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mai6fab: chicago’s shooting star
on october 6th, there was absolutely no better place to be than at a small brewery in ravenswood, floating in the digital glitch-pop magic of chicago’s queer asian princess: mai6fab. mai6fab, known off the stage as mai linh, released an ep titled “the six mix” in march of last year – dropping 6 experimental, frutiger…
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My History with Frontega
To new beginnings and new hand-printed t-shirts — Frontega and I met again at the Cobra Lounge almost 2 years since I last heard them live! Picture this: we were in a shoebox sized venue in the back of a bar. I still remember them sitting at that fold-out merch table with cat stickers and…
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two door cinema club & strfkr grace chicago
As the stage lights go down, and Two Door Cinema Club came up, the band fluttered into the first song of their 2026 tour: “Cigarettes in the Theatre” — a song that poetically begins with the words “it starts in the theatre, a night of encounters.” There was an undeniable magic within the Salt Shed…
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ADORN WITH THE METAL GODCHAIN
On August 8th, Zumiez, the infamous nationwide skateboarding & clothing brand, hosted a hardcore lineup of bands in Chicago’s Daley Plaza – featuring one band in particular, GODCHAIN: a household name in our community. GODCHAIN’s 4 members – drummer Kyle Clark, lead guitarist Luis Montanez, bass player Kyle Ritchey, and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jacob Campos –…
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sincere engineer releases ‘probable claws’ – my review
Deanna Belos, or perhaps known as her elegant ‘nom de plume’ Sincere Engineer, releases her fourth feature album this Friday, entitled Probable Claws. This album is no doubt a masterclass in what it’s like to be a fiery, valiant Midwestern girl with an indestructible desire to write songs for those who seek refuge in feisty,…
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‘ICE OUT’ INTERVIEW WITH SINCERE ENGINEER, SMOKING POPES, AND LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION
Last Saturday, Chicago’s Bottom Lounge came alive with ICE OUT: a powerful showcase of Chicago’s vibrant music scene united in solidarity with Minnesota after the murder of Renée Good, a Minneapolis resident brutally murdered by an ICE agent in January 2026. The lineup featured local punk & rock legends, including Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer,…
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A LOVE LETTER TO THE SHITTY BASEMENTS OF THE CHICAGO PUNK SCENE
GLAD: THE COMMANDERS OF SHE-MALE DOUCHEBAG SLUDGE-VIOLENCE (@glad.violence) Rain Lopez, Liz Covalt, and MJ Ultra conduct the wizardry that is GLAD: the she-male-fronted, douchebag sludge-violence band that transformed my connection with the scene forever. I met GLAD in an aforementioned “shitty basement,” dripping in other people’s sweat, and writing bullshit on any blank space I…
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NO yabai’s, just “see ya later!”
YABAI: A versatile piece of Japanese slang meaning anything from “sick” to “WHOA!”, secondarily referred to as THE FUTURE OF CHICAGO PUNK! To the frequenters of the neighborhood scene, we know YABAI as the local punk band that makes self-proclaimed “evil music,” consisting of frontman Jesse Vasel, his brother Jaden Vasel on the drums, friends Austin Martinez…
THE SCENE
NEVER STOPS.
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