Aesthetic Magazine | Album Reviews, Concert Photography, Interviews, Contests

Photos by: Katie Kuropas  & Rachel Zyzda & Anthony Linh Phuong Nguyen & Jason Pendleton – Day three wrapped up Riot Fest 2026 last night (Sept. 20th) at Douglass Park in Chicago with performances by Post-hardcore band Pierce The Veil, who released their newest album, The Jaws of Life, on February 10th, 2023, rock/pop singer-songwriter Elvis … Continue reading →

Photos by: Katie Kuropas  & Rachel Zyzda & Anthony Linh Phuong Nguyen & Jason Pendleton – Day two of Riot Fest 2026 kicked off last night (Sept. 19th) at Douglass Park in Chicago with performances by prog-rock band Tool, who released their newest album, Fear Inoculum, on August 30th, 2019 via RCA, punk rock band Bad … Continue reading →

Photos by: Katie Kuropas  & Rachel Zyzda & Anthony Linh Phuong Nguyen & Jason Pendleton – Day one of Riot Fest 2026 kicked off last night (Sept. 18th) at Douglass Park in Chicago with performances by pop/rap band Twenty One Pilots, who released their newest album, Breach, on September 12, 2025 via Fueled By Ramen, which … Continue reading →

Photos by: Aaron Quintanilla – Hip-hop artist Lucki, who released his newest album, Dr*gs R Bad, on May 15th, 2026 via Empire, which featured the singles “OverTh!nking”, “Free Mr. Banks”, “Diamond Stitching”, “I Don’t Care”, “Not So Virgo of You”, and “Roundtripski”, performed at the Espee in San Antonio, Texas last night (Sept. 18th) with … Continue reading →

Photos by: Krysia Caldwell – Canadian pop-rock artist LØLØ, who released her newest album, god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!, on April 17th, 2026 via Fearless, which featured the singles “the devil wears converse”, “american zombie”, “me with no shirt on”, “007”, and “the punisher”, performed at the Opera House in Toronto last … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Mariana Di Girolamo, and Martin McDonagh attended the “Wild Horse Nine” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 14th. Two CIA agents (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) are sent on a mission to Easter Island, where one faces an existential crisis over his … Continue reading →

By: Myles Herod – Matthew Rankin’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney operates like very few documentaries I’ve ever seen. In fairness, it’s actually more like a satirical genre-bending collage put to screen. Or as the Winnipeg director calls it: ‘Docufantasia’. Running at 105 mins, it’s a portrait of Canada’s 18th Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s climb … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Chad Smith attended the “Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 16th). Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson team up with four revered drummers — Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Gavin Harrison — for an … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Anton Corbijn, Helen Mirren, Alden Ehrenreich, and Olivia Cooke attended the “A Talent for Murder” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 14th. This smouldering chamber thriller from Anton Corbijn (Control) stars Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich (Fair Play) as opponents in a strange confrontation … Continue reading →

By: Staff – Chicago punk rock bands Rise Against and Alkaline Trio released a split single tackling iconic songs from the other’s catalog: Rise Against takes on Alkaline Trio’s “Private Eye,” while Alkaline Trio delivers their rendition of Rise Against’s “Re-Education (Through Labor).” The release comes on the eve of the band’s embarking on an extensive … Continue reading →

Photos by: Brandon Newfield – Irish pop-rock artist Dermot Kennedy, who released his newest album, The Weight of the Woods, on April 18th, 2026 via Riggins/Interscope/Island, which featured the singles “Funeral”, “Refuge”, and “Honest”, performed at RBC Amphitheatre in Toronto last night (Sept. 15th) with folk singer-songwriter Jonah Kagen, who released his debut album, Sunflowers and … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz attended the “Bunker” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 14th. Oscar winners Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem play a couple whose bond is tested when a mysterious billionaire’s proposal prompts an ethical impasse in the latest from Oscar-winning writer-director Florian Zeller … Continue reading →

