15.15 Market Days 2015 by boiMAGazine & boiMAG.com

3700 N. Halsted St. #2-S Chicago, IL 60613 773.975.0264 Editorial: boieditorial@aol.com Advertising: boiads@aol.com

EDITORIAL Mike Macharello: Publisher Rick Karlin: Editor

layout & design Titanium Graphics, Inc.

advertising Freddie: freddie@boiMAG.com Dave: dave@boiMAG.com National, Rivendell Media: sales@rivendellmedia.com

photographerS Eamonn Sexton Ken Brown, KAB Photography

COVER Northalsted Market Days 2015

editorial contributors Gregg Shapiro, Parker Carr, Sue Deaunym, Anita Taylor, Michael Elder, Aunt Mame, guest columnist

Letter from the Editor If you’ve been wondering where the money you spend at Market Days goes, you’re not the only one. We emailed Dustin Eriksup, executive director of Northalsted Business Alliance numerous times asking for information on the budget for Market Days (and Pride Fest). Our e-mail read as follows: “We're doing feature stories on both Pride Fest and Market Days and how the funds raised benefit the neighborhood. I would like to help our readers understand why there is a suggested donation. I think many don't understand the logistics of putting on such a massive event. Could you please send me some information on the budget? For example, the costs for security, clean-up and entertainment, as well as how much the event nets that goes back to NortHalsted Business Alliance for neighborhood improvements.” We never got an answer to our e-mails. We then approached Special Events Management and asked them the same. The people at Special Events Management were informed by Eriksup not to give the information to boiMag and were told that they (NBA) would do no interviews with us. We don’t know why NBA is so reluctant to release that information, our intent was to inform the public on the many neighborhood improvements the group sponsors, but the lack of transparency is troubling. In our research we did obtain a spreadsheet that NBA created which shows that from 1999 to 2013 NBA netted $2.5 million from Market Days alone. Is it wrong for us to want to know what that money was used for, especially since money collected from attendees of Market Days is a "donation" at the gates? Rick Karlin, Editor, boiMAG

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Northalsted Market Days® Saturday and Sunday,

August 8-9, 11am to 10pm On Halsted St.,

between Belmont and Addison $10.00 Suggested Donation at

the gate.

SATURDAY AUGUST 8th

Northalsted Market Days速 The North Halsted area of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood is one of the city's most popular yearround dining and nightlife destinations for both city residents and visitors. This popularity gets magnified during Northalsted Market Days速 -- the Midwest's largest two-day street festival. With more than 150,000 visitors from Chicagoland and far beyond, it's also one of the largest outdoor events in the country and draws a vibrant mix of gays and lesbians of all ages and backgrounds. Market Days spans four city blocks with 17 entrance gates. The event features three main music stages where more than 40 top-name local and national music acts perform. Besides its reputation for the best live music and peoplewatching in Chicago, Market Days is also famous for its unique mix of nearly 300 food and arts and crafts vendors. In fact, vendors from across the country savor the opportunity to showcase and sell their wares to this unique, upscale crowd.

North Stage

1:45pm - Blu Cantrell 3:30pm - Who is Fancy 5:30pm - Jack & Jack 7:00pm - Xelle 8:30pm - En Vogue

Roscoe Stage

1:00pm - Funkadesi 5:00pm - We are Nexus 5:40pm - Erika Jayne 6:30pm - Brynn Marie 9:00pm - Melanie Martinez

Belmont Stage

1:30pm - Thea Austin 4:30pm - David Hernandez 8:00pm - Sandy B

Jazz Stage

1:30pm - The Cabaret Project Presents: You Bette We Did! 3:45pm - The Flat Cats 6:00pm - The Cabaret Project Presents: Cher the Love

SUNDAY AUGUST 9th North Stage

1:00pm - Aaron Carter 2:45pm - Sidewalk Chalk 5:00pm - Salt-N-Pepa 8:00pm - All-4-One

Roscoe Stage

1:30pm - Bright Light Bright Light 3:00pm - Chicago Gay Men's Chorus 3:45pm - Abba Salute 5:45pm - Catfight 8:00pm - Sixteen Candles

Belmont Stage

2:00pm - Frenchie Davis 6:30pm - C+C Music Factory

Jazz Stage

1:30pm - The Cabaret Project Presents: Whiskey and Cherries 3:45pm - The Cabaret Project Presents: The Gay 90's 6:00pm - Amy & Freddy boiMAG 11

Performing at Market Days

The Grammy Award-winning All-4-One is internationally known for “I Swear”, “I Can Love You Like That”, “So Much In Love”, “I Turn To You”, “These Arms” and “Beautiful As You” and continues to tour the world with its original members. The quartet has released a total of seven albums and sold over 20 million units worldwide and has just released Twenty+.

