C H I C A G O ’ S F R E E W E E K LY | K I C K I N G A S S S I N C E 1 9 7 1 | M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6
Politics The race against the most unpopular politician in Chicago not named Rahm 8
Movies Eurotrash and Eurotreasure at the European Union Film Festival 15
Food & Drink Why the Fulton Market seafood spot Cold Storage might leave you cold 30
By defying the Christian reluctance to embrace hip-hop, this Hyde Park pastor and MC hopes to help people find God in their daily lives. By TIFFANY WALDEN 19
J.Kwest makes room for rap in the house of the Lord
2 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
THIS WEEK
C H I C AG O R E A D E R | M A R C H 3 , 2 01 6 | VO LU M E 4 5, N U M B E R 2 1
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EDITOR JAKE MALOOLEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR PAUL JOHN HIGGINS DEPUTY EDITOR, NEWS ROBIN AMER CULTURE EDITOR TAL ROSENBERG FILM EDITOR J.R. JONES MUSIC EDITOR PHILIP MONTORO ASSOCIATE EDITORS KATE SCHMIDT, KEVIN WARWICK, BRIANNA WELLEN SENIOR WRITERS STEVE BOGIRA, MICHAEL MINER, MIKE SULA SENIOR THEATER CRITIC TONY ADLER STAFF WRITERS LEOR GALIL, DEANNA ISAACS, BEN JORAVSKY, AIMEE LEVITT, PETER MARGASAK, JULIA THIEL SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR RYAN SMITH GRAPHIC DESIGNER SUE KWONG MUSIC LISTINGS COORDINATOR LUCA CIMARUSTI EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CASSIDY RYAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS NOAH BERLATSKY, DERRICK CLIFTON, MATT DE LA PEÑA, ANNE FORD, ISA GIALLORENZO, JOHN GREENFIELD, JUSTIN HAYFORD, JACK HELBIG, DANIEL KAY HERTZ, DAN JAKES, BILL MEYER, J.R. NELSON, MARISSA OBERLANDER, DMITRY SAMAROV, ZAC THOMPSON, DAVID WHITEIS, ALBERT WILLIAMS INTERNS MANUEL RAMOS, CHRIS RIHA, SOPHIA TU ----------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE 4 Agenda The play New Country, Alvin Ailey, Amazing: A Clickhole Show, 70mm Shorts Program, and more recommendations
CITY LIFE
7 Street View A major retailer’s visual merchandiser on spring trends 7 Chicagoans David and Mark Stein are brothers in life and vending machines.
10 Transportation Critics say the O’Hare express train plan sucks, but CrossRail could improve it.
8 Joravsky | Politics In Illinois’s Democratic primaries, challengers should be running against the most unpopular politician in Chicago not named Rahm.
33 Jobs 34 Apartments & Spaces 36 Marketplace
ARTS & CULTURE
11 Visual art With Slow Stretch, curatorial collective Third Object mails the art in—literally. 12 Theater Lifeline’s Midnight Cowboy is no Brokeback Mountain. 12 Comedy The guys behind the Gilmore Guys podcast come to town. 13 Theater Moor is less in Chicago Shakespeare’s Othello. 14 Lit Family dynamics get all squirrelly in The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie.
FILM & TV 8
CLASSIFIEDS
15 Movies What to see at the European Union Film Festival 18 Small Screen Zach Galifianakis clowns around in FX’s Baskets.
MUSIC
19 Feature J. Kwest makes room for rap in the house of the Lord.
13 24 Shows of note Ty Segall, Sunflower Bean, Jeremiah Jae, and more 28 The Secret History of Chicago Music Blues guitarist Lonnie Brooks has had careers under two different names.
36 Savage Love Dan gives his most concise advice ever. 37 Straight Dope Why do we get hot when we’re angry? 38 Early Warnings Chance the Rapper, Flight of the Conchords, Steely Dan, and more shows you should know about in the weeks to come 38 Gossip Wolf A former Empty Bottle talent buyer joins the Metro family, and other music news
FOOD & DRINK
30 Restaurant review: Cold Storage The casual seafood spot might leave you cold. 32 Cocktail Challenge: Celery root Best Intentions bartender Calvin Marty make a cocktail using the alien-looking vegetable.
