Tutu and the Pirates, The Mentally Ill, Hotlips Messiah 1/27/12 at Ultra Lounge
Friday night the little place called the Ultra Lounge put on a show that mixed two classic Chicago punk rock bands from the early days with two bands of the modern age that resulted in a solid lineup that was worth braving the cold for. First up was Claw Toe. They mixed up a few [...]
Jerry Lee Lewis 12/3/11 at Congress Theater
Saturday night a true music legend and one of the oldest living performers in music came to the Congress Theater for a rare appearance. “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis returned to Chicago to put on a show for a much older crowd than that venue’s shows typically attract. They even had seats set up in [...]
Naked Raygun 11/23/11 at Metro
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend got an early start when Chicago punk rock superheroes, Naked Raygun, returned to the Metro. In the 1980s Naked Raygun was a staple of the Metro and their shows were always big events that packed the house. This time was no different as the Metro quickly filled up with people ready [...]
Scratch Acid 11/12/11 at Metro
Last night the Metro played host to a very special reunion show from one of the best and most different bands of their time. That band was Scratch Acid and they reformed for a reunion tour which thankfully brought them to town. Aside from a three show reunion stint centered around the Touch and Go anniversary [...]
Gwar 10/31/11 at House of Blues
It has been a Halloween tradition for years that Gwar lands on our planet and performs in Chicago and this year was no different as the band returned once again to the House of Blues. The ornate interior of the venue was wrapped in plastic for the occasion as the club was packed full with [...]
The Damned 10/25/11 at Metro
Last night one of the earliest and best punk rock bands of all time made a long overdue return to the Metro and that was The Damned. The band is celebrating their 35th anniversary by going on their first US tour in years and they had something special planned for these shows. The Metro was a [...]
Channel 3 and Destroy Everything 10/22/11 at Reggies
Saturday night, punk rock veterans Channel 3 made their long-awaited return to Chicago to headline a show at Reggies. It had been a few years since the band played a show here and they were long overdue for a visit. They were joined by a long list of local bands including Destroy Everything who rarely [...]
Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel 10/15/11 at Congress Theater
Saturday night the Congress Theater presented a metal trifecta that would make any late 1980′s metal fan drool and that was the return of Anthrax along with Testament and Death Angel. All three of these bands were held in very high regard during the late 1980s when thrash metal reigned supreme and Anthrax were one [...]
The Bangles 10/10/11 at House of Blues
Just because Riot Fest ended the night before didn’t mean concerts in Chicago would come to a halt. The very next night the House of Blues hosted the long-awaited return of 1980s pop stars The Bangles. The band had a handful of hits back then and have a lot of really catchy tunes and were [...]
Riot Fest 2011: Secret show with Marky Ramone
After the Weezer show let out (and the 7 Seconds show over at Bottom Lounge) there was just one event left for this year’s Riot Fest and it was the last of the secret shows. This show was being held at the AAA building in Wicker Park which was only a few minutes down the [...]
Riot Fest 2011: Weezer at Congress Theater 10/9/11
Sunday marked the last night of Riot Fest which was an action packed and exhausting week where memories are made and sometimes reunions both in bands and friends take place. This year the closing of Riot Fest saw a rather unorthodox show by Riot Fest standards by having Weezer headline the last night of Congress [...]
Riot Fest 2011: Descendents 10/8/11 at Congress Theater
Saturday was the longest day of Riot Fest as the show was an all day affair at the Congress Theater. More than a dozen bands took the stage that day so those who were ambitious could spend the entire day there starting shortly after lunch time. Those who were out late every night that week [...]
Riot Fest 2011: All at Bottom Lounge 10/6 and 10/7
As Riot Fest continued during the week, the shows were starting to split up between venues which sometimes made fans have to choose which show to see but this year it was a little friendlier and due to some later start times it was possible to catch multiple/partial shows on the same evenings. On Thursday [...]
Riot Fest 2011 day two: Social Distortion at Congress Theater 10/6/11
Riot Fest continued last night and kicked into high gear giving people a choice between going to Congress Theater and Bottom Lounge. They even had a shuttle bus going between the two venues at one point for people who wanted to head over to catch the other show. The show at the Congress Theater featured [...]
Riot Fest 2011 day one: X at Bottom Lounge 10/5/11
October in Chicago can only mean one thing (not including halloween): Riot Fest! Riot Fest is celebrating its sixth birthday this year and it started the festivities last night at the Bottom Lounge. This evening was a special one for old punk rock fans as the legendary Los Angeles punk/rock band, X, returned to the [...]
Arch Enemy 10/4/11 at House of Blues
Last night the House of Blues hosted an early show featuring four metal bands that were touring together with the headliner being Arch Enemy. The band has a lot of fans in Chicago and they brought a pretty attractive package of opening acts with them. The show got off to a super early start at [...]
Swans 7/22/11 at Bottom Lounge
Thursday night the Swans once again returned to the Bottom Lounge in an effort to destroy the hearing of about 700 or so people with their insanely loud and intense performance. Until last year the band was mostly inactive and when they come to town it is a special event that should be treated like [...]
Weedeater 9/17/11 at Reggies
Saturday night a touring package of four excellent heavy bands made a stop at Reggies in Chicago for a night of metal in the South Loop. This package tour featured the mighty Weedeater as the headliner and that alone was reason enough to hit up one of Chicago’s finest clubs and the fact that three [...]
Down 9/16 at Austin’s Fuel Room
After a two-year wait since their last trip to the midwest, metal superstars Down returned to IL and instead of playing Chicago opted once again to play in Libertyville at Austin’s Fuel Room. Hundreds of fans packed the restaurant portion of the venue waiting the extra hour delay for the doors to open and in [...]
Doro Pesch 9/11/11 at Reggies
Sunday night not only marked the tenth anniversary of one of the most tragic days in American history but it also marked the return of a metal legend to Reggies. That legend is the “queen of metal”, Doro Pesch. Doro has enjoyed a long career in music spanning the better part of three decades now, [...]
Samiam 9/10/11 at Reggies
After more than a decade since they last played in Chicago, Samiam made their long, long-awaited return to the Windy City in support of their first new album in quite some time. They headlined a three band bill at Reggies on Saturday night and a respectable number of die-hard fans filled the room with excitement [...]
Wolves in the Throne Room and Indian 9/1 at Reggies
September got off to a great start with the long-awaited return of Wolves in the Throne Room to Chicago. After two years they finally hit the road again and started their tour right here in the Windy City. Reggies was the host for this monumental evening that featured three unique and amazing metal bands. Chicago [...]
Rockstar Mayhem Festival 8/5/11 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheater part two
As the day progressed so did the non-stop lineup of bands playing the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and there was only a few more bands to go before the main pavilion opened up for the four main event, big-stage acts. People were sweaty and hot but they stayed hydrated by visiting the Rockstar tent which had [...]
Rockstar Mayhem Festival 8/5/11 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheater part one
While half the city was packed into Grant Park for some other festival, the real action was taking place a half hour south at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park. The action being referred to is that of the annual Rockstar Mayhem Festival. The fest is sort of like a metal version of [...]
