*We're totally kidding. Smith Westerns could never write a song that good. more ›

Day three of the Pitchfork Music Festival got off to a slow start, with a smaller crowd, but we chalk that up to stronger headliners and more folks electing to arrive later in the day. Since one of our other writers was already covering the earlier bands, we elected to begin our coverage with Stephen Malkmus' main stage appearance. Malkmus' set was one of the ones with the most buzz, since it could be argued... more ›

We entered the Pitchfork Music Festival grounds a little late Saturday, since the CTA saw fit to make sure all the buses we needed to take were running extra slow, while suspending Blue Line service between Western and Clark/State. They picked a bang-up weekend to make sure they removed the primary vein of public travel right from the heart of the hipster corridor. As we arrived though, we were dually serenaded by the noise of... more ›

The first day of the Pitchfork Music Festival showcased three classic acts, performing their classic albums. Slint re-created their seminal Spiderland, and while watching their set we realized that they are definitely one of those bands everyone name-checks, but almost no one has actually heard. Kind of like how dudes in the '90s would talk about how awesome Patti Smith's Horses was because that was just the sort of thing you were supposed to say.... more ›

Platteville, WI is planning a Chicago Bears training-camp museum. Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the NFL Grassroots field program, the grass football field at Lane Tech will be replaced with a synthetic playing service. People are loving this idea: For $150 you can get a customized South Side Irish St. Patrick's day parade street banner. They're green and have shamrocks and white lettering and you can put family names and memorial tributes on... more ›

Last night’s Chicago Music Commission panel on "Promoting and Marketing Music - DIY Marketing to the Public" was a back-to-basics discussion on the smartest ways to promote your band in an era when you’re competing with a million other bands. Mark Roth of Centerstage Chicago moderated a panel with Jim Kopeny of Chicagoist/Tankboy Productions, Doug LeFrak of Feisty Management and Jay Prasad of Pure Entertainment, who spoke about the successes they’ve seen in the several... more ›

Just a reminder about our post from this weekend that you may have missed whilst you were out counting up all the girls dressed up as Rainbow Brite and all the guys dressed up as the Crocodile Hunter. Chicagoist’s Jim Kopeny, a.k.a. Tankboy, will join three other panelists at the Chicago Cultural Center tonight at 6:00 for a discussion entitled Marketing Music – Part I: DIY Reaching the Public. If you ever wanted to know... more ›

If you’re a local musician and you’re not already taking advantage of the Musicians at Work forums offered through the Chicago Music Commission, Chicagoist recommends you start this Monday with “Marketing Music – Part I: DIY Reaching the Public.” And not just because one of our writers will be speaking there. Thanks to MySpace, podcasts and e-mail, it’s easier and less expensive than ever to market your band. Yet technology is only as good as... more ›

Chicagoist has been busy forming a new Arts and Entertainment team, headed up by Scott Smith, and we're pleased to announce the addition of some new contributors. Our music coverage will expand with Julene McCoy "Re-Viewing" local live music shows and venues while Jim Kopeny, a.k.a. Tankboy provides you with details on the must-see bands in town. Kristin Moo is joining us to give you the lowdown on everything literary. And finally, Justin Sondak will... more ›