Photos: The Good & Bad Of Chi-Town Rising's 2016 Return
By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 1, 2017 5:11PM
It's only two years old, but Chi-Town Rising—Chicago's me-too! version of the Times Square New Year's Eve public spectacle—seems to already be establishing something of a tradition, namely one of a hilarious, parallel schadenfreude.
Whether being roasted for its slightly wanting entertainment bill (although keeping it partially local with Sir the Baptist is good to see), incorporating one of those weird, semi-creepy silent dance parties at Pioneer Court, or—most of all—for breaking out the term "Chi-Town" itself, which absolutely no one in the city of Chicago ever uses, as all of Twitter was eager to remind, Chicago was more than happy to drape the glitz with a bit of shade.
But that said, there was nothing on the smdh level of last year's inappropriate anchorperson PDA or this year's Maria Carey lip synch fail in New York. And in fact, when the festivities neared and hit the midnight crescendo, the fireworks blowout along the river among a crowd of thousands was indeed appropriately, photogenically spectacular. Happy new year, Chicago.