Marcus grew up on the South Side, which means he learned about live music in church basements and jazz clubs before he was technically old enough to be in jazz clubs. That was thirty years ago. He's been writing about it professionally for twenty. He did a decade at the Reader, freelanced for anyone who'd pay him to review shows, and eventually landed at AllEvents because he wanted to write about everything—not just the venues that buy ads. The comedy clubs in Lincoln Park. The open mics in Pilsen where someone's definitely getting discovered. The festivals that take over Grant Park every summer and the ones in Humboldt Park that don't make the tourist guides. Marcus has seen 2,000+ shows. Maybe more. He stopped counting. He knows which sound guys actually care, which green rooms have good snacks, which promoters return texts. He takes the L everywhere—owns a car but rarely remembers where he parked it. Lives in Bronzeville. Strong feelings about deep dish (it's for tourists, Italian beef is the real test). His weekend guides for AllEvents are long because Chicago weekends are long. He writes what's happening. You decide if you're going.
