By: Philamonjaro StudioA pre-festival after-show?  As anticipation builds for this weekend's Riot Fest Chicago, organizers presented a late night warm up gig at Cobra Lounge with Agent Orange and Counterpunch on Sunday night.Agent Orange hit the stage at 10:15 to a packed crowd of diehard fans.  ...

By: Howard Greenblatt (Imagine Pictures)Meet The Blues Wizard, Keith Edward (aka Keith Kifer).Originally from Warren, Pennsylvania, Keith now lives in Bisbee Arizona where he repurposes items such as suitcases and hubcaps into playable guitars and amplifiers at his storefront business, the Lunatic Fringe Luthiery.He plays these unique instruments at festivals and on...

Photos: Heidi Peters PhotographyFans of British riff-rock take note, it's likely you're about to hear a lot more about Band Of Skulls.  Photojournalist Heidi Peters was able to catch up with them on a recent stop at Chicago's Metro.It seems the fever has already caught on with the folks in attendance.  It...

Words: Robin Zimmerman | Photos (and experiences): Phil & Nancy DuffinOn September 2nd, 2016, all 17 albums released by the Tragically Hip were listed on the Canadian Billboard charts. This was on the heels of a Canadian tour where tickets sold out almost immediately in the wake of the news that lead singer, Gord Downie, had terminal brain...

Words: Alex Wood | Photos: Heidi PetersAndrew Birds performance at Pritzker Pavilion was one of the best shows in Chicago this summer.Its a bold statement, but hear me out.I saw countless shows in the last four months. From big names like Phish, LCD Soundsystem, Pearl Jam and Wilco to small, equally impressive performances...

Photos: Tara Gracer Design & PhotographyIn the social media age, one way to keep your brand into the public's mind is to constantly have something new to share.Since Umphrey's McGee touched down at Chicago's Concord Music Hall for a North Coast Music Festival after show, they've had more than enough to keep fans --...

By: Tara Gracer Design & PhotographyAter hopping off the green line at the Ashland station and squeezing into the security line waiting to be searched, Chicagoans waited patiently for entry to the concrete jungle's musical escape for Labor Day Weekend.Located at Union Park, a green diamond-shaped oasis just a short distance from downtown,...

Photos: Kristine Condon PhotographyLesson #3 from our How Vulfpeck Hacked the Music Industry feature was "Sell Out Every Show".Given that the band had an upcoming show in Chicago at the time of publication, and it had yet to it sell out, you'd think we'd be sweatin' it.Sure it was as big a room...

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...

By: Aaron Stein (@neddyo) | Photos: Adam Miszewski (@adjomi)Go To: Full Photo Gallery | Setlists & Media - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - SundayEvery year they play an NBA All-Star game and every year basketball fans look at the line-ups -- the amassed talent almost incomprehensible in its limitless possibilities -- and...