Pritzker Pavilion lawn (more by Zach Pollack)

The City of Chicago's annual, free music programs at Millenium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, called Downtown Sound and Loops & Variations, will return this summer on Monday and Thursday evenings, respectively. The Downtown Sound lineup features Lee Ranaldo Band with Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, Sharon Van Etten with Speck Mountain, An evening with Glen Hansard featuring Lisa Hannigan and members of the Frames, Lee Fields & the Expressions with Theo Huff & the Platinum Band, Dawes with the Cairo Gang, Dessa with Psalm One, and more. The decidedly more electronic Loops & Variations series boasts performances by Falty DL with Bill Kouligas, Matmos with Fonema Consort, ICE with Nosaj Thing, Dan Deacon, and more.

Each show for both series' will begin at 6:30PM. Check out the full Millenium Park music schedule below...

Continue reading "Downtown Sound and Loops & Variations return (Falty DL, Sharon Van Etten, Lee Ranaldo, Dan Deacon, Dessa & more)"

photos by Sarah Frankie Linder

M. Ward @ the Vic on 5/22/2012

On Tuesday night (5/22), M. Ward brought his tour with the Lee Ranaldo Band to Chicago for a performance at the Vic Theatre. A full set of pictures from the show and a video of M. Ward playing Monsters of Folk's "Whole Lotta Losin'" are in this post.

As mentioned, the Lee Ranaldo Band will join Chicago's Disappears for a few European dates in late-July. They are currently overseas right now and are slated to play Primavera Sound Festival next week. A full list of tour dates can be found HERE.

Pictures from Tuesday night's show at the Vic continue below...

Continue reading "M. Ward & the Lee Ranaldo Band played the Vic (pics, video)"

Disappears @ Lincoln Hall in April (more by Zach Pollack)

Chicago's Disappears recently finished off a spring North American tour with Lotus Plaza, and have announced a hometown show at the Empty Bottle on July 20. Tickets go on sale this Friday (May 11), at 10AM CST. The band will head to Europe in late-June for a short string of dates, including some with the Lee Ranaldo Band (who they share a drummer with).

The Lee Ranaldo Band are currently on tour with M. Ward, a run that hits the Vic on May 22. Tickets are still available for the Chicago show.

All 2012 tour dates and videos for both acts, below...

Continue reading "Disappears announce hometown show @ the Empty Bottle; the Lee Ranaldo Band play the Vic this month w/ M. Ward"