Arts & Events: May 2009 Archives

Script is not the first word that comes to mind when you think about improv, but Second City’s training center likes to try new things. Hence the brand-new scripted musical, The Timeless Tale of New Portsmouth. Set in 1876, the show explores the life of New Englanders who are stuck in their ways and refuse to move into the future. (Maybe they should take up blogging…) While we don’t know much about the music other than there’s a sea shanty and an angry love song, we’re certain it won't be like Jersey Boys or Wicked, unless it's a parody.

Street festivals are in full effect this weekend, but May Fest is always on our mind. The Lincoln Square event celebrates ten years in 2009, featuring the same lively mix of local entertainment and the consumption of bunches of beer out of giant novelty plastic beer steins. (The gargantuan cups are great for watering your plants during the year, or nursing particularly spicy hangovers.)

This weekend marks the return of one of our favorite music-centered Chicago streetfests, Do Division, held in Wicker Park at the Damen and Division intersection. For a five buck donation, the annual streetfest and sidewalk sale gives you access to specials from local vendors and retailers, fare from neighborhood restaurants and bars and an amazing lineup of live music from near and far curated by the Empty Bottle. Here are some of our top picks.

We can't believe it's already here, but TOMORROW is our anniversary party at The Whistler! Grammar and The Interiors have been putting in long hours at the practice space to kick out some outstanding musical sets, and Chicagoist DJs Pocket Taco, SuperBird, and Tankboy have been diligently working at holding one headphone over their ears while simultaneously bobbing their heads. Prepare yourself for terrific music all night long.

'Tis the season of free music in the city, but don't put your wallet in the lockbox for the summer quite yet or you will miss out on these veteran acts gracing two of Chicago's best stages in the coming months.

I was discussing cumulonimbus cloud formations with our pal Amy Freeze last night via email when she pointed me to this article about former Chicago Fire player Andy Williams and his crusade to find a bone marrow donor for his wife Marcia, who is suffering from a rare form of leukemia (the New York Times also covered Williams last fall). Williams, now with Real Salt Lake, and his wife are now preparing for a June 12th transfusion, hoping and praying the match will take.

Skybox has been knocking around the local scene for a while, but we admit that we haven't really found ourselves gripped by anything we've heard out of them. There's certainly nothing wrong with their melting pot style -- it teeters back and forth between kitchen sink goofiness and splendid orchestral pop -- and plenty of folks can be found packing their shows, so we've always figured the disconnect was on our side and not really the band's fault. Hey, we can't feel a deep connection with every band, right?

Next door to this year's Taste of Chicago the Nike 6.0 BMX Open will be underway from June 26 - 27 in Grant Park. While the image of BMX bikers butting heads with stout suburbanites wielding oversized turkey legs is enough to set our phasers on "gleeful irony" we've learned a little piece of news that makes the event all the more awesome.

Chicago's long-time favorite late-Saturday-night horror host, Svengoolie, can add another honor to his resume. This year's "Rondo" awards, short for the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, created by the Classic Horror Film Boards, chose to award Sven the title of "Favorite Horror Host." Sven beat out a full field of competitors like Penny Dreadful, host of Shilling Shockers in New England and Dr. Gangrene, host of Chiller Cinema in Nashville to take the honor.

There are many reasons why we love letterpress printer Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. First, he apparently doesn’t own a phone and would rather that you send him a letter. Second, he said goodbye to middle class life as a computer programmer to work in the lost crafts of letterpress printing and bookmaking—in the tiny town of Gordo, Alabama. Third, he recommends that you trust his expertise. According to the printmaker's web site, “Printing is what we do. You send the text and a check, and go home and pray."

Chicagoist fully admits we get a bit weak-kneed over Aleksandar Hemon, but the MacArthur Foundation genius stands alone with a spirited voice that embodying his adoptive city.

Shattered Globe Theatre’s production of Buried Child is the latter.

Sub Pop has put up a nice little sampler available as a free download. While a lot of the tracks were already available for free through Amazon, this is the first time they've been bundled up all together and man, it makes a good argument that the label has regained its footing and sharpened its focus after its nearly disastrous post-Nirvana expansion.

Kanye West--humble producer, musician, designer, and fish stick lover--is now an author. Codifying West’s witticisms, life lessons, and aphorisms with the help of co-author J. Sakiya Sanifer (of the comma-defying Think Think Think and Think Again) behold West’s debut book Thank You And You’re Welcome.

