Arts & Events: November 2009 Archives

Special to Chicagoist from Elizabeth Mikel

Call it fate or label it luck, some musical pairings were just meant to happen. Solo, Jace Clayton (DJ / rupture) and Brooklyn producer Matt Shadetek have always excelled in their respective electronic pursuits. For the Barcelona-bred, now Brooklyn-based Clayton that means broad ranging, world-influenced heavy bass and for Shadetek, the lesser known (but no less talented) name of the duo, it means a career built on genre-shifting instrumentals. The duo have combined talents in the past, but never with the depth and stunning results of their newest effort, the full length mix album, Solar Life Raft.

When a friend of ours visited Kenya a few years ago she stopped by an elephant orphanage operated by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and fell in love with the cause. In particular she connected with an adorable little blind baby elephant named Ndolo --who was later profiled on 60 Minutes -- and she was deeply moved by the dedication of the people working with the animals and for the Trust. The Trust operates primarily in Tsavo National Park rescuing and raising both elephant and rhino orphans upholding the ivory ban, de-snaring operations, a mobile veterinary project, animal welfare, and general conservation initiatives.

It's weird to think I've only really been aware of Lady GaGa since inauguration week when I heard "Just Dance" in a D.C. bar and marveled at how the room exploded. While I'm slightly bummed the Fame Monster EP shows the freaky vocal mannerisms and awesome lyrics of "Bad Romance" to be an interesting musical hiccup instead of the harbinger of a bold new direction -- sonically the EP hews incredibly closely to the more straightforward pop of her debut than the interesting tics and treats I was hoping for -- I still think she's just fucking fascinating in that art damaged NYC underground disco freakpunkrighton kind of way.

The past month has seen a flurry of electronic musicians roll through Chicago, captivating the aural sensibilities of concert-goers around the city. We've seen Boys Noize ravage Congress's spacious dance floor, Basement Jaxx spin their deep cuts along with MSTRKRFT and Modeselektor, Bassnectar with Nosaj Thing at the House of Blues, Simian Mobile Disco for a third time this year, and Canadian DJ duo Jokers of the Scene incite pillow fights at SoundBar. This weekend does not let up. While the big shows are undoubtedly Deadmau5 at Congress and Peaches at Metro, those into the techno side of things should think long and hard about checking out Audion at Smart Bar this Friday.

                   

Once again ace photographer Laura Gray ventured out and into the fray on our behalf to capture these stunning shots off the raucous Art Brut and Surfer Blood show at Lincoln Hall last week.

Special to Chicagoist from Sarah Cobarrubias

We don't know what it is about Chicago that the Discovery Channel loves so much, but we're not complaining. Both Liar's Club and the Metro have been featured recently on the show Ghost Labs and Dirty Jobs was recently in town as well. Now, part of Chicago is getting the limelight all to itself. The channel will debut a new three-part series tomorrow night called Cook County Jail, which focuses on...well, do we have to spell it out for you? Parts one ("Brains & Brawn") and two ("Gang Ties") air tomorrow night, starting at 8:00 p.m.

The year's end is quickly approaching and as we reflect on the past ten months in music in an attempt to define 2009, there are certain trends that, for better or worse, stick out. Across genres, music blogs have become powerful influencers, launching the careers of young bands, but often buzz can backfire. The newest amazing act often turns out to be little more than inexperienced amateurs live. Or, in the case of the recent two-day, sold out stint from San Francsico band Girls at the Empty Bottle, a solid performance falls on an audience of deaf ears all gathered to hear that one song.

Paper Magazine has announced its nominations for its Fifth Annual Nightlife Awards, and Chicago's own Rehab is in the running for America's Best Party. Considering Rehab is on a Monday night, moved from one space to another, and has still managed to consistently book solid, fun, unpretentious line-ups that appeal to fans across all music genres, we stand behind their nomination. Show some local support and vote for them if you feel so inclined.

