Local comedian Robert Buscemi knows funny. His off-kilter, inventive humor can catch you a bit off-guard with its occasionally surreal nature, but we mean that in the best possible way. There's a reason why Buscemi was a 2009 semi-finalist for the Andy Kaufman Award*. Just trust us; the guy's good (and we're not the only ones who think so). With two DVDs already under his belt (we recommend the fantastic "(t)wit" filmed at Subterranean), Buscemi's next tackling a live CD which he'll be taping tonight at the Lincoln Lodge. So not only will you have a chance to see an outstanding stand-up comedians do his thing in a great venue, but your laughs will be recorded for all eternity as Buscemi performs a full hour of his fantastically absurd humor. Buscemi recently relocated from Chicago to L.A. so his performances in these parts aren't as frequent as they used to be (though he does have a stint at Zanies coming up in January). We know the weather outside is frightful, but it'll be a trip worth the trouble. more ›

You might know him as the "Hug Guy" or the "Hat Guy" or as Frank, everyone's favorite TGS writer on 30 Rock. But Judah Friedlander is first and foremost a stand-up comedian, often performing at clubs several nights of the week even when he's shooting 30 Rock. We're lucky enough to have him in town this weekend performing his World Champion stand-up tour at the Chicago Improv. World Champion of what? Hockey, soccer, martial arts, picking up chicks, being a role model for children... world championships. Chicagoist got to know a little bit more about the world champion of the world; from his influences to what he's excited to do in Chicago to the $25 can of SpaghettiO's he's selling. more ›

Oh, Eddie Izzard, you lovable scamp. Long before he took over the small screen as a gypsy gone darkly mainstream on The Riches, he was cracking us up with his hilarious stand-up. Perhaps best known for wearing a dress on-stage (and off), Izzard's stream-of-consciousness comedy has kept us in stitches through specials like Glorious and Dress To Kill. Now he's bringing his new show, Stripped, to the Chicago Theatre for a three night run. And if you want to go, you'd better get a move on. Last time we checked, Friday and Saturday's show were sold out, but there were still tickets available for Thursday's show. more ›

While John McCain spent Super Bowl Sunday in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney made his pitch to the most reliably conservative county in Illinois. At a packed rally of several hundred people at the College of DuPage yesterday, he tried to convince voters here that he is the true conservative standard bearer. Romney vowed that as president he would "stand up for the principles of the Republican Party and to live in the house that Ronald Reagan built." more ›

We know, you're a little disappointed that your short-lived run for the presidency never included any debates. If you've been waiting for the right time to speak up in public on your views, tonight Glenn Hurowitz discusses his new book, Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party. more ›

Who doesn't love going to the eye doctor--so many cool tools and bright lights, and the "what's better, one or two?" thing is like a quiz you can't fail. Best! Thank jeebus we never went to the Myers-Wyse Center for the Eye in Skokie, though. Too bad for Roman Tesfaye. She did go there and got way more (less?) than an eye exam. more ›

Eeeeheeeheeehehehe. More snow is on the way tonight--maybe another four inches. Anybody got some good boot recommendations? Mama needs a new pair of shoes. Speaking of shoe shopping, Anthropolgie? We vehemently disapprove of the term "shootie." Please join us in this protest. "Shooties" appears to be catching on, so the time to act is now. No to shooties! The term and the shoes, now that we think about it. Loyola is buying Gottlieb Memorial... more ›

John Waters: Junk hoarder? Slum lord? Con man? (No, not that John Waters.) This Waters is an 80-year-old lousy neighbor who created a giganto junk house on the 4200 block of Melvina. The folks who lived around the trash heap (sadly not an oracle) were less than thrilled. James Parker, who lives next door, kept a close eye on Waters and even documented the junk man's movements with a point-and-shoot camera. Kopka called the... more ›

Mark Pera, Democratic candidate for congress in the Third District, is launching his first TV ad today. Debuting on cable television around the area, the ad contrasts incumbent Dan Lipinski's supposed political affiliations with his actions in Congress. “The Iraq war is the defining issue in our campaign for Congress, and we’re giving voters a clear choice. I’m offering to voters real leadership in Congress to end this war and bring our troops home safely... more ›

