Marc Sultan played at The Empty Bottle on Thursday. more ›

A snap from the Art Institute's Roy Lichtenstein exhibit kicks off today's gallery. more ›

Leisure is the theme of today's gallery. more ›

The Art Institute of Chicago opened Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective this week. more ›

On this date in 1950, 33 people were killed when a streetcar hit a gasoline truck on the South Side. more ›

If you haven't been pedaling since before winter, now is the time to dust off your frame, grease the chains and hit the streets. more ›

The Music Box takes justifiable pride in its midnight movie calendar, and tonight's screening of Peter Jackson's Dead/Alive, a comedic splatter-fest of the first order, is as good as it gets. more ›

The beaches are open! But this video should remind you that beneath the water there still lurks danger... more ›

For those of you who want to get out of the sun in relative comfort, check out what's happening at a few of our classic movie houses. more ›

Liz Phair gets all Tarantino in her latest video. more ›

After four months of careful watching, the Shedd Aquarium's sea otter pup Cayucos is making her public debut and meeting her new pals. more ›

We put together a gallery of lakefront shots in honor of beached opening today. more ›

We love most of Tim Burton's films and the video below makes for one of the coolest tributes to the man who gave us Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Michael Keaton as Batman. This is a chocolate cake that, when spun a la zoetrope, becomes an animated tribute to Burton's oeuvre. more ›

The latest iteration of underground classic The Car Thief comes in a surprisingly modern form but remains a timeless tale. more ›

The Tim Burton-produced film, starring Benjamin Walker as an axe-wielding emancipator of the undead, looks beautiful stylistically under the direction of Timur Bekmambetov, who made bullets shot from guns do physically impossible NASCAR-style turns in 2008's Wanted. But we were expecting more gore with a red band trailer. more ›

Remember when he used to be the trendsetter? more ›

On this date in 1985, the Deep Tunnel opened. more ›

We've sung the pigfuck praises of local quartet Fake Limbs before, but if you want to explore their explosive Man Feelings for yourself, then check out this 26-minute Coach House Sounds live performance. more ›

If only George Lucas had done a more extensive casting call for the role of Darth Vader... more ›

Selections from John Cage's early period make up The Works for Percussion 2 (available on CD and DVD), Third Coast’s contribution to Mode Records’ compilation of Cage’s entire body of work roughly timed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth. more ›

Live music, corn dogs, and a ferris wheel?! you heard that right...We're giving away 5 pairs of tickets to this year's extravaganza, but you have to be a Chicagoist Daily subscriber for a chance to win. more ›

Once-local psych-pop group Bird Names has dwindled down to a 1-man band but is still going strong—the act is working on new material and will visit Chicago to perform some new songs off its forthcoming album. more ›

Let's all take a deep breath and calm down. more ›

Redd Kross was just in town to play the Hozac Blackout Fest, and everyone we've heard from that was there said they were in excellent form. The band has been on a long hiatus, but that show saw the start of them revving up their engines ahead of unleashing their first new album in 15 years later this summer. This line-up teams bandleaders Jeff and Steven McDonald with their '80s-era compadres Robert Hecker and Roy McDonald (no relation to the other McDonalds) to create what they're calling the "classic" Redd Kross line-up. Judging by the sound of their first single, "Researching The Blues," this "classic" quartet is fully rejuvenated we welcome their reunion with each other. If this is a taste of what to expect from the rest of their new album, they may actually fall in the rarified category of "reunions that don't suck (see also: Dinosaur Jr)." more ›

The still-unnamed calf, born May 16, is the first bison born at Brookfield Zoo since the 1970s. more ›

"Bo Diddley" and "I'm a Man" were entered into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry today. more ›

It's worth a trek out to Oak Park to experience the suburb's wealth of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures with the Pedal Oak Park Bike Tour. more ›

What happens when you let the smart alecks from high school loose on the internet with science? The tragedy of the gummy bear, that's what. more ›

