Sometimes a musician bursts onto the scene and they take you back in history to a time that was so influential that it’s hard not to make comparisons. Joe Pug is that type of musician. “He’s like a young Bob Dylan” were the first words I wrote about the singer a couple years ago. As
I saw several hundred bands in 2011. I had no idea how to narrow it down to the top 5 best live performances (in no particular order until the final one) I saw this year, but here is my attempt. I am going with my gut and my memory, those shows that stick out in
Whenever a band or musician says that “tonight’s crowd is the best” I always have a tendency to question how true that actually is. However, last night when both Cory Branan and Dave Hause made that bold statement about the crowd at Schubas I believed them. Dave said it the best when he commented that
I always feel that on the day of a big show something, if not everything has a tendency to go wrong. Last night was no exception, seeing as I misplaced my wallet and had to pull pennies together, with help of my roommates, to be able to feed a meter to park my car. Of
I was fortunate enough to catch The Postelles open for
I am a true believer that music can change your mood for the better, and that’s exactly what happened this past Tuesday when I saw The Lumineers at Villan’s in Chicago. I was having “one of those days” when I received an email that said The Lumineers, were in Chicago for one night only. Having
Trekking to Reggie’s, which is located on the far end of Chicago’s South Loop, is usually a task I only do for those can’t miss shows, Guards and Deer Tick was just that. Reggie’s has the appeal of a warehouse that someones’ mom came in and spruced up a bit. Exposed brick walls and cage
Looking at the line outside Chicago’s Subterranean wrap around the block was a great sight to witness as I walked up to the sold out The Wombats show Saturday night. While I waited in line, I had the opportunity to hear a local talk about the significance of the venue. He compared the inside to
I’m a huge believer that the crowd is a main factor in live shows, however on certain special nights in certain venues bands can help bring you into their bubble where the sound is the only thing encompassing you. That is exactly what happened this past Thursday during Yawn‘s set at The Empty Bottle in
Three encores later and just shy of 2 hours of straight music playing, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers (Sk6ers) played their last notes to close out an amazing first of two nights at Lincoln Hall in Chicago this past Saturday. Having been to several Sk6ers shows in the past I knew I would have a