Chicago Is Lit: Poetry Brothel and More December Events
Chicago’s literary scene heats up this weekend at the relaunch of the Poetry Brothel’s local chapter. For those who like their poetry with a side of burlesque, this event bills […]
Review: Netflix Doc The Greatest Night in Pop Goes Behind the Mic for the Creation of “We Are the World”
I was never a huge fan of the song “We Are the World,” but any time that video started playing on MTV, I dropped what I was doing and watched […]
Review: New Documentary Allows Action Star Sylvester Stallone the Chance To Reflect on His Career, Family and Choices
Sly is less a straight documentary about the life and times of Sylvester Stallone and more of a cautionary tale that poses the very real possibility that you can’t have […]
Review: The Boss Explores Mortality, Reflects on a Long Career in Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You
In the first 10 years or so of Bruce Springsteen’s recording career, a common criticism about his albums is that he had a tendency to underplay and over-sing, undoubtedly the […]
Review: Up From the Streets is New Orleans’ Massive Music History in One Heartfelt Documentary
Subtitled New Orleans: The City of Music, Up From the Streets is a documentary from Michael Murphy (Make It Funky!) that attempts nothing short of giving a primer on the entire […]
Review: Looking Back on Life as Bandmates in Stirring, Nostalgic Once Were Brothers
I’ll fully admit, I happen to think The Band is one of the greatest musical acts of all time, with one of the most fascinating backstories ever told. Hell, they […]
Reader’s Choice–Your Favorites of 2019
This time of year, there’s a lot of looking back –for better or worse. We see what worked and what didn’t, what we want more of and what we want […]
2019 in Review: Best Documentary Films of the Year
The reason I separate out documentaries into their own Best of the Year list is not because I feel they should be judged differently than feature films, but because I […]
Review: Bruce Springsteen In Concert—And Deep Thought—in Western Stars
Over the last few years, Bruce Springsteen has taken his skills as a teller of other people’s stories and turned that into a trio of deeply considered and endlessly moving […]
Review: Long Walk Home: Reflections On Bruce Springsteen Is a Love Letter to His Life and Work
Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen Edited by Jonathan D. Cohen and June Skinner Sawyers Rutgers University Press He’s called the Boss—and a new book out from Rutgers University Press aims […]
TCR Mixtape #40: Springsteen at 70, Music Curated by Three Longtime Chicago Fans
Bruce Springsteen’s legions of fans worldwide don’t need a reason to play his music. We listen to it every day. At home, while walking, driving, biking or breathing. But his […]
Review: Blinded by the Light Revels in Youth, Dreams and Springsteen
Causing a sizable splash at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the latest work from filmmaker Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, Viceroy’s House) is not a film […]