Tag: featured
Stage Buzz: Dinosaur Jr., Ghost, TLC, Lollapalooza
Dinosaur Jr. may be one of the most influential alternative bands of the 80s, but don’t call them a legacy act. The band behind alternative mainstays like “Feel the Pain,” “The Wagon,” “Freak Scene,” and “Start Choppin,” keeps on going with their latest album, Sweep it Into Space, released in 2021. Hear their latest and […]
Stage Buzz: Hozier, Wicker Park Fest, The Warning, L.A. Guns
Anyone who claims rock is dead hasn’t heard the fury and fire of rock trio The Warning. Featuring sisters Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra Velez, the outfit knows how to rock out with their blazing riffs, heavy-hitting attitude, and all-out sonic assault. Their high-energy sound makes rock feel exciting and dangerous, as it should be. Check […]
Live Review: Hung Up on a Dream documentary with Colin Blunstone and Robert Schwartzman • Thalia Hall • Chicago
Hung Up on a Dream documentary with Colin Blunstone and Robert Schwartzman Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Rooney frontman Robert Schwartzman welcomed a crowd of Zombies fans to Thalia Hall on Tuesday evening, declaring his own enduring passion for the band. The British Invasion quintet is […]
Live Review: Robin Trower at Copernicus Center • Chicago
Robin Trower Copernicus Center Chicago Friday, July 11, 2025 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photo by Stacey Katsis. Rock and roll survivor Robin Trower may look his age, but he certainly doesn’t behave or play like he’s past his prime. Fit and wiry at 80 years, the guitarist appeared on Friday with his trio at the […]
Cover Story: Push Puppets • Risk Takers
Erich Specht is a risk taker. Whether it’s using homemade backstage passes to meet one of his idols or adding a spicy horn section to his song, he believes in taking chances. That’s part of what drives his band, Push Puppets. The project began as a musical outlet for Specht, where he played […]
Media: July 2025 • 40 Years of Steve Bertrand
A few weeks ago, WGN Newsman Steve Bertrand celebrated his 40th anniversary at WGN Radio. He was kind enough to sit down and chat with me about his tremendous career. IE: 40 years. I don’t want to say that’s a long time, but they were filming “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” on your first […]
Photo Gallery: Queens Of The Stone Age Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island • Chicago
Queens Of The Stone Age Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Chicago, IL June 21st, 2025 Recap and photos by Curt Baran Back in 2000, singer/guitarist Josh Homme probably had no idea that his Queens Of The Stone Age record, Rated R, would somehow build a bridge between metalheads and alternative rock kids. But its […]
Hello My Name Is … Jim Kerr of Simple Minds + Photo Gallery • Friday, June 20: Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island • Chicago
Although Scottish art-rockers Simple Minds enjoyed massive support in Europe and elsewhere, mainstream success in the United States remained elusive through the early ‘80s. The band had gained a modest foothold with college radio airplay for songs like the shimmering “Promised You a Miracle” from 1982’s New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) and the anthemic homage to […]
Stage Buzz: Queens of the Stone Age, Dispatch, Halsey, Chicago Pride Parade
Throughout her career, Halsey has pushed the boundaries of pop music and molded them into her own distinctive, undefinable sound. With her distinct singing style and no-holds-barred performances, she is an unapologetic pop rebel. See her in action when she brings the “For My Last Trick” tour to Huntington Bank Pavilion on Tuesday, June 17th, […]
Photo Gallery: Betty Who at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Betty Who Vic Theatre Chicago, IL June 13th, 2025 Recap and photos by Curt Baran There was a hesitancy in the air that felt almost palpable. Betty Who was back in town, AND she was performing during Pride Month, so the mood inside Chicago’s Vic Theatre should have been ebullient. As a staunch, longtime supporter […]
Photo Gallery: Pierce The Veil with Sleeping With Sirens at Credit Union One Amphitheatre
Pierce The Veil with Sleeping with Sirens Credit Union One Amphitheatrep Tinley Park, IL June 7th, 2025 Recap and photos by Curt Baran The outdoor concert season got off to a rousing start in the southern suburbs on Saturday night. Pierce The Veil, the San Diego-based Emo rockers, took the stage and were greeted to […]
Cover Story: The Feelies • Be Kind, Rewind
The Feelies (photo by Doug Seymour) When most rock bands release a new album, it’s usually the hard-won result of weeks, months, sometimes even years of careful consideration and execution. But New Jersey quintet The Feelies recently stumbled on a new, more reckless method of adding a new volume to its […]
Media: June 2025 • Swany Leaves 101.9FM The Mix
WTMX (The Mix) recently announced that midday personality Lisa Allen was leaving the station. The announcement added “along with three other staffers.” When I read that, I had a bad feeling, so I called my old friend John “Swany” Swanson, my co-author of The Radio Producer’s Handbook, and asked him if he was one of […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: AC/DC with The Pretty Reckless at Soldier Field • Chicago
AC/DC with The Pretty Reckless Soldier Field Chicago, IL May 24, 2025 Live Review by Justice Petersen, Photo Gallery by Edward Spinelli Rock legends AC/DC made their return to Chicago’s Soldier Field Saturday, proving that they can still deliver their signature concoction of gritty yet anthemic rock ‘n’ roll with high energy after nearly 50 […]
Live Review: Paul Simon at Symphony Center • Chicago
Paul Simon Symphony Center Chicago Wednesday, May 22, 2025 Review by Jeff Elbel Paul Simon’s appearance in Chicago seven years ago at United Center wasn’t quite the farewell it was purported to be at the time. Those who arrived on Wednesday for the first of Simon’s three-night stand at the comparatively intimate Symphony Center, however, […]
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