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Final Wrap-up | Avett Brothers Chicago Run 2016

While we posted up our full show review of Friday's show, and a recap spotlighting the surprise Prince cover for Thursday's, Saturday's show closer ended up revealing quite a bit more about the The Avett Brothers than I had previously thought.Not unlike many of the other bands we follow around here, it appears they...

Photo Essay | Juke Joint Festival 2016

Juke Joint Festival Boasts Great Jams from Over 100 Blues BandsWords: Robin Zimmerman | Photos: Howard GreenblattForget the big-ticket festivals -- long lines, superficiality, and craning your neck just to see who's on stage. For many, there's nothing better than heading down to the birthplace of the blues every April for Clarksdale, Mississippis Juke Joint Festival. ...

Review / Photos | The Avett Brothers @ Chicago Theater 4/22/16

By: Heidi PetersCount The Avett Brothers among the artists capable of selling out Madison Square Garden in New York City.  So when they hit town for three nights at the relatively cozy Chicago Theater, you can excuse the fans for being a little giddy.So they ended up with a marriage proposal from...

Bruce Springsteen Opens Brooklyn Show With "Purple Rain"

It was Purple Rain, the album, which knocked Born In The USA from the #1 spot of the album charts in 1984.Towering icons of the 80s, Bruce Springsteen and Prince seemed to occupy different musical worlds, but Bruce like seemingly everybody else, also loved and respected Prince.He and the E Street Band put...

Review & Setlist | Parquet Courts @ Metro 4/20/16

By: Sean WilmsenSomeone said Parquet Courts is going to destroy the Metro. Were not violent people. We wouldnt destroy a historic landmark."- Andrew Savage, of Parquet Courts. It wouldnt be the last of this random, funny, crazy, and often intellectual banter that came from the Metro stage throughout the night. The chit-chat ...

Review & Photos | Top of the Tower with Electron & Skydeck Allstars 4/17/16

By: Sean Wilmsen | Photos: Kristine Condon Photgraphy"Above The City". It's the Cut Copy tune that I was listening to as I pulled up to the Willis (Sears for the real Chicagoans) Tower last Sunday. It seemed appropriate. After all, I was gearing up for anight on the 99th floor with one of my favorite...

Infographic | A Brief History Of Prince's Sign ☮ The Times Album

Designer Craig Robinson at Flip Flop Flyin' re-shared this 2014 infographic that tells the remarkable story of the SignThe Times album. Most of his data was sourced from Prince's vast wikipedia entries, and it is a lot.Definitely a cool visual representation of what goes on in the mind of an artist, who is at times...

Pearl Jam Honors Prince and Jake Arrieta at South Carolina Show

While musicians -- and truly everyone -- worldwide werehonoring Prince and his career after he passed away tragically yesterday, there was another news story that had grabbed the attention of usChicagoans, and baseball fans everywhere.Jake Arrieta, of the Chicago Cubs tossed his second no-hitter in 11 regular season starts as a part of a 16-0...

Setlist / Video | Avett Brothers @ Chicago Theater 4/21/16

We'll have much more on tonight's show when we'll have a reporter in attendance, but newsfrom The Avett's Chicago run opener was too good not to share.The band ran through a 25 song set, paying tribute to Merle Haggard early in the set, and tipping their hat to Prince during an emotional "Pretty Girl From...

8-UP | Eight Artists On The Way Up & When To Catch Them

We'll always cover the old favorites, but it's also worth keeping a lookout for artists that may be on their first few swings through Chicago. This new feature, 8-UP, showcases eight acts on the way up-- catch 'em before they're big.Check them out in this Spotify Playlist and check out when they'll be in...