The Rolling Stones just played a surprise gig at LA's Echoplex (setlist and video on BrooklynVegan) before their previously announced North American tour (Mick Taylor included). As mentioned, that tour hits Chicago on May 28 and May 31 at The United Center, and since we last spoke, The Stones have added a third date at that venue, happening on June 3. Tickets for all three Chicago shows are available.

All dates and more at BrooklynVegan.

As discussed, The Rolling Stones are set to travel throughout North America next month on their 50 & Counting tour. That tour includes a performance at the United Center on May 28, and they've just added a May 31 show at the venue to their schedule. Citi cardmember presales for both dates are currently active. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday (4/8) at 10AM CST.

An updated list of Rolling Stones tour dates is below...

Continue reading "The Rolling Stones add second United Center performance"

Rolling Stones @ Prudental Center -- 12/13/2012 (photo by caviartaste)

The Rolling Stones have announced that they'll be embarking on a spring North American tour, dubbed 50 & Counting, this May. Here's what the band have to say about their forthcoming dates...

50 & Counting continues the exhilarating celebration of the band's first 50 years--five decades of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood bringing their iconic music and ground-breaking stage shows to audiences around the globe.

"50 & Counting has been pretty amazing so far," said Jagger. "We did a few shows in London and New York last year...and had such a good time that we thought...let's do some more. It's a good show. Lots of the classic stuff everyone wants to hear...with a few little gems tucked in here and there. The stage is shaped like lips and goes off into the venue so I get to run around in the crowd. It's great fun to be able to get that close to the audience."

"From day one at rehearsals it sounded so fresh. You could tell that everybody was dying to get their teeth into it. It was like...open the gates...let us out!" said Richards. "Cause man, it is the life and blood of us to play in front of people."

All Rolling Stones dates are listed below...

Continue reading "The Rolling Stones to tag United Center on North American run"

Beyonce @ Superbowl XLVII (via)

So, Beyonce pretty much killed it last night at her Superbowl XLVII Halftime show, made complete with smoke, mirrors, and Destiny's Child. If you missed B's performance, you can check out the whole shebang at the bottom of this post. Along with her grandiose performance, Beyonce has revealed that she'll be embarking on "the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" this spring. That tour kicks off in Serbia, and will reach Chicago on July 17 for a performance at the United Center. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale to the general public next Monday (2/11) at 10AM CST. A couple of presales will be active this coming Friday (2/08); stay tuned for more information.

All tour dates and a clip of B's Superbowl XLVII performance are below...

Continue reading "Beyonce playing the United Center on world tour"

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Fleetwood Mac will be touring North America in 2013. That tour kicks off on April 4 in Columbus, OH and will reach Chicago on April 13 for a performance at the United Center. Tickets for all shows will go on sale next Friday (12/14). Stay tuned for more specific ticketing information for the Chicago show.

All Fleetwood Mac tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Fleetwood Mac touring in 2013, playing the United Center"

A$AP Rocky @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012 (more by Tim Griffin)

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Harlem-based rapper A$AP Rocky will be acting as main support for Rihanna on her spring of 2013 North American tour. That tour includes a Chicago show at the United Center on March 22. Advance tickets are on sale now. A$AP is currently touring throughout North America with his A$AP Mob.

All A$AP Rocky tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "A$AP Rocky is touring w/ Rihanna, playing United Center"

Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ the United Center on 10.11.2012 (photo by Neil Rigler)

But there was nothing particularly genteel or overly familiar and comforting about this music. Like one of [Neil] Young's beloved trains, Crazy Horse is a large beast that tends to ease into its work. But once it gains its bearings and picks up speed, it's awfully difficult to slow down. At least five of the 13 songs performed Thursday surpassed the 10-minute mark. "Love and only Love" began like an extended exhale before finding its pace, with Young, [Frank "Pancho"] Sampedro and [Billy] Talbot huddled in front of the drum riser. Whereas most bands spread out to fill a big stage such as the United Center's, Crazy Horse bunches together, as if defending their home against invasion. [Greg Kot]

Check out Neil Young & Crazy Horse's full United Center setlist and a few videos below...

