Manic Street Preachers

One of the greatest British (and no worse than second greatest Welsh) rock acts of the last quarter century makes a rare appearence in Chicago. How underrated is the polit-pop trio? Most of their fantastic recent work is unavailable in American stores and streaming services. That includes the glammy, krautrocky Futurology and the mature, languid Rewind the Film. Here, however, the Manics are celebrating the 20th anniversary of its pinnacle achievement, The Holy Bible, the final record made before tortured lyricist Richie Edwards disappeared off the face of the earth. In hindsite, the dark and dazzling LP sits somewhere between Guns N' Roses and Nirvana. Which is probably why it confused US audiences picking sides in the grunge wars.