After Hours
While concert halls were my main musical haunts in Chicago and LA, there was still plenty of time in the late evening to explore some of each town’s more excellent
From Concrete to Canyons…
“The idea of the arts is not to be the response to what is going on. It’s to be a catalyst for thought and change and an opening up of
People’s Jazz
Still catching up on posts from this past week, but couldn’t let the night pass without a call-out to Brad Mehldau’s set tonight at the People’s Symphony. On a stage
Red Eye
I’ve got one final concert on this week-long musical escapade: Messiaen’s “From the Canyons to the Stars,” with Salonen conducting. In his pre-performance comments, composer-in-residence Stephen Stucky was full of
Movie Music
A longer post is forthcoming about the two Concrete Frequency concerts I’ve heard at Disney Hall, but I can’t let the night pass without a quick word about the world
Midwestern Symphony
When I was attending the University of Notre Dame back in the 90's, I used to drive up from South Bend – occasionally with friends, usually alone – to hear
Nuclear Opera
Last night, I heard John Adams’ Doctor Atomic at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the experience was as searing and devastating as the title indicates. In unscripted remarks made
Road Trip
Tomorrow, I fly out for a week-long holiday that will bring me to Chicago and Los Angeles for various excellent musical happenings. Tomorrow, I’ll get my first look at John
Take Two
I found myself at Barbes twice this past weekend, coming away satisfied both times. Friday night featured the latin-jazz-rock sounds of Zemog El Gallo Bueno (loosely translated as "Land of