The Fifth Windy City Story Slam Championship is literally right around the corner. more ›

(Legendary Chicago-based photographer Art Shay has taken photos of kings, queens, celebrities and the common man in a 60-year career. In this week's look at his archives, Art takes a look at the fairer sex.) more ›

Today's gallery is in honor of Chicago being named the fifth most bike-friendly city in America by Bicycling magazine. more ›

Delmark Records' popular monthly showcase of old school Chicago Blues, Blues with a Feeling, continues 9 p.m. Sunday, May 27, with a special tribute night to the late great Hound Dog Taylor and the blues legends of the much missed Maxwell Street with a live performance from Studebaker John's Maxwell Street Kings - Studebaker John Grimaldi (vocal, guitar, harp), Rick Kreher (guitar) and Steve Cushing (drums.) With lots of special guests, including powerful vocalist/slide guitarist Elmore James, Jr. more ›

Redmoon Theatre is presenting a piece called The Sonic Boom, a massive battery powered vehicle, sculpture, and performance platform. more ›

The Festival of Aloha features four days of workshops and concerts at the Old Town School of Folk Music. more ›

Today Pres. Barack Obama spoke at the Joplin High School Commencement Ceremony to mark the anniversary of one of the worst tornadoes ever. more ›

Earlier this month, Kranky-signed experimentalists/sound wizards Implodes announced two of their members are releasing new split 10-inch records with members of drone duo White/Light, due in June on Swiss label three:four. Also: White/Light have mastered their collaborative record with Disappears. more ›

Earlier this month a Japanese fishing vessel ran aground off Cape Town, South Africa. Here's a time-lapse film of the effort to salvage the vessel. more ›

The most convincing statement about the NATO summit may come during Spektral Quartet and High Concept Laboratories' multidisciplinary Theatre of War this Wednesday and Thursday at the Chopin Theatre. more ›

Under the artistic direction of co-founder Bryan Wendorf, CUFF long ago transcended its identity as a showcase for strictly experimental work and cultivates a genuinely invigorating mix of films, genres and vibes. more ›

"Chicago seemed tired last night." We are now post-NATO summit, and we're tired. Aren't you? more ›

We've seen some stunning images come out of the weekend's NATO summit protests. Here are some more. Local filmmaker Mike Eisenberg wanted to capture the tensions on the streets as an unbiased observer. more ›

The Chicago-born inventor responsible for the wireless remote television control passed away in a suburban Chicago hospital Sunday. He was 96. more ›

Chicago's Polka King Eddie Blazonczyk Sr., formerly of the Versatones, died today. He was 70 years old. more ›

We thought about holding on to this one until Thanksgiving, but it's too damn good. more ›

The Logan Square International Film Society continues its free outdoor film screening series, which started two weeks ago with Cocteau's Orphee, with a screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut at the Logan Square Comfort Station 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. All you have to do is fill out the form here to RSVP. more ›

There's been a lot of talk about the brief violent exchange between police and protesters late yesterday afternoon, but let's look at some peaceful scenes from the protests. more ›

Live music, corn dogs, and a ferris wheel?! you heard that right...We're giving away 5 pairs of tickets to this year's extravaganza, but you have to be a Chicagoist Daily subscriber for a chance to win. more ›

There are still tickets available to Perry's 21+ gig tonight at Lincoln Hall. more ›

Held at the loading dock of the Bridgeport Art Center, Mash Tun featured enough craft beer to satisfy even the thirstiest beer snob. more ›

Today is a short but sweet gallery of Chicago's Finest. more ›

Imagine The Go Go’s and The Black Lips hanging out in an old dingy tattoo parlor, getting trashed off of Old Grand-Dad and deciding to start a band. Now you have a clear idea of what Chicago based pop outfit, Hollows, sounds like. more ›

