By Brian R Brinkman @sufferingjukeThe weekend and the Summer Tour ended with a show that flirted at times with being an instant classic, yet whose parts were somehow greater in the end than the sum.Opening with "The Curtain With" for the first time since 6/19/88 was a clear nod to the symbiotic energy that exists...

By: @WeirScrewedPhotos: Ashley M. DowningIts safe to say that Greensky Bluegrass entered Chicago on Friday night on something of a roll.Over the past few weeks, they have traversed the country, opening for Railroad Earth at Red Rocks, playing an absolute heater of a show the next night in Boulder, and following that up with...

By Alex WoodOver the last few years, Andrew Bird has continually moved toward a more traditional, folk-oriented sound. His most recent touring band, The Hands Of Glory, reflects this change, perfectly relaying Birds vision through mature, full-band arrangements.Birds date at The Chicago Theater marked his first return home since December, and the artist was...

By Alex Wood / Photo: John RiordanOn Saturday night prior to Sundays rainy Lollapalooza performance, White Denim played an electric set at Chicago's The Empty Bottle. The official aftershow was the bands first performance at the small venue, the energy from which was felt in the music and the sold-out audience alike.Like most of the...

By Alex WoodParquet Courts played an ambitious set at The Empty Bottle for their Lollapalooza aftershow, despite the performance being before their festival set.With the sold-out show following their excellent full-length Sunbathing Animal, expectations were high. Fortunately, the set retained all the qualities that make Parquet Courts such a great band in the studio....

Photos: Eric FischerTruly outstanding shows don't just achieve that status by virtue of a single song choice or inspired jam. The best of the best are a collection of moments -- some arising spontaneously as the music is created, some as punctuation in the continuing narrative of the band's career.Over the course of the...

For his headlining set at Pitchfork Music Festival, Beck used the stylistic diversity of his back-catalogue to create an unpredictable, career-spanning set that was surprisingly light on new material.The opening heavy guitar riff of Devils Haircut dissipated any fears that the musician would stick to the acoustic styling of this years Morning Phase and...

Contributed by: Alex WoodRegardless of your opinion of Dave Matthews Band, their massive Summer 2014 tour is worthy of note, and the band set out to prove it during their first night in Noblesville.Offering a show divided into two sets for the first time since 1996, the tour allows for a lot surprises and unique performances,...

Words & Photos: Ashley M. DowningFirstMerrit Bank Pavillion at Northerly Island has quickly become my favorite large venue in Chicago. It reopened last summer after extensive renovations and it now ranks as one of the best spots in the country to see a live show.It sits on the shore of Lake Michigan tucked away...

Words: @WeirScrewedPhotos via Joe Purdy FacebookAmericana troubadour extraordinaire Joe Purdy began a two night stand at City Winery on a rainy Wednesday night -- choosing this evening as a showcase of his new album, Eagle Rock Fire.Stylistically, this album is a bit of a departure from his last couple of releases, which have emphasized...