Ah, it's like shootin' fish in a barrel over at Chicagoist EOYW headquarters. We know how passionate you guys can get about these things, so we'll cut right to the chase: more ›

Chicagoist nearly missed the entrance when rolling into Zebra Lounge last Thursday. What appears to be the lobby to the Canterbury Court’s high-rise apartment building also doubles as the lounge’s main entrance. For all the subtlety of the black-and-white Zebra Lounge sign on the outside, the inside is brimming with energy. True to its name, Zebra Lounge is a safari adventure with animal prints on the wall and a zebra motif running throughout the bar’s fixtures. Not shy on festivity, the lounge currently features dim red lighting and Valentine’s Day-themed streamers and tinsel. Against a backdrop of orange and deep purple walls, Tommy Oman takes his place at the corner piano belting out show tunes, classics and everything in between. He transitions seamlessly from Neal Diamond’s "Sweet Caroline" to a smooth cover of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again", breaking only to make a dig at some woman from Naperville. more ›

When Chicagoist was growing up our musical influences were not, shall we say, diverse. Before we learned to use the buttons on the radio, they consisted of classic country (Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash) and the local oldies station. We eventually expanded our musical tastes, but when certain artists become the bedrock upon which you form the rest of your musical experience, you never really get past them. Our heart still melts when we hear naked emotion accompanied by acoustic guitar and we still thrill to a good three-minute pop song. more ›