Let's take a look away from downtown with today's gallery. more ›

Reeling: The Chicago Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, will go on a year-long hiatus while Chicago Filmmakers, the organization that produces the festival, plans a strategy to secure the festival's long-term future. more ›

On this date in 1860, the Republican Party chose former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois as their presidential candidate. more ›

And yes, we did include "Fight for your right to party" because damn it, some people have different priorities. more ›

Netherfriends drops a new track and announces his plans to take a break from touring to spend summer in Chicago, making music and performing for his local fans. more ›

Groovin' on a Friday afternoon. But don't cut off the jams! more ›

The music programming was finalized weeks ago and will make for a killer start to summer street fair season. Today's announcement detailed what will happen at the family fun Fest and the street fair portion of the festival. more ›

Before Major League Baseball began interleague play in 1997, the Crosstown Classic was more like a friendly, in soccer terms. more ›

Today we're featuring scenes from this week's pre-NATO summit protests. more ›

Provocative new work by CRO opens at Grand Bizzare tonight. more ›

As the City by the Lake braces itself for the NATO summit this weekend, it might interest you to know that Eurovision will be covering the NATO summit this weekend. That's the folks behind the Eurovision Song Contest. We hope they bring the Epic Sax Man. more ›

Whether it's the state of women in Afghanistan, civilian deaths in Libya or even Chicagoans' rights to free speech and assembly, the NATO summit has brought the topic of human rights into the foreground. From poster board on the sidewalks to elevator conversations among strangers, we are encountering issues that too-often get ignored. With all this, and the busloads of human rights activists hitting the streets even as we type, there should be more a larger than usual potential audience for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which screens five new documentaries at the Gene Siskel Film Center starting tonight. more ›

Disco diva Donna Summer died today. Let's watch her perform some of her hits. more ›

Chicagoist's mail slot is constantly clogged by the numerous press releases we have coming over the transom, and while most are mediocre and unworthy of coverage at best, occassionally we get a real gem. Today's winner was tossed our way by Chicago band Unicycle Loves You. It reads: more ›

With most of the city's transit options snarled by the NATO Summit's "Zone of Exclusion" and so many of the city's great attractions likely to be subject of unreasonable search and seizure, why not use this weekend to spend sometime in your garden? more ›

Someone up there is doing Chicago a solid because amid museum closings and NATO hoopla, cartoon genius and former Chicagoan Daniel Clowes touches down in his hometown tonight for a several events running through the weekend. more ›

We've been following Denton's Riverboat Gamblers for quite a while now, watching the once spazz-punks gradually refine their sound. By this point they've sanded the sharpest corners off their songs, so they no longer draw blood. But what they've given up in danger they've made up for in melody. One could argue whether that's a good or bad thing, but to us it's wholly dependent on our mood at a particular second. Sometimes you want to throw yourself through a wall of plate glass, spewing blood as shards explode all around you. Other times you want something that sounds good bouncing off the tiles of your shower while feeling slightly like a rebel. more ›

We here at Chicagoist have a very straightforward question to ask: do you like chicken-limos? Yes, that's what we said: Chicken-limo. more ›

Take a listen to the first single off Está Vivo’s upcoming album, Befitting Flesh. more ›

Is "Born Losers" a club you want to join? And do you need a push-mower to get in? more ›

May is Asian Heritage Month and Ascene Chicago, an online magazine focused on Chicago's Asian American community, is hosting an "Asian Fusion Fair" from 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. tonight at NV Penthouse Lounge (117 W. Hubbard St.). more ›

Kinnnnnd of, sorrrrrt of … but not really. more ›

Unlike Round 1, which saw the two trade deadpan insults, Robinson—who saw his favorite team win a World Series in his lifetime—asks Offerman what he would do to see the Cubs win one. As Robinson raises the stakes, Offerman responds in increasing Swansonian fashion. more ›

