Arts & Entertainment

There are lots of art-related talks this week, plus the Smart Museum of Art opens its much-buzzed about show, Feast. more ›

Whitney Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, has confirmed that the singer died today at the age of 48, though it's unclear what the cause of death was, or where she was when she died. Most recently, rumors spread that Houston was broke and would be homeless if it weren't for her friends, though her rep denied it. more ›

Today's gallery is proof Chicago is the center of the world. more ›

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and there are outdoor rinks that, while they don't offer the skyline view afforded at Millennium Park, are worth a trip to put cold steel on ice. Here are five of my favorites. Check them out soon: most of these close Feb. 26. more ›

AT&T this week unearthed some of Jim Henson's earliest films, made for the company for a business seminar in Chicago in 1963. more ›

This Bollywood action sequence puts our own summer blockbusters to shame. This shows that over the top originality and ingenuity will beat an over-budgeted Hollywood movie any day. You probably can't remember a single scene from a transformers movie but we guarantee this clip will stick in your brain for years to come. more ›

For the next ten days Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture and the AT&T Plaza on which it sits will be transformed after dark into a canvas of light and geometrical form, courtesy of a video and light installation from local artistic collective Luftwerk. more ›

Whether you're in a relationship or not, here are a few events leading up to Valentine's Day you might want to keep your eye on. more ›

The final four is set. Who will take it all next week? more ›

We're bringing back something we had some success with last year and featuring the work of a single photographer from the Chicagoist Photos Flickr Pool. today, we spotlight the work of Frank Rico. more ›

Chicago Mixtape celebrates its first anniversary Saturday night with a killer show at Subterranean to commemorate their 52nd free weekly mixtape. more ›

This morning's NPR report on one fan's attempt to correct the perceived mistakes of George Lucas's The Phantom Menace had us thinking about what other films might need that special touch that only fans with a YouTube account can give. Which brings us to this morning's diversion, a fresh take on a quirky director, set to the musical stylings of one of the early naughts more prolific hip hop artists, Ja-Rule. more ›

This is easily the best video we've seen from last week's "Soul Train" dance line tribute to Don Cornelius. On a very overcast day, we need all we can get to put smiles on our faces. more ›

The selected songs cover a broad swath of the musical spectrum, with upbeat pop numbers like Florence and the Machine's "You Got the Love," and cool classics like known Obama favorite, "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. Sandwiched in between are a few head-scratchers like Ricky Martin, or clear Red State pandering cuts like "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry. more ›

Red Bull Music Academy - Chicago Sessions kicks off tomorrow, at Metro/Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark St., 10 p.m.,, $5, 18+ (21+ for Smart Bar) more ›

To get to the other side, of course. more ›

To show the HD video capabilities of their new D800 camera, Nikon enlisted legendary Chicago-based portrait photographer Sandro Miller to create a five-minute film. (Discretion advised: the video contains graphic images.) more ›

Watch the new video for "Ni**as in Paris" from Jay-Z and Kanye West, comprised of "Watch The Throne" tour footage. Also: heed the epilepsy warning. They're not playing around. more ›

Archie Powell & The Exports just announced the May 1 release of their sophomore full-length, Great Ideas In Action, and they’re already giving away free downloads of its first single. more ›

Today's gallery has some stellar night shots and a classic Muddy Waters photo. more ›

It's a night of soul and funk tomorrow night as Denver's Juno What?! shares the state at Martyrs' with Dance Floor Plans. more ›

Northeast Michigan probably isn't the best place to be a meteorologist, but this guy sure is having fun with it. more ›

James Dean, native of Marion, Ind., would have been 81 years old today. more ›

The public memorial service for "Soul train" host Don Cornelius will begin at the Museum of Broadcast Communications at 6 p.m. It will also be aired on WVON-AM 1690 and WVON's website. more ›

Today we bring you quite possibly the worst superhero, one who absolutely will not tolerate lactose. more ›

For Chicagoist, one of the few bright spots of winter is when we get to head over to McCormick Place and lust after hundreds of the latest cars and trucks for sale. more ›

By: Maggie Hellwig more ›

A word of warning starts today's gallery. more ›

Billy Wilder's 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes tells two separate stories involving the legendary detective. more ›

Due to print availability issues, Doc Film's scheduled screening of The Go-Between on Sunday has been replaced with Secret Ceremony. more ›

We've been fans of Bad Veins for a while now and have waited for-EV-er for the trio of multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Davis, drummer Sebastien Schultz and their 1973 Pioneer reel to reel tape player Irene to release a new album. We will finally get that new album from them in late April and last night they premiered the video for the fist single off The Mess We’ve Made. Check out why we love the band so much below and take in “Dancing On TV.” more ›

