Jan 4, 2018
For the last decade or so, Ive rounded up my favorite albums at the years end. Outside of satisfying some nerdy, personal desire of mine, it gives me a reason to revisit each album, spending November and December doing so, inevitably rediscovering some musical gems along the way. As the author of many album...
Jan 7, 2016
Words & Photos: Alex WoodThough notorious for his storytelling during live shows, Steve Earle gave the audience at City Winery something far more special than a few pastime tales during his solo performance on Monday.Earle used the show to run through his discography chronologically, performing one song off each album he had released since...
Mar 2, 2015
By: Alex WoodMurder By Death- Big Dark Love [2/3]Murder By Death have developed their strange brand of alternative-country throughout the years, combining gothic and western imagery with the gruff, snarling vocals of Adam Turla, all atop a romping, crashing, energetic musical backdrop. Big Dark Love continues to develop the bands sound, but with a bit...
Feb 23, 2015
With the closing notes of their set at the sold out House Of Blues, Greensky Bluegrass put an exclamation point on another edition of Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival.Starting way back in January, the series of shows under the CBB banner spanned some of our favorite city venues and showcased local and national acts...
Feb 5, 2015
Words & Photos: Alex WoodSteve Earles third of four nights at City Winery found the songwriter performing a well-constructed acoustic set that felt like a guided tour through the history of roots music.The show began with a preview of Earles new blues record, Terraplane Blues. Aint Nobodys Daddy Now featured country twang over a...
Feb 24, 2014
We've been on top of All Things Earle lately. With JT visiting Concord in January, and a look back at one of his father's 2003 performances, we were primed and ready for the main event: a three night stand of Steve Earle, solo and acoustic, at Chicago's City Winery February 21-23.Heidi Peters was on hand...
Feb 6, 2014
The legendary Steve Earle will play run of acoustic shows at City Winery later this month. To preview those shows, we take a deeper look at a show from Old Town School a decade ago for our Retro Jamming series.In 2003, Steve Earle was between two socially conscious albums, Jerusalem and The Revolution Starts Now,...