"Modern music begins with the Velvets," Lester Bangs once wrote, "and the implications and influence of what they did seem to go on forever." Any footage of the Velvet Underground in their prime should be considered of major interest; but footage shot and manipulated by their legendary "impresario" Andy Warhol can only be called priceless. more ›

The Reeling Film Festival is in its last days, but there's still time to catch what's sure to be one of the most fascinating movies in the program. Quearborn & Perversion, a new documentary by Columbia College alum Ron Pajak, tells stories of lesbian/gay Chicago life spanning the years 1924-1974. It's surely a beautiful irony of history: what is today the epicenter of the Viagra Triangle was, in the 50's, the epicenter of gay life;... more ›

Acoustic folk-rock artist Martha Berner has a certain power. Her live shows are revelatory. An artist in the Machine Records stable, she managed to deliver a solid performance with her full band at the label’s holiday party at Schubas last December, despite a bout of laryngitis that harshed her otherwise gifted voice, which moves easily from dreamy falsetto to a pleading alto. (We imagine the hot toddies she was sipping helped a bit.) Berner’s next... more ›

Sunday night we walked over to Martyr's to help celebrate Chicago's vibrant music scene with the Hawk Winter Music Festival. It was just another night here in Chicago where live music was played and appreciated by a city full of music lovers. This particular evening there were several talents on tap: Alison Breitman, BFF, Cracklin' Moth, Hummingbiird and Justin Sconza. A few impressions regarding the show... Alison Breitman is definitely one to watch. She has... more ›

First things first: if you still want to see the Pixies during their run here at the Aragon, you’ve still got time. Though most of their shows have been sold out since forever, tickets are available for Wednesday’s show with a reconstituted Urge Overkill. more ›

There's that apocryphal statement about the Velvet Underground – attributed to everyone from critic Lester Bangs to Lou Reed himself – that their records never sold a million copies, but everyone who bought one went out and started a band. Thankfully, one of those people was Jonathan Richman, who paid tribute to his idols in the song "Velvet Underground": "They were wild like the U.S.A./ A mystery band in a New York way/ Rock and roll, but not like the rest/ And to me, America at its best/ How in the world were they making that sound?/ Velvet Underground!" more ›