This season marks the 15th year Amy & Freddy have performed together. The Chicago based-duo is a music and comedy legend in the LGBT community. Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen are as well known on RSVP cruises and in resort towns such as Puerto Vallarta, Palm Springs and Wilton Manors as they are in their home town. They have shared the spotlight with some Kathy Griffin, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Phyllis Diller, Bea Arthur, Jennifer Holiday and Judy Gold to name a few. They have four albums; Amy and Freddythe debut, Life is a Cabaret, Naturally Flawless and Feeling Good. Sandy B had her two Billboard charting hits; "Make the World Go Round" and "Ain't No Need To Hide" (both produced by Deep Dish) after leaving a major record label for an indie label. In 1998 Sandy B appeared in the movie “Donnie Brasco”. In 2000 and 2001 she had hits with singles released by the group Karmadelic, on which she

performed the lead vocals. In 2003, she released a solo single "Lose Our Love", on Junior Vasquez’ label. Sandy last performed in Chicago last month at the launch of "Served" wiht DJ Escape at Circuit Night Club. Aaron Carter came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences. The Tampa, Florida native began performing at age seven and released his selftitled debut album in 1997. His second album Aaron's Party (Come Get It) sold 1.5 million copies in the U.S. He made guest appearances on Nickelodeon and toured with the Backstreet Boys. Carter's next album, Oh Aaron, also went platinum Subsequent albums include Another Earthquake and Most Requested Hits. He has appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and in the play “The Fantasticks”. He is working on a new studio album. The hip-hop group C+C Music Factory was formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés. Contrary to the popular belief that the group's moniker is derived from the first letters of Clivillés and Cole's surnames, "C+C" stands for "cookies and cream”, the duo's favorite type of ice cream. The group is best known for its five hit singles: "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)", "Things That Make You Go Hmmm", "Just a Touch of Love", and "Keep It Comin'". The band earned a total of 35 music industry awards worldwide, including five Billboard Awards, five American Music Awards, and two MTV Video Music Awards before it stopped recording in 1996, following the death of Cole. In 2010, C+C Music Factory reformed, with Eric Kupper replacing Cole. boiMAG 13 Continued on a following page >>

Performing at Market Days

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Frenchie Davis first came to public attention in 2003 as a contestant on “American Idol”. After the show ended she joined the cast of “Rent” on Broadway and remained in the show for four years. In 2011, Davis reached the top eight on the first season of “The Voice”. She continues to work in theater, touring in “Dreamgirls” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and in the roles of Mahalia Jackson in the Hartford Stage production of “Mahalia: A Gospel Musical” and the fairy godmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein's “Cinderella:. En Vogue formed in Oakland, California in 1989 and included Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. The group’s first hit single "Hold On", was taken from its 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas included the hits "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)", "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and the mega-hit, "Free Your Mind". They have sold more than 20 million records worldwide to date, and are ranked as one of the Top 20 most successful bands of the 1990s by Billboard magazine. The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations.

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Melanie Martinez, the Puerto RicanDominican singer-songwriter, made her splash thanks to the television show, “The Voice”. Last year she released her debut EP Dollhouse. This year saw the release of her debut album, Cry Baby, with the hit single “Pity Party”.

Salt-N-Pepa, the hip hop sensation from Queens, New York, originally consisted of Cheryl James ("Salt"), Sandra Denton ("Pepa") and Deidra Roper ("DJ Spinderella"). Since forming the group in 1985 they have won a Grammy Award and three MTV Video Music Awards and had their own television show on VH1. Younger readers will know them for their hilarious Geico commercial which parodies the group’s biggest hit, “Push It”.

