at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday night. The ballparkâs Riot Fest Night event reminded Southside baseball fans that the cityâs premiere punk rock festival will launch its 2022 event in one month. The game was a match-up between the surging White Sox and 2021 playoff […]
Live Review: Elvis Costello and the Imposters ⢠Out of Space ⢠Evanston
Elvis Costello and the Imposters Out of Space at Canal Shores Golf Course, Evanston, IL Friday, August 5, 2022 Review by Jeff Elbel Elvis Costello last visited Chicago in November, previewing material from 2022âs The Boy Named If album. Fans who missed that concert at Chicago Theatre were given a second chance to experience the […]
Live Review: Adrian Belew at City Winery ⢠Chicago
Adrian Belew Tuesday, July 19, 2022 City Winery, Chicago, IL by Steven Kikoen Gallery photos (at Arcada Theatre) by Jeff Berger Adrian Belew is the sonic equivalent of an M.C. Escher lithograph. Escher created impossible visuals, Belew creates impossible sounds. He is the âfluxâ capacitor that makes guitar wizardry possible, and his importance in the music world cannot be overstated. John Lennon […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: ABC at Des Plaines Theatre ⢠Des Plaines
ABC Saturday, July 9, 2022 Des Plaines Theatre Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Never let it be said that ABC founder and frontman Martin Fry doesnât know his audience, and how to butter them up. âYou look too young to be children of the â80s,â he said, wondering aloud whether heâd accidentally walked into […]
Reviewed: American Music Festival – FitzGerald’s ⢠Berwyn
American Music Festival FitzGerald’s July 1-4 Berwyn, IL Reviewed by William Tokash Photos from Day Four by Curt Baran FitzGeraldâs legendary American Music Festival returned to Berwyn this 4th of July weekend following a 2-year Covid-induced hiatus with one of the most diverse musical lineups this venerable fest has seen in its 39-year history. This […]
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