Now that this post is live, you're probably reading the headline, wondering if this is a joke. Some of you regular "BotW" readers are typing furiously, eager to be the first to tell us that low-alcohol beers deserve no place for inclusion in the "BotW" archives. We thought about that ourselves, when we decided on this week's selection. We're still thinking about it, filing this post on a Tuesday night. It's only emboldened us. Remember,... more ›

It was ten years ago today that Jim Ellison, lead singer/songwriter of the great Chicago power pop band Material Issue, committed suicide at the age of 31, ending one of the most influential and heartfelt careers of any Chicago musician. In a previous post, we said “not since the Undertones’ “More Songs About Chocolate and Girls” had a band ever released such a concise sonic mission statement as MI’s International Pop Overthrow album.” Three chords... more ›

Chicagoist is all about trying new bars. Whether it be a just-opened hot spot or simply new to you, variety is the spice of life. But, even the most adventurous of us grow weary on the hunt for a good time. Everyone needs a Plan B, and most often, that backup plan involves heading to the comforting embrace of your neighborhood bar. For Chicagoist, when all else fails, we find ourselves at Nick’s Beer Garden.... more ›

Yesterday's 15-count indictment against Brian Dugan for the rape and murder of Jeanine Nicarico did many things but, as Eric Zorn points out, it did not prompt DuPage County authorities to actually say that the Aurora man was responsible—an omission that does little to to erase nearly 20 years worth of memories as to just how bungled and botched the investigation was from the beginning. For nearly all of Chicagoist's life, we've heard about the... more ›

Chicagoist is only going to give this a modicum of space because just thinking about this gives us such incredible, mind-numbing, back-breaking cramps and there isn't enough Vicodin and Wild Turkey in the world to put us out of our misery. Look. This whole foie gras thing is getting way out of hand. Seriously, people, we cannot believe that there is a possibility that the city council will ban it. And all of you animal... more ›

If you were to compare the museums of Chicago with people you went to high school with then The Museum of Contemporary Art would be the kid in black clothes who mutters “This is bullshit” under his or her breath during pep rallies. You know, the one who always made it a point to mention oppressive CIA-supported regimes whenever you discussed the American Revolution in your U.S. Government classes. But here’s the thing: you needed... more ›