1. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Soul of a Woman (Daptone) In the year before she died of pancreatic cancer in 2016, this astounding soul singer recorded one last album, and it’s flat-out terrific — a testament to Jones’ indomitable spirit and the enduring power of the soul music genre Continue Reading
Chad VanGaalen at the Empty Bottle
Chad VanGaalen, a singer-songwriter from Calgary, Alberta, makes his recordings practically alone, writing every note and playing nearly every instrument. VanGaalen’s most recent album on Sub Pop, Light Information, offers an outstanding example of what he does so well: richly layered indie rock, with tuneful melodies but plenty of strange Continue Reading
Jon Langford’s Four Lost Souls at the Hideout
Oct. 11 was Jon Langford’s 60th birthday, and it was also the date of a release party at the Hideout for his latest record. Of course, this prolific Chicago musician who never seems to stop creating would spend his birthday on a stage. His latest project is a great one: Continue Reading
Hideout Block Party 2017
I missed the first day and a half of the Hideout Block Party this weekend — I was in Louisville for the Cropped Out music festival — but I got back into Chicago on Sunday afternoon and caught the final few hours of the Hideout’s fun shindig, which I was Continue Reading
Cropped Out 2017
Cropped Out, an underground music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, lined up a blockbuster band for the top of its lineup this summer: The Fall. I was already eager to attend Cropped Out again after having a fun time there last year, and this sealed the deal. Alas, The Fall later Continue Reading
Freakons at the Hideout and the Shitty Barn
When the Mekons teamed up with Freakwater, of course they called themselves the Freakons. As they’ve joked, the other option was Meekwater, a far less formidable-sounding portmanteau. Actually, this collaborative group — which played a few shows last week, recording one of them for a forthcoming album — doesn’t include Continue Reading
Steve Dawson’s Hideout residency
Steve Dawson — a talented Chicago singer-songwriter, bandleader, teacher, producer, author and all-around good guy — is in the middle of a September residency at the Hideout, playing three shows at the venue on Monday nights. On Sept. 4, Dawson and his band Dolly Varden played their excellent 2007 album Continue Reading
Youssou N’Dour at Millennium Park
My photos from the splendid concert by the legendary Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour on Thursday, Aug. 10, at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion:
Amadou and Mariam plus Frank Waln at the Pritzker Pavilion
Amadou and Mariam played a truly delightful concert of lively music from Mali on Monday, July 24, at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion. I’m looking forward to the duo’s new album, La Confusion, coming out September 22. The opening act was Frank Waln, a hip-hop artist of Lakota heritage, who Continue Reading
Jason Molina tribute at the Hideout
Chicago journalist Erin Osmon has a new book about the life of a great singer-songwriter who died in 2013 — Jason Molina: Riding With the Ghost. Last week at Chicago’s Hideout (July 22), Osmon read some passages from her biography — readings that served as introductions to performances by many Continue Reading
Drive-By Truckers at the Pritzker Pavilion
The Drive-By Truckers played a rousing free concert on Thursday, July 20, at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion — performing about half of the songs from their terrific 2016 album American Band, along with a cover of the Ramones’ “The KKK Took My Baby Away,” and, of course, some of Continue Reading
Pitchfork Music Festival 2017
I’ve been moaning for years about how seldom two of my favorite musical artists — the Feelies and PJ Harvey — play in Chicago. One of the great things about being a music fan in Chicago is that you get a chance to see just about every touring artist. But there Continue Reading
Pitchfork Music Festival 2017: Day 3 Photos
Photos from July 16, 2017, the third day of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, Chicago. (Click on these links to jump ahead to the photos of an artist: Kilo Kish, Colin Stetson, NE-HI, Derrick Carter, Isaiah Rashad, Joey Purp, Hamilton Leithauser, Ride, Jamila Woods, American Football and Continue Reading
