Word of mouth is a great way for me to discover new bands, so it's a little jarring when I realize I find that everybody's talking about a band that was simply never on my radar. That was the case whenSigur Rs announced their spring tour, the excitement level was palpable, but I was completely...

On the cusp of the release of their third LP, Stories Don't End, southern California band Dawes is criss-crossing the country on a promotional tour playing primarily radio shows and record stores. The Chicago stop, on April Fool's Day, was part of WXRTs "Free Sample" concert series, which afforded them the luxury of playing in...

The weekly Dead jam is back in Chicago!Each Wednesday, Terrain Flyer brings a host of the best Dead-loving musicians from all over the city to jam out at Abbey Pub.They promise to cover a new full album the last Wednesday of each month (next up is Skull and Roses on 3/27). For their first...

Ben Harper & Charlie MusselwhiteThe Riviera TheaterMarch 3rd, 2013I Don't Believe A Word You Say, Get Up!, Blues Overtook Me, Don't Look Twice, When It's Good, She Got Kick, I'm In I'm Out and I'm Gone, Blood Side Out, I Ride At Dawn, I'm Going Home, When The Levee BreaksEncoreWe Can't End This Way, Meet...

Yo La Tengo spent the summer recording their latest album in Chicago, so it was a welcome return when they convened at the Vic Theater for a show on their 2013 tour. Playing both an acoustic and electric set -- featuring a version each of the album's lead track "Ohm" -- they explored the entirety of...

SetlistBeen Away Too Long, My Wave, Worse Dreams, Room A Thousand Years Wide, Jesus Christ Pose, Rhinosaur, Non-State Actor, Drawing Flies, Hunted Down, Loud Love, Big Dumb Sex, Blow Up The Outside World, Fell On Black Days, Tighter & Tighter, Burden In My Hand, A Thousand Days Before, Superunknown, Fresh Tendrils, Nothing To Say, Spoonman,...

It was a family affair back at Martyrs for when Terrapin Flyer hit the stage for its sold out Saturday night gig, with the band welcoming several guests to partake in some good ole Grateful Dead (and, of course, JGB) with Melvin Seals and Mark Karan. Norman Sands has some nice photos of the proceeding...

Railroad Earth dropped by Chicago last weekend on their winter tour. They've sort of settled into the House Of Blues as a home venue and did not disappoint, offering a two setter that covered only a few of the tunes from last year's visit, and even offered a few surprises (covers included George Harrison's "Any...

Gaslight Anthem does a great job of straddling the line between aggression and introspection. Often compared to a younger, edgier Springsteen - their wholly American tales of working class people are definitely anthemic. They were a perfect fit for Chicago edition of Riot Fest which featured some too-angry-for-my-tastes acts and others that have the just...

Have you checked out The Greenville Tavern yet? This new pub played host to Mr. Blotto's New Year's Eve gig. The band ripped through classics by Dylan, The Dead, Allman Brothers and J.J. Cale and rang in 2013 with one of Paul's trademark raps out of Kool and The Gang's "Jungle Boogie".Here's the audio (...