30
ONLINE
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER EVANGELINE MILLER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE BRIDGET KANE MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER BRYAN BURDA DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL JOHN DUNLEVY BUSINESS MANAGER STEFANIE WRIGHT ADVERTISING COORDINATOR HERMINIA BATTAGLIA CLASSIFIEDS REPRESENTATIVE KRIS DODD ---------------------------------------------------------------DISTRIBUTION CONCERNS distributionissues@chicagoreader.com CHICAGO READER 350 N. ORLEANS, CHICAGO, IL 60654 312-222-6920, CHICAGOREADER.COM ---------------------------------------------------------------THE READER (ISSN 1096-6919) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SUN-TIMES MEDIA, LLC, 350 N. ORLEANS, CHICAGO, IL 60654. © 2016 SUN-TIMES MEDIA, LLC. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT CHICAGO, IL. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO CHICAGO READER, 350 N. ORLEANS, CHICAGO, IL 60654.
ON THE COVER: PHOTO OF J.KWEST BY JOHN STURDY. FOR MORE OF STURDY’S WORK GO TO JOHNSTURDY.COM.
HIGHER ED
A guide to the Onion City Film Festival
The most visible pawn in the partisan standoff over Illinois’s budget
If a piece at the experimental fest makes no sense, you may just be looking at it from the wrong angle.
Struggling Chicago State University is also the unlikely leader in the struggle over higher-education funding.
BY FRED CAMPER
BY DEANNA ISAACS
MOVIES
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 3
AGENDA R
READER RECOMMENDED
! Send your events to agenda@chicagoreader.com
b ALL AGES
F New Country When you see R this cannonball of a one-act—a raunchy comedy set on the night of a
Schoolhouse Rock Live! ! JOHNNY KNIGHT
THEATER
the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph, 800-775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com, $32-$95.
The Compass The audience is the jury in this interactive courtroom drama devised and directed by Michael Rohd for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. At issue is whether a teenager can be held responsible for calling in a bomb threat to her school when a powerful decision-making app on her phone told her to do it. As in a TV procedural, Rohd carefully parcels out information to keep us guessing, and as in a classroom exercise, the action often pauses so that facilitators can lead us in small-group discussions. The show certainly engages the audience, but the pressure to render a verdict stymies efforts to handle the issues with any nuance. Rohd criticizes technology for encouraging snap judgments, then encourages us to make a snap judgment. —ZAC THOMPSON Through 3/12: Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 PM, Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, 312-335-1650, steppenwolf.org, $20.
Lines in the Dust Set at a top-performing public high school in suburban New Jersey, Nikkole Salter’s 2014 agitprop drama tackles the thorny question of how the present system prevents minority kids from getting a high-quality education. The topic is important—and interesting—but Salter stumbles as a storyteller. Her characters lack depth, and the play itself unfolds at a painfully slow pace, at least until its passionate ending. Director Phyllis Griffin’s workmanlike production for ETA Creative Arts does little to fire up a cold script; in fact her three-person ensemble seems at times tentative and underrehearsed. Benjamin Todd, in the role of a white, male, conservative antagonist, never fully explores the veniality and unrecognized racism that motivate his character. —JACK HELBIG Through 3/27: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago, 773-752-3955, etacreativearts.org, $30, $25 seniors, $15 students.
More at chicagoreader.com/ theater
If/Then Maybe in an alternate universe Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt would’ve followed up their Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal with another musical that finds extraordinary power in a woman’s internal struggles. Instead they came up with this show about thirtysomething New Yorker Elizabeth, whose story unfolds in two alternate universes: In one, she’s Beth, pursuing professional glory as a city planner; in the other, she opts for love and family as Liz. What unifies these strands is their soporific banality. No matter which world she inhabits at a given moment, Elizabeth is sure to be having a hokey crisis in it, to a score that comes across as a single, dull song played over and over again. Larry Keigwin’s choreography offers nice Tharpian quirks, and, led by huge-voiced Jackie Burns as Elizabeth, the cast of this touring production is strong. But there’s not much for them to save here. —TONY ADLER Through 3/6: Wed 2 and 7:30 PM, Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 and 7:30 PM, Ford Center for
4 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
A Loss of Roses Playwright William Inge specialized in depicting the unfulfilled dreams and repressed desires of Americans living in the heartland. In this 1959 drama he finds his favorite themes in the rural Kansas home of Helen Baird, a pious widow letting her directionless son, Kenny, and an out-of-work actress, Lila, lodge with her during the Depression. You’d think three adults cooped up with their various longings would generate some heat, but in director Cody Estle’s arid staging nobody ever strikes the match. It’s partly the fault of a halfformed script oscillating between Freudian mommy issues and the downward arc of Lila, a wounded people-pleaser with a reckless streak. Eliza Stoughton turns in a touching performance in that role, conveying both vulnerability and pragmatism. —ZAC THOMPSON Through 4/2: Thu-Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, 773-338-2177, raventheatre.com, $39, $34 seniors, $17 students.