Pitchfork Music Festival 2017: Day 2 Photos
Photos from July 15, 2017, the second day of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, Chicago. (Click on these links to jump ahead to the photos of an artist: Jeff Rosenstock, Weyes Blood, Cherry Glazerr, Arab Strap, Mitski, George Clinton, The Feelies, Angel Olsen, PJ Harvey and A Continue Reading
Pitchfork Music Festival 2017: Day 1 Photos
Photos from July 14, 2017, the first day of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, Chicago. (Click on these links to jump ahead to the photos of an artist: Madame Gandhi, Priests, Dawn Richard, Hiss Golden Messenger, William Tyler, Vince Staples, Thurston Moore, Danny Brown, Kamaiyah, Dirty Projectors Continue Reading
Solid Sound Festival 2017
As promised, Wilco performed its 1996 album Being There from beginning to end on Friday, June 23. Being There had won an online poll asking Wilco fans which of the band’s records it should perform on the opening night of Solid Sound, a festival Wilco curates every other year at Continue Reading
Negative Scanner and Sweet Cobra at Bric-a-Brac
Negative Scanner — one of my favorite rock bands in Chicago these days — played a great free show on Saturday, June 10, at Bric-a-Brac Records. It was part of the fourth anniversary party at Bric-a-Bric & Collectibles, a shop where live garage rock is a regular occurrence. Singer-guitarist Rebecca Continue Reading
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Detroit’s Masonic Temple
Why did I go to Detroit to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, rather than attending their concert next week in Chicago? Well, for one thing, I wanted an excuse for a road trip to Detroit. But I also discovered that the tickets for Cave’s June 3 show at Continue Reading
Arbouretum and Brokeback at Schubas
Arbouretum The Baltimore band Arbouretum has been playing heavy, rootsy guitar rock for about decade now, making several strong records on the Thrill Jockey label. On Arbouretum’s latest album, Song of the Rose, the group continues forging the sort of music it always has: songs rooted in folk rock with Continue Reading
Jambinai at the Empty Bottle
Jambinai was one of my favorite bands at SXSW in 2014, playing epic music that mixed rock instruments with traditional Korean instruments. The South Korean band came to Chicago for the first time ever last week, playing May 18 at the Empty Bottle, and the concert showed once again that Continue Reading
Erwin Helfer at the Hungry Brain
As he sat down behind the piano at the Hungry Brain on May 16, the 81-year-old Chicago pianist Erwin Helfer introduced himself to the 20 or so people in the club. “This is the Erwin Helfer trio — me, the piano and the stool,” he said, displaying his wry sense of humor. Continue Reading
Big Ears Festival 2017
(Links to Big Ears Festival photo galleries) The Norwegian composer and violinist Nils Økland summed up the spirit of the Big Ears Festival when he spoke to the big crowd applauding his music at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Knoxville, Tennessee. “You come here to hear things you don’t know Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos of Nils Økland
(See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Nils Økland Band March 24, 2017, at St. John’s Cathedral Nils Økland and Mats Eilertsen March 26, 2017, at the Standard More Big Ears Festival coverage: Read my main blog post about Big Ears Festival 2017. Photos from Day 1 (Carla Bley with the Knoxville Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos of the Gavin Bryars Ensemble
(See more Big Ears Festival coverage) March 25, 2017, at St. John’s Cathedral Performing Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet on March 26, 2017, at the Mill and Mine Performing The Sinking of the Titanic on March 26, 2017, at the Tennessee Theatre More Big Ears Festival coverage: Read my Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos of Wilco
(See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Wilco March 24, 2017, at the Tennessee Theatre Jeff Tweedy with Chikamorachi March 25, 2017, at the Mill and Mine — Chikamorachi is Darin Gray (upright bass) and Chris Corsano (drums) On Fillmore March 26, 2017, at the Standard. On Fillmore is Glenn Kotche and Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos from Day 4
