M.I.A. will play The Vic tonight in what is the first of two shows (the second being tomorrow). What we really want to discuss is the after-party Thursday at Evil Olive. The club's weekly Let's Get Weird night will hold the event with sets from several DJs, including one from M.I.A.'s very own tour DJs, Nguzunguzu. As the night's title suggests, things will get weird and very, very sweaty. more ›

We know, the week just started. But it's never too early to look forward to the weekend, right? Maybe some lunchtime margaritas for Cinco de Mayo will cure your case of the Mondays, but for the rest of us, we're just working for the weekend. Consider us pleasantly surprised to find that tickets for M.I.A.'s Friday show at the Aragon Ballroom are still available via Ticketmaster. She may be tiny, but she packs a mighty wallop. more ›

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The Bears announced what Chicagoist suspected when we saw Cedric Benson remain on the ground following a 21 -ard run in the second quarter of Sunday's game: the injury will cut his season short. Benson will undergo surgery on his ankle that will shelve the Bears running back until next year. The Bears running game was a major area of concern even before the injury. The Bears are averaging only 85.3 yards/game -- third worst... more ›

We HATE the term Black Wednesday. more ›

Sure, we're all anxious and upset about the supposed cuts to the CTA service. However, there is one bus route we wouldn't mind see being cut. "We're a team that gets off the bus running the football,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday. ''I have it memorized, and that's what we are, period.'' Has he been watching the same offense we we've been watching this year? The only thing separating this team from a 1-6... more ›

Don't settle for another Wednesday of and Girl Scout cookies that have been in the freezer for months (not ... that ... we do that ...). There's a shitton of stuff going on tonight! more ›

As promised, this post will briefly explore (in first-person singular) life on the other side of the gate at Lollapalooza. Why? Because we know you're dying to read more things about that giant music festival that took place in Grant Park this past weekend. When The Polyphonic Spree recorded part of their newest album, The Fragile Army, at Steve Albini's studio Electrical Audio, they called up local tap dancer and Chicago Tap Theatre artistic director... more ›

The day is finally here! We get to mark up the schedule, fight with our friends over who to see, and determine what time we have to wake up to make it down to Grant Park. The Lollapalooza schedule is finally out. Also, if a three-day pass seemed excessive, the single day tickets are now on sale for $80. Which headliner will make the previously unconvinced head to the festival? Will it be Daft Punk... more ›

We were trying to explain to a friend last night that most DJs no longer use vinyl, and now use vinyl emulators. Yes, the primary trend is to plug in the ol’ laptop and scratch away at your digital files. We DJ around town, and have made the migration from vinyl to CDs to MP3s / M4As over the years ourselves, so we don’t view this practice as being less authentic. In fact, in the right hands, it opens up whole new avenues of sonic overlays to explore. more ›

A short work week would usually get us super-excited for all sorts of live music goodness since it should, theoretically, give us more time to catch some kick-ass concerts. Unfortunately, when that four-day weekend is triggered by Thanksgiving that means not only do we generally lose Thursday, most of the week is given up for lost in face of the biggest amateur night of the year. However, if you look closely enough, there is plenty... more ›

This week we can help Ticketmaster achieve over $1 billion in fee charges this year with a little something for everyone. Following are some of the shows going on sale this weekend. Diplo We were sad when Diplo didn't back M.I.A. last fall, so this is our chance to see him spin in all his glory. On sale Saturday at noon at the Metro Box Office, or feed the man. Smart Bar, Nov. 24, 10:00... more ›

This pains us, but sometimes Jim DeRogatis is right. Then again, if you say someone can be hit or miss that’s really not taking a huge stance because you will be correct in every instance. Anyway, that’s pretty much how Chicagoist feels about M.I.A.’s show last night at the Metro. DJ Contra (no more Diplo, sorry) began with what had to be the most eclectic set we’ve ever seen. Starting out with Dire Straits’... more ›

This week’s New City cover story “Music 45: Who Rocks Chicago” features 45 artists, talent bookers, and executives who rock Chicago. Though the awkward punctuation had us scratching our heads for a while, that was nothing compared with how we got our dander up over the list itself. Trust us: things get ugly when our dander is in the up position. more ›