In Between Trains: Music for Union Station
There’s something special about hearing music in a public setting when it is free and unexpected. And when it is held in a train station, especially so. It’s one thing […]
Review: Ichiko Aoba’s Beautiful Sounds Delight a Reverent Thalia Hall
There are few venues that can transform themselves for their performers as well as Thalia Hall can. Usually when going to see artists like Ichiko Aoba and Gia Margaret, you […]
Review: Allison Russell Brings a Gospel of Love, Memory and Empathy for Our Time to the Vic
In my years living and working on the North Side of Chicago, the Vic Theater has had an interesting evolution. It started as the Victoria Theatre with vaudeville shows before […]
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: Pianist Evgeny Kissin is Amazing at Symphony Center
What kind of performance has 10 curtain calls and three encores? Evgeny Kissin’s piano recital at Symphony Center on Sunday afternoon does. It was something reviewers dream to hear: a […]
Review: Deafheaven Explores Lonely People With Power at Metro
For a decade and a half, California metal band Deafheaven have been one of the more divisive bands to come through the heavy music scene. Controversial would be too strong […]
Review: The Majestic Sounds of Japanese Breakfast Flourish at the Salt Shed
It’s pretty obvious that both Chicago and the Salt Shed adore the sensational indie-pop outfit Japanese Breakfast. I get the impression that the band has a rather devoted cult following in […]
Review: Thomas Wilkins Leads the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in Symphonies by Florence Price and Antonín Dvořák
With Thomas Wilkins taking the podium, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago gave a lovely performance at Symphony Center on Monday evening. Being the professional training ensemble for the Chicago Symphony […]
Review: A Stellar Evening at Radius with Empire of the Sun
There are a handful of staple bands that undoubtedly carried the alternative music scene in the 2010s and sure enough the eclectic electronic duo, Empire of the Sun, is one […]
Review: Sadness at the End of a World, Unstaged Grief: Musicals and Mourning in Midcentury America, by Jake Johnson
The title of Jake Johnson’s latest book—Unstaged Grief: Musicals and Mourning in Midcentury America—is more than a bit jarring. It’s that part about “Musicals and Mourning” that seems so odd. […]
Review: Daniil Trifonov, Klaus Mäkelä, and the CSO Perform Brahms, Boulez, and Dvořák With Drama and Dazzle
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s music director designate Klaus Mäkelä taking the helm, CSO Artist in Residence Daniil Trifonov and the CSO gave a wonderful performance of Johannes Brahms’ Piano […]
Review: Circuit des Yeux Ushers in a New Era with Halo on the Inside
It’s always a pleasure to see local acts take the Thalia Hall stage. Even better is when you get three amazing acts like Kinsella & Pulse LLC, FACS, and Circuit […]