Alright, folks, I have to make this quick before my editors get back from their coffee run. Here's the deal: By now you probably know about our fifth anniversary party this Saturday night at The Whistler. I want to tell you about a great concert going on that night, but if my editors find out I plugged something other than our party, they'll make Gitmo look like a Mancow stunt. They are not fucking around on this one.

Terrible Spaceship may be, ahem, flying under the radar for most Chicago music fans, but they've caught the attention of some movers and shakers in recent months with their stage show. Elaborate and experimental sonic orchestrations accompany the big-screen projection of leader Travis Chandler's film clip mashup whims with startling creativity and just enough self-awareness to walk the better side of kitsch.

   

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocked the Aragon last night and it's hard to say No No No (what, too easy?) to these pics shared in our Flickr Pool by reader berklieblog.

We’ve done and heard lots of complaining about the lack of new musical theater in Chicago and even on Broadway. But there are some glimmers of hope, and while they may not be in Chicago yet, one of them is coming to a television near you.

Stark Trek had an estimated budget of $160 million. Even Sam Raimi's new "low budget" horror movie Drag Me to Hell cost millions. Turns out you can get more bang for your buck in Indiana: The Unhuman is being made for around $500. Co-helmer Jacob, 13, sketched out the story for us: "A group of teens are working on a video project for school when a meteor lands bringing with it an alien infection. When some of the friends start showing up dead the remaining group must figure out which one of them (if any) have been infected by the virus." His brother Michael, 14, adds, "We know that there's been many different movies made with storylines like this. Beginning with Invasion of the Body Snatchers going all the way through to Slither. I don't want to say too much, but we're doing our own twist on this idea."

Redefining the classics, Ashley creates a new take on the timeless leather jacket with dark denim ensemble. With her low hanging scarf, she softens up what would otherwise be a masculine rigid look.

         

We decided to head to Brookfield Zoo on Saturday morning and were there for the opening bell ringing at 9:30, when the stroller gang stormed the gates. The air was filled with little kid giggles and happy smiles because of the perfect weather. And because we arrived early in the day, many of the animals were out and about when it was possible to be the only onlooker. Peaceful!

Support Chicago’s local printmaking scene on Saturday, June 6 with Spudnik Press’ Silent Auction / Loud Party fundraiser at Happy Dog Gallery. For 2 years, Angee Lennard's print shop has hosted weekly open studios, residencies, community outreach programs, and workshops for Chicago’s up and coming artists. It's small, independent shops like Spudnik that keep the city’s art scene thriving, diverse, and accessible, so help them keep the dream alive!

Despite months and months of TV commercials, repeated ad nauseum, warning about the imminent switch to all-digital television broadcasting, it appears that there are still some folks who don't quite get it. As reported in today's Trib, last week the FCC tested the new broadcasting system in 125 markets to gauge audience readiness. The test resulted in over 55,000 calls to a help line, and of those calls about 1,300 came from the Chicago metro area -- more than any other market. 4,849 calls came from Illinois.

       

We went to the opening of the Randolph Street Market this weekend to check out the hodgepodge of vendors, ranging from the mundane to the bizarre. You can find antiques, jewelry, vinyl, local indie designer clothing, and a million things you never knew existed. We saw antique suitcases and birdcages, lava lamps, action figures and pottery recovered from a shipwreck. And a lot of sunburns; don't forget the sunscreen, folks!

MP3: I Was A King "Norman Bliek"

UPDATE: Jim DeRogatis spoke to Bennett friend and sometimes bandmate Ed Burch about Bennet's death. Burch confirms that Bennett passed away at 4 a.m. this morning and that an autopsy is being performed.

One more week! That's all the time left before our AMAZING anniversary party at The Whistler on Saturday, May 30! We've got terrific bands lined up -- Grammar and The Interiors and a surprise musical guest -- and a few Chicagoist DJs -- Pocket Taco, SuperBird, and Tankboy -- to keep your ears happy.

A holiday weekend deserves a hot jam, and there is nothing hotter than a little disorganized fun.

Friday, 5/22

The Randolph Street Market kicks off this weekend, May 23 and 24, and takes place the last weekend of each month until September. The market also hosts over 200 vendors, including the Chicago Antique Market, the Vinyl Swap Meet, a fancy global food market and the indie Designer market. The Festival is at the Plumbers Hall complex, 1340 W. Washington or enter at 1350 Block of West Randolph between Ada and Ogden, part indoors and part outdoors.

