Contributed By: Dave WecksteinWith Halloween upon us, Kasey Foster (local actress and vocalist in This Must Be The Band) thought it appropriate to dress up as her favorite band a week prior to the holiday. The occasion was her first dance tribute to the experimental California band Mr Bungle. Truth be told, I was a...

Any day with great music is like a holiday, but there are certain days on the calendar that make the live music experience even more celebratory. Even without music, the transformation that occurs in late autumn takes on a surreal, ominous tone, it's no wonder that ancient societies create myth and ritual that mirrored the...

White Denim returned to Chicago's Lincoln Hall for the second time in 2012, attempting to impress as they did in April. This time, they were backed by the corporate sponsored Bonnaroo 365 Tour, with openers Team Spirit and Maps and Atlases along with comedian Sasheer Zamata acting as emcee between sets. As they did in April, they...

On paper, AfroZep appears to be a Frankenstein's monster of mismatched parts. Stripped from their heavy blues roots, it's hard to imagine Led Zeppelin's songs retaining their power. Layered with polyrhythms and funky horn blasts, they would seem to lose all semblance of what makes them such an important rite of passage for rock fans...

One thing I've long admired about Chicago music scene is the community. Fairly removed from music industry bigshots on the coast, there is not an overwhelming sense of competition, no ruthless fight to seize some limited opportunity for a big break. Talent, creativity and social graces correlate to your happiness and ultimately success.Bassist Janis...

In advance publicity for his autobiography Waging Heavy Peace, Neil Young has been pretty public about his recent abstinence from weed and booze for the first time in just about forever. I'd like to provide (happy?) testimony that this decision has had no material affect on his stage demeanor or ability to perform long, psychedelic...

Contributed by @WeirScrewedA guy and his guitar-- what represents American folk more than that image? Add a slightly wild voice, a bass drum, an occasional harmonica, and a couple of friends and there you have Kevin Daniels' debut effort, Thirteen.Live In An Empty Room.Starting off with sparse guitar melodies reminiscent of William Eliot...

With so much great music out there, I have a hard enough time keeping up with English speaking bands, not to mention all instrumental groups.But, every so often I get a feel for crossing the language barrier. Maybe I'm looking for vocal music, but want to remain blissfully unaware of the lyrics. Maybe I...

Words: Dave Weckstein, Images: Caitlin JefkoAs we enter the first full month of fall, I decided to immerse myself in a night at Martyrs, one of my favorite Chicago music venues. On Tuesday, October 2nd, the club played host to four talented jazz influenced acts. While changing weather may leave some longing for the warm...

For a concert junkie like me, Prince had been a "bucket list" artist for as long as I can remember. With an unpredictable live performance schedule, seemingly disconnected with the conventional tour routing and promotion infrastructure; there is legitimate concern that a casual fan might miss him on a swing through their city. Luckily I...