Mon, 04/23/2018 - 7:18 am

What does a band do after their lead singer/co-founder/songwriter passes away?  In the case of the Smithereens, they decided to continue performing concerts with guest vocalist Robin Wilson, after the loss of Pat DiNizio last December.

As the opening act for Dave Davies of the Kinks at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Thursday, the Smithereens, founded in 1980, played a tight 45 minute set which mostly featured their best known songs.

The lead singer of the Gin Blossoms, Robin Wilson, took over lead vocals. He has the right voice that fits their material.  Joking on more than one occasion that he was working in two different record stores when each of the Smithereens' first two albums came out in the early 80's, Wilson's performance was a fitting tribute to DiNizio's memory.  The Waukegan show was the first full set by the Smithereens since the passing of DiNizio.

The crowd enthusiastically greeted the band.  Favorites included "Top of the Pops," "Only a Memory," and an extended version of "House We Used to Live In," which included a jam of "Sparks" straight out of "Tommy"- era Who.  Guitarist Jim Babjak even threw in a few Pete Townsend windmill guitar moves for emphasis.

The band finished their set with the one-two punch of "Blood & Roses" and "A Girl Like You."  At the end of the set, Smithereens' drummer was only partly done for the night, as he was also filling in on drums for Dave Davies for the second portion of the show.

https://officialsmithereens.com

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 8:23 pm

During the middle of his headlining set at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Thursday night, Dave Davies dedicated a song to "My brother Raymond" which included the lyrics "In my heart I'm just a boy, just a boy, just a boy."  This is from his latest release, last year's "Open Road," a collaboration with Dave's son Russ Davies.

Davies was list in Rolling Stones Magazine's 2003 best guitarists

Dave Davies played a 16 song set at the Genesee which included Kinks' classics, Kinks' obscurities, and various songs from Dave's solo career.  Given the fact that the Kinks were founded 54 years ago, Dave could certainly not play every Kinks' song that fans wanted to hear.  He did play "Til the End of the Day," "Living on a Thin Line," and "All Day and All of the Night."  The two song encore concluded with the Kinks' gem "You Really Got Me."

Davies clearly enjoyed playing for his adoring fans.  Did 71 year old Davies have the same voice he had 50 years ago?  No. Did his guitar playing demonstrate why he is considered one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time?  Again, no.  Dave's voice was ragged, but the roughness of his voice added a certain poignancy to the songs he sang from decades ago.  Dave's guitar playing was somewhat subdued as well.

Dennis Diken of The Smithereens on drums

Dave was ably backed by the rhythm section of bass player David Nolte and drummer Dennis Diken.  Diken also played for his primary band, the Smithereens, when they opened for Dave Davies (with Gin Blossoms' singer Robin Wilson for the late Pat DiNizio) earlier in the evening.

Dave Davies | Genesee Theatre

Given the fact that Dave Davies had a stroke over a decade ago, he demonstrated stamina and energy onstage on Thursday.  He was "just a boy" indeed!

Tue, 05/15/2018 - 7:19 am

WILDERADO OPENS BEALE STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL IN STYLE

Wilderado was the first band to play the Bud Light Stage at the Beale Street Music Festival.  By the end of their 45 minute set early Friday evening, the crowd checking the band out had doubled.

Wilderado | Beale Street Music Festival

Wilderado are two men from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and two men from Dallas, Texas, who formed their band in Los Angeles three years ago.  Their melodic set featured two and three-part harmonies and a solid rhythm section, with some of their music reminiscent of Judah & the Lion.  

The band was having a good time, vocalist Maxim Helmerich telling the crowd at one point that Wilderado was up and ready to move to Memphis.  Wilderado was playing on the same day that they were releasing new music, with more new music coming out later this month.  At the end of their set, Wilderado invited the enthusiastic crowd to hang out with the band all night.

MARGO PRICE - THE FUTURE OF COUNTRY MUSIC?

Let's hope so!

