Jul 15, 2015
Johnette Napolitano Returns with New Songs and True StoriesWords: Joann D. Ball | Photos: Philamonjaro StudioJohnette Napolitano opened with Joey, and treated City Winerys stage like a porch at her Joshua Tree, California home. She entertained guests with a blend of Concrete Blonde, solo and cover songs, plus some riveting stories from her 2010 book Rough Mix....
Jul 13, 2015
Wrapping Up Fare Thee Well: Fiya Wrappers All Star JamWords: @312mrg| Photos: Philamonjaro StuidoOn a weekend where the "music never stopped", the Concord Music Halls Fiya Wrapper All Star Jam was just filling up as Fare Thee Well came to and end. The final weekend music offering by music promotion gold standard, Silver Wrapper in (...
Jul 13, 2015
Father's Day is not always an ideal time for concerts, but the park-like atmosphere of Ravinia can make it a fine location for a family outing. I was joined by my wife, three sons (ages 8, 11 and 12) and some friends this past Father's Day -- and with that crew, the ability to shuttle between the picnic-like...
Jul 8, 2015
By @WeirScrewedRailway Gamblers are a young quartet whose debut album, Heart of the Sun, dropped this week. Fans of Americana and folk-rock, as presented through an indie-rock filter, will find something to like here.From the opening notes of She Rides, elements of all of the aforementioned genres are in play -- a deliberate and...
Jul 8, 2015
Joan Osborne Proves She's One of Us During GD50 ChicagoWords: Joann D. Ball | Photos: Philamonjaro StudioThe final day of the week long Weir World celebration at City Winery was programmed with a keen eye for how the shows might progress. Joan Osbornes Sunday brunch show on July 5 offered fans a tasty serving of sustenance and...
Jun 17, 2015
On a stormy June night with the Blackhawks battling in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, a few hundred Phish fans decided to put it all aside and converge on The Vic Theatre in Lakeview spend a long evening with Mike Gordon. As I looked around the the assembled crowd on that Saturday night, I...
Jun 10, 2015
There was a time -- when I'd first started hearing about Greensky Bluegrass but before I'd actually heard their music -- that I just assumed they were from Colorado. The Rocky Mountain state is ground zero for a certain flavor of jam grass that leans heavily on toying with form and healthy improvisation that, on...
Jun 6, 2015
The Bob Weir documentary debuted on Netflix in May. In lieu of a full review, I did a review in five tweets from @thebarnpresents twitter account. I am collecting them here for website readers, but be sure to give us a follow on social media so you don't miss anything! There is...
Jun 3, 2015
Words: Mitch Osborne | Photos: Rickie KostinerConcord Music Hall can be counted on for variety and quality. On Saturday night, a packed house came out to the venue ready to groove to smooth-rhythm DJ sets from of Nightmares on Wax and Bonobo. Since summer seems to be playing its hand in a rather maddening game of...
Jun 3, 2015
In its 15thyear, Summer Camp Music Festival has become something of a rite of passage for midwestern music fans. Drawing probably 60 / 40 from jamband fans and EDM lovers -- there is some obvious crossover but certainly enough of each to keep staunch supporters (or deniers) of each camp pretty happy over the course of three days...