At Back To The Beginning, which takes place on July 5, Black Sabbath will headline after a short solo performance from Ozzy Osbourne. The bill, which was orchestrated by Music Director Tom Morello, will feature Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Billy Corgan, Fred Durst, Sleep Token, & more.
The original @BlackSabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will play for the first time in 20 years. The band will take to the stage to headline BACK TO THE BEGINNING on July 5th at Villa Park.
All profits will go to the following charities: Cure Parkinsons, Birmingham Childrens Hospital and Acorn Childrens Hospice, a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
We’re in the year of our Lord 2025 and the Grammys can’t stop giving awards to boomer-core bands. The Beatles, who released “Now And Then” this past year, won Best Rock Performance, beating out the likes of Green Day, Pearl Jam, and St. Vincent. For Best Rock Album, the Rolling Stones won out with their forgetful twenty-fourth studio record, Hackney Diamonds. The Stones beat out the likes of Fontaines DC, Green Day, Jack White, and Pearl Jam.
Boomers win again. Fontaines DC loses out because the Grammys can’t ever be forward-thinking. Green Day loses out because why bother giving it to a band that produced an excellent, relevant record. Pearl Jam loses because of course they did.
Architecture & Design Film Festival (Friday-Sunday)
Explore the grand world of architecture through film this weekend with the Architecture & Design Film Festival. The fest takes place at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and offers discounts to students. Tickets are available here.
Stan’s Donut Fest (Saturday)
Looking for a sweet treat? Head to Stan’s Donut Pop-Up at 155 W Kinzie Street for a special donut tasting. There will be giveaways, a live DJ and special photo ops! To purchase your ticket, click here.
Wunderhorse at Metro (Saturday)
Join Case the Producer at the Metro on Saturday night for one of the most exciting new bands in all of alternative rock as Wunderhorse storms Clark Street on Saturday night.
Chicago Travel and Adventure Show (Saturday & Sunday)
Plan your future vacation at the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show! Talk to travel experts, attend seminars and book airfare deals at the Stephens Convention Center. Tickets are available here.
Fika Fest (Saturday & Sunday)
Head to the cozy neighborhood of Andersonville for a weekend of Swedish celebration! Enjoy business discounts, a Coffee and Cocoa crawl and The Great Puzzle exchange. For the full event lineup, click here.
Groundhog Day (Sunday)
Celebrate the iconic film Groundhog Day and the life of Harold Ramis at Harry Caray’s Tavern on Navy Pier. Hang with the film cast and catch Chicago’s own groundhog Harry will see whether or not he sees his shadow. For more information, click here.
I’m thrilled to announce a few select shows for this coming summer, including the small number of rescheduled dates from last year’s tour. New dates will feature the incredible @gigi4perez and @ambleofficial_ in select cities.
After tickets flew yesterday, Nine Inch Nails announced that in addition to second shows in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, they’ll be playing a second date in Chicago on August 20. The new shows go on sale Friday, January 31 at 12 PM local time.
Brian & Kenzie kick off Ticket Blitz Thursday at 8:00am today.
A Tuesday night board meeting in Thornton Township ended with fists being thrown and people leaving via police escort. Per WGN, “Activist and known opponent of Tiffany Henyard, Jedidiah Brown, spoke out against the Township Supervisor, and ended his comments by calling her an expletive. Brown walked away from the podium and toward where Henyard was sitting, when people jumped in, and fists started flying.”
Those involved in the fight left before officers arrived, so no arrests were made, according to police.
Last night, NBC aired the ’50 Years of SNL Music’ documentary in preparation for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the iconic sketch show. Throughout the course of the three-hour documentary, a number revelations were made, including the fact that Rage Against the Machine were locked down by the Secret Service following their 1996 performance, but nothing impressed us more than the opening video for the documentary.
This seven-and-a-half-minute music video spans the history of SNL music in an incredible way.
We were gifted amazing news this past week. “We will be converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola,” Costco CEO Ron Vachris said Thursday at the company’s annual shareholders meeting. That’s right, soon you’ll be able to wash down a reasonably priced hot dog with the fresh, ice cold Coca-Cola.
Sinegal also famously once said, “If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out,” according to former CEO Craig Jelinek.
Globes on the Terrace at Hotel Zachary (Friday-Sunday)
It is the FINAL weekend for heated terrace globes at Hotel Zachary. Enjoy views of Wrigley Field as well as a variety of drinks for parties of six or less. The globes also have fun activities including board games, Polaroid cameras and a record player! To make a reservation, check here.
