Review: Panda Bear and Toro y Moi Headline a Wild and Magical Night at Salt Shed
On first glance the pairing of Noah Lennox’s Panda Bear and Chaz Bear’s Toro y Moi seems a bit dissonant. While both Lennox and Chaz have one foot deeply entrenched […]
Review: Soccer Mommy’s Evergreen Atmosphere Delights Thalia Hall
About every two years or so we get something special from Soccer Mommy, the fantastic pseudonym of Sophia Regina Allison. Since her demo album For Young Hearts came out in […]
Review: An Impassioned Lauren Mayberry “Changes Shapes” at Thalia Hall
Last year, Lauren Mayberry stepped out from Chvrches to release her debut solo album Vicious Creatures. While in the past solo albums have gotten a bad rap, something Mayberry seemed […]
Review: The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir, by Neko Case
Before a full house at the Fine Arts Building’s Studebaker Theater, singer-songwriter Neko Case appeared on stage in conversation with Lior Phillips, a Chicago-based South African music journalist. Case received […]
Review: Chicago’s Most Reliable Punk Band FACS Returns With an Icy New Album
Having re-emerged following the disbanding of underrated outfit Disappears, local trio FACS have been an integral part of Chicago’s punk scene for some time now. Now half a dozen albums […]
Review: Tim Heidecker Brings Laughs and Sincerely Great Tunes to Thalia Hall
Tim Heidecker has too many talents to list from his storied career, so many that I’ll only briefly touch upon a few of them. I’m sure many of my peers […]
Review: Sierra Spirit Moves Audiences at Chicago Theatre
Review by Anthony Cusumano. First impressions matter, and Sierra Spirit wanted to make a good one for her Chicago debut Sunday night. After commanding the Chicago Theatre crowd’s attention with […]
Preview: Singer-Songwriter Sierra Spirit Wants to Make a Connection at Chicago Theatre
This interview was conducted by guest author Anthony Cusumano Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, and, more recently, Taylor Swift. These renowned musicians have transcended what it means to be […]
Review: Miró Quartet Ends the Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival in an Entertaining Way
The Miró Quartet from Austin, Texas, entertained a large audience to end the Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival on Sunday. In performing a program of classics by Franz Joseph Haydn […]
Preview: Ready to Get Bowled Over by Bur?
I’ve only seen Bur play once, for about 25 minutes, during an early night set at Montrose Saloon last spring and I still think about that show on a regular […]
Event: Electric Presbyterian—Elisha Gray, Great Grandfather of Electronic Music
Music has an abundance of guitar gods, but who resides in Synthesizer Olympus? If you’re an ’80s kid, a small list of synth heroes suggests itself—Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock, Gary […]
Review: A Dazzling Evening of New Music and Artists in Residence by Nova Linea Musica
Nova Linea Musica (NLM) presented its second concert on Wednesday at Guarneri Hall. It was a wonderful evening of dazzling performances, including new music from Chicago composer Paul Novak performed […]