Tag: featured
Stage Buzz: Ministry, 156/Silence, Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry
Riding on the wave of their collab single âHive Mind,â Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry have teamed up again, this time for a North American tour. Featuring support from Superhaven and Boundaries, the co-headlining outing stops by Chicagoâs Salt Shed on Wednesday, September 30th. Tickets available here. You may not know 156/Silence, but this metalcore […]
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 […]
Media: August 2026 ⢠Kev Meets the Pope
Kevin Matthews is still fondly remembered in Chicago for his days on the radio here, particularly his time at the Loop (AM 1000/FM 98). Those crazy days of improv radio are chronicled at the Museum of Broadcast Communications if you want to check it out. Kevin was just over there recently and signed the […]
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 Nâ 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 yearâs 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 rockersâ 19 studio albums, […]
Stage Buzz: Lollapalooza 2026 Undercard Preview ⢠Chicago
The Braymores ⢠Thursday, July 30 ⢠BMI Stage ⢠1:00 p.m Chicagoâs 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 itâs a more than interesting result. Their surprisingly solid […]
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