When we heard that The Blue Meanies are playing Double Door, and Naked Raygun is playing Subterranean next week, we thought the local music news couldn't get any better. more ›

After a week jam-packed with shows, we're not surprised that this weekend finds us wishing that payday hadn't been so long ago. Did you know Morrissey is making his only 2006 appearance in North America here in Chicago? We feel like it’s all we’ve heard about all week. But it’s true. Except for when he played SXSW back in March. So, not as special now. But still: Morrissey! Still spelling cranky as s-u-a-v-e after all... more ›

For Chicago's entertainment beats, 2005 is best summed up by the phrase: change is good. At this time last year, if you had told us that 2005 would bring not one, but two world class rock festivals to Chicago’s parks, we’d have patted you on the head and cooed “Aw, you’re so cute.” But wonders never cease and so it was that the city of Chicago finally realized that in order for Chicago to become... more ›

A wire story on Chicago-bred hip hop in this morning’s Red Streak runs with the idea that a high tide raises all boats. In this case, the motion of the ocean is courtesy of “recent” success of Kanye West and Twista. Members of Chicago’s hip-hop community interviewed for the article praise the underground scene, but note that Chicago’s also-ran status is due to a lack of management that can push local artists and, in turn, raise the profile of a city that’s had a thriving scene for years. In the early 1990s, Chicago became a flashpoint for the alternative rock scene thanks to bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and Screeching Weasel. Perhaps the “aughts” will be the time for Chicago’s hip-hop community to finally break wide. more ›

An article in The Chicago Journal last week detailed the efforts of a Japanese television crew that sought to document the last vestiges of the Maxwell Street blues scene. The authenticity of the current scene could most charitably be described as “in question” (if for no other reason but its presence on Canal Street rather than Maxwell Street. Fortunately, the flag for Chicago blues is still carried nightly by an army of local musicians in... more ›

Today is Festivus and we've been reading a lot lately about how all the cool kids are celebrating. It's easy. All you need is an aluminum pole to display unadorned. Local customs sometimes allow decorations, but they must be non-threatening plain decorations, and tinsel is absolutely banned. What? It's distracting! At Chicagoist's Festivus party we would ask everyone invited (all of you!) to contribute to The Human Fund and the money would really go to... more ›

It’s been three years since third wave ska band Blue Meanies has been on active duty in Chicago. Anticipating the re-release of their classic Full Throttle album on Thick Records, they’re playing a pair of shows tonight and tomorrow. It’s bad enough that we’re near broke and still trying to get some last-minute Christmas shopping done, but trying to scrape up the cash to make it to both shows is killing us. Sorry Grandma:... more ›