Jorja Smith Put on a Stunning Performance at Schubas
Before the show even started, the atmosphere at Schubas felt different. A pretty large contingent of fans had arrived early; squeezed up tightly against the stage and each other, occupying […]
Parent Resurrects Lush ’70s Songwriting with Hoops’ Kevin Krauter at the Hideout
When songwriter Trey Gruber walked to the upright piano in the corner of the Hideout’s stage, we stepped back a few decades. His band Parent, one of Chicago’s most promising new […]
The Lemon Twigs: Slightly Older, Much More Confident
Chicago has a tax that we all pay. No, not the new soda tax. I’m talking about the dues we pay at the beginning of each August: the days before, […]
Nothing Says ‘Punk’ Like Rancid and Dropkick Murphys
Last week, thousands of punk fans gathered at Northerly Island to see two of the greatest bands to ever grace the genre: Rancid and Dropkick Murphys. Both bands have been […]
Marika Hackman and The Big Moon Were a Perfect Match at Schubas
[soliloquy id=”16591″] When I was first introduced to Marika Hackman, she was gently strumming an acoustic guitar in the middle of the Lincoln Hall stage, performing a beautiful opening […]
Gramatik Lights Up the MID post Lolla
Walking into The MID, I felt like I was back in college, just down the street from my old stomping grounds, University of Illinois at Chicago. I once enjoyed night […]
Spoon Threw a Killer Show before their Lollapalooza Set
Last year, to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Lollapalooza extended their festival weekend to four days. Because this was so wildly successful, Lollapalooza kept the extra long weekend for 2017 and […]
Phantogram Deliver Another Amazing Show in Chicago
The first day of Lollapalooza had a lot of snags; Liam Gallagher walked off stage after 15 minutes, both Lorde and Muse had to cancel their sets due to weather, […]
Graham Nash Stuns us with Magic at Old Town School
When I walked in to Old Town School of Folk Music to see Graham Nash last Sunday, I was easily the youngest audience member by a landslide—and that’s one heck of […]
Little Dragon Puts on a Colorful Show at Concord Music Hall w/ Xavier Omär
The Lollapalooza Aftershow at Concord Music Hall on Thursday began with a soulful rendition of the Pokémon theme song. The entire crowd of people stopped and turned, and immediately began to […]
Cap’n Jazz and Hop Along Rocked House of Vans
[soliloquy id=”16123″] All photos by Julian Ramirez There are tell-tale signs to knowing you’re about to see a good show. One of them is seeing the lead singer of a […]
Blondie and Garbage Prove They Can Still Rock
After 40 years, Debbie’s still got it. Punk rock veterans Blondie delivered an incredible performance at Ravinia Festival to a massive, diverse crowd. Both Debbie Harry and Chris Stein have […]