Review: Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy and Friends Tackle R.E.M. Classics at Metro
In the 21st century, it’s normally a matter of when, not if, a band that breaks up will reform. Some acts barely allow enough time to be missed when the […]
Review: Bridget Everett Turns Up the Heat at the Riviera
The first truly warm evening of Chicago’s spring pulled a raucous crowd into Uptown Square. The blocks around Lawrence and Broadway were packed with hotdog and tamale carts, fans heading […]
Review: Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials Rock Fitzgerald’s with the Release of Slideways
The “Ed Heads” were out in force at the storied Fitzgerald‘s in Berwyn. (Svengoolie fans holla Burrr-wynn!) The weather was a balmy 65 degrees, and it was even hotter inside. […]
Review: Grossman Ensemble Entertains With Coronation Riot and Other New Works in Hyde Park
Under the direction of David Bloom, the Grossman Ensemble gave an enjoyable performance at the Logan Center Performing Hall in Hyde Park on Friday. This 13-member ensemble commissions and performs […]
Review: Music of the Baroque Plays a Baroque Blockbusters Program That Starts Strong But Ends With a Dud
When I consider the notion of “Baroque Blockbusters!”, I think of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, or Handel’s Messiah, or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, or Pachelbel’s Canon, or several other things. With Richard […]
Review: Civic Orchestra of Chicago Brings Vitality to Price, Walker, Kay and Dvořák at Orchestra Hall
Amid a Chicago orchestral landscape dominated by marquee ensembles, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago tends to exist in the shadows. That’s unfortunate, because this century‑old training orchestra—founded in 1919 by […]
Review: Nova Linea Musica Presents Third Coast Percussion Program, The Drum Also Sings
Nova Linea Musica presented The Drum Also Sings, an hour long concert by Third Coast Percussion at the Merit School of Music on Wednesday. NLM and Third Coast Percussion are […]
Review: Michael Mayo Brings a Soulful and Joyful Sound to Guarneri Hall
There are some moments in music that have broken my heart and made time stand still. Last Thursday, the musical phenom that is Michael Mayo thrilled the audience at Guarneri […]
Review: Klaus Mäkelä and the CSO Celebrate the Hero
With an astonishing palette of sound and moods at his disposal, Music Director-designate Klaus Mäkelä led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra through tone poems celebrating heroes at Symphony Center on Thursday […]
Review: An Evening of Mind-Blowing Strings with Sudan Archives and Cain Culto
Following last year’s release of her astronomically spectacular powerhouse album, The BPM, multi-instrumentalist and singer Brittney Denise Parks, better known by her stage name as Sudan Archives, has embarked on […]
Review: A Glowing Performance of the Baroque by Apollo’s Fire with Winter Sparks
Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra brought new life to popular classics on Wednesday at the Music Institute of Chicago. I was thrilled to see how much soul was imbued into the […]
Review: Patti LuPone at the Auditorium—a Warm Welcome on a Cold Night
It was a cold Saturday night when Patti LuPone returned to Chicago. But LuPone brought a warm message in a revised edition of Matters of the Heart, the concert piece […]