She may be 76-years-old, but comedienne extraordinaire Joan Rivers is more popular now than ever before. Between hosting countless award shows live from the red carpet to a recent victory on “Celebrity Apprentice,” the increasingly brash and bawdy star is earning a younger fan base, while staying true to her stand-up comedy core. At the beautifully restored Paramount Theatre in suburban Chicagoland last weekend, she plowed through 75-minutes of skewering every celebrity on the planet with her signature wit and sardonic sense of humor still as sharp as a tack. Read the rest of this entry »

Hunters and Runners is at their best in a power pop groove.  The New York City-based quartet incorporates some ska, reggae and a bit of soul in their guitar-driven debut album, Of Classic Renown. 

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Blur front man Damon Albarn found even more fame as of late with side project turned full time offering Gorillaz. After strong sales of previous projects, plenty of stars lined up to participate on Plastic Beach (Virgin), the group’s first new undertaking in five years. Catch a diverse guest list including Lou Reed, De La Soul, Mos Def, Bobby Womack and Snoop Dogg, sure to expand the animated superstars’ appeal even further. Read the rest of this entry »

Che Guevara is a man often forgotten in history. He is not, however, forgotten in pop culture. The public knows the revolutionary’s face from t-shirts and shot glasses rather than from history textbooks. The documentary Chevolution (Magnolia Home Entertainment) attempts to reconcile Che the revolutionary and Che the icon.

Focusing largely on the story of the actual Che photograph taken by fashion photographer Alberto Korda, Chevolution works through how the iconic photograph became famous. The filmmakers take the audience on the journey the photo took from its capture to its place in pop culture, with all the sticky copyright issues and lawsuits along the way. Read the rest of this entry »

Check out the first Grand Opening special at the Hear/Say store. Vampire Weekend “Contra” CD is on sale for $8.99 at the HearSay store this weekend. www.hearsay.cc

After a two year hiatus from the touring trails, Alicia Keys is back on the road supporting her fourth studio CD The Element of Freedom (J Records). The singer/songwriter/piano player kicked off the outing (ever so appropriately titled “The Freedom Tour”) on Wednesday at the Allstate Arena in suburban Chicagoland, performing a set list ripe with new tunes and old hits (such as “You Don’t Know My Name” and “No One”) Joining her on the arena extravaganza are fellow soul crooner Robin Thicke and diva in the making Melanie Fiona, all of which promise an action packed evening for pretty much any R&B or pop fan on the planet. Read the rest of this entry »

They first took Broadway by storm together in 1980 during the monumental original run of “Evita,” but now Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are back in a special two person tour. Ironically though, nothing from that musical made it to the set list on Chicago’s opening night at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (where the pair plays through March 7), swapping for a plethora of showtunes and standards.
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Low Anthem, Cleveland House of Blues, 3/27/10

To the Low Anthem:  no matter how drunk, loud or disinterested the crowd is, when your best song is named “To Ohio,” and you are playing in Ohio, you might want to play it.

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He may be skipping the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony when Genesis will be inducted, but that doesn’t mean Peter Gabriel hasn’t been busy. The progressive rock superstar turned radio innovator turns towards indie rock on his latest project Scratch My Back (Real World), though he addresses the scene with a twist. Catch covers of Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is a Cage,” Bon Iver’s “Flume,” Elbow’s “Mirror Ball” and Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” with a full-fledged orchestra, minus any drums or guitars. Read the rest of this entry »