We really dug the free single, "In A Dream," Skybox released earlier this year. Really dug it. Back then we noted that we had been skeptical of the band in the past for some of its quirkier musical inclinations, but we recently heard their forthcoming album from start to finish and are pleased to announce that "In A Dream" was the definite mark of a new phase of clarity in the band's career. Nothing else on Morning After Cuts, which will be out in January 2010, is quite as poppy as "In A Dream" but the album as a whole is filled with remarkable songs that show a band maturing and finding its own voice.

The fact that we're even listening to The Sun's new album is a bit of a miracle, since the last time we heard from them was through a cryptic post declaring "New Record Shelved, Band Disbanded: The new record will not be coming out anytime soon." So while it appears as if the band itself isn't currently functioning, they have managed to finally release that album, Don't Let Your Baby Have All The Fun, as a free digital release on the Chicago based Rock Proper label.

GayCo, Chicago's home for gay and lesbian sketch comedy, delivers the laughs with its new show, The Audacity of Nope or How I Fell for a Pansy Scheme, which runs through Dec. 5 at Strawdog Theater. Written by the performers themselves, the show has enlivened recent events facing the LGBT community with loads of laughter that leave practically no stone unturned, including Iowans singing about ham balls and equality.

       

Last month, we stumbled upon the wonderful photo collection of Quinn Dombrowski, showcasing the various scribbles and graffiti scattered about the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library. At the time, Quinn let us know the photos were being compiled for a book. Now, it's here for you to own and she's also having a fun little contest to promote its release: a remix contest. Quinn says: "Do something nifty with the graffiti- you choose the medium (video, song, poetry, essay, digital collage, mashup, something physical that can be photographed or mailed, etc)." You can submit entries to her at quinn(at)crescatgraffiti(dot)com through December 20; check out the contest's website for more details.

Oprah Winfrey’s production company is proposing a new daytime talk show featuring Chicago interior designer and decorator Nate Berkus, which means he’s poised to join Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, and Dr. Oz as the newest member of the ‘I was a regular Oprah guest and now I have my own show’ clique. The as-yet-titled show is slated for 2010 and would be the second collaboration between Harpo Productions and its distributor, Sony Pictures Television. Their first collaboration, "The Dr. Oz Show" premiered earlier this year and had the best first-run talk show debut in seven years, according to Broadcasting & Cable.

Tomorrow evening at the Harold Washington Library, author Jonathan Safran Foer will speak about and sign copies his new book, Eating Animals.

In case you weren’t listening the first time, you should really go see Death of a Salesman at Raven Theatre. Yes, the title might conjure up some high school nightmares, but this production is top notch and has just been extended through January 16. Arthur Miller is all over the Chicago map this season, and while we can’t speak for the other productions, Raven does it right. It’s also a great show to enjoy with the folks for the holidays. (In case there weren’t already enough holiday performances going on.) Though not technically an upper, Salesman will make you appreciate what you have and come together with the ones you love. Isn't that what the holidays are all about?

       

It's that time of year again...well, almost. It's just about time for the Millennium Park ice rink to open for the winter to fans of ice skating everywhere. It was due to open for business tomorrow but this week's forecast of rain has delayed the opening until noon this Friday (November 20). The rink will remain open until mid-March. It's free and open to the public but if you need to rent skates, that'll cost you $10. Hours are Mondays through Thursdays 12 p.m. -8 p.m.; Fridays 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.; and Sundays 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Say what you will about the decline of the neighborhood record store, Ukrainian Village's Permanent Records has led by example and prospered in the face of economic and industry adversity. Unknown to many, the little outpost that could also houses its own label, offering up some truly eclectic selections. We're lucky enough to be able to hop on over to P-Rex whenever we want, but those outside Chicago will be pleased to learn that the shop has launched an online store where you can purchase new and used selections in a variety of different formats.

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons are coming home for Thanksgiving week and giving Chicago two shows to be thankful for. They’re booked to play a solo show at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods November 25 and another with The Sleeptalkers at Double Door November 27.

