As its name suggests, Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead tribute band. Organized by engineer/producer Bob Matthews, a longtime associate of the Dead, they recreate a specific show from the over 2,500 concerts that the Dead performed during their 30-year tenure as masters of improvisational rock. They play the…
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In Concert
Tuesday, 21 November 2006 00:00
Chris Botti Brings Romance to the Chicago Theatre
Written by Kimberly Katz
Chris Botti’s entire band is composed of players as talented as he is and they take turns dazzling the audience. Drummer Billy Kilson is what I call “out of his mind talented” . Billy plays the complex and changing Jazz drum rhythms with all the heart and soul and explosive…
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In Concert
It’s good that Billy Sheehan performed last, because the guy could not be stopped by anyone. I didn’t think that anyone could play the bass with such ferocity, but I was wrong. Billy’s playing was so impressive, in fact, that I don’t even remember their being anyone else on the…
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In Concert
As for their recent concert at the Allstate Arena, Van Halen put on an impressive performance, which took crowd participants back to the Roth era lasting from 1978 to 1984. Starting off with songs from their debut album "Van Halen" and finishing off with songs from "1984", Eddie, Alex, and…
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In Concert
It was hard rock madness this past Saturday night at Chicago City Limits where Ion Vein led the charge in celebrating Halloween with a high energy set of loud, abrasive, in-your-face metal.
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In Concert
It was an amazing night of music and fun Saturday night at Martyr’s (3855 N. Lincoln), where Keaton Simons, on tour with Pete Francis of Dispatch, treated Chicago to a lively set of the inspirational, fun-loving numbers for which he is getting known. The very charismatic Keaton, on tour in…
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In Concert
Monday, 27 October 2008 17:32
Judas Rising Shows the Importance of Tribute Bands
Written by Ken Payne
Last Friday night my craving for classic metal got the best of me to which I headed over to Nite Caps at 5007 W. Irving Park Road, a Chicago hangout that regularly delivers the sounds of crunching guitars and cavernous bass drums. To be honest, it wasn’t at all random…
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In Concert
Charlie Otto (lead singer, guitar) as David Byrne was a revelation- besides the music itself, The Talking Heads were famous for the pure energy channeled by David Byrne in concert and it's unlikely that they will ever play together again as a band...
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In Concert
What a truly spectacular event it was that took place on this sixteenth day of April 2009. A raucous affair that shook some people’s worlds upside-down and put others back into their right places. If everything is relative, than it must be relative to something right? I humbly submit that…
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In Concert
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The energy emitting from the stage, and returned in spades from the crowd last Tuesday night, would have been more than enough to power the southern suburb of Mokena where Hatebreed, the Connecticut based metal quintet stormed The Pearl Room. But the show consisted of much more than just energy.…
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In Concert
Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen made his presence known in Chicago when he thrilled a packed hall last night at the House of Blues. Yngwie’s faithful arrived in full force, enjoying every riff-soaked moment of the 90-plus minute power set. The renowned shredder is currently touring his new album, Perpetual Flame...
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In Concert
Bored? Are you also so stressed out about your finances you feel you're going to "lose it" and end up in a psych ward? Do you feel desperate to escape the norm and everyday worries galore, but can't think of how to do it or what kind of getaway you…
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In Concert
Joining Xiu Xiu for his tour was a surprising treat called Tune-yards. Consisting of multi-instrumentalist Merrill Garbus, with some help from a bassist, Tune-yards exhibited some of the most impressive live looping and song creation that I've ever seen. Garbus' voice alone was an incredible talent. Using several different styles,…
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In Concert
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