Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography of a Blues Legend By Jackie Kay Vintage Books Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues, liked to spend money on herself and on her friends, such as […]
Review: Dark, Rough, Brutal, and Real: Bessie Smith by Jackie Kay
Preview: Paved Paradise Is a Vinyl Lover’s Dream Come True
Summer may be on its last legs (yes I know it’s technically done), but there’s still plenty of fun to be had, especially for music lovers. There is an embarrassment of riches […]
Review: Music of the Baroque Trumpets Return to Live by Illuminating Handel
Music of the Baroque’s season-opening program virtually demanded celebratory music. The concerts on Sunday at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and Monday at the Harris Theater […]
Riot Fest 2021: Sunday in Review
Douglas Park made some noise on Sunday as Riot Fest pulled off a successful festival weekend in the COVID-era. By Sunday morning everything hurt. My body felt, well, like someone who had […]
Review: A Happy as Can Be Torres Rocked the Empty Bottle
I had originally planned to see Torres, the incredible project of Mackenzie Scott, last year, right around my birthday. Then the pandemic hit and pushed everything away. At the time Torres was […]
Riot Fest 2021: Saturday in Review
After how ever many months of being inside, the festivities at Riot Fest on Saturday showed that people are ready to have fun again. NYC art punks Les Savy Fav set the […]
Review: Lyric’s Macbeth Delivers the Sound and Fury in Return to Live Performance
Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its 2021-22 comeback season September 17 with Giuseppe Verdi’s 1847 interpretation of William Shakespeare’s 1606 play Macbeth. There have been few works of literature more apt for […]
Riot Fest 2021: Friday in Review
Riot Fest Friday attendees experienced an epic display of scorching sun, dramatic lightning, and rain shower to close the night. Entering the gates around 1 p.m. I noticed that the crowds were already […]
Review: Mannequin Pussy Captivated Lincoln Hall for Two Sold-Out Nights
After their sold out Schubas show, Philadelphia indie punk rock trio Mannequin Pussy returned to Chicago and sold out Lincoln Hall Wednesday and Thursday night! It’s both overwhelming and very exhilarating to […]
Review: Chicago Philharmonic’s Simple Gifts
Chicago Philharmonic isn’t as much of a household name on the city’s classical scene as Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Music of the Baroque. Yet the company consistently produces […]
Preview: Ear Taxi Festival Is Baaaaack!!!
The long-anticipated return of the Ear Taxi Festival started this week with a series of concerts and happenings at several venues around Chicago. The first festival in October 2016 showcased an amazingly […]
Riot Fest 2021: Preview Party in Review
It felt good to riot again. I’ll admit it, after two years away I wasn’t sure my rusty festival skills and pandemic jitters could handle a fourth day of Riot Fest. The punk rock […]