Continue reading "Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ the United Center (setlist, videos)"

Muse @ L.A. Rising in 2011 (more by Debi Del Grande)

Over-the-top rockers Muse, who just played Saturday Night Live, welcomed their new album, The 2nd Law, last week via Warner/Helium 3. It's grand, sprinkled with what we've come to know as "brostep," and is available for your listening pleasure at Spotify. The group are heading out on a world tour in support of The 2nd Law later this month. The North American leg of that tour begins in late-January, and has now been expanded to include a Chicago show at the United Center on March 4. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (10/13) at 10AM CST. Stay tuned for presale information.

All known 2012 // 2013 tour dates and a few videos are below...

Continue reading "Muse expand world tour, playing United Center in March"

Prince at the United Center on 9.26.2012 (photo by Henry O. Young)

Prince polished off his third of three Chicago shows at the United Center on Wednesday night (9/26), bringing a close to his Welcome 2 Chicago residency. Unlike his controversial opening show at the venue, both Tuesday night (9/25) and last night's performances went off without a hitch. After Janelle Monae got the crowd warmed up, Prince kicked off his headlining set with "Controversy," the title track of his 1981 album. The 23-song set, complete with two encores, included "Let's Go Crazy," "Little Red Corvette," a cover of Sly & The Family Stone's "Everyday People," and of course "Purple Rain."

Did you attend any one of the three shows? How about a "Purple After Jam" aftershow at the House of Blues? What did you think?

The setlist from Prince's Wednesday night (9/26) performance at the United Center, and a video of him performing "Purple Rain" are below...

Continue reading "Prince finished his three-night 'Welcome 2 Chicago' residency at United Center (setlist, video)"

"Snap it just hit me....this is the first time P picked up an instrument. #Welcome2Chicago" - Questlove

"WOW!!!! "Old Friends 4 Sale" why isn't the audience going out their minds!?????? 11 Piece Horn are right on it #Welcome2Chicago" - Questlove

"This confetti sweeper guy is awesome! #welcome2america" - Questlove

Prince at United Center - 9/24/12 (via Ramon Smikle)

Prince kicked off his 'Welcome 2 Chicago' 3-night residency at United Center last night (9/24), and his set led to some pretty controversial reviews. Greg Kot, for the Chicago Tribune, wrote, "Prince's concert Monday at the United Center didn't really finish, it fizzled." He's referring to the fact that after about a two-hour set (one encore included), Prince left the stage and the lights dimmed, implying a second encore. More than a half hour later, after a stagehand spent an exceptionally long time sweeping the stage, the lights came back on and fans began to boo and leave the venue. According to Frank Sennett for Time Out Chicago, his band finally did return for some instrumental songs with the house lights on, and eventually Prince re-joined them on stage to play "1999" and "Little Red Corvette."

It wasn't just the encore that demanded criticism though. On this Prince fansite, one commenter complained that he only played his guitar for three songs and "forfeited his 'Guitar God' moment of a Purple Rain solo and ushered in a... wait for it... SAXAPHONE SOLO? WTF." The Roots drummer Questlove (whose band just covered Prince in NYC with Maya Rudolph last week) was in attendance too, and as you can see above, he was tweeting throughout the show.

After the show ended, Prince went to House of Blues for the aftershow, which he'll do on all three nights of the residency. The residency continues tonight (9/25) and Wednesday (9/26), with Janelle Monae supporting on the last night.

Prince's setlist from last night and the full list of his band members and guest musicians are below...

Continue reading "Prince took a 40 minute encore break on night 1 of 3 @ United Center (setlist)"

As mentioned, Prince is headed to Chicago for a residency at the United Center next week (September 24-26). He's also just announced that there will be "Purple After Jam" aftershows at the House of Blues on each night of his stay. Tickets for all three aftershows are on sale now. Tickets for all three of his United Center shows, one of which is being opened by Janelle Monae, are still available.

