Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...Aftermath is sufficiently clear-eyed not to paint Jones as the unsung genius, the Stones' equivalent of Syd Barrett (the hero of Tom Stoppard's “Rock N Roll”). But “Aftermath” is really about the formative years of a band that brilliantly exploited cultural collisions and appropriations, driving through cracks, covering bases and rocking on as cultures changed, communism fell and the rewards got bigger and bigger."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite a sometimes moving performance by Aaron Snook as Jones, the play comes off as a trite showbiz soap opera padded with ham-handed, out-of-tune renditions of Stones songs. Ironically, the musical high point is an acoustic rendition of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" by Andrew Yearick (as George Harrison) on guitar and Snook on sitar."
Centerstage
- Recommended
"...A classic rock 'n' roll fable about a legend's decline, "Aftermath" traces brilliant but troubled Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones' descent into drug-fueled isolation. Posthumously narrated by Jones (a fantastic Aaron Snook), Ronan Marra's play is ambitious in intent, pleasantly unassuming in implementation. Though many scenes meander, and the interspersed songs slow the play's pace, "Aftermath" is more than the sum of its parts. While the witty script offers compelling character-driven dialogue, credit for the show's success belongs to its cast. Rather than doing an impression of an icon, Nick Vidal as Mick Jagger imbues the role with something all his own. Joseph Stearns' Keith Richards is both caustic and compassionate, and Nathan Drackett and Bries Vannon as the forgotten Bill and Charlie quietly flesh out the group. Snook's Jones however, is my new rock god. Raw and charismatic, he turns a sometimes vindictive womanizing addict into someone humane and sympathetic."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...
Despite an impressive array of Marshall amps, though, the sound stays strictly lo-fi; the Stones’ bluesy power may not be replicable on a storefront budget. More significantly, for all its practiced miming, the ensemble lacks the swaggering menace that set the band apart in late-’60s London. Vidal and Stearns perform with a friendly openness more reminiscent of Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith. Still, the cast’s enthusiastic camaraderie delivers real satisfaction."
ChicagoCritic
- Somewhat Recommended
"...We see Jones’ as a wasted, incoherent musician who is a violent womanizer who has lost any influence he may have had with his rock group. I fail to see Jones’ “lasting impact on rock ‘n roll” as presented in Aftermath. Snook presents Jones as an unlikable jerk who was tolerated by the group until his self-destructive behavior forced the group to cut him. Jones died in 1969 at the age of 27. I found nothing in Jones’ character, as presented here, to make me care about him."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...But the standout performer in this biography has to be Aaron Snook who creates a man of genius who was instrumental in creating something that has lived on for fifty years and will probably be remembered for generations to come for their music. It would be a pity if the man who started this was lost in the shuffle and while this play may not be factual in all details, the premise is in fact based on a real man and his desires and goals as well as his talents. "
Chicago Theater Beat
- Recommended
"...The theatre is decorated with reenactments of classic Rolling Stones 45 and album covers. The stage is flanked by vertical rows of vinyl records in both sizes and set up for a concert. This is an appropriate choice since it really comes down to the music after an exploration of the legend. Aftermath is a poignant remembrance of Brian Jones and of a time when the world seemed much bigger."
