It was a FULL night of music as this traveling roadshow hit the Vic -- with the bands hitting the right notes, from FGC's opening song tip-of-the-cap to Levon Helm to a collaborative encore; with cover nods to Steely Dan, U2, Grateful Dead, The Beatles and Paul Simon along the way. Here's a summary of...

When I first published my list of nine acoustic bands to watch in April of 2010 (recently revised and updated), it included two bands who have subsequently gone on to become brothers (and sister) of the road. With styles that complement each other to a tee, I couldn't be more pleased that the Cornmeal / Hot Buttered...

This feature has been updated (February 2012) since its original publication in April of 2010. I swapped out the ninth band and added some honorable mentions. The remainder of the text remains largely untouched.We can crank up the amplifiers and layer on the production, but the acoustic guitar -- natural and authentic -- just isn't going...

There's no place like home for the holidays and, while Cornmeal has been no stranger to the road lately, they spent some quality time with us here in Chicago at the end of 2011. Playing venues both large and small, as openers and headliners, they wrote another great chapter in the ongoing affair that the folks...

Dedication. Hard work. Vision. Networking. All words often associated with success in business, but they equally apply to the way that Jim Boukas has built up a Chicagoland jamband empire of sorts over the last seven years. By constantly tweaking the formula, breaking new ground, trying his hand at new things and fostering relationships with...

Here's a taste of what to expect at the "First Thursday" residency from Jim Boukas and Eric Lambert.These shows run from 6-8 on the first thursday of every month and the cover is only $5 (you can also grab a coupon to catch a set of Phish tunes for free at Lilly's later that night)....

The debut of an as-yet-unnamed Bluegrass Jamband, which should probaby gig a half a dozen times per year.The lineup features Eric Lambert (formerly of Sexfist, Wavy Dave (Cornmeal), Thad Landis (Dog Patch Ramblers) and Jim Boukas (Paradise Waits, Vasoconstrictors).Download entire show (mp3 .zip)

Months ago, I was pumped about the announcement of two night Umphrey's McGee run in Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend. Little did I know at the time, but by the time this extended weekend would arrive, that party would start in Chicago well before UM takes the stage, and continue all the way through to Thanksgiving...

[fblike style="standard" showfaces="false" width="450" verb="recommend" font="arial"]There are certain musical truths in this world. One of them (as this Venn Diagram explains) is that everybody loves Pink Floyd. Their fans are rabid and diverse and they've inspired musicians across a large swath of genres and backgrounds. And so, when I set...

1. One of my favorite local blogs, The Are The Imitators, is featuring a sweet photo set from the Dawes / Blitzen Trapper show at the Metro last Thursday2. Chicagoist Drinkifies several Chicago Bands. For fun here's the link to some of our jambands, Chicago based and otherwise: Umphrey's McGee (cold Bud Light), Cornmeal (garnish with pickled...