Dubbest (pronounced duh-best) formed in a small town outside of Boston in 2009. They relocated to San Diego in 2016. The leader singer, Ryan Thaxter, is more clean cut that a typical lead for a reggae band. However, all doubts disappear as soon as he begins singing.
Early in their set, they play “Better with Words” from their 2019 album, Gold Fever. “Try to keep my composure, feel me losing it over and over. Try to speak, but I wish I was better with words.” This is a beautiful reggae song about stumbling with speaking in front of a romantic interest. It’s their most popular song on Spotify with almost 600,000 streams.
They also play many songs from their 2015 album, Light Flashes. One of those songs is “Spend the Day”. This track features such a smooth reggae groove as Thaxter sings “Maybe come for the evening, and tomorrow we can spend the day.” Everyone was swaying along to the music.
Their short set was only 30 minutes and definitely left the audience wanting more. See a recent setlist here.
Cost of a ticket: $30
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Quinn Delaney
Also, Kash’d Out followed with a great set. Check out our past review of them here.
In 1955, A View From the Bridge was first staged at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. In 2014, Ivo van Hove’s revival premiered at the Young Vic Theatre in London and later relocated to the West End and Broadway. In 2016, the production won Tony Awards for Best Revival and Best Director. In 2017, it was staged at the Goodman Theatre. And now, in September 2023, Shattered Globe Theatre’s production opens at Theatre Wit.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
Eddie Carbone is raising his niece and the two of them develop a very close relationship. Perhaps it is too close as Eddie struggles to let her go when she is ready to move out. At the same time, the family welcomes his cousins from Italy. The cousins entered the United States illegally to work and send money back home. When one of the cousins starts to date his niece, Eddie gets jealous and the tension starts to build as everyone’s emotions begin to boil. This tension and story line leads to several dramatic scenes that has the audience on the edge of their seat and a finale that is absolutely stunning.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
The acting in this production is incredible. Scott Aiello (Requiem for a Heavyweight) is a force as Eddie. When he starts to lose control in his own house, his anger is palpable. It feels like he could lash out at any moment. To counter him is Eileen Niccolai as Beatrice, his wife. Nichols plays the role strong and tough as she pleads with Eddie to let Catherine go. Isabelle Muthiah (Radial Gradient) as Catherine, his niece, is excellent playing the teenage girl who begins to lose her innocence as the struggle unfolds. Mike Cherry (Sweat, American Journalero), as one of the cousins, gives a very intense performance. Harrison Weger is excellent as the other cousin, who falls in love with Catherine and is so happy to be in America. John Judd is truly great as the lawyer / narrator. Lastly, Chris Martin and Adam Schulmerich (Rasheeda Speaking) are solid in their supporting roles.
The Red Rum Club opened the show. Surprisingly, they started earlier than the posted 7:30pm start time. Their set was fantastic and they promised to be back soon. Expect to see a review of them here in the future.
The Wombats formed in Liverpool, United Kingdom in 2003. For their latest album, Fix Yourself, Not the World, they all recorded remotely: Frontman Matthew “Murph” Murphy from Los Angeles, bassist Tord Overland Knudsen from Oslo, and drummer Dan Haggis from London.
For the second song of the set, they play “Moving to New York” from their 2007 album, Proudly Present… A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation. Everyone starts dancing as they sing along. “So I’m moving to New York / ‘Cause I’ve got problems with my sleep / And we’re not the same and I will wear that on my sleeve”. It’s a great pop song that forecasted Murph moving to the United States.
Midway into the set they play “Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This?” This is a great song that feels like it ends just a bit too early at just 2:46. It could definitely use one last chorus, possibly with a key change.
Later on is “Lemon to a Knife Fight”. Murph sings “I push and you tend to shove / I give in and you don’t give up / I’m not getting out of here this time / I brought a lemon to a knife fight”. This is a great example of his fantastic songwriting. The last line is such a memorable quote and perfectly captures a relationship experience.
It’s a giant singalong for “This Car Drives All by Itself”. This song sounds similar to Walk the Moon’s style with the group singing.
Murph says they just have two songs left while doing air quotes. This is his signal that they will do an encore. They then launch into “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You”. It’s a beautiful song about a couple going through a hard time and him saying he won’t give up on her.
In the encore they play “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”, which has over 160 million streams on Spotify. “Let’s dance to Joy Division / And celebrate the irony / Everything is going wrong / But we’re so happy”. This song summarizes The Wombat’s style well. It’s deep lyrics mixed with joyful danceable music. It’s a perfect choice for one of the final songs.
