Category: Music

Brandy at the Rosemont Theatre

Jae-Ha Kim

“This is my first major singing . . . tour thing,” Brandy said midway through her set Tuesday night at the Rosemont Theatre. “It’s also the last night of my tour . . . and all my dreams have come true.” And what a fun way to end the tour. Backed by seven dancers, a six-piece band and four backup singers, the 20-year-old singer/actress strutted on stage in a pink jumpsuit. With all the perfectly timed explosions going off onstage, it almost seemed like the Fourth of July celebration hadn’t actually ended on Sunday.

Whitney Houston at the Arie Crown

Jae-Ha Kim

Whitney Houston is a lot of things – mother, wife, movie star, glamor queen, diva and all-around superstar. But she’s not “every woman,” as she sang Tuesday night at the Arie Crown Theatre. Every woman hasn’t sold 100 million records, as Houston has since releasing her debut album in 1985. Nor can they sing the way she does, as evidenced by a fan who gamely tried to man the mike while Houston good-naturedly stood by.

Dogstar at Park West

Jae-Ha Kim

You’ve got to hand it to Dogstar. It’s not easy being taken seriously when the media-and even some fans-don’t really want you to be. But the trio-which includes movie star Keanu Reeves on bass-was well-prepared for its one-hour concert Wednesday night at the Park West. Debuting 15 songs from their upcoming album, “Happy Ending,” the musicians’ aggressive set was a vast improvement over their 1995 Chicago debut at the same venue. Back then, Dogstar appeared tentative and somewhat cowed by the adulation aimed at their famous bassist. This time around, they confidently served up catchy songs with muscular rhythms and strong hooks.

Ben Folds Five

Jae-Ha Kim

Ben Folds Five plays “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.” Sounds like some weird concept piece at an arthouse, right? But it was actually a sold-out rock ‘n’ roll show Monday night at the Park West. You wouldn’t know it from “Brick” – the band’s breakthrough, bittersweet single in which Folds sang about an abortion his high school girlfriend had – but the group has a wry sense of humor.

98° at the Rosemont Theatre

Jae-Ha Kim

As long as there are girls, boy bands such as 98°, which performed Tuesday at the Rosemont Theatre, will fare just fine. And when you think about it, that’s not such a bad thing. Whose concert would you rather have your 12-year-old attend? The one by nice young men in 98°, who sing about eternal love, or a show by wacky Marilyn Manson, who likes to pick fights with Kurt Cobain’s widow?

Getting the last laugh: ‘N Sync shrugs off the parodies

Jae-Ha Kim

You’ve heard their song “Tearin’ Up My Heart” on the radio. You’ve seen the video on heavy rotation on MTV. And if you have a little sister, young niece or a daughter with a subscription to Teen People, there’s a good chance you could even pick Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone Jr., Chris Kirkpatrick or Justin Timberlake – the Fab Five who make up the pop band – out of a dreamy lineup.

Working girl: At 17, Britney Spears no stranger to show biz

Jae-Ha Kim

Forget about the Spice Girls. Britney Spears has real girl power. After debuting at No. 1 last month with her album ” . . . Baby One More Time,” the teenager has sold more than 800,000 copies. Surprisingly enough, the album has sold more copies each week that it has been out. Fans snapped up 230,000 copies of Spears’ debut album the week ending Feb. 14 – 50,000 more than the previous week.

Placebo

Jae-Ha Kim

For a band that made its debut with an album full of bluntly sexual songs, Placebo has simmered down … a little. At their show Tuesday night at Metro, the English trio debuted cuts from their current record “Without You I’m Nothing.” Musically, the album is pure post-punk genius, heavy on dissonant guitar chords and conjuring up the romantic desperation the title implies.

Sound tracking

Jae-Ha Kim

Movie soundtracks have become music to record companies’ ears. Once studios discovered that popular music from such artists as Simon and Garfunkel and the BeeGees could help sell a film, the lush orchestral scores that were the high-water mark of the ’50s all but disappeared. These days, soundtracks have become far more than promotional tools for hyping a movie. They are thriving independently of the films that spawn them to become a force on the album charts – with some even outliving their big screen brethren.

Backstreet Boys at New World Music Theatre

Jae-Ha Kim

Here are a few factoids I picked up at the Backstreet Boys concert Saturday night at the New World Music Theatre in Tinley Park: Nick Carter, the youngest (18), tallest (6-foot-1) and blondest of the five Boys, is the most popular. The Backstreet Boys say “Wassup?!” a lot. They are the male equivalent of the Spice Girls: young, good-looking and blandly appealing as singers.

The Verve

Jae-Ha Kim

Richard Ashcroft had his work cut out for him when the Verve kicked off their American tour in Chicago. Instead of performing at the 13,400-capacity Rosemont Horizon as originally planned, poor ticket sales forced the Englishmen to move the show to the Aragon Ballroom, a venue one-third the Horizon’s size. Then, too, the quintet performed minus lead guitarist Nick McCabe, who had announced earlier this month that he would not go on the road with his bandmates.

Eric Clapton at United Center

Jae-Ha Kim

Subscribing to the theory that more is more, Eric Clapton kicked off the first of two sold-out concerts at Chicago’s United Center with a 20-piece orchestra, six-piece band and three backup singers. But in the end, the best moments of his uneven show occurred when Clapton and his band, who will perform May 27 at the Forum, cut loose on some blue-eyed soul.

James Iha at Metro

Jae-Ha Kim

Covering a little known Eric Anderson number near the end of his 50-minute solo set, Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha sang, “I’d love to sing my ballad/But they only wanna hear me rock ‘n’ roll.” Not after this show. The shy musician’s ballad-heavy solo debut was a stunner. And the intimate Top Note Theatre–a part of Metro, the club that gave the Pumpkins their first big break–was the perfect setting for Iha’s laid-back performance in front of a hometown crowd that included Pumpkins’ bassist D’Arcy, members of the Frogs and his parents.