Memorial Day weekend, while truly a blessing, can also be a burden on an aging body no longer impregnable to bun-embraced offal and canned beer. Sunday morning offers a peaceful, spiritual intermission as the third annual Baha'i Choral Festival comes to the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette.

Hop on that bike saddle and crank your chain, bike likers. On Saturday, May 30 Chicago cyclists will trek to the Hyde Park Art Center for Chicago Public Radio Presents’ panel discussion, Hubs & Spokes: Threading the Wheels of Chicago’s Bike Culture. The event begins with a free bike ride from five city locations and then converges at the Art Center for a ticketed panel chat about the cycling community’s reclamation of the bike as a respectable, practical mode of everyday transport.

When Jason Frederick learned that one of the bands he had founded and then disbanded had reformed and were playing without telling him, we guess his feelings got a little hurt. It also provided the stimulus for him to kick off a new band under the moniker Cool Devices and storm Electrical Audio in Chicago to craft a protest album. While the disc was originally supposed to exorcise Frederick's "playful angst" towards his former bandmates, what ended up emerging was firestorm of '60s inflected fuzzed-out punk rock anthems centering on various themes besetting society today. In Frederick's words "...these songs are calling on all people, everywhere to give up ideologies that don't work."

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra loosen their cummerbunds tonight and Saturday as they share the stage with jazz guitar legend John Scofield, playing a piece by Duke Ellington and a piece co-written by Scofield and CSO Composer-in-Residence Mark-Anthony Turnage.

When he isn't suing former bandmates, Jay Bennett puts out records. Last November, the erstwhile Wilco guitarist issued Whatever Happened I Apologize, his fifth solo effort, through the online-only distributor Rock Proper, which offers free downloads of its releases. But for those who'd like to hold more than a jumble of ones and zeros in their hands, Bennett and Rock Proper have hooked up with a somewhat novel new service called Kickstarter: pledge some cash, and watch that download become a real live 12" record.

It’s no secret that theaters are trying to find a way to engage audiences in the recession, i.e. get people to come to their shows so that they then make money. (It’s not rocket science.) Theaters like the Goodman are probably struggling less than the low-budget storefronts since they have access to more marketing dollars to attract audiences, but we imagine they’re in a similar predicament. The Goodman just launched a new website, which while attempting to be innovative is really nothing more than a large marketing ploy.

Inspired by “Voices Behind the Walls: Women of the Asylum,” a collection of personal stories from women incarcerated in mental institutions between 1840-1945, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE) began holding workshops and conducting research for The Walls more than five years ago. RTE is dedicated to producing plays that “explore the unique female experience” - for us, this tack implies distinctiveness and power, the perfect combination to approach such strong source material. It’s hard to understand how these elements coalesced into something so generic.

That's the colorful description UIC professor/filmmaker Ben Russell gives this program of his work. It's a juicy and often assaultive performance combining documentary images with handmade electronics and manipulated film projections. His "Trypps" series consists of several short films (the longest is 12 minutes) exploring how the juxtaposition of relatively benign sounds and images can create charged, terrifying fusions. Trippy, indeed. For example, in Black and White Trypps Number Three, footage of a concert audience is layered with different soundtracks. The switches in music create the impression that the audience's mood has changed.

When the lead single off your debut is called "Fuck The Pain Away" you tend to a) quickly pigeonhole your philosophical approach to your music and b) provide a pretty high bar to leap over if you want to top yourself in terms of sexual brashness. When you're Peaches, you accomplish both by providing ever more elaborate stage shows with varying degrees of clothing involved while simultaneously producing throbbing albums teeming with confident sexuality that makes something like Mick Jagger's preening look positively neutered.

Chicago's media collective are cheering, mourning and shrugging about the final Jerry Springer Show, filmed here in Chicago yesterday. Many a joke has been made at the expense of white trash guests, flying chairs and lesbian Nazis and the men who love them. For the most part, the sneering humor is deserved, but has Jerry been a mole on the ass of our culture? Or has he been a Chicago-centric net positive?

The Lyric Opera of Chicago announced today that the 2008-2009 season registered a surplus of approximately $100,000, although financial trouble looms as the economy continues to founder.