It’s 1930 in Harlem, NYC. Angel is a jazz singer living with her cousin, a fashion designer. Her best friend lives across the hall and works at a family planning center. Another old friend of hers is a doctor who delivers babies. One day, she begins to date Leland, who has just arrived from Alabama. Her friends express their disapproval as Leland’s politics and morals strongly differ from theirs. Tensions rise as their relationship becomes more serious.
Photos by Nomee Photography
Tiffany Renee Johnson (Passage) is fantastic as Angel, who struggles with deciding if Leland is good for her. Breon Arzell (The Total Bent) is fantastically joyful as her cousin, striving for his dream to work in Paris. Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele is superb as the best friend, fighting for Angel and for women’s reproductive rights. Edgar Sanchez (Toni Stone, In The Next Room) is great as the doctor, who is so very kind to all his friends. Lastly, Ajax Dontavius (Last Night and the Night Before) is exceptional in the difficult role of Leland, the strong willed Christian who imposes his morals on everyone else.
Pearl Cleage (The Nacirema Society) has written a play that starts a bit slow to develop the characters, but then, in the second half, the action increases dramatically. The set and costumes are expertly created. The whole production is very impressive and is very deserving of the standing ovation it receives at the conclusion.
Cost of a ticket: $36
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value –
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
It is early 2020, before the Covid lockdowns have started. A writer is suffering from acute social agoraphobia. When she opens the door, she hears the sounds of the apocalypse, a manifestation of America’s racism and oppression. So, she doesn’t leave her apartment and orders everything in. One day, her delivery person stays at the door to make sure no one takes her food. When she steps inside to hand over the breakfast, she notices a painting on the wall that captures her attention. The writer steps into the other room to avoid the sound of the outdoors, and the courier steals the painting, but this is not the end of her story.
Inda Craig-Galván has written a very intense topical piece about the current experience of black people in America. The characters are so full of depth. After the opening scene, the audience is at full attention to see how these characters reached this situation and to discover what will happen next. Congo Square Theatre is also producing one of Craig-Galván’s plays, Welcome to Matteson, at Northwestern University’s Chicago Campus.
Photo by Jabari Khaliq|Khaliq Photography
On September 16th, it is Women’s Night. They are not preventing anyone from attending, but they hope that people who do not identify as women will choose a different performance. They also did a Black Out performance on September 9th. Perhaps in the future, they could also add performances that have an intermission. At 95 minutes, this play is a bit long and intense to not have a one. There are many scene breaks where one could easily be added.
The cast is fantastic in the heavy play. Alex Moorman is excellent as the writer, who greatly plays her slow decent into madness from being stuck inside. Lo Williams is skillfull as the courier, who plays her on the edge of trustworthiness.
Dance for Life is an inspiring event that merges talent and philanthropy into one spectacular evening. It brings together the best Chicago dance companies and all proceeds go toward the Dancers’ Fund; a resource which provides financial assistance to professional dancers in their time of need, including covering medical expenses. It is one of the many ways our vibrant dance community joins forces to care for its own.
As dance enthusiasts entered the Auditorium Theatre this year, one could immediately feel the infectious joy that carried through the evening with each performance. The joy and support from the audience radiated to the dancers who in turn delivered a magical evening filled with grace, beauty, precision, and undeniable talent.
This infectious energy carried on to the after party at Venue SIX10. It’s a sophisticated affair with an impeccable ambiance thanks to the decor executed by TM Creative Consultants with the help of Tablescapes Party Rental and Windy City Linens. To add on, some of the best in the catering industry, including J&L Catering, Cake, Blue Plate, and Butter & Vine outdid themselves with both the quality and choice selection, including Mediterranean, sliders, various sides, and an indulging selection of desserts. A nice selection of beverage options, including Playpen Vodka, kept the audience satisfied as they waited in line for the fan-favorite sushi by M Square Sushi. While some mingled enjoying their food and drinks, many were entertained by DJ Sasha from BeatMix Music who kept the dance floor going all night. It’s truly amazing how many people came together to make this evening a magical moment for dance enthusiasts.
Below you will find a photo along with a short description of the performances along with information for upcoming shows by the dance companies that participated in this year’s Dance for Life.
Delicate Steve is the stage name of musician Steve Marion. Tonight, he plays many songs from his latest album, 2022’s After Hours. The songs are fresh and keep the audience fully entranced. No words are needed. Like classical music, the emotion is in the notes.
His musical talent matches that of Joe Satriani, another instrumental rock guitarist. See our review of Satriani’s 2022 performance at the Chicago theatre here.
Throughout the show, Steve doesn’t say much beyond “Hi Chicago”. He lets the music do the talking.
