We mentioned The Continental was putting together a little festival to give back to the community it calls home, and now we've got what seems to be a pretty full line-up along with a name for the event. Lots of Chicagoist favorites (a few who have even played showcases Chicagoist has organized in the past) dot the Switchyard Festival bill and it seems to be a pretty solid, locally based line-up. We're looking forward to... more ›

Tonight at the Hideout is the final show in the “Farewell To Thax Douglas” mini-tour of Chicago. Thax will perform his signature brand of poetry before sets by Chicagoist fave Sybris, Tight Phantomz, Dick Prall, and Daniel Knox. According to a recent interview at Transmission, some friends of Thax will also throw down some musical stylings and spoken word. We’ve been following the ups and downs of Thax for the last several months, from the... more ›

This was the year that the Sundance Film Festival definitively jumped the shark. When the big story coming out of Park City isn’t about the bidding war for some hot new film but rather how much swag DJ Qualls is pulling down then you know something’s amiss. And so the South by Southwest festivals stand alone in wearing the mantle of the true independent spirit of the arts. Despite growing in size and scope over... more ›

Ay díos mío! There is no El Vez Christmas Show at Abbey Pub this weekend which makes for a very sad Mex-Mas indeed, niños. But do not despair! The gringos of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are bringing their Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party to the House of Blues tonight at 9 PM. Chicagoist wonders if it will resemble our own wild and swingin’ holiday party which featured copious amounts of Sam’s “Jingle My Bells Punch.” Margaret was only two cups in before she was putting mistletoe on her ass (“because you should all be kissing my ass anyway!”) and letting people know where they could stuff their stockings. more ›