Eric Johanson has been told he’s too rock for the blues and too blues for rock. On ‘The Open Bayou,’ he makes a pretty compelling case for being neither — and both.
Author: Derek Smith
Derek Smith
A talented photographer and insightful writer, Derek Smith brings both vision and depth to every story, documenting artists and performances with precision, passion, and an intimate understanding of the music he covers.
Thirty-nine minutes of no wasted space — The Record Company’s debut still packs a full-body punch.
Music as message, stage as platform. Margo Price confronts, unites, and leaves no note untold.
If the love created and shared through a father-son bond could be heard, it would be this album.
Riot Fest made the case that its roots run deep, with Jack White, IDLES, Marky Ramone, Stiff Little Fingers, Bad Religion, Camper Van Beethoven, The Hold Steady, the Pogues, and more!
The Red Clay Strays swept through Chicago like a Southern storm, unapologetically their own. Under the lights of the Salt Shed, genre lines blurred, hearts stirred, and a band once rooted in Alabama proved they now belong to the world.
In a career-spanning performance, The Black Keys celebrate 25 years of reinvention live in Chicago.
With ‘Bloom’ in full season, Larkin Poe rolled into Chicago and proved why their star—and sound—keeps rising.
An intimate evening of acoustic mastery, where the quietest moments spoke the loudest, as Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) mesmerized the Chicago crowd with stripped-down performances that left a lasting impression.
Illiterate Light defies expectations by reshaping their songs live, creating unique, dynamic performances that stand apart from their studio recordings. With genre-bending music and eco-conscious initiatives like The Bike Stage at Newport Folk Festival, they continue to forge a new path in both sound and sustainability.