bachelor party in a Nashville hotel— there’s no need to know that playwright Mark Roberts is a well-established TV writer and showrunner (Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly). Nor do you need to know that it’s Roberts himself, an actor and onetime stand-up, playing drunk and disorderly Uncle Jim, a world-weary rascal who enters with a blow-up doll. And you don’t need to know much about country music (much less new country) to appreciate the forlorn cries of Hank Williams, or the electrifying performances—particularly Sarah Lemp as Sharon, an ill-used woman with a thing or to say about it. Rather than getting bogged down in all that, it would be a lot better to simply go and see this play as soon as you possibly can. —MAX MALLER Through 5/14: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 4 and 7:30 PM, Sun 6 PM, Den Theatre, 1329-1333 N. Milwaukee, 773-609-2336, newcountrytheplay.com, $45. Romeo & Juliet There’s one compelling instant in Lyric Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s 1867 take on Romeo and Juliet: it’s when mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa, in a minor trouser role, launches into a solo that reveals a fabulous voice. Otherwise, the singing— like the score—is all good, but nothing that’ll make your hair stand up. Broadway director Bartlett Sher, saddled with a dud of a French libretto (don’t even bother with the supertitles), opts for something closer to Disney than to Shakespeare: soprano Susanna Phillips is a simpering Juliet in a princess gown, and the swordplay is way better than the love scenes. Eric Cutler takes over the role of Romeo from powerhouse tenor Joseph Calleja for the last three performances. —DEANNA ISAACS Sat 3/5, Tue 3/8, and Fri 3/11, 7:30 PM, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker, 312-3322244, civicoperahouse.com, $34-$239.
Schoolhouse Rock Live! It’s R aimed at kids ages three to 13, but this Emerald City Theatre staging of the 70s Saturday-morning favorite may also
New Country ! BRANDON DAHLQUIST
appeal to nostalgic parents. Performed by four vibrant singer/dancer/actors, the show is framed by the story of Tom (Ron King), a new teacher, on the first day of the school year; the three other actors announce themselves as he prepares for his classes. More than 20 musical numbers follow, all the classics from “I’m Just a Bill” to “Conjunction Junction.” I was expecting a few more contemporary updates, but there aren’t many departures, though the Apollo Theater staging is modern—kids get light sticks, and the performers are framed by video images. “I wish school were this fun!,” my eight-year-old companion declared. —SUZANNE SCANLON Through 6/5: Sat 1 PM, other times vary; see website, Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln, 773-935-6100, apollochicago.com, $15-$20. Spirit of ’76 This politically charged satire from the Agency Theater Collective feels especially timely during primary election season. Playwright Huck Poe’s premise is that a “catastrophic event” has left a group of congressional representatives, staffers, and ordinary citizens trapped in the Library of Congress, where the only surviving document is the 1868 antisuffrage play The Spirit of ’76; or, The Coming Woman, A Prophetic Drama. While the group’s attempted performance of this absurd source material is the catalyst for the fascinating Lord of the Flies-style devolution that follows, it’s almost beside the point, and a distraction from the top-shelf acting outside the play within a play. Adam Schulmerich is perfect as a perfectly tyrannical train wreck. —MARISSA OBERLANDER Through 3/26: Thu-Sun 8 PM, the Charnel House, 3421 W. Fullerton, 773-871-9046, thecharnelhousechicago.com, $15. Tuesdays With Morrie In this play adapted from the New York Times best-seller by Mitch Albom (who also coadapted), a character named Mitch Albom takes a weekly break from his sportswriting job to visit his old sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, now dying of ALS. Provision Theater’s production, helmed by artistic director
Best bets, recommendations, and notable arts and culture events for the week of March 3
For more of the best things to do every day of the week, go to chicagoreader. com/agenda.
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a single couple’s relationship. 3/4-3/19: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster, 773-561-8496, danztheatre.org, $20. Inside/Out Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre kicks off a seven-month series with an interactive dance and music performance. Sat 3/5, 2 PM, Old Town School of Folk Music, 909 W. Armitage, 773-728-6000, cerquarivera.org, $8. Trip the Light Fantastic: The Making of SuperStrip Lucky Plush Productions presents a new work blending dance with comic book graphics, sound effects, and video in celebration of the company’s 15th anniversary. Thu 3/3, 7:30 PM, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph, 312-334-7777, luckyplush.com, $10-$40.
