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The Low Spark Interview | Jazz Funk & Fusion In Residence @ AliveOne

Want to have your finger on the pulse of the bands who are likely to be breakout stars in the Chicago scene? Look for the artists-in-residence at some of the city's top clubs.AliveOne, in particular, has seemed to carve out a platform for bands embracing boundary-pushing jazz, funk and fusion. They've recently spawned Spare...

Setlist / Video / Recap: Damien Rice @ Auditorium Theater 4/14/15

Damien Rice returned to Auditorium Theatre on Tuesday touring in support of last years My Favourite Faded Fantasy.The solo show took fans through the singers discography, the set list spreading songs evenly amongst Rices studio albums.Though opening with new songs My Favourite Faded Fantasy and The Box, Rice followed with Elephant and Delicate...

Chicago Area Theaters For 2015 Grateful Dead Meetup at the Movies [May 4th]

This is the fifth spring in a row that Deadheads will gather in movie theaters across the country... but this year's event may be a little extra special for those of us in the Chicago area.First, the featured show is an Alpine Valley show of relatively recent vintage (July 19, 1989). I bet there are quite...

Pete Townshend and Eddie Vedder Announce Concert At Rosemont

Pete Townshend and Eddie Vedder have announced a collaborative benefit concert billed as Celebrating The Who at Rosemont Theater on May 14.The Whos guitarist and Pearl Jam frontman will be joined by Simon Townshend and Friends, which includes the bassist, drummer and guitarist of The Who's most recent lineup, as well as keyboardists.Tickets to...

Jack White Won't Perform Live "For A Long Time" After Short Acoustic Tour

After an extensive tour following the release of last year'sLazaretto, Jack White has announced a "break from performing live for a long period of time" via his website.In typical fashion, White will go into hiatus in a unique way, performing five entirely acoustic sets in the five states he has yet to perform. While...

Ticket Giveaway | Dead Phish Orchestra @ Wire 4/17 & 18

Update: We have notified the winners, but if you'd still like to get purchase tickets in advance... we can set you up with a code for half price admission. Just follow this link to ticketweb and use the Access Code 420.If your group dabbles in the repertoire of the preeminent jambands, apparently you've got a...

Stream / Download / Video | Dr. Dog @ Thalia Hall 4/10/15

Dr. Dog played a trio of shows at two separate venues in Chicago over the weekend.The run kicked off with an all ages affair at our venue-crush Thalia Hall, before adjourning to House Of Blues for the Saturday and the cozy confines of Lincoln Hall for the Sunday gig.So glad to have stumbled...

Sufjan Stevens Debuts Carrie & Lowell Songs Live, Releases Non-Album Track

Sufjan Stevens recently kicked off his first tour in over a year in support of Carrie & Lowell, his new, stark full-length album.Fan videos have surfaced of the new songs live debuts, generally featuring Stevens on guitar with a backing band joining when necessary, adding background vocals or lush arrangements throughout.From the bleak,...

Rock 4 Autism Moves Locations, Reveals Schedule For 2015 Event

I'm always honored to feature news of this annual benefit here on the blog. April is Autism Awareness Month, and the organizers have worked hard the last several years to do their part with a fundraiser built around great tunes and good works.Good news for folks who live near me (or really, anybody not...

Setlist / Review / Video | Primus @ Chicago Theatre 4/10/15

By: Matt Fricks | Photos: Matt Fricks & Sean WilmsenCome with me and youll be in a world of pure imagination.The stage and set dressing at The Chicago Theatre on Friday night was exactly that: something of ones most outlandish imagination. Primus delivered an absolutely stunning two-set performance, highlighted by the wildly innovative live rendition...