Curiosity never killed this cat. more ›

Joe Sell, guitarist from Lucky Boys Confusion passed away last night, according to The Daily Herald. Sell had been fighting health problems in the past months, but recently he seemed more optimistic about the future. His most recent Facebook post, on May 1 displayed a can-do attitude regarding a new job and its benefits: more ›

With warm weather and sunshine in the forecast for this weekend, now's the time to get into the yard and get digging! And Marty Adams here can show you how to manage all that lawn care, when all you really want to do is smoke PCP and just relax. more ›

Before NATO became synonymous with "colossal headache for residents and anybody working downtown," what was our idea of it? Let’s ask the movies. more ›

Chicagoist Mix Series is an ongoing feature that profiles local DJs/producers and features a mix compiled exclusively for Chicagoist. This is mix No. 16, brought to you by DJ Qbot. more ›

The Newberry Library is hosting a 100th birthday party for Studs, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. more ›

We woke up with Chinatown on our mind this morning. Hence, it's the theme of today's gallery. more ›

Reggie Watts is a sight to see, for real. The guy is mostly hair, with an afro and beard that barely leave room for his face peek out. He’s been all over, from being a regular on Conan O'Brien's show—even accompanying him on his “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour,”—to playing with LCD Soundsystem in their final shows in NYC, proving that yes, the comedian is actually also a talented musician. Why just make music when you can be funny while doing it, right? more ›

The following post is from our advertiser, Bonobos. more ›

Mayor Richard J. Daley was born on this date in 1902. more ›

Two French graffiti artists discovered an abandoned supermarket in the North of Paris and secretly turned it into an illegal artistic residency. more ›

Oh noes! The Hideout / Onion AV Club Block Party just released their dates and it's head-to-head with the revamped Riot Fest! What's a music fan to do? more ›

Andrew Bird was happy to be in Chicago Saturday night after a couple of years,as he put it, "scarce from the impressive city," and the crowd at the majestic Auditorium Theatre was happy to welcome him back for the homecoming performance. more ›

Last week, The Chicago Sun-Times announced their results of the Our Town Short Story Contest. Michael McCauley, carrying an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and wearing the decoration of publication in several literary reviews, threw his story, "The People of the State of Illinois Vs. Andy Walquist," into the mass of submissions. It rose to the top, was picked, and is now on display for all to read. more ›

There's always a light at the end. more ›

Want to get a glimpse at what Kartemquin Films is working on next? Then head over to the Gene Siskel Film Center, where the local documentary film studio is hosting their first annual spring showcase at 8 p.m. tonight. more ›

Metro announced Monday their first official anniversary event: an August 7 show featuring Garbage. more ›

Riot Fest surreptitiously dropped a bomb with last night's announcement that its 2012 incarnation would be its most ambitious yet. In previous years the once-punk-rock, now-all-encompassing music festival held shows all over Chicago and used the Congress Theatre as a central hub for its primary festivities. This year they're taking the party outside and creating a concert space AND a carnival in Humboldt Park in the fall. more ›

So, you’ve decided to commit ritualistic satanic murder. First, no! YOU’RE EVIL AND MUST BE STOPPED. Second, if you’re going to commit ritualistic Satanic murder, do so to the right music: Namely, the debut album from instrumental doom-edelia trio Killer Moon. more ›

We've all been the new guy in town at one point in our lives. But at least we were greeted with a simple handshake instead of a package check, like in this short film by James Ricardo. more ›

Chicago Fire is about the adventures of Chicago's Firehouse 55 — or maybe it's just about hot firefighters, we couldn't see past their rugged, sooty good looks. more ›

A nearly completed building in Brighton Park kicks off today's gallery. more ›

ChicagoSide's Jonathan Eig will interview Abbott tomorrow night from 7-9 p.m. at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Doors open for this event at 6 p.m. and it's free to attend, but space is limited, so RSVP here. more ›

We were there for the Grand Opening of the newly remodeled Logan Theatre and snapped some shots of the swanky space. more ›