While we're sure there will plenty of eyes directed at another female singer's long-delayed album dropping today, we feel that it'd be a pity if that caused Annie's excellent sophomore effort to get overlooked. Anne Strand, better known as simply Annie, was all set to release Don't Stop a year ago before abruptly cutting ties from her record label and pulling the album from the release schedule. Word filtered through that she was reworking tracks and recording new material. We'd heard the unreleased version of Don't Stop and while it wasn't perfect we weren't sure if this album revamp was really necessary.

If your collar is blue and your attitude, too, then consider paying a visit to the Chicago History Museum this Sunday for Well-Sung Heroes: a concert benefiting the Illinois Labor History Society. Headlining this year's event are Waco Brother/country-punk icon Jon Langford, Woody Guthrie Archives Director Nora Guthrie, union-song collector Bucky Halker, and jazz artists Jimmy Ellis, Art Hoyle and Willie Pickens. The Society will also induct three people into its Union Hall of Honor: James C. Petrillo, who served as president Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10 during the last century; the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 208, which represented black artists prior to the desegregation of unions in 1966; and working-class historian Bucky Halker.

Summer memories grow ever hazier and the lunchtime concert series at Pritzker seems like a distant dream, but just because the temperatures are dropping that doesn't mean the end of music in Millennium Park. The Harris Theater Eat to the Beat series has been giving patrons a low dough chance to enjoy some premium musical and dance offerings ever couple of weeks, and tomorrow's installment, Beat in the Box, features DanceWorks Chicago performing to music provided by human beatbox Yuri Lane.

We've got a pair of tickets to go see Deadmau5 with Ghostland Observatory and Burns at the Congress Theatre this Friday, November 20. The contest closes at 5 p.m. CST on November 18 so enter for your chance to win after the jump!

We were not sure why Them Crooked Vultures wasn't calling themselves Queens Of the Stone Age, since singer Josh Homme leads that group, Dave Grohl has spent a fair amount of time drumming for them in the past, and the addition of a new bassist -- in this case Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones -- is really nothing all that unusual. After listening to their self-titled debut though, we can see why a name change was in order. Them Crooked Vultures shares many similarities with Queens Of the Stone Age, but the former is a group effort while the latter is driven by a single man ... and it shows.

In celebration of National Opera Week, the Chicago Opera Theater has sent its members to random places throughout the city to give short "Pop-Up Opera" performances. You can get tips on the locations and times on COT's website or Twitter. As an added bonus, if you tweet about the "Pop-Up" performance you're seeing (make sure to include #popupopera), you could win COT subscriptions, tickets to Kathleen Battle's performance with the Chicago Children's Choir, and $50 restaurant gift cards.

Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions continues its occasional film series with a screening of the "rock opera" Jesus Christ Superstar at the Music Box on December 3. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot will be on hand to introduce the movie. Advance tickets are $9.

Looking for a Monday afternoon pick-me-up? If you're a Wilco fan, you're in luck. The band will be webcasting their Monday night show from Amsterdam tonight, which happens to fall in the post-lunch haze Chicago-time. If you want to spend your afternoon listening to a live show from Tweedy & Co., point your browser this way and get listening. The show is scheduled to start at 1:45 p.m. local time.

This is what happens when Marcus and I have a serious philosophical discussion about Hello Kitty.

Contempo kicks off its season this Saturday night with the new-music collective's resident ensembles eighth blackbird and the Pacifica Quartet performing music inspired by visual arts.

                   

Sound Bar* is usually populated by douchebags and the ladies who love them, but the hipsters took over Tuesday night at a private party thrown by our friends at UR Chicago and Hornitos. The tequila was free and free flowing, and the beats were provided by such talent as Acid Girls, Million $ Mano, and Moneypenny. True, the pillow-fighting and go-go dancing girls were a bit over the top, but overall we had a really good time dancing with friends and, um, drinking all that free booze. Local photographer Clayton Hauck was on hand to capture the madness with his unique eye.

Tickets might be going for $1800 on Craigslist for Second City, but you can still hear and see some funny (and cultural) things on the cheap at the Chicago Humanities Festival. From the dance lecture “Foot is a Funny Word” to the panel “Laughter and the First Amendment” and, a personal favorite, “Laughter Bollywood Style,” the final weekend seems to be full of reasons to chuckle. So what if Tony Kushner was a round last weekend and we missed it?

