By: Howard GreenblattIt may seem unlikely, but Westmont, Illinois was the Blues Capital of the World for four hours on Sunday afternoon.Taste of Westmont honored former resident Muddy Waters in their yearly tribute with a collection of some of Chicagos finest Blues artists -- including performances by members of his former band...

[instagram id="BWkc_g5A4QV"]When Phish kicks off an unusual summer of touring in your town with three shows -- and then delivers -- there are no small thoughts.  So, here are five big ideas taken away from the Northerly Island 2017 run.1. Can one song make an entire run?Let's talk...

By: Philamonjaro StudioHouse of Vans Chicago continued their series of showcase concerts on the July 13th with Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires.Already making a name for itself with line-ups heavy on skater culture (think: thrash/punk/hip-hop), House of Vans demonstrated its broader tastes with Bradley, an honest-to-goodness ...

Photos: John 'Nunu' ZomotWhile there is a growing number of bands who can actually celebrate their 40th anniversary, there are far fewer that are able to do so in an iconic baseball stadium.Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are on the short list, and they brought the show to Wrigley Field at the...

We'll have a more in-depth review of the weekend's music in a bit -- but before we get to that, we wanted to share some great media from the weekend, including a set of incredible photos contributed by John "Nunu" Zomot.  His eye for the event and access produced some truly memorable images.Seeing...

Almost two years of being a band, Dead & Company makes its Chicago debut this weekend -- the first time Grateful Dead members have played at Wrigley Field.  Guess the Cubs had to win the World Series first.As you can imagine there's no shortage of hoopla, both bad and good surrounding the event....

By: Nick Draper | Photos: Tara GracerFor their fifth year at Summer Camp Music Festival, the New York based jamband Aqueous offered some of the best sets of the whole program. I sat down with Mike Gantzer, guitarist and vocalist, to hear his reflections on what it is that made their Summer Camp sets so...

By: Michael LepekLIVE ON THE LOTTemperance Brewery in Evanston, IL hosted its first "Live on the Lot" concert, welcoming a packed house of enthusiastic beer and music fans ready to shake their thing to The Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans.What was supposed to be a small tap room performance quickly sold...

By: Philamonjaro StudioHouse of Vans Chicago presented its second Summer Concert Series show on Thursday June 22nd with Chicago punk band Lawrence Arms headlining, and Minneapolis' Dillinger Four and L.A.'s Toys That Kill providing support.Each set was high energy working fans up into a wired, sweaty frenzy. One of Chicago's newest music...

By: Philamonjaro StudioLos Angeles folk rock band Dawes headlined the closing night of Taste of Randolph 2017 with a sixty minute set as they pass through Chicagowhile on an extentive tour schedule.Their music is thoughtful and personal with tight harmonies back-to-basics melodies.  Their short festival set -- amidst a longer tour...