Dec 2, 2013
Lots of bands play funk music, but the weird and wonderful universe of Parliament Funkadelic IS funk. Complete with its own mythology, cast of characters, ensemble of players, and catalog of hits which climbed to tops of charts (both in their original and sampled forms), it's a miracle it could all be squeezed onto...
Nov 3, 2013
When the Black Crowes do a tour, they DO A TOUR. The weekend after Halloween marked the fourth and fifth time they've played in Chicago in 2013, offering a slightly different look at each stop. It was more intimate at the pair of shows in April at the Vic, and a straight up party during the...
Oct 31, 2013
Photos: Adam McCall PhotographyIt's been almost fifteen years since I first saw Yonder Mountain String Band perform at their first ever Chicago area show, huddled around a single microphone at Abbey Pub for no more than about two dozen people. Billing themselves at the time as "Colorado's Nakedest Bluegrass", this intriguing (yet meaningless) tagline, along...
Oct 30, 2013
What seems like an unlikely pairing is actually winning some acclaim on a tour this fall. British blues master Jeff Beck and Brian Wilson (with former Beach boy compadres Al Jardine and David Marks) have superstar resumes if not superstar status or "buzz", but together they make for an entertaining evening of contrasts and collaborations....
Oct 16, 2013
When Cornmeal & Hot Buttered Rum teamed up for a 4/20 show in 2012 at The Vic, it was a pairing of two rising jamgrass stars at the top of their game. Well, a lot has changed since then, with Cornmeal fiddler Allie Kral parting ways with her bandmates this year shortly after the band absorbed the...
Oct 10, 2013
It was hard NOT to get excited upon hearing the news about the addition of Wire to Berwyn's burgeoning "music row" on Roosevelt Road. Before the opening, we had every assurance that it would be a unique space curated by musicians with the fan in mind.We were fortunate to have Alex Mason, of A....
Oct 10, 2013
When North Mississippi Allstars first burst on the scene with 2000's Shake Hands With Shorty, the gritty authentic Hill Country blues was a shock to the system. To be young, fierce and ambitious while still holding on to roots was a rarity then as it is now. Luckily these guys had the pedigree...
Sep 30, 2013
The dedicated fans that descended upon Martyrs from all over the country this weekend got what they came for: a one-0f-a-kind collaboration between Steve Kimock and Dan Lebowitz. The mix of material from each of the principals provided an unusual balance between Steve's patient and exploratory songwriting and Dan's more grounded pop-based approach.Saturday...
Sep 24, 2013
Words & Photos: Matt Van GronigenThe crowd was packed tight and it was a challenge to navigate the bodies during of Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers performance at Lincoln Hall. As part of this event, the audience submitted their dreams to be projected on the wall during the performance. Yes, World Peace made the list,...
Aug 27, 2013
Photos and additional reporting by Adam McCallThere's something going on in Aurora.Wait... Aurora? Home of Wayne's World? Closer to Joliet than Chicago? Well, actually, yeah.We've been hip to the fine Two Brothers Brewery for a while now. Their brewpub is situated in the old Burlington Northern Roundhouse at the end of the line...