Courtesy of MAB

Do you enjoy crowds full of sweaty and overly-excited hipsters dancing to outrageously catchy beats? Do you love charismatic performers with a wholehearted appreciation for sweaty and overly-excited hipsters dancing to their outrageously catchy beats? Do you like being one of these perspiring kids at concerts? Do you like live music? Well, if you answered “yes” to any/all of these questions and attending a Matt & Kim concert tickles your fancy, then you, my friend, are in luck. The UofC’s own Major Activities Board (MAB) is proud to welcome the pop-punk duo to campus on Saturday, November 5 for its annual Fall Quarter Show. Opening for Matt & Kim will be Squat the Condos, a band comprised entirely of UofC undergrads.

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Matt & Kim are known not only for their organic music videos that accompany their equally organic sound, but also for their insanely energetic and “physical” live shows. The video (below) for one of my favorite songs, “Yea Yeah,” demonstrates how much fun and enthusiasm they have when they play. In regards to live shows, let’s just say that at last year’s Bamboozle in New Jersey, Matt climbed one of the metal towers on the side of the stage to the song “Lean Back (Westwood Mix).” Although Mandel Hall might not be the Meadowlands, Matt & Kim will certainly bring their “huge venue” craziness and turn Mandel into what the MAB would call a “pop-punk party.”

Video from mattandkim on YouTube

To help them in this festive mission is Squat the Condos. I can’t write about them as I have written about Matt & Kim since, frankly….I just discovered them. But thanks to the songs on their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/squatthecondos) and YouTube videos of their performances, I have already become a fan. The song “Pretending” (below) is currently stuck in my head. This past March, Squat the Condos released their first EP, We Should Be Together. For an unsigned band to open for none other than Matt & Kim is pretty impressive.

Squat_the_Condos_-_Pretending

Ok so now that you’re excited. Here’s what you have to do:

• STEP 1: Buy a ticket. Advanced tickets go on sale on weekdays starting tomorrow, October 24, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Reynolds Club. They are $5 for students with UCID, $10 for faculty members. Tickets bought the day of the event will be $5 more for students and faculty. Customers are only allowed two tickets per student ID.
• STEP 2: Check out both artists. You don’t want to be that person at the show who clearly doesn’t know anything about either band. Check out Matt & Kim (http://mattandkimmusic.com/) and Squat the Condos (http://squatthecondos.bandcamp.com/) at their respective websites.
• STEP 3: Show up. The concert is on Saturday, November 5 at Mandel Hall. Starts at 8:00 p.m., ends around 11:00 p.m., and doors open at 7:00 p.m. The earlier you are, the better.

Do you love stand-up comedy? Do you tell jokes in the mirror while your roommate is gone? Do you just like laughing over a cup of coffee? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then don’t miss The Coffee Shop Comedy Show. ORCSA is hosting the event for all of the burgeoning comedians on the UChicago campus, as well as anyone who wants to stop by for a laugh.

In the past, ORCSA has hosted comedy nights headlining professional talent, but this time the spotlight’s open for the taking. There’s no experience necessary, so if you’ve been secretly dreaming about landing a spot on Comedy Central one day, now’s the time to start practicing your routine in front of someone other than a showerhead.

The event will be held in open mic format at Hallowed Grounds Coffee Shop on the second floor of Reynolds Club, so it will be super casual. And if you’re still nervous, you can always relax afterwards with a nice cup of coffee. The show will be on Tuesday, November 1st at 7pm, and it is definitely not one to be missed!

Hallowed Grounds, Reynolds Club, 5706 S. University Ave. For more information, e-mail suzannawsso@uchicago.edu

One week from Monday night, every self-respecting haunt in America (and beyond) will emerge from their rotten tombs to feast upon the living- or to feast upon the delicious morsels that the living so kindly give out at their doors. Yes, it is almost one week from Halloween, my friends, and this reporter is ready. An example of my readiness:

Eric Shoemaker

Angela, the happily wedded corpse bride that dangles above my writing desk. No pallid bust of Pallas for me, my friends; I go all out.

In light of the festivities and to prepare myself for the perfect holiday that is All Hallow’s Eve, this week’s writing features the second installment in this blog’s spooky series: The Hyde Park Players present An Evening of Classic Horror and Suspense!

