Mar 16, 2015
By: @WeirScrewedWhile many Chicago's best venues for live music tend to skew north, some of the best local talent can be found south of Archer Avenue.Brown Bag, The Leadfoot Band, and Caution have made a circuit of Americana/alt-country/bluegrass/jam bands that has been entertaining fans on the South Side over the past...
Mar 13, 2015
Words / Photos: Alex WoodJD McPherson offered a high-energy set during his first night at Lincoln Hall, offering the majority of the songs from his studio albums and a handful of covers.His retro sound is derivative of an era more than any specific artist, pulling inspiration primarily from the late 50s and early 60s. The...
Mar 12, 2015
Words & Photos: Terry FaloonOn the second Tuesday of each month at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, I have discovered a place where magic happens. It's a place where a group of kindred spirits meet to tell stories, listen to music and build community. Voicebox happens, and there is a lot to like about this inspiring, entertaining...
Mar 8, 2015
By Matt FricksSee Matt's reviews of Thursday & Friday.Last night, STS9 closed out their three-night stand at the House of Blues and treated fans to a perfect mix of old and new. This review will be shorter than the previous shows because there really isnt much else to say. Once again, the band executed...
Mar 7, 2015
As a fan of both artists, I was really looking forward to the North Mississippi Allstars and Anders Osborne collaboration... but honestly I had no idea what to expect of this tour, dubbed NMO.Here's what I learned on Friday night.1. Touring with two three-piece bands, with everybody's gear fitting comfortably up on stage, has...
Mar 7, 2015
Words: Alex Wood | Photos: TimothyMSchmidt.com @timothymschmidtTweedy, the band consisting of Wilcos Jeff Tweedy and his 19-year-old son Spencer, offers an obvious respite from Jeffs primary group. The five-piece bands performance at The Vic countered the seriousness of Wilcos recent Riviera residency with a relaxed and, above all else, fun set of songs, the band...
Mar 7, 2015
By: Matt FricksSee Matt's reviews of Thursday & Saturday.Wow. This band is not fucking around.Following one of the best STS9 shows Ive ever seen, I knew that the Friday show would have a tough time topping the previous nights gig but somehow, it did.And it started even before the show began.I...
Mar 6, 2015
By: Matt FricksSee Matt's reviews of Friday & Saturday.STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) kicked off their three-night Chicago run at House of Blues last night. Surrounded by the hype of "returning to their roots" with Alana Rocklin taking the bass and in the shadow of the band's ominous social media posts of Never miss a...
Feb 22, 2015
By Matt Fricksw/ additional reporting by @WeirScrewedGreensky Bluegrass returned to the Chicago for the first time since the two-headlining-gigs-in-one-night of last summer's Boulevard Festival. The bluegrass quintet graced the House of Blues with two sets that spanned the duration of their career while also highlighting nearly the entirety of their most recent release, If Sorrows...
Feb 22, 2015
Words / Photos: Alex WoodLuke Winslow-King brought some of his New Orleans warmth to The Hideout on Thursday, despite the below-zero temperatures outside.With the help of wife Esther Rose on harmonies and washboard as well as a fiddle player, Winslow-King ran through a boisterous acoustic set full of the blues and New Orleans swing.The...