I've been a Butch Walker fan for awhile now, at least since his (very) brief reign as a MTV power-pop prince with former band The Marvelous 3 in the late '90s. While his music has always been an ever-evolving stew of nods to the history of pop - from '80s hair scuzz to emo to Top 40 - it's the guy's situation as an artist that I've found most intriguing. more ›

Folker/producer/songwriter to the pop stars Butch Walker held court at Schubas last week for four sold-out shows and Chicagoist caught night numero uno, where Walker performed his cheeky, heartfelt second solo record Letters. Though half of the crowd and Walker himself were seated for the show, the 40-year-old's over-the-top stage personality and baldfaced, relateable songs inspired the same fervent reverence that has packed houses from Schubas to Metro over the course of his nearly 20-year career. more ›

Butch Walker is best known as a hot-shot producer to the stars. He's worked with Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Pink, Lindsay Lohan ... and so on. So you might be forgiven if you're a tad shocked to find out that the man also has a solo career fronting a decidedly backward looking glam-rock combo whose previous releases include an album that is actually titled The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites. more ›

Chicago native Jason Kanakis is one of those rare dudes who can honestly call himself a "career musician." He's has toured the world playing with the likes of KT Tunstall, Butch Walker, Rachael Yamagata, Aqualung, and an impressive heap of others. Now based in Los Angeles, Jason has an interesting perspective on how the Chicago music scene shapes up in comparison to the rest of the country, not to mention some pretty weird stories about life on the road. Fresh off a tour with Brett Dennen, Chicagoist caught up with Jason for a quick chat about touring, Chicago's music community, and Singapore's transvestite prostitutes. more ›