Yesterday was Bridgeport Day and the highlight of the day was a parade that began at the Zhou B Center on West 35th Street, went north on Morgan before turning on to 31st Street to its end at the local community center Benton House, where a host of events celebrating the neighborhood were planned. more ›

Today I share my favorite photos of Bridgeport, through my camera lens, over the years. more ›

Artist Daniel Pugh created his own response to the East Bridgeport Communists' flyer that echoes many of the sentiments his fellow organizers and longtime Bridgeport residents have about the benefits of the festival. more ›

Because today is Bridgeport Day, here are some photographs of the "Neighborhood of Mayors." more ›

Alterpolitan brings an indoor garden space to the Loop. more ›

On this date in 1894, nearly 4,000 employes of the Pullman Palace Car Company began their strike that become one of the most important labor fights in American history. more ›

This week has been an exciting one for supporters of marriage equality and LBGTQ rights, what with President Barack Obama's "evolution" and all that. With that in mind, we present you with this: five rambling minutes of homophobic nonsense. more ›

What if Mike Birbiglia and Terry Gross just, like, hung out? more ›

Matt Avignone's solo exhibition, "Stranger Than Family," beautifully captures his unconventional, but surprisingly typical family. more ›

The Chicago Park District released their 2012 Movies in the Park schedule this morning and we've spent a fair part of our lunch hour circling dates on the calendar. more ›

The Mud Queens, Chicago's "authentic mud wrestling and rock and roll" show, is back with their first show of 2012 starting 8 p.m. tonight at Reggie's. more ›

The Hulk inspired this collection of loneliness and monsters. more ›

Follow Mickey Mouse-obsessed Travis Bickle as he looks for love in a rapidly transforming New York City. more ›

Chicago is credited with the initial emergence of Slam Poetry, and while the roots run very deep in our city, it has spun its outspoken web into many areas. Marc Smith, the man who began it all, has yet to let up on his brilliant work. It's been proven throughout Chicago that slam poetry is a substantial outlet and touchstone for creativity. Programs such as Louder Than A Bomb and The Encyclopedia Show have not only showcased many talents, but have reached out to our youth, offering to help define their own voice if they so choose. more ›

There's only one day of tickets left... more ›

The flyer, produced by the "East Bridgeport Communists," makes the usual declarations that any neighborhood improvements should be decided by the people who live there and asks for a boycott of Version Fest's participating businesses. more ›

The exhibit is now open at the first floor lobby of the Merchandise Mart through the end of the month. The exhibit's A-can-emy Awards Gala and Cocktail Party begin tonight from 5-8:30 p.m. It's free to attend, but the Food Depository is suggesting attendees donate a can of food to their cause. more ›

Are those wedding bells we hear? more ›

Chicago experi-metal trailblazers Yakuza debuted the trailer for Be That As It May, a documentary covering the two-and-a-half year period which includes the making of their 2010 album Of Seismic Consequence, through their social media accounts Wednesday. The band hopes to raise more than $10,000 in 43 days to complete and distribute the film. more ›

Here's a video of raccoon kits washing their paws in water. Can you say "Awwwwww"? more ›

Saturday is "Bridgeport Day" and the neighborhood is celebrating in style. more ›

Some downtown buildings meet low-hanging mist in today's gallery. more ›

Chicago folk-pop act The Future Laureates are preparing to release their new album Fortress Sessions this Saturday, and they’re teasing with a few free tracks. more ›

He was only the Mayor of Chicago for two years, but Anton Cermak had one hell of an effect on Chicago politics. more ›

It's all about the swagger. more ›

The Logan Square International Film Series begins a string of Wednesday night screenings of classic movies at Comfort Station beginning tonight with Jean Cocteau's ineffable Orpheus. more ›

In which we take a look at the latest releases by two popular singer/songwriters with strong Chicago fan bases. more ›