Janelle Monae @ Afropunk Festival 2012 (BKLYN) (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Janelle Monae, whose most recent performance in Chicago was a President Obama rally at the UIC Forum in January, has been tapped by Prince to open for him at the United Center on September 26. That show is one of three that he'll be playing at the venue (September 24-26), and tickets are on sale for all performances.

Ms. Monae is currently working on the follow-up to 2010's excellent, The ArchAndroid, which served as parts two and three of her Metropolis series. Stay tuned for more information on that.

A couple of Janelle Monae videos are below...

Continue reading "Janelle Monae opening for Prince at one of his three United Center shows"

Prince at MSG in 2010 (more by Jake Rocks Off)

Like he's done in other cities, Prince will be doing a residency in Chicago this year called 'Welcome 2 Chicago' which begins on September 24 at the United Center. The other shows in the residency have not been announced yet but tickets for the 9/24 show go on sale Thursday, September 6 at 10 AM with a Citi Cardmember presale beginning Tuesday (9/4) at 10 AM and Facebook/Text/Live Nation/Venue presales beginning Wednesday (9/5) at 10 AM.

The shows will be his first in Chicago since 2004 and will also support the Rebuild the Dream organization. No openers have been announced yet but Prince has been known for getting some pretty interesting support at these residencies.

A video trailer for the Chicago residency is below...

Continue reading "Prince announces Chicago residency, playing United Center"

Bob Dylan w/ Joan Baez in 1963

Bob Dylan is set to release his 35th studio album (just go back and read that again), Tempest, on September 11 via Columbia Records, his label of 50-years. He produced the record himself under the alias Jack Frost, which he's used in the past. You can check out Tempest's cover art and tracklist at the bottom of this post.

In support of the album, Robert Allen Zimmerman will head out on tour with Mark Knopfler, which reaches the United Center on November 9. Tickets for that show are not on sale yet, but check JAM Productions for updates.

A list of all dates and Tempest's cover art/tracklist are below...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan releasing 'Tempest,' playing United Center w/ Mark Knopfler"

Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Americana hits stores today (stream it in its entirety HERE) and they've just announced a fall North American tour in support of it. Kicking off in the beginning of October, Young and co. will visit Chicago's United Center on the 11th of the month. Tickets go on sale on June 11 at 10AM CST with a presale happening on Friday, June 8 at 10AM CST. Los Lobos will act as main support on the first leg of tour (United Center show included) while Patti Smith, who also just released a new album, will handle the second leg.

All Neil Young & Crazy Horse dates are listed below, with a video trailer for Americana.

Continue reading "Neil Young & Crazy Horse welcome 'Americana' (stream it), playing United Center on tour this fall (dates)"

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Rush are gearing up for the release of their nineteenth LP, Clockwork Angels, which is due to hit stores on June 12. Take a listen to their new single "Headlong Flight" at the bottom of this post. In support of their new album, the trio will head out on tour this coming fall, reaching Chicago's United Center on September 15. Tickets go on Citi presale this coming Tuesday (April 24), at 10AM CST and will be available for purchase by the general public next Saturday (April 28), at 10AM CST. All dates and their new single below...

Continue reading "Rush will hit the United Center on tour (dates)"

Brian Posehn sporting a Van Halen t-shirt @ SXSW

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Van Halen (minus Michael Anthony) played a very intimate show at NYC's Cafe Wha? last night (1/5). They've also just announced a full 2012 North American tour, which will reach Chicago's United Center on February 24th and Rosemont, IL's Allstate Arena on April 1st. Tickets go on AmEx presale this coming Tuesday (1/10) at 10AM CST, and are up for general sale next Saturday (1/14) at 10AM CST. There are also VIP ticket packages available.

All 2012 dates and a new album/tour press release, below..

Continue reading "Van Halen playing United Center on 2012 tour (dates & tix)"

Coldplay @ All Points West in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Coldplay, whose new album Mylo Xyloto made Jim DeRogatis' 'biggest turkeys of 2011' list, have announced a 2012 world tour which brings them to the United Center on August 7th.