While on vacation in Tennessee this summer, Chicagoist went to multiple get-togethers that started with wine and cheese. One particular cheese caught our eyes (and more importantly our mouths) and didn't let go. This cheese was a semi-soft goat cheese. It resembled gouda in texture only creamier. It was a bit manchego-like in taste but with a clear goat's milk flavor, enhanced by a rosemary crust. It was cut either extraordinarily thin and eaten... more ›

On Wednesday, the Illinois House Committee on Mass Transit approved legislation that would enable the RTA to fund the CTA, Metra and Pace and prevent service cuts and fare hikes across the board. The Illinois House Committee on Mass Transit approved a transit funding and reform proposal by a 15-4 vote. The House is expected to convene to vote on the proposal next week. This bill comes after the RTA announced that a "doomsday" scenario... more ›

That's how many people are working illegally in this country, at least according to some estimates. Others put it closer to seven, depending on who you ask, and when. It's hard to get a handle on the actual number because most undocumented workers aren't too keen on standing up and being counted. Yesterday afternoon Elvira Arellano was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency charged with, among other things, keeping people from washing... more ›

Calling the sentence imposed on Lewis "Scooter" Libby "harsh" and "excessive," George W. Bush commuted the 30-month sentence on Monday. Not quite the full pardon that some conservatives wanted — he still has to pay a quarter million dollar fine and serve 2 years probation for lying under oath — it certainly left Bush open to criticism, from both sides of the congressional aisle. “He was indicted by a grand jury and convicted beyond the... more ›

Schanna Gayden, a thirteen-year-old honors student and innocent bystander, was killed yesterday as she bought watermelon at a vendor's cart in a park just blocks from her home. This morning, charges are pending against a 19-year-old gang member likely from either the Imperial Gangsters and Spanish Cobras, the two gangs that have previously sparred over the turf in Logan Square As a press conference yesterday, a visibly upset Mayor Daley said yesterday, "Parents have to... more ›

While change may have come through Chicago Tuesday, a tragic spectacle of how far we still have to go as a society was playing out in Springfield. State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (12th) sponsored HB1732, which would have made it easier for Illinois residents to change the gender listed on their birth certificate. Illinois law currently allows birth certificates to be changed with an affidavit from the doctor who performed the procedure. Affidavits from foreign doctors, however, are not recognized, or by people who have undergone permanent sex reassignment through non-surgical means. HB1732 would have amended the Vital Records Act, providing that "the State Registrar of Vital Records shall establish a new certificate of birth when he or she receives an affidavit by a physician that a person has undergone medical treatment and that by reason of the medical treatment the sex designation on such person's birth record should be changed." more ›

As John Edwards buckles down and tries to keep his presidential bid moving forward while his wife deals with the return of cancer, the two other major Democratic players — Hillary and Barack — have been in the news lately for their stands not just on gay marriage, but the morality of homosexuality in general. After Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Chicago Tribune that "homosexual acts between... more ›

Has Cook County politics become so cynical, so corrupt, and so arrogant, that it just doesn't matter anymore? If recent calls for an investigation of $500,000 that is "missing" from the county budget are any indication, we have to wonder if there is a light at the end of the tunnel for both taxpayers in Cook County and the people that use the services that the county finances. Tony Peraica, the Republican that was supposedly... more ›

As with the previous two playoff games, Mayor Daley will make a food-related wager with his counterpart in Indianapolis on the upcoming Super Bowl that'll see our Bears and their Colts face off in Miami. Chicago, with our great gastronomic traditions, always offers up a smorgasbord of culinary delights — deep dish pizza, Eli's cheesecake, Vienna hot dogs, Ann Sather cinnamon rolls, Italian beef, Mexican foods, etc. But typically Chicago gets the short end of... more ›

It is really cold in Chicago. Really, really cold. The kind of cold that makes you not want to leave your apartment, not want to go to work, not even want to go out drinking. So when it came time to go out to eat this week, all of our usual favorites just seemed too wimpy to stand up to Chicago's January weather. Sushi was too cold, tapas too small... let's not even get started on the idea of sitting through a tasting menu. more ›

