Joe Satriani comes to The Chicago Theatre on his Earth Tour to support his latest release, The Elephants of Mars. Early on in his first set, he plays two tracks from the album, “Sahara” and “The Elephants of Mars”.  It is immediately clear he is still writing great music and his playing is still fantastic.

The solos on “Flying in a Blue Dream” are face melting. Behind the band on 3 screens, there are visuals of flying across beautiful landscapes. Another song features a spaceship flying through an asteroid field which matches the otherworldly guitar playing.

For one song, he says he pictured Nicholas Cage on fire on a motorcycle escaping the devil (like his character in Ghost Rider). He has to keep playing rapid notes so that he can survive.

To open the second set, the drummer, Kenny Aronoff, plays an extensive solo. It’s very impressive and is met with a great applause at its conclusion.

After jamming on “Shapeshifting”, Satriani says, “Woah, I don’t know where I went on that one. I need to calm down for the next song, which is a serious one called “Teardrops”.

He was right. This one was serious as it explored some dark and sad emotions.  

There are more shredding electric solos on “If I Could Fly”. No lyrics are required. Like classical music, the emotion is in the notes.

See the full setlist from the St. Louis show here, which was very similar.

Cost of a ticket: $114 (Main Floor Middle)

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Quinn Delaney

P.S. Satriani gave lessons to Steve Vai, who will be playing in Chicago next month.

Marcella and Cynthia have been dating for eight months. Tonight is a big night for them as Cynthia finally allows Marc into her house. Marc is very excited about this and before long she mentions the possibility of moving in. Cyn jokingly calls her out for being a U-Haul lesbian. After some time, Cynthia gets around to telling Marc the truth about why it took her so long to invite her in. It’s a thrilling story about love and loss that will have you at the edge of your seat.

Paloma Nozicka has written a fantastic psychological thriller that has a lot of love and humor. After 80 minutes, the audience is left wanting more.

Lisandra Tena (Fear the Walking Dead, The Good Place) is fantastic as Cynthia , who truly believes the wild story she tells. Gaby Moldovan is excellent as Marc, who is so excited to be in love again and also has some secrets to reveal. Together, they make a very loving couple who have some major hurdles to deal with.

If after seeing this play, you’d like to hear an idea about an alternative ending, please reach out via our Facebook page.

Cost of a ticket: $38

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Get tickets now to Enough to Let the Light In through October 23^rd!

See the program here.

Quinn Delaney

It’s a cool 60 degrees outside tonight, but inside Subterranean it is hot as it is filled with a sold out crowd. Everyone is excited to see Taylor Cameron Upsahl, aka UPSAHL, from Phoenix, AZ. She last played in Chicago at Park West with K. Flay and corook in February of this year.

“I wanted us to end up as friends, But you fucked it all up. You’re a douchebag, And I can prove that.” The entire audience dances and sings this along with UPSAHL. It’s such a fun and catchy song.

The singalong continues on “Thriving”. “La-la-la-la life is a bitch!” This lyric rolls off your tongue perfectly and the crowd is eating it up. Taylor sings this one with great enthusiasm and energy.

To close out the night, they play their biggest hit to date, “Drugs”, which has over 110 Million streams on Spotify. “I just came here to the party for the drugs / (Drugs), drugs, (drugs), drugs, (drugs) / I’m not tryna make a friend or fall in love.” It’s such a fun and snarky song. Taylor also released a version with Two Feet that is excellent.

See the full setlist here of her show in Austin a few days ago, which is very similar to tonight.

Cost of a ticket: $20

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Quinn Delaney

It’s a 60 degree night in Chicago, but it feels much colder on Northerly Island tonight. Surrounded by water with a constant breeze, it feels more like 50 degrees. The weather is no issue for The Head and the Heart, an indie folk band from Seattle.

Early on they sing “All We Ever Knew” from their 2016 release, Signs of Light. It’s a great fun song that is perfect for starting the energy off high in their set.

Midway into the set they play “Lost in My Mind” from their self titled 2011 release. It’s such a catchy song that is so fun to sing along to and the entire audience does.

