By: Nick Draper | Photos: Ben BowenFestival arrival, even the "night before", can be a bit of a trial -- arriving early, waiting in line for hours, sitting around in the shockingly chilly weather while waiting to pass through security.But once you're in the Summer Camp venue on Thursday, though, the first shows you...

By Ryan Mannix | Photo: carmelocorn InstagramA Thursday night tradition,Family Groove Company is somehow the first band I see at Summer Camp every year. It's fitting that the Illinois based outfit gets the weekend started for the quintessential Illinois festival, having played the festival since its earliest days as a small jam-band gathering.The group...

To honor the 50th anniversary of Grateful Dead, Summer Camp promised a series of four scheduled sets (one for each day of the festival) which honored the legacy of the band. Of course, you can't keep a good concept down, and attendees actually got a few more.We've assembled a post spotlighting video and audio...

This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the January 31st show.This was the show broadcast the day after found Umphrey's McGee drummer Mike Mirro had passed so NFTJU host Paul Abella built the playlist around some UM material.First featuring Mirro, "Nothing Too Fancy" from Local Band Does...

Mr. Blotto and it's fans had plenty to celebrate as 2013 ticked to a close. It was the year they put out their long awaited new CD, Thread. They completed another circuit of their trademark Chicago area events, including a horn-fueled funktastic James Brown encore at the fourteenth Blottopia.Singer / guitarist Paul Bolger, specifically had reason...

Glance across the calendar at Martyrs and you'll find a lineup that competes with the most eclectic festivals in terms of variety and virtuosity. From full on brass band rowdiness to all-star super-pickers. That's one of the reasons we love the place.This month, it'll be a December to remember at the venerable North Side...

Among Chicago area bands, perhaps no two embrace the concept of community and family more than Old Shoe and Family Groove Company. For FGC, it's right there in the name. Old Shoe, of course, released a fine album entitled Family earlier this fall.So when these two paired for a gig on the eve of...

This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the October 25th show.We're falling a bit behind here on recapping these playlists, this one was the last show before Halloween, so it kicked off with a jazz version of "Thriller" by organist Joey DeFrancesco.Fun fact. Did you know the...

This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist from two shows, first August 30th and the September 6th.Once again, Paul's playlists provided some Spotify puzzles so I had to make a handful of substitions and supplements (with some videos below). Some quick things to look out forOne of the videos features...

Photos and additional reporting by Adam McCallThere's something going on in Aurora.Wait... Aurora? Home of Wayne's World? Closer to Joliet than Chicago? Well, actually, yeah.We've been hip to the fine Two Brothers Brewery for a while now. Their brewpub is situated in the old Burlington Northern Roundhouse at the end of the line...