R Trip the Light Fantastic: The Making of SuperStrip ! CHERYL MANN Timothy Gregory, features Colin Wasmund, who plays Albom with wonderful aw-shucks buoyancy, and company member Brad Armacost, who bravely cuts through Albom’s sententious schmaltz with a pitch-perfect performance. Morrie’s terminal illness unfolds gradually and painfully, and there’s something almost indecent about watching someone decay and die onstage, but viewers who have sat watch alongside ailing friends or relatives will doubtless be moved by Armacost’s realism. —MAX MALLER Through 3/20: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Provision Theater Company, 1001 W. Roosevelt, 773-506-4429, provisiontheater.org, $10-$30. Zoyka’s Apartment Chicago owes Bluebird Arts for presenting this 1925 “tragic farce” by Mikhail Bulgakov. A true Russian genius, Bulgakov had the unique advantage and the vast misfortune of practicing satire in the early decades of the Soviet era. Stalinist culture made his work at once possible and unpublishable. His great novel, The Master and Margarita, is now wellknown in the West, but not works like Zoyka’s Apartment—a potentially wicked piece about a bordello operating out of a Moscow housing block. I say “potentially” because, while Bluebird has made a fascinating selection, the production (directed by Luda Lopatina Solomon from an English-language adaptation by Yasen Peyankov and Peter Christensen)
is clumsy and approximate. The situation isn’t clearly defined, layers of subtext are never reached, and something’s got to be done about the way two Chinese characters are portrayed. Only Doogin Brown, playing the brothel manager, seems aware of the demands of the script and how they might be fulfilled. —TONY ADLER Through 4/2: Thu-Sat 7:3 PM, Sun 2 PM, Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, 773-935-6860, bluebirdarts. org, $30, $18 students and seniors.
Winning Works Winners of the R Joffrey Academy’s sixth annual choreographic competition—Jeffrey
Cirio, Christian Denice, and Mariana Oliveira—stage their submissions. Joffrey Academy artistic director Alexei Kremnev also presents a new work. 3/5-3/6: Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago, 312-280-2660, joffrey.org, $24.
Alvin Ailey Along with classics R from the modern dance company’s repertoire like Revelations, this
performance includes new works from choreographers Paul Taylor, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Alvin Ailey artistic director Robert Battle. 3/8-3/13: Tue-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress, 800-982-2787, auditoriumtheatre.org, $33-$103.
the voices of women: Bindis and Bruises tells the individual stories of eight who suffer from abuse in Indian-American culture; Encuentros integrates dance, sound, text, and acrobatics to follow
Dan Abromowitz in Amazing: A Clickhole Show ! COURTESY THE ONION
COMEDY Amazing: A Clickhole Show The R writers and editors of the Onion’s viral website parody Clickhole take
their wit to the stage at the iO Theater. Clickhole itself says of the show, “Wow. Incredibly brave. Someone holds a mic and someone reads a page of beautiful lies, and maybe someone sings a heartbreaking song about a hero, or someone screams the truth and it’s perfect.” Thu 3/3, 8 PM, iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury, clickhole.com, $12. Dave Helem Birthday Roast R Local comics gather to roast Blipster Life host Dave Helem on his 35th
Alvin Ailey ! ANDREW ECCLES
han, Alexandra Tsarpalas, and more. Thu 3/3, 8 PM, Laugh Factory, 3175 N. Broadway, 773-327-3175, thekates.org, $17.
VISUAL ARTS Andrew Bae Gallery “Dansaekhwa: Korean Contemporary,” Kwang Jean Park’s solo exhibition inspired by Dansaekhwa, a style of Korean monograph painting that emphasizes repetition, rhythm, and the use of materials in harmonized tones. Opening reception Fri 3/4, 5-8 PM. 3/4-4/16, 300 W. Superior, 312-335-8601, andrewbaegallery.com.