To mention: first of all, that the existence of the Hyde Park Players is, in the first place, a most glorious occasion worthy of recognizing. The itty-bitty troop in their wee storefront theater over at 6100 Blackstone Avenue is truly the rip-rap band of dramophiles it should be- mostly men and women over the age of thirty, but still, ripe in the mind and voice, able to easily portray several distinct and typed characters. A round of applause for the Players.

Their performance tonight was enjoyable, if a bit long- running around two and a half hours. BUT do not let this dissuade you, lovers of the macabre- if you enjoy listening, let me emphasize that again, listening to radio show style stories, this is the show for you. It is truly an exercise in using one’s ears. I recommend going and closing your eyes for a bit; you get a different experience.

It is rather fun to watch this enthusiastic group of theater geeks fully invest in what they are saying, and it is equally fun to hear from some of the great storytellers of all time- Ray Bradbury, Guy de Maupassant, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, plus a few more. But it is most gratifying to realize all of the work that this troupe put in- from mixing the sounds to adapting the works. It is truly a labor of love.

Go see this show, if you have the time. Adieu, until next weekend.

-Eric Shoemaker

An Evening of Horror and Suspense, The Experimental Station: 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Tickets $8 presale, $10 at the door, 7:00 pm. hydeparkcommunityplayers.org

The Log

An Evening of Classic Horror and Suspense in the Old Time Radio Tradition* @ The Experimental Station: Oct 21 & 22

Flow* @ eta Creative Arts: Sep15-Oct23

Audience Annihilated @ Dream Theater: Oct 20-31

A Weekend of Workshops @ University Theater: Oct 27-29

The Physicists @ University Theater: Nov 3-5

Wait Until Dark @ Jedlicka Performing Arts Center: Oct28-Nov12

From the Circle @ Filament Theater: Sept 30-Nov 13

Broke-ology @ eta Creative Arts: Nov3-Dec18

*Ending Soon

Matt Montequin

On my way to Little Village on Saturday to cover Numero Group’s A.V. Club-hyped record sale, a mix-up in my bus transfer caused me to see more of the South Side than I had originally planned.  Walking along 55^th Street from Western to Kedzie to find the route I should have taken, I caught a glimpse of a few yard sales taking place on the lawns adorning the sidewalks.  My decision to sleep late that day had left me with less than an hour until the record sale was set to close—not enough time to browse anywhere else—so I passed them up and caught a bus north to the event as soon as I could.

What I arrived to was an apartment building that looked like all the others on Marshall Boulevard.  In front, a hodgepodge of LPs, old roller skates, and Jawbreaker t-shirts sat on tables and in cardboard boxes at what really didn’t appear much different from the yard sales I had passed by earlier.  Had I not known what was going on, I wouldn’t have expected to be looking at the face of a record label, let alone one that received a Grammy nomination this past year, falling short to The White Stripes for the award.  Then again, Numero Group isn’t the most expected label in the music industry.

An archival label dedicated to resurrecting forgotten music of the ’60s and ’70s, Numero Group is in large part the project of Ken Shipley, whom I met at the sale.  Shipley was working at the Rykodisc label when he decided to take things in a different direction, joining Tom Lunt and Rob Sevier to form Numero Group.  Since its start in 2003, the label has released over sixty titles, garnering national attention and critical acclaim from such outlets as CNN and Pitchfork, all while running most operations out of the group’s Little Village apartment.  Surprising?  I was told the group didn’t even have the full apartment until recently.

The sale on Saturday showcased most, if not all, of the label’s records.  Interested myself in what Numero Group had to offer, I asked Ken where a good starting place to the Numero canon would be.  He directed me to the label’s first issue, Numero 001, a compilation of “Eccentric Soul” coming out of Columbus, Ohio between 1967 and 1974.  The label that had originally released the music, Capsoul, had been defunct since the mid-70s, pushing most of the music into obscurity for decades until Numero tracked the music down for reissue in 2004.  Not knowing what to expect but aware that this was probably my only chance to get the album, I purchased it to support independent music on the South Side.  After a few listens, I couldn’t get “You’re All I Need To Make It” (below) out of my head.  Overall, it’s an album that has the substance of its Motown contemporaries blended with the complexities that marked some of the time period’s most innovative music.  As I was promised, it got me ready for more of the Numero collection.

