Items filtered by date: November 2007

On a snowy Saturday night on a distant back road in quiet West Chicago rock fans gathered in force for what turned out to be a night of partying and mayhem as Winter Fest 2009 tore the roof off Boondocks, a music venue seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

I spent my most recent Saturday at a place called The Spot.  The upstairs area of this venue contained tables and chairs, a bar, and a stage.  I knew what I was here for, yet did not know what to expect.  This place, or Spot as it was, reeked of a casual crowd, all gazing their gawpers on the site of anticipated entertainment.  The stage was small and intensely surrounded by seating.  When the program begins, a woman of impressive bust and brogue introduces our evening and primes us for the main events.  She is soon interrupted and joined by a goofy gentleman claiming to be the "king of mardi gras."

Of course one of my New Year’s resolutions was to cut down on my smoking - it’s the same resolution I make every year! And I have cut down, I probably smoke half what I used to. I hate that sometimes my mind is telling me it doesn’t want to smoke right now, even as my hand is reaching in my purse to light another cigarette.

Classifying themselves as "Adult-Alternative-Country-Funk-N-BluesRock!!", Dulcet Road isn't kidding. I've seen quite a few bands that consider their music to be a slurry of multiple genres, but most can eventually be pinned down to one or another. In this case, Dulcet Road really does ride the line between alternative, country and blues rock.. and that turns out to be a Good Thing because they can bring in such a varied audience...

If you have ever seen an All-Star basketball game with the “best of the best” passing, shooting and dribbling with uncanny ease - you know what it is like seeing the cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s The Seafarer in action. 

Though some presented huge, elaborate sets, known actors and a more traditional holiday message, it was New Millennium Theatre’s less extravagant production of The David Bowie Hepzikat Funky Velvet Flarney Solstice Spectacular, Live…From Space (otherwise known as the David Bowie Christmas Special 1977 Network Edit) that may have impressed me the most.

The Alan-Bailey Continuum celebrated a new CD Release and their first anniversary at Subterranean on December 10th. The new album, titled Can't Let Go, is a collection of nine of Alan's songs, each unique in their music, lyrics, and inspiration.

On a Friday night, Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee stormed the Eagle’s Ballroom in Milwaukee for the third consecutive fall, and for the third time in a row, the focus of most discerning attendees was not how good the band was, but how bad the venue was.  It’s not that it’s impossible...