Need a break from the doom and gloom of la recession? Head to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday, June 2 for Works in Progess with artist Chris Uphues. Uphues, an SAIC graduate who currently lives in Brooklyn, will be at the museum drawing and painting his supercutesy-faced hearts, robots, and other twee creations that resemble stickers you put on your Trapper Keeper in grade school. Actually, Uphues’ adorable pop culture characters can be found virtually everywhere these days—on buttons, t-shirts, storefronts—even farm silos.

Black Moth Super Rainbow follows the proud tradition of bands that sound as if they've grown up with nothing but latter period Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev records living on the tape deck of their tour van. Their latest album, Eating Us, is produced by loooongtime Lips / Rev producer Dave Fridmann so we feel it's safe to assume the band has zero problem with anyone drawing a sonic comparison between them and their obvious predecessors.

Pilcrow. That's the word for that funny little paragraph marker that pops up when you press the wrong formatting button in Word. But lately, Pilcrow has come to mean something else entirely: Chicago's first summer literary festival. It's pre-summer, technically, but the second-ever book-centric event kicked off with drinks and merriment Sunday night at the Elbo Room. It continues throughout the week at venues throughout the city, bringing together everyone from the indie people who write the books to indie presses that publish 'em.

By day, Jeff Coen is the federal court reporter for the Chicago Tribune. But by night over the last year and a half, he's been putting together a historical account of one of the biggest mob trials in this city's - and nation's - history. Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob gives the reader an inside look into the trial that brought down the Chicago Outfit, a wide-reaching mob that controlled not only the Chicago area, but reached all the way to Las Vegas (and was the inspiration for the Martin Scorsese movie Casino). Using source material like police reports, interviews, and court transcripts, as well as his own notes from covering the trial, Coen recreates not only the trial of mobsters Frank Calabrese, Sr., Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, James Marcello, Paul Schiro, and Anthony "Twan" Doyle, but he gives us a significant look at Nick Calabrese, Frank Sr.'s brother and Outfit hitman, whose turning states evidence gave us incredible testimony and an unprecedented look into the inner-workings of the Outfit.

As the official Kestnbaum Writer-in-Residence at the University of Chicago, Stuart Dybek is no stranger to the South Side. A Little Village and Pilsen native, Dybek’s works often chronicle the ethnic shifts that occurred in these neighborhoods over the past fifty years, including the masterful coming-of-age tale I Sailed With Magellan.

Yesterday we got a sneak peak at the Field Museum's latest addition: a 3D movie theater. Wearing the requisite glasses, we saw Dinosaurs Alive!, an educational film about bones more than dinosaurs. The film shows how bones are found, who looks for bones and, best of all, what the dinosaurs and their environs looked like.

It might seem to some like excessive navelgazing when we chit-chat amongst ourselves in the Chicagoist Podcast Series, but sometimes it's because there's more to the story behind the photographs and posts. For example: Haven't you been just a little bit curious about what went into our coverage of the Golden Gloves Boxing competition and the So You Think You Can Strip competition?

A hundred years after he was born, could Nelson Algren finally be getting some of the respect he so richly deserves?

We just wanted to remind you to keep May 30 open on your calendar so you can join us at The Whistler and celebrate Chicagoist's fifth birthday party. We're bringing in some of our favorite bands -- Grammar and The Interiors (plus a surprise musical guest) -- to light up The Whistler's stage and a few of your Chicagoist DJs will keep the soundtrack going in to the night.

          

On Saturday, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust held their annual Wright Plus home tour, all-day tour which included eight private residences in Oak Park as well as the Wright Home & Studio and the Unity Temple in Oak Park and Hyde Park's Robie House.

Wanna see something that would scare the pants off Stephen Colbert? Just hit play.

The Theatre Office at Chicagoist Towers almost can't handle the amount of news we’ve heard this week. Here’s everything we’re talking about:

Those of us who were born under the latter years of the umbrella of Gen X were raised on a healthy diet of of MTV. As we've aged our musical tastes have changed and (we hope) become more sophisticated, but we still hold a soft spot in our hearts for some of the pop-centric acts MTV skyrocketed to stardom.

If we say Lost In The Fog is a film about horse racing, surely Seabiscuit comes to mind. But Tobey Maguire isn't nearly as adorable as the horse's cantankerous octogenarian owner Harry Aleo. And unlike most documentaries made after a story ends, filmmaker John Corey just happened to fall into the development of the story of a three-year-old horse named, Lost in the Fog. He followed him from the small-time races in San Francisco, through a 10-race winning streak, until the horse's capture of the coveted Eclipse Award, as the nation's top sprinter.

