Top Stories

Stream / Download / Video | Sigur Rós @ Chicago Theatre 9/30/16

Photo via rebeccateresa InstagramThe last time Sigur Rs was in Chicago was three years to the day of Friday's show.  It was a different type of affair, as the group is touring in 2016 as a trio.Gone are the string arrangements and layered soundscapes, but none of the power of their moody...

Who Wore It Best? Cubs Edition

We're taking our first dive into fashion with today's post. Somehow we've managed to convince some of our favorite musicians to model the same garment.  The question... who wore it best?  Vote in our poll at the bottom of the article. From 2006, a sweet no-undershirt look marries confidence with a devil-may-care...

Review / Setlist | Spafford @ Tonic Room 9/30/16

Photos: Ben BowenIt was a Friday night at Chicago's Tonic Room, but also probably the important show in the career of Prescott, Arizona's Spafford.Tucked away in the wide-open expanses of the southwest, it's been physically difficult for the four-piece to "Break Out", which happens to be the name of this tour, their first...

Phish Releases Big Boat... But Why?

As we approach release of Big Boat, there's something that's bugging me, and it has little to do with what's on the record.It's more of a philosophical question:  why does this thing even exist?From the beginning, Phish has been a band whose business choices have been just as bold as their artistic...

Genius Sampling Genius, Visualized

There are music related charts and visuals, and then there's this.The visual savants at Polygraph have gone beyond your typical data visualization and have created something interactive, educational, and altogether fascinating.In attempt to explain how a modern day genius, Robert Glasper, processes and samples the late great Miles Davis tune "The...

VIDEO / SETLIST | Yusuf @ Oriental Theatre 9/30/16

Photo via ___lexbrooks InstagramOne of the most flattering commentaries offered about 60s/70s era singers is that they've retained their voice from their halcyon days.That's 100% true for the former Cat Stevens, now touring as Yusuf Islam.  What's more is that he's remained largely out of the spotlight in ther intervening years,...

Eleven Probing Questions With Road Warriors TAUK

By: Carmel O'Farrell (@carmelocorn) | Photos: Kristine Condon (@kristinebobean)TAUK first caught my attention back in 2013 at Summer Camp Music Festival.  They played an energetic set opposite Trey Anastasio Band as buckets of rain drenched Three Sisters Park.  While most of the festival crowd gravitated to TAB, it was fairly obvious to...

Album Reviews | September 2016 Releases

By: Alex Wood Angel Olsen- My Woman [9/2]Angel Olsen began her musical career in Chicago, and the city still, rightfully, tends to claim her as its own. And theres good reason. Olsens newest record, My Woman, is a mature yet exploratory catalog of songs. Covering a variety of sounds, from the delicate ambience of the...

PHOTOS | John Mayall @ City Winery 10/1/16

By: Howard Greenblatt - Imagine PicturesJohn Mayall packed City Winery on Saturday night and at 82, hes still experimenting.His set consisted of many familiar Mayall tunes such as "Parchment Farm", "Long Gone Midnight", "Tears Came Rolling Down", "California" and, of course, "Room To Move," but he decided to go without a lead...

PHOTOS / VIDEO / SETLISTS | moe. @ Concord Music Hall, September 2016

Photos: Adam Miszewski | Video: Melodie Yvonnemoe. kicked off their fall tour last weekend in Chicago. First playing in the city for 20 years ago, and making an Illinois stop yearly at Summer Camp, the moe. love is running strong here, and both band and audience made sure that was abundantly clear.Adam Miszewski was...