CurrentVerse Stories

LISTEN: Ryley Walker Plays New Tune, Explains Improv on NPR's World Cafe

Ryley Walker is a top contender for Tomorrow's Verse artist of the year in 2016.  Local, versatile, improvisation-loving and extremely prolific, we are so happy to see that he's still creating.In fact, he explains in interview bits between songs in this World Cafe performance, that he prefers to keep wriring to "keep his brain...

VIDEO: Railway Gamblers on Audiotree

Full disclosure:  I know some of the guys in Railway Gamblers personally.  Some of them have even submitted stories for the site.But I think that fact sort of proves my point.  Earlier this year, I was given a rough mix of one of the first cuts from the forthcoming A...

Summer Camp Music Festival Announces 2017 Dates & Location

After some rumors and thoughtful deliberation, the 17th annual Summer Camp Music Festival will remain at its home, Three Sisters Park, in Chillicothe, IL.We are very excited to see what's in store for the festival in 2017.Summer Camp Music Festival Founder and Director, Ian Goldberg, released this statement today:Dear Summer Camp...

Review / Setlist / Video | Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats @ Chicago Theatre 12/7/16

Words: Alex WoodPhoto: senecameridthNever was the powerful mass appeal of recent Nathaniel Rateliff single S.O.B. more apparent than his Chicago Theatre performance on Wednesday evening.Hosted as the annual WXRT Big Holiday Concert, Rateliff and his band, The Nightsweats, were joined by soul legend Mavis Staples for what turned out to be a...

A Proposed Lagunitas Music Venue Could Be Exactly What You're Looking For

When Lagunitas Brewery expanded production from its California homebase into Chicago, the city got more great beers and a fun, art-filled Taproom.But one thing that the company made a priority in its Petaluma location, that didn't quite make it to the Midwest:  musicAnd not just music... great music.  Now that&...

VIDEO | Explore The Connection Between Some Of Chicago's Best Venues

The best venues are a combination of their physical space, the music they book, the service they provide and the crowd that they draw.In Chicago's labyrinthe of invididual neighborhoods, finding a sweet spot of these things just once is remarkable, but being able to replicate it -- and take a similar concept to bars,...

Dunn Dunn Fest 2017 Announces Initial Lineup

Harmonica Dunn Presents: Dunn Dunn Fest - Celebrating American Music. 3 Nights. 6 Venues. February 16th - 18th, 2017Dunn Dunn Fest returns for it's 5th year on February 16th - 18th. This year, there will be 17 concerts with over 50 bands performing in Chicago over 3 nights at the following venues: Lincoln Hall, Schubas,...

Album Reviews | November 2016 Releases

By: Alex WoodJim James- Eternally Even [11/4]Even outside of My Morning Jacket, frontman Jim James remains endlessly prolific, always exploring new avenues to take his art. His sophomore solo album, Eternally Even, finds the singer experimenting with new sounds and lyrical concepts while keeping one foot deeply planted in classic rock. Musically, the songs stick...

Review / Setlist | Jim James @ The Vic 11/26/16

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: @coreyskatzJim James performed at The Vic Theater on a tour promoting his excellent new solo album, Eternally Even. Not surprisingly, the show heavily featured the songwriters new material, with all but two songs from the new album performed.But unlike My Morning Jackets guitar-forward classic rock style, James material leaned...

Post Election, Your Favorite Jams Are Fleeing To Canada

Most people I know have settled down after Election Day, or at the very least, their threats of moving to Canada have been dialed back.But one group is actually taking steps to make the move, and surprisingly it involves countless hours of recordings by Grateful Dead, Greensky Bluegrass, and literally hundreds of other...