Mayor Daley continued his efforts to make Chicago the "greenest city in America" yesterday, announcing two environmentally-friendly public works pilot projects. Starting next year, the city will install 100 solar-powered bus shelters that could save the city $20,000 in electricity annually. The shelters will be easier to install because they won't require digging to plug their lights into the grid. The city will also be testing sidewalks made out of recycled rubber to see if they can stand up to traffic and weather conditions. The material is supposedly more durable than concrete, less prone to cracking and shifting, and easier to maintain. more ›

In one of mankind’s greatest wars — the battle of the breakfast bulge — McDonald's is stepping it up a notch. To keep competitive with Burger King and its frightening (and un-fun Xbox gaming) mascot, McDonald’s will start offering a $1 breakfast menu in limited markets. We figured this might be a yogurt parfait of only one color or a stick of trans-fat; but the new dollar menu includes a sausage biscuit with cheese but... more ›

Before we begin, we'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of James Kim. We are not, by any means, trying to discount that tragedy by juxtaposing posts about the Kims with more light-hearted posts. It's the nature of doing a compilation such as this one: we're trying to give a full slice of the goings-on in the Ist-a-Verse: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Londonist wants you to know where to... more ›

When we were young, we were told to stand up for what we believe in. We would be rewarded with a sense of self, a sense of purpose. Mayor Daley, Aldermen Howard Brookins Jr. (21st), Shirley Coleman (16th), Anthony Beale (9th), Dorothy Tillman (3rd), and Arenda Troutman (20th) stood up for what they believed in by blocking the big box ordinance. Shirley Coleman voted for the ordinance before she voted against it (we've always wanted to put that in a post). Their claim was that so-called big box stores are a necessity, especially in areas where goods are not easily accessible. more ›

Thirty-six years ago Vashti Bunyan released an album that was haunting and different than all the other folk musicians out there. She has been touted as creating "psych-folk" and then, like many musicians, the singer kind of forgot about her voice amidst lukewarm sales and everything that life throws at us. Now she's back with Lookaftering and is playing a pair of shows with Archer Prewitt. Monday/Tuesday, Lakeshore Theater, 7 p.m., $15 advanced/$20 door, All... more ›

For some drinkers, Scotch ales are an acquired taste. It might be the addition of peat-smoked malts to the brewing process. Or, it could be the earthy tones found in the beer. For casual drinkers, the high alcohol content might be too much; a strong Scotch ale weighs in at anywhere from 7-10 percent alcohol, by volume. Think about it for a while, and you'll find that these are reasons to drink a Scotch ale. more ›

Pass on the Veggie Burgers? more ›

We here at the Chicagoist offices only do what’s good for us: we feed our bodies all the right foods, we watch only educational television programming, we exercise regularly, we don’t drink, don’t smoke (what do we do?), don’t gossip, don’t make promises we can’t keep, don’t kiss on the first date and don’t have sex without love. more ›

LAist has so much fun this week! They go to E3, where they overhear the timeless remark "Man, this is where nerdy girls get laid." Is that a promise? They also give us this week's best CDs and make us realize that LA is the best place to use Zillow. Ah, Houstonist. They're biking to work, that is, if they can figure out how to get there. That's right, Mapquest says "Houston had the... more ›

Torontoist throws down the gauntlet and challenges all comers: pillow fight, bitch. They also stand up for a fellow blogger taking heat from the TTC and welcome city-wide WiFi. SFist can finally admit it: It's possible that Bary Bonds juiced. Is Bay Area artist (tempted to put quotes around that) Thomas Kinkaid "kinda crappy" or "explosively crappy" or does he just like marking territory? SFist wonders. Technology comes in the form of new Mac goodness... more ›

If grandma, a teenage boy and a sports fan all joined forces to decorate a bar, the result would be Bridget McNeill’s . Travel through the sliding doors of the Bel Harbor condominiums at 420 W. Belmont. Go straight and you’ll find yourself in the condo's lobby, but hook a left and the world Bridget McNeill’s lays before you. more ›