We saw Coldplay on their tour last summer and have to admit that those earnest boys give good concert. They also seem like genuinely nice guys, despite Chris Martin's occasional case of overly earnest foot-in-mouth disease.

The final adds to this year's Pitchfork Music Festival have been announced. Saturday gets Final Fantasy -- the dude with the violin from Canada, not the game -- the polite bucolic folk of Bowerbirds, Cymbals Eat Guitars -- does anyone else think these dudes are a Pavement tribute band? -- and Chicago trio Michael Columbia, while Sunday will now include the Thermals (YES) and Killer Whales.

Sometimes you’ve just got to have a parade. But if you’re Columbia College’s Manifest Urban Arts Festival, you have the Spectacle Fortuna Parade of Creativity. Wishing good fortune upon seniors and graduate students before they hit the brick wall that is a 9.4 percent unemployment rate, the Spectacle Fortuna will fill the streets with hundreds of Ray Bradbury-inspired giant puppets, the punk marching band, Mucca Pazza, and ephemera created by the talented students, faculty and staff.

B-side/rarities compilations can be a tricky thing. There's a reason the songs ultimately didn't make the final cut of any LP but at the same time, an artist has an opportunity to get music out that hasn't been heard before, providing a nice compliment to an artist's discography. But it's a fine line to walk: the compilation can be either be tedious exercise in lackluster material or a fine addition to a catalog. Fortunately, Around the Well, the new two-disc compilation of previously unreleased songs from folk act Iron & Wine, hits all the right notes, literally and figuratively, providing fans with a nice fill-in-the-gaps collection.

It's American Craft Beer Week and the men behind the Drinking and Writing empire (Steve Mosqueda, Sean Benjamin and Pete Crowley) have planned a unique event to celebrate. Ten homebrewers have been given the basic ingredients to brew their own beer. The brewers are also tasked with pairing it with food either they or others make for them. Then the beer and food will be paired with an artist, writer, musician or dancer, who will interpret the pairing in a slam-style talent competition.

It’s been over a month since Pumpgirl opened at A Red Orchid Theatre, but we finally made it to the little theater in Old Town for what we’d heard would be a great performance. And it was. The acting is stellar, the language is poetic even at its dirtiest, the story is compelling, and yet, we left…unsatisfied.

       

We're keyed up about Saturday's grand opening of the AIC's new Modern Wing. As the largest expansion in the museum’s history (with a price tag of - holy shit - about $290 million), this new three-floor facility offers 65,000 feet of new galleries that will house both modern and contemporary works, photography, as well as architecture and design collections. It's sheer magnitude will make the Art Institute the second largest museum in the United States. And perhaps we should mention that the New York Times has given the Modern Wing an absolutely glowing review. (For a peep at their lovely photo slideshow, click here.)

Last year, we spoke with local author Aleksandar Hemon on the eve of the release of his novel The Lazarus Project. We expected big things of that excellent tome, but nothing could have prepared us for the widespread acclaim and awards heaped upon Lazarus, including but not limited to National Book Critics' Circle finalist (2008), National Book Award finalist (2008), and the Trib's Heartland Award (2008).

I got a group email yesterday from a music geek friend who needed to get something off his chest: He was afraid of the new Wilco album. Afraid of another collection of "New York-y art crap" from one of his favorite bands, devoid of all the angsty alt-country stomp 'n' roll that spoke to him 15 years ago.

There will be swoon, and velvety darkness, and an epic reach to the music. After all, these traits have been common to the Dears over the Montreal group's four full-length albums. But there might be a few surprises tonight, too, considering that founder and frontman Murray Lightburn has seen a nearly wholesale shift in his supporting lineup since the recording of Missiles (Dangerbird), the band's latest. (The Dears kick off nearly a month of touring with this Lakeshore Theater gig.) Internal squabbles aside, the live setting suits their music, which is forever searching for a way to breathe life into the ether. Plus, there's like seven musicians in this band now, so there's always something to look at. Is that a harmonium?

The powers that be at Playboy have been looking to turn around the shrinking distribution and their recent slumping stock problems, and today might mark a new chapter in the men's-mag history. After CEO Christine Hefner stepped down in December, temporary CEO Jerome Kern has been at the helm of what the Tribune calls everyone's favorite "aging skin book." Today, he could be made permanent CEO - or not. The board meets today to decide.

