Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd) really is the bad boy of City Council: Not only does he flout Mayor Daley's wishes, but ">he also smokes! He even believes the smoking ban was never "intended to limit artistic expression. It would be wise for us to ... allow theater productions to obtain a special waiver when smoking is a critical component of their performance." While Reilly wants the cast of Jersey Boys to be able to light......

WBEZ's Sunday arts show Hello, Beautiful has gotten the boot. This is what happens when you don't pledge, people. Ever since Edward Lifson left the gig, the show's been sort of adrift, but WBEZ's getting pretty light on local arts coverage. [S-T]......

Well, that anti-promoter ordinance the City's kicking around sounds worse with every passing second. The vague language means it may limit live comedy in Chicago, too. You can hear Alderman Eugene Schulter try to defend the ordinance on 848 from this morning, but we'll warn you that it'll just make you grumpy. Call your alderman, or plan on going to the City Council meeting tomorrow at 10am. update: Some folks are trying to rally 100......

Goccos are the holy grail of the crafting world—simple, handy, solid—so when the Japanese-made printing machine (sort of like silk screening, but easier) went out of production, print fans were crushed. Since 2005, Goccos have been tough to find, but today, local stationary go-to Paper Source got some of the "big daddy" Goccos in stock. Ayee! The $395 PG6 can make prints up to 6.5" x 9.3", and Goccos can print on paper and cloth.......

There's plenty going on this weekend in Chicago, like UFO symposiums, science fairs, and no shortage of places to eat. But if none of those things float your boat, maybe one of these events will. Smelt Lovers of Chicago, Unite! We can't say we've ever been big fans of the little guys, but there are definitely smelt enthusiasts out there. Shaw's Crab House will be leading a road trip this Saturday, March 29th, up to......

Photo by Calexico It's gonna snow tomorrow. Expect 6 inches by Friday. Joy! [Trib] Local news anchor musical chairs. [S-T] Two suburban art distributors and five other people have been charged in an art forgery ring. [Trib] On March 28, there'll be a new hearing on the statewide moment of silence in school. [CBS 2] The White Sox want to move their spring training facilities from Tuscon to Glendale. [AP] Dowtown streets including Michigan......

It's a good day outside and with the combination of springing forward the clocks, the South Side Irish Parade Sunday, and warmer temps next week there are plenty of weeks to go out. Start the weekend off by leaving work early and heading to the Artisan Cellar at the Merchandise Mart, where they'll be having a tasting of the new-to-the area Graham Beck wines from South Africa. The free tasting runs from 3:30-6 p.m.,......

How many dance troupes in Chicago can claim that they dance off the ceiling as well as the floor? AMEBA can. Billing themselves as an acrobatic and aerial dance company, AMEBA’s choreography uses the trapeze, suspended scarves, bungee cords, rope ladders … and they climb all over each other, too. We randomly caught AMEBA’s spring show last year and we were blown away. First of all, mad props to those who can lift their entire......

We were grabbing a granola bar from the Walgreens by our office this morning and came across these amazing treats. It was then we realized that we've been so caught up in the Leap Year excitement that we nearly forgot that it's time to get excited about St. Patrick's Day. While most of our non-Irish friends celebrate this time of year by getting drunk on green beer and acting like idiots, we like to......

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Chicagoist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla. Food/Drink: Get an early start to Valentine's Day with a champagne dinner at Café Matou this evening. Chef Charlie Socher will prepare a five-course dinner featuring dishes from the Champagne region, paired with Champagne wines selected by Wine Director James Rahn. 1846 N. Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Cost is $95 (all inclusive); RSVP at 773.384.8911. Art:......

All week, Chicagoist will be breaking down the Schubas Tomorrow Never Knows Festival by day to take a look at the sometimes raw, always promising talent that's creating some of most deafening buzz on the independent music horizon. TNK kicks off this Wednesday. San Francisco's John Vanderslice is as regular a presence at Schubas as an out-of-towner can be, and his borderline-quirky yet still genre-appropriate, moody songs have carved out a place amidst the venue's......

We all know that Chicago has a little something for everybody. As far as dance classes go, there are bountiful opportunities throughout the city to try something new, develop a new skill, or just plain old embarrass yourself in front of your significant other. We went ahead and found some of the more interesting offerings in the way of dance classes: Get in the action! AMEBA is an acrobatic and aerial dance troupe that also......

Saturday night at SketchFest was bigger, better, rowdier, drunker. Performers might have found audiences more forgiving (when friends and family came) and tougher (when the front row was soused). Groups filling the most coveted slots brought energy, harmony, and a bizarre hilarity to the stage. The Cool Table Cool Table’s energetic, spot-on deconstruction of dude culture made for a very satisfying 40 minutes. It’s solid material, although their scenes of a nutty police interrogation and......

The biggest cultural stories of 2008 are likely less predictable than this week’s Rose Bowl. Every year we see our share of breakout artists and surprising storefront gems, and 2008 promises to be no different. But 2007 left some unfinished business and we’re eager to see how these stories play out: Stingy in Springfield Blago’s veto of the FY08 State budget reduced Illinois Arts Council funding by 30%. And a trickle-down economics of pain proceeds:......

Nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-Batman! We are going crazy for full-length trailer for Batman: The Dark Knight. [Bigger, better-looking official version] Heath Ledger is scary as all get out (that slow blink at :57 is killing us), Christian Bale looks like a golden Adonis, and that burly Bat chopper is testosterone and conflict made into a vehicle. Here's a grainy, cruddy bootleg of the six minutes of Dark Knight that play before the IMAX version of I Am Legend.......

If you're like us, you're already getting pumped up for the Oscars! Not. Jeez, let's get past New Year's first, O.K.? Oops. Too late. The Chicago Film Critics Association has already jumped the gun and handed out their awards. To the surprise of no one the big winner was No Country for Old Men, the new Coen brothers movie that both impressed and disturbed us when we saw it last month. It won four......

Kanye West leads the pack with the most Grammy nominations this year. Kanye is also famous for throwing a tantrum every time he ends up being beaten out by anyone else for any other award. This time around, we think maybe Kanye should be crossing his fingers in hopes that he doesn't win. Our times are choked with so many awards shows, it's impossible to really take any of them seriously anymore. Sure, the Grande......

'Tis the season for free champagne tastings. Get started tonight at the Artisan Cellar (located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart) with a sample of some rare bubblies from 4-6 p.m. Learn all about the history of smothered foods from author Wilbert Jones, the author of Smothered Southern Foods. Jones' lecture, "Smothered - Southern Style" is being held Saturday at the Chicago History Museum, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. The lecture......

And your sweet, sweet lovin'. Wait. Writing. Your sweet, sweet writing. It's not too late to apply to be a Chicagoist writer. We're looking for folks who want to cover visual arts, music, events, food, news, transit, crime, government, architecture, style — and everything else. Send an e-mail to chicagoistapply@gmail.com with the subject line of what you want to write about. Please tell us a little about yourself, and include a sample post. Reindeer......

Want to write for Chicagoist? We want to hear from you. We're looking for writers to cover visual arts, music, events, food, news, transit, fashion, crime — you name it. Send us an email at chicagoistapply@gmail.com with the subject line of what you want to write about. Tell us a little about yourself, and include a sample post, please. Snowy leaves by Andy Marfia......

Chicagoist is looking for a few good men and women to fortify our ranks. We're looking for general contributors, food writers, people to cover visual arts and the gallery scene, and maybe a music and events writer or two who want to post a few times a week. Interested? E-mail chicagoistapply@gmail.com with the subject line of what you want to write about (is it not in that list above? That's OK — surprise us,......

The cold weather - and holiday festivities - descended upon Gothamist. The Rockefeller Christmas tree was lit, Broadway stagehand finally ended their strike, and NASCAR decided to run their victory lap through Times Square. There were disturbing photographs revealing the working conditions in which many city manholes are produced and ninjas were also a hot topic, either robbing homes or entering into alibis. But the city was really rocked by how Rudy Giuliani's visits......

The Reeling Film Festival is in its last days, but there's still time to catch what's sure to be one of the most fascinating movies in the program. Quearborn & Perversion, a new documentary by Columbia College alum Ron Pajak, tells stories of lesbian/gay Chicago life spanning the years 1924-1974. It's surely a beautiful irony of history: what is today the epicenter of the Viagra Triangle was, in the 50's, the epicenter of gay life;......

Kanye West's mother Donda West's autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday. The Chicago Board of Education is going to approve plans for a culinary arts high school for juniors about to drop out of school. Mark your calendars: On weekends between November 17 and December 23, Fannie May will be offering free ferry rides "between Chicago's commuter train stations and the Michigan Avenue shopping district." Moo Moo, a 2-year-old shih tzu was stolen from his Wicker......

Yesterday we learned that almost all of us have toxic chemicals hanging out in our bodies, and artists and musicians are no exception to the rule. Visual artists are often exposed to harmful chemicals on a long-term basis. Musicians risk hearing loss and/or vocal chord strain after a long career playing in loud clubs. And both groups risk repetitive motion disorders such as carpal tunnel. The upcoming Musicians at Work forum at the Cultural Center......

In a move sure to send ripples throughout the video game community, Electronic Arts, aka EA, is shuttering its Chicago office effective immediately. In case that leaves you scratching your head, EA is responsible for such gaming franchises as Madden NFL, The Sims, The Orange Box, and the upcoming Rock Band. The now former studio was located at 215 W. Ohio. According to EA Games president Frank Gibeau, shutting down the Chicago branch was “the......

We're embarrassed to admit that when it comes to Korean culture, beyond bulgoki and kimchi we sort of draw a blank. (But oh how we love bulgoki!) So it's great to know that DOC Films at U of C is on the job: this week they're hosting the Korean Film Festival, a traveling tour of contemporary and classic cinema. 1958's A Flower in Hell is described by Jonathan Rosenbaum as "potent and grim," but......

Luis Buñuel once wrote, "A film is like an involuntary imitation of a dream; as in dreams, images appear and disappear through dissolves and shadows, time and space become flexible, shrinking and expanding at will." A film is like a dream ... or a nightmare. Why do we, as viewers, sitting in the dark, voluntarily subject ourselves to disturbing images and sounds? Do the horrors of the real world help to explain the popularity......

Where Do Cows Go to Retire?...

Tonight kicks off a fest that's all about the ladies. Wait. You've heard of this concept before? Innovative or not, the festival appeals to the large number of people out there who feel like women need to continue to form communities and alliances within the art world and that females are not always represented as prominently as men. Ladyfest began in Olympia, Wash., seven years ago and has since spread to 50 cities worldwide. The......