Video from ossopalatino on YouTube

At the heart of the event, though, was the community spirit behind cleaning out the closets, putting up some signs, and having a yard sale.  Numero Group’s employees and associates had their own items out as part of the sale as well.  While resisting the urges typically associated with finding a $2 pair of shoes and a $20 Nintendo 64, I did walk away with three used CDs and a copy of David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest.  But maybe the most significant thing that I took back to the UofC campus was an assurance of why I am blogging for the Chicago Weekly this year: to absorb the less-written about culture that Numero Group and others contribute to the city, which I will be hopefully be covering more in the coming weeks.  I’d say experiencing that is definitely worth taking the wrong CTA directions here and there.

To learn more about Numero Group, check out this story we published about the label last year, their website at numerogroup.com, or their blog at numerogroup.wordpress.com.

Last Thursday, I woke up earlier than usual to spend the morning browsing for books at the International House where the University of Chicago Press was hosting its Great Chicago Book Sale. I had tacked the flyer on my desk weeks ago. In colorful fonts, it promised two days of good deals and good literature with “over 10,000 new books, hardcovers and paperbacks, in many subjects” for only five dollars a piece.

Inside the Assembly Hall, tables with printed signs mounted on crisp construction paper formed aisles. Above and below these tables were cardboard boxes, each one containing a stack of untouched titles, some still individually wrapped. The address of the book sale had been stamped on the side of every box. “I’m not sure how the Press chose these books,” one of the employees commented, “but there are many titles in many disciplines.”

It was easy to make several laps around the room and find those intriguing titles. Fashionable Foods detailed “seven decades of food fads,” including a brief history and recipes. There were translations of philosophical and Greek texts. The book with the plainest cover was The City by Robert E. Park and Ernest W. Burgess, which sat in the sociology section next to Paul Lewis’s Cracking Up: American Humor in the Time of Conflict whose cover featured a collage of hand-drawn laughing faces. There were books about rhesus macaques, new historicism, Norman McClean, urban education, and love poems. What I thought was a forest green calendar turned out to be the Atlas of Cat Anatomy. In the history section, a 4.5’’ by 6’’ pocket guide, titled Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq during World War II, contained a reprint of the exact text given to soldiers in 1943, complete with original illustrations. The book sale felt less like a marketplace and more like a private showing of someone’s eclectic library.

It was no surprise to see many people walking with stacks of books in their arms. In fact, it was almost impossible to find anyone who had not stopped to examine a cover or flip through a few pages. The Great Chicago Book Sale delivered exactly what it promised on its flyer, providing plenty of new additions to book collections around Hyde Park.

For those interested in learning more about the United States’ presence in Afghanistan, the University of Chicago is hosting a screening of the documentary Human Terrain. The film follows the progress of the Human Terrain System, a new initiative from the United States’ military, beginning in 2004. The program itself has been considered a controversial topic, despite its objective being to end conflict between the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. The Human Terrain System is the military’s answer to its lack of success in spreading democracy in the Middle East. It integrates political scientists and anthropologists, among others, with soldiers in order to help establish counter-insurgency policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film covers the training for those involved in the program from Virginia and Kansas to the Mojave Desert.

The documentary was backed by the Watson Institute’s Global Media Project, and was directed and produced by James Der Derian and David & Michael Udris.  It won the Audience Award at the 50^th Festival dei Popoli in 2009. Following the screening of the film, there will be a discussion panel featuring members of the University’s Department of Anthropology, John Kelly, Simon May, and Kathleen Morrison.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18^th, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Knapp Center for Biological Discovery in Lecture Hall1103. For more information, or to register to attend, visit their webpage.

It’s time to christen the Chicago Weekly blog anew, and inaugurate a new flock of dedicated reporters, just begging to give the South Side of Chicago the news it deserves.

This reporter’s Manifest Statement: To provide South Siders with a taste of what their backyard offers in the forms of performing arts and entertainment; to entice others to experience the beauty of theater and it’s dramatic take on the living that we do every day; to ask other South Siders to inform on events occurring on our turf; and to generally entertain with wild notions of what “performance” can be.

Let’s kick things off right with a great example of strikingly odd performance art: Dream Theatre’s Audience Annihilated Part One: Women Only Train, tagline: “All that happens, happens to YOU!” Sounds pretty terrifying with just the title, but get the premise—one to four audience members will play the lead role in a horror play, themed as “the most unexpected horror experience you will ever witness.” When buying tickets, one has the option of buying a “lead role” ticket or an “Observation Gallery” ticket. Personally, I will only be observing. But I cannot imagine making it through the Halloween season without taking a trip to Dream Theatre to see this, surely, unique event, in which the actors attempt to terrify and generally scar the audience members who ask for it.

