A beautiful building stationed in the heart of the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago is Thalia Hall. Originally built in 1892, this roughly 900 capacity room is the venue of choice for many artists on their stops through town. I entered the limestone building, admiring each chisel as it sits on the corner of 18^th and Allport. Walking up the stairs past the iconic chalkboard painting the names of the artist playing each night, the warmth of this venue wrapped around me. A balcony hung comfortably above my head as the space grew larger the further I stepped in. This room was special, housing the best of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In a city of incredible venues, Thalia Hall prides itself on repeat customers. Taking in the old and weary Henry Rollins (4 times), giving a huge stage to the then-young Ratboys in 2023 (4 times), and have kept big names like Waxahatchee (5 times) coming back. Building itself as a pillar of arts in the community, it hosts the “Thalia Hall Free For All” twice a year. With stellar lineups, it opens its doors free of charge to see some top local and touring acts. This is a special place to take in some music. 

I made my way to Thalia Hall to see The Lemonheads and Erin Rae on December 15^th. A cold Wednesday in the winter made a little warmer by the atmosphere. I have been lucky enough to see Erin Rae before, opening up for Jake Ewald of Slaughter Beach, Dog on his solo acoustic tour in 2024. Playing in a smaller setting to only about 100 or so people, I vividly remember Erin joining Jake for a great cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain”. We caught her whole set, playing tunes off two of her records, 2022’s “Lighten Up” and 2018’s “Putting On Airs”. With a sprinkle of singles in their too, including “On Her Side”, it was a great set and a pleasure to see her accompanied by her full band. The three piece, that had Chicago legend Jeff Tweedy’s son Spencer on drums, produced a bright and calming sound just days ahead of the winter solstice.  

The Lemonheads made their way on stage with Evan Dando leading the charge. Touring their first album of original music since 2006, “Love Chant” was a riffy release with a wide collection of collaborators including opener Erin Rae. Their tour was not for the weak. Stretching from early November through December 20^th, this gauntlet had shows five to six nights a week. These weren’t short sets either, playing 28 songs in Chicago including six acoustic tunes near the end. “It’s a Shame About Ray” was represented the most of The Lemonheads albums with five tracks, followed by four from “Come On Feel The Lemonheads”, and another quitnent from the touring album including 2 of the lead singles “Deep End” and “In The Margain”.  

Arguably, their biggest hit is a cover of “Mrs. Robinson” originally by Simon and Garfunkel, released in 1992. Charting in the top 20 singles in the United States, Australia, and the UK, it helped launch The Lemonheads to prominence on the radio while it was shunned in their live shows. Only being played 36 times in the almost one thousand gigs under their belts, it doesn’t crack the top 50 most played songs by them. While that cover was omitted from the setlist, 10 others made their way including The Townes Van Zandt, Whitney Houston, and Chicago’s own Cheap Trick.  

Dedicated fans traced the balcony of Thalia Hall, enjoying this set by a band that has been making music on and off for the past 40 years. This constant touring develops a loyal fanbase, which is why their 29^th show in Chicago welcomed a steady stream of fans in the midweek of December. The Lemonheads will continue their tour in Europe this fall and will open for The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks this July, you can find tickets here. 

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As the sequence ended, the band hopped up and got straight to groovin’ Find Your Way Back, a perfect song to reel us in. Though we’d never heard Jefferson Starship live before, we felt that the band was waiting all along for us to find them. Album by album they went, rapping off their best songs while recollecting stories of old that our souls had somehow always known. Cathy Richardson, their current lead female vocalist, had this great story about how David Freiberg, the last founding member still playing, had the opportunity to join The Grateful Dead before they went off to play live at Egypt in 1978.

It’s not often you go to a concert and get to hear the band play your favorite song, and it’s almost impossible to go to a concert and hear every and only your favorite songs for the entire set. But that’s what happened. I felt bad that the congregation of old-heads weren’t standing up and dancing, because I know I would if I got to hear my favorite band from fifty years ago play live. But I know it was enjoyed by all. Between clapping beats, standing ovations, and hoots’n’hollers, I could feel the love shine through.

