El Perro del Mar March 25 at Old Town School: Experimentalist Sarah Assbring of Sweden presented an introspective dive into life, love, loss and death. She shedded convention and ascended into a higher consciousness. Art at its deepest and most pure.

NOIA March 25 at Old Town School: Barcelona-born Gisela Fullà-Silvestre opened for El Perro del Mar with an artful performance of her own. Call it dramatic pop. Major props to her for putting herself so out there in front of about 50 people that she could look into the eye.

Nadah El Shazly from Cairo was stunning April 4 at @themptybottle. Highlights included an arresting a cappella number and the final song, which included an intro about Gaza. She advocated for Palestinian rights, calling the song a lullaby in the midst of violence. Powerful.

Louise Post Tuesday at @themptybottle. A joyful Post & a cutthroat band rewarded the Veruca Salt faithful with one of the hardest rocking sets I've seen in recent years. She was grateful for the crowd of fans and friends. "You really know how to welcome a girl home," she beamed.

Aweful kicked ass as usual April 12 at Liar's Club. Unfortunately, the local trio announced it's breaking up. Its last show is this Saturday at the Beer Can'd Festival in Blue Island.

Sara Curruchich 3-13-24 at Old Town School of Folk Music: The Guatemalan songwriter sings in Spanish and her native Kaqchikel language in defense of women's and indigenous people's rights. She performs with joy and radiates love and righteousness -- a light in our dark times.

Sex Dream June 14 at Punk Rock Tacos #49 at Cermitas Poblanas in Villa Park: Maria Surfinbird gives off major Kim Shattuck vibes. Sex Dream is fun. Surfinbird, who came here from Russia in 2018, said her band is like candy. All I know is I've developed a sweet tooth for it.

Nikki Lane was a wild woman at FITZGERALDS's American Music Festival on July 3. She lit up joints, shared 'em with the crowd, dissed her merch and defiantly processed her dad's death while rocking her outlaw country set hard as her band managed to stay on the bucking bronco.

Sierra Hull and her band with help from Evanston harpist Howard Levy played an epic Bela Fleck cover during her wonderful set July 3 at FITZGERALDS's American Music Festival. She has a little goth in her on some of her bluegrass songs. Long live the mandolin!

Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel July 3 at @FitzGeraldClub's American Music Festival. Anna still has it. Such a good songwriter and soul. Throw in a band that's backed her for 25 years and you have something you don't see every day.

Duendita from Queens brought their modern R&B to Wicker Park Fest Saturday night.

Guatemalan singer-songwriter Sara Curruchich, an activist in defense of the rights of women and her indigenous people, emanated joy Saturday at Riis Park in Chicago. She's a superhero.

Our top Chicago concerts we saw in 2024 include Elyanna, FINOM, MP, Father John Misty, The Rolling Stones, Courtney Barnett, Alanis Morissette, K A C E Y, The Hives, Ş𝖚𝖘𝖆𝖓 V𝖔𝖊𝖑𝖟, St. Vincent and Cathy Richardson. Click the link in our profile to find the full list.

Our top Chicago concerts we saw in 2024 include Bob Dylan, sincere engineer, mary timony, Tei Shi, PUBLIC ENEMY, Robert Hurst, Nadah El Shazly, Louise Post and Pixel Grip. Click the link in our profile to see the full list.

Our top Chicago concerts we saw in 2024 include Sara, jamila woods, nikkilane77, @anatijioux and Sex Dream. Click the link in our profile to see the full list.

Moving to Bluesky.

Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys spots some MAGA morons at their show the other night makes a bet with them 🤣

Margo Price brings a new album, new band and new outfit to close the Evanston Folk Festival Sunday, but she proved to be her same firecracker self. An apropos cover of Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" was a highlight.