If you've noticed an abundance of men and women in uniform around town, it's because it is the first ever Marine Week here in Chicago. It kicked off Monday morning and continues through Sunday night. The Marines will be showcasing their talents around town all week. You can see the full list of events here, but here is a list of events that are free and open to the public.

Academics and dramaturgs are trained to worship Stoppard. The mere allure of complex ideas that can be BS’d in every which way is what keeps them employed. However, when the average theatergoer gets a taste of Stoppard’s genius served up on a beautiful silver platter in Rock ‘n’ Roll at the Goodman, he tends to get confused.

Like Holly Golighty peering into Tiffany’s on a quiet morning, Shannon stares into the camera showing off her look. Her high-waisted skirt and quarter sleeve cardigan wave gracefully as she walks the breezy Chicago streets. Leaving the pearls and tiara behind, Shannon accessorizes her outfit with a creamy blue cloche hat and flats, creating a casual yet elegant city look.

Almost sounds like the name of a law firm representing Blago, but no. The Chicago Film Archives is drawing from its impressive collection for a pair of upcoming screenings. The films involved are all rare and extremely worthwhile.

          

Drinks Over Dearborn was transformed into a modern speakeasy last night, in honor of World Cocktail Week. All guests at the event had different passwords to gain entry to the boutique liquor shop. Owner Kyle McHugh set up a blackjack table, an absinthe room, a blues band in the main room and had bartenders mixing some very potent cocktails. Guests were given a gambling chip to use at the blackjack table. The top three winners won his or her choice of the liquors used to make the cocktails. Meanwhile, the backing band for Shirley King (B.B.'s daughter) played in McHugh's main room.

If you liked Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, (or even if you didn’t), check out Democracy, presented tonight as part of the “TimePieces” play reading series at TimeLine Theatre Company. Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Play, Democracy is the playwright’s follow-up to Copenhagen, which won the same award in 2000.

If you enjoy the humor of Christian Finnegan, that is. The VH1 Best Week Ever staple and stand-up comedian will be taking his act to the Lakeshore Theater Wednesday night, as part of his nine-city Au Contraire! tour. Finnegan, a.k.a. Chad from "The Mad Real World" skits on Chappelle's Show, sticks primarily to familiar topics (relationships, sex, office politics, technology, etc.), but his wit, insight and charming delivery keep the shtick sharp. Sure you've heard a million cleavage jokes, but are you familiar with Finnegan's four boob quadrants? And perhaps you've played Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit... well then it's hard not to enjoy this bit [2:53 mark]. Finnegan's strength lies in the fact that he can relate to audiences with commonplace subject matter but is talented enough to avoid the tired punchlines, making his stand-up stand out. So if you're in need of some solid, straightforward laughs on your hump day, go pay Mr. Finnegan a visit.

In recognition of its 70th anniversary, the Hyde Park Art Center is rediscovering its roots as an artist-run space with Artists Run Chicago—a showcase of Chicago's most noteworthy alternative venues that continue the DIY legacy. Like creative incubators, these transformed apartments, storefronts, and warehouses support and showcase unconventional work that tends to flip the finger at the confines of capital “A” art. (And thank God because sometimes the austere wine and cheese scene makes us want to break things.) In spite of spatial setbacks, shoestring budgets, and the day job juggle, these alternative galleries persevere. Unfortunately, some fold, yet others—like the HPAC—succeed.

The Chicagoist Podcast Series is taking a week off, due to a general overdose of news, D-Pete mania, and too much grilling. But fear not, rather than leave you with a total lack of audio entertainment, we've compiled a list of some of the finest podcasts known to the Chicagoland area.

If you're not familiar with the marimba, check out the eight marimbists, bassist, and percussionist of Marimba Nacional de Concierto perform folk, popular, and contemporary music at the Cultural Center tonight and the Old Town School of Folk Music on Wednesday.

              

Sweat dripped from the ceiling at Double Door last Thursday as The Sounds and Hey Champ brought a double-barreled attack of rock and dance to the thronging masses. Hey Champ opened with a set and the band has definitely benefited from their nigh non-stop touring. Folks tend to forget they're a rock band since they've been playing with primarily hip-hop and electronic acts since signing to Lupe Fiasco's label last year, but their time on the road with The Sounds has led them to inject their music with new-found brawn that gives even their dancier tunes a pleasantly gritty edge.