These photos of Chicago are dark, but not dreary. more ›

One of the last of the originators of the West Side sound of Chicago blues celebrates his 73rd birthday and the release of his new Delmark records album Saturday night at Buddy Guy's Legends. more ›

The new single for Sebastien Tellier's "Cochon Ville" came out last week and surfed under our radar so forgive us if we're late to this party. Luckily for us the boys in Hey Champ alerted us that the single just happens to hold one of their remixes of the title song and, as usual, the result of their involvement is filled with the sexy. more ›

You now know it as Midway Airport, but when it opened in 1926 it was known simply as Municipal Airport. It would be years before it became the busiest airport in the Chicago area, let alone the world. more ›

Whether this new chapter of the Strange Boys' sound is the band embracing a bone-dry interpretation of "maturity" or simply the lull before a (hopefully) voracious return to big, bad, blistering rock, we're not ready to look away just yet. more ›

This video sums up 10,000 years of human history. Or at least the last four years in Washington. more ›

Even if OWN turns a profit, as a source close to the situation suggested to Business Week, Discovery Communications may have to write off some of its investment in Winfrey. more ›

With the Marilyn Monroe statue in Pioneer Court finally coming down, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite area scluptures. more ›

Comedian Emerson Dameron and hip hop writer Sherron Shabazz discuss all things Wu-Tang at the Hungry Brain tonight. more ›

On this date in 1989, Michael Jordan made "The Shot" in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. more ›

The Ratchet music series is always introducing us to new music, but tonight they’ll kick off a brand new bi-annual Composer Series with a month long residency by Cameron Pfiffner. more ›

Here's a video of an Indonesian performance artist dancing on 20 pounds of butter, set to Adele. more ›

Chandeliers's new track "New Times", from the experimental Chicago group's forthcoming Captcha Records-released album Founding Fathers, blends oscillating electronic flourishes, huge hip-hop beats, and flashy synth chords to create appeasing electronica. Download it here. more ›

Who are the luckiest kids ever? We nominate Santa Monica, California area High School students in the year 1964. more ›

Spotted in the heart of Lincoln Park ... is no neighborhood safe from the hipster invasion?! To be fair, it was spotted by the Apple store, so that might explain this vehicle straying so far from its natural habitat. more ›

You're so vain, you probably think this Around Town gallery is about you. more ›

May brings us some intense reads. While we're preparing for the summer days, there's a bit of lingering severity in the air. These novels, a taste of what's out this month, are solid houses: their foundations are secure and the body is complex, but without superfluous or unnecessary tendencies. more ›

From 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday hundreds of hand-made, ceramic bowls, created and donated by local artist, will be on offer to the public for a $15 contribution. After selecting a bowl people are invited to share a meal of soups and chili made by local chefs and foodies. There will even be vegetarian and vegan options! 100 percent of all contributions will go directly to the Benton House Food Pantry. For over a century, Benton House has provided social services for Bridgeport residents, including a community garden, a woodshop, a community kitchen and a sound engineering program that has produced events at Chess Records. more ›

The Chicago Scratch Orchestra is an ensemble of experimental musicians who use free improvisation as a means for sonic exploration and expression, and they’re coming together tonight to play Links Hall. more ›

Artist and Architect Jane Sloss documents each of the 24 miles of Western Avenue with a series of 24 watercolor paintings. more ›

"Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink." more ›

We stumbled on this video for our NATO summit visitors. more ›

Thursday night the folks at Double Door stumbled upon this old Cheap Trick setlist from the mid-1990s, so we put together a spotify playlist for you to experience this show. more ›

Lean in and take a closer look. more ›

Chicagoland Beatles Fans: Here’s your chance to see one of the band’s best live performances in its entirety on the big screen, with fully remastered sound. more ›

To refresh your memory, here's what happened. more ›

Chicago’s experimental-pop trio volcano! has been mostly dormant for the past few years, but they’re returning refreshed this spring with a new album, Piñata, and it was well worth the wait. more ›