Photos by: David McDonald –  Punk Rock band Social Distortion, who released their newest album, Born to Kill, on May 8th, 2026 via Epitaph, which featured the singles “Born to Kill”, “Partners in Crime”, “The Way Things Were”, “Tonight”, “No Way Out”, and “Walk Away (Don’t Look Back)”, performed at History in Toronto last night (Sept. … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Léa Seydoux, and Lily-Rose Depp attended the “Alpha Gang” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13th. Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Lily-Rose Depp, and Cate Blanchett star in the Zellner brothers’ look at an alien gang coming to Earth to conquer, but finding the human world has … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Cynthia Erivo, and Daniel Ings attended the “Prima Facie” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13th. Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) stars in this adaptation of Suzie Miller’s globally acclaimed play that examines what happens when an ambitious barrister who primarily defends those accused of sex … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Chris Rock, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace, Rosalind Eleazar, Daniel Kaluuya, Amy Landecker, and Tracie Thoms attended the “Misty Green” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 12th. Featuring a career-making performance from Slow Horses’ Rosalind Eleazar and supporting turns from Daniel Kaluuya, Adam Driver, and Anna Kendrick, … Continue reading →

By: Myles Herod – Christian Mungiu’s Fjord opens with the promise of reinvention: Mihai Gheorghiu (Sebastian Stan) and his wife Lisbet (Renate Reinsve) trade their Romanian life for almost mythical Norwegian shores. However, any tranquility they seek is quickly confronted. Turns out their traditional Christian lifestyle, so ordinary in their former country, becomes a source of unease in a … Continue reading →

Photos by: Vlasta Titova – UK electronic music duo Jungle, who released their newest album, Sunshine, on August 14th, 2026 via AWAL/Caiola, which featured the singles “Carry On”, “The Wave”, “Someday, Somewhere”, and “Sunshine”, performed at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto last night (Sept. 12th) with Los Angeles-based psychedelic soul band Rio Kosta, who released their … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Cody Fern, and Diane Wiest attended the “Closing Night” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 12th). Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, and Odessa A’zion deliver powerhouse performances in Cody Fern’s sensational feature debut, where a hardened movie star reunites with the deliciously … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Mike Leigh, Kate O’Flynn, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, and Alice Bailey Johnson attended the “Tender Loving Care” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 12th). Seven-time Academy Award nominee Mike Leigh returns with an uplifting story of family and how to deal with grief, featuring remarkably … Continue reading →

By: Myles Herod – Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care arrives with the authority of a filmmaker who has spent half a century studying ordinary people. At 83, he’s still capable of fusing tragedy and humour with scalpel‑like precision, crafting human stories that contemplate the fact that life trudges on, until it doesn’t. The film orbits … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Curry Barker and Inde Navarrette attended the “Obsession” special event at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 11th). Following its explosive premiere at TIFF’s Midnight Madness, Curry Barker’s indie horror Obsession proved that original, high-voltage genre cinema is alive and thriving. Powered by a visceral breakout performance … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Rebel Wilson, and Randall Park attended the “Girl Group” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 11th). Rebel Wilson writes, directs, and stars in this story of a pop star who, following a downward spiral, finds a new sense of purpose by assembling a bunch of … Continue reading →

Photos by: Simon Leung –  Rock artist Kim Gordon, who is best known as the bassist/guitarist/vocalist of acclaimed alt-rock band Sonic Youth, and who released her newest album, Play Me, on March 13th, 2026 via Matador, which featured the singles “Not Today”, “Dirty Tech”, and “Play Me”, performed at the Opera House in Toronto last … Continue reading →

Photos by: Myles Herod – Josh Hartnett, Charlie Heaton, Mackenzie Davis, and Ruby Stokes attended the “Below” premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 10th). Something monstrous lurks off the coast in this suspenseful, Newfoundland-set limited series, starring Josh Hartnett (Trap) and Mackenzie Davis (Station Eleven).

Photos by: David McDonald –  Industrial rock artist Danny Elfman, who released his newest album, Big Mess, on June 11, 2021 via ANTI-/Epitaph, performed at History in Toronto last night (Sept. 10th). 

Photos by: Daniel D’Souza – Hard rock band Breaking Benjamin, who released a compilation album titled Aurora on January 24, 2020 via Hollywood, which featured the singles “Far Away”, and “Dear Agony”, performed at RBC Amphitheatre in Toronto on Sept. 9th with hard rock band Chevelle, who released their newest album, Bright as Blasphemy, on … Continue reading →

Photos by: David McDonald –  Electropop artist Ashnikko, who released her newest album, Smoochies, on October 17, 2025 via Parlophone/Warner, which featured the singles “Itty Bitty”, “Trinkets”, “Sticky Fingers”, “Smoochie Girl”, and “Wet Like”, performed at History in Toronto last night (May 19th) with indie pop artist Royal and The Serpent, who released her debut album, … Continue reading →