Margo Price, the pride of Aledo, Illinois, played a blistering set at the Beale Street Music Festival Friday evening, backed by her backup band the Pricetags, featuring her husband/guitarist/co-writer Jeremy Ivey.

Margo Price | Beale Street Music Festival

Price played nine of her original songs from her first two solo albums and her EP and three cover songs.  Her band was as much rock and roll as country.  Price told the crowd that Memphis had a special place for her, because she recorded both of her solo albums here.

In addition to playing some of her most familiar songs from her solo releases, Price covered her hero Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and Bob Dylan's classic "Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)."  Her last song was, as she put it, "the Tina Turner version" of "Proud Mary" (not the John Fogerty/CCR version), and Price did Tina proudly.  Price said it made sense to sing "Proud Mary" because "we're on the river," with the Festival being held on the banks of the Mississippi River, of course.  The crowd singing "rolling on the river" with Price and her band during "Proud Mary" was one of the highlights of the entire Festival.

Margot Price | Beale Street Music Festival

Price did not sing her unreleased song "1-800-JESUS," perhaps thinking that she will sing this classic-to-be the next time she plays Memphis.

KALEO COULD HAVE PLAYED THE BLUES TENT

Originally from Iceland, Kaleo entertained a Friday night Beale Street Music Festival crowd with an almost hour-long set.  Kaleo could have played the Blues Tent at the south end of the grounds, except for the fact that their crowd would not have fit in the tent.  Kaleo was well received by an enthusiastic crowd.

Kaleo | Beale Street Music Festival

Kaleo, now relocated to Austin, Texas, includes J. J. Julius Son, their lead vocalist, who is a gifted blues singer.  Other than one original song in their native Icelandic, Kaleo's other songs were a combination of straight-ahead hard rock and blues.  The crowd seemed to enjoy Kaleo's biggest American hit, "Way Down We Go."  Kaleo closed their set with the one-two punch of "Ladies Man" and "Rock 'n' Roller."

ALANIS MORISSETTE MORE THAN JUST JAGGED LITTLE PILL?

What do you when you have one of the top-fifteen selling albums of all time, "Jagged Little Pill," which has sold over sixteen million copies to date in the United States since it was released in 1995?  If you are Alanis Morissette, and you are playing the Beale Street Music Festival as one of the headliners on Friday night, you sing ten of the twelve songs from "Jagged Little Pill," knowing that this is what the crowd came for.  You also sing three other songs that are about fourteen years older or more.  

Alanis Morissette | Beale Street Music Festival

About every fourth song or so, Morissette would pace from one end of the stage to the other, as though she was doing a workout and needed the steps.  Morissette was in fine voice, and other than some minor technical problems, her set was extremely well-paced.  

Many of the members of the crowd knew every word to every song from "Jagged," and the crowd sang in unison to "Hand in my Pocket," "You Learn," and "Ironic."  This is despite the fact that "Jagged" was released before some of the members of the crowd were even born, but they sang along anyway.

Alanis Morissette | Beale Street Music Festival

It was clearly a love affair between Morissette and her audience, the singer telling the crowd at one point that it was "so great to be back - I missed you so much!"  The crowd's favorite was clearly "You Oughta Know" which was Morissette's second to the last song.  Morissette played to the biggest crowd at the Beale Street Music Festival on Friday.  Although she sang nothing new, her set did not come off as only a nostalgia act.  Morissette is supposed to have a new release out later this year, but she chose not to play any new music on Friday.

Click here for the photo gallery.

Tue, 05/15/2018 - 7:49 am

Tav Falco & the Panther Burns is a legendary band who is relatively unknown outside of Memphis.  They played the first set on Saturday afternoon on the Bud Light Stage at the Beale Street Music Festival as part of their "Conamination" tour - what a treat it was, for both long-time fans who were happy to see their heroes again, and for the curious who had no knowledge about the band.

