THOMAS CONNER

Professional resume & selected bylines

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A portrait at the Metro as the music columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times
Speaking with fellow Okie Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) during a rare break at SXSW
Keynote speaker for the inaugural Changing World Prize at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa
Another Sun-Times portrait, at the great Laurie's Planet of Sound record shop in Chicago
A sampling of bylines from a quarter-century career, this just scratches the surface but outlines a core:

RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS >> 'Deportee' in 2025 America >> 'Rich Men North of Richmond' >> Dwight Twilley appreciation >> Tom Morello & Woody Guthrie 

IN-DEPTH FEATURES  >> Beyond radio >> Poi Dog Pondering & PDP oral history >> Rock history classes >> Guitar-making school >> Smoking Popes >> Lady Gaga at Lollapalooza >> MLK & hip-hop >> Numero Group >> What's a 'standard'? >> How to scream >> John Cage >>  Karen Dalton >> Michael Been

PERSONAL FAVORITES  >> Band vans >> The Blue Nile >> Cain's Ballroom history >> Clarence Clemons & rock sax solos >> Dirty Three >> Dismemberment Plan >> Esquivel! >> Eddie Fisher >> The Flaming Lips >> The Frogs >> Ezra Furman ’11#1 & ’11#2 & ’13 & 'Mysterious Power' >> Chris Gaines >> Davíd Garza >> Amy Grant >> Herbie Hancock >> Robyn Hitchcock & Joe Boyd >> Earl Klugh >> Lemonheads cover >> David Lowery & Jonathan Segel >> Johnny Mathis >> Janelle Monae & Afro-futurism >> Morrissey Q&A >> 'Muppets' music & Paul Williams doc >> Negativland >> Peaches >> Willis Alan Ramsey >> Ryuichi Sakamoto >> Sea & Cake >> Sex Pistols in Tulsa >> Shoes >> 'Song Reader' >> Matthew Sweet >> Wayman Tisdale >> World Party >> X Japan >> 'Weird Al' Yankovic  Okla: Thomas Anderson >> Epperley >> Ester Drang >> 'Home Groan' >> Jify Trip >> Tyson Meade >> Molly's Yes >> Carlton Pearson >> Tall Tales  Regional: Flick >> Ho-Hum

GREAT CONVERSATIONS  >> Afrika Bambaataa >> Harry Belafonte >> George Benson >> Big Bird >> Frank Black >> Jon Bon Jovi >> Lindsey Buckingham ’09 & ’11 >> Johnny Cash >> Mark Eitzel >> Carl Finch >> Neil Finn ’10 & ’11 >> Roberta Flack >> Liam Gallagher & Gem Archer >> Noel Gallagher >> Larry Graham >> Chrissie Hynde & JP Jones >> Ernie Isley >> Rick James >> B.B. King >> John Lydon >> Ian McCulloch >> Tim McIlrath >> John Mellencamp >> Mark Mothersbaugh >> Bob Mould >> Bob Newhart >> Liz Phair >> Amy Ray >> Sade >> Margo Timmins >> Jimmy Webb >> Janet Weiss >> Dan Wilson >> George Winston

GREAT CONCERTS  >> The top 50  

POP FESTS  >> SXSW: ’96 >> ’97 >> ’98 >> ’00 >> ’11 >> ’12 >> ’13  Lollapalooza: ’93 >> ’95 >> ’10 >> ’11 >> ’12 >> ’91 retrospective  P4k: ’10 >> ’11 >> ’12  Reggaefest: ’95 >> ’96 >> ’97 >> ’98 >> ’99

WOODY GUTHRIE  >> Woodyfests: 1998 >> 1999 >>  2000 >> 2001 >> 2002  Interviews etc.: Arlo ’96 >> Arlo ’99 >> Arlo's train ’05 >> 'Art Works' >> Kevin Bowe >> Billy Bragg ’97 >> Billy Bragg ’98 >> Billy Bragg ’12 >> Nora Guthrie ’02 (exhibit & review) >> Klezmatics ’06 >> Pete Seeger ’00 & 'Union Maid' >> Seeger obit >> 'Woody Sez' >> Steve Young  Albums: 'Asch Recordings' >> 'Folkways: The Original Vision' >> 'Mermaid Avenue' & 'Vol. 2' >> Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion debuts >> Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion >> ''Til We Outnumber 'Em'  Etc: Red Dirt music  9/11: Immediate responses >> Country music retreat

HANSON  >> Interviews: ’97 >> ’98 >> ’00 >> ’03 >> ’05 >> ’07 >> ’10 >> ’11  Concerts: ’97 >> ’98#1 >> ’98#2  Albums: 'Middle of Nowhere' >> 'Snowed In' >> 'Three Car Garage' >> 'This Time Around' >> 'Underneath Acoustic' >> 'Shout It Out'  Etc: ’97 in review >> Admiral Twin >> Fan fiction >> Fan sites >> Haters >> News ’97#1 >> News ’97#2 >> Tickets ’98 & previews >> Zac is dead

LEON RUSSELL  >> Tulsa history, then Interview ’98 >> Cocker & review >> 'Face in the Crowd' >> 'The Union' >> Les Blank documentary >> RIP 

DWIGHT TWILLEY  >> Interviews: ’97 >> ’98 >> ’99#1 >> ’99#2 >> ’00 >> ’01 >> ’02 >> ’10 >> ’ 13  Albums: Reissues >> 'Live: All Access'

JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY  >> Interviews: ’95 >> ’99#1 >> ’99#2 >> ’00 >> ’01 >> ’02#1 >> ’02#2 >> ’11   Albums: 'Lincoln Continental' >> 'Live in Tokyo' >> 'Mummy Weenie' >> 'Welcome Home' >> Trio >> 'Live in NYC' >> 'Telluride'  Etc: Layton obit >> Tea Leaf Green >> What's a standard?

THE WAINWRIGHT FAMILY  >> Interviews: Loudon ’96 >> Loudon ’98 >> Rufus ’98 >> Martha ’05 >> Rufus ’05 >> Rufus ’07 >> Sloan ’07 >> Loudon ’08 >> Rufus ’10 & review >> Loudon ’11  Albums: 'Rufus Wainwright' >> 'Strange Weirdos' >> 'Come Home to Mama'

OTHER MEDIA  >> TV: 'Battlestar Galactica' >> 'Legends of Jazz' >> 'Lush Life' >> 'Match Game' >> 'Star Trek: Enterprise' >> 'WKRP in Cincinnati' >> Sifl & Olly  Film: 'The Boys in the Band' >> 'Chris & Don'  Books: Bloomsday >> David Byrne >> David Sedaris >> 'Fleetwood Mac' >> 'Imperial Bedrooms' >> 'Love Is a Mix Tape' >> 'On Monsters' >> Paul Nelson >> Ron Padgett >> Studs Terkel  Travel: Eureka Springs >> Gay towns >> Vegas  Tea: Books >> Chicago >> Hawaii >> London >> Tulsa

Concert and CD reviews not included. So many.
Pick a band, request one.