Jim DeRogatis's sometimes-pugnacious demeanor is the subject of many a poorly-reviewed band's ire, but it does come in handy now and then. DeRo is taking the lead on figuring out what the hell our city officials are thinking in trying to pass the proposed promoter's ordinance, and he recently offered Alderman Gene Schulter the chance to respond to the Chicago music community's collective concerns. By pointing out the obvious holes in the ordinance's basic fabric, he succeeds in exposing the rather shortsighted nature of the city's view on live music. more ›

We've written before about the sad demise of the Chicago Trader Vic's, how it was unceremoniously booted from the Palmer House after the hotel's new owners took over. And we've also sighed about the fact that the reopening of a new Trader Vic's, which was originally supposed to happen in 2006, has still not materialized. Well, we now have some proof that it's finally happening. more ›