Tav Falco & the Panther Burns' set was introduced on Saturday as consisting of the two original members of the band who "are still above the ground."  Formed in 1979 in Memphis by Tav Falco and the late great Alex Chilton (lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star), a book could be written about the Panther Burns' storied history with the Cramps and other similar acts from back in the day.

Tav Falco & the Panther Burns | Beale Street Music Festival

On stage, Falco was reminiscent of an early Elvis, with choreographed moves that were inspired and fresh.  Opening with a cover of "Green Onions" and on stage for over an hour, Falco and his furious band played a style of music that might be characterized as voodoo rockabilly with a Memphis/New Orleans spin, or maybe not.  

Falco was dressed impeccably, he never even unbuttoned his suit jacket, and Falco made sure to comb his pompadour before he reappeared on stage for his encore.  If there is such a thing as "beyond cool," Falco fits the bill.  He played homages to several musicians, which made sense given the long and storied history of Panther Burns.  Falco also played music from the band's latest release, which was about the fourteenth album the bank is releasing.

Tav Falco | Beale Street Music Festival

Although Falco was born in Philadelphia, grew up in rural Arkansas and was based in Memphis for a while, Falco has lived in Europe for about the last ten years, currently living in Vienna, Austria.  Because of the early set time, the crowd for Tav Falco & the Panther Burns was not as large as the band deserved, but those who were there walked away impressed. 

BLIND MISSISSIPPI MORRIS PLAYS FUNKY BLUES

Blind Mississippi Morris may have been born in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1955, but he now considers Memphis his home.  His set at the Coca-Cola Blues Tent on Saturday in the late afternoon at the Beale Street Music Festival consisted of tastefully chosen cover versions of rock and blues classics, unfortunately, marred by technical problems with Morris' vocals for most of his set.

Blind Mississippi Morris | Beale Street Music Festival

Morris sat onstage with about six harmonicas around his neck, rocking back and forth as he was playing with his solid backup band.  Among other songs featured by Morris were covers of the Allman Brothers Band "One Way Out," and the B.B. King's songs "The Thrill is Gone" and "Everyday I have the Blues."  Another highlight was, as Morris put it, 'the Eric Clapton version of the Robert Johnson song Crossroads."

One fan was heard saying that Morris was "The Real Deal," although it could be argued that everything played at the Blues tent was "The Real Deal."  Some Beale Street attendees stayed at the Blues Tent all three days from start to finish; there are worse ways to enjoy the Festival!

GOV'T MULE NEVER FAILS TO DELIVER

Gov't Mule | Beale Street Music Festival

Gov't Mule, one of America's southern rock favorites have been playing out since 1994. They well represented jam band music Saturday afternoon to a loyal crowd that traveled far and wide for this set.  Featuring the legendary Warren Haynes on guitar along with bandmates, Matt Abts: drums, Danny Louis: keyboards, and Jorgen Carlsson on bass, they were on point as they rode the instrumental crescendos and worked guitar solos that are unmatched by others.

DAVID BYRNE'S CONCERT EXPERIENCE

Was it a David Byrne concert?  Was it a dance party?  Was it performance art?  Yes.  Yes.  And yes.

David Byrne | Beale Street Music Festival

David Byrne, best known as the founder/lead singer of Talking Heads, played an evening set Saturday night at the Bud Light Stage at the Beale Street Music Festival. 

Starting the performance with Byrne sitting at a desk holding a replica over-sized human brain, there were no musical equipment or black line on stage for the entire concert.  Rather, backup singers and musicians would enter and leave the stage in a choreographed manner, with the musicians carrying their instruments on and off the stage. Sometimes the music was being made onstage, while at other times the music was coming from the side of the stage. As his style, Byrne's music was heavily percussive. 

David Byrne Performs from his New release 'American Utopia'

Byrne featured several songs from his new release, "American Utopia," as well as numerous Talking Heads' songs.  The crowd was most enthusiastic about the Heads' songs, of course, dancing along to "Slippery People," "This Must Be the Place," and "Once in a Lifetime," among others.  Closing his main set with the Talking Heads classic "Burning Down the House," Byrne encored with a cover song which he stated he was updating which he wished wasn't still relevant, the chilling Janelle Monae protest song "Hell You Talmbout."