Chicago Restaurant Week (Friday-Sunday)
The 18th annual Chicago Restaurant Week kicks off this Friday, with over 470 locations throughout the city participating. For more information and a full list of restaurants, click here.
The Vaccines at The Vic (Friday)
Q101 St. Patrick’s Day broadcast alumni The Vaccines head to The Vic this weekend for what should be a stellar show. Tickets can be purchased here.
Chicago Blackhawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning (Friday)
The Lightning, as of recent vintage, have been very good. The same cannot be said for the Blackhawks. The Hawks shoot for a rare home win on Friday night.
Christian Lee Hutson at Lincoln Hall (Saturday)
Folk standout Christian Lee Hutson heads to Lincoln Hall on Saturday night for what could end up being one of the most emotional sets of 2025. Hutson, who has the much-desired Phoebe Bridgers stamp of approval, is one of the most prolific writers going today. Tickets can be purchased here.
SoxFest Live (Friday-Saturday)
Celebrate the Chicago White Sox with a brand new immersive fan experience, kicking off Friday at the Ramova Theater. Enjoy photo-ops, interactive experiences and a VIP meet-and-greet to those who upgrade. For ticket information click here.
Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Saturday)
The 76ers are the one team remaining in the Eastern Conference that could knock the Bulls out of a Play-In Tournament spot, so in a weird way, this game really matters. That’s the best we can see about current Bulls action.
Frank Black at Metro (Saturday-Sunday)
Pixies frontman Frank Black celebrates 30 years of his incredible solo record, “Teenager of the Year”, on both Saturday and Sunday at the Metro. Black’s show on Saturday is sold out, but limited tickets remain for Sunday’s show.
Chicago Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild (Sunday)
If the Hawks don’t beat the Lightning, maybe they’ll beat the Wild…
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.
Brigitte Calls Me Baby: Careless Whisper
One year removed from Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s jaw-dropping performance at Q101’s Twisted XMAS that was highlighted by their incredible cover of “Careless Whisper”, Chicago’s finest band has released a studio version of their George Michael cover.
Brigitte Calls Me Baby heads to The Riv on May 10 with Saint Motel.
Rise Against: Nod
Rise Against is back, and for the 3:02 that this song runs, all feels right in the world. “Nod” kicks off what should be a monstrous year for the band between new music and the Rise of the Roach Tour this summer.
You can listen to Brian & Kenzie’s in-studio interview with Tim & Joe from Rise Against here.
Scowl: Not Heaven, Not Hell
For years now, Scowl has been grinding away as stalwarts in an emerging hardcore punk scene. Late last year, they announced that they were leaving Flatspot Records, the current leaders in heavy music, for Dead Oceans, a prominent indie label that houses Bright Eyes and Japanese Breakfast, among others. “Not Heaven, Not Hell” sees Scowl continue the same aggression that brought them to the dance, but with an entirely new palette of production behind them. In short, it’s a spectacular new track.
Shinedown: Three Six Five & Dance Kid Dance
Rise Against aren’t the only Q101 mainstays with new music out this week. Shinedown returns with a pair of tracks this week to celebrate the announcement of their upcoming tour with Bush. “Three Six Five”, the band’s lead single, was premiered live on Q101 with frontman Brent Smith and Brian & Kenzie.
Chicago’s own Rise Against has returned with their first song since 2022’s EP, Nowhere Generation II. Today’s release, “Nod”, marks the beginning of what should be monstrous 2025 for the band. Today, Tim & Joe will join Brian & Kenzie live on Q101 at 8:30. From there, they’ll head off to Europe for an extended run of shows there. When they return, they’ll begin preparations for The Rise of the Roach Tour with Papa Roach, which hits Tinley Park this summer on Saturday September 27.
In regards to the single, frontman Tim McIlrath said, “‘Nod’ is about the solace we find in community. It’s about the comfort in knowing that we are not alone. This comfort can temper our anger and our frustration, at least temporarily.”
Earlier this week on Howie Mandel’s Howie Mandel Does Stuff Podcast, the comedian surprised guest Bill Burr with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. This comes a few months after Corgan, on the same show, speculated that they might be half-brothers.
After a week of fearing for the worst (Mike McCarthy), it was reported yesterday that the Bears are nearing in on signing Ben Johnson, the standout Offensive Coordinator who helped turn around the Detroit Lions. The Lions were the top-ranked offense this season.
Bear down: Chicago is finalizing a deal to hire Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as its next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Bears are getting their man. pic.twitter.com/UwlLk3wNJZ