NEVERLAND: ORIGINS By Rick Karlin

The people behind Neverland, Anthony DiFiore and Martin Luna along with their crew, have a reputation for throwing over-the-top parties and they appeared to be well on their way with their event for Market Days weekend. In coming up with a theme, they didn’t quite think it through. They decided on a Mayan theme and then decided to use the word "savage" for the parties name, which offended some folks. They insist that was never their intent, they just meant savage as a synonym for uninhibited. Unfortunately, for some it wasn’t taken that way and it caused a social media storm. We thought we'd clear the air over the controversy by asking Anthony what really happened and why the party moved.

boiMAG: Originally this party was scheduled to be at Metro, can you tell us a little something about that? Anthony: For the past year, we’ve done our Pride and Market Days parties at Metro. It’s an awesome space with some of the sweetest staff we’ve ever worked with. Our intention was to do our Market Days Neverland with them, but we made a mistake with the original name for the party and unintentionally offended a lot of people. We issued a public apology and came up with a new name, but Metro decided not to host the party due to the initial controversy. We were very disappointed as we love that venue, but we respect their decision. We throw parties because we want to spice up Chicago’s gay nightlife. We don’t have malicious intent, but the angry social media response to our first poster and loss of our original venue made it hard on all of us. boiMAG: Can you tell us how it ended up at Circuit Night Club?

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Anthony:: Over the next couple weeks after we lost the Metro, there were a whirlwind of venue tours. We approached Mike Macharello (also the publisher of boiMAGazine) about the idea of hosting it there. Initially we were turned down due to availability and scheduling conflicts, but eventually they worked it out for us. Circuit is the perfect space. It’s right in Boystown, it’s big enough, it has a stage, excellent sound system from Twilo and plenty of space for production. Our team is creatively-driven, and when we go into a space we transform it. Circuit has an abundance of raw space to transform into something exciting and mind-blowing. boiMAG: What is your ultimate goal for this event? Anthony: Our goal is simple... that the people attending have a great time! We choose great DJs and paired them with costuming, set design, lighting installations and performances, so that whenever someone buys a ticket to a Neverland event, they know it’s going to be reliable. They know many people will come and that they’ll have fun. What makes a party excellent is reliability. We have a huge team of 30 people working on this event, they are a loving, diverse, good-hearted group of people. We learned a lot from this experience. We are thankful for Mike and Circuit for providing us with an awesome space to do what we do best, entertain. And most of all, we appreciate the support of everyone who stood by us during that difficult time, because they know who we are and what we stand for. Our hard work on Friday, August 7th is our way of thanking you.

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A DRUG IS A DRUG IS A DRUG conditions or side effects even if they’re not misusing their prescription drugs and following the directions exactly.

By Aunt Mame

Talk about the “drug wars” has been ongoing for years and years. However, now in 2015, this war now has a completely different meaning and enemy. Before, there was a major problem with illegal drugs, such as cocaine or heroine, killing millions of people. However, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common prescription drugs are causing more deaths than ever. You may believe that people are dying from prescription drugs because they’re abusing them. However, the whole pharmaceutical industry has changed into a money machine and a new drug problem is among us. This problem isn’t because of how the drugs are being used. Instead, it deals with medicines that create more negative results and more problems instead of improving health. The reason this is so detrimental is because we live in a country that is so reliant on prescription medications. People turn to medicine as soon as they feel a slight pain such as a headache. All drugs and medicines contain side effects such as nausea, rashes, and fatigue. Many have more serious effects such as stroke, heart attack, and even death. People can suffer from a number of health

So if prescription drugs aren’t the best for you, what do you do when you’re sick or have a health issue? Many people and doctors believe that there are natural remedies out there without all the dangerous, unwanted secondary effects. Some of these remedies are very simple and don't cost much because they are basic products or elements that are known to help reverse the cause of the problem.

If there's a simple cure for something that's already cheap to consumers, then the pharmaceutical companies wouldn't make much money from that. They would rather give you a drug to help your symptoms go away, that you would have to take over and over for an extended period of time, rather than to actually give you a simple remedy, or simple solution to your problem. Meanwhile you are taking the prescription drug or multiple drugs, until your symptoms subside, but then you might develop other problems due to the drug that was prescribed. But wait, their's a drug to Continued on a following page >>

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counteract the other drug for you that you can take along with that one too. If you are on prescription drugs for any length of time, you can develop other conditions as a result, which keeps you advertently coming back for more. When you go to the doctor you might think that you're getting the best medical advice known to man at the time, but that's not always the case. Doctors go into their profession to help people, but after their extensive medical training, they can only legally prescribe to you, what has been approved for that ailment. Even if they know that there is something better, they can not risk their license by prescribing something to you that's not approved by the FDA. Who controls the FDA? Could be the Pharmaceutical companies that want to get their product to market. The drugs prescribed may work, but at what cost to your health if you suffer negative side effects and to what cost to your insurance plan or pocket book?

