today in Chicago
* Kool Keith @ Reggie's
* The Business, Anger @ Cobra Lounge
* Sufjan Stevens, Sheila Saputo @ Metro
* Summer Girlfriends, Kitchen Hips @ Saki
* Prince Rama, Jimmy Whispers @ Schubas
* Bobby Conn, Paper Mice @ The Burlington
* Trailer Park Boys (live) @ The Chicago Theatre
* Simian Mobile Disco, JDH & Dave P @ Bottom Lounge
* Cold Blue Kid, The New Originals, Impulsive Hearts @ Beat Kitchen
* Outer Minds, Bare Mutants, Radar Eyes, Blizzard Babies @ Empty Bottle
* Archie Powell & The Exports, The Noise FM, Blane Fonda, The Grooks @ Subterranean

Sufjan Stevens and Sheila Saputo play Metro tonight.

Outer Minds, Bare Mutants, Radar Eyes, and Blizzard Babies play the Empty Bottle.

Ryan Adams played Conan the other night. Check out the footage below.

Happy night eight of Hanukkah!

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Ryan Adams in Chicago (photos by Marc Alghini & Tina Campbell)

A kinder, gentler, and happier version of the normally temperamental Ryan Adams emerged Sunday at a sold-out Cadillac Palace Theatre. Performing solo and acoustic, the singer/multi-instrumentalist stripped roots-based songs down to the barest elements, occasionally reducing volumes to pin-drop-quiet levels that echoed with sincerity and redemption. While evident in new fare such as the soul-warming "Lucky Now," Adams' budding maturity anchored a majority of a 135-minute set equally notable for what didn't occur.

Having recently ended a hiatus from music, the tousled-haired Adams looked content and sounded wiser. "Apparently I was extremely well-[expletive] adjusted when I wrote some of these songs," he cracked in an introduction to "Carolina Rain," one of several instances during which the troubadour drew on amusing sarcasm to acknowledge a checkered personal history of questionable antics, substance abuse and self-sabotaging behavior. Granted, the fussy Adams instituted a strict no-camera policy at the show. Yet when stray flashes illuminated the otherwise dimly lit stage, he ignored them. Just a few years ago, he probably would've caused a scene. [Bob Gendron; Chicago Tribune]

Were you in attendance to catch the allegedly more stable singer-songwriter?

Jessica Lea Mayfield opened the show, and we've got Ryan's full setlist, below..

Continue reading "Ryan Adams played the Cadillac Palace Theatre (review/setlist)"

The National @ Austin Music Hall two days ago (more by Tim Griffin)

today in Chicago
* Mar Caribe @ Hideout
* Letters To Santa @ The Second City
* Gospel Music, Leaf Bird @ Empty Bottle
* Karkwa, Sharpless, Terriers @ Schubas
* The National, Local Natives, Wye Oak @ Aragon Ballroom
* Strychnine, Logan Squares, Jenny Dragon @ Subterranean
* YACHT, Extreme Animals, Cains & Abels, Kid Color @ Lincoln Hall
* Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller’s Sonic Arboretum @ Museum of Contemporary Art
* Origin of Animal, The Joel Moore Quartet, Callaloo, Sound Collision Alliance @ Double Door
* As I Lay Dying, Of Mice and Men, The Ghost Inside, IWrestledABearOnce, Sylosis @ House of Blues

The A.V. Club named Wye Oak's Civilian their #1 record of the year.

Starting tonight (12/6), over the next 24-hours, The Mountain Goats, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Danielson, Helen Money, and more will play The Second City's Letters To Santa.

Ryan Adams played Letterman. Check out the footage below.

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Minus the Bear @ Webster Hall in 2010 (more by Matthew Eisman)

today in Chicago
* The Gift, Gangi @ Double Door
* Sara Bareilles, Ben Lee @ the Riv
* Bryan Ferry @ Civic Opera House
* Hindi Zahra, Dessa, ION @ Lincoln Hall
* Ashtray Boy, Colony Park @ Empty Bottle
* Minus the Bear, The Velvet Teen @ Metro
* Giant Panda, Guerilla Dub Squad, Midwest Hype @ Schubas
* 400 Blows, Alma Negra, Spanyurd, Billy Crystal Meth @ Panchos

Mates of State played Letterman last night. Video below.

Tim Kinsella reads from his debut novel at Hideout tonight.

Ryan Adams played Conan last night. Footage below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Ryan Adams @ Wellmont Theater (NJ) in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Ryan Adams is back with a new album titled Ashes & Fire, hitting stores on October 11th via PAX-AM/Capitol Records. Stream the LP in its entirety via NPR.

"The new album was produced by Glyn Johns, renowned for his work with the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Clash, The Who and The Rolling Stones--and whose son Ethan produced previous Ryan Adams albums Heartbreaker, Gold and 29."

The very same day that the album is released Adams will kick off a short run of West Coast dates. He'll reach the East Coast in December, making his way to Chicago for a performance at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on 12/11. According to his Facebook, "All shows are solo." Jessica Lea Mayfield will open.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday (10/1), at 10AM CST. All 2011 tour dates can be found at BrooklynVegan.