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Cate Le Bon and Mega Bog at Schubas
As I’ve said in previous blog posts, the Welsh-born singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon has developed into one of today’s most exciting musicians. Since her previous concert at Schubas, in January 2014, she...
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A Giant Dog at the Empty Bottle
My photos of A Giant Dog’s show on Wednesday, May 18, at the Empty Bottle, along with Melkbelly and So Pretty. Melkbelly Melkbelly So Pretty
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Rhys Chatham at Constellation
My photos of Rhys Chatham’s performance on Friday, May 20, at Constellation, along with a picture of opening act Natural Information Society. Joshua Abrams performs with Natural Information Society
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The Sadies at Wire
My photos of the Sadies — as always, one of the best live rock bands — on Saturday, May 21, at Wire in Berwyn. (My first visit to this venue.) Click here for a separate gallery of photos of the other...
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Waco Brothers at Wire
My photos of the Waco Brothers — as fun and lively as ever — on Saturday, May 21, at Wire in Berwyn. Click here for a separate gallery of photos of the other band that played Saturday at Wire, the...
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Femi Kuti in Millennium Park
Femi Kuti‘s father, the legendary Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti, created the extraordinary and exhilarating style of music called Afrobeat. As Fela’s eldest son, Femi is carrying on the family...
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Bully at West Fest
The Nashville rock band Bully played a rousing, energetic set on Saturday, July 9, at West Fest, a street festival on Chicago Avenue. My photos:
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King Sunny Adé at Millennium Park
It had been years since the legendary Nigerian singer King Sunny Adé played in Chicago. He was scheduled to perform in Millennium Park’s concert series last summer, but then that gig got canceled. He...
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2016 Pitchfork Music Fest: Day 1 Photos
My photos from the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival are featured on the A.V. Club website. Here are some additional pictures, starting with a gallery from Day 1, July 15. (Click here for photos from Day...
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2016 Pitchfork Music Fest: Day 2 Photos
My photos from the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival are featured on the A.V. Club website. Here are some additional pictures from Day 2, July 16. (Click here for photos from Day 1, and here for photos...
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2016 Pitchfork Music Fest: Day 3 Photos
My photos from the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival are featured on the A.V. Club website. Here are some additional pictures from Day 3, July 17. (Click here for photos from Day 1, and here for photos...
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GØGGS at the Empty Bottle
The prolific Ty Segall has yet another new band — GØGGS, which also includes Chris Shaw from the Memphis punk band Ex-Cult and Charles Moothart of Fuzz, CFM and the Ty Segall Band. The group, which...
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Radiohead at Lollapalooza
As expected, the highlight of this year’s Lollapalooza for me was Radiohead. It was great to see the band again after an absence of several years, and the new songs sounded very strong in concert...
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LCD Soundsystem at Lollapalooza
One of the main reasons to attend Lollapalooza this year was the reunion of LCD Soundsystem, and the band did not disappoint. It was blast to hear LCD’s greatest hits on the final Sunday night of Lolla...
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Mbongwana Star at Millennium Park
The African band Mbongwana Star got the audience dancing on Aug. 11 at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, playing wildly infectious beats and beguiling, highly rhythmic guitar riffs and solos....
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Comm to Black and Cinchel at the Comfort Station Fundraiser
I always love seeing concerts at Logan Square’s Illinois Centennial Monument — that tall column with the eagle on top — but these shows don’t happen often enough. So it was cool that Comfort Station,...
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The Rizdales at the Hideout
The Rizdales — a country band from London, Ontario — played Aug. 20 at the Hideout, apparently playing in Chicago for the first time ever. Although the group records original music by the...
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Tortoise and Ryley Walker concerts, in one night
Aug. 25 felt like a quintessential night of live Chicago music: seeing Tortoise at Millennium Park, followed by Ryley Walker’s late concert at the Empty Bottle. Tortoise’s instrumental music resonated...
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BÖC, Rob Mazurek & Emmett Kelly and Horse Lords
Friday, Aug. 26, was another two-concert night for me. Talk about strange juxtapositions. I started out the evening by driving to Skokie for a free show by Blue Öyster Cult at the Backlot Bash street...
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The Flat Five at the Green Mill
The Flat Five — that wonderful Chicago group I’ve photographed and written about many times before — played three sets on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Green Mill. As the band’s members observed, it may be...
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