Jul 19, 2012
It was 25 years ago this summer that "Touch Of Grey" became an unexpected top ten hit for the Grateful Dead. The band had been steadily building an audience over the previous 22 years, but the exposure certainly led to a huge commercial boost for the band.The legions of teenage and young-adult so-called Touch-heads consequently became...
Jul 12, 2012
Words & Photos: Dave WecksteinThe best Super Jams are representative of what can be achieved on a whim when you mix together the right ingredients -- classic songs performed by some of your favorite musicians in a truly collaborative setting. While the concept was just getting its legs for its first installment this past winter,...
Jul 5, 2012
This is not a full review but merely a handful (bucketful?) of thoughts after spending two extremely fun nights in East Troy with Phish. Scroll down to listen to the entire show from both nights or download a zip file with a tracked, tagged and iTunes ready high-quality mp3 audience recording of each of the...
Jun 21, 2012
Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers sucked the audience down a into wormhole on Sunday night. We entered an alternate reality where popular music valued chops and musicianship over flash and gimmick -- a world were Bruce and his primary musical outlet have had unparalleled commercial success over the past 25 years.But alas, we don't live...
Jun 19, 2012
Words and Photos: Dave WecksteinI have arrived at two certainties today. One: I have some new favorite grub -- I write this review after having experienced for the first time the splendor that is Kitschn Diners chicken and waffles. Two: I think my breakfast choice was influenced by hearing the debut of Shoe Groove, a...
May 29, 2012
Evanston isn't the most easily accessed part of Chicagoland, and thus a visit to its "newish" club SPACE has been on The Barn's to-do list for some time. From the beginning their booking has been tremendous, but it took an appearance by Anders Osborne to make the stars align for coverage of an event at...
May 18, 2012
Words: Dave Weckstein, Images: Norman SandsWhat the world needs now is another folk hero, like I need a hole in the head is a phrase penned by Cracker on Teen Angst but in the years since they wrote it, it has been covered by the likes of acoustic artists suchThe band went on later in...
May 11, 2012
The 30db / Van Ghost pairing was just one of the many inspired double (sometime triple & quadruple) bills that the Abbey Pub has been programming lately and certainly one of the most high profile, considering the national prominence of the artists involved, yet a strong sense of Chicago hung in the air all night. This...
Apr 20, 2012
Im not sure how one can define The Best Live Band in America or if it would even mean anything if you did. However, if intensity, imagination, innovation, and execution could be considered fair measures, White Denim made its case for the title Thursday night at Lincoln Hall.Starting out with the opening trio of...
Nov 1, 2011
One hell of an extended weekend with Widespread Panic in Chicago. Here are the complete setlists, streams, downloads and thoughts for each night:Friday 10/28/11 Chicago Theater + awesome One Arm Steve > Jam videoSaturday 10/29/11 Chicago Theater + Peace Frog & Encore VideoMonday 10/31/11 Aragon Ballroom- Photos (via XRT)Original Versions Of Halloween CoversMan falls from balcony after Saturday...