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| basement tapes | concert reviews | cd reviews | interviews | ticket swap | music news |
 By Andy Argyrakis |
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Weekend Report: Rockin' New Years Eve, Lil' Wayne leads Big Jam
Friday, December 26, 2008 Very few package tours could fill a stadium just a few days after Christmas, but apparently WGCI feels confident enough in this year's Big Jam package to book the United Center. Leading the pack is New Orleans' prized rapper Lil' Wayne, along with the like-minded T-Pain. Additional diversity worth noting includes soul siren Keyshia Cole and the not as silly as they sound alt-rockers Gym Class Heroes. (Worth a shot - Saturday at United Center- Chicago, IL: www.ticketmaster.com). Anticipation is certainly mounting for My Morning Jacket's area return, especially considering the band postponed its original dates of October 9 and 10 for this weekend. The group is currently touring in support of Evil Urges (ATO), which may have received lukewarm reviews by many critics but did manage to make Q's 50 Best Albums of the Year.  Nonetheless, the group is a festival favorite who should have no trouble captivating two nights of indie rockers turned theatergoers. (Worth a shot - Saturday and Sunday at Chicago Theatre- Chicago, IL: www.ticketmaster.com).Rather than dealing with traffic and party amateurs downtown, the Windy City suburbs are rolling out the classic rock red carpet. The Voices of Rock Radio bill includes legendary singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes (of the Ted Nugent Band fame), Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow and a recent tour with AC/DC's Brian Johnson) and Kevin Chalfant (The Storm, Two Fires, 707, the music of Journey). Performing a collaborative set sharing the same band, they promise an evening of back to back hits to ring in the New Year with the ultimate sing-a-long. (Bet your life - Wednesday at The Meadows Club- Rolling Meadows, IL: www.themeadowsclub.com). |
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Street Week: Duffy goes deluxe, Santana live
Monday, December 22, 2008 Throughout 2008, Duffy's been mislabeled as an Amy Winehouse, when in actuality, she's a second rate Dusty Springfield. Even if the singer hasn't earned the acclaim of either that drama queen or the late great legend, she's had a smash of a single in the form of "Mercy," which is the highlight of Rockferry Deluxe Edition (Universal). Beyond the original album, the collection features a bonus disc with seven previously unreleased tunes. While it may tide over fans thus far, Duffy's true test comes in '09 when she'll either make a statement of her own or fall prey to the sophomore slump. The plethora of Santana projects keeps coming this week with The Best of the Fillmore Years (Cleopatra).  As the title implies, the triple disc set chronicles the rising axe grinder in his formative years playing the famed venue with a set list leaning towards the psychedelic side of the coin (as opposed to more pop oriented formats in recent years). While it's always exciting to hear the entertainer live on an album, there's nothing that can replace the feeling of actually seeing the guitar slinger first hand. Remember the days of old school CD singles? Well the outspoken against illegal downloading members of Metallica sure do and they're dipping back to retro formats to release a double single in the physical format for the new tune All Nightmare Long. Expect part one and two to each provide the main cut, plus have bonus tunes exclusive to each individual installment. |
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