Aug 11, 2015
Shoe Fest has released its daily schedules for the 2015 edition of its festival taking place over Labor Day weekend at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See in downstate Manteno.They managed to pack in a beefy lineup all with no overlaps or conflicts. Two nights of music from festival hosts Old Shoe,nice headlining slotsfrom David Grisman's Bluegrass Experience...
Mar 3, 2014
Fact: there is outstanding music every weekend in Chicago.But sometimes you just have to shake your head, sigh, and realize how lucky we are to have this city as our playground.What's more, the highlights of this weekend's cavalcade of stars feature that are right smack in our wheelhouse. the jambands, supergroups, heavy funk,...
Feb 25, 2014
Great bands play in great bars and clubs every weekend -- hell, every day -- in Chicago. What has always intrigued me is how you take such a routine occurrence and and turn it into an EVENT.Old Shoe has succeeded in doing just that. Saturday, February 15th at the Volcano Room at Bottom Lounge...
Feb 7, 2014
Cold enough for you?Yes, it's been a particularly brutal winter, but festival season is a mere three months away. Wait three months?How about a sniff early? Old Shoe, festival mainstays and hosts of the fabulous Shoe Fest, bring the second edition of their winter event "Snow Shoe" north to Chicago.February 15th at...
Dec 7, 2013
It takes a bit of hard work, some bravery and the heart of a jazz guy to a wrangle a group of outstanding soloists into a single ensemble for a handful of performances. This weekend, Joe Marcinek brought in a couple of out-of-towners (though both with Chicago connections), Jen Hartswick and Allie Kral, to barnstorm...
Dec 5, 2013
Coverage around these parts has been so dominated by male musicians, at times we've gone out of our way to showcase women led bands. It's even rarer when you're talking about the bands that stretch out and improvise.Thanks to guitarist / bandleader Joe Marcinek for helping balance things out, as he's assembled an all-star lineup...
Oct 16, 2013
When Cornmeal & Hot Buttered Rum teamed up for a 4/20 show in 2012 at The Vic, it was a pairing of two rising jamgrass stars at the top of their game. Well, a lot has changed since then, with Cornmeal fiddler Allie Kral parting ways with her bandmates this year shortly after the band absorbed the...