Under The Willow Stories

Photos & Media Roundup | Shoe Fest 2016

Photos: Ashley Hamm Photography | Video: Don OlkerLots of music festival attendees claim that their experiences are "just like going away to summer camp".  Hell, there's even a long-running Illinois festival called Summer Camp, so yeah... there's some trying to capture that barefoot, worry-free magic of childhood summers.But Shoe Fest may actually have...

Shoe Fest Announces Initial 2016 Lineup With Word Search

Those pranksters at Shoe Fest have done it again. Sure, some festivals can just announce their lineup. Shoe Fest hid the first 11 artists revealed for their Labor Day Festival in Manteno, IL via a Word Search puzzle.  What's more, the offered a free ticket to the first person to identify and tag all eleven...

The Visual Arts and The GD50 Chicago Weekend

"All we need is music, sweet music.There'll be music everywhere."- Dancin' In The Streets by Ivy Jo Hunter, Marvin Gaye, William StevensonOf course, there will literally be music everywhere in Chicago over GD50 weekend, but that's not the only type of artistry related to the good ole Grateful Dead that will be on...

New Music From Dawes, Jason Isbell, Who Headline Two Brothers Summer Festival 6/26 & 27

Two Brothers Brewery is raising the stakes once again for its annual summer music festival with a pair of A+ headliners and some rock solid support on Saturday.Top-lining this year's event will be Jason Isbell (Saturday, June 27), one of the finest songwriters presently working, who will bring his band and it's Southern Rock / Country...

Under The Willow Breaks Down In Tupelo, Seeking Help From Fans

Every now and then, all of us get smacked around by a bit of bad luck. When this happens to young bands on the road, without their support system and commitments to perform far from home, it can be an even bigger challenge.Chicago area upstarts in Under The Willow make some great music, so...

Phish Fans Guide To Chicago - Summer 2014 Edition

Among the many things I like about Chicago is the diversity of of options on just about any night. This is amplified when Phish is in town.Case in point: not only can Phish set up shop for three big weekend shows, the city can simultaneously host a multi-band festival with some crossover appeal to...

These Are My Jams, Volume Eleven

Welcome to the eleventh edition of the The BarnsThese Are My Jamsseries. To see what this is all about,check out Volume Oneand for more jams, ourlanding page for the entire series.1. It was immediately after my first exposure to Cabinet that I added this as my jam. Since then, I can say that they've...