Time to plan the weekend. Sat 12/12: Bitter Betty Holiday Bazaar at Innertown Pub (1935 W. Thomas) is a holiday market with loads of leather goods, spices, home decor, candles, bath products, prints, vintage stuff, and more. Bonus: they’re serving boozy hot chocolate. Noon-6 PM
In a sure sign of the Christmas season, state rep Luis Arroyo has made peace with his arch rival, Cook County assessor Joe Berrios—in distinctly Chicago fashion. In addition to being assessor, Berrios is chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party and has been a player in Humboldt Park politics almost since I was in high school. The first sign of peace came last month, when no one filed to run against Berrios, who will get to keep his committeeman seat because it’s really hard to lose when you’re running unopposed....
Jeanne Gang studiogang.com/people/jeanne-gang @studiogang Runner-Up Peter Landon
The decisions made by suspects in their first hours in custody often come back to haunt them. They may not know their constitutional rights or how to invoke them; they can be tricked into waiving their right to consult with a lawyer and their right to remain silent. Since 1995, First Defense Legal Aid has sought to ensure that decisions made by suspects in police stations are informed ones. The nonprofit provides free lawyers to anyone held by Chicago police who calls its 24-hour hotline....
4945 N. Damen 773-654-3148 mindartcore.com Runner-Up Pure Barre
Dimo’s Pizza Various locations
St. Vincent If you’re searching for a sign that the weather should start to warm up a quick look at Soundboard should suffice—to me nothing says “summer is coming” quite like an increasingly packed concert calendar, and this weekend has plenty of live music to offer all over town. “On the recent two-CD set Motion & Connected Works (Thrill Jockey), Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Koen Holtkamp inundates listeners with his vision of post-kosmische bliss, collecting in one epic package the new album Motion and three previously vinyl-only releases dating back to 2008,” writes Peter Margasak....
Any serious singer of bossa nova and samba has to deal with the Antonio Carlos Jobim songbook at some point in their career. His tunes turn up over and over in Brazil and elsewhere—”Girl From Ipanema” is virtually shorthand for bossa nova. Vinicius Cantuaria started out as a rocker in the band O Terço during the 70s, but since moving to New York in the mid-90s he’s turned his attention to bossa nova; he once explained that he needed to leave his homeland to appreciate its music....
Michael O’Shaughnessy Connections Columbus, Ohio’s Connections, a Guided-by-Voices-worshiping, indie-pop powerhouse anchored by Times New Viking drummer Adam Elliott, are prepping the Tue 8/19 release of Into Sixes with a brand-new music video for “Cruise Control.” Into Sixes is the band’s third LP in two years, and continues working with the formula that’s made Connections one of the most addictive outfits around right now: dual Fender Strats ringing out, mountains of hooks, and the heartfelt, almost awkward dual vocals of Kevin Elliott and Andy Hempel....
The cover of Omen Ex Simulacra I first covered Ævangelist a year ago, upon encountering their 2012 full-length debut, De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis (Voidhanger). That album was among my picks for In Rotation: “This mysterious band—split between Portland, Oregon, and Arlington Heights, Illinois—belongs to the ‘crawling chaos’ school of death metal,” I wrote. (Or black metal? These things are rarely as clear-cut as one might wish.) “Like a plague of insects, its formless dark is incalculably huge but moves with terrifying speed: layers of keening and buzzing converge like swarming wings, and guitars flash like faceted eyes from a murk of cavernous growling and serpentine bass....
Neil Young played the Chicago Theatre last night and he’s playing tonight as well. If you’re not going, you’re either me (because I can’t really afford Neil Young tickets right now) or you’re totally out of your mind. Then again, it’s also insane to pay $300 or more to see anyone, even Neil Young. Personally, I’m choosing to break the bank the next time he comes to town no matter what, but if you need a reason to be profligate tonight, here’s “Ambulance Blues” off of the 1974 album On the Beach....
Staropolska Restaurant 3030 N. Milwaukee Runner-Up Red Apple Buffet
2045 N. Damen 773-235-5775 coastsushibar.com Runner-Up Kai Zan
This wolf is a big fan of Wired Fridays, the noontime gatherings that turn the Chicago Cultural Center into a dance club every first and third Friday of the month. If you prefer to spend your lunch break getting down instead of gobbling fries, there’s no better place to be. The Cultural Center always books great locals to spin, and Friday, December 4, features house legend Curtis A. Jones, aka Cajmere!...
Chicago four-piece Clearance play the kind of indie rock that, several decades into its existence, I’d now call classic—hooky songs that are deeply reverential of rock’s past and carry it forward with exceptional ease. Their melodies unwind like a Homer Simpson-type football fanatic settling into his favorite spot on the sofa, and the songs build to big, hooky crescendos like the emotion of said football fan cheering the winning touchdown of his favorite team....
Q: A problem has cropped up for me ever since the reports of Donald Trump’s pissing Russian hookers made the news. Every time someone on social media tries to make a comment about how disgusting that is, someone else scolds that person for “kink shaming.” By normalizing my piss fetish, you’re making it dull for me. Piss was one of the few things that even the kink community found disgusting. My polyamorous boyfriend and I found each other without knowing we shared a love for piss....
Click the image for an enlarged PDF version.
Street View is a fashion series in which Isa Giallorenzo spotlights some of the coolest styles seen in Chicago. This winning look is all about a smart mix of texture, proportion, and color. The electric-blue, faux-fur jacket gives it character and warmth by adding brightness while still honoring the fall vibes. I also love the wide-legged pants and the glossy, pointed-toe combat boots. See more Chicago street style in the Chicago Looks blog....
