Bay is bae

Whether it’s due to his passionately delivered lyrics, his good looks, his masterful guitar playing, or the t-shirt being sold in the lobby, James Bay is bae. It’s been almost a week since James Bay played to an eager crowd at the Riviera Theatre as part of his Electric Light Tour, and the show is…

MGMT is back stronger than ever

The last time MGMT played The Riviera Theatre was back in 2010–the band was on their Congratulations tour, Tame Impala was the opener, and it was my inaugural MGMT show. Fast forward 8 years and the band finds themselves back at the Riviera for two nights promoting their most recent release, Little Dark Age. After…

MGMT Take Us On A Ride Through A More Carefree, Decadent 80’s Giving Us Hope That We Will Survive This Little Dark Age.

Laura Hoke @tennislala February 9th ended the 5 year wait for MGMT’s fourth studio album under Columbia Records, Little Dark Age. It’s widely known that accidental rock stars, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden met their freshman year at Wesleyan College. They bonded over their love of music, developing their relationship by impressing one another making…

The Chain Gang of 1974 + AFI at The Riviera Theatre 1/31

Tuesday night proved a great way to end the first month of great live music in 2017. The Chain Gang of 1974, the project of Kamtin Mohager, took the stage after Souvenirs as the venue was rapidly filling up. The vast majority of those in attendance were there to see AFI, but the crowd was respectful…

The Chain Gang of 1974 @ The Riviera Theatre 1/31

The Chain Gang of 1974 will be playing with Souvenirs and AFI this Tuesday to close out a great month of live shows in Chicago.  The Chain Gang of 1974 is the brainchild of  musician Kamtin Mohager, who is eager to get back out on the road this year.  Mohager’s synth pop project will provide some…

The Devil Makes Three

The Riviera Theatre was packed tightly last Saturday night with one of the most eclectic crowds I have ever seen. There were hippies (which I expected at a bluegrass show), but there were also girls with designer bags, guys in vests adorned with punk rock patches, grungey folk, and people of all ages.  Already, I…

An Electronic Evening w/The Naked and Famous

A couple of weeks ago, The Naked and Famous played a show at the Riviera Theater and blew us away with their indie electronic pop sound.  The band opened the show by performing “The Water Beneath You” straight off their newest album.  The combination of the vocals from lead singer Alisa Xayalith and the electronic…

KONGOS + The Joy Formidable @ The Vic Theatre 10/5

Attention, attention!  This show has been moved from the Riviera Theatre to the Vic Theatre!  Tickets already purchased for the Riviera show will be honored at the Vic. The band of brothers will be swooping through Chicago this Wednesday in support of their June 10th release, Egomaniac.  If you already had tickets to the show at…

The Rise of Vance Joy

Last time I saw Vance Joy, the show was at Lincoln Hall with very little lighting and a set that was more or less unplugged.  While his sound seemed well suited for intimate venues, I remember being concerned when I heard he would be opening for Taylor Swift, who is capable of selling out large…