This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on September 29, 2005. Liz Phair Somebody’s Miracle **½ We want our old Liz back. You know, that Liz Phair from Winnetka who shook up rock critics with her 1993 debut “Exile in Guyville.” It was frank, compelling and idiosyncratic. We’re not sure who this… Continue reading Record review: Liz Phair, ‘Somebody’s Miracle’
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The Murray Effect
This column by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on August 11, 2005. Bill Murray is turning out to the best actor since, well, Ivan Mosjoukine. Ivan who? I’m referring the Russian actor who was the subject of the famous “Kuleshov Effect” experiment. In the 1920s, Soviet filmmaker Lev Kuleshov conducted an experiment that… Continue reading The Murray Effect
The sensational ‘Sower’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on June 23, 2005. A naked man extends his hands, casting seeds. Although it was inspired by a Bible verse, this 7-foot-tall bronze sculpture scandalized Chicago in 1916. After being hidden away in storage for decades, Albin Polásek’s statue has found a new home at… Continue reading The sensational ‘Sower’
Play review: ‘Arms and the Man’
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on June 2, 2005. Like most Americans, I am totally ignorant of whatever traits the people of Bulgaria possess. So it’s hard to say whether George Bernard Shaw was being fair to Bulgarians when he set his 1894 satire of love and war, “Arms and the… Continue reading Play review: ‘Arms and the Man’
Robbie Fulks: 2005 interview
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on May 12, 2005. A country boy from the South ends up living in Chicago, longing for that “Carolina moon” of his youth. That’s the plot line of “Georgia Hard,” the title track of the new album by Robbie Fulks, who grew up in North… Continue reading Robbie Fulks: 2005 interview
Behind the scenes of Mary Zimmerman’s ‘Silk’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on April 28, 2005. It’s late March, and Mary Zimmerman has one month to go before her newest play, “Silk,” opens at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. The Goodman’s publicists are busy putting out press releases about the Tony Award-winning Evanston resident’s latest effort. Full-page advertisements for “Silk” are… Continue reading Behind the scenes of Mary Zimmerman’s ‘Silk’
Wilco (The Hubcap)
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on February 10, 2005. An old wheel cover from a Plymouth once sat on the shelves of a store in Libertyville, but now it’s the hubcap heard ’round the world. Glenn Kotche, drummer for the Chicago rock band Wilco, uses the hubcap in his unusual… Continue reading Wilco (The Hubcap)
Hideout’s not so hidden anymore
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on September 23, 2004. How long does it take to find the Hideout? These days, many fans of indie rock and alt-country know exactly where the Chicago bar is. It may be located on a side street surrounded by warehouses and old factories, without any real… Continue reading Hideout’s not so hidden anymore
Tony Bennett Q&A
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on August 26, 2004. Tony Bennett, who will perform a sold-out concert Saturday at Ravinia, talked with Pioneer Press earlier this summer about his career and the art of the song. Q: Are you working on a new album? A: I’m just finishing it up.… Continue reading Tony Bennett Q&A
Film review: ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (2004)
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE *** Director Jonathan Demme keeps up a fever pitch in this delirious nightmare of political paranoia, but despite some compelling action, it’s never as convincing as John Frankenheimer’s version from 1962. The original must have seemed joltingtly surreal when it first came… Continue reading Film review: ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (2004)