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Fontaines D.C - Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin - June 3, 2019

4 June 2019

Fontaines D.C’s homecoming performance, and Kevin Burke was there to bear witness

Call Of The Void - Shredder (Boise) – May 22, 2019

24 May 2019

With fire in their sails and fury in their throats, the Boulder quartet barnstormed the Shredder in Boise on Wednesday night, pulverizing the well-attended club with 45 minutes of sludgy punk-metal.

Tom Green - Liquid Laughs (Boise) – May 18, 2019

21 May 2019

In a sweet-and-sour set, the self-deprecating Tom Green revealed a soft exterior behind the crusty-looking iconic comedian of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Lord Dying - Shredder (Boise) – May 11, 2019

16 May 2019

Maximum riffage from Portland, Oregon, tore apart the Shredder in Boise on Saturday night courtesy of Lord Dying, a four-piece progressive-sludge unit.

Johnny Marr - The Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL) – May 13, 2019

15 May 2019

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and his sharp three-piece band returned to Chicago’s Vic Theatre to play material from 2018’s Call the Comet, other solo gems, breakout side project Electronica, and heavyweight hits from the Smiths. The seamless blend of old and new songs was a potent reminder of Marr’s role as the principal architect of the Smiths’ sound.

Graham Parker - City Winery (New York, NY) - May 6, 2019

7 May 2019

Far from a spent force, at 70, Parker is still an artist well worth your time, particularly in a live setting.

Treefort Music Fest - Boise, ID - March 20-24, 2019

14 April 2019

Treefort Music Fest is intended both to draw rising national talent to Boise and showcase what the city’s own music scene has to offer. And, as it occurs just as brisk breezes replace patches of ice in the downtown area, the spring-timing couldn’t be better.

Mott the Hoople ’74 - Chicago Theatre (Chicago, IL) – April 3, 2019

6 April 2019

It was a rare opportunity to see Ian Hunter flanked by pianist Morgan Fisher and guitarist Ariel Bender, the players who stood together during the heyday of Mott the Hoople leading to 1974 albums The Hoople and Live.

The Monochrome Set - Monty Hall (Jersey City, NJ) - Saturday March 2, 2019

4 April 2019

These legends are making vital new music every bit the equal of anything in their catalog.

Swervedriver - Warsaw (Brooklyn, NY) - Friday March 29, 2019

3 April 2019

Still, Swervedriver got a good crowd reaction and managed to play the best set I’ve ever seen them play

The Monkees – Mystic Lake - Shakopee, Minnesota - March 14, 2019

2 April 2019

In March 2019 (and less than a month after the death of Peter Tork), The Monkees presented “The Mike & Mickey Show” in the Minneapolis area, showcasing longtime reunion holdhout Michael Nesmith and the most constant member and main voice of The Monkees, Mickey Dolenz.

Murray A. Lightburn

Murray A. Lightburn - Hotel Café, Los Angeles – March 8, 2019

22 March 2019

Murray A. Lightburn from The Dears performed an intimate acoustic show at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles to promote his latest solo album Hear Me Out.

Sleaford Mods and Vulpynes - The Academy - Dublin, Ireland - Friday, February 7

17 March 2019

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn strip music to the barest of bones – a skeletal rhythm track and a forceful vocal attack.

In Flames - album cover

In Flames - Knitting Factory, Boise – March 13, 2019

14 March 2019

Mere days after the Boise outpost of Michael Dorf’s dwindling Knitting Factory franchises reopened after a fire tore down most of the structure last fall, what heavy-metal band took the stage to help rechristen the venue? In Flames, of course.

Kikagaku Moyo

Kikagaku Moyo with The Mattson 2 – The Regent - Los Angeles - March 6, 2019

10 March 2019

Tokyo psychedelic ensemble Kikagaku Moyo played to a capacity crowd at the Regent last Wednesday with support from The Mattson 2.

Necrot - Ignacio Orellana

Necrot - Neurolux (Boise) – February 27, 2019

28 February 2019

Featuring heavily dissonant riffs laden with death-metal vocals, Necrot gave a blitzkrieg of a performance that alternately dizzied and tizzied the club crowd.

Andy Gill from Gang of Four

Gang of Four – The Roxy - Los Angeles - February 6, 2019

12 February 2019

Post-punk legends Gang of Four brought their influential blend of funk, disco and noise-rock to the Roxy last week. Founding guitarist Andy Gill led the band through a propulsive set that mixed newer material with classics from the band’s early years.

Neon Music

Club FOXES Presents: Life on Mars - Fais Do-Do (L.A.) – Jan. 31, 2019

5 February 2019

The musical legacy of 1970s glam rock was celebrated last Thursday at the Fais Do-Do in Los Angeles, as guest singers performed classics from the era accompanied by a solid house band.

Ty Segall, William Tyler @ Thalia Hall (Chicago) - November 2, 2018

4 February 2019

Two guys, two guitars, and one small stage in the middle of the room.

John Maus

John Maus with Maraschino – Masonic Lodge, Los Angeles – Dec. 7, 2018

12 December 2018

John Maus performed a sold-out show at the Masonic Lodge in Los Angeles last Friday, with support from Maraschino. The dates were part of an ongoing North American tour that finds the singer returning to his one-man-band performance style.

