Showtime put on a show one last time at the United Center.
On a night in which Chicago came together to remember the career of Chris Chelios, it was Patrick Kane who had people talking by the time people left the building.
The Kane-related festivities began after the first timeout when the Blackhawks played a tear-jerking tribute video on the Jumbotron. It hit us all then just how many great memories we’ve had with Kane over the years.
WOW.
Patrick Kane receives a deafening ovation from Blackhawks fans after the legend was honored with a video tribute during a TV timeout.
Jimmy Eat World are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their third studio album,Ā Clarity, by releasing a 2021 live recording on vinyl. The limited edition 2xLP will arrive on May 24th.
Celebrate all things Magic: The Gathering at this fan convention that takes over McCormick Place Lakeside Center. The three-day gathering will include on-demand and ticketed play events, panels, meet and greets, vendors and plenty of cosplayers. Keep the fun going with an after-hours party at the House of Blues on February 23, featuring a set by Grumgully and karaoking.
Cold War Kids at The Salt Shed (Friday)Ā
Cold War Kids are back in Chicago for the first time since playing PIQNIQ in 2022. This time around, the band is taking a rightful victory lap as they celebrate 20 years of existence. This also comes as the indoor section of The Salt Shed just passed their first anniversary. Needless to say, it will be a night of celebration at The Salt Shed.
Lit at Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino New Buffalo (Friday)
Lit is ready to party. The 90’s standouts are bringing the fun to the Silver Creek Event Center in New Buffalo on Friday night for what should be an epic, feel-good evening. Tickets are available here.
Local H at Empty Bottle (Friday)Ā
Our friends Local H will be playing at Empty Bottle on Friday night for an intimate evening of loud music and fun. This event is sold out.
Militarie Gun at Bottom Lounge (Friday)Ā
OOH OOH! Militarie Gun, one of the fastest rising bands in alternative, will be playing a sold-out show at Bottom Lounge on Friday night…after they play Q101’s Lounge in the afternoon. Militarie Gun has opened for Limp Bizkit, been touted by Post Malone, and was recently featured in a Taco Bell commercial. Your favorite band’s favorite band is probably Militarie Gun right now. This event is sold out. If you’re going, get there early for the wonder that is Spiritual Cramp.
Blackhawks host the Jets (Friday)Ā
This is a huge weekend for the Blackhawks, but not because of this matchup. The Jets are very good. The Hawks…are not. We’ll see what happens.
Static-X & Sevendust at Radius (Saturday)Ā
Can I get a hell yeah for Static-X and Sevendust at Radius? Tickets can be purchased here.
Cupid’s Undie Run (Saturday)
This annual tradition challenges participants to jog a chilly mile through Wrigleyville in their skivviesāall in the name of raising money for neurofibromatosis researchābefore retiring to Slugger’s for some scantily-clad drinking. Those who donāt want to run can donate to the cause instead. Cheers to that!
Mac & Cheese Crawl (Saturday)
Get your fill of cheesy noodles at the Mac & Cheese Crawl happening in Wrigleyville. The event will feature stops at some of the neighborhood’s most popular bars, and tickets include seven mac and cheese tastings and access to drink specials and giveaways.
Blackhawks host the Red Wings (Sunday)Ā
The hottest ticket for the Blackhawks in years is Sunday as the Blackhawks host the Red Wings and honor the great Chris Chelios. A full rundown of the festivities can be found here.
Neck Deep at The Salt Shed (Sunday)Ā
Pop-punk standouts Neck Deep and hardcore world-beaters DRAIN are headed to The Salt Shed on Sunday evening for what should be an absolutely insane event. Tickets can be purchased here.
Every Friday, Case the Producer rounds up the most exciting new tunes in music and serves them up in one easy-to-find blog for you, the Q101 Crew Members.
Bleachers: Me Before You
Bleachers never slowed down after their epic performance at Twisted XMAS last December. Frontman Jack Antonoff racked up another GRAMMY for Producer of the Year in the midst of the rollout for Bleachers’ upcoming self-titled album. This week, they gifted us “Me Before You”, a track detailing a lonelier point in the frontman’s life. Bleachers is due out March 8.
