The Overture Center was filled with a varied audience on March 30 when “A Symphony for Our World” blew through. It drew in a range of personas from music fanatics to nature buffs to families with children. The five-part symphony composed by Bleeding Fingers Music was performed by a live orchestra and chorus.
Now a five-piece well-oiled machine, many fans, critics and even founder Ben Burnley himself feel the band is heavier and more complete than in the past. With their headlining performance at The Sylvee last Monday in mind, I can only attest that this perception of the band’s current state is correct: Breaking Benjamin is simply the best it has ever been.
The Daily Cardinal's Michael Makowski travels to this year's SXSW and highlights several musical acts from another successful festival.
Wet + Kilo Kish bring all forms of indie pop to the Majestic stage this past Thursday night.
Breaking Benjamin has traversed an always-morphing musical landscape, survived several member changes and has simply gotten the better of time itself. The one constant throughout the entire journey has been founder Ben Burnley, the band’s lead singer and guitarist who also served as the creative mind behind most of the band’s music dating back to the its inception.
Hippie Sabotage, the EDM duo consisting of brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer, infected the Sylvee last Wednesday with one killer jam sesh. As someone who doesn’t frequently indulge in EDM and rave culture, this concert was a really interesting step into that world.
As I rushed to the Rainbow Kitten Surprise concert at the Sylvee this past Monday night, I had high expectations after their gig at Majestic Theatre last year, which was full of head-bang worthy rock-inspired renditions of their classics and an intimate feel despite Sam Melo’s overwhelmingly energetic stage presence. However, this show was quite different from the last time I saw RKS — mellow undertones dominated, and I felt as though I was digging into a giant, steaming bowl of soul food during their set.
Braving the fierce, dangerous conditions were some 2,000 plus fans of EDM royalty Dillon Francis and Alison Wonderland – two of the genres biggest and best acts performing today.
Rapper Noname rocked The Sylvee with her bopping tunes that showcased her raw talent.
Stores boast crazy sales like “Buy three, get one free!” Concerts do the same thing, in a way, giving audiences an opener along with the headliner they’re paying to see.
“We’re more similar than we are different, but the differences we do have are beautiful.” These words were spoken by Kamasi Washington, an impressive, calm figure in a large black cloak, heavy beaded necklace and colorful knit hat. He spoke gently into the microphone, cradling his saxophone comfortably against his stomach.
The Majestic Theatre was inflated with badass, indie rock fans of all capacities this past Thursday to relish in the positive energy that is Joywave and Sir Sly.
What do you get when you combine powerhouse lead vocals, a smooth jazz vibe and a rock n’ roll beat?
The Sylvee was washed with blue light and smoke as it came alive with the dynamic rhythms of Lauv last Friday night. His magnetic stage presence combined with his obvious love for performing electrified the theater and gave the audience a show filled with fast-paced moments, slow ballads and occasional times of laughter.
I will begin this review with a disclaimer: I’d never listened to Greta Van Fleet before I heard this album. I was going into it with an open mind — music-savvy friends had shown me snippets of singles the band had released over the past couple years, and I wasn’t interested in knowing them any better. I came upon Anthem of the Peaceful Army hoping to have my mind changed.
Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon left the Sylvee stage following their fundraising performance Saturday saying “On, Wisconsin” in a hinting tone, like what he actually wanted to say was “you better get out and vote, Wisconsin.”
If you’re in the know to any degree on the folk-punk-rock scene, last week’s performances at The Sett was the place to be.
K-pop group BTS set Chicago on fire earlier this month at the United Center with their “Love Yourself” tour. The world tour, named after their album trilogy (Love Yourself: Her, Tear and Answer), is a continuum of their message urging fans to love themselves.
There are very few things in life that never seem to get old — one of them is the cover band Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press. In the four times that I’ve seen them perform, their set list has rarely changed, yet they somehow manage to always surprise me.
With hundreds of people out of their seats and dancing Tuesday night, the Barrymore Theatre was uplifted and roaring with cheer as purple, red and blue lights outlined the stage. Andy Grammer was performing on his “The Good Parts Tour,” which is raising money for breast cancer awareness in honor of his mother who passed away 10 years ago.
Solutions by The State News