At the center of End Days is the Stein family. There’s Sylvia (a neurotic mother who, despite her Jewish upbringing, has recently found Jesus and Evangelism), her husband Arthur (a former corporate bigwig who lost his entire staff on 9/11), and their daughter Rachel (a high schooler in a goth phase). Add to the picture Nelson Steinberg, a newcomer to Rachel’s school who’s in love her (and his Elvis costume, which he always wears), Jesus, and Stephen Hawking, and it sounds like a ridiculous farce. But it isn’t. On the contrary, its earnestness is what makes it both successful and a bit too neat.

If you usually associate southside Irish stalwarts The Tossers with their alcohol-fueled St. Patrick's day sets at Metro, you get a 3-month-early preview of those gigs when they take the stage near midnight on New Years Eve at Reggies Rock Club. The Tossers have been keeping something of a low profile through the second half of this year, and the NYE gig will be their first show in 4 months, which is an eternity for a band that's almost always on the road. Opening for the Tossers will be avant-garde doom metal group Yakuza, the surf-punk Teen Idols, and Scott Lucas and the Married Men, a group which features Aaron Duggins and Becca Manthe of the Tossers in his lineup as well. [Ed. note: Lucas is gonna be busy that night, since he's playing a headlining set at Double Door later that evening!]

Fans of sonic experimentation will want to clear their schedules November 19 for the return of the Chicago/NYC-based International Contemporary Ensemble to the MCA for a rare performance of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's work. Brad Lubman will conduct and Saariaho herself will supervise the group's rehearsals and make a guest appearance at the concert to field audience questions.

The people of Port Gamble have many differences between them - politics, ideologies, religion and sexual orientation to name a few - but they must come together a battle a zombie virus in this film being screened Friday as part of the Reeling International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. The festival concludes Sunday.

Special to Chicagoist from Sarah Cobarrubias

Police have found Kill Hanna's touring van and trailer today. We're awaiting word from their publicist if any of the band's missing gear was recovered. [via GB]

Our first clue that Kid Sister -- Melisa Young-- was on the road to fame is when she apologized to a friend of ours while telling him she wouldn't be able to babysit his kids any longer due to her hectic travel schedule. This also offers some insight into what it is that sets her apart from so many other hip-hop-popsters; even while shooting videos with Kanye West she was picking up work on the side babysitting for friends. It's that combination of a solid work ethic and her lack of pretension that makes her debut, Ultraviolet, such a satisfying listen.

Oh, Andrew Bird. We've made no secret in the past about our crush on you. And now you've given us another reason to add to the adoration. In an interview with the BBC, [via Pitchfork], Bird says he's recorded a cover of of Kermit The Frog's classic tune, "It's Not Easy Bein' Green." It's part of a tribute record to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street and the 'Fork reports it'll also feature Weezer and My Morning Jacket.

         

Special to Chicagoist from Marah Eakin

We've had our issues with Kill Hannah's music in the past, but our hearts go out to them today as we hear news that their 15-passenger van, 14-foot trailer and all their gear was stolen early this morning outside of their hotel in Philadelphia. The band has reportedly lost over $120,000 of equipment and merchandise and are looking for any information surrounding the theft. Obviously the band has been forced to cancel all its future tour dates, but we have confirmed their annual Chicago Christmas shows are still occuring.

Doesn't a game of "expressive handball" with paint sound like a fun way to be creative? Artist/graphic designer Erik DeBat — also known by his graffiti name, "Risk" — recently teamed up with filmmaker/producer Brian Keller to use tennis balls, among other things, to jointly and "joustily" produce three giant modern paintings. And tomorrow — that's so soon! — you will be able to view the results of their rolling, mopping, paint-balling good time at Rodan.

One of the most fabulous parties that you’ve never been invited to takes place once a month at a secret location revealed just days before the event.

              

Fanfarlo brought their uplifting indie orch-pop to Schubas earlier this week and the intrepid Laura Gray shares a couple of her stunning photos of the show with us.