Glitterer: Rationale
Ned Russin is an underground icon. He spent the 2010’s fronting Title Fight, a band that paved the way for the overwhelming success of acts like Militarie Gun and Turnstile. Since 2017, his time has been spent as the driving force behind Glitterer, a simplistic, albeit noisy project that will release their fourth full length record on Friday. Russin proved with this project that his songwriting skills are just as sharp as ever.
Grouplove: Chances
Our friends in Grouplove are gearing up for their upcoming date at The Riv with a new single in “Chances”, a feisty, aggressive number from the band who packed The Cubby Bear last year for a Q101 Pop-Up Performance.
iDKHOW: Gloom Division
iDKHOW haven’t released a full length album since 2020, which is far too long for a band that rocks as hard as they do. They have a chance to turn heads, just as they did at Twisted XMAS 2019 with Cage the Elephant and Angels & Airwaves, with Gloom Division.
LinkinĀ Park: Friendly Fire
Linkin Park is back with another new track from their archives. Today, the band has unearthed “Friendly Fire”, a song from 2017’s One More Light sessions. Talking to Consequences, guitarist Brad Delson said, āFriendly Fireā was always one of our favorite songs from theĀ One More LightĀ sessions. Something about it wasnāt quite right so as close as it got to the finish line, we chose to set it aside for later. When we started looking for an unreleased track to include on our greatest hits collection, I was blown away by the power of the song, the power of the storytelling, the power of the vocal, the sonic landscape and I actually thought that it was closer than maybe we had realized at the time.ā
Linkin Park have announced their new career-spanning greatest hits album, Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023), out April 12th via Warner Records.
MGMT: Loss of Life
February 9, 2018 was the last time that MGMT gave us a new record. The wait is finally over. After a slew of excellent singles, the big enchilada is here with Loss of Life, the group’s fifth studio album. It simply doesn’t get better than this.
Four years ago, ESPN unearthed ‘The Last Dance’ documentary, and ever since then, Scottie Pippen has made it his life mission to tear down Michael Jordan.
Now, alongside Horace Grant and Luc Longley, the trio of ex-Bulls are going out on tour in an effort to “set the record straight” on the 90’s Bulls. This has all of the potential in the world to create a number of viral moments given how unhinged Pippen has come across in recent years.
Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Luc Longley are going on a "NO BULL TOUR" to tell their side of THE LAST DANCE story and what it was like playing for the Bulls in the 90s. pic.twitter.com/lOFuLAeJP3
The tour begins on February 23 in Tasmania. Nope, not The Music Box. This tour will begin in Tasmania and then cut through Melbourne and Sydney as a part of a relationship with Australia’s National Basketball League.
Fox 32 has reported that there’s new details regarding an FBI prove against Tiffany Henyard. Lawrence Gardner owns a U-Haul rental and trucking business in south suburban Dolton and says he went to the FBI several months ago, frustrated that the Village of Dolton would not renew his business license. Gardner is one of six people who were confirmed to be interviewed by the FBI.
The FBI said it is policy for the agency not to comment on the nature, existence, or non-existence of any investigation that may be occurring.
For the first time since 2021, Rolling Stone has updated their list of the 500 greatest songs of all-time. The new list includes songs such as “As It Was” by Harry Styles and “A&W” by Lana Del Rey, which came out after the last list was published, and also the repositioning of songs like “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, which now clocks in at #71.
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” finished in the top spot, with notable entires like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Royals”, and “Seven Nation Army” finishing in the top 50.
š£ JUST ANNOUNCED! š£ Vampire Weekend is bringing the 'Only God Was Above Us' Tour to Chicago on Fri. July 26 & Sat. July 27! šļø Unlock presale tickets Thurs. February 22 @ 10am with code ENERGY | General onsale starts Fri. February 23 at 10am | https://t.co/fYc7cWLfRkpic.twitter.com/RjSJr4Kuva
Every Friday, Case the Producer rounds up the most exciting new tunes in music and serves them up in one easy-to-find blog for you, the Q101 Crew Members.