Click here for the photo gallery.

Tue, 05/15/2018 - 8:48 am

THE POP ENTHUSIASM OF MISTERWIVES

New York City based MisterWives played an early evening show on Sunday at the Beale Street Music Festival, a day that was a complete sellout.  Lead vocalist Mandy Lee clearly enjoyed playing to the young and enthusiastic crowd, jumping around as she sang .  The band performed most of their best known songs, including "Machine," "Drummer Boy," "Coloring Outside the Lines," and "Reflections."

At one point the band played a small part of the Everly Brothers' song "All I Have to do Is Dream," which then segued into a cover of the Cranberries' song "Dreams."

Bassist William Hehir of Misterwives

Although the indie-pop band has only been around since 2012 and has been releasing music since 2014, they are a veteran festival act who are clearly comfortable playing to large crowds.  Their fans were on their feet for the entire performance, waiving their hands in the air and singing along to most songs.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A FLAMING LIPS SHOW

The Flaming Lips concert was one of the highlights of the entire three-day Beale Street Music Festival, and not just the sold out last day of the Festival.

The Flaming Lips | Beale Street Music Festival

On Sunday night the Flaming Lips emerged to the strains of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra," commonly known as the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey.  There were inflatable mushrooms on both sides of the stage, hundreds of inflatable balls released to the crowd, streamers, a smoke machine, balloons that spelled out "FUCK YEAH MEMPHIS," and lead singer Wayne Coyne twirling his microphone in a Townsend-like manner, and this was all for just their first song, "Race for the Prize."

The Lips did more than play their instruments - they presented visuals to match their music, including various inflatable giant balloons onstage, strobe lights, and laser beams.  Coyne was his usual cheerful self, telling the crowd that "This is officially the most perfect day of the summer so far," despite the fact that summer has not begun yet (we knew what he meant!).  

Derek Brown | The Flaming Lips

In addition to their own music, the band covered "The Star-Spangled Banner" and did a faithful version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," during which Coyne rode inside a clear giant plastic ball to walk over the crowd.  After "Space Oddity," Coyne seemed genuinely concerned that he may have freaked out a little boy who was on his father's shoulders when Coyne walked over them, so Coyne shined a light on the boy to make sure that the child was okay.

The Flaming Lips played some of their most well-known songs, including "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part One," "Fight Test," and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song," but curiously did not sing their early "hit" "She Don't Use Jelly."  

Beale Street Music Festival

The Flaming Lips closed with perhaps their most famous song, "Do You Realize?," and if you didn't have tears your eyes, you weren't listening to the words. 

Click here for the photo gallery.

Thu, 06/28/2018 - 9:31 am

Indie-Rock Darling Courtney Barnett will be one of the Friday night headliners at the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 20th.  The 30 year old Australian singer-songwriter quickly sold out last month's concert at the Chicago Cultural Center, so her fans who were disappointed because they were not able to attend that show will have the opportunity to see the singer live at Pitchfork.  Barnett is touring behind her second full length solo album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, which was released last month.  TMHYRF is an impressive sophomore effort, which has already appeared on several Top Ten lists of the best albums so far in 2018.

Courtney Barnett Live at Pitchfork Music Festival July 20th

Barnett has released several EPs, and her first solo album, 2015's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, brought enough attention to her that she was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy; she lost to Meghan Trainor of All About That Bass fame.  Barnett has collaborated with American musician Kurt Vile on 2017's Lotta Sea Lice, and Barnett has also played with fellow Australian musicians Fraser A. Gorman, and with her partner Jen Cloher.

In concert, Barnett can be quirky and funny, and she never takes herself too seriously.  Barnett usually plays her guitar left-handed, and normally does not use a pick when she plays.  Although the "new Dylan" label has been used to describe Barnett, she really has a personality and stage presence all her own.  Friday night's show is not to be missed!

