Concert Reviews

Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen Charm Chicago's Vic Theatre

Every time Ryan Bingham rolls into town, it's a classy affair. A good number of audience members roll up wearing immaculate cowboy hats that go perfectly with their perfectly broken in boots. Flannels are tucked into denim, usually accompanied by a belt buckle, even in Chicago. His most

Concert Reviews

Seven Nights Deep, Jeff Rosenstock Has More Than Enough Left In The Tank

As we trudge through another summer where the majority of the entertainment at the box office is the choice between a soulless sequel and a soulless remake, I'm reminded of the saying popularized by PT Barnum: "Always leave them wanting more". As a younger man, I

Concert Reviews

Honey Revenge, South Arcade, Winona Fighter Bring Upperclassman Energy to Summer School in Chicago

The peak of my junior year of high school didn't even happen during my junior year. It was actually the last day of my sophomore year. School was over. The next time I set foot on campus, I would be an upperclassman. Things were going to be different.

Concert Reviews

Dance Gavin Dance Headline a Chicago Post-Hardcore Buffet

There's a specific subset of music fan that I'm afraid is going extinct due to progressing technology. You most likely knew this fan in college. The person who spent most of the late 90's and 2000's constantly evangelizing bands that not one

Concert Reviews

Electric Callboy Bring The Exact Weird We Need to Wintrust Arena

Throughout history, there have been certain bands that come along at the absolute perfect time to give the people exactly what they need, whether they know it or not. Am I saying Electric Callboy is the perfect band for the year 2026? Yes. And my proof was seeing them in

Concert Reviews

Slaughter To Prevail Decimate The Windy City

Chicago's legendary Aragon Ballroom opened its doors exactly a century ago in 1926. Over that time, the massive brick structure has been all kinds of joints holding all kinds of events. After big band music and public dancing died down, it took turns as a roller rink, a

Concert Reviews

Chicago's Extravagant 'Last Dinner Party' Satisfies All

Walking into the Salt Shed last Saturday night, I wouldn't hold it against you to not know what decade it was. No, it's not the fact that we're living through yet another conflict in the Middle East or that we may soon get to

Concert Reviews

The Format FINALLY Return to Chicago (Finally)

As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Last night at Chicago's Salt Shed, we got proof that the best things come to those who wait. And wait...and wait. And wait some more. All while just about everything around us either gets worse

Hot Mulligan Invades the Salt Shed with Bodies and Feelings and Fart Jokes

It's 5 a.m. in Tokyo, and half a world away I'm sitting in a parking lot, you're laying in your grave And now I am afraid of you, to know that it's all done I didn't try hard enough

Concert Reviews

Waterparks, Heart Attack Man and Winona Fighter Bring the Heat to a Cold Chicago Night

Late-season additions can mean a number of things depending on the subject and context. For example, when a pro sports team makes a move to bring in talent, it's usually a sign that the team is on the upswing and like their chances enough to push more

Concert Reviews

PUP and Jeff Rosenstock Deliver Chicago an Evening of Love, Moshing, and Giving the Finger to Fascism

Having been born in the early 80's, I don't think anyone would argue if I referred to myself as a legitimate 'old'. Maybe not in the physical sense as much as the social sense. I'm a dad. I have a beard. A

News

Riot Fest Aftershows Have Been Announced

Before I go any further, I have to get it out of my system or I won't be able to concentrate: "More like Delta Sleeping Village, amirite?" (Sorry, I hate that I'm like this too.) The Riot Fest aftershows have been announced and here

Concert Reviews

Luke Combs Brings His Stadium-Sized Show to Chicago's Metro

As a country, it's not a controversial thought to say that we're obsessed with size. Sure, part of that energy is focused on making things smaller, especially in the tech world. Cell phones. Laptops. Power sources. Years or refinement and engineering go into making the next

Concert Reviews

Ben Burnley and Lacey Sturm Get Unplugged and Personal at the House of Blues

The 2000's rock scene was an incredibly crowded and competitive scene. In the decade prior, we'd made the painful transition from hair metal to grunge, and now we were leaving grunge in the rearview in favor of the absolute soup that was post-grunge/nu-metal/

Riot Fest

We Are Officially Two Months Out From Riot Fest and My Schedule is Better Than Yours

Lollapalloza is here next week, which means that the countdown to Chicago's best music festival is truly on, and we are now less than 60 days away from Riot Fest. To celebrate and tease the shit out of you having to still wait that long, our friends at

Concert Reviews

Winona Fighter Serve a Five Star Course at Chicago's Subterranean

Winona Fighter's Yes, Chef Tour couldn't have been any more appropriately named considering Chicago cannot get its fill of the band. As a city our Winona Fighter appetite is apparently insatiable. The initial signs of the hunger showed when the band made their first stop in

News

Nine Inch Nails Release New Single That Can Beat Up Whatever Single You're Listening To

Stop whatever it is that you're doing, as long as it doesn't involve some kind of lifesaving care. And even then, maybe just put some headphones on whoever it is you're operating on because holy shit, this song just might bring the dead back

Concert Reviews

Perfume Genius in All His 'Glory' at Chicago's Vic Theatre

The relationship I've had with Perfume Genius' new album Glory in the two and a half months since its release has been interesting and unexpected to say the least. I can't pretend to be the world's biggest Perfume Genius fan. Hell, I had

Concert Reviews

Sleigh Bells Rekindle the Old Magic at Chicago's Metro

Are you able to forget one of the seminal albums of your life? It doesn't seem so when you first think about it. If you truly consider an album to be a big part of who you are or associated with your developmental years, it's going

Concert Reviews

Japanese Breakfast and Ginger Root Show They Can Do It All at Chicago's Salt Shed

Everyone knows that one person that's just good at everything, right? Whether it's someone you knew growing up that went to the special math and science academy once high school hit or someone at your workplace that you just know is going to make more money

Riot Fest

THE RIOT FEST LINEUP IS HERE!!!!

Holy shit, you guys! The Riot Fest lineup is here and has it ever been here this early before and I am freaking out and dude why is everything spinning. (Deep breath) Wow, this was not expected. No headliner tease. No blurry bands on the bill to be announced later.

Concert Reviews

The Linda Lindas Prove That Youth Is Still King At Chicago's Metro

If there's one thing my regular readers know (yes, both of you), it's that I don't shy away from my age when writing. A lot of the time it's to make a self-deprecating joke, but in reality age and music have

Concert Reviews

Lauren Mayberry Puts On A 'Vicious' Performance at Chicago's Lincoln Hall

There's nothing in the music industry quite like a good Best Albums of the Year list. The ultimate opportunity to flex equally how contrarian and diverse you can be, it's also an easy way to get traffic and stir up controversy. But just like the seasonal

Concert Reviews

Magic City Hippies Flip Expectations on their Head at Chicago's Metro

Walk up to any fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones and say the words "subvert expectations" and see what kind of reaction you get. Don't blame me if you get spit on or slapped. The downfall of that show, going from what looked like

Concert Reviews

Marc Rebillet Flies by the Seat of his Undies at Thalia Hall

No matter who you are, where you come from, what your age is...chances are that you've seen some bad improv in your life. I'd argue that improv gets an undeserved rap, but if I'm being honest a lot of improv is not very