James Hunter
  • Ruth Ward
  • James Hunter

Of course Reader critics have supplied a wealth of concert recommendations on Soundboard this week, as they always do, but as usual in this forum I’d like to point out some interesting shows that none of us have gotten around to writing about yet.

On Thursday vicious Brooklyn blackened doom-metal band Batillus plays at Ultra Lounge. On Friday Bun B, formerly half of rap duo UGK (RIP Pimp C), performs at the Shrine after a DJ set by Talib Kweli. The same evening the Lonesome Organist and the Black Bear Combo play what’s sure to be a whimsical show at Township, and the
Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company comes to Pick-Staiger at Northwestern.

On Saturday the reunited Los Crudos—a leftist Latino hardcore band from Pilsen originally active in the 90s, when they attracted a devoted nationwide following—play two allages shows at Chitown Futbol (on Throop south of Cermak). Also that night, buzzed-about neo-R&B act Autre Ne Veut has a show at Schubas. On Sunday underground house kingpin Derrick Carter performs at Smart Bar, and Ben Harper brings venerable harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite (subject of an Artist on Artist last June) to the Riviera.

And we’re not through yet—five more shows after the jump!

Philip Montoro has been an editorial employee of the Reader since 1996 and its music editor since 2004. Pieces he has edited have appeared in Da Capo’s annual Best Music Writing anthologies in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. He shared two Lisagor Awards in 2019 for a story on gospel pioneer Lou Della Evans-Reid and another in 2021 for Leor Galil's history of Neo, and he’s also split three national awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia: one for multimedia in 2019 for his work on the TRiiBE collaboration the Block Beat, and two (in 2020 and 2022) for editing the music writing of Reader staffer Leor Galil. You can also follow him on Twitter.