If You Can't Beat 'Em, Mourn 'Em

By Ali Trachta in Arts & Entertainment on May 7, 2008 5:10PM

Cubs fans are nothing if not loyal. They have 99 years of practice keeping a stiff upper lip, insisting “you gotta believe” this year will be the one in which the lovable losers finally break all the curses and become the center of a World Series victory ticker tape parade.

But as the years rife with losses tick on, apparently some would rather throw in the towel of hope and instead wallow in the bittersweet disappointment of it all. Such is the case with the members of the Lovable Losers Literary Revue. Instead of celebrating all the small victories, this group of Chicago writers opt to commemorate the casualties through performances of spoken word, music and comedy, all of which are meant to honor the heart-wrenching relationship we have with our team.

The Revue kicked off last month with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the 34th anniversary of outfielder Jose Cardenal’s eye crust debacle in which he weaseled out of Opening Day by claiming he slept with his eyelids stuck open. The program continues tonight in celebration of all the unlucky slip-ups the Cubs have suffered over the years in the month of May. (Including Sammy Sosa’s sneeze that led to back sprain.) Featured guest Tammy Lechner will read original works and present her photo documentary, Our Team-Our Dream: A Cubs Fan’s Journey Into Baseball’s Greatest Romance. She’ll be followed by performances from Bathroom Poetry Project Coordinator Sid Yiddish, Mike Danahey of the Sun-Times, and Wrigleyville bar owner and writer Ric Hess.

This litany of lamenting will continue throughout the baseball season, so if you’re feeling like you need a place to vent, click here for the schedule.

The Revue will be held El Jardin, 3335 N. Clark, tonight, 7:30, free.

Photo by Paraflyer.