Here's the intro to Jim's 1 star review of the record:

Even given the desire to blandly appeal to as many people as possible while never, ever offending anyone, it's possible to go so far that you achieve the exact opposite result, or the artistic equivalent of bad rice pudding.

Tickets go on AmEx presale this coming Monday (12/12), at 10AM CST. They'll be on sale to the general public next Saturday (12/17), at 10AM CST.

Head below for all 2011/12 tour dates..

Continue reading "Coldplay - 2012 World Tour (United Center included)"

Kanye West & Jay-Z @ United Center on 12/01/2011 (photo by Andrew Morgan)

Kanye West & Jay-Z aka The Throne played their second of two Chicago shows on Thursday night (12/1), at the United Center.

The Tribune's Greg Kot attended the Wednesday night (11/30), show..

With Kanye West at his side, Jay-Z removed his cap about halfway through Wednesday's bursting-with-hits "Watch the Throne" concert, the first of two at the jam-packed United Center.

Like just about everything Jay-Z does, it was a small gesture that spoke volumes. The MC glides with stealthy grace, and spent the first hour of the show with his head bowed, his movements minimal. Like a gangster or poker player who doesn't want anyone to read his next move, his eyes were constantly shaded by a dark Yankees baseball cap. His power was in his voice, an instrument that betrayed no outsized emotion, made pronouncements in a cold-blooded monotone, chose words with surgical exactitude.

Both setlists, and some videos are below..

Continue reading "Kanye West & Jay-Z played two nights @ UC (video, setlist)"

The Black Keys @ Coachella 2011 (more by David Andrako)

The Black Keys have just announced a 2012 tour in support of their forthcoming album El Camino, out 12/6 via Nonesuch Records. Fresh off their own headlining run, the Arctic Monkeys will support the band on all North American dates. The two acts will play the United Center on March 19th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on December 17th. There's also an Internet pre-sale marked for the 16th, stay tuned for the password.

All 2011/12 tour dates are below..

Continue reading "The Black Keys to play the United Center w/ Arctic Monkeys"

Kanye West @ Way Out West Festival in Sweden

First, Kanye West & Jay-Z announced a tour. Then it was partially re-routed, which knocked down the two Chicago dates to one. Now the entire tour has been set right and we've got our two dates back. Whew, that was a lot.

The duo will play the United Center on November 30th & December 1st. Tickets for the second of the two shows are still available, and we'll keep you posted when the other is going on sale.

All updated dates are below.

Continue reading "Kanye West & Jay-Z expand tour (2 nights once again @ UC)"

Watch The Throne LP Cover

Watch The Throne aka Jay-Z and Kanye West will be releasing their collaborative LP on August 8th.

Tickets for their October 6th & 7th performances at the United Center go on pre-sale tomorrow, at 10AM CST. Password: WTT.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday (8/8), at 10AM CST.

UPDATE: The entire tour has been rerouted. Now they'll only play one show at the United Center on December 1st. All ticketing info remains the same.

All dates, and more information on Watch The Throne can be found at BrooklynVegan.

words by Josh Agulnick

via @vkiperman

Legendary Canadian rock group Rush played the United Center last night, on the second leg of their North American Time Machine tour. Featuring the long-standing classic line-up of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, the band brought the giant stadium to life with stellar lights, compelling visuals, and, of course, amazing music. With no opening act in tow, the band started promptly at 7:40 with a humorous video that perfectly launched them into "The Spirit of Radio." From then on, the band paraded through hits and album tracks spanning their 37-year-career. Highlights included their two latest songs, "Caravan" and "BU2B," Neil Peart's drum solo, which showcased his talents on the acoustic and electric drums, the encore, featuring the older songs "La Villa Strangiato" and "Working Man" and the band playing the Moving Pictures album in its entirety. The evening ended with a video featuring actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segel playing their characters from the movie "I Love You, Man," trying their best to irritate Rush backstage. All in all, it was an excellent evening that served as a great summary of the legendary band's career thus far.

Head below to view Rush's setlist, plus a video of the "I Love You, Man" spoof.

Continue reading "Rush played the United Center (setlist)"