This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in The Daily Southtown on January 20, 2009. The British invasion of pop music never really stopped after the Beatles set foot on these shores, but we seem to be in the midst of yet another musical attack from England. The invading troops this time are young ladies… Continue reading Adele: 2009 concert review
Blog
Some critics enjoy shooting ‘Buffalo’
The Huffington Post, December 27, 2008 — American Buffalo came and went pretty damn fast on Broadway this fall. The reviews were not exactly glowing for director Robert Falls’s revival of David Mamet’s drama, which is widely regarded as one of the playwright’s best plays. It’s worth remembering, though, that critics did not greet American Buffalo with universal acclaim… Continue reading Some critics enjoy shooting ‘Buffalo’
When the world watched Chicago
The Huffington Post, December 6, 2008 — As just about everyone pointed out on Tuesday night, Barack Obama’s election as president was a moment of huge historical significance for the nation. Obama’s eloquent election-night speech in Grant Park is also surely one of the great moments in Chicago history… Read my blog post at the… Continue reading When the world watched Chicago
John Mahoney discusses ‘The Seafarer’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on December 3, 2008. When John Mahoney needed a refresher course on how to do a Dublin accent, he went straight to an expert — the acclaimed Irish actor Gabriel Byrne. Mahoney, the Oak Park actor best known for his role in the 1993-2004 sitcom “Frazier,”… Continue reading John Mahoney discusses ‘The Seafarer’
2008 John Mahoney interview
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on December 3, 2008. When John Mahoney needed a refresher course on how to do a Dublin accent, he went straight to an expert — the acclaimed Irish actor Gabriel Byrne. Mahoney, the Oak Park actor best known for his role in the 1993-2004 sitcom “Frazier,” was working… Continue reading 2008 John Mahoney interview
Another banking crisis: Chicago’s Panic of 1896
The Huffington Post, November 10, 2008 — The news from Wall Street is prompting a lot of comparisons with the Great Depression, but the history books are filled with other similar financial crises. Throughout the 1800s, when the government barely regulated the financial markets at all, speculative bubbles and piles of bad loans caused several… Continue reading Another banking crisis: Chicago’s Panic of 1896
Showdown over guns
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Illinois Issues magazine’s November 2008 issue. Ever since the Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment, Americans have been arguing about what it means. Does it give every citizen the right to own guns? Or is it just about the need for a militia? Illinois has often been… Continue reading Showdown over guns
Nick Cave: 2008 concert review
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in The Daily Southtown on September 30, 2008. Performing Monday night at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, Nick Cave repeatedly leaned into the crowd, pointing his finger and intoning his lyrics like some mad preacher. Cave, an Australian-born singer-songwriter with some 20 albums, is not the only rock musician who… Continue reading Nick Cave: 2008 concert review
Interview with DJ Clark Weber
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Pioneer Press on September 4, 2008. Clark Weber has a million stories: He kicked the Monkees out of a radio station when they tore up some drapes. He saw Phil Spector carrying a .38 revolver. He had lunch with the Beatles. And an 8-year-old kid named Michael… Continue reading Interview with DJ Clark Weber
Record review: Evangelicals, ‘The Evening Descends’
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Signal to Noise magazine’s spring 2008 issue. Evangelicals The Evening Descends So Gone, the terrific 2006 debut album by Evangelicals, received little of the attention it deserved, perhaps because this oddball outfit from Norman, Oklahoma, did not fit easily into the any current indie-rock category. Evangelicals continue… Continue reading Record review: Evangelicals, ‘The Evening Descends’