If concerts were assigned a "physical exertion" index for the audience, most of us would agree to something like: intimate singer-songwriter folk jam < power pop indie rock < punk and metal freak-outs. Polite applause versus tooth-loosening mosh pits. Mild mustiness versus sweat and blood. A performance by Guitar Wolf, the self-described "jet rock n roll" trio from Japan, surely ranks in that red-zone level of intensity. They're tests of endurance; a Jack LaLanne-esque "feat of strength" for the concert-going contingent. more ›

Tyler Jon Tyler has a name that’s bound to mislead. Tyler Jon Tyler may sound like some redneck parody out of My Name Is Earl or Eastbound or Down, or a forgotten teen idol from the mid-nineties. But, in fact, TJT is a sharp, tight power-pop group from the Windy City. Tonight, the trio is set to release their self-titled debut full-length at the Empty Bottle. more ›

Still reeling from the spike in parking meter fees and where that money's going? Rest assured, the price to park in a Chicago garage daily is up only $1 from last year, according to a new parking rate survey released this week. more ›