On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles landed at JFK airport and started the British Invasion that changed American music forever. more ›

You could call The Asteroids Galaxy Tour a commercial band since their initial break onto the scene was through an Apple commercial with their tune "Around the Bend," and recently they resurfaced with "The Golden Age" and its prominent placing in an international beer commercial. So you could call the band commercial. Get it? Though the sound the band produces, while slick, isn't exactly commercial. more ›

Today's diversion: the dramatic interpretation of a real conversation from a seventh grader's Facebook. more ›

The Empty Bottle, 312 and WBEZ have teamed up to present the High Fidelity Music Series, an intimate and exclusive music series that kicks off next week. more ›

Did you know Madonna's halftime show was the most watched EVER with 114 million viewers tuning in? And despite the obvious lip synching we found it to be one of the more entertaining mid-game outings in years. There was no wardrobe malfunction, no crotch slides into the camera, no huge phallic silhouettes; there was plenty of glitz and glam but it was all topped off by a singer in her 50s with more energy (and a younger glow) than most pop singers a third her age. Not bad, huh? more ›

Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela and brother to cross-over star Femi, returns to the United States for a cross-country 30-date tour touching down in Chicago on April Fools' Day at the House of Blues. more ›

Filmmaker Spike Lee, last seen wearing a Lawrence Taylor New York Giants jersey to last week's Bulls victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, will be at Chicago State University from 6-8 p.m. tomorrow for a lecture. more ›

Some vintage signage kicks off today's gallery. more ›

The folks at the Big Map Blog have taken a 1908 map of Chicago's elevated railroads and boulevard system and coded it so you can zoom in on the detail the original cartographers put into creating the maps. more ›

As a sign of lowered expectations at Clark and Addison, Cubs radio flagship station WGN has a contest where they're looking for "the next great song" about the Chicago National League Ballclub. more ›

Axl Rose turns 50 today, so here are a few videos of the Indiana native taking on the world. more ›

For the Chicago woman of the 19th century with sensitive sleuthing needs, Ms. Cora M. Strayer was a special P.I. to whom the ladies could turn. more ›

Since Navy Pier is gearing up for its next facelift, we thought this would be a good time to look at its previous iterations. more ›

This is what God's waiting room is like. Unless you're allergic to dogs, and then this is the Devil's waiting room. more ›

We’ve been hearing a lot about Andrew Bird lately in anticipation of his new album release in a few weeks (March 6 to be exact), and now he is in the midst of taking another medium by storm: film. more ›

Have you ever wanted to see Benny the Bull crowd-surf? Well, here's your chance. more ›

Through the transitive power of jangle, Hozac Records will be celebrating new releases from two different, yet like-minded, acts tonight at the Empty Bottle. Listen to new recordings from hot Chicago acts Radar Eyes and Bare Mutants here. more ›

Classically trained, Israeli-born "Hip Hop Violinist" Miri Ben-Ari brings her talents to Lincoln Hall Thursday for a benefit concert. more ›

A surreal image kicks off today's gallery. more ›

Looking for something unique to do this Valentine's Day? The Music Box Theatre has a couple of programs that appeal to both the romantic and film buff: Valentine's sing-a-longs screenings of Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Princess Bride. more ›

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and his fiancé, reality television star Kristin Cavallari, may be busy with a baby on the way and planning a wedding. But don't expect Cavallari to walk down the aisle with her wombfruit. more ›

OK Go continue their streak of memorable videos constructed through partnerships that recall ye olde days of when the upper crust (in this case corporations) acted as patrons to the arts. And, if such arrangements continue to allow a band like OK Go unfettered creativity without having to beg for alms, we're O.K. with that. more ›

A nude Herman Cain stencil outside The Skylark begins today's gallery. more ›

The Museum of Contemporary Art opens two new shows this week, and other arts news. more ›

A Tumblr site takes a look at Chicago history through photography, postcards, and other ephemera. more ›

If you're a flickr user and wish to have your photography considered for "Around Town" or other Chicagoist features, please tag your photos with "Chicagoist" and enter them into our flickr pool. more ›

The former manager of Brooklyn's BarCade are bringing the concept to Chicago, opening Emporium Arcade Bar in Wicker Park in March. Start stocking up on quarters now. more ›

Yet another reason we're glad that Tom Hardy's in The Dark Knight Rises? If he hadn't become an actor he might have been .. a rapper. more ›