Video from no4thwall on YouTube

Here’s a short promo clip for the production. The Dream Theatre’s website also has ticket information and an online ticket sales booth. Tickets are only $13, which sounds like a steal to me—would you rather pay to walk passively through a haunted house, or be the center of attention in a play fully prepared to make you scream and shiver?

That being said, some of us (myself included) are a bit less… courageous in the face of almost certain terror, and would prefer to watch others be scared, or act scared, or act in general. This brings me to the final addition to this blog: The Log (for lack of a better term). This is the final portion in which I will list South Side events and performances going up or running in the near future. If you are aware of a performance going on south of Roosevelt that you’d like to tell South Siders about, be sure to let us know.

Watch for weekly updates to The Log and this CW blog series from yours truly. Now get out and enjoy some of these fall performances!

-Eric Shoemaker

The Log

eta Creative Arts Foundation’s Flow: September 15-October 23

Jedlicka Performing Arts Center’s Wait Until Dark: October 28-November 12

Dream Theatre’s Audience Annihilated Part One: Women Only Train: October 20-31

Filament Theater’s From the Circle: September 30-November 13

The Hyde Park Community Players’ An Evening of Classic Horror and Suspense in the Old Time Radio Tradition: October 21 & 22

Courtesy HHW

Just in time for the holidays, the Henry Hendricks Weddington School of the Performing Arts arts will be holding a special Thank You performance downtown this Tuesday December 21st.

HHW is a school without walls dedicated to three branches of performing arts: music, theater, and dance.  High quality instruction and talented performers make HHW groups some of the best in the city.  Jean Hendricks and the directors of HHW originally intended for the performance to be a fundraiser. After considering the immense contributions and support from the community, the group decided it would be most appropriate to use the event as a thank-you to their supporters. You can read more about HHW in our past coverage here.

Come and show your support and witness the talent of young Chicago performers, interact with the community, and nosh on some homemade goodies– either way, you will be in for a treat.

Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, 66 East Randolph Street, 5th floor.  December 21st, Tuesday 6:00-7:30 p.m. Free. Please RSVP at (312) 772-3449 or (312) 772-3449

DV Team: Siobhan Strong, Valencia, Law Roach, Rukey Styles, Christopher Adams. All Photos by Charles Young

Two words describe the scene at Deliciously Vintage this Wednesday evening: pure glam. With the launch of a revamped website, the Pilsen clothing boutique had an excuse to celebrate…and to do so in style.  I was fortunate to find myself on the guest list and dropped by to join the revelry.

The room throbbed with hip-hop beats and loud champagne-induced conversation.  Clothing racks formed vibrant walls and flukes of pink champagne hovered about the room on silver platters.  Guests were kids in a candy store—a chic candy store.  One woman tried on a vintage studded motorcycle jacket.  Upon examining herself in the mirror, she turned to me “Too bad it’s already sold.” She shrugged with a pout.  Dressing room curtains would burst apart and revelers emerged decked out in prospective purchases: dresses, furs, and blouses. “I got this at DV about two years ago,” said one party-goer in a ocean-blue kimono-style cocktail dress.  Another guest worked the room in a cropped snow leopard coat, streaked hair, black leggings, and studded footwear.

I spied co-owner Siobhan Strong on the opposite end of the boutique, obviously the center of attention amongst a plethora of stylish guests.  I spoke with Strong about the new site, speaking loudly over the festive din.  Said Strong: “At first we struggled with the idea of an online store—we wanted to maintain the client-stylist relationship that comes with visiting our actual boutique.”  The clothing featured on the website will be a handpicked collection, shot as high-fashion editorial, and mirroring current trends.  So what’s on DV’s style radar? Strong responds without batting a lash: “The cape. This season is all about the cape and the cloak. Very much town-and-country with lots of tweeds.”  Strong herself looked dazzling in a vintage beaded mini-dress, vintage Diane von Furstenberg blazer and sky-high pumps.

Deliciously Vintage’s new home page features a video, which fuses print editorial and video advertisement.  A demure girl with doe-like eyes and blond Marilyn Monroe coif lounges on sofa in a pink dress and then lingerie. Eartha Kitt’s “I Want to Be Evil” plays in the background.  Steamy? Yes.  Good girl gone bad? More like, good-girl-trying-to-edgily-expand-her-closet.  I asked Co-owner Law Roach to comment: “The ad just felt right and is just how we want to show the perfect Deliciously Vintage girl,” He paused to great a guest with la bise. “Yeah, some people say it’s a little sexy, but that’s what we wanted. Now let’s get you a drink, girl.”

