July 28, 2009 – Ever get annoyed when your favorite band refuses to play their old hits? Well, Bruce Springsteen's fans in Chicago won't be facing that problem. The Boss and his E. Street Band will be playing their 1975 classic Born To Run in its entirety on September 20 at the Windy City's Union Center! Bruce has never been shy about digging into his back catalogue. At Bonnaroo he pulled out some obscure gems in a requests-driven segment of his headlining set, and last year he played both Born To Run and 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town at a benefit for Red Bank, New Jersey's Count Basie Theater. Performing entire albums is certainly en vogue this summer. Aerosmith and Motley Crue have been playing their classics --1975's Toys in Attic and 1989's Dr. Feelgood, respectively -- while Public Enemy has been performing 1988's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back at several festivals.

July 19, 2009 – Coney Island, a sprawl of antiquated amusement park rides and fried food on the South coast of Brooklyn, is home to the Village Voice's annual free Siren Festival, which took place on Saturday. Performers on the fest's two stages had to compete with the 50 cent freak show, hot dog eating contests, and the Cyclone, an ancient wooden rollercoaster that appears to be one loose rivet away from deadly disaster. The sideshow was like a gauntlet testing the mettle of each band that played. A recap: British newcomers Micachu and the Shapes deserve some credit: For a band known for using toy instruments, they can sure make an unholy racket. But Saturday that noise never turned into a particularly engaging show.

July 16, 2009 – The last time the up-and-coming noise-surf-punk project Wavves played in public, some six weeks ago at Spain's Primavera Sound Festival, singer-guitarist Nathan Williams had a spectacular, drug-fueled meltdown -- insulting the audience, fighting with drummer Ryan Ulsh, storming off stage, and canceling his European tour. Then just a few days ago, Williams broke his wrist skateboarding. So Wavves -- Williams, joined live by Ulsh -- had a lot to prove Wednesday night at New York City's Bowery Ballroom, in their first U.S.