Features Stories

Review / Video | Phish @ Wrigley Field

Photos via phishfromtheroad instagramPhish at Wrigley.  From the time it was just a rumor, it was a band and venue combination that got people emotional. Ill admit to being one of them.  Id been visiting the ballpark regularly since I was a kid, and the place was heavy with history even then. &...

Interview | Simon Allen & The Rock and Roll Lifestyle

How Do You Afford Your Rock and Roll Lifestyle?An Interview With The New Mastersounds' Simon AllenBy: @312mrgWales and England have just finished their Euro Cup match in France.  You might not care, but New Mastersounds drummer, Simon Allen was intently tuned in. For Allen, Skyping from Leeds, the football match meant...

Album Review | Scary Blankets by Mungion

By: Alex WoodChicago four-piece Mungion embrace the jamband aesthetic whole-heartedly, fusing progressive rock, jazz, funk and more into a musical tapestry that echoes the scenes biggest names without sounding redundant. Their debut album, Scary Blankets, captures this experimentalism with an ambitious but carefully formulated set of songs that jam fans should fully embrace.Look...

Review / Setlist / Video | M. Ward @ Thalia Hall 6/16/16

By: Alex WoodM. Ward flies under the radar of the average music listener, though his knack for understated folk songwriting has earned his discography a following of diehard fans.Despite his reputation for simplicity, his live shows breathe new life into his already-outstanding compositions, as proven during his performance at Thalia Hall on Thursday, Wards...

Review | Built To Spill @ Turner Hall Milwaukee 6/19/16

By: Ryan MannixI dont get up to Milwaukee much -- but there is a certain draw for Chicago live music fans, who don't mind a short trip o see a show at one of their many fantastic venues. My personal favorite of the bunch is Turner Hall. The historic ballroom sits in a...

Summer Camp Music Festival | Sunday Summary

By: Ryan Mannix | Photos: Kristine Condon PhotographyThe final day of Summer Camp got started with the return of Umphreys McGees Sunday afternoon set.Starting the set off with Cemetery Walk, and the popular, danceable Bad Friday flew in the face of the relaxed atmosphere I was expecting.  But, the boys "brought it down"...

Review / Photos | Blues On The Fox @ RiverEdge Park 6/18/16

Photos: Howard Greenblatt I'm running out of superlatives when it comes to describing the music of Tedeschi Trucks Band.I've already dubbed them the Best Band In America after their recent Chicago Theater stop, and the team has done nothing to refute that title in their return to the area this...

Notes From The Jazz Underground Is An Odd Duck

This edition of  Notes From The Jazz Underground was culled from the June 10th broadcast. a show that host Paul Abella describes as "an exceedingly odd duck."Why?  First off, it was recorded in the middle of the night, and the late night musical gremlins definitely make an appearance.Second, there...

The Ghosts Of Notes Past

This edition of  Notes From The Jazz Underground was culled from the June 3rd broadcast.This week's show was themed "Ghosts of Notes Past," and it was supposed to be all stuff that host Paul Abella had played on previous editions of Notes that deserved a second (or maybe third)...

Review | Sam Bush @ City Winery 6/9/16

By: Al Day | Photo via @citywinerychi Instagram (via @funkynunu)Sam Bush and a remarkable group of musicians (Scott Vestal, banjo; Todd Parks, double bass and five string electric bass; Steve Mougin, guitar and Cris Brown, percussion) performed 16 tunes to an enthusiastic crowd at City Winery on Thursday night.The night's selections were sourced from traditional...