In addition to the new website, DV is starting a blog, has hired a publicist and is poised for success while dressing the part.

Check out Chicago Weekly’s previous coverage of Deliciously Vintage here and the boutique’s new website here

Che “Rhymefest” Smith kicks off his campaign for alderman of the 20th ward tonight at the South Loop nightclub The Shrine. Already Kanye-endorsed, the rapper will be joined on stage tonight by Lupe Fiasco. But his campaign is already facing less glittery attention.

Two weeks ago, CW writer Tobi Haslett covered Rhymefest’s press conference announcing his intention to run, emphasizing the bizarre and potentially dangerous blur of Smith’s star status with the ambiguity of his political platform. Tonight’s show comes while Smith is still scrambling to limit the damage of recent media coverage of a 2001 guilty plea for misdemeanor domestic battery, and a 2005 conviction for a misdemeanor gun charge for firing shots in the air after an altercation with a real estate agent at his home near Indianapolis. Smith’s biggest opponent, the incumbent Willie Cochran, says he new about the charges but wanted to wait until closer to February’s election to bring them to voters attention. In a November 4th article, The Chicago News Cooperative (CNC) reported his sarcastic response. “That’s just what we need in an alderman.”

In the same article, Smith said he thinks voters will forgive his troubled past. “I’ve grown and evolved. I’ve learned to be a better man than where I come from. I come from a background that I call Poverty Incorporated. That’s no excuse for bad behavior, but that experience is why I’m here in my community, trying to make a difference.”

The wavy line between redeemed native son and ego tripping celebrity is getting harder to define by the week, and probably won’t get any clearer as February approaches. To be fair though, it isn’t limited to Rhymefest. Speaking to the CNC, the rapper at least showed he knows his environment. “Welcome to Chicago Politics.”

The official flier for the campaign kickoff

Last month we wrote about the Opportunity Shop, a temporary art and community space in Hyde Park that was supposed to last only through the end of April. It proved so popular, and the donations proved so plentiful, that the Op Shop was extended through the beginning of June. This Saturday night is the Op Shop’s second-to-last party, and they’ve booked a handful of local bands to play: Lakesigns, the Names that Spell, Jesus Crisis, and Squat the Condos. The show starts at 8, with doors opening a half hour before that. A $2 suggested donation will get you in, or a $5 suggested donation will get you admission and “a Dixie cup to fill with whatever you want (there will be fillings),” according to Lakesigns multi-instrumentalist Eric Mayer. And mark your calendars a week from Saturday for the art space’s closing event, the Op Shop Ball.

(Laura M. Browning/Chicagoist)

The good folks over at Chicagoist have started showcasing the many murals on the South Side. This week’s entry in their mural series is located at the Metra underpass at 56th Street and Stony Island. The mural, Childhood is Without Prejudice, features children of many races with their faces interlocked in Venn diagrams. William Walker, the artist, was one of the founders of the community art movement in the 1960s and painted many notable murals throughout Chicago, such as All of Mankind (1972) on the Strangers Home Missionary Church and the Wall of Respect (1967), now demolished.

The last mural showcased, Where We Come From… Where We’re Going (1992), also has an incredibly interesting story. Artist and UIC professor Olivia Gude, who has written a book about urban art in Chicago, stood outside the 56th and Lake Park Metra underpass and took down the stories of the passersby. She then painted their stories, omitting any names.

Childhood is Without Prejudice was restored last year, and the Chicago Public Art Group is behind many of the restorations that have taken place around the South Side. In addition to restoring historic public art, CPAG does quite a bit of work encouraging new artists, designing public art projects, and encouraging community development. They also have a handy map of all the public art around  the Chicago area.

The Chicago Weekly, Metropolis Coffee, and the University of Chicago’s Student Run Coffee Shops invite you to a coffee tasting on the UofC’s campus. The tasting will take place at Hallowed Grounds (5706 S. University, 2nd floor) tomorrow, April 8th, from 5-7pm. For $5, witness a cupping session, hear performances by local bands Lakesigns and Sparrowdown, and enjoy a variety of desserts!

Tony Dreyfuss, owner of Metropolis Coffee, will be coming in to demonstrate a cupping session and discuss some of his recent adventures to Ethiopia to get beans. Stacey Brown, Coffee Shop Coordinator at the UofC, will be leading a coffee tasting, where we get to know what we’re drinking.

