While supporting their recently released studio album, Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot returned to Chicago, this time to the House of Blues, where they brought their highly-charged live show, beguiling songs and positive point of view to their doting fans once again. As the San Diego-based band made their way onto the stage the expected screams and cries were heard, but the moment the music rang out the crowd began to jump in unison, causing the floor to buckle enough to feel like a mild earthquake (4.3?) – and the shaking continued throughout the entirety of the concert.

The band’s first three songs, including “Stars”, were enhanced by a massive strobe light attack, making what were already high-energy numbers even more intense. By the time Switchfoot cruised into their fourth song, “Oh! Gravity”, the energy of the crowd was completely projected onto the band and vice versa, evident in both Switchfoot’s performance and fan reaction. Singer/guitarist/frontman, Jon Foreman, then set course through the jam-packed hall, high-fiving and delivering hugs to anyone near at the same time singing as the band played on. 

Switchfoot’s sound couldn’t have been more crisp and full. Meaty guitars echoed throughout the House of Blues via Jon and Drew Shirley’s rich sounding axes, often augmented when Jerome Fontamillas added a third when he wasn’t manning the keyboards or fielding a percussion instrument. Two toms – one on each side of the stage – were the victims of random beatings by both Jon and his brother, bassist Tim Foreman, adding to drummer Chad Butler’s bashing beats. 

Taking a break from the joie de vivre of the revved power set about midway through the show, Switchfoot went into their emotional ballad “Always” as a piano was wheeled to center stage for Jon to play. Jon first explained how he learned to play music on his parent’s piano. The band’s set list was well-rounded and included such songs as “Free”, “Mess of Me”, “Bullet Soul”, “Dare You to Move”, “Needle and Haystack Life” and that night’s encore opener, “Hello Hurricane”, a melodic and hard-hitting piece that again found Jon enthusiastically roaming throughout the crowd.  

As for a complete rock and roll show, Switchfoot’s performance had it all…almost. There was no talk of drug use, no cursing, no vulgarities, no negativity, no womanizing and no relating to the crowd with the message that being lost and depressed is cool. However, the lack of these rock show familiars is testament to how good Switchfoot really is – proof that a band can be highly entertaining with good music, high energy, fun crowd interaction and a strong message that there is always hope. 

35 years? Wow. It’s not so hard to believe that KISS has been around since forming in New York City in January of 1973, but what’s so amazing is their ability to still rock as hard as ever. Known for their spectacular live shows, KISS reminded everyone why they’ve always had a larger than life image

For those, like me, who have never seen Grand Archives before last Saturday night at Chicago's Schuba’s Tavern there’s one word that probably entered our minds collectively – WOW. On tour for their new release Keep in Mind Frankenstein, Sub Pop’s Seattle based artist, Grand Archives, kept the crowd mesmerized

Leave it to U2 to revolutionize the art of the concert. In U2’s 360 Tour the band brings their show to major stadiums, in Chicago’s case Soldier Field, where they play their music on a circular stage below a giant, claw-like “spaceship”, catering to fans in every direction.

I was happy to see that Davy’s set included the great Monkees songs that he is known most for like “I Want to Be Free” and “Valleri”, but was also pleased to hear him sing songs in which Mickey Dolenz sang the leads such as “Steppin’ Stone”, “Last Train to Clarksville” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday”.

Fans dressed in gothic attire and many disguised as bloody nightmares entered the ballroom where a giant six-foot-high chainsaw was sitting atop a stage. Resembling something between The Night of the Living Dead and a Nine Inch Nails concert, the crowd was a big part of the show itself creating it’s own brand of entertainment (for people watchers like myself) before the first act even took the stage.

Friday night was a night to remember for music fans that like it hard and heavy, as the Allstate Arena shook nonstop from one thunderous act after another. Burn Halo, featuring singer James Hart (formerly of Eighteen Visions) played as the ticket’s opener and was quick to show they were ready to take on an arena crowd.

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.