All stories by J.r. Nelson on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Rapper-singer Angelenah makes her R&B debut with I Don’t Regret a Thing by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Gossip Wolf has been hip to Chicago rapper and singer Angelenah, aka Ashley Hart and Angel Davanport, ever since she released the 2018 EP Sore but Grateful. She’s been sharpening […] The…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 01:25PM
Wednesday, October 5, 2022

The Pleiades Series celebrates its first year of elevating women and nonbinary improvisers by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Last October, musician and curator Emily Beisel began booking the monthly Pleiades Series at Elastic Arts, which centers femme and nonbinary performers—and they follow their sets with impr…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:18PM
Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Fire-Toolz sails even further off the map with a genre-obliterating new EP by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Gossip Wolf has long believed that physical releases from Fire-Toolz, the wonderfully disorienting flagship project of local electronic musician Angel Marcloid, will one day be swapped among…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:27PM
Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Fran drops an elegant new single about loneliness and estrangement by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

The Reader has praised Maria Jacobson, leader of local indie-rock project Fran, for her “taut, serene singing” and for her well-written songs, which are “sharpened by a pristine elegan…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 10:14AM
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Annie Fish simulates her dream of 90s alt-rock stardom by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

On Friday, September 16, Chicago singer, songwriter, and cartoonist Annie Fish will drop Weird Like Me, an album so steeped in classic alt-rock you’ll half believe Fish recorded it with [�…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 11:44AM
Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Warforged’s new death-metal opus belongs on a shelf with early Opeth by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

In 2019, Gossip Wolf hailed local death-metal crew Warforged for being “wickedly adept at cross-pollination” and described their debut full-length, I: Voice, as blending “ghostly black…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 01:18PM
Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Siul Reynoso of Los Gold Fires drops a supremely summery new single as Gabacho by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Chicago Latine indie band Los Gold Fires have been quiet the past couple years, but guitarist Siul Reynoso has focused instead on a warmhearted, psych-tinged solo project called Gabacho. Rey…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 02:02PM
Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Local darkwave group Kill Scenes preview a new album at the Hideout by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Last month, local darkwave band Kill Scenes dropped “Acid Black Window,” the first single from the upcoming full-length album Masque. The five-piece group, anchored by songwriters Meghan…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 10:50AM
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Goregrind monsters Organ Failure deliver 17 tracks in 15 minutes on their album debut by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

In March 2021, Gossip Wolf was bowled over by the debut demo from local grindcore crew Organ Failure. The band packed four merciless rippers into three thoroughly unwholesome minutes, whetti…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:45PM
Tuesday, August 9, 2022

WLUW’s Abstract Science celebrates 25 years with a 25-hour marathon broadcast by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

In July 2017, the hosts of WLUW 88.7 FM’s weekly electronic-music program, Abstract Science, celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary with a blockbuster 20-hour broadcast. (Gossip Wolf man…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 01:26PM
Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Mexico City transplant Fernando de Buen López leads Chicago band Así Así in their album debut by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Singer and guitarist Fernando de Buen López moved to Chicago from Mexico City in 2012 with his band El Mañana, who released one more album of jangly, psychedelic indie rock in 2014 before …

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 06:01PM
Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Chicago lures jazz trombonist Jeb Bishop back home by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

On Monday, August 1, jazz trombonist Jeb Bishop will move back to Chicago after a ten-year absence. Bishop and his wife headed to North Carolina in spring 2012 (Carrboro and later Durham) an…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:01PM
Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Meteor Gem opens its doors to Chicagoland’s trve metalheads by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Chicago’s newest record store specializes in all things metal. Meteor Gem occupies a garden-level boutique at 3082 N. Elston, and its stock is so laser-focused on extreme music—including…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 02:46PM
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Artist and poet Marvin Tate tees up a busily multidisciplinary July by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Even in a city full of talented artists with their fingers in a half dozen projects at once, Marvin Tate stands out as a Renaissance man. The west-side native is extraordinarily industrious …

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 11:52AM
Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Weirdo rippers Lollygagger make their vinyl debut with Total Party Kill by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Gossip Wolf has been on the record as a fan of Lollygagger since the local glam-punk goofballs dropped their debut EP, Life on Terminus, in 2018. The band followed it in 2020 with the hilari…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 02:27PM
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Metro hosts a joyful send-off for the late Cynthia Plaster Caster by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Legendary artist and writer (and onetime Chicago mayoral candidate) Cynthia Plaster Caster passed away in April after a lengthy illness, but Gossip Wolf isn’t done mourning. Future generat…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 05:31PM
Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Ne-Hi alum Mikey Wells drops a mellow, summery new album with Flamingo Rodeo by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Chicago postpunks Ne-Hi split in May 2019, and since then guitarist-singer Mikey Wells has expanded his palette of delightful pop hooks in two standout projects: Spun Out, which is indie dan…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 01:36PM
Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Chicago country craftsman Dan Whitaker decamps to Texas by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Gossip Wolf has long admired local country-music craftsman Dan Whitaker, whose considerable discography includes folk-tinged solo work and recordings with his combo the Shinebenders that com…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 02:14PM
Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Bev Rage & the Drinks ring in Pride with a kaiju rampage by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Queer garage-pop band Bev Rage & the Drinks have become one of the city’s most entertaining acts since coming together in 2015. Mixing hilariously forthright lyrics, spitfire riffs, a…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 07:00AM
Wednesday, June 1, 2022

‘Brutal prog’ maestro Weasel Walter debuts a Chicago lineup of the Flying Luttenbachers by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Guitarist and drummer Weasel Walter, the “brutal prog” purveyor best known as longtime leader of the Flying Luttenbachers, left Chicago in 2003 for San Francisco and later moved to New Y…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 11:20AM
Tuesday, May 24, 2022

The Pride Bands Alliance celebrates 40 years with a symphonic-band blowout and two world premieres by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

In October 1982, members of seven LGBTQ+ concert and marching bands from across the U.S. met in Chicago and formed the Lesbian and Gay Band Association. Though the LGBA changed its name to t…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 09:24PM
Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Emma Hospelhorn of Ensemble dal Niente releases a scintillating solo debut as Em Spel by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Gossip Wolf always likes to hear about a new solo album from a member of Ensemble dal Niente—the long-running local contemporary-classical corps has built a spotless reputation for adventu…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 10:18AM
Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Mystery Actions debut a new blast of anti-war punk rock by J.r. Nelson and Leor Galil

Local four-piece Mystery Actions remind Gossip Wolf of the cool, slightly intimidating kids from the Chicago street-punk scene in the late 80s and early 90s, when it centered on Clark and Be…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 08:09PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards