Review: Case Oats Takes the Last Missouri Exit All the Way to the Hideout
Record release shows are a very special breed of show. There’s something a bit more magical in the air on rarified nights like those, and it may very well be […]
Review: The American Chamber Music Society Shows Off its Inner Voices at PianoForte Studio
The American Chamber Music Society introduced its second season with a radiant concert at PianoForte Studio in the South Loop on Saturday night. Headed by Chicago-based violinist Eric Gratz, ACMS […]
Dispatch: Chicago Jazz Festival 2025 Ends With Some Southside Funk, Early Jazz and a Cuban Finale
The final day of the Chicago Jazz Festival had some outstanding up-and-coming performers as well as some legends gracing the stage. This year, I managed to get to the Von […]
Dispatch: Day Three of the Chicago Jazz Festival—Jazz Classics and New Orleans in Chicago
It was another fabulous summer day in Chicago with some familiar names on the Pritzker Pavilion stage. First up was Ava Logan, who has been in at least two productions […]
Dispatch: Day Two of the Chicago Jazz Festival Features Music from Brazil, Jamaica and Chicago Favorite Patricia Barber
The second day of the Chicago Jazz Festival veered into the unexpected for me. The Pritzker Pavilion stage featured an international roster of musicians and singers. Opener Sarah Marie Young […]
Review: After a 16-year Absence, Oasis’ Return to the U.S. Is Biblical
On August 28, 2009, Noel Gallagher quit Oasis after an argument with the band’s lead singer (and his brother) Liam, ending the band’s initial run. On August 28, 2025, Noel […]
Review: Case Oats Soundtracks Your Favorite Time of Day on Last Missouri Exit
I’m not sure if anyone else is feeling this, but I sure as hell feel like I’m getting utterly spoiled this year with great Chicago music. Moontype, Smut, Free Range, […]
Review: Cynthia Erivo at Ravinia Defies Gravity
It’s storm season these days, with summer squalls and August tempests hitting town with blustery regularity. But a cyclone of a different sort blew into Ravinia last Friday night, when […]
Review: Dave Suh & the Dirty Wings Are Set To Begin
You are probably familiar with Dave Suh’s work, even if his name doesn’t immediately ring a bell. He’s been an integral part or leader of several groups over the years, […]
Review: Giancarlo Guerrero, Clayton Stephenson, and the Grant Park Orchestra Are Excellent, Notwithstanding Sirens, Motorcycles, and a Red Helicopter
The Grant Park orchestra played an excellent concert at Jay Pritzker Pavillion on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the ambient noises were worse than ever, with several sirens blaring, motorcycles screaming, and […]
Review: A Revitalized BRONCHO Brings Natural Pleasure to Thalia Hall
It’s always a pleasant and refreshing surprise when a band or artist performs their album in its entirety from front to back; and last weekend’s BRONCHO show at Thalia Hall […]
Review: The Kickback Hits Back With Hit Piece
Any time I hear the ol’ “rock is dead” conversation pipe up these days I immediately recuse myself. I’ve been around long enough to know that’ll never be true, and […]