The man suspected of killing the Walgreens guard and another man in Rogers Park was found dead in Evanston today. more ›

As we trudge through the numerous press releases for what seems like an endless amount of festivals here in Chicago sometimes we grow more than a little jaded in the face of the sometimes cheesy traditional fest-fare they have to offer. When our eyes glanced upon the information for West Fest we were stopped in our tracks and immediately did our happy dance. Not only will Chicagoians be treated to the usual local vendors, food and family and pet options that fests tend to bring, but the music this year at West Fest surprised us quite a bit with not only the veteran west fest-ers like Scott Lucas of Local H, but critically acclaimed acts like King Khan featuring Gris Gris Sound and a DJ Set by former Six Finger Satellite guitarist and dance music convert Juan Maclean. Of course we are also excited to see local acts like the lady garage vixens, Hollowsand Descendents disciples, Team Band. more ›

Ever pushing the boundaries creatively through both their ever-expanding catalog of experimental pop and their new and innovative marketing strategies, the British rock phenomenon that is Radiohead has set to release a newspaper of all things. This coming Tuesday, March 29, they will not only present the public with their newest LP The King of Limbs to be purchased in record stores on vinyl, compact disc and also via digital download, but will also release this newest innovative art and/or marketing ploy, a newspaper entitled The Universal Sigh. more ›

Red hair? Check. White skinny's? Check. Bad-ass rock attitude? Check. Well, if this sounds like you then head over to Ukrainian Village's Empty Bottle on Saturday to audition for the newest video for Chicago's retro, garage-rock, red-headed brother-sister duo, White Mystery. new video for the song Power Glove. more ›

With a week full of rain, heat, humidity and general icky-ness here in Chicago, some of us are trying to find a way to spend our evenings when outdoor activities aren't in the cards. And there are plenty of music opportunities to check out before the behemoth that is Lollapolooza hits this weekend. more ›

Every time this year the ordinarily quiet neighborhood of Ukrainian Village at the intersection of Chicago and Damen is overtaken by a cavalcade of festival enthusiasts awaiting West Fest's hodge-podge collective of live music, pet and kid friendly booths, as well as your usual set of local food, bric-a-brac and art vendors. Past year’s lineups are certainly nothing to sneeze at with world-renowned acts like The Meat Puppets, Red Red Meat and Chicago rock veterans Urge Overkill. We must admit, we are even more excited about this year’s eclectic mix of live acts as curated by The Empty Bottle including such touted indie acts as Beach Fossils, F’d Up, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Chicago’s metal and dirge-driven Bloodiest. more ›

Everyone loves the beach, right? O.K., well, not everyone, but most of us, right? If you love the beach but hate tan-lines, sun burns and sand in your unmentionables, then we have the ultimate destination for you. An all-out, drag-down beach party at Ukrainian Village's Bar DeVille with two gals DJing in bathing suits; and yes, you did hear that right, bathing suits. more ›

We’ve already been involved in a tumultuous love/hate relationship with the new Dominick’s on Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village, so we thought we were perhaps not alone in finding a love connection at the ole grocery store. So today, we bring you this grocery edition of the Monday Missed Connections, with all sorts of accounts of people making eyes at or around the meat counter. Paging jeans and T-shirt guy: missed connection in aisle four.... more ›

To celebrate the new TV season, TV Guide is sponsoring free coffee at a bevy of area independent coffee shops. We aren't quite sure what connection TV Guide is trying to make here (You need caffeine to stay awake while reading this magazine? If you watched all of last night's shows you might need a little extra boost this morning?), but free coffee is free coffee, so we aren't going to think too hard about... more ›

You know why we love Chicago? Sometimes it feels as though we are living in one of those undiscovered destinations where only locals know the amazing surprises that await. We’ve had friends come into town, fully believing that Chicago is a city where people spend the day chomping on pizza and beef and going to sports games (and requisite crappy sports bars) while wearing grubby clothes. However, after a visit to the parts of the... more ›

Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village have no shortage of places where Chicagoist can satisfy its sweet tooth. We love Alliance, Milk and Honey, Letizia's and Bleeding Heart Bakery, to name a few of our favorites. But one thing we've learned is that there is never too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to desserts. When we heard Sweet Cakes, a new bakery on Damen and Augusta was open we went over... more ›

You know what we think would be pretty dumb? It would be dumb to rent an apartment at Adams and Wabash and then complain to the city that the trains make a loud, rumbling noise. Of course they do; they are trains. Likewise, we somehow can't wrap our minds around how someone would buy a house next to a popular neighborhood bar, and then complain about the bar and try to get it shut down.... more ›

A new Google maps mashup seems to be rolled out every week, with everything from places to find your drink of choice to the best bike routes magically cropping up on the internet atlas of choice. However, thanks to Apartment Therapy: San Francisco, we found what might be our favorite merger yet: Housingmaps.com, a site that plots craigslist apartment listings on the map. After choosing a city, you can select to search for apartments, rooms,... more ›

With the aldermanic runoff elections just over 2 weeks away, the drama is starting to pick up in a neighborhood not far from your own (or maybe even your own)! Reports from Ukrainian Village indicate that the 32nd Ward Regular Democratic Organization has been sending out a mailing with allegations that we only heard rumors of before February 27. Charges that candidate Scott Waguespak represented himself as an American lawyer while traveling abroad are touted... more ›

Our spring rush has netted a fresh new class of pledges for our interview beat: Keidra Chaney, a self-described pop-culture nut, joins us from Lincoln Square, by way of Englewood, West Pullman, and Wisconsin. When she's not interviewing people like the folks at the A+D Gallery for Chicagoist, she works at DePaul, and she freelances for magazines like Venus Zine, Bitch, Friction, and Colorlines. Karl Klockars is also a Chicagoland native, growing up in the... more ›

On March 3, teams will compete in the 2007 Chiditarod, an homage to the Iditarod dogsled race across Alaska. The Chiditarod tweaks the race by replacing dogs with costumed humans and replacing the dogsled with a shopping cart. Teams of five compete in a race to checkpoints throughout the Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, and Bucktown neighborhoods — covering nearly four miles — before reaching the finish line. To keep the teams nourished, they will be required to make several twenty-minute stops at local watering holes. more ›

The Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art is displaying a small but important collection of work capturing a sea change of Eastern European democracy. Artists Respond: Ukrainian Art and The Orange Revolution receives its U.S. premiere at this unassuming building in the heart of the Ukrainian Village via The Center for Contemporary Art, Kyiv, Ukraine. As reports of fraud surfaced during the 2004 Ukrainian election, supporters of opposition candidate Victor Yushenko took to the streets to... more ›

It’s a bad sign when even watching the news makes you miserable. While the flood waters have started to recede along the Gulf Coast and positive stories are emerging about Katrina survivors reunited with their families, the 24/7 aftermath coverage and Oprah’s inspired but rather graphic reporting have worn us down. As we approach the anniversary of another tragedy, we will set aside time to reflect but still plan to get on with our weekend.... more ›

For a brief moment, Chicagoist contemplated not going to the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings show on Friday night (beer-fueled inertia is a powerful force). Thank God we rose to the occasion as our collective mind was freed with our ass following right behind. Then we woke up this morning (thanks for the day off, Messrs. Presidents!) and flipped on Comedy Central for our Daily Show fix and found ourselves smack dab in the middle of the classic blaxploitation parody I’m Gonna Get You Sucka. Finally, this week's Reader article about the "funk archaeologist" had us burning with jealousy. The signs are clear: it’s time for another trip to one of our favorite record stores: Dusty Groove America. more ›

The China Grill is opening in the Hard Rock hotel today, so plan your social events calendar accordingly. The restaurant is the fifth China Grill, following in the noble footsteps of its New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Mexico City predecessors. Join us now, won't you, and let's say it unison: Mexico City? Anyway. more ›