Fri, 07/06/2018 - 11:51 am

Two-person bands can make a lot of noise.  Examples include Twenty One Pilots, the Black Keys, Black Pistol Fire, and Matt and Kim.  And the Japandroids, a Canadian two-man band who are one of the headliners of the Pitchfork Music Festiva on Sunday, July 22nd at 7:45 p.m.

Brian King on guitar and vocals, and David Prowse on drums and vocals, formed the Japandroids in 2006.  Their debut album, Post-Nothing, brought the band a great deal of attention, as did their extensive touring in support of their first full length release.  In 2010 the Japandroids released the album No Singles, which was made up of their first two EPs.

The Japandroids' second album of new material, Celebration Rock, was released in 2012 to commercial success and critical fanfare.  In fact, Spin Magazine named the Japandroids their 2012 Band of the Year.  

After touring to support Celebration Rock for over a year and a half, the band disappeared from the music scene for about three years, starting at the end of 2013. At the beginning of last year the Japandroids released their third album of new material, the underrated Near to the Wild Heart of Life.  This 2017 release has snarling vocals, insightful lyrics, sometimes anthemic songs, and Wild Heart needs to be played loud and often to be appreciated.

The Japandroids have played Pitchfork Music Festival before, and they are a "must-see" this time around!

Wed, 07/25/2018 - 5:15 pm

The War on Drugs rocked the Pitchfork Music Festival Saturday night to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.  The Philadelphia indie-rock band (which is what you would expect at Pitchfork) was ably led by front-man/co-founder/ primary songwriter/guitarist  Adam Granduciel, who did not speak to the crowd much during The War on Drug's hour-plus set, but rather let the music do the talking.  The music was carried by the rhythm section of Charlie Hall on drums and David Hartley on bass guitar; Hartley has been with the band almost from the beginning, back when they were formed in 2005 by Granduciel and Kurt Vile.  Vile left The War on Drugs shortly after their first full-length album, Wagonwheel Blues, was released in 2008.

Adam Granduciel

Every song that the War on Drugs played at Pitchfork was from either their third album, 2014's Lost in the Dream, or their most recent fourth album, last year's A Deeper Understanding, which won a Grammy Award this year for Best Rock Album. The nine-song set included lengthy versions of several of their songs, and the set concluded without an encore.

Wed, 07/25/2018 - 5:53 pm

Japanese Breakfast entertained a Sunday late afternoon crowd at the Pitchfork Music Festival with their high energy music.  Opening her set by exclaiming" "We're Japanese Breakfast and we're from Philadelphia!," lead singer/ songwriter Michelle Zauner's solo project impressed fans with a high energy stage presence and hard-hitting music.  Jumping around for her entire set, whether playing her guitar or not, Zauner's enthusiasm carried over to the audience, who clearly enjoyed what they heard.

Michelle Zauner

Every song played at Pitchfork was from Japanese Breakfast's two studio albums, 2016's Psychopomp, and last year's Soft Sounds From Another Planet, except for a spirited cover of the Cranberries' hit Dreams. Japanese Breakfast's cover of Dreams  was a fitting homage to the Cranberries' lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, who died earlier this year, and more than one band has been playing Dreams as a tribute to O'Riordan since her death.

Ironically, Japanese Breakfast was one of two bands that played Pitchfork on Sunday with "Japan" in their band name, neither from Japan.

Sat, 08/04/2018 - 4:03 pm

It was a spectacular night for a concert at the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island last Sunday. Although it was the dog days of July, the temperatures were reasonable, there was no rain, and there was a pleasant breeze off of Lake Michigan. And what about the music?  That was spectacular as well!

This Chicago version of the "Stars Align Tour," consisted of 76-year-old Jeff Beck, 68-year-old Paul Rodgers, 68-year-old Ann Wilson, and relative youngster Deborah Bonham, only 56.  Beck is twice a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wilson is a member, and Rodgers should be a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The crowd for the Stars Align Tour was older than your typical rock audience, given the long careers of the artists who appeared.