All proceeds of the event will go to promoting local journalism!

(Ellis Calvin)

Coffee shops sometimes have great food, restaurants can have outstanding drinks, and bars even occasionally serve excellent coffee. The South Loop’s Little Branch Cafe is a rare combination of all of the above, as we reviewed in our 2009 Best of the South Side.

The comfortably elegant Little Branch Cafe has been expanding their menu since opening in 2007, most recently adding a heavenly-sounding dinner menu. With dishes like a Croque Madam [sic] Crepe, Warm Mediterranean Farro Salad (“toasted pine nuts, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, eggplant puree, balsalmic vinaigrette”), and the Little Branch Burger (“fontina red onion gratin, truffle oil roasted mushrooms, garlic aioli served with sweet potato fries & habanero raspberry ketchup”) added to their selection of sandwiches, espresso drinks, and cocktails, I can’t wait to go back. Finding a place that skillfully handles this trinity of modern urban living (great coffee, great food, great booze) can be tough. Finding Little Branch Cafe can be tough too, so be sure to take a look at a map before setting out.

1251 S. Prairie Ave. Monday-Tuesday, 7am-4pm; Wednesday-Friday, 7am-10pm; Saturday, 8am-10pm; Sunday, 8am-8pm. (312)360-0202 littlebranchcafe.com

(courtesy of Liren Chen/Flickr)

An early morning fire spread through the kitchen of popular Chinatown restaurant Lao Sze Chuan. The blaze also damaged two neighboring restaurants in the Chinatown Square complex, but no one was injured. Although Lao Sze Chuan will likely be closed for a while, the indefatigable chef and “culinary superhero” Tony Hu has two other excellent restaurants nearby, Lao Beijing and Lao Shanghai. This fire follows a little over a year after another beloved Chinatown restaurant, Penang, succumbed to a kitchen fire. (via Gapers Block)

On a happier note, Chicagoist is reporting that the 47th Street Marketplace, destroyed by a fire in January, should be open again soon. Repairs are underway, and tenants such as Blu47 and the Jamaican Consulate are expected to be able to return in three to four months, according to building owner East Lake Management.

Gapers Block recently published an article and video about Chicago’s street vendors, many of whom can be found on the sidewalks of Little Village selling elotes (corn with mayo, cheese, and chili powder), chicharrones (pork rinds), and other cheap, delicious snacks. It’s currently illegal to sell food that’s been prepared at a street cart in Chicago, and the Little Village-based Asociación de Vendedores Ambulantes (AVA) is lobbying the city to create a new license that would allow them to do so. You can read more about the issue in an In These Times article by CW writer Robin Peterson.

This Saturday, Shades, Yale University’s youngest a cappella group, is performing at the University of Chicago International House. Shades’ repertoire draws on many different musical backgrounds, but its focus is on African-American music, particularly R&B, gospel, jazz, pop, and traditional music.  Having attended several Shades performances, I can attest to the true talent of the group. And normally I am a music snob. But their tone is rich, and their harmonies are tight.  And it doesn’t hurt that the group is incredibly good-looking across the board.  Some of the songs they’ve showcased have ranged from Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” to a traditional Caribbean mineworker song (adapted from “Sweet Honey in the Rock”). The performance is free, but donations are encouraged.

Shades will perform at the International House at 8pm on Saturday, March 13th. Catch a video of their recent performance in San Diego here.

Chicago may be the third-largest city in America, but it seems to get passed over time after time when it comes to reality show locations. Ever since the eleventh season of the Real World vacated its Wicker Park loft in 2002, the only reality TV series set in Chicago was part of Top Chef’s 2008 season. (Unless I’m forgetting anything?) Now, though, it looks like reality television may be coming to the South Side, as the Southtown Star announces a casting agency is looking for “buff, hot, sexy, crazy, fun, outgoing” participants for a “Jersey Shore”-type series set in these parts.  No details yet about the show beyond that, but if you’ve got a colorful personality and nothing better to do, see the Star article for how to apply.

In last week’s issue I wrote about poet Charles Bernstein, who gave a reading on the University of Chicago’s campus on February 14.  Here is the interview that I did with Bernstein the previous day. Read the rest of this entry »

Bon Appetit magazine’s Restaurant Editor, Andrew Knowlton, includes Dat Donuts as one of the “Top 10 Best Places for Donuts” in the country.  Dat joins the ranks with Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, CA—a far cry from the South Side of Chicago, but arguably better as the “purists’” first choice.