Tag: featured
Stage Buzz: Sleeping With Sirens, The Black Keys, Jonas Brothers
Powerhouse blues rock duo The Black Keys are celebrating the release of their new covers album, Peaches!, on their ongoing âPEACHES âN KREAMâ tour. The band will perform tracks from their latest along with fan favorites, like âHowlinâ For You,â âYour Touch,â âLonely Boy,â and âTightenâ Upâ during their two-night stint at The Salt Shed […]
Live Review: Kingâs X at House of Blues ⢠Chicago
Kingâs X House of Blues Chicago, IL October 16, 2026 Review and live photos by Jeff Elbel Originally from Houston, Texas, veteran hard rock trio Kingâs X has held longstanding esteem as musiciansâ musicians and celebrated songwriters without attaining the full measure of financial reward to match the acclaim expressed by arena-filling peers like Soundgarden, […]
Live Review: Unto Others at Concord Hall ⢠Chicago
Unto Others October 15, 2026 Concord Hall Chicago, IL Sometimes you donât want metal thatâs flashy, gimmicky, or a fusion of five different genres. Sometimes you just want music you can rock the fuck out to. Luckily, thatâs exactly what Portlandâs Unto Others delivered during their set opening for Castle Rat at Concord Music Hall […]
Stage Buzz: Digable Planets, Mike D., Castle Rat, Smashing Pumpkins
Itâs been 30 years since Smashing Pumpkins released their seminal album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Theyâre celebrating the milestone with a new tour that features a full set dedicated to songs from the record. The second set will span their catalog, from early releases to new material. Join the celebration when âThe Rats […]
Cover Story: Michael McDermott ⢠Making Up for Lost Time
Michael McDermott is without question one of his generation’s most prolific and consistent songwriters, and Chicago should be proud to call him our own. Fans who have been along for the whole ride could track their own timelines by his records (the ones they know about), which now span three and a half decades. […]
Media: October 2026 ⢠Nick Dâs Horror Favorites
Nick Digilio is best known for his 35-year stint at WGN Radio, but his resume includes much more. Heâs been a film critic for over four decades, currently hosts three podcasts on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network, including the popular Nick D podcast, and last year added “author” to his business card (40 Years, 40 […]
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day One ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 1: Friday, September 18, 2026 Photos by Curt Baran Congratulations Riot Fest! Youâre officially old enough to drink legally!!! That, of course, means that the 21st addition of the now annual event once again converged on Chicagoâs Douglass Park, bringing with it w Punk Rock-leaning lineup that focused […]
Photo Gallery + Bonus Coverage: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day Two ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 2: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Moderate temperatures and overcast skies were a boon for bands that played early on Saturdayâs bill at Riot Fest. Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon and his band, the Painkillers, played to a respectable crowd on […]
Photo Gallery + Bonus Coverage: Riot Fest 2026 ⢠Day Three ⢠Douglass Park ⢠Chicago
Riot Fest Douglass Park, Chicago, IL Day 3: Sunday, September 20, 2026 Review by Jeff Elbel. Recap and Photos by Curt Baran. Rain that altered parts of Saturdayâs schedule persisted overnight. Doors shifted to 2 p.m., reshaping the timeline again. Puddles of mudâno pun intendedâformed on the Douglass Park grounds, echoing moist Riot Fests from […]
Live Review: Black Duck and Joan Shelley at Sound & Gravity Festival ⢠Judson & Moore Distillery ⢠Constellation ⢠Chicago
Sound and Gravity Festival Black Duck Joan Shelley Sunday, September 6, 2026 Review and live photos by Jeff Elbel Constellation Performing Artsâ second Sound & Gravity festival concluded on Sunday, offering a wide-ranging selection of adventurous music at several Bucktown/Avondale event spaces. Artists traveled from across the country and around the world to perform experimental […]
Cover Story: Gogol Bordello ⢠Slava Riot Fest
New York gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello has always followed their own frequency. Never concerned with industry trends or appealing to the masses, the band has done whatever the hell they want for nearly 30 years. And it works. Not only have they carved out their own little niche, but their eclectic music has also […]
Media: September 2026 ⢠Champaignâs Indie Filmmaker
Robin Christian is an Indie-filmmaker, the writer of over a hundred film scripts, and the director of films for more than twenty years. Yes, thatâs all very impressive. But what makes his accomplishments even more impressive is where he is doing it: right here in Illinois. Robin is based in Champaign. His journey into this […]
Spins: Violent Femmes ⢠The Blind Leading the Naked 40th anniversary
Violent Femmes The Blind Leading the Naked 40th anniversary (Craft) This reissue of Violent Femmesâ third album arrives on âCandlelight Swirlâ vinyl in celebration of its 40th birthday. For The Blind Leading the Naked, the Milwaukee alt-punk trio parted ways with Mark Van Hecke, producer of the bandâs landmark 1983 debut and its follow-up. The group […]
Cover Story: Queensrÿche ⢠Prog Metal Titans Return to Arcada Theatre
Power/prog metal innovators QueensrĂżche are among the first bands to capture this style of metal before most of their peers eventually caught on. QueensrĂżcheâs 1983 self-titled EP remains one of metalâs most significant EPs ever recorded and still holds up well 43 years later. Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, QueensrĂżche were unstoppable, largely […]
Feature: Arcada Theatre Celebrating 100 Years
The historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles celebrates its 100th anniversary on September 6 this year. Owner Ron Onesti, who also owns the Des Plaines Theatreâwhich celebrated its 100th anniversary last year â couldnât be happier to be celebrating the venueâs history. âThe Arcada Theatre has become a nationally recognized iconic music venue, and […]
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