For an example, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever heard of essential oils, you might know that they are a less expensive and an easier solution to some ailments. While drugs put toxins into your body, essential oils pull out all the bad and detoxify. Drugs are man made and can only do one thing. They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adjust or change to benefit you or improve your body. However, essential oils are able to adapt when conditions in the body change. As a result, oils can help restore balance in the body on every level. Instead of altering things in your body and weakening the immune system, like prescription drugs do, oils help rehabilitate because of their antiviral and antibacterial properties. Essential oils not only fail to result in negative side effects but actually create positive secondary effects such as improved moods, energy boost, stronger immune system, decreased stress level, pain relief, and many others. So, Next time you feel a headache or cold coming on, set down the bottle of pills and pick up peppermint oil and see if it makes a difference.

Aunt Mame is lovingly referred to as the old bat that's been around for awhile and like's to share her perspective on the world around her with others, she has no credentials to speak of and only has the best intentions at heart. Her campfire and fireside chats are notorious for starting conservations that go on until wee hours of the morning and some even have made it to written dialog in publications like this.

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Ex/It By Gregg Shapiro

The incredible 2014 Australian horror film The Babadook took a tired genre and turned it on its head. Creating terror through suspense instead of ugly violence, The Babadook’s writer/ director Jennifer Kent raised the bar for other filmmakers working in the field. American filmmaker David Robert Mitchell now takes Kent’s baton and runs with it in “It Follows”. Set, appropriately, in the infected and rotting corpse of suburban Detroit, “It Follows” focuses on a group of jaded teens and young adults playing games, both silly and deadly serious. Of course, there is sex involved; leading to a sort of STD tag, and Annie is the first to die. Blonde and bored Jay is the next to get infected after having sex with hot but haunted Hugh. He’s nice enough to stick around after doing the deed with Jay, knocking her out and then telling her, after he’s bound her to a wheelchair, that if she wants to live she has to pass it on to someone else. Otherwise “it” will follow her and take her life. Talk about a killer STD.

and an extremely tall and thin man, to mention a few. Jay’s sister Kelly, friends and neighbors Greg, Yara and Paul, who is still harboring an old crush on Jay, come together for the traumatized girl, and attempt to help her with her problem.

Utilizing minimal special effects, Mitchell creates maximum fear and tension. Some of the credit goes to Monroe who has skillfully mastered the art of the descent into madness. Also, the terrifying score by film That’s quite a setup. Not long after composer Disasterpiece (aka Rich she gets the news, Jay does begin Vreeland) is put to good use. The to see “it,” which takes various forms, including an old woman in a showdown finale in the swimming nightgown, a half-dressed younger pool is particularly effective, since “it” woman who urinates in Jay’s kitchen, never really stops following anyone. Continued on a following page >>

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DVD special features include a critics’ commentary hosted by Scott Weinberg, a conversation with composer Disastepiece and more. When you watch “Ex Machina” , the directorial debut by novelist/ screenwriter Alex Garland (The Beach), you might find yourself wondering if it was his intention that this movie be as imperfect as the tech it’s trumpeting. But don’t wonder about that for too long. Caleb, a semi-socially awkward computer/tech is employed by Bluebook, founded by enigmatic and equally socially awkward computer/ tech gazillionaire Nathan. Led to believe he has won an employee lottery that earns him a week at Nathan’s estate to meet with his reclusive boss, Caleb is brought by to the his employer’s island, but has to walk a few miles on his own before he reaches the property. 42 boiMAG

As it turns out, Nathan’s hightech mountainside fortress isn’t just his home; it’s also a research facility. Before they get down to the nitty-gritty of the visit, Caleb hesitantly signs a non-disclosure agreement (shades of 50 Shades), entitling him to take part (read: be the human component) in a Turing test, alongside Nathan’s AI (artificial intelligence) creation Ava. Over the course of seven sessions, Caleb and Ava are observed by Nathan. Following each session, Caleb meets with Nathan, usually over a meal, where Nathan gets blind drunk and then loses consciousness. Naturally (or is it artificially?), Caleb develops feelings for the attractive Ava, and believes that his attraction is reciprocated. During power cuts, when Caleb thinks he and Ava aren’t being observed by Nathan’s CCTV cameras, he naively hatches an escape plan for himself and Ava. But, predictably, puppet-master Nathan is pulling strings and pushing buttons all along. Don’t worry, he’s going to get his comeuppance. “Ex Machina” feels like a lot of wasted potential. Some of the special effects are special, while others are all too familiar. Fanboys and fangirls alike may lap this up like artificial sweetener, but those looking for something real will have to look elsewhere. DVD special features include the five-part featurette “Throught the Looking Glass: Creating “Ex Machina” behind-the-scenes vignettes and a SXSW Q & A with the cast and crew.