The proposed redesigns of Navy Pier were released earlier this week. Some love it. Some hate it. And some wish the redesign teams would stop using Daniel Burnham's words out of context to explain their own vision. Personally, while we have no idea why the city would want a glacier jutting out of the lake 365 days a year as proposed by !melk/HOK/UrbanLab, we do like the layered and intricate walkways imagined by Davis Brody Bond/Aedas/Martha Schwartz Partners. more ›

Even before one of Madonna’s backup dancers was overheard (accidentally-on-purpose) saying the Queen of Pop would be “bringing gay to the Super Bowl,” we knew that Super Bowl XLVI would be as gay as it gets with 106 muscled guys—in tight-fitting uniforms—piling up on top of each other. more ›

Worst super power. Ever. more ›

The Lakeview Polar Bear Club held their 11th annual "Celebration of Shrinkage" Jan. 28. Chicagoist Photos Flickr Pool contributor Mike Travis was on hand with his camera at the ready and included some shots from the balmy plunge. You can check out Travis's entire set here. more ›

Jonah Ansell, who made a stop-motion film announcing his engagement last September, released the trailer to his animated short film "Cadaver," starring Oak Park fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, who also sings a poignant cover of the Neil Young classic "Heart of Gold" for the film. more ›

As payback for using the song "Eye of the Tiger" without permission—or as Stephen Colbert put it, "An eye for an eye of the tiger"—Bickler read Gingrich's book A Nation Like No Other to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger." more ›

WVON-AM and WCIU TV, radio and television homes of the late "Soul Train" host Don Cornelius, are paying their tributes to Cornelius with a marathon of classic "Soul train" episodes and a live broadcast of a Wednesday public memorial service at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. more ›

Michelle Obama appeared on Ellen DeGeneres's show to promote her "Let's Move!" campaign. One thing led to another and suddenly the two were engaged in a push-up contest. more ›

Tosh Tour Twenty Twelve will have two shows at The Chicago Theatre on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. for both shows, with prices ranging from $45-$65. more ›

Today, though, we're taking a look back to the 1970's, at some of the animated shorts Philip Glass scored for Sesame Street. more ›

As more details emerge about the emotional state of "Soul Train" founder Don Cornelius prior to his Tuesday suicide, scores of Chicagoans took Milwaukee Avenue to form a dance line flash mob. more ›

Cease Fire violence interrupter and star of the critically acclaimed documentary The Interrupters appeared last night on The Colbert Report. Matthews held her own in her conversation with Colbert's self-important character. "You're an interrupter in a rude way," she said. "I'm a violence interrupter in saving lives." Well played. more ›

If you ever wish your yoga chants also featured blood-curdling noise, swashes of sonic texture, and pastoral acoustic guitars, have we got the track for you. Download a collaborative song from Chicagoans Locrian and Seattle-based Mamiffer here. more ›

We searched through the Chicagoist Photos Flickr pool for photos of Adelor, the male African lion who was euthanized yesterday. They lead off today's gallery. more ›

What do you get when you take Harlem Renaissance literature and adapt it to a one-man stage performance? Well, here's your chance to find out. more ›

Briar Rabbit is celebrating Black History Month by releasing The Great Routine, a concept album whose theme is minstrel shows of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that featured black actors in blackface. more ›

Chicago's own rodent prognosticator, Woodstock Willie, did not see his shadow. more ›

These two videos highlight Don Cornelius's ties to the Chicago community. more ›

Receiving two Academy Awards nominations last week seems to have put some wind in the sails of arguably the past year, Asghar Farhadi's A Separation: the best film out right now will be around for a few more weeks. more ›

While one musician sues Gingrich for copyright infringement, his Survivor bandmate says, “This is not for any one political candidate. This is for the world!” more ›

Here's a novel way to clean up your Netflix Instant queue. (Or add to it, if you're so inclined.) more ›

If Michael Bay's movies were half as good as this mashup video were, Dirk Diggler's song would be a number one hit. more ›

Lincoln Park Zoo is in mourning today after animal care staff euthanized Adelor, the 18-year-old male African lion who was a highlight of the visits of many zoo visitors. more ›

If there's a parade, politicians will march, as the lead photo in today's gallery shows. more ›

CHIRP Radio holds its monthly reading series tonight at the Beat Kitchen, and Ameena Matthews of The Interrupters appears on The Colbert Report. Plus, Goose Island's Stout Fest starts soon. more ›

iO veteran and former Chicago-based funny-man Paul Brittain is reportedly leaving Saturday Night Live—right now. He just became a feature player this season, but now he won't even appear in this week's episode with Channing Tatum. more ›

The four new classes starting in March offer the chance to dive into the deep end of the cinema pool. more ›

Don Cornelius, the legendary creator of "Soul Train," was reportedly found dead in his California home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. more ›