Music Top 5: December 2019

1
RICHARD THOMPSON
(Evanston SPACE)
Any time the near-legendary elder statesman of British folk makes a Chicago appearance, it’s an essential event.
December 28-31

2
BETTYE LAVETTE
(Old Town School of Folk Music)
The Michigan-born singer-songwriter had to wait decades to become an institution, and you can hear the travails and transcendence of her journey in that unmatchable, unmistakable voice.
December 20

3
RODRIGUEZ
(City Winery)
The Detroit singer-songwriter languished in obscurity until the 2012 documentary “Searching for Sugarman” revealed Rodriguez was bigger than Elvis in South Africa. He’s ridden a resurrection wave ever since.
December 13

4
WHITNEY
(Thalia Hall)
Former Smith Westerns members and Chicago hometown heroes Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek tour their shimmering debut album, “Forever Turned Around.”
December 5-8

5
ERIN CORINE
(Promontory)
The Chicago singer conquers genres—including jazz, soul, funk and R&B—with the kind of silken tones and easy self-assurance that recall legends, while remaining tantalizingly her own.
December 4

Robert Rodi

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,” and 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