The Barn is a Chicago-based music blog, and we’re 100% committed to providing a chance to hear best stuff from the Chicago area again on our site.  But events like this happen only rarely — in Chicago or anywhere — so I wanted to get it out there so folks can easily have a listen [...]

Here’s a (nearly) complete video I shot at the Hannah’s Buddies benefit in Orlando last Saturday.  JB solo shows are few and far between to begin with, but for a mid-westerner like me they are even rarer, so we jumped at the chance to work this show into an already planned Florida vacation.  Here’s some [...]

It was blues night last night at the White House.  I guess when you’re commander-in-chief, not only do you get to assemble an All Star team  for the event, you also get to get “talked into” singing a verse.  Here, the President makes a grand exit by contributing some vocals to “Sweet Home Chicago” (even [...]

Practice make perfect,  this much we know.  I have always been a huge advocate of bands that spend quality rehearsal time and many many shows working out their live act on the road. This infographic from Songkick made the rounds of InfoGraphic freaks earlier this year under the banner of “Hardest Working Bands of 2010″.

Some kick ass photos of the Furthur tour from Jambase. Enter your twitter account name and, using the hunch.com recommendation engine, this site will create a music playlist for you.  Gotta admit, it worked pretty well for me. For the Dylan completist.  Store, Organize. Display Appreciate… the entire body of work.  Bootlegs too? This article [...]

I just about soiled myself when I stumbled upon this clip on youtube. Mule and DDBB giving a mighty fine workout to the Headhunters’ “Chameleon”.

Every Friday, we’re going to offer the best links, news and sites that we’ve discovered over the past week. We promise to keep it relevant (mainly). Warren Haynes talks about his forthcoming solo album, his first in 19 years Van Morrison stripped of his Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame credentials (The Onion) Full episodes [...]

Let’s say you’ve got a ton of soul, a wealth of talent and a hell of a creative streak.  You get off on loud guitars and the deep rumble of the bass.  Your music is an extension of yourself, a vehicle of expression for joy, pain, melancholy, even anger.  Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin’ [...]