San Francisco – Chris Baio now finds himself in somewhat of a unique position, at least amongst his bandmates. The bassist for the unstoppable indie quartet Vampire Weekend may not be as recognizable as frontman Ezra Koenig or keyboardist/producer to the “indie elite” Rostam Batmanglij, but things are looking bright for the multi-talented Baio, seeing
Chicago – The final day of Riot Fest was a beaut! The sun was shining, the mud was drying, the temps were rising, and the legendary Jimmy Cliff graced Douglas Park with his presence. (I know, right, Jimmy effin-cliff! His set was fantastic, by the way.) More importantly, Sunday proved to be one lucky band’s day, earning them my
Chicago – M.U.D. That’s what day two of Riot Fest was all about. Lots and lots and lots ‘o mud! Another morning of pouring rain left Douglas Park even squishier and dirtier than before. Everywhere you turned people could be seen slipping and sliding from stage to stage, to see and hear a myriad of
Chicago – As per tradition, it rained on the first day of Riot Fest. We’re talking pour down, smack you dead in the face, rain, which of course left Douglas Park nice and muddy – day two will be no exception. As I write this, cats and dogs are falling – but the mud just
Chicago – It’s a good thing The Grateful Dead retired because there’s a new supreme jam band in town. Impossible you say? Obviously you’ve not yet had the pleasure of seeing the tongue twisting Australian seven-piece King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard then. A concert buddy highly recommended these psychedelic rockers to me, so when I saw
Los Angeles – At the Teragram Ballroom, Mystic Braves’ headlining show felt like two completely different shows. While the headlining act are known for their psychedelic 60’s throwback sound and attracted a more mature audience, the night’s opening act spewed pure youthful energy as the main draw for a significant portion of the under-18 crowd
Chicago – After months of speculation of whether or not Riot Fest would bring music to the punk rock, emo loving, not your cookie-cutter masses, thanks to a move from Humboldt Park to Douglas Park on the city’s South Side and a last-minute lawsuit, it seems we finally have the last festival of the summer on our hands. Although, September
Seattle – The final day of Bumbershoot had a lot to live up to after the outstanding performances Best New Bands saw on Saturday and Sunday. But thanks to the appearances of talented local artists, up-and-coming national acts, and globally celebrated musicians, Monday closed out the renowned arts and music festival with a bang.
Chicago – Back in 2013, when L.A. punk rockers FIDLAR released their self-titled debut, the foursome quickly built a reputation for partying it up (perhaps a little too hard) and letting loose on stage (never too hard on this end though), making for one of the best live shows around, complete with massive mosh pits
Seattle – After the high energy from Bumbershoot’s opening day – largely thanks to the stellar lineup of acts – Sunday kicked off with full force as festivalgoers enthuiastically walked through the gates of Seattle Center. People had already staked out their patch of lawn at various stages, spreading blankets over the grass and ready