Are times of economic hardship more likely to send us to the countryside? For Paul and Phyllis Van Amburgh, it was the grind of success that prompted them to quit New York City and move their three children upstate to try and make it as dairy farmers. more ›

Treated. more ›

We love The Cribs. But do the kids love The Cribs? File under: everyone's a critic. more ›

Version Fest 12 officially kicked off Tuesday, but it's tonight's events that truly signal a beginning to transforming Bridgeport into what curator Ed Marszewski has long called "the community of the future." more ›

The amazingly named Benedict Cumberbatch returns to PBS' Masterpiece Mystery with Martin Freeman in the second season of the BBC's update of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock. This iteration updates the story and brings it into new millennial London with Cumberpatch playing the coldly analytical and slightly cruel title character alongside Freeman's tougher and more grounded take on Watson. The shows first season brought the classic character into modern times adeptly by weaving in present-day technology with old school super-sleuthing, and like the original tales, much of the content was of a darker nature than most associate more recent retellings of the Holmes tales. Quite possibly the most welcome update was the casting of Andrew Scott as the sociopathic arch-enemy of Holmes, Jim Moriarty. more ›

First, we've been quiet on this subject for far too long, but WE LOVE PURRFECT THE CAT. To those not in the know, Purrfect is the surprise breakout star of NBC's The Voice. Seriously, that cat has gotten more attention than any of the actual contestants (sorry Jamie). Of course there might be a bit of nepotism at play here since Purrfect belongs to Cee Lo Green, but we're not going to complain about being introduced to this wondrous creature. more ›

...and the lightning strikes. Last night's storm made for some stunning photos. more ›

The Chicago International Social Change Film Festival’s (CISCFF) mission is to fund and provide a forum for films and art that promote social change and heighten public consciousness regarding issues plaguing communities across the globe while providing access to direct action opportunities to respond to the issues shown in the films and art featured. more ›

Because it's been cloudy most of the week, we thought we'd lighten the mood a bit with some... dubstep. more ›

On May 8, the Guild Literary Complex holds their Annual Benefit titled "Illuminate." The theme for this 2012 shebang is none other than the very apt form of the graphic novel. more ›

For something so acerbically observant of its time and place (mid-sixties Romania under the shadow of Ceausescu's spreading wings), Lucian Pintilie's The Reenactment seems way ahead of its time. The tale of two teenagers involved in a drunken brawl and sentenced by a magistrate to re-enact their crime for for an educational film on the dangers of alcohol is told in a style that presages the mockumentary features that made Christopher Guest a cult legend, won The Office every accolade critics were legally permitted to dispense and has now occupied the very heart of mainstream American comedy in Modern Family. more ›

We've been watching classically trained violinist Emily Wells for a while now, ever since a Millennium Park lunchtime concert in 2009 where we saw a girl who could jump from instrument to instrument and just as easily turn pretty much any item into an instrument. At that time, she was catching attention with a unique classical/hip-hop hybrid cover of Biggie Smalls’ “Juicy,” but her story really starts as a teen who was fending off major label advances. The girl’s got talent for sure, but she’s also got smarts--she turned down all those offers to hang on to one little thing: creative control. more ›

Here's a video of Derrick Rose footworking from back in the day, before he became a famous basketball player with a blown-out ACL. more ›

Tomorrow night, Chicago new-music group Fulcrum Point will give the first two Chicago performances of The News, the new opera by the Dutch avant-pop composer Jacob Ter Veldhuis that premiered in Pittsburgh last Friday. Ter Veldhuis, better known as Jacob TV, typically writes for one or more live musicians playing along with spliced TV excerpts. His music, which, in tonality, instrumentation, and rhythm, is essentially pop, takes its melodic material from recorded speech fragments, a technique made famous by Steve Reich's early tape pieces and developed further by Scott Johnson. The News is what Ter Veldhuis refers to as a "reality opera," with edited video clips of U.S. and international news playing a duet with eight instrumentalists and two live singers. more ›

