Aug 18, 2015
Umphreys McGee Rocks RaviniaWords: Carmel O'Farrell | Photos: Kristine CondonRavinia Festival is a summer long concert series that takes place in the hoity-toity Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Concert goers are encouraged to picnic on the lawn surrounding the pavilion as they listen to the relaxing sounds of artists like Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan throughout...
Jul 13, 2015
Wrapping Up Fare Thee Well: Fiya Wrappers All Star JamWords: @312mrg| Photos: Philamonjaro StuidoOn a weekend where the "music never stopped", the Concord Music Halls Fiya Wrapper All Star Jam was just filling up as Fare Thee Well came to and end. The final weekend music offering by music promotion gold standard, Silver Wrapper in (...
Jun 20, 2014
Words & Photos: Ashley M. DowningOn a brisk Friday evening in May, The Park West in Chicago kicked off its summer season with a wild, music filled event. This show was presented as the official Summer Camp Music Festival pre-party, with all of the musicians in attendance scheduled to play at upcoming fest the following...
Apr 14, 2014
So two of my favorite guitarists are already in the same band (for the time being). But when a third joins them for a jam on a song by Jerry Garcia, it's worth a post up in here.Here's Trey Anastasio joining Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks and the rest of the Allman Brothers Band (...
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...
Dec 11, 2012
In 2010, when I first conceived of a holiday mix tape, the concept seemed like fertile ground -- there were a number of much celebrated holiday takes from my favorite jambands, and all I had to do was assemble them. The playlist just sort of fell togetherA few leftover tracks turned into the seed for the 2011...