- Chicago Symphony Orchestra Enters the 20th Century
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Ensemble InterContemporain Visits Northwestern University
Smashing Pumpkins Go Nationwide
For more than a decade New Zealand bands have been producing some of the finest rock ‘n’ roll in the world, one of the reasons being their obliviousness to the trends that afflict too much American alternative rock. For many years, alas, insufficient funding kept all but a very few of those bands from visiting the U.S., let alone Chicago. In 1993, however, an unprecedented number of NZ bands came through town to demonstrate their remarkable songcraft and deliver some refreshingly grunge-free shows. The Bats, Bailter Space, Chris Knox, Straitjacket Fits, Peter Jefferies, the JPS Experience, the Verlaines, and Alastair Galbraith were among those who made it to Chicago and with a wide variety of approaches proved that great rock music can be made without chic irony and studied coolness.