Nestled in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago existed a musical mecca where legends gathered and the aspiring came to be enlightened. Hot Jams Records, also known as Pink Machine Studio, was an outpost whose patrons revealed as much about the history of Chicago House as the stacks of records they purchased. From the late '90s through as recently as 2007, Hot Jams filled a role far more significant that sales. For area youth like the Ghetto Division collective, the walls of Hot Jams were a safe haven of late nights, forged friendships and daily inspiration. A few years and countless memories later, Ghetto Division carry the torch of Hot Jams, a group of DJs and producers who challenge the norms of Chicago nightlife and champion the cause of original music making.

We've timed the walk between the Art Institute and the Harris Theater, and you can definitely attend both of these events. You'll even have enough time to grab a cup of coffee in between (unless you go to Intelligentsia, of course).

We've been longtime fans of French renegade concert purveyors La Blogotheque who host intimate performances of indie artists in unexpected locales worldwide, videotape them, and publish them on their blog. There's been a host of sites that have followed similar suit, each with their own slightly different take on the concept. Thanks to Matt Baron and the Lakeview coach house he calls home and stage, Chicago now has its very own intimate series. Titled Coach House Sounds, Baron's site features half hour sessions with musicians from all over and unlike similar series' singular focus on indie rock, CHS will encompass a wide range of music including jazz, ambient and classical genres.

It was rumored on Twitter last week, wondered aloud by Jim DeRogatis earlier today, and just now it's been confirmed by Time Out Chicago: Sonotheque has been sold and is closing at the end of this week.

Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein is too funny. There are too many overused jokes, too many corny gags, and too much suggestive language. Watching the musical at the Cadillac Palace Theatre is like overdosing on Halloween candy. Sure it’s enjoyable and delicious, but in the end, you’ve consumed nothing substantial and you feel a little sick.

                 

Lots of money was raised for Arts of Life and a great time was had by all last Saturday at Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off. Over 200 people attended, 20 chili entries were judged, and almost $2,500 was raised. And in the end, a winner was chosen by the members of the jury (which included yours truly): the Tomatillo Chili cooked up by the team of Erin and Elena from The Kids' Table. Possessing a healthy amount of heat and a glowing green color, it was definitely one of the most individualistic entries in the competition. They've graciously passed the recipe on to us (after the jump), so now you can make it yourself. Enjoy!

We're feeling quite presidential these days. Besides Hyde Park's most famous resident currently entrenched as POTUS #44, we mentioned earlier that #43, George W. Bush, will be in town later this month for a private function. And now we know that if you have a little extra money to donate, you can catch #42, William J. Clinton, this week at the House of Blues appearing with hip-hop star Common. The event is a fundraiser for the William J. Clinton Foundation Millennium Network, a network that seeks to engage individuals age 45 and younger in the work of the Clinton Foundation. The Clinton Foundation’s seven initiatives deliver tangible results to tackle pressing issues including HIV/AIDS, global warming, economic opportunity worldwide, and the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States. Tomorrow night is the Millennium Network's first event in the Midwest and it'll feature a performance by Common and remarks by the former President.

We really hope the Nederlander Theatre isn’t cursed, like we said last week. After the fateful closing of Cromer’s plays, another Chicago show will fill the theater. Million Dollar Quartet, which celebrated its one-year anniversary at the Apollo Theater last Thursday, is making the Broadway transfer in the spring.

Tonight is the only night you can catch this year's Site Unseen: a site-specific performance event featuring theater, dance, music, and visual art by local and international artists.

Most folks are familiar with The Meat Puppets' hit "Backwater," but those in the know are more familiar with the band's more out-there sonic explorations across sun-bleached desserts and murky swamp haze.

Perhaps nowhere are the rifts between the conservative and progressive, Orthodox and atheist, gay and straight more evident than in Jerusalem, center to the world's three major religions. City of Borders, a new documentary playing tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 10) at the Landmark Theater at 9 p.m. as part of the Reeling Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, takes a look at the rifts facing the Holy City's LGBT community.