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THE RETURN OF HAPPY HOUR By Rick Karlin

Makes Chicagoans Happy!

Happy hours were banned in Illinois 26-year ban years ago, but last monthÂ a new law went into effect that allows bar and restaurant to offer drink specials for a few hours a day. We sent out an e-mail to the bars, restaurants and clubs that are favorites among our readers asking for their new specials. These are the ones that had responded in time for our deadline.

Crew

4 - 7 p.m. M-F, featuring six Crew cocktails for $4 each, starting with cocktails inspired by an out gay or lesbian athlete, such as the Jason Collins and the Orlando Cruz.

Dive Bar

5-7p.m. daily, $5 topical blender drinks

Hydrate

6-9 p.m. F, $5 22 oz. punch, $3 Fireball shots and $3 16 oz. Bud Light bottles.

mEAT Restaurant 5-7 p.m., M-Th, half off specialty molecular cocktail list

(Lakeview location only)

Minibar

8-10 p.m. TH & F, half price drinks

Shaker's on Clark 4 - 7 p.m. M-F $2 Miller Lite bottles, $2 off all mixed drinks,

$3 Halsted Vodka drinks and free darts and pool.

TouchĂŠ

6 - 9 p.m. M-F, $3 well and domestic bottled beers, $1 off call and imported beers boiMAG 45

Calling All Travel Techies By X. Pat The Lisbon and Portuguese Tourism boards want to find out what kind of fun LGBT vacationers have in their country and they’re seeking to discover that through new technology. The tourism boards have teamed up with the Gay European Tourism Association (GETA) and are offering prizes worth 22,000€ ($24,000+) to create new tools that allow measurement of tourist behavior, such as where they go, what they do and how much they spend. The competition is also looking for innovative mechanisms for collecting and analyzing data, such as crowd sourcing and data mining of social networks. The winning entry will receive 10,000€ ($11,000) cash or an 18,000€ ($20,000) scholarship for the Lisbon MBA. Two runners up will receive 2,000€ cash. All three will be invited to present their ideas at a conference in Lisbon in September. “LGBT tourists are a hugely important part of the $1.5 trillion tourist economy, spending over $200 billion annually” said Carlos Kytka, GETA’s Executive Director. “If we are going to enhance their experience and improve the facilities and services offered to them we need to have good data so that companies and destinations can make evidence-based improvements”. 46 boiMAG

The competition is part of GETA’s “Promoting Innovation in LGBT Tourism” program, which has already inaugurated initiatives such as the launch of Europe’s first LGBT language school holidays and partnering with the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide official safety guidance to LGBT travelers. Detail on the competition are at www.thelisbonmba.com/news/ tourism-innovation-competition. All entries must be submitted by August 31.

QMUSIC By Gregg Shapiro

Summmer Dance Party 2015

your ears. At almost 10 minutes in length, “Exploitation” exploits sound and speed, with one layer of music dragging like stretched tape, while the other layers bounce along, leaving listeners time to dance while pondering Murphys’ “Who’s exploiting who?” inquiry. “House of Glass” shatters expectations and “Unputdownable” almost lives up to its name. Returning with Why Make Sense?, its first album since 2012, Hot Chip sounds, well, as hot and chipper as ever. “Huarache Lights” gets things off to a glowing start. “Love Is The Future” chimes in with an easy and inviting beat. “Started Right” is a scorching `70s funk update, while “Easy To Get” twists the funk into new shapes. “Cry For You” will bring tears of joy and “Need You Now” is sure to make you feel the need to dance. Now.

Gay American Idol survivor Adam Lambert becomes the disco diva he was born to be on his new album, the soaring The Original High. It all could have gone terribly wrong with the overextended Max Martin and Shellback at the helm, but everyone involved rises to the occasion. Sure, the acoustic guitar on “Ghost Town” can’t help but recall Avicii, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (or is it the laziest?). “Another Lonely Night” even goes so far as to latch onto Disclosure’s “Latch.” Those are less complaints than observations. Songs such as the elevated title song, the beaming “The Light” and the power ballad “There I Said It,” all qualify as new heights for Lambert. One of the most awe-inspiring dance albums of the year, Hairless Toys by Róisín Murphy benefits from not sounding like anything else out there. “Evil Eyes” combines modern tech and beats with vintage keyboard swells that tickle

