Flurries possible tonight, but this weekend shouldn't be too, too chilly. Which is good because there's a ton of fun stuff going on tomorrow: Paula Deen has two live shows at the Chicago Theater tomorrow. BYO sticks of butter, we're guessing. Tickets start at $45 and are still available for both the 11am and 4pm shows. Not in the mood for angioplasty? Head over to the DIY Trunk Show, at Pulaski Park auditorium. We're starting... more ›

We've got a little bit of everything today to get you out of the house and over the blues that have overtaken many because of this second Winter we have been experiencing. Besides, it is supposed to hit the 50's today, so time to celebrate. more ›

With Don Imus shooting his mouth off, the same old recycled music, and Clear Channel dictatorially ruling the airwaves, radio is leaving a lot to be desired these days. That's why community stations like WLUW (88.7) are such an oasis in the desert of mainstream radio. more ›

Jan Lorys, Director, Polish Museum of America more ›

We walked outside yesterday and smelled the slightest hint of charcoal. The smell immediately sparked a memory of, in August, when we would spend many a lazy Saturday walking around, perhaps stop at Pontiac, see Gene Lee ride by on a skateboard in some leopard-print hot pants. Don’t get us wrong — we love the Holiday season and all its snowy white beauty — we just miss days lasting past 4:30 p.m. and vodka lemonades.... more ›

They’re less sophisticated than the big box stores but their merchandise is much more compelling, Chicago’s art shops and fairs are wasting no time hawking their wares. We could use some help after last year’s gift debacle (what were we thinking?), so we’ll be checking out the holiday art show circuit: This weekend’s DEPART-ment converts the Open End Gallery to a temporary shop of unique, locally produced, hand-crafted gifts. From oven mitts to hoodies to... more ›

The DIY Trunk Show is a yearly event that brings the best of Chicago's alternative craft community together for you. Not only will you be able to get everything from handmade clothing to jewelry to art to music, but you’ll be buying it from a real live person here in Chicago who made it themselves. That beats buying mass-produced junk from some corporation. Also, remember, the holiday gift-giving season is just around the corner, so this is the perfect chance to buy a one-of-a-kind gift for that certain someone. more ›

We love WLUW. We love supporting WLUW. We love records. We love fairs (as long as they don’t include jousting since we grew out of that oh-so long ago, like, in 1998 and all.) So one would think that a combination of all four would be an instant aural slam dunk, no? We have to be honest here. If you’re looking for miles upon miles of records to thumb through in hopes of finding some... more ›

A little word association. When we hear "knitting" we think "ball of knots." Hot glue gun? Burned fingers. Handsaw? Lost limbs. Chicagoist is not a crafter. But luckily, many people in Chicago are. more ›

As Gaper's Block blogged yesterday, some details about the Intonation Fest have changed. Most importantly, tickets will not be sold onsite but rather online. Tickets go onsale at noon today at the Intonation Fest website. Also, tickets are now $15 a day (up from $10) and a two-day pass will run you $22. In addition, the fest will be held at Union Park instead of the smaller Pulaski Park. And instead of Intonation Fest, the... more ›

As the organizers of Lollapalooza struggle to dot their I’s, cross their T’s, and leave the bags of money behind the correct trees, Pitchfork does them one better by announcing they’ll be “curating” the first Annual Intonation Music Festival on July 16th and 17th at Pulaski Park. (Curating? Huh. So that’s what pretension smells like). But let’s leave our own sarcasm aside for a moment because Pitchfork has done something really crazy and released a... more ›

Oh, this is terrible. Seriously this is just the worst possible thing ever. On this their 3rd anniversary, Loyola University’s independent radio station WLUW has extended their usual one-day record fair to two days! This is horrible! It’s bad enough we had to put off paying the electricity bill for a month last spring just to subsidize our habit. But this year we know that much like the effect of Mr. Brownstone, we’ll try to buy a little but a little won’t do it so the little will get more and more-ore.
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The DIY Trunk Show is this weekend, just in time for the holidays. The show features more than 70 of Chicago's independent crafters and artists in an all-day bazaar. more ›