Contributed by Mike Guzaski (@312mrg) Chicago experienced a typically loaded Spring weekend over the 4/20 “holiday”.  Highlights included Greyboy All Stars and Funky Meters holding court on Friday, and Jim James bringing his show to the Vic. But the clubs had some worthwhile shows as well, and Animal Liberation Orchestra gave Double Door denizens a [...]

When a band has been continually on the road as much as New Orleans’ Galactic, major cities become more than just stops on a tour, they become wrapped up in aspects of the band’s narrative.  After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Chicago became the temporary (to the tune of seven years!) home of Galactic’s original [...]

If you’re a Chicago music fan who just can’t get enough of that sweet spot where rock meets jazz, Joe Marcinek is a name that comes up quite a bit.  Not content to be just a double threat — laying down both guitar and keys in the Indiana-based jazz-fusion quartet Fresh Hops — he’s branched [...]

As far as musicians go, Cornmeal's Wavy Dave Burlingame poses a formidable triple threat these days — throwing down psychedelic banjo jams with his main band, channeling Phil Lesh as the occasional bassist for Terrapin Flyer and serving as an ambassador for our very own Chicago music scene, often dropping by to add some hot [...]

The music of Leftover Salmon radiates its high country Colorado origins without overlooking its Appalachian roots– yet there is something about it that feels at home in Chicago. LoS made the city a regular stop in the band's legendary first chapter, building up a loyal following over the course of a few dozen dates. At [...]

It's always fun to engage with Bonzo Terks' Danny Van Duerm. He uses carefully chosen words to explain his craft — he is precise and pays attention to detail, yet overcome with an undeniable passion. That's the way the music of Quartet, the group's latest album, feels too. In an age where the term “jazz [...]

On paper, AfroZep appears to be a Frankenstein’s monster of mismatched parts.  Stripped from their heavy blues roots, it’s hard to imagine Led Zeppelin’s songs retaining their power. Layered with polyrhythms and funky horn blasts, they would seem to lose all semblance of what makes them such an important rite of passage for rock fans [...]

One thing I’ve long admired about Chicago music scene is the community. Fairly removed from music industry bigshots on the coast, there is not an overwhelming sense of competition, no ruthless fight to seize some limited opportunity for a big break. Talent, creativity and social graces correlate to your happiness and ultimately success. Bassist Janis [...]

TigerFace.  It’s not an image I often think of, but in the context of the music of Marco Benevento, its easy to make some quick associations.  The head of the beast. Large, majestic, iconic, dangerous.  Yes, Marco’s music is all of those things; well, maybe not so dangerous… but there’s certainly enough risk taking contained [...]

It will be a busy August for Terrapin Flyer founder, guitarist and vocalist Doug Hagman.  He’ll hit the road for 9 shows in 11 days with an all-star cast in a routing that spans both Jerry Garcia’s 70th birthday and the 17th anniversary of his death (including at stop at Chicago’s Abbey Pub on 8/4).  [...]