On How Does It Feel, the second album by MS MR, the mixed-gender pair avoids the tedious trap that caused duo Karmin’s first record to be DOA. It doesn’t hurt that the material is as strong and diverse as it can be in the genre. Vivid opener “Painted” messes with your feet, daring you to keep up with the song’s shifting beats. “Criminals” employs an arresting big dancerock beat, where as “No Guilt” is guilty of getting all funky. The title cut resumes the dance attitude of the record (after a brief detour) and “Reckless,” the most traditional Continued on a following page >>

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dance track on the disc, will keep your body in motion for almost four minutes. Remember Hilary Duff? Guess what? She’s all grown up now and she’s proving herself as an actress on the TV Land series Younger alongside Sutton Foster. Teaming up with a different set of Swedes (quite a little cottage industry they have there) than Lambert, Duff delivers Breathe In. Breathe Out., an album of sweet, but forgettable dance pop. Relatively memorable selections include “Sparks,” “Arms Around a Memory” and “One In a Million.”

An EDM duo from Portland, Oregon, Mackintosh Braun is back with its third album (and first in five years!), Arcadia . Heavily influenced by `80s and `90s electro-pop, the songs on Arcadia sounds as nostalgic as they do new. The best songs on the disc include the positive “Never Give In,” as well as “In Reverse,” the stimulating “Outline” and the retro new wave revision of “Holding Pattern.” Mackintosh Braun aren’t alone in Portlandia. Portland EDM pair Priory calls listeners to the dance-floor on “Call To Arms,” the opening tune on its major label debut Need To Know. Unfortunately, that’s where the dance party stops until you get to “New Thing,” the sixth (!) track. It would be best if Priory got its priorities straight.

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Make The Girl Dance, a French EDM duo, includes queer rap duo Yo! Majesty among the guest vocalists on its new album Extraball. “Girlz, Part 2,” the track on which Yo! Majesty appears is one of the best on the disc, combining house, scratching and more. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself bouncing around to “Dancing In Nowhere” (featuring Solange La Frange), “Explosive,” “Mad Clap” (featuring JoeyStarr), “Woo Hoo” (featuring Gavin Turek) and the `60s Euro-pop send-up “Yéyé (Ooh La La)” (featuring Ornette). For straight guys, the international trio Jutty Ranx seems to have a solid grasp of its disco history on “I’ll See You,” “Keep It Moving” and “Castle Made of Stone,” a few of the recommended tracks on Discordia. “I’ll Bring My Love” brings carnival fun to the dance-floor and “Work” borrows respectfully from `80s dance music. Avicii, Mark Ronson, and even boring old David Guetta, can breathe a sigh of relief. The undistinguished stripperpole music on True Colors by Zedd is nothing to write home about. Employing the same chainsaw keyboards, sketchy beats and guest vocal talent pool (Selena Gomez? Seriously?) as virtually everyone else, Zedd blends in instead of being more colorful. A few exceptions would be “Illusion” (featuring Echosmith), “Papercut” (featuring Troye Sivan) and “Bumble Bee.”

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Motor Mouth 5 Easy Pieces By Parker Carr Now’s the time to head over to your dealers to see some of the new and revamped models hitting the showrooms. Here are five models (well, really six, but two are from the same company) I’m excited to test drive.

Cadillac CT6

I admit I made fun of Cadillac for its blatant marketing in the “Entourage” movie, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the CT6 looks like a panther just waiting to pounce. If you’re a size queen, take note, the new CT6 is six inches longer than the midsized CTS and nine inches longer than the BMW 5 Series. Buyers can opt for a new 400-hp, 3.0liter twin-turbo V6, a 335-hp, 3.6-liter V6 or a 265-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged fourcylinder. The V6s are all-wheel drive; the four-cylinder is rear-drive only. By making extensive use of aluminum, the company has kept the curb weight less than 3,700 pounds, improving fuel economy a bit. A 10.2-inch touch screen incorporates both hard keys and a touchpad that recognizes handwriting. For comfort, there’s four-zone climate control system premium leather front seats feature five massage programs.

Chevrolet Malibu

Chevy’s redesign not only offers sleek new styling, it addresses issues that

plagued the prior model; limited rear passenger room and fuel economy. The new car has a 3.6-inch longer wheelbase, adding much needed room to the rear passenger seats, yet it weighs 300 pounds less than the old model, which aids fuel economy. Base models get a 160-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder, or upgrade to a 250-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a full-hybrid version will be offered with a 1.5-kw lithium-ion battery and an electric motor connected to a 1.8-liter gas engine. Chevy says it expects better than 45 mpg highway. Blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, forward-collision alert with a following distance indicator, and rear cross-traffic alert are available.

