Presale tickets for Andrew Bird's May 12, 2012 show at the Auditorium Theatre go on sale 10 a.m. tomorrow. Use the code ANDREW and receive a digital download of his new album when it's released and two live EPs. more ›

Over the past five years or so the boisterous clan of 30-plus circus punk band geeks known as Mucca Pazza have managed to carve out a special place in our hearts. Between the cast of crazed, costumed characters playing instruments ranging from a trombone to an accordion, to the over-the-top extravaganza that are their live performances that have us dancing in the aisles. We have been more than happy to catch them live numerous times. Mucca Pazza is not only a Chicgoista staple, but an essential part of the live music culture here in the windy city. An experience this unique musically will be remembered by many and now will be documented for all according to the Chicago Reader. more ›

Try and tell Chicago’s much-loved “circus punk marching band,” Mucca Pazza, what to do. Chances are good that they won’t. more ›

Another weekend. Another street fest. This weekend the annual West Fest closes off Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood for two days of live music, kid and pet festivities and even an outdoor fashion show. The antithesis of the chaos formerly known as Ribfest, West Fest is the one street fest we can always count on for a relaxing afternoon. more ›

We were at the show the below video was filmed at, and we admit we thought Andrew Bird was pulling our leg when he offered a synopsis of the storyline ... we should have known better. Plus, we will always hear this song from here on out along with the awesome swell of Mucca Pazza's brass section in a comfortably crowded Hideout at the climax of the song. more ›

This year’s Hideout Block Party had it all: blues, world music, stoner rock, deep country blues, puppet shows, political dissidents, robo-rock, the return of Neko Case in two guises, and a punk rock marching band. In-between all of this the organizers managed to mix in voter registration, political discussion, and a drunken spelling bee. The amazing thing about this whole package? Its whole purpose was to raise money for various community centers, primarily in the interest in improving the lives of area children, proving The Hideout truly is striving to create a sense of community through the arts. more ›

We have to hand it to The Hideout, those cats know how to throw a party. What began as an affair populated mostly by local bands friendly to the bar has expanded to become one of the most inventively and entertainingly booked local festivals of the year. more ›

The "astounding circus punk marching band" Mucca Pazza plays The Mansion tonight, celebrating the release of their new album, Plays Well Together, the long-awaited full-length follow-up to 2006's A Little Marching Band EP. Fusing punk with gypsy rock, this rambunctious marching band of awesome puts on shows that are a can't-miss blast, filled with energy and enthusiasm that's hard to match and we figure a special event like a record release party is even more worth your while. Baby Teeth and Chandeliers open the show. more ›

There are many things to like about New Belgium Brewing. All employees are also owners in the company; they practice open book management; they're a sustainable company using wind power and methane from processed water treatment to produce their own electricity, recycle waste water and utilize the latest green practices in their buildings; they give their employees a bike after one year of employment. more ›

In spite of the chilly weather, the first round of street fests are approaching. While Pitchfork and Lollapalooza dominate the headlines, our fair city's many street fests often boast some pretty decent bands. Many fests are just beginning to announce their lineups and there are some great bands already listed with more to be added, so this promises to be a pretty awesome summer of sun and music. You can scope out our comprehensive list of festival dates and keep tabs on developments at the city's Neighborhood Fest website. Here's a small sampling of some current lineups. As usual, most, if not all, fests require a small donation ($5ish). more ›

more ›

It's that time of year once again. Spring is on the upswing, and the city is ready to brush the sleep from its eyes and starting to shake off the winter hibernation. This means lots of readings and festivals. And next week our alma mater Columbia College Chicago hosts its annual Story Week, a series of panels, discussions and of course, readings by authors from all over the country. All events are free, so call in sick to work and attend some events to awaken your inner great American novelist. more ›

more ›

Let's take a look at some of the best live & local music in our fair city this week: more ›

Shellac, that merry trio of fun-loving noisemakers, is taking over Hideout in mid-December. We love Hideout, and we love the fact that Shellac always tries to play somewhere interesting on those rare occasions they do deign to grace the public with a live performance. The band will be playing a bunch of shows between December 13-16, including a few double-header days with shows at noon and in the evening. Our only question is; has Hideout... more ›

Cyrano's Bistrot is open again, after a week and four inspections to combat a roach infestation caused by condo renovations above the restaurant. Congratulations, Chef Didier. Just don't expect us to visit anytime soon. Gabriel Magliaro of Half Acre Beer Company has been busy. Half Acre and Bloodshot Records have a promotion where Bloodshot is offering a sampler album as a free download to Half Acre fans. Magliaro will also be at Whole Foods... more ›

