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D.C. posthardcore legends Jawbox hit the road for the first time in 21 years
It’s a cliche to describe rock as “angular,” but it’s shorter than saying “influenced by a handful of important D.C. posthardcore bands, including Jawbox.” Formed in 1989 by vocalist and guitarist J....
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Boston singer-songwriter Sidney Gish confronts the complexity of life with...
Few emerging songwriters have captivated me in quite the same way as Boston’s Sidney Gish. On her breakout album, 2017’s No Dogs Allowed, she confronts her life experience with wit and fun, using...
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Nilüfer Yanya conquers pop, rock, and the universe
On the new double album Miss Universe (ATO), British singer Nilüfer Yanya straddles the line between indie rock and pop. It’s catchy, hip, and radio ready, with a perfect production sheen that helps...
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Chicago ensemble Resavoir show how jazz can help all of pop music grow
Over the past few years, trumpeter Will Miller has beavered away on a bedroom jazz project called Resavoir while juggling other gigs, most notably in popular country-soul group Whitney. About a year...
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“Weird Al” unleashes his inner conductor for the symphonic Strings Attached tour
“Weird Al” Yankovic . . . with a symphony?…
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Connecticut psych freaks the Mountain Movers add more noise-rock to their...
The Mountain Movers are among my current faves, because they know how to freak the fuck out. Formed in the mid-2000s, the Connecticut band started as a showcase for the songs of New Haven indie rocker...
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The Legendary Shack Shakers bring their harmonica-driven punk stomp back to...
Led by charismatic vocalist and harmonica player J.D. Wilkes, the Legendary Shack Shakers present an interesting take on the psychobilly theme. Formed in Kentucky and now based in Nashville, this...
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Barcelona’s Alma Afrobeat Ensemble keep the spirit of Afrobeat going strong
For the fourth year in a row, Barcelona-based guitarist Aaron Feder brings his Alma Afrobeat Ensemble on a U.S. tour. The group, which Feder founded in Champaign-Urbana in 2003, consists of members...
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Mom's at Politan Row turns the table on Japanese 'Western food'
Chefs Randi Howry and Kelly Ijichi tap a nostalgia in the making. I promise I'm not just going to write about food hall vendors for the rest of my life, but this summer it feels like I could. Much...
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Ghost Quartet offers four musical “sides” to love, loss, and friendship
Black Button Eyes gives Dave Malloy’s gleefully haunting song cycle an absorbing production. Black Button Eyes Productions presents the Chicago premiere of Dave Malloy's 2014 song cycle, which...
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Diana Coates is second to none in Henry V
Perfect casting in the title role saves First Folio’s production from a conceptual misstep. Shakespeare's Henry V is very much a play of words not action, this despite being a play about war...
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It’s 1893 all over again in “Sean Masterson’s Timeless Magic”
The acts are up close and personal, but the magic feels real at the Chicago Magic Lounge. You've heard of going through the looking glass? The Chicago Magic Lounge takes you through the laundromat.…
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The Tempest offers gender commentary with a light touch
Midsommer Flight’s free outdoor production proves to be a relevant romance. A weekend marked by extreme heat and storms makes the cataclysm at the outset of The Tempest hit home. But even without that...
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Dystopian horror hides in the creepy undergrowth of Pomona
Alistair McDowall’s thriller at Steep plants seeds of money, violence, sex, death . . . and Dungeons and Dragons. A woman's search for her missing sister becomes a twisted fable of money, violence,...
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Teatro ZinZanni proves that variety shows are the spice of life
Love, Chaos & Dinner offers a delicious feast of comedy, thrills, and music. Teatro ZinZanni's Chicago premiere of Love, Chaos & Dinner is a delightfully schizophrenic extravaganza. Occupying...
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Connecticut screamo enigmas Jeromes Dream reunite after 17 years for an...
Of all the east-coast bands that helped sharpen screamo into a definitive style in the late 90s, Connecticut three-piece Jeromes Dream have the most compelling mystique—especially for fans who never...
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Take a rocket ride with Space Ace Frehley
Even as a dedicated member of the Kiss Army, I understand that Gene Simmons and crew have provided plenty of ammo for trash talkers. But it’s really hard to hate on lead guitarist Paul “Ace” Frehley.…
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Art-pop icon Bryan Ferry plays a full-album set of Roxy Music’s Avalon
Decades ago, Bryan Ferry succumbed to an ailment that I’ve dubbed “Cheap Trick Syndrome”: that is, when young, hungry artists winkingly dive into a genre with tongue planted firmly in cheek but...
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Emerging local trio Aweful ooze the spirit of classic punk
In a world of primping Bachelorette contestants and flowery Insta influencers, a badass rocker such as Traci Trouble can feel like a true heroine. Trouble has been a reliable contributor to Chicago...
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Saint Louis sludge lords Fister pick up the pace on No Spirit Within
Ten years in business, these Saint Louis-based sludge machines attempt the delicate task of balancing a what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach with the ability to surprise. Their 2011 full-length...
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