Stage Buzz
King Sunny Ade & Femi Kuti preview
Ravinia Festival, Highland Park Wednesday, July 1, 2009 Nigeria might be notorious for constant political turmoil, but there’s another constant in Nigerian culture that everyone should experience at least once: participating in a raucous Nigerian party with non-stop music. If you don’t have any Nigerian friends, not to worry, Ravinia is throwing a blockbuster Nigerian […]
MOBfest preview
Various clubs, Chicagoland Thursday, June 18 to Saturday, June 20, 2009 Now in its 13th year, MOBfest aims to show Chicago just how lucky it is.
Dirty Projectors preview
Pritzker Pavilion, Chicago Monday, June 22, 2009 As far as indie rock goes, 2009 is the year of vindication. Brand names and especially newer artists (M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, Justice, Fleet Foxes) have had a stranglehold lately, but this year is different. Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest is widely mooted as the band’s coming out, while Phoenix have […]
Au Revoir Simone preview
Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago Thursday, June 25, 2009 Slow and steady has won the race for Au Revoir Simone. The fragile-looking trio seemed to have signed their own death warrant by holding fast to low-rent synths, individual and group introversion, and waif-y heroin chic. But this spring’s Still Night, Still Light affirms their blueprint.
Jason Shannon preview
Double Door, Chicago June 12 – 13, 2009 The singer/songwriter game is rife with hurdles, not the least of which are inattentive audiences. Contrary to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” rarely is anyone in the mood for a melody and leave it to pitchers of watered-down lager to keep ’em feelin’ all right.
Passion Pit preview
Empty Bottle, Chicago Sunday, June 14, 2009 You can’t win these days, so don’t even try. Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos’ career came about accidentally. Dumped by a girlfriend, he turned around and recorded an EP’s worth of songs for her. Deciding they were worth more than this witless dame, he packaged them as Chunk Of […]
The Plastiscines preview
Bottom Lounge, Chicago Monday, June 15th, 2009 The Plastiscines, a Paris-based quartet of female musicians barely out of high school, showed a surprising command of American-style garage rock on their 2008 debut, LP 1., this despite the fact much of the disc was sung in French.
St. Vincent preview
Metro, Chicago Sunday, June 7, 2009 The first time IE came across St. Vincent (Annie Clark), she was by herself opening for John Vanderslice. Armed with a guitar and laptop, she came across as if she could have been the twee-est possible member of the old Grand Royal Records, Luscious Jackson’s introverted-bordering-on-autistic stepsister.
Apostle Of Hustle preview
Empty Bottle, Chicago Sunday, June 7, 2009 Broken Social Scene’s Andrew Whiteman’s surname creates no expectations and thereby gives him total freedom to work in ethnic textures. Despite the damage he could do, however, the Whiteman wisely sticks to what he knows on the new Eats Darkness (Arts & Crafts). Though highly skilled, his tastes […]
The Greencards preview
Abbey Pub, Chicago Thursday, May 7, 2009 The Greencards is a gender-mixed multinational acoustic power trio consisting of singer/bassist Carol Young, violinist/violist Eamon McLoughlin, and multi-instrumentalist Kym Warner. It has taken a shared obsession with bluegrass and American roots music, wrapped it up in a core of fiddle, cello, mandolin, bouzouki, and bass, and created […]
Manchester Orchestra preview
Subterranean, Chicago Friday, May 8, 2009 Just babies when their first album arrived, Manchester Orchestra’s Mean Everything To Nothing presents the band a chance to show us just exactly who they are.
Superdrag reunited!
Superdrag Metro, Chicago Saturday, April 25, 2009 2009 seems to be the year of getting the band back together – coughing up reunions the world would mostly go on living without. But the reconvening of Superdrag has created excitement and stirred up some ‘90s nostalgia for fans of a certain age who are still in […]
Cameron McGill preview
Cameron McGill & What Army Schubas, Chicago Wednesday, April 29, 2009 We used to tease a former intern over her attention to Cameron McGill. At the time, the city was loaded with pretty-boy singer/songwriters, and she had simply found the latest. Now we’re at the back of the line.
Peter, Bjorn & John preview
Peter, Bjorn & John Metro, Chicago Thursday, April 23, 2009 If you didn’t get the chance to whistle with Peter, Bjorn & John’s ubiquitous “Young Folks” in 2007, don’t worry: The silly Swedes give you an opening on this year’s Living Thing (Star Time).
John Wesley Harding preview
John Wesley Harding Schubas, Chicago Friday, April 10, 2009 What’s John Wesley Harding doing by returning to his stage name? After a fairly successful foray into literature under his birth name, Wesley Stace, he thinks he can just waltz back into music like we wouldn’t notice? Well, we do. Stace.
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