Having not attended my first Grateful Dead show until the calendar flipped to the 90s, I was a little late to the game but went all-in regardless.Most biographies of the band gloss over the entirety of the band's late period and end, as the band did, with the ...

Words: Robin Zimmerman | Photos: Howard GreenblattFrom living legends and dynamic dynasties to well-known national artists, the 35th Annual Chicago Blues Festival was jam-packed with talented acts.For the second straight year, Millennium Park was Ground Zero for the Windy Citys big blues blowout.While Chicagos spectacular skyline served as an impressive backdrop, music and kinship...

By: Philamonjaro StudioDanish punk rock band Iceage played a headling set at House of Vans Chicago on Thursday, June 21st while on their current US tour.  The show came on the heels of their fourth release, Beyondless, out on Matador records. The band dropped its first single, "Catch It", in February,...

Photos: Howard GreenblattSamantha Fish won over the Blues On the Fox audience when she first played the festival in 2014.Four years later, as her songwriting becomes more diverse and her lyrics matured, her fan base has exploded.Still only 29 years old, shes already won twoBlues Music Awards, most recently as Best Contemporary Female Artist in...

Words: Aaron & Nicole Eikenberry | Photos: Michael Lepek 2018 saw the release of the first Eels record in four years, The Deconstruction. A great deal has transpired in Mark Everetts (aka E) world in the interim: a marriage, his first child, and a divorce.That volatility doesn't always find its way onto the stage, but...

Words: Robin Zimmerman | Photos: Michael LepekA large Chicago contingent descended on Clarksdale, Mississippi for the 15th Annual Juke Joint Festival. But, long-anticipated balmy weather was not to be. Heavy overnight rains descended on the Delta on Friday into Saturday, ushering in cold, windy temperatures.Worse yet, much of Clarksdale was without power on the day...

Words: Ryan Mannix | Photos: Hannah ShankerDr. Dog took the stage at The Riviera Theatre midway through their US tour promoting the new album Critical Equation.While the night was heavy on new material, it didnt stop the crowd from singing along. An interesting choice to open the show, the frolicking, Survive was a...

By: John 'Nunu' ZomotMichael McDermott is looking to spread the vibes his hometown audiences have given him for 20 years to audiences everywhere.So he used Chicago's City Winery as a beachhead, launching a tour in support of Out From Under (out on April 27th) with a pair of shows that also had the support of...

By: John 'Nunu' ZomotIn this age of funk-and-soul supergroups, it seems like a pick-up band can materialize -- full of a handful of musicians sourced from a pool of well-known jammers -- at any time and for any reason.This group of road warriors is ready to be drawn into battle at...

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: @TinaNiberiThe Wood Brothers have long been one of the hardest working bands in the business, constantly touring, writing and recording for more than a decade.Ive watched the band grow from playing dive bars to their recent two-night run at The Vic Theatre, and the increased popularity doesnt feel the slightest...