June 5 at the Ramova was my opening day to summer in Chicago. The Chicago Blues Festival has kicked off, and what a blast it was. The last time I […]
There are very few bands that have successfully put out flawless albums consistently back to back so I was rather astonished and heartbroken to hear the news that Alaina Moore […]
A Place To Bury Strangers rose to prominence in the early aughts off the strength of being dubbed the loudest band in New York. Donning messy hair and a My […]
We’re coming up on two months of Truth or Consequences New Mexico’s second EP This Time of Year being out in the world and although it has about 20 years […]
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra gave an enjoyable performance of an American-inspired program at Symphony Center on Saturday evening. With James Gaffigan conducting, the program included the warm and expressive voice […]
Two of the most enthralling live music pleasures are the full album play-through and the intimate smaller-than-usual venue show. Baroness provided both on Wednesday, as they performed their first 2 […]
After my delightful interview with Cat Ridgeway last weekend, as well as several spins of her latest record, Sprinter, I was very excited to see her perform at Subterranean on […]
There’s something special about hearing music in a public setting when it is free and unexpected. And when it is held in a train station, especially so. It’s one thing […]
There are few venues that can transform themselves for their performers as well as Thalia Hall can. Usually when going to see artists like Ichiko Aoba and Gia Margaret, you […]
In my years living and working on the North Side of Chicago, the Vic Theater has had an interesting evolution. It started as the Victoria Theatre with vaudeville shows before […]
When Orlando-based singer-songwriter Cat Ridgeway and I scheduled an interview for 9 in the morning on a Saturday ahead of her show this Wednesday at Subterranean, I lamented losing an […]
What kind of performance has 10 curtain calls and three encores? Evgeny Kissin’s piano recital at Symphony Center on Sunday afternoon does. It was something reviewers dream to hear: a […]