Summer is almost here (even if it doesn't feel like it) and that means lots of museum visitors. And, of course, there's been a big stink about the Art Institute's upcoming 50 percent admission hike. Under pressure from many directions - but most prominently Ald. Ed Burke - the Chicago Park District may give locals a break on the new admission fees to the count of $2. Instead of $18, local adults would pay $16 and local students and seniors would pay $10.

Pontiak is heavy psychedelia powered by the sibling power-trio of Van, Lain, and Jennings Carney. On their latest disc, Maker, they combine caterwauling instrumental freak-outs with heavy blues sing-alongs backed by the choirs of the damned. This is the sort of music hellbent on destroying your hearing because you just won't be able to turn it up loud enough. This is music made for wild-eyed mountain men taking it cues from both backwoods foot stompers and desert dry stoner riffs.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, a day to show appreciation for the strong women in your life. And one way of showing that appreciation is the 10th Annual Beverly Breast Cancer Walk in Beverly Hills and Morgan Park. Per the Southtown Star:

While some of us at Chicagoist are more exhibitionist than a Kim Kardashian sex tape, we can all get behind the new public service campaign from non-profit social venture Open Books.

The new Bachelorette record -- My Electric Family -- has been getting a lot of play in our corner office in Chicagoist Towers.

I'm sorry everyone, you have me to blame for this. I was tweeting the lyrics to the "Llama Song" and Jeff Tweedy obviously took me a little too seriously. On the other hand, it is a pretty awesome album cover. Below, peep the cover image for the forthcoming self-titled Wilco album, due June 30.

If you missed Pearl Jam at the their sweaty, crowd-rousing 2+ hour Lollapalooza closing set in 2007, then you'll want to leave your credit card under your pillow tonight. Almost two decades have passed since Pearl Jams' debut album, Ten, but the public's interest in the grunge godfathers shows no signs of waning. Pearl Jam plays August 23 at United Center. Due to early public demand a second show on August 24 has been added. Tickets for both shows are priced at $66 and go on sale tomorrow morning.

This item is of great interest primarily because at the 50 second mark it prominently features the group computer we all share to write our Chicagoist posts in the home office.

For its year-long installation series, Finestra Art Space asks its artists this curatorial question: "“How do you see your formal expression (forms) as a manifestation of your ideas (concepts) in the context of [the] Space, your artistic practice, and the first decade of the 21st Century?" Featured artist Aaron Delehanty answers that question with Visible City, an exhibit of paintings. Delehanty's work is dramatic and expansive, depicting landscapes dominated by factories, quarries and other remnants of industrialism juxtaposed with brightly colored skies.

Problem: You want to treat your mom to some classy tunes this Sunday, but you don't know which concert to see.

After last night's Sounds and Hey Champ show -- photos to come on Monday -- we are in the mood to keep dancing on into the weekend. Luckily for us is Life During Wartime night at Darkroom with some of our favorite local DJs Bald Eagle and Mother Hubbard spinning the boogie.

Composer John Cage liked to quote a Zen saying: "If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, try it for eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. Eventually one discovers that it's not boring at all but very interesting." Jim Jarmusch seems to have taken that as his modus operandi for his new movie, The Limits of Control, opening today at Piper's Alley.

The Flaming Lips have changed their mind and decided they will participate with the "Write The Night" fan requested setlist during their appearance at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival. This is exciting news, primarily amongst music critics filled with glee at the idea of Wayne Coyne picking up a guitar and rocking out to the oldies that most new Lips followers would be less familiar with. After denying early reports that their setlist would be chosen by popular vote, Coyne said tday “The Lips are more than glad to be part of ‘Write the Night’. They will do their best to accommodate the wildest and most obscure of requests - covers included.”

With the Black Plague sweeping through Europe like a, um, plague, what can one priest possibly do to ease the suffering of the ailing? He could start a “Brotherhood of Pain,” urging his congregants to punctuate their prayers to God by continually stabbing themselves (one character does just that). Or he could take the coward’s route and flee. Or, he could just try to make ‘em laugh, as Father Flote does in Strawdog Theatre Company’s Red Noses.

Kylie is coming to Chicago! What? Kylie who? Oh right, you're North Americans. We understand most folks don't realize what a superstar Kylie Minogue is in the rest of the world -- we feel it's similar to what we call "Robbie Williams Syndrome" -- but at least most of you are familiar with her through her infectious single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" that accompanied endless Bally's commercials a few years ago. And to you folks who are even older, she sang that bubblegum rendition of "The Loco-Motion." In-between those two songs she underwent a number of changes zipping from soap actress cum pop-tart, semi-serious indie chanteuse, disco diva, and finally arriving at her current mix of electro-tweaked pop.

