1 ALABAMA SHAKES (Aragon Ballroom) The incandescent belting of blues-rock goddess Brittany Howard is just one of the joys of this powerhouse quartet. July 20
2 BOOKER T (City Winery) The R&B legend and former front man of the M.G.’s hosts a can’t-miss retrospective of his Stax Records catalog. July 25
3 LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III (SPACE) The once-rakish bad boy of American folk is enjoying a career renaissance as its roguishly charming elder statesman. July 30
4 MITSKI A beguiling feminist singer-songwriter, whose idiom is less anthems than indie-pop ballads and emo ruminations (Lincoln Hall) July 20
5 DAUGHTER (Thalia Hall) This stellar London trio blends gossamer vocals, sumptuous arrangements and lean, muscular songwriting. July 27
Robert Rodi is an author, spoken-word performer and musician who has served as Newcity’s Music Editor since 2014. He’s written more than a dozen books, including the travel memoir “Seven Seasons In Siena.” His jazz quintet recently completed a two-year residency at Uncommon Ground, and he regularly hosts a jazz singers’ jam at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge. His literary and music criticism has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Salon, The Huffington Post and many other national and regional publications. Contact: robert@newcity.com
Still Breathtaking: A Preview of Sting at Ravinia Festival Sting's solo catalog boasts more than a dozen studio albums. He may not rack up the hit singles like he once did, but he remains a compelling writer, musician and performer.
High Concept and Highly Entertaining: A preview of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox at Rialto Square Theatre Bradlee’s musical approach is deceptively simple: take mainstream pop hits of today and recast them in the style of earlier pop forms. Leveraging the well-established axiom that a good song transcends genre, the group (featuring a rotating cast of top-notch vocalists) breathes new life into pop songs that one might have thought past their sell-by date.