It is with heavy hearts that music fans mourn the tragic weekend loss of drummer and all around loved guy, Jerry Fuchs. Fuchs lent his percussive talents to a long list of bands over his career including Maserati, Turing Machine, !!! and The Juan Maclean.

Not that that's a bad thing, actually. Writer/humorist/actor John Hodgman is everywhere these days. Hodgman, a Daily Show correspondent and contributor to both McSweeney's and This American Life (and, yes, the PC in those Apple ads), is also now promoting the paperback of his 2008 book More Information Than You Require, a follow-up to 2005's The Area of My Expertise.

I'm stepping away from the Chicagoist "we" for a moment, because there's no way I can possibly be objective about True Stories. It's my favorite movie.

Former President George W. Bush will be entering rare personal territory when he visits later this month for a fundraiser. It'll be one of the few speaking engagements for the ex-prez since he left office in January. (In America, anyway; the former president recently made a few speeches and diplomatic appearances in Asia.) So why is W coming to the city of his successor? He'll be speaking at a private function of the Turnaround Management Association, filling in for former GE CEO Jack Welch who had to back out due to illness. The November 19 appearance is closed to the public and media, but reservations jumped by 50 percent when the announcement was made.

The Hood Internet -- the DJ duo of STV SLV and ABX -- has come a long way since they first started to drop their inde / hip-hop mash-ups, and even further since they played their first live show at an event put together by a certain local website. (O.K., we admit it, we're a little proud of the fact that we were on-board with the boys back before they started their jet-set lifestyle and became a household name in the music blogosphere. Sue us.)

With the 28th edition of Reeling, Chicago's very own Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival already gaying up movie screens all over the city, Chicagoist thought we'd take a closer look at a few of the titles being screened for you queer cinephiles out there. First up: Pornography: A Thriller, a film directed by David Kittredge, playing Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Landmark Theater.

If you’re a fan of River North Dance (or even if you’re not) - you’re going to want to grab tickets to the company’s “20th Anniversary Fall Engagement” - the company won’t be in town again until February.

Back in September we lined up with hundreds of Chicagoans outside the House of Blues for a chance to see Jay-Z's Samsung-hosted elusive free show. And like many of the same people we queued in line with that evening, we went home unable to even make it as far as the venue doors.

We're getting closer to tomorrow's Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off this Saturday benefiting The Arts of Life and if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, get a move on! They're still only $5 through 5 p.m. today; you'll pay $10 at the door tomorrow. And if you think your chili has what it takes to win it all, $20 will get your entry in (besides other prizes, we'll also be featuring the winner right here). Last we heard, there are almost 20 different chili entries so you'll be able to stuff your face with some quality food. There will also be six different raffle prizes handed out, there'll be Half Acre beer, and the folks from Nice Cream will have samples at the ready. So what are you waiting for? Grab some tickets and swing by. I'll be there as will Rob, who gets to taste all of the entries as one of the cook-off's judges, so be sure to come say hi if you can make it.

The sun is shining! It's kind of warm! And this is how that all makes us feel!

The Interview Show is a humorous monthly Chicago-based talk show hosted by quick-witted syndicated columnist Mark Bazer the first Friday of every month. The show is a similar format to late night TV talk shows set in the intimate space of the Hideout. Past guests have included writer Jen Lancaster, chef Rick Bayless, interior designer Nate Berkus and filmmaker Steve Conrad.

The whirlwind that is The Grates hails from Australia and threatens to take down everything in its path. Singer Patience Hodgson dominates the proceedings with voice that flips from sweet trill to all encompassing roar into playground chant without missing a beat. Through it all she rides a pleasant melodicism that contrasts brightly with the churning three-chord punk guitars carrying most of the songs forward.

Who says music can't prosper in this economy? Local nerd power-pop-rockers I Fight Dragons just raised a cool $10,000 for their band in under 48 hours. They offered fans a chance to buy a lifetime subscription to the band's music -- including anything and everything they ever release -- for $100, and limited the number of available subscriptions to 100.