It’s evident from artist Justin Santora’s bio that he’s not a fan of the adult status quo—go to college, go to work, punch in, punch out, repeat. Sure, we all have to work, but sometimes putting on your pieces of flair blows. (Yea, we know. We’re thankful to be employed, too.) Regardless, said “rules” make us feel cagey as hell. And many of Santora’s illustrations and screen prints, which show humans performing mundane, routine tasks—photocopying, answering a phone in the cube farm, drying hands underneath the bathroom blow dryer—reinforce the notion that we truly are creatures of habit. Check out Santora’s upcoming opening, “Gestures in a Blender” at within(Reason) gallery on Friday, May 8. His screen prints, mixed media, and an installation will be presented—no TPS reports required for entry.

The good news: you’re halfway to the weekend! The bad news: you’re only halfway to the weekend. If you’re in need of some mid-week stress relief, head over to the Gorilla Tango Theatre, where The Trenchberg Incident is opening its first mainstage show. We’re willing to bet you haven’t heard of these guys - but we’re also willing to bet you’ll like them.

Yesterday we clued you in to the Chicago Department Of Cultural Affairs' Edible Audible Picnic noontime summer music series. The fine folks at the Department of Cultural Affairs have pulled out all the stops to make this a musically memorable summer as they follow up the lunchtime tunes with Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays, an evening series featuring both local and international indie-rock and pop voices.

The Society of Midland Authors is kind of like the literary Mensa of the Midwest. Since its founding in 1915, members have included Poetry magazine founder Harriet Monroe, founder of the U.S. Settlement House movement Jane Addams, social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sandburg.

The Pulitzers love us, but the Tonys apparently hate us. The Goodman rushed its recent revival of Eugene O’Neil’s Desire Under the Elms to Broadway, with days to spare for Tony consideration, only to receive NO Tony nominations. What is this madness, American Theatre Wing? Did you not see the house land on the stage? Did you not weep at Carla Gugino’s mesmerizing performance? Did you not witness Robert Falls breathtaking direction? Why no love?

Would you take medical advice from a woman who first gained real fame by picking her nose on a basic-cable dating show?

O.K., so Uncle Fun Chicago doesn't sell artists. But on the last Saturday of every month, the popular Lakeview toy store does display them in its window. Or displays us, I should say: A couple of weekends ago I was the featured artist of Uncle Fun's three-month-old "Artist in the Window" series.

Unlike Navy Pier, which functions happily as a tourist magnet, Millennium Park welcomes as many real live Chicagoans to its green spaces and promenades as it does out-of-towners. It's as much ours as it is the visitors', a gathering place for everyone, and it doesn't need a Bubba Gump Shrimp outlet to entice. And while the imminent opening of the Art Institute's Modern Wing at its south end is certainly the biggest park news, the lineup for summer 2009's Edible Audible Picnic series sounds pretty awesome, too. Get ready to grab a sack lunch and check out some jams under Frank Ghery's trellis.

Below is the full text of the public filing of Jay Bennett vs. Jeff Tweedy sent in by reader ChgoDiver.

Seen in Wicker Park on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Henrí conjures up a hot '80s summer night in the city. A make-up artist, Henrí demonstrates her skills of color matching, and utilizing her natural skin tone to complete a look. With her nautical themed headscarf, body hugging jeans and tank top, Henrí looks sexy and self-assured.

We've long defended Jay Bennett's importance to Wilco. We thought he was the foil frontman Jeff Tweedy needed. However, we find it distressing to see the Trib report that Bennett is launching a lawsuit against Tweedy, "claiming Tweedy owes him money from the band's 2002 documentary [I Am Trying To Break Your Heart] and royalties on songs written during Bennett's seven years with the group."

It was just last week when we learned former governor Rod Blagojevich actually met a PR opportunity he could refuse: appearing on the HBO show Cathouse, which focuses on Las Vegas's famed Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel. At the time, Blago spokesman Glenn Selig said, "They did offer it to him but we're not taking it seriously." Now, Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof told WBBM 780 he might set his focus on landing Drew Peterson instead. Said Hof: "You know, I think I might as well just stay in that Chicago area. I think I'm going to go after Drew Peterson. He doesn't have an old lady now; at least they can't find her. He might as well be on my show and have some fun with the girls."