In his set, he also includes older tracks such as “Butterfly” from his 2011 debut album, Wondervisions. The audience is ecstatic to hear this one.
In the middle of one song, he transitions into a cover of “Benny and The Jets” by Elton John. Since he doesn’t sing, the audience sings the words! The crowd was very exuberant all night long and he surely made some new fans on this evening.
Cost of a ticket: $28
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
O.A.R. started playing together when they were in 8th grade. They have been touring relentlessly ever since. Tonight they are playing on a hot and humid night in Chicago at Northerly Island.
Midway into their set, they play “Love and Memories” from their 2005 album, Stories Of A Stranger. Lead singer, Marc Roberge, sings “Love me (faster than the devil) / Run me (straight into the ground), yeah / Drownin’ (deep inside your water) / Drown in love and memories.” This is a great love rock song that puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Next up is “Shattered (Turn The Car Around)”, which is their most popular song on Spotify with over 58 million streams from their 2008 album All Sides. “How many times can I break ’til I shatter? Over the line can’t define what I’m after. I always turn the car around.” This song is truly a crowd favorite.
“Hey Girl” was their first single. It is on their 2003 album, In Between Now and Then. They made the music video on a budget of $17.
They close out with “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker” from their 1997 album, The Wanderer. “I had three Jacks and a pair of nines /My mind is turning, just two shots more / There’s not much left to play.” At a length of 8 minutes and 42 seconds, it is quite long for a hit song. It’s a fantastic long jam that has people throwing playing cards into the air for a great finale to their excellent set.
Rock of Ages first appeared on Broadway in 2009 to great success. A film version starring Tom Cruise was released in 2012 with moderate reviews. Broadway in Chicago brought the touring version to Chicago in April of 2019. Now, the Mercury Theatre is running a version that is better than the movie. Michael Metcalf stars as Lonny, the narrator of the story. He plays the 80’s rocker with a huge rock star hairstyle acting hilariously as he flirts with a woman seated up front.
A hysterical scene involves a couple getting physical in the bathroom. It is Stacee Jaxx, played hilariously with style by Donovan Hoffer, and Sherrie, played excellently by Kayla Marie Shipman. They fool around as they sing Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is”. This is just one example of the humor involved which was missing in the movie version.
The entire cast is fantastic. Aaron M. Davidson (Hair) is hilarious as Franz, the engineer who everyone thinks is gay, but is really just German. David Moreland (Rent, Cruel Intentions) is perfectly cast as Drew, the wannabe rockstar who can’t quite get it right.
Photos by Liz Lauren
In this performance, Darryl D’Angelo Jones is great as the Mayor, who is very open to accepting bribes. Also, Jason Richards (Avenue Q, The Producers) is fantastic as Hertz, the business tycoon trying to shut down The Bourbon Room.
Veronica Garza (Who’s Holiday) is so funny as Regina, the leader of the resistance to Hertz’s plans. Steve Watts is superb as the hippie owner of The Bourbon Room. Sharriese Hamilton is solid as Justice. Lastly, Clayton Cross, Tafadzwa Diener, Julia Fleckenstein (Cabaret), Rachel Thomas, and Shaun Dennis White (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Cabaret) make for one hell of an ensemble.
Rock of Ages is the name of a song released in 1983 by Def Leppard. However, there are no Def Leppard songs in the show.
Overall, it’s a truly fun experience and a must see for all fans of comedy and 80s rock!
Get tickets now for Rock of Ages through September 10th!
Cost of a ticket: $65 (Premium Seats) PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It + Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother Follow us on Facebook!
Michael Jackson is preparing for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. He wants it to be the best tour ever, no matter the cost. He is even considering mortgaging Neverland to pay for all the extras he is requesting. This includes special effects such as jet packs, toaster lifts, and pyrotechnics. An MTV film crew is there to create a documentary of the preparation and they discover that Michael is taking painkillers regularly.
The highlight of the show is the thrilling playlist! They start of with a bang with “Beat It”. “Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it) No one wants to be defeated Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right Just beat it”
“Billie Jean” is MJ’s most popular song with over 1.46 billion streams on Spotify. The performance of this song does not disappoint.
“Billie Jean is not my lover She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one But the kid is not my son She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son”
“Thriller” is handled fantastically. The costumes are excellent along with the dancing. “It’s close to midnight And something evil’s lurking in the dark Under the moonlight You see a sight that almost stops your heart.”
After the curtain call is the fantastic “Black or White”.
A few hits that are missing are “Remember the Time”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, and P.Y.T. Perhaps these one and others will be featured in a sequel!
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