If you missed the Eccentric Soul Revue last spring, or if you went and had such a great time pretending you were rolling around 1970's Chicago in a blue soft-top Monte Carlo with bench seats and options air conditioning, fear not! The one-of-a-kind live-action reissue is back! Chicago's very own Numero Group is bringing the amazing show back to the stage tomorrow night at Lincoln Hall.

This month is National Novel Writing Month — Nanowrimo for short. A time for cranking (crunking?) out 50,000 words of elegant prose — or crap, depending. A time (30 days, to be precise) within a time (that lacks a foreseeable end, to be depressing) of widespread unemployment among writers, many of whom used to get paid to wordsmith. Damn, man. Those were the days.

Writer Claire Zulkey is bringing the funny back to the Hideout for another round of her excellent Funny Ha Ha series. Funny Ha-Ha rounds up Zulkey’s funny friends for a reading of pieces they’re particularly proud of and a few performance pieces. Low-key literature plus a dash of multimedia from Zulkey’s husband, Steve Delahoyde, equals big laughs at the Hideout next Wednesday.

Had Jonze and Eggers been honest in just what audience their adaptation of a beloved and twisted children's book truly was, the end result would've looked like this.

Nikki Finke is reporting Oprah Winfrey is moving her show to the Oprah Winfrey Network by 2011, and will be moving production from Chicago to L.A.

Gottlieb Hall at the Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria, 7:30 p.m., $20-$40, $10 students

We never thought we'd be writing this sentence, but The Black Heart Procession's "Rats" sees the brooding, creepily atmospheric band ... getting funky? O.K., maybe funky is too strong a word, but the staccato guitars of the chorus play against the gentle surge of the drums to create a milieu that at least encourages finger-tapping, if not an adventurous toe-tap or three. We keep finding ourselves migrating toward their latest, Six, to slowly allow ourselves to sink and submit to its dark charms. They've always been hard to label -- are they goth, indie, sludge, Leonard Cohen swagga? -- and this album's thirteen songs will do nothing to clarify the band's intent enough to slot them into one niche or another. And frankly, we wouldn't want that.

Where Did All My People Go is an apt title for the full length debut from The Prairie Cartel. The band -- Scott Lucas, Blake Smith, and Mike Willison -- is stocked with some of the survivors from the mid-'90s Chicago music scene that never stopped producing new music. The trio comes from a guitar heavy past but their mutual love of electronic music brought them together to synthesize their own take on motivating the denizens of the dance floor.

Lollapalooza is taking suggestions for next year's line-up. We're not sure if this is just a feel-good community effort or if your suggestions will really matter, but either way it can't hurt to pitch your favorite bands to their booking agent, right? Do us a favor and write-in BLUR as your first pick and feel free to follow it up with any of your own faves.

Next month, Second City alumni will converge on Chicago to help celebrate the comedy theater's 50th anniversary.

It's been a funny seven weeks at ComedySportz where the eight contestants of Impress These Apes have given it their all in an effort to, well, impress the Apes. And it all comes to a head tonight as the eight contestants go all out. The challenge? Just impress the Apes. But that's not the easiest thing to do and if history is any judge, the contestants will pull out all the stops in order to wear the crown of "Least Pitiful Human." Be sure to swing by their site and spend the remainder of your afternoon catching up on the contestants' performances in preparation for tonight's finale. Only 12 points separates first place from last place and special fourth judge will be there tonight to add to the drama.

We can't imagine reminiscing first loves and past friendships without the appearance of the ubiquitous mixtape. While kids these days might opt for a CD, or even a .zip file, our fond memories center around hours spent alone in our room, painstakingly crafting the perfect expression of our teenage emotions onto a double-sided cassette tape. We mailed our mixtapes to pen pals we'd never met, slipped them into the locker of a crush and when we were scorned, our mixtapes became little plastic outlets for misery and rage.

