Tag: featured
Live Review: Wet Leg at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Wet Leg The Vic Theatre Chicago, IL July 29, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Hailing from the Isle of Wight in the UK, indie rock quintet Wet Leg performed a bit of time traveling magic in addition to crossing the Atlantic Ocean for their first appearance in Chicago this year. The […]
Stage Buzz: Lollapalooza, Ben Folds, Guns N’ Roses
The biggest event of the summer is finally here! Lollapalooza kicks off this weekend, bringing four nights of music, fun, and good vibes to end your summer right. As always, this year’s lineup is stacked, featuring Clipse, Turnstile, Olivia Dean, Charli XCX, YUNGBLUD, Lorde, sombr, Wet Leg, The xx, Loathe, Haue & Freddy, Viagra Boys, […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Rush at United Center • Chicago
Rush United Center Chicago, IL July 22, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. The unexpected reignition of Rush has emerged as the must-see concert tour of the year, as witnessed on Wednesday by an ecstatic audience at the United Center. In addition to touching 13 of the Canadian rockers’ 19 studio albums, […]
Stage Buzz: Lollapalooza 2026 Undercard Preview • Chicago
The Braymores • Thursday, July 30 • BMI Stage • 1:00 p.m Chicago’s Braymores deliver a familiar blend of folk and roots rock, recalling bands nurtured in the city, including The Insiders and Way Down Wanderers. Add a dash of atmospheric shoegaze to their mix, and it’s a more than interesting result. Their surprisingly solid […]
Photo Gallery: Summer of ‘99 and Beyond at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre • Tinley Park
Summer Of ‘99 And Beyond… Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL July 18-19, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Tinley Park hosted their annual Time Machine festival this past weekend, titled “The Summer Of ’99 And Beyond…”. The festival took place at the outdoor venue in the southwest suburbs and featured a diverse […]
Photo Gallery: Summer School ‘26 at House of Blues • Chicago
Summer School ’26 House of Blues Chicago, IL July 16th, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Since its inception in 2024, the Summer School tour has been a platform for emerging bands to showcase their talents and collaborate on the road. The tour thrives on musical diversity and unpredictable performances, much like a punk-pop […]
Photo Gallery: Noah Kahan at Wrigley Field • Chicago
Noah Kahan Wrigley Field Chicago, IL July 14th, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Noah Kahan, Pearl Jam, Chappell Roan, and more than three decades of elapsed time share a commonality: they were all booked to perform at Lollapalooza. Between signing up and hitting the stage, their popularity skyrocketed, leading to massive crowds arriving […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets at Square Roots Festival • Chicago
Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets Square Roots Festival Chicago, IL July 13, 2026 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Nick Lowe started his week with some quality time in Lincoln Square. First, he and his luchador-masked bandmates in Los Straitjackets drew lucky fans and strangers alike to a free (and hot!) street performance on Sunday […]
Photo Gallery: Tyler Childers at Wrigley Field • Chicago
Tyler Childers Wrigley Field Chicago, IL July 12th, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Tyler Childers has mastered the art of the crossover, and it seems he’s achieved it one fan at a time. In the past, the Kentucky native would perform in front of hundreds of people. However, with each subsequent visit, the […]
Photo Gallery: Muse at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre • Tinley Park
Muse Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL July 10th, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Bombast. That’s what Muse delivered when their “The WOW! Signal Tour” touched down in Tinley Park on a perfect summer evening to hear live music outdoors. Every available inch of the stage seemed to be stacked with fog […]
File: Remembering Bonnie Tyler
In February 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, my IE Green Day interview could have been my last as we weathered the early days of the COVID-19 storm. By March, as Lockdown tightened its stranglehold on the world, I toyed with the idea of quitting, just walking away from writing to […]
Live Review: The Church at Park West • Chicago
The Church, 2026 The Church Park West Chicago, IL July 7, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel Led by founding member Steve Kilbey, Australian rockers the Church filled Park West with dreamy psychedelia, inventive alternative pop, and searing rock on Tuesday. “When I was young and getting started, the man opened the big book of […]
Cover Story: The Church • A Warm Cocoon
The Church “True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud of the contemplation of so fine a virtue,” once observed German theologian Martin Luther. At 71, songwriter/painter/poet/novelist Steve Kilbey can easily relate. As much fun as it’s always been for the bandleader of Australia’s psychedelic-jangle combo, […]
Media: July 2026 • Fred Winston – Hall of Famer
Fred Winston is part of the 2026 class of Radio Hall of Fame inductees, although it didn’t happen without a bit of drama. “I found out I was nominated via phone call from one of the board members, Lon Helton, who is a former Chicago radio guy, who’s now in Nashville. We worked together briefly […]
Photo Gallery: Godsmack at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre • Tinley Park
Godsmack Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL June 20th, 2026 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Since their inception in 1995, Godsmack has arguably better navigated the blurred lines between hard rock and what would come to be known as the Grunge movement. With a collection of Grammy nominations and chart success, which included […]
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