10/25/07
Cabaret Metro in Chicago
Man, oh man what happened to this band? The last time I saw them, they were playing with raw intensity inside The Empty Bottle about four years ago. What I remember most back then was all of the politically liberal literature they had for sale, not surprising considering John K. [...]
Cabaret Metro in Chicago
10/25/07
Though she played with a backup acoustic guitarist, Last Town Chorus is all about Megan Hickey and what wonders she can create with her lap steel. I had seen Last Town Chorus play a couple of years ago at Schubas Tavern and was excited to see Megan garner some critical and [...]
10/24/07
Schubas Tavern in Chicago
There are a few times each year when I realize how great it is to live in Chicago. Think of it, we have bands coming all the way from Australia and Denmark and we get to experience them in clubs that are most definitely smaller and more intimate than the ones [...]
10/12/07
Schubas Tavern in Chicago
It was with joy and a bit of relief that I saw Owen Pallett who is Toronto, Canada’s Final Fantasy. About two years ago, a Canadian friend told me about the wonder of Owen and I had to special order Has a Good Home from a Canadian distributor as I was [...]
Portage Theater in Chicago
10/4/07
I’m going to keep this relatively short but refer anyone reading to my friend Nicole’s longer and detailed review posted on Radio Free Chicago of this show. I’ve reviewed Beirut before and, though I find their songs pleasant enough, I can’t help feeling the shock of them being able to sell [...]
10/9/11
Cabaret Metro
The best way I can think to describe Patrick Wolf is this: if you took a reincarnated Freddie Mercury and raised him in a Cabaret theater listening only to Madonna, Bowie, and Andrew Bird, you might get something like Patrick Wolf, a British musician from London whose theatrics are as much a part of [...]
10/7/07
Lakeshore Theater in Chicago
I have a confession to make and it is one that is going to blow any credibility I ever had right away. Here it is: I am not a fan of Elvises. Elvis Presley, for example, I could write a dissertation about why I dislike his music. And Elvis [...]
10/5/07
Schubas Tavern in Chicago
About this exact time last October, I was seeing Nina Nastasia open for José González at the Lakeshore Theater. Though I like José’s music quite a bit, I felt a little cheated that I couldn’t see a full set of Nina Nastasia, a woman I’m sure you could spend several days [...]
Empty Bottle in Chicago
9/30/07
Ok ok…when I walked in to the bottle Sunday night, I started to panic given the nature of the reputation of this three piece Japanese rock trio (joined by Michio Kurihara) because, you see, there were just way too many amps lining the wall. However, there was a softer side to [...]