To kick off Riot Fest formally for us last weekend, we caught Social Distortion and The Tossers at the Congress Theater. Unfortunately, we missed out on Reverend Payton's Big Damn Band, but from the folks we spoke with in the crowd last night, they definitely got everyone warmed up in a big way. The Tossers took the stage around 8:30 p.m. to an exceedingly excited crowd hungry for some old fashioned Irish folk punk. While their set was solid, the majority of the songs came from some of the newer material. While we hate to sound like the old guy at the bar saying that the classics were way better, we would've preferred a more balanced set with some more mainstays. Classics like Aye Sir and their cover of Dirty Old Town made us feel warm and fuzzy, but overall, we think the folks who prefer newer cuts had a much better experience than we did. more ›

What a great week for indie-pop. We are seriously psyched to revisit some old favorites while experiencing some newer friends for the first time. Robbers on High Street have garnered a lot of buzz, and while their latest digital-only EP is not an entirely convincing justification for their acclaim, it’s certainly strong enough to pique our curiosity. Expect Subterranean to be pretty crowded as everyone tries to discern whether these cats have the legs to... more ›

Gunther Murphy's, Tonight, 9 p.m., $8-10, 21+. more ›

The return of fall means no more suburban sheds or city parks filled with the sounds of rock. Instead, it’s time for live music fans to head inside to dark clubs that smell of cheap menthols and stale beer. We couldn’t be happier. Apparently, we’re not the only ones, as shows from Sufjan Stevens and Social Distortion/Supersuckers are already sold out. Here are a few with tix still available. We've never really bought what Cursive's... more ›