Cuddlestock
There’s a tall guy named Pat with dark black hair and a dark black beard who shows up at a lot of …
Dave Davies at Evanston Space
In 2003, I saw a cool concert by Dave Davies of the Kinks at the Abbey Pub, but a year later, the news …
Diarrhea Planet at the Beat Kitchen
First off, it seems impossible to write about the band Diarrhea Planet without commenting on its name. These rockers from Nashville must’ve …
Neutral Milk Hotel at the Canopy Club
Until last year, concert audiences hadn’t heard from Jeff Mangum in years. Neutral Milk Hotel’s singer-songwriter finally emerged out of what seemed …
Bill Callahan at Alhambra Palace
Bill Callahan returned to Chicago on Monday for his second concert of the year in this city. Both of his 2013 Chicago …
Lee Ranaldo and the Dust
While Sonic Youth remains on indefinite hiatus, the group’s members have been quite busy with other projects. Lee Ranaldo, who played in …
Mark Lanegan and ‘Mack the Knife’
One of the highlights of Mark Lanegan’s enchanting concert tonight at the Old Town School of Folk Music was his performance of …
Ólafur Arnalds at Constellation
Constellation — Mike Reed’s music and arts venue in the old Viaduct Theatre space — has been hosting some interesting concerts since opening …
Nick Lowe at Space
With his last several albums, Nick Lowe has settled into a new phase of his career: more of a mellow crooner than …
Billy Bragg at Space
“Americana is country music for people who like the Smiths,” Billy Bragg said during his concert Friday (Sept. 17) at Space in …
Laura Veirs at Schubas
You can count on Laura Veirs. She’s had a string of records filled with alluring songs, and her latest album (her ninth) …
Centro-matic at Schubas
When you see concerts week in and week out at the same venues, you start to take them for granted. I haven’t …
Pere Ubu at the Empty Bottle
“Like the Rolling Stones, we’re getting back to our club roots,” David Thomas, the lead singer and mastermind of Pere Ubu, said …
Disappears and Weekend at the Empty Bottle
With its new album, Era, the Chicago band Disappears continues to make loud, churning kraut rock with an unsettled, occasionally menacing air …
Riot Fest Recap
I’ve never been in a riot I’ve never been in a fight I’ve never been in anything That turns out right — …
Riot Fest Day 3: Photos
Photos from the third day of Riot Fest, Sept. 15, 2013, in Humboldt Park, Chicago. See: photos from Day 1 / Photos from …
Riot Fest Day 2: Photos
Photos from the second day of Riot Fest, Sept. 14, 2013, in Humboldt Park, Chicago. See: photos from Day 1 / Photos from Day 3 / Photos …
Riot Fest Day 1: Photos
Photos from the first day of Riot Fest, Sept. 13, 2013, in Humboldt Park, Chicago. See: Photos from Day 2 / Photos from Day 3 / Photos …
Replacements reunion
For some reason that I cannot recall, I did not see the Replacements when I had a chance to see them play …
Replacements at Riot Fest: Photos
Photos of the Replacements in concert Sept. 15, 2013, at Riot Fest in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. Click here to read my review of …
Station to Station
A train filled is crossing the country, bringing art installations and live music to stations in eight cities. The project, organized by artist …
Recap: The Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest
Almost without fail, the Hideout Block Party is one of the summer’s most entertaining festivals — and that hasn’t changed over the …
Superchunk at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest
Photos of Superchunk performing Sept. 7, 2013, at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest. Related: Recap of the festival and photos of more bands …
Girl Group Chicago at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest
Photos of Girl Group Chicago and the Revelettes performing Sept. 7, 2013, at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest. (with an appearance by Gina Bloom …
Neko Case at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest
Photos of Neko Case and her band, playing Sept. 6, 2013, at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest. Related: Recap of the festival and …
Mavis Staples at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest
Photos of Mavis Staples Sept. 6, 2013, at the Hideout Block Party/A.V. Fest. Related: Recap of the festival and photos of more bands / Photos …
Jack DeJohnette at Chicago Jazz Fest
After decades of using Grant Park’s Petrillo Bandshell as its main stage, the Chicago Jazz Festival has finally moved to a classier, …
Heavy Times at the Empty Bottle
It seems like most of my friends who are regular Chicago concertgoers have seen the local band Heavy Times a bunch of …
Jeff Parker-Nels Cline Quartet
Jeff Parker and Nels Cline, two virtuoso guitarists who are fluent in both jazz and rock, played together Aug. 8 at the …
Lollapalooza Photos
I took photos last weekend at Lollapalooza for The A.V. Club. Over on The A.V. Club’s Flickr page, you can see my …
Wicker Park Fest photos
I took photos for The A.V. Club on July 27 and 28 at Wicker Park Fest. You can see the photos from …
Cross Record’s farewell to Chicago
For a Chicagoan, it’s always sad to see a good musician moving away from the city. Saturday night at the Double Door …
The Handsome Family at Pritzker
It’s always a joy when the Handsome Family, who once called Chicago their home, return to this city for a concert. “We …
Pitchfork Music Festival 2013
See my photos of the 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival for The A.V. Club: Days 1, 2 and 3. I’ve included photos in this …
Fatoumata Diawara at Square Roots
Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara put on a fantastic show Saturday (July 13) at the Square Roots street festival in Lincoln Square. She …
Big Star’s Third in Concert
Back when I discovered the music of Big Star as a college student, my first impression was that the band’s first two …
Matmos and Fonema Consort at Pritzker
Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion hosts a series of free concerts on Thursday evenings called “Loops and Variations,” which brings together electronic experimental …
Solid Sound, Part 4
My recap of Solid Sound 2013, continued from blog posts 1, 2 and 3… The Solid Sound festival also featured rousing soul …
Solid Sound, Part 3
Read more about Solid Sound and see more photos in Parts 1, 2 and 4 My last two blog posts about Solid …
Solid Sound, Part 2
Read more about Solid Sound and see more photos in Parts 1, 3 and 4 Given the fact that Solid Sound was …
Solid Sound, Part 1
Read more about Solid Sound and see more photos in the rest of my report: Parts 2, 3 and 4 Wilco’s home base is …
Dr. John at Blues on the Fox
Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack, aka “The Night Tripper”) won some well-deserved attention last year, thanks to a terrific album called Locked Down. …
The Bats at Schubas
Some bands really make you wait. The Bats, a New Zealand band that formed in 1982, went for 19 years without visiting …
Jason Isbell at Ribfest
Jason Isbell, who sang and played guitar in the Drive-By Truckers back when the band had three great singer-songwriters in its lineup, …
Sharon Van Etten at the Pritzker Pavilion
The last time I saw a headline set by singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten was Feb. 17, 2012, at Lincoln Hall. As I …
Speck Mountain at the Pritzker Pavilion
One of the delightful things about seeing a concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is watching the performers themselves …
Lee Ranaldo and Marc Ribot at Pritzker
Despite unseasonably chilly temperatures, the summer concert season got off to a stellar start May 27, with the year’s first show in …
Laura Marling at the Athenaeum
Laura Marling was alone on the Athenaeum’s stage Thursday night (May 23), standing in a white spotlight with a dark expanse of …
Blackout Fest
Hozac Records’ Blackout Fest was back this past weekend for another round of garage rock, power pop and other mostly raw and …