Oct 8, 2014
You can point to the first Bonnaroo as a potential Ground Zero for the music festival explosion that has gripped America in the dozen or so years since its inception. While many festivals that have emerged in its wake -- both big and small -- have chosen to replicate its key elements, very few, not...
Oct 6, 2014
By: Alex WoodRobert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters - Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar [9/9]As proven recently at his Riviera performance, Robert Plant is as capable a blues singer as anyone, despite his being 66 years old. Lullaby is certainly blues based, but stretches out to incorporate British and Celtic folk, electronics, and classic rock....
Oct 4, 2014
By: Alex WoodThough Robert Plants Riviera performance proved that Zeppelins singer still has the golden vocal cords that made him famous, the show was unmistakably removed from the era the singer was best known for.Plant and his six-piece band, The Sensational Space Shifters, performed songs from his recent release, Lullaby and The Ceaseless Roar,...
Oct 3, 2014
Upon Prince announcing the release of two new studio albums, fans had good reason to be as skeptical as they were excited.Since the end of the 80s Prince struggled to win critics and fans over, often producing lackluster records that naturally couldnt live up to his classics. Fortunately, the new records show Prince in...
Sep 20, 2014
Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Woods Juice is the perfect album for jam fans and jazz fans alike.Taking a more laid-back approach than 2006s Out Louder, the four master musicians work their way through jazz, fusion and rock with a deceptive ease, making difficult compositions and inventive solos sound unbelievably easy.Juice abandons the abrasive...
Sep 18, 2014
Subtle & Never Excessive - Spoon at Chicago TheaterBy Alex WoodSpoons music is simple, its attributes subtle and never excessive, and their live show is no exception. The Chicago Theaters extraordinary sound quality only brought such nuance to the forefront, a perfect setting to observe a band that has grown into a popularity greater than...
Sep 17, 2014
Two Guitars & A Mug Of Tea - Billy Bragg @ City Winery 9/12/14Photos: Heidi Peters | Additional Reporting: Des PetersThe last time Billy Bragg played Chicago's City Winery he brought along his band. This time, he arrived with just two guitars and a mug of tea.Bragg bounded on to stage and after a brief How...
Sep 15, 2014
Apparently, Chicago Would In Fact Like Da Funk Bumpus & Monophonics At Martyrs'By: Brian R. Brinkman - @sufferingjukeOn the first chilly night of fall, Martyrs' hosted a four-hour funk/soul expose featuring Chicagos own Bumpus, and the San Francisco outfit, Monophonics. Proceeds from the event went to the tattered souls that packed venue, each clearly...
Sep 9, 2014
Sun, Summer Jams & Braces Saturday At The Hideout Block Party & AV Club FestBy: Brian R. Brinkman - @sufferingjukeIn its eighteenth incarnation, The 2014 Hideout Block Party & AV Club Fest proved one certainty about modern-day music festivals: space is always key.Moreover, a consistent fluidity in the venues beer and port-o-john lines makes a...
Sep 6, 2014
Lost In A Heavy Dream The War On Drugs At The Chicago Music ExchangeBy: Brian R. Brinkman - @sufferingjukeMy uncle passed away suddenly from a heart attack on March 21, 2014. The man had so much love in his soul that his heart simply couldnt work any more. 59 years young, he left a legacy of six children,...