Thom Yorke photo by Rachel DiLouise.

Thom Yorke - Chicago Theatre - December 4, 2018

10 December 2018

Radiohead fans enamored of Thom Yorke’s experimental excursions into electronic music sold out the ornate and stately Chicago Theatre. The set list was built around Yorke’s solo material, primarily focused upon 2014’s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. The singer was clearly in his element while pursuing a musical vision purely his own.

The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad - Troubadour (Los Angeles) - October 9, 2018

17 November 2018

The Scottish post-punk made a brooding, yet also uplifting, return at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Dave Vanian of The Damned

The Damned – Fonda Theatre (L.A.) – November 2, 2018

6 November 2018

Goth-punk legends The Damned celebrated the success of their latest album Evil Spirits with a fiery performance at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood.

Riot Fest: (Chicago, IL) - September 14-16, 2018

25 September 2018

Coverage of Chicago’s Riot Fest includes text and photos of Johnny Marr, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan and more.

Beach House – Hollywood Forever Cemetery, L.A. 8-3-18

7 August 2018

Beach House kicked off two-sold out nights at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, an ideal setting for their haunting brand of dream pop.

Lollapalooza 2018 - Day 3: (Chicago, IL) - August 4th, 2018

5 August 2018

Photos and a quick excerpt from Day 3 of Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza 2018 (Pre-Coverage)

31 July 2018

Pre-coverage for the 2018 installment of Lollapalooza.

Radiohead - Little Caesars Arena (Detroit) - July 22, 2018

23 July 2018

Radiohead in 2018 continues its decades-long campaign of confounding expectations and challenging the norms of conventional rock bands. An adventurous crowd in Detroit offered strong support on Sunday. Photos by Andrew Potter.

The Pretenders - The Riverside Theater (Milwaukee) - July 10, 2018

22 July 2018

Review and photos by Philamonjaro. The Pretenders’ playing is as vibrant and visceral as ever. The catalog of songs by Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers and company reveals rock and roll with substance, savvy arrangements and a mountain of melodic hooks. No pretending here; this band is the real deal.

Spring Awakening 2018

11 June 2018

A rundown of Chicago’s beginning to festival season – Spring Awakening 2018.

The Trashcan Sinatras - Highline Ballroom (New York) - May 30th, 2018

1 June 2018

Songs that sound like whimpers on the original Lp like “Even the Odd” and closer “January’s Little Joke” were as powerful as the immortal singles such as the aforementioned “Obscurity Knocks” and “Only Tongue Can Tell.”

U2 - United Center (Chicago) - May 22, 2018

26 May 2018

Irish rockers U2 performed two dates at the United Center in Chicago, IL for its eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour. The set list leaned heavily upon U2’s recent bookend albums Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017). Photographer Philomonjaro was on hand to capture the action on Tuesday, May 22, 2018.

Preoccupations

Preoccupations with Moaning and Facial – The Echo (L.A.) May 17, 2018

22 May 2018

Preoccupations and Moaning played two sold-out dates at The Echo in Los Angeles, with support on Thursday from Facial.

Acid Mothers Temple with Yoo Doo Right, Hooveriii and Leaf – The Echo 5-8-18 and Alex’s Bar 5-9-18

16 May 2018

Acid Mothers Temple closed out their North American tour with shows in Los Angeles and Long Beach last week, leaving minds blown and eardrums buzzing. The 40-date tour also featured Yoo Doo Right from Montreal, with local support from Hooveriii (at the Echo on 5/8/18) and Leaf (at Alex’s Bar on 5/9/18).

The Pretenders with Lowlight - The Orpheum Theatre (Boston) - April 1, 2018

5 April 2018

Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers play through the The Pretenders songbook in front an appreciative Boston crowd.

Iceage with Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates – Gold Diggers (Los Angeles, CA) March 31, 2018

3 April 2018

Iceage finished their run of three sold-out nights at Gold Diggers in Hollywood on Saturday, with reclusive legend Gary Wilson opening.

FOXES Fest – 1720 (Los Angeles, CA) March 25, 2018

29 March 2018

The first FOXES Fest in Los Angeles featured performances by Cosmonauts, Sextile, Death Valley Girls, Honduras, Thee MVPs, and The Mad Walls.

Chrome with Automelodi and Boyscouts of Annihilation - Echoplex (Los Angeles, CA) - March 18, 2018

22 March 2018

Legendary cyberpunks Chrome headlined an eclectic night that also featured stand-out performances by Automelodi and Boyscouts of Annihilation.

Snow Globe (South Lake Tahoe, CA) - December 29th, 2017

29 December 2017

Images from Day 1 of Snow Globe Music Festival.

Midnight Oil - Riverstage (Brisbane, Australia) - October 17, 2017

25 October 2017

With the extensive The Great Circle Tour 2017 barreling toward its final date in Sydney, the reactivated Midnight Oil showed no sign that it ought to return to retirement. The band’s activist posture and reinvigorated music are more potent and relevant than ever.

Swervedriver - Brighton Music Hall (Boston) - September 9, 2017

12 September 2017

Franklin and Hartridge bring a mix of brawn and finesse to the fore as they tear through Raise and Mezcal Head in fine fashion.