Weekly
Taken For Granite
. . . that’s what I thought the saying was when I was a kid. Didn’t know if the granite referred to someone being a rock or having a head full of them. Anyway, it’s typically what happens to singer/songwriters like Kim Richey.
Mary J. Blige live!
Chicago Theatre, Chicago Sunday, October 17, 2010 Even though this year’s Lilith Fair suffered terrible ticket sales, one of the few successes was the attention-commanding appearance by Mary J. Blige. Aside from expanding her audience to convert the Sarah McLachlan-loving masses, “the queen of hip-hop soul” proved she’s finally hitting her stride as a live […]
St. Ides
This weekend begins with the Ides Of October, very different (if unofficial) from the Ides Of March in not only is there not a classic song (“Vehicle”) or Shakespearian drama (“Julius Caesar”), but October is three months from the end of the year where March is the same distance from the beginning.
High On Fire at Riot Fest!
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: High On Fire was great the other night. That could be the lead sentence to any High On Fire live review. Ever read a piece that says the band was just O.K. at such-and-such venue in such-and-such city? Or “High On Fire sounded good, but lacked stage presence”?
Oh, Dear
Rock fans groan each time one of their “own” defects to the electronic side of the die (Radiohead, Linkin Park), then put up a Red Rover front when the other side sends one back.
The Walkmen step into town
Having still not “gotten” the rabid praise and following The Walkmen’s 2008 release You & Me garnered, one listener feels it only fair to try again with the band’s latest and already similarly accoladed Lisbon
Guided By Voices preview
As reunion tours go, the “classic” line-up of Guided By Voices is probably pretty low on the Richter scale, but judging by the number of sold out dates for this indie stalwart, it seems that the band is more popular now than even at its height of popularity in the mid-‘90s.
Boys With The Filthy Laugh
In antiquity, Helen had the face that launched a thousand ships. In 1996, Belle & Sebastian were the band that wet a thousand beds.
Lend a hand to Heartland
Heartland Cafe, the nearly 50-year-old Rogers Park institution, is on the brink of financial collapse. Click here to learn how you can help.
A little bit o’ country, but it’s really rock ‘n’ roll
Country Music Festival 2010: While we won’t completely side with Robbie Fulks’ assessment of “soft-rock, feminist crap,” country music isn’t in such a state that it deserves to be feted in a town to which it has few connections.
Farm Aid 2010
The 25th annual Farm Aid took over Milwaukee’s Miller Park Saturday for an 11-hour beer, cheese, and music fest. We sent photographer Brian Ormiston to investigate.
More Pygmalion recap!
Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th were the last two days of the 6th Annual Pygmalion Festival in Champaign-Urbana. They were also – entirely unsurprisingly – fully loaded, with music running night and day over nine venues.
Remember September
One more night: That’s all we have together this month. Don’t know about you, but we’re all for looping a mixtape that has nothing but “Born To Run” and “Livin’ On A Prayer” and cranking that baby ’til October comes.
Jackson Browne live!
Chicago Theatre, Chicago Thursday, September 23, 2010 Jackson Browne started Thursday’s concert at the Chicago Theatre like a semi-truck navigating rush-hour traffic on the Eisenhower.
Oh, why not. Let’s tour.
Things haven’t been going well for M.I.A. lately. And the late announcement for this week’s shows only fuels speculation that her situation is in flux. Of course, nothing can be discounted when you have a toddler.










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