Detroit native Bettye LaVette had her first hit record back in 1962 with the song,…
Amanda Shires: An Americana Artist Dials Up the Volume
Singer, songwriter, and fiddler extraordinaire Amanda Shires will be returning to Iowa, this time with…
Julie Christensen: Godmother of Alt-Country Comes to Café Paradiso
What is the role of a musician in these politically divided times? Is it to…
Delbert McClinton: The Lucky Life of a Rock & Blues Maverick
Delbert McClinton’s been making music his whole life. One thing he’s learned during his 60-plus…
Pitchfork 2018: Three Days of Stellar Acts
The Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago celebrates its lucky 13th year this summer with an…
Ruby Boots: Alt-Country with a Kick
Australia has always had a lively country music scene, with artists such as Olivia Newton-John…
Zeshan B Infuses Chicago Soul with Sounds of the Punjab
“Do you like good music, that sweet soul music,” Arthur Conley famously sang back in…
Margaret Glaspy: Pop Hooks & Refined Songwriting
Margaret Glaspy performs on April 6, 2018, at the Englert Theatre, as part of the…
SXSW 2018 in Review: A Glorious Overlap of Film, Tech, and Music
Ghosts haunt Austin, Texas. Just ask Ethan Hawke, the noted screenwriter, actor, and director who…
What the Folk? Folk Alliance International Conference is All-Embracing
What constitutes folk music today? In February, I attended the Folk Alliance International conference in…
Motown the Musical: Celebrating an American Transformation
Berry Gordy Jr. began his professional career as an auto-plant assembly-line worker and a featherweight…
Pokey LaFarge: Proud Midwesterner
Pokey LaFarge and his band proudly play Midwestern music. Not Midwestern rock and roll—you wouldn’t…
Jon Dee Graham: The Acclaimed Songwriter You’ve Never Heard Of
A couple of years ago, I was asked by the John D. and Catherine T.…
Dan Reeder: Finding the Extraordinary in Everyday Life
In a recent poll, Iowa residents selected John Prine as the musician they most admired.…
John Sebastian: Lovin’ Spoonful Founder Comes to the Englert
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Sebastian has had an illustrious career, and…