If you're sick of looking at paintings and sculptures all the danged time, for god's sake already, then maybe it's time to give your eardrums a work-out. And here's the perfect venue to do so: the 10th annual Outer Ear Festival of Sound, a celebration of the sonic arts in Chicago presented by the Experimental Sound Studio, the Sound Department of the School of the Art Institute and several other local cultural organizations. The Festival begins today and stretches over the next few months, with poetry, installations and more. Here's what's on the menu:

Just a little wink wink, nudge nudge to remind you about Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off this Saturday. It benefits The Arts of Life, a non-profit community that uses art to assist developmentally disabled adults discover personal growth, and is being co-presented by Nice Cream and Chicagoist. Yours truly (this is Rob typing) will be among the panel of judges selecting a winner, who will receive a trophy and a signed and framed drawing of the original picture that inspired the cook-off by Arts of Life artist Kris Shenkel. (Oh--and the winner also gets a coveted spot in one of our gallery posts.)

We'll admit, we're excited to see the new television show that follows Steven Seagal as he works with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department in Louisiana (the western suburbs of New Orleans). But what if a similar reality show featured our own Chicago Police Department? Would we watch? Yeah, we would. While no celebrity is involved, Chicago's resident gossip monger Michael Sneed is reporting this morning that the CPD is this close to reaching a deal with A&E to produce the show, Missing Persons: Chicago. CPD Superintendent Jody Weis has given the green light on his end but still needs approval from the City Council, including the Council's Police Committee, which will take up the issue in two weeks. The show is being put together by Chicago native Gary Sherman who has brought us such cinematic masterpieces as "Vice Squad."

If you're a fan of the Discovery Channel, you're in luck because you'll have a few chances to see the Windy City on television. Gapers Block points out that Dirty Jobs (8 pm) will include a glimpse of the West Chicago branch of Sims Recycling Solutions. But there's more. Ghost Lab follows (9 pm) and, just a few weeks after paying a visit to Liar's Club, the crew take on some ghosts that are apparently haunting the Metro. Spooky!

There were plenty of concert options last week to celebrate Halloween, but none may have been quite as raucous as the Freaky Deaky show held Friday night at Congress Theatre. Featuring Chromeo, Crystal Castles and Boys Noize, the night was filled with sweaty bodies, inebriation, surely some illegal substances and, of course, copious amounts of fancy footwork. There are dance parties and then there are proper dance parties--this had drinking tea with the Queen beat.

What separates Lipstick & Lyrics—the annual fundraiser for Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC)—from other boys-in-drag events such as Night of a 100 Drag Queens? “Every performer that takes the stage will be singing their vocals live,” gushes Brandon Vejseli, chairperson of this year’s event. “No lip-synching for us!”

We've decided to cease apologizing for Weezer. The band is what it is. If you're looking for Rivers Cuomo to ever attain the heights of Pinkerton or The Blue Album you're always going to be sorely disappointed. And Jesus if the man doesn't make it hard to even enjoy his music when he throws garbage like Weezer Snuggies and duets with Kennny G into the mix.

Didn't get tickets to the sold-out Jesus Lizard shows on Thanksgiving weekend? Fret not! The fierce Chicago foursome has just announced they'll be playing Metro for New Year's Eve this year. Tickets for the 18+ show go on sale this Saturday at noon.

Ah, Bill Simmons aka ESPN's The Sports Guy. To know him is to either love him or hate him. To those that love him, his constant pop-culture riffs and irreverent takes on today's athletes make him seem like one of us: a fan. To those that would rather see him deleted from ESPN's archives, he's a Boston sports homer whose schtick has long since worn thin. Us? We love the guy. While his writing occasionally comes across as just a tad too jokey (sometimes undermining some good points), we can dismiss his homerism - at least he's honest and upfront about it - he's producing an entertaining podcast, he's doesn't suffer for a lack of passion, and he definitely knows sports, particularly basketball.

The Men Who Stare At Goats -- based on an actual government program dedicated to the results of some REALLY intense goat staring, is one of the few meetings we're anxiously awaiting. Well, a lucky reader of Chicagoist need not wait like we mere mortals! We have a pair of tickets to the screening in Chicago on Wednesday at 7 p.m. that includes access to an exclusive after-party! No word on if goats will be present at either event.

Yes, we realize you are dead tired and possibly still hungover from Halloween weekend revelry, but you won't want to sleep on tonight's special guest at Debonair's Monday night weekly, Rehab.