Music & Film
12 Years Down
12 Years Down shot on location in Chicago & Pacific Beach, California in under 90 minutes. Read more about the making of the video.
Ghostones Photoshoot
UE recently took The Ghostones out for a proper photoshoot for some upcoming gigs around the City. I decided to go a little industrious our location under the El tracks for a good urban feeling, [...]
The Ghostones
Live! from the Town Hall Pub! in their debut performance! I present to you The Ghostones! It’s usually in the dark and dreariest of places that talent is born and last Thursday night, at The [...]
Willis Earl Beal
[EDITORS UPDATE: Willis got paid! He signed with XL Records/Hot Charity and has tour dates scheduled all over the world. Watch more Willis videos exclusively at UE.] The universe works in mysterious ways. Sometimes when [...]
Paul McCartney @Wrigley
“And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.” These were the words that closed Paul McCartney’s awe-inspiring 3-hour set Sunday night at the historic Wrigley Field. In an [...]
15 Minutes +/- 42 Years
15 Minutes (Give or Take 42 Years) I’ve had my share of celebrity encounters, some more memorable than others. I vividly recall a Mick Jagger sighting (in a Brooks Brothers store of all places) long [...]
Dante
Dante and his cousin recently approached me on the streets of Chicago while I was shooting another project. They were intrigued by the video-camera and thought I was some type of big music producer. I [...]
A Night @ Legends
Every year six-time grammy award winning blues artist Buddy Guy ventures back home to Chicago for a month long engagement at his own house club, Buddy Guy’s Legends. It’s a competitive process to score a [...]
The Oscars Cont’d
[Editor's Note: This builds upon Part 1, the UE Oscar guide written by Baker and j. harley.] Directing “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky “The Fighter” David O. Russell “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper “The Social Network” [...]
The Oscars
[Editor's Note: The following article was co-drafted by Baker & j. harley and will showcase their respective picks. We're aware that the Academy is waiting on UE's direction, so we won't hold off on our [...]
James Patrick Gallagher
It’s Valentine’s Day in Chicago, which is to say it’s Monday. I had been shooting some footage on a project and decided to catch the Red Line at Grand Station with my full gear in [...]
Red Ring of Death
It can get cold in Chicago come January. We’ve had record snowfall and sub-freezing temperatures for an extended period of time, and while there are many ways to beat the cold, playing Xbox is one [...]
True Grit
Whether writing a new script or adapting a novel for the screen, True Grit seems to follow a similar formula that has worked well for the Coen brothers in the past: a slow, methodical drama [...]
Video Upgrade
As part of UE’s promised expansion into video, we’re going to be tweaking the appearance of things here beginning with video shorts. A new Canon Xh A1 was recently purchased to help accommodate this expansion. [...]
2011
1/1/11: It’s a new year. New beginnings. Reinvent yourself. These are some of the ideas that come to mind when thinking about 2011 and the things to follow in this new year. Personally, I try [...]
Top 10 Albums of 2010
10. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM Makes the best Beck album in years… Songs like Me and Jane Doe and Heaven Can Wait cozy up alongside you like a close friend. La Collectionneuse sends you into [...]
Top 20 Albums of 2010 (20-10)
20. Foals – Total Life Forever 2010 saw them nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, for which many saw them as a dark horse contenter (The xx took it home with their late-2009 release..). Total [...]
The Legacy of John Lennon
Thirty years ago today, John Lennon was gunned down and the world was robbed of a musician, songwriter, artist, activist, satirist, father, and universal symbol of peace. Lennon was a complicated man. In many ways [...]
The Magic Circus Band
Editor’s Note: The following pictures and video were taken in Chicago’s bustling artistic corridor where Bucktown meets Wickerpark. Chicago’s very own The Magic Circus Band took to the streets for a lively performance, and UE [...]
Zombie Nation
One of the greatest genres in entertainment is the Zombie Apocalypse. Throughout the years there have been numerous interpretations of this phenomenon in movies, books, and comics, but for some reason there has never been [...]
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West Seldom are albums released that immediately instill a deep sense of optimism for a hip-hop genre scarred by tired samples, exploited auto-tune and monotonous rhymes about lifestyles [...]
Broken Social Scene
On a drizzly night in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, Broken Social Scene took to the stage and immediately laid waste to any claims that the band has lost its direction. As impressive as the band is [...]
A Somewhat Gentle Man
Verdict: 3.5/5.0 Stars Directed By: David Michod Starring: Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting), Bjorn Floberg, Bjorn Sundquist October 21, 2010 This past week, I was fortunate enough to trek to the AMC River East in [...]
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Neon Bible made me think that Win Butler was full of shit. Blame it on Bono. Blame it on R.E.M. Blame it on the Killers. Blame it on any band that reached for the arena [...]