Early in Mustard Plug's set, they play "Vampire" from their 2023 album, Where Did All My Friends Go? It's an extremely catching song that gets everyone dancing along. "You let a vampire into your house!" Later on, they play "Why Does It Have To Be So Hard?" This ska song captures a great question simply. "Why can't things not be easy? / Why do they have to be so hard?" Towards the end of the night, they play "Brain on Ska", which was the first song they ever wrote in 1991.

The Pernikoff Brothers open with "Shine" from their 2025 album, Ah Londres. It's immediately clear that they are talented musicians. Often between songs, the brothers switch instruments, from the bass to the guitar. They joke that they can't afford two guitars. Later on they play "Colorado". "Let's never go home, never leave Colorado". It's a beautiful song about the Rocky Mountain state. The band is from St. Louis and their father is in the audience tonight. The lead singer comments on how when he would call his father when he is feeling down, he would tell him to stop being such a limp dick.  

Amadeus was first performed in 1979 at the Royal Nation Theatre in London. In 1981, it opened on Broadway. In 1984, the film version starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, and Elizabeth Berridge was released. In the fictional story, Antonio Salieri is jealous of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He doesn't want to just be the second-best composer and his thoughts turn to murder. David Darrow is outstanding as Mozart, full of life and energy.  Ian Barford (Betrayal, Another Marriage) is excellent as Antonio Salieri, who does everything he can to thwart Mozart's career.

Shannon brings her kids to the park early one morning and meets Leah. They get along very well, so they get together later on along with their husbands. Everything is going great until the topic of guns comes up. Leah and her husband own guns while Shannon and her husband are strongly anti-gun. Can these couples still be friends despite this issue? Photos by Alex Albrecht Stephanie Alison Walker has written an excellent play combining comedy with an exploration of this very topical and relevant issue. The audience is at full attention watching to see what will happen next.

Arthur is running a donut shop in Uptown. He's looking to hire someone new when Franco walks in with a whole bunch of ideas about how to improve it. Arthur hires him, but he is resistant to any changes. As times goes on, Franco opens up and shares the novel he has written. They both keep secrets from each other which are slowly revealed. Photos by Joe Mazza, Brave Lux This is a fantastic production. Firstly, it's a great ensemble play written by Tracy Letts (Bug, Linda Vista…

Ali is a 17-year-old growing up in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood on the west side of Midtown Manhattan.  She lives with her mother, who is very protective of her. When Ali starts dating a man older than her, her mother calls the police which results in the man being arrested. At the same time, Ali is taking piano lessons from an older lady in the building which she develops a passion for.  The story is semi-autobiographical. Alicia did live in Manhattan Plaza with her single mom, but her father wasn't in her life at all.

P.O.D. takes the stage and jumps right into "Boom" from their 2001 album, Satellite. "Here comes the Boom!" sings the lead singer, Sonny Sandoval, as the audience dances along. They follow this up with "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)" from their 1999 album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. "We came to rock the party all night long!" This song features fantastic guitar work that fully energizes the crowd.  Later on, they play "Youth of the Nation", which is their most popular song on Spotify with over 337 million streams.

A divorced mother receives a notice in the mail that she must appear at a hearing where her deportation will be discussed. This has come up because she applied to be a US Citizen while she has two minor drug convictions on her record. She has lived in Chicago since she was a child and can't even imagine leaving her daughter, father, and friends behind. Sandra Delgado has written a great start and middle with this play, but the ending feels abrupt. It's not satisfying and it leaves the audience wondering what happens next.

David Byrne performed with his latest collaborators, Ghost Train Orchestra, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago on Halloween.  The show was more like a theatrical production or art installation than a traditional rock concert. It's the same style as his Broadway show, American Utopia. Gone was the usual rock concert equipment. No visible amplifiers, no microphones, no drum sets, no cables.  The stage was basically a blank canvas upon which video imagery was displayed to go along with each song. The intro "Heaven" had the group playing on the Moon as the Earth slowly came into view behind them.

The lead singer of Michigander, Jason Singer, is feeling emotional. Growing up in Michigan, he always saw Chicago as the great big city and it has become his favorite city in the world. He also always dreamed of playing at the Metro, and now he is finally headlining on this stage. It's very appropriate that he opens with "Emotional". Soon afterwards, they play "Reds" from their 2019 EP, Where Do We Go From Here. It features some fantastic guitar work and great singing. "I won't / I won’t let you go / No, I won't".

Theatre Sant Sebastian Players Present The Haunting of Hill House (Through November 9, 2025) "An investigator of supernatural phenomena interrupts the isolation of the remote and sinister Hill House to delve into the house’s morbid history. Joining him are three unacquainted guests, who are soon jolted by strange and eerie occurrences." The cast includes Natali Chavez, Tony DiPisa (Dying for it) , David R. Feiler*, Russ Gager* (Born Yesterday), Siena Merlin Moraff, Japo Parcero, and Jill Chukerman* (Barefoot in the Park). *Saint Sebastian Players Company Member…

A young girl was abducted from her family at age 3 and raised to be a prophet. At 15, she is rescued. For the past 12 years, she never left the house and now she has to sort out the real world. Her parents also have to sort through a range of emotions as they figure out how to move forward. This play, written by Rajiv Joseph (Guards at the Taj), is interesting as it explores how everyone responds to this intense situation. However, it seems to be missing some key scenes, such as when the parents discover that their missing child has been found.

A husband and wife move to London from Chicago. They are trying to escape from ghosts that haunted the wife. However, it seems they have followed her to England. This production is extremely well done with a very high production value. They built a two-story house on the stage. The combination of the dim lighting and the sound design are excellent. It's truly terrifying and definitely not for children. It's perfect for the Halloween season. The acting is world class. Cher Álvarez is great as the woman being haunted by her past.