Jeff Beck | Chicago, IL

Headliner Jeff Beck got the crowd on its feet from the moment he stepped on stage, and why not? Considered one of the best rock guitarists ever, Beck showed that age has not slowed down his playing one bit.  The pictures on the outdoor screens were constantly showing closeups of Beck’s playing, demonstrating that his proficiency on the instrument is still there.

Jeff Beck | Northerly Island Park

Beck played mostly instrumentals, although vocalist Jimmy Hall lent his voice to several songs.  Beck always seems to surround himself with great players, with this lineup featuring drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Rhonda Smith, and Vanessa Freebairn-Smith on cello. Highlights included Beck's version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life," although his take was not as stretched out as Beck has played in the past.  Beck did not address the crowd until his encore, when he dedicated "Brush with the Blues" to Jeff Buckley, and Beck finished with his version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Some fans have been following Beck around on this tour, planning to see fifteen or more shows of Beck's in a row.

Paul Rogers & Free Spirit | Chicago, IL

Preceding Beck was Paul Rodgers and his "Free Spirit" band.  Rodgers split his set between songs from his first two bands, Free and Bad Company (although technically "Ready for Love" was performed by Mott the Hoople before Bad Company recorded it on their eponymous debut album), and Rodgers was in fine voice for his set.  Rodgers also played a mean harmonica on"Feel Like Making Love."  The crowd seemed more familiar with the Bad Company hits than some of the more obscure Free songs that he sang, although Free's "Wishing Well" was a crowd favorite.  Rodgers finished with the Free Classic "All Right Now," allowing the crowd to sing the chorus.

Paul Rogers | Stars Align Tour | Chicago, IL

Ann Wilson, formerly of Heart, was the only performer of the night who played much new material. Although many members of the crowd sported Heart tee-shirts, the only Heart song Wilson played was "Barracuda." Wilson explained to the crowd that she only had 45 minutes to play, and that she was "not gonna do a lot of Heart songs."  Instead, Wilson played three songs from her Immortal album, to be released in September, which consists of songs either co-written or performed by artists who are no longer alive. Immortal songs performed by Wilson were the Chris Cornell/Audioslave song "I am the Highway," Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me," and the Glenn Frey/Eagles song "Life in the Fast Lane.” Although she only played only on Heart song, ironically Wilson played two Who songs, opening her set with "The Real Me" from Quadrophenia, and closing her set with a rocking "Won't Get Fooled Again" from Who's Next.

Ann Wilson | Northerly Island Park

Although the concert was scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m., real opener Deborah Bonham finished her four-song set by the official start time of the concert, which meant that only about ten per cent of the crowd was in their seats when she began playing.  Bonham, who is the sister of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and the aunt of drummer Jason Bonham, has been releasing music for decades, and she held her own touring with Beck, Rodgers and Wilson. Bonham dedicated the poignant "The Old Hyde" to her late parents and her late brothers, and she stated that it was her "legacy to do them proud." The rock and blues singer certainly did so, receiving a standing ovation at the end of her set from the crowd that was lucky enough to see her performance.

Tue, 09/04/2018 - 8:31 am

Ziggy Marley, the 49-year-old son of legendary reggae superstar Bob Marley and Rita Marley, has been playing reggae music for longer than his father was alive.  At Ziggy's well-attended "Rebellion Rises" show at Thalia Hall, a diverse crowd showed their appreciation for Ziggy's newest material, songs from Ziggy's earlier solo albums, a song from his previous group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and of course several Bob Marley anthems.

Photos by Philamonjaro

Although most members of the crowd were too young to have seen Bob Marley in concert, and much of the crowd was not alive when Bob Marley was alive, a fair amount of the audience sported Bob Marley shirts.  Those of us who were old enough to have seen Bob Marley and the Wailers in concert noted the similarities between Ziggy's and his father's performances, including analogous charisma, energy and power.  Ziggy Marley sounded like his father, danced like his father at times, and looked like his father, although Bob Marley never had dreadlocks as long as Ziggy's knee-length dreads.

