Review: An Energized Cat Ridgeway Rocks Subterranean
After my delightful interview with Cat Ridgeway last weekend, as well as several spins of her latest record, Sprinter, I was very excited to see her perform at Subterranean on […]
Anthony Cusumano is a comedy writer, performer, and producer based in Chicago. In 2023, he launched The DnA Sketch Show, a recurring variety show, and in 2024 he wrote and directed the critically acclaimed musical Miracle at Century High School.
Interview: Cat Ridgeway Is Bringing Good Vibes to Subterranean
When Orlando-based singer-songwriter Cat Ridgeway and I scheduled an interview for 9 in the morning on a Saturday ahead of her show this Wednesday at Subterranean, I lamented losing an […]
Review: Second City’s This Too Shall Slap Is a Knockout
For 66 years, Second City has set the standard for sketch comedy in Chicago and beyond. Its Mainstage shows are rooted in the theater’s long-perfected formula—a two-hour mix of political […]
Review: Johnnyswim Leaves It All at the Vic
The best thing about working with your significant other is being around your favorite person all the time. The worst thing about working with your significant other is…see above. But […]
Review: Archer Oh Hits the Mark at Cobra Lounge
Anyone who thinks that 2025 does not offer the appropriate musical landscape for a gritty garage rock hybrid of early Nirvana, Weezer, and the Smiths hasn’t heard California’s Archer Oh. […]
Review: Benny Bingo & the Evangelikids Is an H-E-Double Hockey Sticks of a Good Time at Annoyance Theatre
Any child who grew up in a household where Zoom was considered too scandalous probably spent their limited TV time watching shows in which a cast of precocious kids—accompanied by […]
Review: U Should C Happy 2 B Here at the Annoyance Theatre
In most fields, calling someone or something “dumb” is an insult. Clients don’t want a “dumb” lawyer to handle their case. Authors aren’t going to include a critic’s “This book […]
Review: Disaster Kid Takes Flight With Gentle Rare Bird EP
Last April, Chicago-based Disaster Kid retreated to a Wisconsin cabin and recorded half a dozen songs in just five days. From that session emerges the reflective Rare Bird EP, humbly […]
Dialogs: Paul Reiser Reflects on His Career —“I Didn’t Plan Any of This Shit”—at Chicago Humanities Event
“I didn’t plan any of this shit.” That was Paul Reiser’s hilarious and refreshingly honest assessment of the long—and still ongoing—list of accomplishments in a career spanning over four decades. […]
Review: Filter and Jerry Cantrell Eclipse ’90s Nostalgia at the Vic
Acclaimed ’90s rockers Jerry Cantrell and Richard Patrick have every reason to rest on their laurels. On Sunday night at the Vic Theatre, they chose not to. Cantrell, best known […]
Review: Sierra Spirit Moves Audiences at Chicago Theatre
First impressions matter, and Sierra Spirit wanted to make a good one for her Chicago debut Sunday night. After commanding the Chicago Theatre crowd’s attention with the hypnotically assertive opener […]
Preview: Singer-Songwriter Sierra Spirit Wants to Make a Connection at Chicago Theatre
Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, and, more recently, Taylor Swift. These renowned musicians have transcended what it means to be songwriters—they’re storytellers whose evocative lyrics intertwine with intriguing melodies […]