Just when we thought that we had heard the last of Black Eyed Peas' chart-topping jam "Boom Boom Pow", some inconsiderate soul comes out of nowhere and throws it right back on the table, like a dish of left over meat loaf that had been hugging some corner of our refrigerator for a few weeks. Not that we didn't dig the raucous tune when it first debuted -- it's a perfectly fine pop song that is hard to hate -- but fast forward a year or so and we are glad to officially have it on the back-burner of musical trends. Even so, local musician Phoenix Phenom wants to remind us that "Boom Boom Pow" is still relevant and may even be older than we think, in some form or another, and she's suing all parties responsible. more ›

Like many legumes, blackeyed peas are often eaten around the new year to bring about wealth and prosperity. We have our hoppin' john recipes, of course. For a New Year's party a few years back, we altered our standard hummus recipe to accommodate some vegans from Arkansas, using blackeyed peas as the base. It was so well received that we've tinkered with the ingredients further to bring in the essentials of hoppin' john: blackeyed peas and pork. We've also replaced the straight cumin with harissa spice blend to give this hummus some much needed kick. The combination of pork fat/bacon grease and collard greens also give this hummus a smoky flavor we found appealing. more ›

Oprah's throwing a party on the Mag Mile for her 24th season opener, filming next week. If you want to get in, "doors" for the celebration open at high noon next Tuesday. The portion of Michigan Ave between Ohio and Wacker will close down next Monday morning to set up for the taping, which gets underway at 5 p.m Tuesday. The show will also feature a performance by the We'll Work With Anyone Happy Funtime Band a.k.a. The Black Eyed Peas. Officials say Oprah and her folks are footing the bill for this party (a la the DNC for Obamapalooza) and that the mess will all be out of the way by 5 a.m. next Wednesday morning. [Crain's, NBC 5] more ›

It's hard to believe but we're just a hair over two weeks away from the new season of Oprah. The excitement is building here in the Chicagoist office for the Great O's 24th season of Jennifer Anniston and John Travolta interviews. Our pals at WGN pointed us to this video that Oprah's pals the Black Eyed Peas made. You know what song is infinitely more awesome than this and should have been used instead? This song. more ›

Though musician Keith Harris’ roots are firmly planted in Chicago, he’s literally all over the map. He brings home the bacon touring as the drummer with the Black Eyed Peas and moonlights as a hip-hop producer, remixer, songwriter and even talent scout. But don’t mistake this for career A.D.D., though. Having a hand in every aspect of the biz has made him a prolific music man, well-versed in classic theory and practice with an urban edge that’s given him an incredibly versatile skill set. The music he works to create is a fusion of different genres, vibes and styles, much like the man himself. The 2008 hit “American Boy,” which he co-wrote, is a prime example of this blurring of the lines with it’s hip hop-py lyrical flow overtop a laid-back, breezy, roller-skating on a sunny day musical feel. And people seem to like it, considering it’s up for "Song of the Year" at this Sunday’s Grammy Awards. We chatted with Keith just before he jetted off to L.A. to wait for his name to be read from the envelope, and we found even with his recent success, he’s still down to earth. But he’s nowhere near settled. more ›

One of the fascinating aspects of writing about food is the common ground we often discover between seemingly disparate cultures. It can sometimes be the use of an ingredient, similar table settings, or preparations of dishes that triggers a sense of familiarity that we aren't as different as we appear. Long before technology closed the distance between nations and made communication almost immediate, we became a global village by breaking bread. more ›

We haven’t seen this much talk about an album cover as art since LPs were phased out as the dominant form of music delivery. The artwork for Zeitgeist, the first album in seven years from a retooled Smashing Pumpkins, has been released. Graphic artist / illustrator Shepard Fairey was given the nod to create the cover for the band. Fairey has created album art before with such musicians as Flogging Molly, Less Than Jake, 311,... more ›

Deeming it unfair that the students get to have all the fun during Standardized Testing Season, the Illinois State Board of Education's Rules Committee will consider new guidelines today that would require some teachers to pass up to 10 exams to keep their jobs. The rules have been proposed to meet requirements of No Child Left Behind law demand that all teachers be "highly qualified" by the end of the year. The rest of the... more ›

When it was announced that the city would begin putting on concerts at Mei...er, Northerly Island, Chicagoist wondered what kind of acts Clear Channel would book. Would they be acts to consume wine and cheese by like Ravinia? Noveau hipsters for the kids? Or would they take the easy way out and book some low-hanging fruit? To our surprise, the answer to all those questions is “yes.” more ›