If you’re not totally familiar with The Hideout, you’re not alone. It’s not called “The Hideout” for no reason – it’s tucked away amidst warehouses and a U.S.P.S. processing center in the gritty industrial neighborhood just south of the North Branch of the Chicago River. A hand-painted “Hideout Block Party, an unpretentious celebration of local, national, and international talent that ends in a nice donation to charity, and this year’s lineup challenges Pitchfork for the... more ›

O.K., let's say you're cheap (or on a really tight budget, that's totally understandable too) so you're not buying tickets to this year's Hideout block party ... but you still want to see fabulous bands like Andrew Bird, Bloc Party, The Frames, Mucca Pazza, Art Brut, Dan Deacon (who you really MUST see live), and a bunch of other cool acts yet to be announced. You can still get in by volunteering! Volunteers do everything... more ›

Since our hipster cred went down the drain last night when we saw The Police at Wrigley, we decided to just join the ranks of our parents and give up. The on-sale listings from Ticketmaster confirmed this for us when all we found were shows at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Shows that would have excited us about forty years ago, but who's to say grandpa and grandma don't deserve a great night out. The... more ›

Well, we've been hearing about Looptopia for awhile. A big overnight festival held in the Loop, blah blah. We didn't think too much about it. We pretty much dismiss the Loop after 5 p.m. and give it up for lost on the weekends. Looptopia is obviously working hard to change all that. It's going on this Friday through early Saturday morning and since we're going to be down there, we decided to check out the... more ›

With Don Imus shooting his mouth off, the same old recycled music, and Clear Channel dictatorially ruling the airwaves, radio is leaving a lot to be desired these days. That's why community stations like WLUW (88.7) are such an oasis in the desert of mainstream radio. more ›

The number of nontraditional instruments that could potentially hit the stage is reason enough to check out the Euphone/Reds and Blue show at the Hideout tonight. The show was originally supposed to include soft pop rockers Ambulette as headliners, but last week lead singer Maura Davis announced she would be leaving the band for the rest of their tour (which would end tonight in Chicago) to deal with some family issues. Being a band of... more ›

Energy! Lots of people! These groups aren’t bands, they’re “collectives” – a moniker that let’s us accept that not every member will be on every album or even at every show. Not knowing who may show up adds to the anticipation. Animal Collective is known for creating layered, multi-faceted songs that carry the listener on a trip. Is it a drug trip? Chaotic? Or just a dreamscape of interconnectedness? Or the ability to stay connected... more ›

Austinist got us thinking about the Mecca that is SXSW when they compiled their list of bands allegedly playing the conference. We decided that we should google and Myspace around and see which bands from Chicago may be heading down there during Spring Break, March 14-18. The list isn’t that big yet, but that’s because everyone is doing a better job of keeping their mouths shut until the official announcement comes next week. more ›

As we noted yesterday, winter is on its way (though you’d never know it), which means it’s harder to convince yourself to leave the house and spend time seeing great live music. But it also means it’s time for Tomorrow Never Knows, the “mini-winter-indie-fest” at Schuba's, now in its third year. We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away for the five-day fest that are yours for the having, if we pick your name. more ›

As we near the end of November and look to the winter, the on-sale listings begin to look a bit spare; only the hardiest of souls venture into a Chicago winter. The California band Curtains records for the Sufjantastic label Asthmatic Kitty. And while its sound resembles the delicate folk of his records, that’s like saying Rivers Cuomo and Ira Glass resemble each other because they both favor heavy glasses and sweaters. Curtains favors spare... more ›

Chicagoist has begrudgingly come to grips with the arrival of fall – seriously, we had to wear a coat this morning – and embracing the good that comes with it. Namely: sweaters and hot toddies. more ›

Procrastinating indie kids and drunken Dads throughout the city will look a little down in the mouth this weekend as both the Boy Least Likely To and Jimmy Buffet shows are sold out this weekend. Plus, the lead singer of Snow Patrol lost his voice so their show is postponed as well. But there are still plenty of good shows going on over the next couple of days. But did we miss a memo or... more ›

We recommend live music every night of the week, but to keep the hangover at bay after the great time sure to be had by all at Chicagoist's Ctrl-Alt-Rock concert, we suggest the 2006 HAWK Winter Music Festival. It's a celebration of Chicago's music scene and who doesn't love that? We sure have it going on here in the Windy City and The League of Chicago Music Venues is presenting 3 days of music,... more ›