Ziggy Marley

Ziggy's spirited band consisted of two keyboard players, two guitarists, a bass player, drummer, percussionist, and two barefoot backup singers who danced along with Ziggy.  Ziggy played acoustic or electric guitar for some of the songs.

Ziggy

They played more than half the songs from his fine 2018 "Rebellion Rises" album, including the title track and "See Dem Fake Leaders."  Other highlights of the show included "Love is My Religion" segueing into the Beatles' "All You Need is Love," and the Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers' song "Look Who's Dancin," which closed out Ziggy's main set.  The songs which received the most reaction from the crowd were the Bob Marley tunes "Get Up Stand Up"/"War" medley, "One Love," "Is This Love," and "Coming in from the Cold," all of which turned into crowd singalongs.  Ziggy closed his four-song encore with "Circle of Peace" from Rebellion Rises."

After the show, there were no Ziggy Marley compact discs for sale at the merchandise table, but you could buy vinyl records, two books written by Ziggy, and Ziggy Marley rolling papers.

Check out more photos here.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 4:22 pm

The Sunday of Riot Fest featured numerous acts that have been playing for a long period of time.

The band Fear has been around for more than forty years.  Fear played in the mid-afternoon heat at the Rise Stage, furiously playing their 1982 classic, but politically incorrect release "The Record" in its entirety in order, sandwiched by several other songs.  Many fans knew the words to every song, and anticipated some of the more humorous lyrics as they were being sung.  Front man Lee Ving, who has been the only constant in the band from the beginning, did not take himself or the band's songs too seriously.  Fear closed with their song "More Beer," which the crowd appreciated on many levels.

Johnny Marr live at Riotfest 2018

Johhny Marr played at the Roots Stage, and he featured  a variety of songs from his solo releases (and one song he helped to write and perform with his one-time band Electronica), but the music which received the most reaction from the enthralled audience was, of course, the songs that Marr cowrote and performed while a member of the Smiiths.  The Smiths' songs that were played by Marr and his band were "Bigmouth Strikes Again," a version of many fans' favorite Smiths' song "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" which turned into an audience singalong at the end, and Marr's set closer "How Soon is Now?"  Many of the fans that attended Marr's performance on Sunday also saw Morrissey play Riot Fest two years ago.

Suicidal Tendencies live at Riotfest 2018

The thrash band Suicidal Tendencies has been around for over 35 years, but lead singer and only original member of the band Mike Muir and the rest of the current group played with an intensity and energy that bands that have only been around for a few years would be jealous of.  Security at the Riot Stage, which was aptly named for S.T.'s performance, were kept busy plucking crowd surfers from the throbbing mosh pit, with some crowd-surfers being taken out more than once.  Towards the end of Suicidal Tendencies' set, Muir invited several children and their parents to go onstage with the band, and several younger audience members came on stage to dance along to the music as well.

Punk/New Wave veterans Blondie played the Roots Stage in the late afternoon/early evening, and lead singer Debbie Harry led the band in a virtual greatest hits concert.  Harry was resplendent in what presumably was a fluorescent greenish yellow wig and hot pants, and it was hard to believe that she is 73 years old.  Harry was in fine voice, although she complained about having to play as the sun was streaming down on the stage.  Harry was lucky that she was wearing sunglasses that matched her hair!  Highlights included "Call Me," "Rapture," Blondie's cover of the Paragons song "The Tide is High," and Blondie's closer "Heart of Glass."

McHenry, Illinois's Alkaline Trio played the Riot Stage to a young and enthusiastic crowd.  Guitarist and lead vocalist Matt Skiba, bass player and vocalist Dan Adriano, and drummer Derek Grant played songs from this year's album "Is This Thing Cursed?," the band's first long-player in five years, as well as many songs from throughout Alkaline Trio's twelve year career.  Because Skiba's "other band" Blink 182 was a late cancellation to Riot Fest, many Blink fans showed their support by attending the Alkaline Trio set while sporting Blink 182 tee-shirts.