Jude Gold absolutely crushed some guitar solos, holding back nothing. Danny Baldwin kept the beat alive and got to sing a few. David Freiberg looked like the happiest man alive, I swear he didn’t stop smiling for a second up on stage. Chris Smith was doing so much work on the keyboard I’m surprised his hands didn’t catch on fire. Best of all was Cathy Richardson, enveloping herself in the mantle of Grace Slick and evolving from it, belting out vocals like it was still the 70s. Once they started playing Jane I knew I couldn’t resist getting up and dancing. Izzy and I were the only ones dancing for the whole song, and Cathy caught on about halfway through. She stepped to the left side of the stage near our seats, singing and strumming, as we were in the heat of a crazed whirl, when she jutted out her pointer finger right at us. In that moment, she was singing for us, and we were dancing for her, and it was like magic. No concert have I ever been to has elicited such a magical feeling in me. 

Jefferson Starship ended with an encore of Volunteers, which really got everyone up and going, feeling patriotic and inspired to make our country a better place. And like that, after just an hour and a half, they were gone. They got up, played their best songs, gave me a memory I’ll never forget, and moved on to do it again in St. Charles, Illinois the next Friday. Funny how quickly the best times move by in a flash. 

Thank you, Jefferson Starship, for keeping the spirit of rock’n’roll alive.

The post Concert Review: Jefferson Starship, September 21st appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Assembling The Band

To know Starship’s history, we have to go back to 1970. Paul Kantner, a leading creative force behind the band, was on break from touring. He assembled Grace Slick, Joey Covington, and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane; David Crosby and Graham Nash; and Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann for his new album: Blows Against the Empire. It would be credited to Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship!

Kantner began to assemble his crew. Slick was already on board. David Freiberg was a founding member of Quicksilver Messenger Service, a popular band during its time, and had played with Kantner during the early sixties. Freiberg supplied him with planetary musicianship throughout his solo career from 1970-74, enough to earn him a spot on the real starship.

Craig Chaquico was a high school english student playing in his teacher’s band Steelwind. The teacher introduced Chaquico to his friend Paul Kantner, who found his guitar playing so out-of-this-world during their collaborations that he earned his position as lead guitar.

Grace Slick was in studio working on her first solo album, and so was Pete Sears, a bassist co-producing an album with a different artist, yet he had no trouble assisting Slick in her project. He had previously played on Papa John Creach’s first solo album, an electric violinist who played with many blues legends. Discussions with both Sears and Creach quickly flew into orbit as they joined the starship.

Last but not least is John Barbata, a drummer who previously worked with The Turtles and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was during a break in 1972 for CSNY that David Crosby introduced Barbata to the members of Jefferson Airplane. He played drums for their last two albums before the official breakup in 1974, when Kantner approached Barbata with an idea for their next stage: Jefferson Starship.

Golden Years & Hit Songs

So the starship took flight on a mission to spread love with Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, David Freiberg, Craig Chaquico, John Barbata, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach. After their first album Dragon Fly, previous Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin got onboard and helped write one of the band’s most successful albums in 1975, Red Octopus. Hits from this album include “Miracles” and “Play on Love.” Next was Spitfire in 1976, with great tracks such as “With Your Love” and “St. Charles.” Their final album with this lineup produced Earth in 1978, including the awesome songs “Count on Me,” “Runaway,” and “Crazy Feelin’.”

The starship began to run out of fuel in late 1978 after the firing of Grace Slick for her alcoholism. Marty Balin quit just a few months after, and John Barbata was seriously injured in a car accident that forced his resignation. The other members were not deterred. Former drummer for Journey Aynsley Dunbar was brought on board, along with vocalist Mickey Thomas and producer Ron Nevison. With this refuel, the starship flew on.

Their next album Freedom At Point Zero found immense success with the song “Jane” in 1979. Grace Slick returned to grace in 1981 during the recording of Modern Times, in which she sang “Stranger.” Other hits include “Find Your Way Back” and “Stairway to Cleveland,” which hilariously criticized its fans for disliking their change in style over the years. Next was Winds of Change in 1982, with great tracks “Be My Lady” and “Winds of Change.” Aynsley Dunbar was phased out for Donny Baldwin, and their final album was completed in 1984, Nuclear Furniture. Hits from this album include “No Way Out” and “Layin’ It On the Line.”

Kantner became bored with the band’s direction and left it in the remaining member’s hands, but not without enacting a lawsuit to prevent them from using the name “Jefferson Starship.” Kantner left with a cash settlement, and ownership of the name was split between Grace Slick and manager Bill Thompson. However, the core of Jefferson Starship was still there in Slick, Thomas, Chaquico, Sears, and Baldwin (Freiberg got mad and left because he got replaced on piano), so they renamed themselves “Starship” and turned on the thrusters to max power.

