Bowerbirds Shock Chicago Silent

I can only hope that everyone in the audience was as excited as I was when Bowerbirds took the stage at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, complete with an accordion. I also hope that everyone is as excited about accordions as I am in general. If the crowd at Lincoln Hall is any indication, yes, everyone [...]

Cursive Take Chicago Hostage

Walking into another sold out show featuring Tim Kasner, this time at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, the crowd was palpably excited waiting for Cursive to take the stage. When the band finally stepped out, opening with “This House Alive,” the audience was quick to let their pent up energy loose. Cheering and singing along, the [...]

Waters Make a Splash at the Metro…

…venue is no cleaner for it.
The bright blond hair of Waters front man Van Pierszalowski was especially shiny against what could be generously described as the less-than-clean backdrop of the Metro in Chicago last Friday night. Supporting Delta Spirit, Waters has been keeping busy since last visiting Chicago in January. Despite what has surely been [...]

Two Gallants Ring in MLK Day in Chicago

Walking into Lincoln Hall for the Two Gallants show last Sunday, the door guy informed us that it “might be crowded in there.” Easily grabbing a table on the second floor, I thought maybe the door guy was high… until Two Gallants took the stage. The main floor filled with fans eager to hear the [...]

Waters – Impressive Band, Unimpressive Tourists

While the jam-packed crowd at Lincoln Hall was clearly not well versed in the Waters song catalog, they were instantly silenced when the Norwegian/California/Brooklyn rockers took the stage, supporting Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and push their new and first album, Out in the Light.
After two songs, Waters front man Van Pierszalowski started chatting up [...]

Maria Taylor – Leaves Chicago Crying

In general, the tag “from the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack” doesn’t set my heart a twitter with excitement. As such, I wasn’t sure what to expect walking into see Maria Taylor, whose tune “Song Beneath the Song” graced the Grey’s album, last Friday at Chicago’s Subterranean. Far from the melodrama of the television show, Taylor put [...]

The Suicide Machines – Like They Never Stopped

After breaking up in 2006, The Suicide Machines have thrown increasingly regular reunion shows together over the last few years. Riot Fest was lucky enough to be one of those shows, as Suicide Machines took the stage on the third night of the Fest at Congress Theater to support the Descendants.
Suicide Machines put on an [...]

Social Distortion – Riot Fest Openers

The thing about a band with a history as long as Social Distortion is that audiences are basically guaranteed an entertaining show. The decades of experience are more than enough to qualify them to open Riot Fest, headlining the first show on Thursday at Chicago’s Congress Theater. If that weren’t enough, there are also the [...]

New York Magazine – Epic Cover Fail

It’s no secret that I have a mild obsession with New York City. More than 2 years since my accidental return to Chicago, I maintain the unshakable belief that the Times is the only newspaper worth reading and complain that most other cities goes to bed too damn early, but I have otherwise acclimated somewhat [...]

The Walkmen – A Softer, Gentler Indie Rock

The Chicago Theater in (shocking) Chicago is something of a landmark in our fair city. I say this only because it says “Chicago” in giant, flashy letters and the image shows up in a lot of Chicago-centric movies and shows. Maybe “iconic” is a better description. In any event, the theater is a unique venue [...]

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