Illinois Entertainer
WEBHeavy progressive rock legends Dream Theater are returning to the Chicago Theatre on March 8, 2025, on their 40th Anniversary Tour. Legendary drummer Mike Portnoy is back in the fold, joined by (vocalist) James LaBrie, (bassist) John Myung, (guitarist) John Petrucci, plus (keyboardist) Jordan Rudess. “This tour is going to be incredibly ...
Media: July 2021 • “Radio Joan” : Illinois Entertainer
WEBJun 30, 2021 — Joan Esposito was known to Chicago audiences as a television reporter and anchor after her many years at Channel 5 & 7. Still, when she accepted the job as afternoon host at Progressive Talk WCPT (820 AM), it was not her first job in the medium. “When I first got into broadcasting, I got a part-time job at a television station in Columbus, Ohio, and I got a part-time job for a radio station ...
Hello, My Name Is Kevin - Illinois Entertainer
WEBOct 1, 2010 — Kevin Chalfant: Well I started in Illinois in the late 1970s, went to California in the ’80s through mid-’90s and them came back to Illinois. In Illinois, one group was called The Jones Band, which was an original group that developed into Fortran, which did a lot of opening slots for bigger bands at the time. As fate would have it, a ...
Media: January 2022 • Signal Stays Strong at MeTV FM
WEBFor the last few years, fans of MeTV FM (87.7FM) in Chicago have been bracing for their favorite station to be shut down by the FCC. Program director Rick O’Dell has good news for them if they haven’t heard it yet. “We reached a critical point last July where the FCC had imposed a deadline, whereby they required all 87.7 stations to be digital or go off the air,” he explains.
Live Review: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Illinois Entertainer
WEBWednesday, June 12, 2024. Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Kyle Dunleavy/Ravinia Festival. Wednesday’s concert at Ravinia Festival celebrated the seemingly serendipitous pairing of rock legend Robert Plant and bluegrass torchbearer Alison Krauss. While emphasizing roots music and Americana, the bandleaders’ partnership testified to the ...
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Celebrating David Bowie at …
WEBOct 14, 2022 — Celebrating David Bowie. Copernicus Center. Chicago, IL. October 14, 2022. Review and photos by Jeff Elbel. The Celebrating David Bowie tour brought its star-powered musicians and the late Bowie’s star-powered songs to …
Cover Story: Local H • “Navigating The Maze” - Illinois Entertainer
WEBSep 30, 2021 — Cover Story: Local H • “Navigating The Maze”. Local H are lifers. That much should be evident to even those with only a casual knowledge of the band’s career over their 30-plus year history. The band consists of singer/songwriter/guitarist Scott Lucas and drummer Ryan Harding, who released their debut record Ham Fisted back in 1995 ...
Thirsty Whale Reunion - Illinois Entertainer
WEBSep 30, 2009 — The bands had their fans, but the Whale had its fans, too, and thanks to Illinois Entertainer Promotions Director Tony Labarbera, the Thirsty Whale reunion show will be held on October 24th at Shark City in Glendale Heights, preceded by Whalepalooza the night before. “It was the one thing I still wanted to do, and do right,” says Labarbera ...
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field ...
WEBAug 11, 2023 — Bruce Sprin gsteen and the E Street Band. Wrigley Field, Chicago, I L. Fri day, August 11, 2023. Review by J eff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. After packing Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ushered in the weekend with a s econd sold-out performance on F riday night in th e Cubs ’ outfield.. At show t ime, the members of the E Street Band emerged in single ...
Media: November 2023: The Loop Files: An Oral History : Illinois ...
WEBOct 31, 2023 — I’ve written a new book called The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever. The book comes out officially at the end of this month, but this month’s media column is a free preview. All the biggest stars who helped make the Loop (FM 98) so memorable tell the radio station’s history in their own words.In the late 70s, Mitch Michaels and Garry Meier were two of ...