Scion iM/iA

Probably the most significant modelyear transformations in Scion’s history are these two vehicles. While they’re being launched at the same time, make no mistake, these are entirely different animals. The iM is larger (based on a version of the Toyota Corolla sold in other markets), while the iA is smaller and based on a Mazda model available outside the U.S. Continued on a following page >>

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The iM boasts a sporty 1.8-liter, 137hp four-cylinder hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. EPA fuel economy estimates are 28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway. The iA is powered by a 1.5liter, 106-hp four-cylinder, paired with a choice of a six-speed manual or automatic. Fuel economy is expected to reach 33 mpg city, 42 mpg highway. Both cars feature a sizable display screen, Bluetooth, USB and aux ports. A steering wheel that tilts and telescopes, 60/40-split folding rear seats, a lowspeed pre-collision system that uses laser sensors to help the driver avoid collisions and a backup camera are also standard.

Toyota Mirai

To boost interest in this new hydrogenrun model, Toyota is offering free fuel. Lessees of the 2016 Mirai will get free hydrogen as part of a $499 monthly payment. It rides and handles a lot like a Prius, right down to the electronic shifter and two-tiered dash. It seats four adults comfortably and comes fully equipped with 153-hp electric motor, front and rear heated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and a navigation system.

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Fiat 500X

The 500X gives the Fiat line a sporty kick in the ass that it’s needed. That might be because it shares its base component with the Jeep Renegade, albeit with a bit of Euro-style adapted for American taste. The interior is larger and roomier (this is the one with the clever commercial where a Viagra falls in the fuel tank) with an exterior design that is much more like a mini-SUV. It is available with a variety of levels of equipment, the 500X is offered with a choice between two engines, two transmissions, and frontwheel or all-wheel drive. It’s expected to get 25 mpg city and 34 highway from a 2.4 L 180 hp engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission. Dual zone climate controls and a heated steering wheel are standard as are a voice activated navigation system, Bluetooth“real time” traffic updates.

FIT TIPS

Earn Your Wings The Lat PullDown

By Michael Elder

The lats, often referred to as “wings” make up a large portion of the musculature for the back. This powerful muscle group is very important to train as it has a strong effect on enhancing correct posture and creating muscular balance within the upper body. The lat pull-down is one of the most classic exercises to target the lats. It is a favorite amongst bodybuilders, and for good reason- it works!

To perform the exercise: •

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• So get out there and earn those wings! Doing this exercise in combination with others such as the seated cable row, lat sweeps, and pull- ups will help to deliver a nicely sculpted back. Michael Elder has been working as a fitness professional in Chicago for the last fifteen years. He comes from a background in gymnastics and is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). He can be contacted directly through his website, www.MichaelElder.com.

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Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar. Grab the bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out farther than shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip, lessr than your shoulder width. With both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees while curving your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position. As you breathe out, bring the bar down by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back, until it touches your upper chest. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. After a second at the contracted position squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched. Inhale during this portion of the movement. Continue this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions. boiMAG 57

Chicago's

in the know ... ON THE GO!

By Sue Deaunym

Market Days Madness

As if the weekend event weren’t enough of a reason to party, the bars and clubs up the ante (which is very different than upping your auntie!) with all sorts of special events. Sidetrack kicks off the weekend with a “Fabulous Friday” happy hour featuring those yummy frozen cocktails (brain freeze!) for only $4 from 6-9 p.m. Later that night Neverland presents an "Origins" party at Circuit Night Club with DJs Alain Jackinsy and Isaac Escalante with a performance by Shea Coulee... Shane Steel and Cindel teams up with Nina Flowers to get all Jurassic (World) on your ass at Hydrate. And that’s all before Market Days officially begins!... On Saturday, Minibar kicks things off with an aloha-themed brunch... Manhole kicks off the weekend with DJ Ralphi Rosario on Friday, and hosts a "Meat Market" with DJ Neil MacCleod on Saturday before winding things up with a jock party (best ass gets cash!) with DJ Neon on Sunday. And you thought your man-hole got a workout this weekend!... Circuit Mom’s “Rise of the Villains” party takes over the House of Blues. “ iCandy” at Circuit invites you to dress- up as your favorite candy (or at least in candy colors) for the club’s debut of LA DJ/producer Alexander. (If you’re heading to PTown for Carnival hold onto that outfit as the theme this year is “Candyland”.)... For something completely different, it’s a "Hands Up" party at Touché on Friday as MAFIA takes over, then "Steamed Heat" on Saturday with Jimmy Durano and Alex Buldeck (I know his name is supposed

