I had no intention of ever going through with the Dating Game idea, once I got off the air and had the chance to think it through. Besides, Drew is still legally married, so he’s not really allowed to date yet. I’m very old school. What can I say?

The Swedes are really fucking rad, and the latest evidence comes in the form of Jens Lekman having the number one record there this week. Lekman is a pop music master in a time when the genre is struggling to identify a true star, and his presence on the can't-miss Secretly Canadian label should help to expand his appeal Stateside. It's the combination of pretty, bouncy instrumentation and Lekman's unmistakably drole vocal delivery that set... more ›

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed. For LAist, strong winds attacked LA on the same day the Feds raided the Crips. Not to fear, though: the Japanese... more ›

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending... more ›

Anyone expecting to get their usual dose of local music videos via JBTV was sorely disappointed, as the show was pre-empted on WJYS Channel 62 for one of the many ministries broadcast on the station (though it did air on its sister station WEDE Channel 34). Then today we saw this on JBTV’s MySpace blog: more ›

Chicagoist doesn't frequent the Skylark as often as we should. It's close to home; not as close as some other places, but close enough that it shouldn't be ignored completely. Located on Halsted, where 22nd Street separates Pilsen and Bridgeport (call it "Bridgepilsen"), Skylark is the sister tavern to Hanna's favorite Wicker Park hangout. Although it does draw its clientele mainly from the Pilsen artists' community, Skylark has also become a haven for longtime working-class... more ›

Note: Part 1 of this series is here. The Chicago Sketchfest brings some of the country’s finest comic troupes to town this weekend and next. Fitting really, since a mid-January Chicago vacation requires a hearty sense of humor. Yesterday, Chicagoist profiled a few up-and-comers but we didn’t want to leave out the veteran performers, the very backbone of the festival itself, and the uniquely wacky groups, the pickled liver of the festival itself. Many of... more ›

Coming off what amounts to a four-day weekend is hell. Sure, we at Chicagoist enjoy the time off as much as anybody but when we came back to work yesterday we were simply unmotivated, thinking about all the wonderful grilling and drinking we did over the holiday. That's why we're thrilled to know July is both National Hot Dog Month and American Beer Month. Knowing this Chicagoist is having a hard time keeping its inner Homer Simpson in check. (Mmmmm... beer). more ›

Next week kicks off The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Friday Night at the Movies series. Sadly, this does not mean the CSO will be projecting movies onto its back wall and serving brie and wine like some upper-crust Brew and View. Instead, they’ll perform musical scores from some well-known films. A logical starting point for this series would be the silent film era so Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” will kick things off on October 15th. The series will continue through the winter with The Golden Age of Film Music on November 19th featuring music from Gone With The Wind and Lawrence of Arabia and A Night On The Red Carpet, an Oscar-themed show on February 25th with selections from The Godfather and Doctor Zhivago. Tickets for these events are pricey but if you’re a student you can get in for only ten bucks. more ›