Later on, the lead singer comments how this is the first time he and his wife have to returned to Chicago since they met here 7 years ago, at Lollapalooza.

The penultimate song, Virginia (Wind In The Night) features some fantastic work on the keys. The keyboard player is met with a great applause when he is introduced.

To close out the night, they play “Rivers and Roads”, their biggest hit to date, which has 198 million streams on Spotify. It’s such a great slow build to the climactic chorus: “Rivers and roads / Rivers and roads / Rivers ’til I reach you!” It was a fantastic close to a great season at Northerly Island.

See the full setlist here.

Cost of a ticket: $45 (200 Section)

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Quinn Delaney

Mac McAnally is from a small town in Northern Mississippi. All the tourists who come there are lost, he says. During his show, he has long introductions for his song.

He talks about how before he turned 40, he thought he had plenty of time to do everything. But after turning 40, he realized the fuse on life wasn’t infinite and that he should be more intentional about how he spent his time. He put these thoughts into the song “Meanwhile”.

He wrote a lot of songs that he gave to other bands to play. He plays two of the songs he gave to Sawyer Brown tonight, “This Time” and “Cafe On The Corner”.

Mac talks about how Kenny Chesney one day just called him up and asked him to come into the studio to record any song that he had written.  In just 30 minutes, they recorded “Down the Road” which turned out to be a huge hit. It has over 8.4 million streams on Spotify.

McAnally’s day job is playing in Jimmy Buffet’s band, the Coral Reefers. He says it’s a fantastic job to have and that Jimmy will be better soon and they’ll be back on the road. The drummer playing with him tonight is also a Coral Reefer. They play a few Buffet songs that he wrote including “Changing Channels”, “A Pirate Looks At Forty”, and “It’s My Job”.

Cost of a ticket: $55 (Mezzanine)

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Quinn Delaney

Wicked first premiered on Broadway in 2003 at the Gershwin Theatre. It won three Tony Awards including Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel. It ran at the Oriental Theatre (now named The Nederlander Theatre) from June 24, 2005 until January 25, 2009. It returned for limited runs in 2010 and 2013. A film version is in preproduction to be released in 2024. And now, in September of 2022, it opens back at the Nederlander Theatre.

At the entrance of Nederlander, you are immediately reminded of the effect this storyline continues to bring to audiences of all ages throughout the years as fans are handed green “I’ve Seen Wicked __ Times!” pins with a wide range in numbers as they eagerly enter the theatre. As you glance around, you see friends, couples, families, children, and grandparents, all present to witness the magical power of this spectacular theatrical production.

Wicked presents the history of the witches of Oz. The plot begins back in school when Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (Glinda The Good Witch) are assigned as roommates. The story unfolds and we learn about Elphaba’s early family dynamic and the various factors that unite and separate the bond between Elphaba and Galinda, including a mutual attraction toward Fiyero, the newest student at the school. Also, the origin of the Tin Man, Straw Man, and the Cowardly Lion are explored.

The cast in this production truly bared their hearts into these characters and the story which resonated with the audience members as you heard various emotions throughout the evening. Lissa Deguzman was captivating in her performance as Elphaba who displays such a deep and caring nature to her personality and fights for what she believes in. Jennafer Newberry was vibrant and full of life portraying Gilda in a hilarious fashion that kept the audience entertained the entire night. Jordan Litz, who played Fiyero, beautifully executed his role supporting the good fight and following his heart.

Along with the storyline, the music and visuals in this production is what keeps fans coming back for years to come. “Defying Gravity” is a true showstopper towards the end of the first act. The singing is incredible along with the lighting as Elphaba flys high above the stage. It left both adults and children in awe! During intermission, fans were heard discussing the characters, their purpose, and counting down till the second act. It is a must see!

Get tickets now for Wicked through December 4^th!

Cost of a ticket: $25 (Digital Lottery) to $277 (Premium Seats)

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Quinn Delaney

Have you ever wished that you could be invisible to attend a party and just listen to what everyone else is saying and not be seen? Southern Gothic provides this opportunity with its immersive theatre style.  The party takes place in a house created in the theatre where the action takes place simultaneously in the kitchen, dining room, living room, and the front porch. So, just like a real party, you won’t hear everything that is happening. However, unlike a regular party, you can just get up and leave any conversation immediately and jump into any other one without appearing rude. In fact, you are encouraged to do so. Also, enjoy the cocktails that are handed out and the snacks prepared for the guests. Don’t miss out on the Spam!