Photos from Day 4 of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 26, 2017. (See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Pauline Oliveros’ ‘Rock Piece’ Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Directed by Aram Demirjian Oliver Coates St. John’s Choral Evensong Colleen Henry Threadgill’s Zooid More Big Ears Festival coverage: Read my Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos from Day 3
Photos from Day 3 of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 25, 2017. (See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Lisa Moore Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of ‘Twin Peaks’ Musica Elettronica Viva Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum and Frederic Rzweski Joan Shelley Colin Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos from Day 2
Photos from Day 2 of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 24, 2017. (See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Maya Beiser Matmos Performing Robert Ashley’s Perfect Lives (Private Parts) Robyn Hitchcock Gyan Riley Richard Teitelbaum Ståle Storløkken and Arve Henriksen Jóhann Johannsson Drone Mass featuring ACME and Theatre Continue Reading
Big Ears: Photos from Day 1
Photos from Day 1 of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 23, 2017. (See more Big Ears Festival coverage) Carla Bley with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra Emilia Amper Matana Roberts Anna Meredith My Brightest Diamond Blonde Redhead More Big Ears Festival coverage: Read my main blog post about Continue Reading
Thigh Master at the Hideout
Thigh Master, a rock band from Brisbane, Australia, played on Friday, March 10, at the Hideout — and like so many of the Australian bands I’ve heard lately, these guys played scrappy garage rock. I did notice a few artsy touches in the interlaced guitar melodies — nothing quite as Continue Reading
Robbie Fulks’ Final Hideout Residency Shows: Photo Gallery
My photos of the final three shows in Robbie Fulks’ seven-year-long series of Monday-night concerts at the Hideout. (Read my blog post about the finale of Fulks’ epic residency.) February 6, 2017: With Nora O’Connor February 20, 2017: With High Plains Jamboree February 27, 2017: With Robbie Gjersoe
Seven Years of Robbie Fulks at the Hideout on Mondays
In January 2010, Chicago’s Hideout announced that singer-songwriter-guitarist Robbie Fulks was going to play a series of four concerts at this cozy little nightclub. He was on the schedule for every Monday night in February. On Twitter, I commented: “Cool!” Little did I know what I was in for. As Continue Reading
Best Films of 2016
1. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, U.S.) — A masterpiece on many levels, the deeply engaging and empathetic Moonlight has extraordinary writing, acting, directing, cinematography, sound and music. The central character barely speaks a word at times, but the three actors playing him at various ages still manage to communicate so much with Continue Reading
Big Thief at Schubas
The Brooklyn band Big Thief released a great album last year called Masterpiece — and the group, led by singer-songwriter-guitarist Adrianne Lenker, was even more impressive in concert last week at Schubas. Big Thief played Jan. 11, as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival. The band was missing one of Continue Reading
Mirror of Nature at the Hungry Brain
I’ve written before about my friend Jason Shanley, who performs guitar and electronic music under the name Cinchel. He is part of a new group called Mirror of Nature, which performed a cool set of improvised instrumental music on Jan. 7 at the Hungry Brain. Cinchel’s guitar, Mike Weis’ drums, Continue Reading
Favorite Concerts of 2016
1. Bill Callahan Sept. 26 during the Cropped Out festival at the American Turners Club in Louisville. After 7 p.m., as the sun was going down, Callahan walked out onto the American Turner Club’s deck next to the Ohio River, where a small crowd had gathered for his performance. As Callahan Continue Reading
Favorite Albums of 2016
1. David Bowie: Blackstar The year began with the sound of David Bowie, sounding as alien and inventive as he ever had. The mysterious and wondrous title track that opened his new album, “Blackstar,” arrived first in the form of a 10-minute video — a beautiful science-fiction film in miniature, Continue Reading
Joan Shelley at the Hideout
