Three Men in One Week: Sam Roberts, Dan Auerbach, A.A. Bondy

Last Tuesday Sam Roberts Band played to a sold out crowd at Beat Kitchen. To be honest I was pretty excited about this show as it would be the first time in months (or so it seemed) that I would crawl out of my shell and warm my soul with some rock and roll. When he and his band took the stage I was surprised. The lights flashed and I saw how small he was (being a short person, everyone seems to be taller than you even in theory) as he strummed his guitar along with the opening vocals of the title track off his latest release Love at the End of the World . Sam Roberts played a kinetic set and frequently thanked the audience for their support. One fan showed his support by buying the entire band a round of shots and delivering it to them on stage. He played nearly all the songs of his latest album including "Stripmall Religion" and "Up Sister." The crowd was left wondering if it would be another two years before we see Sam Roberts and his band again.

Click here to view the complete Sam Roberts photo set

Chiditarod 2009

Chicagoans are crazy and, by "crazy", I mean awesome! Instead of having a regular canned food drive, we have to make it a party like Halloween in the daytime with a grand old costumed shopping cart race. Of course, we aren't the only city that has this race.  Portland, Ann Arbor, Vancouver, NYC, San Francisco, Washington DC, and more have their own races but I'd like to think ours was more fun ;)  Participants lined up with their own brand of creatively decorated shopping cart and were released from the beginning station on Ferdinand and Wolcott in groups every fifteen minutes with the accompanying sounds of the marching band, Environmental Encroachment, who at one point even covered Radiohead's "The National Anthem". From the Wizard of Oz to the zombies and the circus freaks, this was my first Chiditarod and I'll likely remember it forever.

Click here for the complete photo set

Longwave @ Double Door 12/17/2008

Surprisingly, it has been over 2 years since Longwave came through Chicago, or anywhere for that matter. Taking the time to regroup, record and find a new label, they did anything but take it easy. Recording the whole of the album in their Brooklyn studio, they focused the melodies and the sound to a tight and beautiful package. By no means is the ethereal-ness gone. It’s just blended with driving bass lines and a couple of actual rock-guitar solos.

Download: Longwave - "No Direction"

The Year in Photos

If music is our primary obsession, photography most certainly runs a close second. Almost everyone at Radio Free Chicago loves taking pictures, and from the seasoned pro to the amateur shutterbug, we rarely leave for a gig without a camera in tow. With only a few hours remaining in 2008, let's take a look back at its photographic highlights before we start snapping more tomorrow. (Pictured above: Andrew Bird by Jeremy Farmer)

CSS @ Metro 12/14/08

I don't often find myself clamoring for more past the token encore these days but then not many bands can turn a venue into a party quite like Cansei de Ser Sexy.

Download: CSS - "Left Behind"

Live Pics: Andrew Bird @ Hideout 12/14/08

Andrew Bird just finished up two ultra sold out, "secret", pre-album-release-new-music-introduction shows at the Hideout. I attended the first night (the 50 degree Sunday, not the 5 degree Monday).

While we have to wait until January for a proper copy of the new album, Noble Beast, Andrew and his band presented us with an evening of new tunes, plus a few old ones, like "Tables and Chairs" and "Plasticities", ending with the wondrous "Giant of Illinois".

If you missed this one, worry not. Andrew and Dosh and co will be playing in April at the Civic Opera House.

Live Pics: Obits @ Empty Bottle 12/13/08

Click here for the complete photo set from Josh Martines.

Live Pics: Hanson Brothers @ Reggies 12/12/08

Click here for the complete photo set from Josh Martines.

Live Pics: Jaguar Love @ Abbey Pub 11/9/08

Click here for John Brunner's complete photo set (w/openers Polysics)

Live Pics: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band 11/1/08

Live pics courtesy of Patti Farfan.

Live Pics: Fujiya & Miyagi @ Bottom Lounge 10/25/08

Check out the full set here from Josh Martines

Live Pics - Yelle @ LSA 10/21/08

Click here for John Brunner's full photo set from Tuesday night

Here is your Epiphany

For those of you who have not had the chance to attend a concert at Epiphany Church yet, RFC's own Garin Pirnia has written an article for Time Out Chicago offering a little insight to the church turned concert venue. I will then shamelessly use that article as an excuse to post some long overdue photos from the inaugural show with Low from last month. If you missed that show, well then unfortunately you missed the best show that will occur at this venue until the next time Low is in town, but that is no reason not to attend another show because the venue really is quite beautiful. Read Garin's article here, click over to the jump for more pics.

Live Pics - Okkervil River @ Metro 10/14/08

Head on over to Jeremy's flickr page for live pics from Tuesday night's Okkervil River show at Metro.

More Block Party Pics

Kirstie now has her first photos up from Hideout Block Party 2008, check out the set here.