On the Road: The Ballad of Blur, Wembley, Darren, and Me.
A brief history By the late ‘80s I had begun to omnivorously consume all the music I could. And I was growing fascinated by bands that were mixing rock structure […]
Review: Grant Park Orchestra Shines with Violinist Esther Yoo and Conductor Ken-David Masur
The Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Ken-David Masur, gave a great performance in a program of late romantic and contemporary works at Jay Pritzker Pavilion on Wednesday […]
Review: They Cloned Tyrone Pops Visually, and as a Sharp Parody of Conspiracy Movies
There’s just enough crazy going on in this directing debut from Juel Taylor (writer of Creed II, Shooting Stars, and of course, Space Jam: A New Legacy) to make it […]
Review: Christopher Nolan Gets Personal, Emotional and Political in a Sprawling, Engrossing Oppenheimer
Although it sometimes feels like we’re watching a history textbook or a lengthy biography, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a sprawling, visually engrossing cinematic lesson in technology, innovation, American hubris, […]
Review: Northlight Brings the Soul and Brilliance of Musical Icons in Marie and Rosetta
Imagine in your mind Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze with the opening chords howling out of his Fender Stratocaster. Feel that rolling left hand or bass line in the music of […]
Review: Protomartyr Reach a New Peak at Thalia Hall
Celebrating the release of their sixth album Formal Growth In The Desert, Detroit greats Protomartyr capped off an extensive North American tour at Thalia Hall on Thursday night. The band […]
Review: Haven’s The Art of Bowing Challenges Us to Think About the Survival of Theater
“Theater is dead. Long live theater.” That may be the theme of Nathan Alan Davis’ imaginative and puzzling new play, The Art of Bowing, which you can now see in its […]
Review: Revelatory New Documentary The League Chronicles Baseball’s Negro League and Its Deep Impact on the Sport, the Country and Chicago
One of the most insightful and talented documentary filmmakers producing works on the Black experience in America, Sam Pollard (Citizen Ashe, MLK/FBI), brings us The League, an in-depth journey through […]
Review: Japanese Breakfast Returns to Chicago with One More Celebration of Jubilee
This is now the third year in a row that indie-pop band Japanese Breakfast graces Chicago with their invigorating live sets, and this past Sunday’s show was more than special. […]
Review: Jenny Lewis Brings a Whole Lot of Joy’All to the Salt Shed
Coming off the heels of her latest album Joy’All and a set at Summerfest, Jenny Lewis was more than prepared to impress at the Salt Shed. Despite that aforementioned festival […]
Review: A Harrowing Novel of Resilience in the Face of Racism, Last Summer on State Street, by Toya Wolfe
Toya Wolfe’s debut novel Last Summer on State Street is a harrowing, poignant, and visceral evocation of life and death in the Robert Taylor public housing development in its final […]
Review: Ronit Bezalel’s Portrait Photography Captures the Essence of Human Nature
One of the most popular genres throughout the history of photography is portraiture. Even though it has been popular since the mid 1800s, it’s safe to say that in the […]