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to sound like bull dick, but to me it brings to mind the term, bull dyke) and, of course Sunday has its regular beer bust... Sunday, Berlin offers up a special edition of “MadonnaRama”… BTW if you want to arrange someplace to get in out of the heat, during Market Days, go to Progress’ website beforehand and get a wristband that allows you to bypass lines all weekend. Stop by the boiMAGazine booth for a chance to win a set of skis or signup to be a cover model… Manhole winds things up with the first Market Days after-after party, “DayBreak”, which starts at 7 a.m. Monday. This ol’ gal will be chilling her feet in a bucket of ice water by then. So have a cocktail for me!

How Fancy!

On Aug. 18. Man’s Country is going black tie… and towel. They’ll be passing out black towels and bow ties to everyone. Black is so slimming… The Chicago Chapter of the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) will host a reception to celebrate the first federally approved monument honoring the service of LGBT veterans on the rooftop deck of the Center on Halsted on Aug. 9, 2015, from 4 to 8 p.m.… Take a break from the craziness during Market Days and head over to Shakers on Clark for Angelique Munro’s new revue featuring Sofia Safire, Dina Richards, Bianca Chablis and Marilyn Black. And, if that’s not enough of an incentive, how about $5 Jager shots?... It’s a regular menagerie at SoFo Tap on the weekends, what with the “Doggy Days” puppy play dates on Saturday and the “Grrrrr” bear parties on Friday... Continued on a following page >>

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Continued from a previous page >>

Wanna Get Lei’d?

“Tiki Holiday: Escape to a Polynesian Paradise” is the theme of Aids Legal Council’s big fund raiser at Sidetrack on Wednesday, Aug. 12, so don your Hawaiian shirt and straw hat for the party featuring island fare by Three Dots and a Dash, a silent auction and a raffle. Then a week later it’s Beyond Beyonce, as the bar hosts another tribute to the diva on Wednesday, Aug. 19 … These boots are made for walking-and licking! Touché' holds a boot fetish gear night as a benefit for AIDS Walk on Saturday, Aug. 15… … Big Chick’s is hosting the official Emily West All For You release party with a two-day event on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22.

Stage Notes

Pride Films and Plays brings the Peter Allen bio-musical, “The Boy From Oz” to Stage 773 through Aug. 30… If you missed the original run of About Face Theatre world premiere of “15 Breaths”, written by and featuring members of the About Face Youth Theatre, you can catch it again at a series of special performances Aug. 6-7 at Chase Park… Light Opera Works' 2015 season continues with “South Pacific”, running through the end of the month. The season picks up again in Oct., with “Hollywood's Greatest Song Hits” and ends the year with “Guys And Dolls”… On your toes! Chicago’s biggest dance showcase, “Dance for Life” is on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Auditorium Theatre. This year’s event features Joey Bland and Tim Mason from Second City as the MCs... On Saturday, Aug. 16 Idina Menzel will “Let It Go” at Millennium Park.

Stirring Up Some Sh*t

Windy City Times ran an article on the problems at the Center on Halsted (CoH). Don't get us wrong, we think the CoH is a tremendous organization, but it's about time someone has started the conversation. Windy City Times ran the article reporting that thirty-one former employees of CoH asked its board of directors to assess the management style of Valle, claiming that his treatment of staff has led to low morale and a high turnover. “Quite simply, for all of his talents, Modesto Tico Valle may not be best suited in his current role,” states the letter. “During his tenure, he has sown a culture of distrust and suspicion among the staff, often employing threats and intimidation. He has a pattern of recruiting highly qualified staff and then undermining their performance and initiative until they feel demoralized and undervalued. Additionally, he exhibits a pattern of overt hostility with targeted staff members for reasons that seem uneven to the level of hostility.” The news paper reported the news, as it should have. However, we guess that Valle doesn’t agree, because suddenly Windy City Times doesn't seem to be any longer available at CoH. Now how will I line my birdcage? Of course, there are two sides to every story, so perhaps we'll ask to hear the other side of the story too, if we do, we'll keep you posted. boiMAG 61