Illinois Entertainer January 2018 | Page 4

January 2018 • Volume 44, Number 03 • www.illinoisentertainer.com COVER STORY: AVENGED SEVENFOLD Avenged Sevenfold is prominently featured on the recent list of Grammy nominees, up for this year’s Best Rock Song for the title track to its latest sonically-adventurous outing for Capitol, The Stage. Over a career spanning 18 years and seven studio albums, vocalist M. Shadows was grateful for all the acclaim he’d gotten from diehard fans, “But we kind of thought that we had just been for- gotten by the Grammys, that we just weren’t in the Grammys club, it was justification for us – or veri- fication – that we’d made a cool record, that people in the industry liked it, and they proved it to us with their vote to put us in the Grammys. It was a huge honor.” Tom Lanham talked to the engaging frontman. 6 20 HELLO MY NAME IS BILLY Five years ago, when he released his staunch anti-Rupert Murdoch tune “Never Buy the Sun” in the wake of that paper’s blatant hacking of celebrity cellphones, British protest singer Billy Bragg learned a valuable lesson – in the future, he would always have to strike while the proverbial iron was hot. So every fiery track on his new Bridges Not Walls mini-Lp – including “Full English Brexit,” “Saffiyah Smiles,” “Why We Build the Wall,” and “Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted” – was first issued as a single over the past year, when its subject matter was still newsworthy. Always a trailblazing iconoclast, he found it a great new way to do business. “With topical songs, you have to get ‘em out there,” he swears. “There’s no longer any waiting until the next time you make an album, because music doesn’t have that vanguard role in youth culture anymore.” Tom Lanham talked to the folk punk legend. Page 22 - Avenged Sevenfold Sweet Home 6 14 16 Media 18 File Best of 2017. Cinemascopes Ready for The Oscars. Robert & Hayes. Leave It To Seaver. Spins 24 Calendar 28 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Live . ZAIUS Modern prog/post-metal instrumental music has never been stronger, especially in Chicago where bands such as Pelican, Electric Hawk, Russian Circles and Zaius all share a bit of the spotlight. With plenty of venues in the city that welcome acts who play original material, it’s a blessing for a band like Zaius. Kelley Simms talked to guitarist Dann Dolce. Over 1200 shows at the best shows at the best venues. Caught In A Mosh More Anvil. Classifieds You dumped your boyfriend's guiutarist, now you're looking for another. Studiophile Million Yen and Rax Trax news. Gear Hit me with your rhythm stick. 34 42 45 46 Page 20 - Zaius Publisher Advertising Sales Contributors: John Vernon Scott Assmann Mike Engel Andy Argyrakis, Guy Arnston, Penelope Biver, Patrick Conlan, Deena Dasein, Jaime de'Medici, Jeff Elbel Terrence Flamm, Steve Forstneger Michael Gallucci, Michael C. Harris, Max Herman, Tom Lanham, Carter Moss, Michael Obrecki, Greg Olma Arsenio Orteza, Rodney Pawlak, Bruce Pilato, Matthew Pollock, Jason Scales, Kelley Simms, Ed Spinelli, Tim Shockley, James Turano Contributing Editors Curt Baran Mike Meyer Tom Lanham Lori Vernon Advertising Director Design Team Notion Pool Notion Pool Dragon Design Vision Design Senior Columnists Classified Advertising David Gedge Founder John Vernon Website Direction Rosalind Cummings-Yeates - Sweet Home Rick Kaempfer - Media Kenneth L. Voss Kelley Simms - Caught In A Mosh Publisher Emeritis David C. Eldredge - East Coast David Roberts 4 illinoisentertainer.com january 2018 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 per year (first class). Material for insertion must reach our office by the First Of The Month preceding publication. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicit- ed manuscripts or photographs. Follow us online at: facebook.com illinoisentertainer.tumblr.com twitter.com/ie_entertainer Address All Correspondence to: Illinois Entertainer 4223 W. Lake St., Suite 490 Chicago, IL 60624 [phone] - Chicago/North Sub [phone] - West/South Suburbs [phone] - Fax email us at: Editorial: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] The ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER is published monthly by Roberts Publishing, Inc, All materials copyright 2017 by Roberts Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from Roberts Publishing, Inc. Current and back issues of the IE are $10.00 postpaid.