Features Stories

Dead Is Jazz: The Grateful Dead's Greatest Jazz Collaborations

Guest Post by Paul Abella.  Paul is a musician, radio host, pundit and early supporter of The Barn Presents.  As a jazz guy who actively embraces and celebrates jambands like Grateful Dead and Phish, and even champions jammers on our local scene, his sensibilities are a natural fit for the site.  We...

The Best Jazz Venues In Chicago

Chicago is a world class jazz city. That means it has world class jazz venues. But that doesn't mean they're all created equal. Some are 100% dedicated to the form. Others program jazz as a part of a more diverse lineup. Just as there are many permutations of the music, there are plenty of ways to...

Review / Photos: Justin Townes Earle & Felice Brothers @ Concord Music Hall 1/17/14

Words / Photos: Alex WoodFriday nights installment of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues festival offered two very different takes on blending folk-rock and country.To the surprise of many, the presumed headliner Justin Townes Earle came out before The Felice Brothers.Paul Niehaus added sparse electric and slide guitar backing, making Earles band two members short...

It's Not About Me: A Conversation With American Babies' Tom Hamilton

Contributed by: Mike Guzaski - @312mrgTom Hamilton spent over ten years fronting the Philadelphia based jamtronica act Brothers Past. While BP still tours, and he fills his plate with the occasional side product or super-group (Joe Russo's Almost Dead, anyone?), his focus, attention, and energy is centered on the Americana/blues/folk/rock concoction that...

Ten Chicago Jazz Artists To See in 2014

Guest Post by Paul Abella. Paul is a musician, radio host, pundit and early supporter of The Barn Presents. As a jazz guy who actively embraces and celebrates jambands like Grateful Dead and Phish, and even champions jammers on our local scene, his sensibilities are a natural fit for the site. He offered to provide...

The Barn's Top Ten Things of 2013

As with last year, I'm not going to try to rank the best shows, songs or albums of the year (though some thoughts on albums are here and here). I want to use my year end list to capture the musical things that had the biggest impact on me -- and also provide an excuse...

The Best Albums of 2013: Alex's Top 125

We welcomed writer / photographer Alex Wood to the fold in 2013 and couldn't be happier with his contributions. Before his association with the site, it had been his yearly tradition to circulate a top albums list amongst his friends. We're excited to publish the 2013 edition here to kick off our 2013 year-in-review coverage.1. DAFT PUNK - RANDOM...

Karl Denson Rings In 2014 With Tiny Universe

While 2013 has been a busy year juggling multiple projects for Karl Denson, you'll find him greeting 2014 at Chicago's Park West the way he'd like to spend the most of next twelve months: with his friends in the Tiny Universe."I want to get back to just doing Tiny Universe," he told me in a phone...

Review / Photos: Moistboyz @ Cubby Bear 12/13/13

Words / Photos: Alex WoodMoistboyz are too metal to be punk and too punk to be metal. Between the two genres falls the blisteringly energetic rock n roll the band makes their own.Despite their being best known as a side-project for Ween due to the inclusion of guitarist Mickey Melchiondo (referred to as Dean Ween...

Night Three of Andrew Bird's Gezelligheid Run Offers Contrast with Tift Merritt Collaboration (Setlist / Review 12/11/13)

Words / Photos: Alex WoodDespite sharing a similar setlist to the previous nights show, Andrew Birds third Gezelligheid date at the Fourth Presbyterian proved to be another unique experience in his cozy concert series.The set began with Bird performing Pulaski At Night tracks Hover and Ethio Invention, the performer carefully combining swooping legato violin loops...