Starship went on to produce two albums with these core members, the first arriving in 1985 as Knee Deep in the Hoopla. This album spawned not one, but two number one hits in “We Built This City” and “Sara,” as well as “Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter Tonight.” Their other album in 1987, No Protection, had ANOTHER number one hit with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and other bangers Not Over (‘Til It’s Over),” and “Beat Patrol.” Unfortunately, most of the core members left after this album between 1987-89. That was until Paul Kantner came back to re-establish Jefferson Starship in 1992.

Jefferson Starship onstage at Marriott’s Great America (now known as California’s Great America), June 23, 1984, not long before their breakup into Starship. (Left to right: Grace Slick, Mickey Thomas, Pete Sears, Paul Kantner, Craig Chaquico, Donny Baldwin, and David Freiberg.)

Current Day

Over time, Jefferson Starship re-recruited old members and got some new ones. They continued to tour with a new lineup and work on projects from that point forward until Kantner’s death in 2016. In an act of goodwill, Slick and Kantner’s family approved of letting the current members of the band perform as Jefferson Starship for their entire lifetimes.

Today, Jefferson Starship tours with David Freiberg (vocals & guitar), Donny Baldwin (drums), Chris Smith (keyboards), Jude Gold (lead guitar), and Cathy Richardson (vocals, guitar). Their latest album, Mother Of The Sun, includes an awesome rendition of “Embryonic Journey” that I recommend everyone go check out. Jefferson Starship has roots all the way back to the early sixties, and though the style, songs, and members have all changed, the soul still remains.

The show begins at 7:30 this Sunday the 21st, and student tickets are $31.25. I hope to see you there! (I’m especially excited to see Freiberg on stage, still playing at 87 years old!)

Poster for Jefferson Starship’s current 50th anniversary tour.

The post Jefferson Starship landing at the Englert, September 21 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I have had the pleasure of educating many people on Duran Duran’s long career, the same way my father educated me. My indoctrination began with 2004’s “Astronaut.” I was only three years old at the time, but whenever my dad played “(Reach up for the) Sunrise,” I had to dance along.

Although I am a longtime fan of the band, I don’t have the most popular opinions about Duran Duran’s music. For example, 2007’s “Red Carpet Massacre,” produced by Timbaland and featuring Justin Timberlake, is one of my favorites. If you’re wondering about its reception, just know that Pitchfork gave it a 3.8 out of 10.

The problem with older artists is that a lot of people expect them to make one kind of music for their whole career. Duran Duran are constantly trying new things, and despite some fans’ protests, it keeps the music interesting and fresh.

On Future Past, they worked primarily with English DJ and producer Erol Alkan. Other production credits on the album include Italian composer Giorgio Moroder and English-American producer Mark Ronson.

Future Past is appropriately titled, blending many 80s musical elements with modern sounds like EDM. “All of You” feels like it could have been included on 1988’s Big Thing while still sounding like a great track in 2021, in part thanks to Roger Taylor’s heavy drum beats.

Overall, there’s a lot to like here. The only glaring problem with the album is the title track. The song “Future Past” was tough to get through on my first listen. Unfortunately, it’s too much like a cheesy 80s ballad for me to get on board. I’ve also found myself skipping “Tonight United” quite often. While I appreciate the message of equality, the lyrics feel unimaginative and take me out of the song.

Duran Duran hasn’t had a core guitarist since 2006 when original member Andy Taylor left the band after a short-lived reunion. Since then, the band has worked with several talented guitarists, and this time they chose former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

Coxon’s presence adds a rich new layer to the band’s sound, most notably on the standout track “Wing.” The opening guitar riff combined with Nick Rhodes’ synths were enough to make it an instant favorite.

In fact, the collaborations on this album make up most of my favorite tracks. Swedish pop star Tove Lo, known for her hit song “Habits (Stay High),” provides a beautiful second verse and bridge on “Give It All Up.” It was the first song I put on repeat after I finished listening to the album for the first time.

English rapper Ivorian Doll’s verse on “Hammerhead” is another welcome surprise, and Japanese rock band CHAI provides infectious enthusiasm on “More Joy,” my favorite lead single from the album roll-out. Lastly, American pianist Mike Garson features on “Falling,” a gorgeous album closer accented by John Taylor’s smooth bass.

According to lead singer Simon Le Bon, Future Past is actually about the present. “In the future, you’ll be looking back at this moment, and this will be the past. So live it now,” Le Bon said.

The band seems to have truly followed Le Bon’s words. Duran Duran is still making music in the present with the same vigor that they did 40 years in the past, and I could not be more grateful.

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