It’s been another banner year for music. There have been so many fantastic releases this year that it would be near impossible to rank them in a way that we would see […]
2019 in Review: What We Liked in Music, Part 1
Review: A Cinematic Pressure Cooker Boils Over in Uncut Gems
Every once in a while—and it isn’t very often, I assure you—I ask a very simple favor of anyone who takes the time to read what I have to write on a […]
Christmas Was a Blooming Rose at Two Classical Brass Concerts
The holiday concerts presented by Music of the Baroque and Chicago Philharmonic had a few things in common. Both performances were a pleasure to attend. They both featured brass instruments. Both […]
Review: Sub Urban Impresses at Schubas
Dealing with viral fame at just 19 years old is no easy task. For Sub Urban, however, it seems like a breeze. The singer-songwriter and producer, known for his hit single “Cradles,” […]
Review: Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron Return to Lost Wisdom and Share it with Thalia Hall
There was an eleven year gap between Julie Doiron and Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) Lost Wisdom albums. A whole mess of love, loss, births, and revivals have happened in the time span, […]
Review: Mercury Theater’s Nat King Cole Christmas Concert a Smooth Ride Down Memory Lane
An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas is the charming tribute concert playing through Sunday, December 15, at the Mercury’s Venus Cabaret Theater in Lakeview. It stars Evan Tyrone Martin as the crossover […]
Music of the Baroque Served Bach With Italian Seasoning, Peppered With Virtuoso Standouts
Music of the Baroque delivered an appropriately tasty concert to kick off Thanksgiving week. The November 25 performance at the Harris Theater had the self-explanatory title of Bach and the Italians, with two […]
Review: The Late Night Synths of Neon Indian
Metro was in for a very special set Saturday night from Denton, Texas, synth-pop band, Neon Indian. It had been quite a while since any new material was released by Alan Palomo […]
Review: Nellie McKay Saved a Late Start Show with a Mostly Requests Set
Nellie McKay is a true treasure. Seriously folks, ever since I stumbled upon her album way back in 2004 in a music thread on an old comic book forum (jinxworld to be […]
The Lyric’s Don Giovanni Turns the Table on Opera’s Most Infamous Sex Abuser
It may seem odd that Don Giovanni, the opera premiered by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787, has taken on new social relevance more than 230 years later. But the recently increased awareness […]
Review: Indie Queen Angel Olsen Reigns at Riviera
Angel Olsen may have been fighting a cold during her show last night at the Riviera, but that didn’t stop her inner queen from shining through. “I have a case of the […]
Review: A Night of Excellent Psychedelic Trips with Crumb
There are few bands as alluring as Crumb. Their mixing of elements from jazz, psychedelia and indie pop into a hazy package has garnered them a pretty substantial following. After a few […]
