New Wave Archives - Chicago Concert Reviews

“Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic”: Sting’s “3.0” Auditorium Theatre starter is a charm

The idea of Sting returning to a trio configuration, even if wasn’t in the reunited format of The Police, was potentially thrilling enough that it sparked no less than four [More…]

England’s arty The The “Ensouled” a sold out Salt Shed following first official album in 24 years

In the 24 years since The The officially released an album, sole constant member Matt Johnson switched to the world of movie soundtracks where he maintained the English [More…]

“It Never Ends” when Canada’s Saga makes a rare and resilient Arcada Theatre appearance

Landing somewhere between progressive rock, power pop and new wave, Saga scored a non-stop streak of gold or platinum albums throughout the late 1970s into then 80s, then [More…]

UC meets New Zealand’s Balu Brigada on the way to Twenty One Pilots’ thrilling “Clancy” take off

For those who’ve closely followed Twenty One Pilots, the interwoven concepts that tie together various albums have contributed to their cult-like following, yet even those [More…]

Chicago Theatre gets “Tempted” by a half-century of Squeeze and The English Beat

Many might consider the start of Squeeze to be a self-titled release in 1978, produced by John Cale of The Velvet Underground, the art rock band that inspired its namesake, [More…]

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey dives “Into The Gap,” Thomas Dolby blinds HOB with science

Two influential English artists from the 1980s who just so happen to share the same first name, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey and Thomas Dolby, finally joined forces for an [More…]

“Everybody Have Fun Tonight”: Wang Chung to get Des Plaines Theatre “Abducted By The 80’s”

When MTV was the centerpiece of pop culture, Wang Chung went on a winning streak with the delightfully different but impossible to ignore likes of “Dance Hall Days,” [More…]

Was (Not Was) co-founder, Wolf Bro, A-list producer Don Was introducing Pan-Detroit Ensemble to Space

Scan the credits of countless recordings throughout the past four decades and chances are multiple Grammy Award winner Don Was will appear repeatedly, especially when it [More…]

Duran Duran’s fab “Future Past” 40th, Bastille’s “Bad Blood” and Chic’s “Good Times” fill Northerly

For a lesser band, a 40th anniversary celebration would be nothing more than a mere trip down memory lane, but when it comes to Duran Duran, there aren’t only one but two [More…]

Guitarist/author Andy Summers sends a multi-media “Message In A Bottle” to North Shore

Everyone knows Andy Summers as the game-changing guitarist for The Police, who alongside Sting and Stewart Copeland, came out swinging like reggae-fueled punk rockers in the [More…]