Slim Cessna fronts the mostly-local favorites Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, which played two shows at the Bluebird Theater. This picture of Slim, taken from the sweaty and crowded pit, was taken by contributor Loren Speer.
The first time seeing Slim and the boys play floored me. I thought to myself, “Who are these guys? Singing audience-loving anthems about Jesus and Satan, are they for real?” For the longest time I had a tough time describing the band to people who didn’t know them. Here is one [...]

Laura Goldhamer’s big-screen visuals complemented her smart acoustic tunes at the Oriental Theater on Friday. Photos by Doug Beam.
Take your pick of similes to describe the fortunes of live music venues: Rising and falling like boats on stormy tides, battered by the wind; twisting like roller coaster tracks, always leading somewhere but often splintering and grinding to a halt before reaching the station. It’s a competitive business, and most clubs are lucky to stick around for longer than a couple years. Which brings us to [...]

Julie Davis of Bela Karoli at the Lion’s Lair on Saturday. Photos by Doug Beam.
Ah, the Lion’s Lair. That beloved East Colfax dive with the bizarrely colorful, creepy facade and unpredictable schedule. On Saturday, Reverb photographer Doug Beam hit the bar expecting to see Mark Darling and Birds and Batteries, in addition to Bela Karoli, but only that last act performed. The Wheel (a.k.a. Nate Rateliffe of Born in the Flood) showed up at the last minute to fill the empty space. Here’s a photo [...]

Focus not on the Cyclops, but on the peacefulness of the magic dove. Photos by Doug Beam.
Reverb contributor Doug Beam checks in with this photo essay from Saturday night, part of the Karl Alvarez (Descendents, ALL, Lemonheads) benefit at the Hi-Dive organized by Go Patriot members and featuring the Quad City Madman, Magic Cyclops…

Duncan Barlow of d. biddle performs in Nov. 2007. Photo by Doug Beam.
I have often thought of d. biddle’s music as haunting. But it’s sad in a way that seems like an observation. Sort of that the singer — and band’s namesake — Duncan Biddle Barlow isn’t sad, but that the topic is. The band used to make songs slow and mellow, Barlow on an acoustic guitar and incorporating things like trumpet and keyboards. But things have changed…