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Chicago Artists Coalition “Don’t Hold On to Your Bones,” an exhibit featuring new work by Indonesian photographer Leonard Suryajaya. Opening reception Fri 3/4, 6-9 PM. 3/4-3/24, 217 N. Carpenter, 312-491-8887, chicagoartistscoalition. org. Chicago History Museum Chicago’s 179th Birthday Celebration, the museum hosts special speakers and music from the Latin School of Chicago’s concert band to celebrate the city’s anniversary. And it wouldn’t be a birthday without cake—Eli’s Cheesecake presents slices for visitors. Sat 3/4, 10 AM-1 PM, 1601 N. Clark, 312-642-4600, chicagohistory.org, $14, $12 seniors and students (13-22), free kids 12 and under.
DANCE
Bindis and Bruises and EncuenR tros Chicago DanzTheatre presents a double bill of works dedicated to
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birthday. Thu 3/3, 8:30 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave West, 312-8012100, promontorychicago.com, $10.
15th & West Gallery “Once UpOn a Wall—Infinite Life,” a group show featuring indoor murals by artists like JC Rivera, Czr Prz, Statik, Nerd, Rine Boyer, Max Sansing, and Bunny XLV. Fri 3/4 and Sat 3/12: 6-11 PM, 2439 W. 15th, facebook. com/15thandwest. Pop Up Just Art Center “In Plain Sight: A Women’s History of HIV/AIDS in Chicago,” a public exhibition of oral narratives inspired by an ongoing project called “I’m Still Surviving: A Women’s History of HIV/AIDS in the United States.” Opening reception Fri 3/4, 5-7 PM. 3/4-4/2, 1255 S. Halsted, historymoves.org/inplainsight. Roman Susan “Sing a Funeral Song,” local artist Jessica Caponigro explores the line between protection and suffocation through paintings, installations, and projected videos. Opening reception Sat 3/5, 4-7 PM. 3/5-3/26, 1224 W. Loyola, 773-270-1224, romansusan.org.
LIT Richard Bales The Society of R Midland Authors hosts a social cocktail hour followed by author !
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 5
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!B Richard Bales discussing his forthcoming book, Nelson Algren: The Forgotten Literature. Tue 3/8, 6 PM, Cliff Dwellers Club, 200 S. Michigan, 22nd floor, 312-922-8080, midlandauthors.com. John D’Agata The author reads from The Making of the American Essay, the final volume of his anthology series exploring the history of creative nonfiction. Wed 3/9, 6 PM, 57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th, 773-684-1300, semcoop.com. Timothy Egan The author reads and discusses his book The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero. Sun 3/6, 2 PM, Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox, 773282-7035, irish-american.org. The Hacked World Order Adam Segal, author of The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age, leads a discussion about global power in the Internet age. Tue 3/8, 5:30 PM, 1871, 222 W. Merchandise Mart, thechicagocouncil.org. Tracing a Lost Love: One R Family’s Forgotten History Sarah Wildman discusses her book Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind, which documents her efforts to discover the fate of her family in Nazi Germany, with Diane Afoumado of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Wed 3/9, noon, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods, Skokie, 847967-4800, ilholocaustmuseum.org.
MOVIES
More at chicagoreader.com/ movies NEW REVIEWS London Has Fallen This sequel to the action blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen (2013) is even more
6 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
brutally violent and jingoistic than its predecessor. Most of the principal cast are back, including Aaron Eckhart as the U.S. president and Gerard Butler as a terrorist-leveling secret service agent, yet the earlier movie’s premise of a North Korean-led attack on the White House has been topped with an even more crass, paranoia-feeding scenario: an ISIS-like group targets world leaders gathered to attend a funeral in downtown London. This deserves some credit for making the terrorists’ motive clear—“You murder our families from the sky,” says one, in reference to U.S. drone strikes—but the American characters are quick to excuse the killing of innocent civilians as “unintentional” (before hitting them again). Butler is in his action-hero element, and Eckhart nails his comicrelief moments (“I haven’t driven a car in six years!”), but their mildly diverting performances aren’t enough to dislodge the film’s troubling pro-engagement message. Babak Najafi directed; with Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Radha Mitchell. —LEAH PICKETT R, 100 min. Century 12 and CineArts 6, Cicero Showplace 14, City North 14, Crown Village 18, Ford City, Lake, New 400, River East 21, Showplace 14 Galewood Crossings, Showplace ICON, Webster Place The Wave Billed as the first Scandinavian disaster movie, this Norwegian drama takes place in the real-life tourist village of Geiranger, which offers spectacular scenery but also lives under the constant threat of obliteration should the overlooking Åkneset mountain crumble into the fjord and cause a tsunami. The movie’s hero (Kristoffer Joner), a geologist at the local warning center, is celebrating his last day at work before starting a new position when the Big One finally arrives. Director Roar Uthaug has said that he wanted to put a new spin on the genre by “moving away from president’s speeches and megacity mayhem . . . to experience