When choosing a hat, practicality is key. And that starts with finding the right store. more ›

Dmitry Samarov is turning to Kickstarter to drum up the funds so he can hire an agent and take some time off from behind the wheel to edit a manuscript. To sweeten the campaign, Samarov is offering original artwork from the new book to pledges of $75. more ›

The photos may be crisp, but life is always a little out of focus. more ›

The Flash-based video game has quickly gone viral—and has probably caused office productivity around the country to take a nosedive—as players chase their dream through scenes from the sitcom. more ›

About a year ago, we interviewed comic artist Jeffrey Brown about Incredible Change-Bots 2, his wacky parody of the Transformers. We're thrilled to report that his new comic book, Darth Vader and Son is out and ready to be consumed. The book, in the most adorable way possible, poses the question: what if Darth Vader were an involved father? By "involved" we don't mean that Vader earns the award for most attentive and loving father, instead Brown depicts our favorite un-cuddly villain as an annoyed but indulging dad for Luke. The possibilities for awkward father-son moments is limitless, and Brown's humor is spot on. In his lengthy repertoire of work, Jeffrey Brown has had numerous books published which you might be familiar with, including Clumsy, Unlikely, or Cat Getting Out of a Bag and Other Observations. And if you're not acquainted with any of the above, there will be a chance for that to change. more ›

When asking Marshall Field to donate the money, a railroad tie mogul said, "You can sell dry goods until hell freezes over, but in 25 years, you will be absolutely forgotten." more ›

Singer Justin Townes Earle is stopping through town next week to support his new album Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me more ›

Hot on the heels of that steaming pile that Choose Chicago, (the city's tourism agency), probably paid far too much to commission, comes this jingle for Central Lakeview. more ›

We stumbled across French folk-pop act Secretive at Township last weekend, and they’re returning to Chicago for a show at The Burlington this Saturday night. more ›

Today's gallery features planes, trains and automobiles. more ›

Rebellious Magazine for Women—a locally based online publication “for women who like to rebel”—is the mental offspring of former Associated Press (AP) journo Karen Hawkins, who launched the lifestyle pub after her boss accused her of being, well, rebellious. more ›

The old Chicago Board of Trade building opened on this date in 1885. It was replaced by the current building in 1930. more ›

What was slated to be an ordinary hip-hop concert has turned into a mild boondoggle of ‘they said/they said/they said’ proportions between an up-and-coming rap duo, Near North concert venue the House of Blues, and the Chicago Police Department. more ›

While it's true that most of Chicago is abuzz with talk of Derrick Rose and his busted knee, we're taking a look back at another Chicago sports legend today. more ›

Tom Dreesen, Dennis Farina, Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna, William Petersen and Gary Sinise taped the PSA in December. The photo above will start showing up on billboards across the city shortly. more ›

+(PLUS) Fest is basically a multi-city party to celebrate the release Bacardi+. Yeah, it's a marketing thing, but at least they're doing so in a way we can get excited about. On May 4 they're putting on ten free concerts in ten U.S. cities with more than 40 acts performing. The focus is on dancing with electronic acts and DJs forming the bills. Even Chicago's own Hood Internet is getting in on the act and performing in Las Vegas during the event. more ›

Here are some final April shots to remind us it wasn't a bad month. more ›

Local food writer (and former Chicagoista) Amelia Levin rounded up recipes from more than 50 of the city's best chefs for her cookbook, Chicago Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Windy City. The book serves as a celebration of the farm-to-table movement and Chicago's prominence as one of the world's greatest food cities. more ›

Photographer David Tribby created a limited edition 20" x 24" run of the photo featured above. more ›

You have less than a week left to look at that giant replica of the nether regions of a dead sex symbol. more ›