Father John Misty live at Riotfest 2018

When Father John Misty played the Roots Stage after the sun had set, he must not have gotten the memo about not wearing white after Labor Day.  Dapper in a three-piece white suit. Father John presented a  stunning figure to a relatively small but enthralled audience.  Father John performed songs from all four of his "Father John Misty" releases, while emphasizing songs from this year's release "God's Favorite Customer." 

Father John was not as talkative as he has previously been in concert, perhaps believing that it made sense for his music to do the talking during his one hour set.  Father John played the acoustic guitar for most of his set, occasionally putting it down so that he could strut around the stage while singing. Some fans had seen Father John for several concerts during this tour, remarking that he was more subdued than at previous shows.  Father John played most of his best-known songs, although he did not play "Bored in the U.S.A."

Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:01 am

The Revolution was arguably the best backup band Prince ever had.  At their Friday night concert at the Park West in Chicago, the band presented a powerful live experience, playing numerous songs missing only one thing: Prince himself, who passed away over two years ago.

Brownmark

Wendy Melvoin on guitar, Lisa Coleman on keyboards, Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z on drums, and Brown Mark (Mark Brown) on bass are all extraordinary musicians, and the blues/funk/soul they played on Friday kept an enraptured crowd on their feet for most of the night. The all-ages crowd showed that the legacy of Prince was appreciated by many generations.

Brown Mark handled the lead vocals for many of the songs, while guest vocalist Stokley Williams captivated the crowd with his musical stylings on several tunes as well.  Opening with "America,"  other highlights included "Take Me With You," a super-funky "Uptown," "D.M.S.R.," "Raspberry Beret,' "1999," "Let's Go Crazy," "Controversy," "Kiss," and "When Doves Cry."  

Many members of the audience had seen Prince once or many times, some even having seen him play at one or more of his three Park West shows from "back in the day."  The Revolution show on Friday was not a case of "Prince Lite" but instead was a fitting way for the band to honor the musical genius who left the world way too soon.  

Wendy Melvoin

Before beginning their last song of the Revolution's regular set, the classic "Purple Rain," Wendy Melvioin explained to the crowd that after Prince died, the Revolution wanted to honor his legacy by continuing to play his music.  When Melvoin spoke about guest vocalist Stokley Williams, she explained that Stokley was not trying to be Prince, he was trying to be Stokley.  Melvoin also explained that the crowd was also providing vocals for the songs being played by the Revolution, and indeed many audience members sang along to almost everything being played.

Stokley Williams

The Revolution encored with "I Would Die 4 U" and the crowd left the Park West enthralled with the music played that evening.  About the only big hit the Revolution was involved with that did not get played on Friday was "Little Red Corvette."

Wed, 07/22/2020 - 6:36 am

Al Stewart has been a notable singer/songwriter for more than fifty years. On his first four albums, which were not originally released in the United States, he was accompanied by such notable musicians as Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Richard Thompson, and Rick Wakeman.

Stewart is probably best known for his two radio hits "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages," although he has released a total of over fifteen studio albums. Al Stewart is one of the most learned of musicians, and much of his music is based on historical scenarios.

Al Stewart | Photo by Phillip Solomonson

If you have seen Stewart in concert, you know that he enjoys explaining the origins and back-stories of his various songs.  On Saturday at the City Winery in Chicago, his longtime backup band the Empty Pockets will be playing numerous Al Stewart songs, as well as a smattering of songs which inspired Stewart's career, while Al Stewart will be telling stories about these songs from his home in Los Angeles.   This will be a unique show which is available to view online, and this show not to be missed by either Al Stewart fans or simply by anyone interested in listening to intelligent music and the stories behind the music.

Reservations to City Winery's event: $12 includes both Al Stewart and the opening act, The Empty Pockets

The Empty Pockets | Photo by Phillip Solomonson