Aragon Ballroom

For Front Row Music News 2016 was another amazing year with so many great opportunities. With contributions from the hard working and talented staff of Azuree Wiitala, Ed Spinelli, Erica McKeehen, Jen Emmert, Sarah Hess and myself (John Kosiewicz), along with a special guest posts by Kris Lori and Ethan Chivari, we covered 75 shows and events throughout the Midwest and beyond. Included were some of the biggest shows of 2016: U2, Carrie Underwood, Florence and the Machines, Stevie Nicks with The Pretenders, Phish, Brad Paisley, just to name a few. We appreciate everyone’s support of Front Row Music News in 2016 and look forward to another great year in 2017!

From the shows which Front Row Music News covered in 2016, here are some of the highlights:

Most Extravagant Concerts

• U2
• Florence and the Machines
• Kiss

Loudest Bands

• Alice in Chains
• Highly Suspect
• Black Stone Cherry

Favorite Performance – Solo Male Artist

• Brad Paisley
• Ted Nugent
• Joe Walsh

Favorite Performance – Solo Female Artist

• Carrie Underwood
• Stevie Nicks
• Ellie King

Favorite Performance – Local Artist (Chicago area) Band

• The Last Vegas
• Local H
• The Flips
• Chase Aways

Favorite Performance – New Artist

• Weathers
• RavenEye
• LAYNE

Most Raw Energy Performance

• Cage the Elephant
• Switchfoot
• From Ashes to New

Favorite multiple day event:

• 101.1 WKQX The Nights We Stole Christmas: 12/01, 12/02, 12/03
• Windy City Lakeshake
• SummerFest

Favorite Bands in 2016

• twenty one pilots
• Magic Giant
• X Ambassadors

Favorite Venues

• Aragon Ballroom
• House of Blues
• Metro

Favorite Covers

• Switchfoot covered Group Love’s “Tongue Tied”
• Switchfoot covered Beastie Boy’s “Sabotage”
• ◦Jump Around (House of Pain cover; with Mutemath & Chef’Special)
• Anya Marina covered T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”

2017 Shows on our radar

• twenty-one pilots, along with Judah Á the Lion
• Tom Petty Á the Heartbreakers
• Red Hot Chili Peppers