The party is celebrating Suzanne Wellington, who is turning 40. Four couples attend the festivities. However, that number isn’t quite accurate, as a few other couplings exist. In fact, one affair has resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. Another couple is interracial, which a few of the guests do not approve of.  Also, there is political scandal and business corruption that surfaces. Suffice it say, it will be a night to remember!

The experience is one of only a few immersive theatre experiences in the Chicago scene recently. One was the Hubbard Street Dance Fall Series which featured dancers all over the Harris Theatre. They were in the lobby, stairways, the seats, the dressing rooms, and backstage. Another past one was Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding in which you were a guest at a wedding for the ceremony and the reception (at two different locations). The third was Flanagan’s Wake, at Chicago Theatre Works, which was a wild Irish party. If you were a fan of any of these, you’ll definitely enjoy this Windy City Playhouse production.

Cost of a ticket: $69

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Get tickets for Southern Gothic now through November 30th!

Quinn Delaney

The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful called The String of Pearls in 1846. The following year, it was adapted into a stage play with the same name. In 1928, the silent film version was released. In 1979, Stephen Sondheim’s musical version opened on Broadway. It won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. In 2007, Tim Burton’s film version was released. And now, in September of 2022, Kokandy Productions opens the musical version at The Chopin Theatre.

Sweeney Todd is a barber who seeks vengeance against the judge who sent him away. He meets Mrs Lovett, the owner of a pie shop, who becomes his partner in seeking revenge.

This production is presented in the round. This creates a close intimacy to the stage, but it does result in the stage light being directly in the audience’s face. The center of the stage spins by being manually pushed giving the space a dynamic touch.

The cast includes Kevin Webb (Nightmares and Nightcaps) and Caitlin Jackson (Trash) as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. They are joined by Quinn Rigg (Adolfo Pirell/Jonas Fogg), Isabel Cecilia García (Beggar Woman), Christopher Johnson (Judge Turpin), Josiah Haugen (Beadle Bamford), Chamaya Moody (Johanna), Patrick O’Keefe (Tobias Ragg) and Ryan Stajmiger (Anthony Hope). The Fleet Street ensemble includes Joel Arreola, Brittney Brown, Ethan Carlson, Stephanie Chiodras, Christopher Johnson, Nikki Krzebiot, Charlie Mann and Daniel Rausch. Swings include Tyler DeLoatch, Nathan Kabara and Angela Yu.

See the full program here.

Cost of a ticket: $44

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Get tickets now for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street through November 6^th!

Quinn Delaney

Luminaire is a cabaret style variety show. Here is a list of the top acts.

James Harkness and Liv Warfield

These singers are very talented. They really express well with their vocals. Their playlist is very well chosen and includes “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, “Smokin Out The Window” by Silk Sonic, and “What You Do” by James Gillespie.

Viktor Kee

This man can juggle. I mean, really juggle. So many balls fall from the ceiling and he seamlessly juggles them. He also randomly throws balls into the audience knocking silverware onto the floor. It’s not clear if this is intentional or not as the stage managers scurry to gather the balls.

Trio Vertex

This group is the highlight of the show. On about a 6-foot-wide circular platform, the performers spin up to 40 mph on roller skates. The man picks up the woman and spins her around just by her arms. Then, to increase the intensity, they use a figure-8 device that puts a loop over each of their heads. He then proceeds to spin her around without using his hand in a fantastic finale. The crowd gave them a standing ovation!

Later on, one man is hanging upside down from a trapeze hanging from the ceiling. The other man lifts up the lady to the other. The trapeze then rises about 10 feet to the ceiling. Suddenly, he drops her headfirst and the other man catches her after a moment of shock. The entire audience has their mouth open gaping in amazement.  

Cost of a ticket: $118

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Get tickets now for Luminaire!

Quinn Delaney