The new teachers’ union fears the administration is treating them like commodities, not inspirations. By Mark Guarino Since it opened in 1957, the Old Town School of Folk Music has survived economic downturns, social upheavals, and disco. But in 2020 it faces perhaps its biggest challenge yet. After years of [...]

By Mark Guarino When humanity’s ship goes down due to a global pandemic, vulture capitalism, and corrupt politics, the band picking and singing the final notes will be Chicago’s Judson Claiborne. So this month—when we’re grappling with the messy aftermath of an election while watching COVID-19 cases skyrocket [...]

Internal strife, unpaid royalties, and the looming possibility of a sale have forced the venerable Chicago indie label to a crossroads. By Mark Guarino Bloodshot Records, the beloved Chicago indie label that created a home for "insurgent country," is suffering from an insurgency of its own making. [...]

By Mark Guarino Paul Burch is a musical time traveler: four years ago he released Meridian Rising, a pristine concept album in the voice of Jimmie Rodgers, the greatest pop star of the Great Depression era. The choice made sense, since Burch likewise is an expert stylist who [...]

The cruelty, ignorance, and incompetence of the federal pandemic response have cost the life of a beloved singer-songwriter who stood against all those things. By Mark Guarino April 08, 2020  The death of John Prine on Tuesday from complications of COVID-19 is a cruel blow to anyone [...]

The lights are brighter, the beer is better, and the bathrooms are finally clean. But Carol's Pub still feels like the neighborhood honky-tonk it was when it opened in 1972.  By Mark Guarino December 24, 2018 The corner country music bar, which shut down in September [...]

By Mark Guarino  January 9, 2019 Professional soccer and stadium-size concerts are both unwelcome along the North Branch of the Chicago River—at least according to the alderman whose ward would contain the controversial $6 billion, 54-acre Lincoln Yards project proposed by Chicago developer Sterling Bay. Alderman [...]

The Chicago Independent Venue League shouldn’t have to push back against the Live Nation handouts in the Lincoln Yards development—but the city doesn’t protect its own treasures. By Mark Guarino January 23, 2019 On Thursday, November 29, a group of music venue owners who'd just organized [...]