Results tagged “beck”

Yup, here it is, the inevitable "Best of 2008" music list (a later post centering on the top local offerings is forthcoming). In order to spare our readers the pain of reading through yet another list that tries too hard to impress with obscure releases or toe the party line on Stereogum / Pitchfork approved artists, we continue our personal decade-plus tradition of merely listing what we actually liked in 2008. That means that the albums below are the one we kept finding ourselves turning to when we wanted to kick back and enjoy some tunes. Sure, there was more artistically challenging stuff released this year than some of the selections below -- and we certainly do appreciate that sort of thing -- but our year end list reflects which music ultimately did for us what we think rock and/or roll is ultimately meant to do to any listener: it grabbed us by the heart and/or crotch and wouldn't let go.

                 

We heard that last Thursday's Beck show at Aragon was the pits, so we went into Friday's appearance in the same room with great trepidation. Well, whatever went wrong Thursday went incredibly right Friday since it was by far the strongest set we've ever seen the blonde lanky folkie / hip-hop / troubadour / experimentalist / punk / musical dumpster diver turn in. Yes, it was even better than that time we saw him backed by The Flaming Lips. Beck turned in a raw, energetic, cohesive set drawing largely from his more popular material and delivered it to a crowd that went from being merely appreciative to largely rabid. We had a blast. Hell, we had so much fun we forgot just how much we hate the acoustics of the Aragon!

We've only cried twice at rock shows. Once was when the Flaming Lips opened for Beck, and something about "Lightning Strikes The Postman" (was it the strobes? the bullhorn? the crowd's empathic explosion? we don't know) caused our tear ducts to let loose and lose control. The other time was Friday's Arcade Fire show at the Chicago Theatre, as we were surrounded by as unlikely a crowd as we ever expected to see rejoicing in...

"devon devon 4558" via abmarfia.

Remember last year when you all got your collective tights in a wad over speculation that Goose Island was being bought by Anheuser-Busch? It's nice to have some hometown pride, but in the world of brewing it's also hard to find a major beer company that isn't involved with a craft brewery in some fashion. It could be a stake in the company. It could be the use of a major beer group's distribution network to market and sell their product. But the days of a small brewery sticking with a small distributor are largely a thing of the past.

Now that this post is live, you're probably reading the headline, wondering if this is a joke. Some of you regular "BotW" readers are typing furiously, eager to be the first to tell us that low-alcohol beers deserve no place for inclusion in the "BotW" archives. We thought about that ourselves, when we decided on this week's selection. We're still thinking about it, filing this post on a Tuesday night. It's only emboldened us. Remember,...

It's no secret that we get letters from you fine readers. At least, those of you who don't hide behind anonymous screen names in the comments. Sometimes we even exchange mash notes with the music stars of our youth. Last week, this Chicagoist staffer received an e-mail from reader Zack, a "BotW" fan asking us what beer pairs best with a turducken.

On Tuesday, the American -ists will be celebrating democracy and hitting the polls, letting politicians know what they really think. It just made us wonder: if it were up to the -ist-a-verse, what would we be voting for? Londonist votes for better skincare, alternative spaces for art, cute little birds and the men who keep them, and concrete. Lots of concrete. Shanghaiist votes for one of the Bee Gees and Air Supply (it's a double-ticket),...

This weekend is really just too jam-packed with music we want to check out. We mean, WAY too jam-packed. We’ve already mentioned Veruca Salt tonight, but that’s sort of a high-profile show that most folks probably already know about. There are a couple bands coming through town this weekend that you’ve a) probably never heard of and b) are well worth your time.

Yup, it’s another Friday, lots of shows go on sale tomorrow, and we know you want our hints as to which ones to plunk your hard-earned change in favor of and which you should avoid. As always, we aim to serve your interests and keep you ahead of the general unwashed masses. Or something like that. Duran Duran Oct. 26, Sears Centre, 8 p.m., $35-$75, All Ages The Sears Center will never replace Poplar Creek...

Well, it's not gonna be outside and we're pretty sure they won't let bottled water in, no matter how much we beg, but Radiohead are playing Chicago! June 19th and 20th are the big dates and the Auditorium Theatre is the place. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, May 6th at 10 am via Ticketmaster. It looks as though Radiohead is taking a cue from the White Stripes, Beck and others to use this intimate...

While we’re sure that Union Park will see its fair share of indie kids in ironic tees this summer, it’s starting to look like there’ll be plenty of folks in relaxed fit jeans as well. Pitchfork Music Fest has added Os Mutantes to their July 29-30 lineup. When one of Chicagoist’s indie rock friends told us this, we just sort of stared blankly at them, which only prompted her to yell “Os Mutantes! Os Mutantes!”...

Chicagoist spends a lot of time acting as observer, critic and theorizer on Chicago’s local music scene. But for a few months now, we’ve been thinking about spending less time posting and more time doing. Specifically, we wanted to put on a great live show with local bands that we love. And so in that spirit: Chicagoist presents: Ctrl – Alt – Rock With: The Assembly May Or May Not Alphabet When: Thursday, February 16th...

On Tuesday, we told you about ResFest at the Museum of Contemporary Art and all the video goodness therein, including the Beck retrospective. But if our sparkling descriptions weren’t enough to motivate you to attend, would free tickets make it worth your while? Then you’re in luck because we’ve got a pair of tickets to see the Beck oeuvre in all its quirky, funky glory and we’re giving them to one of you.

If you were to compare the museums of Chicago with people you went to high school with then The Museum of Contemporary Art would be the kid in black clothes who mutters “This is bullshit” under his or her breath during pep rallies. You know, the one who always made it a point to mention oppressive CIA-supported regimes whenever you discussed the American Revolution in your U.S. Government classes. But here’s the thing: you needed...

Tonight is your best chance to see a Big Ass Rock Star kicking around town.

Gaper’s Block alerted us to some big music festival news: Lollapalooza will return this summer. Bad news? It’s only playing one city. Good news? The city is Chicago. Nice. Marc Geiger, one of the founders of the original Lollapalooza, will help bring Lollapalooza to Chicago from July 23rd to 24th. Perry Farrell is also involved in a “creative capacity.” Though the new Lolla website goes live on Friday, the festival lineup won’t be announced mid-April....