The Sound of Music is based on the 1949 book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. The musical opened on Broadway in 1959 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It was the last musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The film version was released in 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The musical is about Maria, who isn't fitting in at the abbey as a nun in training. So, they send her to be a nanny for the seven von Trapp children.

Early in the set, Neon Trees play "Animal" from their 2010 Album, Habits. "Oh-oh, I want some more / Oh-oh, what are you waiting for? / Take a bite of my heart tonight". This is such a fun and joyous song and it has the entire crowd dancing along. They follow this with "1983". The lead singer, Tyler Glenn, says he kinda regrets putting the year of his birth in this song, because now everyone knows how old he is! "It's coming all back to me / Nineteen-eighty-three / The year I was born".

In the middle of the set, they play the distinctive riff of "Blister In The Sun" from their self-titled 1982 album and the audience erupts. "Let me go on / Like I blister in the sun / Let me go on / Big hands, I know you're the one." This is such a fun song and it's their most popular one on Spotify with over 313 million streams.  They follow this up with "Kiss Off". The whole crowd sings along "And eight, eight, I forget what eight was for / But nine, nine, nine for a lost god / And ten, ten, ten, ten for everything, everything, everything, everything!" It's truly a great moment of unity at the Salt Shed.

Concert Pick: Deep Cut and Jam Productions Present Parcels with The Lemon Twigs at the Salt Shed (October 19) This tour is in support of Parcel's latest album, LOVED. Check out the opening track, "Tobeloved". Parcels formed in 2014 in Byron, Bay, Australia. Later that same year, they moved to Berlin, Germany. They describe themselves as a mix between electropop and disco-soul.   See their most recent setlist here. Cost of a ticket: $94 Get tickets here. Interactive Pick: Open House Chicago (October 18-19) This festival provides free access to over 200 buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public.

A soldier (Aaron James Mckenzie) has gone AWOL and the military police are looking for him. He reunites with his girlfriend (Alysia Velez) who helps him evade them. His father (Al’Jaleel McGhee [Noises Off, To Catch a Fish]) was also an outlaw, who would rob pimps and thieves. He was kicked out for defending himself against a sergeant. While working as a janitor, he meets his future wife (Jackie Burns), who is working as a teacher. His other son (Jakeim Hart) is a musician who just wants to be left alone, but is pressured to use his talents for good, to protest the world's evils.

Three friends go to visit the Queen of North America, who was their friend in middle school. The Queen has become a totalitarian ruler. The friends have come saying they are just there to hang out, but they are actually just trying to get insulin for a family member.  Jojo Jones has written a very fun and interesting play. It really picks up steam and gets dramatic when they all re-enact significant memories from their childhood. The audience can't help but compare the Queen to our current nation's leader, who everyone sucks up to and often acts childish in his desire to be liked.

Jess has just returned from the Afghanistan war after suffering severe burns from an IED explosion. Her sister throws her a welcome home party. Soon afterwards, she goes to see her ex-boyfriend, who works at a local gas station. He doesn't recognize her at first, because of her burns.  Lindsey Ferrentino has written a great play that has a good balance of comedy and drama, light-heartedness and heaviness. Photos by: Michael Brosilow At 90 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission to digest this complex play. There are plenty of scene changes where it could be easily added.

Morgan James opens with "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC. It's the opening track on her latest album, Soul Remains the Same. She later describes this album as what would happen if Aretha Franklin and AC/DC went into the studio together. She follows this up with "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots. With this new soulful arrangement, the first few notes will give you goosebumps. This is because these soulful versions of alternative rock songs work so well. Since Stone Temple Pilots are touring without their original lead singer, they should consider hiring Morgan!

Constellations is the story of Marianne and Roland, played by Kaylah Crosby (Pro-Am) and Christian Davis Aldridge (Barefoot in the Park), across multiple universes. In the first universe, they meet at a BBQ while Roland is in a relationship, so they don’t connect. In another one, they are both single and they get together. Then, in one world, Marianne sleeps with another man. In an alternate world, Roland is the unfaithful one. The play goes on like this exploring the infinite possibilities of their relationship. It’s just like the improvisational game “Change” where whenever a bell is rung, the actor has to change their last line of dialog, which in turn can change the entire scene.

Julius Ceaser is a tyrannical fascist leader. So, Brutus, Cassius, and the Senator crew conspire to assassinate him. This musical by the Q Brothers Collective has many very fun songs, such as a very long one about sandwiches, since Ceaser has banned bread.  It includes many 90's hip-hop references from just a line to a full song. It's a very timely and satirical story about political violence. Janyce Carabello is very versatile as the intern and many other characters. Curtis Bannister (Understudy) is excellently evil as Caeser. Victor Musoni (

Starcrawler, from Los Angeles, have a great stage presence. The lead singer, Arrow de Wilde, has a great entrance as she immediately grabs the microphone and sings "Goodtime Girl", a 2021 single. It's a great opener as it instantly showcases their talents. Midway into the set, they play "Stranded" from their 2022 album, She Said. "But now I wanna be with you ... Shine on me". It's a great rocker that has everyone dancing along. To end their short 30 minute set, they play "Bet My Brains" from their 2019 album, …

Francis Guinan (True West, Downstate) is excellent as Pete, the owner of an old TV store on Ashland in Chicago. He really wants to pass along his business to his daughter, Sam, played by Jenna Fischer (The Office). She and her husband, played by Chike Johnson (Hymn), are considering moving to LA to escape the winters and find new business opportunities. Sam is quite similar to The Office's Pam Beesly in that she is very nice and loving and doesn't want to disappoint anymore.   …