Concert Photos Archives - Page 4 of 5

Concert Photos: Tortoise @ Empty Bottle (Chicago, IL)

Experimental instrumental quintet Tortoise played a pair of hometown shows recently, performing in front of welcoming crowds at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. The incomparable rock-dub-jazz shape-shifter garnered a “This Week’s Best Albums” tag for its 2009 release Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey). Since then, it has released a 13-minute single (Ice Ice Gravy) and a Japan-only CD (Why Waste Time?).

As you wait for a new Tortoise full-length, check out photographer Drew Reynolds‘ captures from the performance, and then click on over and revisit guitarist Jeff Parker‘s late-2010 show with Andrew Bird right here.

Concert Photos: Gang of Four @ Metro (Chicago, IL)

Seminal British post-punk band Gang of Four is currently in the midst of a worldwide tour, and it stopped in Chicago recently to play music from its most recent release, Content. Though now playing without original bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham, the Gang is still ripping through its classics with new members Thomas McNeice and Mark Heaney, respectively. Photographer Tracy Graham captured these shots of the band, rocking as if no time had passed at all since its last album of new material, Shrinkwrapped, in 1995.

Concert Photos: Lyrics Born @ the Abbey (Chicago, IL)

Bay Area rapper Lyrics Born recently stopped in Chicago on his extensive “As U Were” world tour. Lyrics Born, a.k.a. Tom Shimura, released the titular album As U Were — featuring guest spots from Jake One, The Gift of Gab, and Lateef the Truthspeaker (the other half of his rap duo Latryx), among many others — on 10/26/10 via Decon. Contributing photographer Will Rice captured the quick-witted baritone in action at the Abbey.

Concert Photos: Sam Amidon @ Schubas (Chicago, IL)

For our final installment in coverage of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival, we present photos from traditional folk revivalist Sam Amidon‘s recent headlining show at Schubas.

With support from Once‘s Marketa Irglova and Minneapolis-based pop artist Jeremy Messersmith, the Vermont-born songwriter played tracks from his fourth solo album, I See the Sign (Bedroom Community, 4/13/10), which was recorded and produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson (Björk, CocoRosie, Ben Frost) and features contributions from Nico Muhly and Beth Orton. Check out Sam Amidon in action with photos taken by ALARM contributors Sanchez + Kitahara.

Concert Photos: Twin Shadow @ Schubas (Chicago, IL)

As part of the recent Tomorrow Never Knows festival, new-wave pop band Twin Shadow recently played at Schubas in Chicago, along with Fol Chen and Brahms. Adapting the “twin shadow” idea for coverage, ALARM had two photographers on the scene, capturing the show in two different styles. Photo duo Sanchez+Kitahara took the black-and-white route, while Elizabeth Gilmore opted for vibrant color. Check out both sets below.

Sanchez+Kitahara:

Concert Photos: Wu-Tang Clan @ Congress Theater (Chicago, IL)

Everyone’s favorite original rap super-group Wu-Tang Clan rolled through Chicago over the weekend to perform a set in the Congress Theater. Though its individual members have each gone on to do a number of other things, including RZA‘s foray into Hollywood and recent work on Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it’s nice to see them unite forces once in a while. ALARM contributing photographer Elizabeth Gilmore waded through the head-nodding masses to snap these stellar photos.

Concert Photos: Pretty Lights & Major Lazer @ Congress Theater (Chicago, IL)

The palatial Congress Theater in Chicago knows how to throw a New Year’s Eve celebration. Last year, Girl Talk rang in 2010 to a packed house. This year, electronic heavyweights Pretty Lights and the Diplo / DJ Switch collaboration Major Lazer were called upon to soundtrack one of the night’s biggest parties. The DJs (and Lazer’s hype-man Skerrit Bwoy) kept things uptempo, blasting another sold-out crowd with deep bass, hip-hop beats, and turntable theatrics. Photographer Tracy Graham attended the show and captured these great photos.

Concert Photos: Andrew Bird @ Fourth Presbyterian Church (Chicago)

Whistling, violin-toting troubadour Andrew Bird just finished a makeshift residency at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church. Bird played three successive dates with Chicago jazz fixture and Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. It’s not the first time that the cavernous venue has played host to Bird and his classically inspired pop, and judging by the reception — all three nights sold out far in advance — it won’t be the last.

Contributing photographers Sanchez and Kitahara captured these images of the December 15 performance.

Concert Photos: Minus the Bear & Tim Kasher @ the Vic

Veteran prog-pop band Minus the Bear played a show at Chicago’s Vic theater recently with Cursive frontman Tim Kasher as main support. The Seattle-based headliner is touring on the strength of its 2010 album, Omni (Dangerbird, 5/4/10), while Kasher is playing tunes from his first solo album, The Game of Monogamy (Saddle Creek, 10/5/10). ALARM contributing photographer Elizabeth Gilmore was on hand to document the indie stalwarts’ performances.

Concert Photos: NOMO, In Tall Buildings @ Schubas

NOMO: “Invisible Cities” (Invisible Cities, Ubiquity, 5/5/10)

NOMO: “Invisible Cities”

Contributing photographer David Sampson shot these photos at the recent NOMO show at Schubas. NOMO’s inventive Afro-jazz-rock sound spans so many styles and eras that it belies its contemporary Ann Arbor, MI origins. Meanwhile, opener In Tall Buildings (Chicago’s Erik Hall, also a member of NOMO) warmed the crowd up with his brand of stripped-down folk rock.

Concert Photos: DJ Shadow @ Park West (Chicago, IL)

Legendary turntablist DJ Shadow and indie rapper Pigeon John performed recently at Park West in Chicago. Shadow, who is touring in support of two new singles from his unnamed upcoming album, deejayed from an open-faced orb whose surface acted as a screen for projections. And behind the pulsating command center, there were even more projections flashing upon a massive screen. Pigeon John is currently touring in support of his second album for Quannum Projects, Dragon Slayer.

Contributing photographer David Sampson captured these images at the show.

Concert Photos: Beach House @ Kaufleuten (Zurich, Switzerland)

Dream-pop duo Beach House has been touring nonstop since releasing its acclaimed album Teen Dream in early 2010. In February of 2011, the band will return to the USA to play the last of its Teen Dream shows; get your presale tickets and limited-edition sweatshirt here. ALARM foreign correspondent / contributing photographer Wallo Villacorta recently captured these appropriately hazy images at the band’s show at Kaufleuten in Zurich, Switzerland.