The Dave Matthews Band live Lakeside (photo by Nate Azark)

Photos: Dave Matthews Band Performs Live…This week, we’ve got a first- run Sunday Night Concert Special recorded “live” last July at the 3rd & final night of Dave Matthews Band’s Caravan, which took place on Chicago’s South Shore at “Lakeside.” DMB closed the festival with a full set each night; Don’t miss this week’s Sunday Night Concert at 7:30pm.Read More & Watch DMB Video

One of Chicago’s favorite holiday traditions is the music-filled multi-night engagement by Umphrey’s McGee. A departure from their 10 year tradition of performing New Year’s Eve in their hometown, last year they filled the Aragon for two nights over Thanksgiving weekend. The band invited the Chicago Mass Choir out for a few tunes to ensure this was one for the books.

Re-live the stellar musicianship and intricate improvisation from one of Chicago’s great bands. Click below to download “Booth Love” live from their XRT Show at the Aragon and hear a full hour from the show this Sunday at 8pm on XRT’s Sunday Night Concert.Read More, Watch Video & Download FREE Music

The quirky pride and joy of Sacramento, California, Cake plays on the XRT Sunday Night Concert this week. This show was recorded Live On Letterman last summer from New York and of course, there will be trumpet. Several years ago, Cake was coming to town for an XRT show and I hosted a lovely affair at a local establishment to give away some tickets. The place was Brisku’s Bistro in Irving Park, a very nice neighborhood bar/restaurant with a friendly vibe and good food, including excellent hummus. When I got there, a bible study group was seated in the dining area discussing some difficult chapter from Leviticus. They weren’t ordering drinks (a few might have helped) and my first announcement about the next phase of the evening’s activities was their cue to move  on to Exodus. A different group of folks started to filter in, XRT music started to play on the PA and the trivia questions were ready to be asked. The night’s special guests, courtesy of our sponsor, were Captain Morgan and his not so motley crew of lovely assistants. (A more piratey version of the Leettes.) When they arrived, everyone lined up to get a leg up photo with the Captain and his crew while I handled the microphone like a cutlass. Eventually, all the Cake tickets and XRT collectables were given away and the crowd had dwindled to a few regulars. An exhausted Captain Morgan (I think his day job was a tour guide) asked me what time it was. We both assumed it was long past our appointed hour to abandon ship but a glance at the phone revealed that only 20 minutes of a 2 hour gig had expired. With a look of horror and his best buccaneer voice, the Captain said: “Argh! It is as if time itself has stood still!”  A pirate’s life for me, indeed.

Photos: Peter Gabriel & The New…One of the most ambitious performances in the award-winning Live on Letterman series, Peter Gabriel performed live with the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra just a few weeks ago at New York City’s historic Ed Sullivan Theatre. Hear this unique set comprised of re-imagined arrangements of Gabriel classics from throughout his career, supported by a full-sized orchestra. Remarkable.More Peter Gabriel

Simply Simon’s BestFor the first time ever, hear Paul Simon broadcast LIVE in an XRT Sunday Night Concert Exclusive from his sold-out show at the Rosemont Theatre. Streaming as it happens TONIGHT at 8pm CT.Listen Live & Hear And Interview With Paul Simon On-Demand

Simply Simon’s BestFor the first time ever, hear Paul Simon broadcast LIVE in an XRT Sunday Night Concert Exclusive from his sold-out show at the Rosemont Theatre. Streaming as it happens at 8pm CT this Sunday night!Get Details & Hear And Interview With Paul Simon On-Demand

Recorded Low“live” last week in Millenium Park as part of the Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays concert series, presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture.Hear Low Live This Weekend On The XRT Sunday Night Concert

Sam Beam

Tune in this Sunday night at 8 to hear Samuel Beam “The Dream” and Iron and Wine recorded “live” last week in Millenium Park as part of the Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays concert series, presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (8-9pm).More Iron & Wine

Beam the Dream returns to Chicago for the first time since Iron and Wine‘s XRT Show at the Vic Theater.  Iron and Wine will be performing tonight as part of Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays, a series of free concerts at The Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park.

Check out Lin’s Fave Song Of The Year

Counting Crows came out of the San Francisco Bay area in the early nineties and their debut album was an immediate mutli-platinum smash. (So much for paying dues.) They have sold about 20 million records since then based on the charismatic and unique vocal stylings of lead singer Adam Duritz and some solid, improvisational musicianship. One of their greatest Chicago performances happened in 2004 at the XRT Free Fourth of July Concert at Taste of Chicago. Read More From Frank E. Lee

Byrne/Slim Got SoleLet’s see…leader of rock and roll hall of famers Talking Heads, wore the human muscular system and big suits (and looked good doing it), made an entire building into an instrument, designed whimsical but practical bike racks in New York, won an Academy Award, took his bicycle all over the world and wrote a book about it, made an album with Brian Eno via email and recently put out a cd based on the life of Imelda Marcos! Plus, he says “thank you” weirder and better than almost anyone. Check out one of several XRT shows he has played over the years on this week’s Sunday Night Concert, recorded live at Park West in 2001.Continue Reading & Watch Video

Photos: Jackson Browne Jackson Browne[/latfm] was once called by Rolling Stone magazine the master of metaphysical boogie and that’s a pretty good description of his mini epic poem songs about the human condition that often went 6 or 7 minutes on his albums of the 70s and early 80s. We’ve got an excellent late 80s performance from Jackson before a partisan crown in California on this week’s XRT Sunday Night Concert. Jackson Browne’s songs have been covered by many artists over the years, here’s a few to start with:Check Out Frank’s Playlist

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino met at school in Brooklyn and quickly established themselves as a music force through word-of-mouth and social networks, taking a do-it-yourself attitude to their songs. They won an award for their “Lessons Learned” video in which they stripped naked in Time Square. (Try that at home, please.) Check out a recent Metro performance of the dynamic duo this weekend, a show which may set a Sunday Night Concert record for bleeps and number of songs.Continue Reading, Watch Video & Download Free Matt & Kim Music