Joan Shelley’s album Over and Even was my favorite record of 2015, , so of course I’m thrilled to hear that she’s working on a new album. She mentioned this during her concert on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Hideout, where she sprinkled some of the new material amid a nice Continue Reading
Ultimate Painting at the Hideout
The British duo Ultimate Painting keeps turning out one splendid record after another — three albums in the past three years. James Hoare and Jack Cooper’s newest collection, Dusk (on Chicago label Trouble in Mind), is basically more of the same: pretty little pop gems with glittering, interlaced guitar lines Continue Reading
Makoto and Nakatani at the Empty Bottle, plus Spires and Brian Case
Two master musicians from Japan — guitarist Kawabata Makoto, who’s the leader of Acid Mothers Temple, and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani — created a beautiful instrumental epic onstage at the Empty Bottle on Nov. 29. Both used bows at many points during the concert, with Makoto bowing the strings of his electric guitar Continue Reading
Poster Children at Schubas
Sadly, I arrived a bit late for the Poster Children’s early concert on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at Schubas. Rather than barging my way to the front of the crowded room during this sold-out show, I stayed in the back corner — which turned out to be a pretty good spot Continue Reading
Joshua Abrams’ Hideout residency
The masterful Chicago musician Joshua Abrams played five concerts at the Hideout in November, playing with different collaborators on each Tuesday night. The one constant was the group he calls Natural Information Society Residency — but even that ensemble has a shifting lineup. It’s essentially a setting for Abrams to Continue Reading
Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift at City Winery
Many of the songs Robyn Hitchcock played on Thursday, Nov. 17, at City Winery in Chicago had been chosen ahead of time by his fans. “All these songs were democratically elected,” Hitchcock remarked during his concert. “But it could have been voted on by a Russian…” Donald Trump’s victory in Continue Reading
Finally… a Record by The Flat Five
The debut album by the Flat Five, It’s a World of Love and Hope, is a strange and wonderful thing. I doubt you’ll hear any other record this year that sounds anything like this. It feels like a throwback to some other era … but when, exactly? And what exactly is this? Continue Reading
Abraham Levitan + Devin Davis = Teletype
Eleven years ago, Chicago singer-songwriter Devin Davis released one of my favorite records of 2005, Lonely People of the World, Unite! — a one-man studio masterpiece — and I’ve been waiting for another Devin Davis record ever since. He’s told me that he’s been working on music, but not to Continue Reading
The Rev. Al Green
This is one of those things people tell you do to when you’re in Memphis: Go see the famous soul singer Al Green at the church he founded. On Sunday, Oct. 2, I was heading back home to Chicago after attending Gonerfest, a three-day punk and garage-rock party in Memphis. Continue Reading
Ardent Studios
Jody Stephens, the drummer for the legendary band Big Star, kindly agreed to let me tag along Sept. 30, 2016, on a private tour he was giving at Ardent Studios — the Memphis recording studio where Big Star made its classic records, along with countless other artists over the years, including Continue Reading
Gonerfest 2016 Day 3: Nighttime Show
My photos of the nighttime show at the Hi Tone on Oct. 1, 2016, the third day of Gonerfest in Memphis, featuring emcee Tom Scharpling, Couteau Latex, Sick Thoughts, Bloodshot Bill, Control Freaks, Midnight Snaxxx and Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds. Also see: My roundup of Gonerfest and Continue Reading
Gonerfest 2016 Day 3: Daytime Party
My photos from the daytime party at Murphy’s on Oct. 1, 2016, at Gonerfest in Memphis, featuring Casual Burn, Bloodbags, Fire Retarded, Archie & The Bunkers, Iron Head, Zerodent, Oh Boland, Bloody Show, The World and Spray Paint. Also see: My roundup of Gonerfest and my visit to Memphis More Continue Reading
Gonerfest 2016 Day 2: Nighttime Show
My photos from the nighttime show at the Hi Tone on Sept. 30, 2016, the second day of Gonerfest in Memphis, featuring Opposite Sex, Aquarian Blood, Power, Buck Biloxi and the Fucks, the Blind Shake and Black Lips. Also see: My roundup of Gonerfest and my visit to Memphis More Continue Reading