Friko: Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here
Chicago’s very own Friko have been turning heads for quite awhile now thanks to their gorgeous approach to indie rock. Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here marks a new high-point for the burgeoning artists.
Friko come to the Metro on March 1. Get tickets here.
IDLES: TANGKĀ
Unapologetic and hostile, yet somehow sincere and sensitive, British punks IDLES have done it again with their fifth full length record, TANGK (pronounced “Tank”). No band has brought such a brutal approach to tackling toxic masculinity in the past, and as a result, IDLES have cultivated a worldwide following. While this record is still packed with chest-thumping, anthemic tunes that could fill a soccer stadium, there are moments on this record where IDLES sound…happy? Could it be?
Known for her years leading the charge for punk icons Against Me!, Laura Jane Grace is back with an incredible solo record, Hole In My Head. Just as she’s done throughout her entire career, Grace writes with an intensity and honesty that most songwriters can only dream of. The title track, a jaunty earworm that clocks in at just over 90 seconds, is the tip of the iceberg. Grace turned in one of the best records of 2024 with Hole In My Head.
Pearl Jam: Dark Matter
Don’t worry about what I have to say about the new Pearl Jam track, listen to what the aforementioned Laura Jane Grace has to say about the new track on Q101’s First Listen.
Prize Horse: Under SoundĀ
The Minneapolis trio better known as Prize Horse have been slugging their way through DIY venues for the last few years. With a raw, grungy sound that isn’t for the weak of heart, Prize Horse has developed a dedicated fanbase that can’t wait to see what’s next in-store for the band. Luckily, they don’t have to wait any longer, as Prize Horse has unearthed their debut album, Under Sound.
Royel Otis: Pratts & PainĀ
Royel Otis may be from Australia, but they are closing in on world domination. Thanks to their newsworthy cover of “Murder On the Dancefloor” and the success of “Oysters In My Pocket”, this two-piece is destined for big things. Pratts & Pain continues what could be a monstrous 2024 for the group.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. The Chicago Auto Show kicks off on Saturday and runs through February 19. Held in McCormick Place, the Chicago show features multiple world and North American Introductions and the complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and experimental and concept cars. You can purchase tickets here.
10,000 Maniacs at City Winery (Friday, Saturday)
10,000 Maniacs return to Chicago for the first time since 2022 for an intimate series of shows at City Winery. Their run of shows, which began on Thursday and concludes on Saturday, have sold out.
Laura Jane Grace at Sleeping Village (Friday)Ā
Laura Jane Grace heads to Sleeping Village on Friday night for a celebration of her new record, Hole In My Head. This show is sold out, but if you can find a way to get a ticket, we can’t recommend it enough.
ChanceĀ theĀ Rapper at Ramova Chicago (Friday)Ā
Chance the Rapper is a co-owner of the newly reopened Ramova Theater and thus, he’s kicking off the new era of a venue with a bang. The rapper will play in front of an intimate audience in a venue that has been closed since 1985.
Blackhawks host the Senators (Saturday)Ā
Bedard is back and thus, the Blackhawks have life! They’ll host Ottawa on Saturday night.
Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration (Saturday)
Uptown’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration kicks off the Chinese New Year with dazzling dragons, dancers, drummers and more. The parade starts at 1pm at Argyle Street and Winthrop Avenue. More than 20 local community groups will be in attendance and there will be dancers and performers as well as family-friendly activities to enjoy between 10am-4pm.
Lunar New Year Celebration in Chinatown (Sunday)
The parade will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the intersection of 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue and travel north on Wentworth towards the viewing stand at Cermak and Wentworth.
The officialĀ NickelbackĀ documentary,Ā Hate to Love: Nickelback, will be in theaters March 27th and 30th.
Excited to announce that we are finally releasing our documentary – in theatres worldwide! Two nights only – March 27th and March 30th. Tickets go on sale next week on February 22nd. Head to https://t.co/GpYfEl4Cyf to find it playing at a theater near you! #NickelbackFilmpic.twitter.com/aIUaWzOpxh
