Tag: Kelley Simms

Cover Story: John 5 • Immersed In Music

Brassneck | December 31, 2023 | 0 Comments

When it comes to musical diversity and performing genre-hopping styles, guitarist John William Lowery (aka John 5) is one of the most prolific. Whether he’s creating rock, industrial metal, funk, EDM, progressive, or bluegrass compositions, the lethal six-string slinger is guaranteed to shred all over it. With a musical resume that includes such diverse artists […]

Stage Buzz: Holiday of Horrors at Reggies • Chicago

Brassneck | December 18, 2023 | 0 Comments

Holiday Of Horror Saturday, December 23, 2023 Reggies Chicago, IL Preview by Kelley Simms The Holiday Of Horror event has been a longtime Christmas tradition in Chicago. Initially hosted at the Fireside Bowl in 1998, it has since moved to the iconic Reggies Rock Club, which took over the event at least a decade […]

Stage Buzz: Heavy Chicago Festival at Avondale Hall • Chicago

Brassneck | July 6, 2023 | 0 Comments

Chicago’s Avondale Music Hall will be hosting a brand-new metal festival, Heavy Chicago, over two weekends this fall. Beginning on Saturday, October 28, Chicago’s beloved Trouble will be kicking things off with its first local show in five years. “It has been far too long since our last Chicago show, but as we all know, […]

Stage Buzz: Anvil • Reggies • Chicago

Brassneck | July 27, 2022

Canada’s heavy metal trio, Anvil, returns to Reggies on their Impact Is Imminent tour with White Wizzard and Midnite Hellion on Sunday, July 31. Featuring guitarist/vocalist Steve “Lips” Kudlow, drummer Robb Reiner and bassist Chris Robertson, Anvil has been pumping out the same trademark tunes for over 40 years now. Formed in 1978, the band released a […]

Stage Buzz: Chicago Domination Fest • Brauerhouse • Lombard

Brassneck | July 27, 2022

After six successful years of Chicago Domination Fest (CDF), the 7th edition is back after a two-year hiatus (due to the global pandemic) from July 28 to 30 at Brauerhouse in Lombard. With three days of intense, non-stop brutal death metal with 32 bands confirmed, CDF7 promises to be even more crushing than previous fests. […]

Stage Buzz: Enuff Z’Nuff with Firehouse at The Arcada Theatre • St. Charles

Brassneck | January 30, 2022

Enuff Z’Nuff with Firehouse Arcada Theatre Saturday, February 5 St. Charles, IL There’s nothing like a hometown show… and a two-for-one to boot. Chicago’s power-pop rockers Enuff Z’Nuff will be playing back-to-back nights at LiveWire Lounge in Chicago on Friday, Feb. 4, and the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles the following night (February 5) with […]

IE Rewind: The Outfit

Brassneck | October 30, 2020 | 0 Comments

Combining savvy songwriting rooted in power-pop and glammy metal, The Outfit is breaking the mold for local music veterans. Over two albums, they’ve managed to not only defy the sophomore slump, but they’ve also shown that educated music stalwarts can still have something to say. The band features a group of seasoned Chicago musicians, including […]

Cover Story: Judas Priest [Updated]

Brassneck | April 1, 2018 | 0 Comments

After an impressive five-decades long career, British heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest show no signs of slowing down with the release of their explosive 18th full-length studio album Firepower (released March 9 on Epic Records). On 14 blistering tracks, Priest delivers the indisputable, classic heavy metal sound that hearkens back to the band’s heyday. The […]

Cover Story: Ministry [Updated]

Brassneck | March 24, 2018 | 1 Comment

Chicago’s beloved industrial metal machine Ministry is back. After the sudden death of longtime guitarist and friend Mike Scaccia in 2012, leader/vocalist Al Jourgensen decided to put Ministry on indefinite hiatus. During the band’s downtime, “Uncle Al” spawned a side project, Surgical Meth Machine, and released a self-titled debut record in 2015. It was pretty […]

Stage Buzz: Overkill at Concord Hall

ilentertainer | February 10, 2017 | 0 Comments

New Jersey’s “Wrecking Crew” and old guard thrash metal kings, Overkill are back with their 18th album, The Grinding Wheel on February 10th. The 2017 line-up features members vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, bassist D.D. Verni, guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer and drummer Ron Lipnicki, all intact and energized. The Grinding Wheel is the perfect […]