the destruction through a normal family and the small community they live in.” But the plot—in which the geologist, his wife, and their two children are separated by the cataclysm and must reunite—is identical to that of last year’s Dwayne Johnson actioner San Andreas. The real tsunami is Hollywood formula. In Norwegian with subtitles. —J.R. JONES R, 105 min. Landmark’s Century Centre
SPECIAL EVENTS Chicago Irish Film Festival Eleven new features make their Chicago debuts in the festival’s 17th edition; for a full schedule visit chicagoirishfilmfestival.com. Thu-Sun 3/3-3/6. Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival Four installations and nine shorts programs screen as part of this year’s festival. For Fred Camper’s festival roundup visit chicagoreader.com/movies; for a full schedule visit onioncity.org. Thu-Sun 3/3-3/6. Peace on Earth Film Festival Jerome McDonnell of WBEZ emcees the opening-night program of the annual festival; this year’s edition collects 26 international films “on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance.” For a full schedule visit peaceonearthfilmfestival.org. Thu-Sun 3/3-3/6 70mm Shorts Program As part of the Music Box 70mm Film Festival, Northwest Chicago Film Society presents a collection of archival 70-millimeter shorts, which “[make] use of the wide, clear frame to simulate reality, tell the stories of our forefathers, and sell stuff.” Admission is $13. Sat 3/5, noon. Music Box Wonder: Recent Independent Animation From Japan Animation scholar Nobuaki Doi introduces this screening of new Japanese work. 75 min. Thu 3/10, 6 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center v
CITY LIFE ! OUR MOST READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK ON CHICAGOREADER.COM IN ASCENDING ORDER: Critics say the O’Hare express train plan sucks. CrossRail could improve it. —JOHN GREENFIELD
! ISA GIALLORENZO
David Bowie’s ex-girlfriend discusses their love affair, interracial dating, Mick Jagger, and the infamous Labyrinth bulge —JAKE MALOOLEY
Street View
Are you a mod or a rocker? FEW PEOPLE I ENCOUNTER are more qualified to talk about trends than Chelsea Perryman. As visual manager at a major clothing retailer, she’s responsible for leading a team of merchandisers who style mannequins and create eye-catching in-store displays. With spring on the horizon, “denim is back and so are the 70s, satin neck scarves, and lots of suede. There’s also a very feminine Romantic-era trend coming back in, with loose silhouettes and soft lace,” Perryman says. “For me, the classic clean-cut mod look will continue.” Razor-sharp bangs and a powerful shade of lipstick, she says, are “a winner every time.” —ISA GIALLORENZO
HBO’s Vinyl is a broken record —LEOR GALIL
Mayor Rahm takes off his sweater, drops an F-bomb in the New Yorker’s Father Pfleger profile —JAKE MALOOLEY
Can a lawsuit deliver justice after a fatal police shooting? —STEVE BOGIRA Diameters of circles are proportional to the number of page views received.
Chicagoans
Daniel and Mark Stein, Mark Vend Co. owners DANIEL: Dad started Mark Vend in 1962. People always ask, “Are you mad that he named the company after your brother and not you?” It doesn’t bother me a bit. First, I wasn’t born yet. And second, no one ever calls up irate looking for Daniel. At first it was all cigarette vending machines—that was back when smoking was good for you. Over time Dad expanded to candy and coffee and cocoa. All of our classmates knew exactly what Mr. Stein did for a living. The truth is, people love vending machines. There’s something magical about being at the skating rink and having your father open up the vending machine and turn on free hot cocoa for the hockey team. MARK: Our father was rather gregarious, a bit larger than life. DANIEL: And he was big. Six foot three, anywhere between 220 and 250. He had these gigantic paws for hands. Remember, Marky? When he got mad, one eyebrow would go up and one eyebrow would go down, and it was like, “Oh boy.” MARK: I think Dad always had in mind that we would follow him in the business, but it wasn’t really a conversation at dinner.
“Mark and I started seeing a therapist together once a week,” says Daniel Stein, left. “It’s made us better business partners and better brothers.” ! CHRIS RIHA
DANIEL: Dad was a fatalist. He’d always say, “When your number’s up, your number’s up.” When he was 61, he went to the annual Glencoe village meeting, stood up, asked a question, sat down, had a massive heart attack, and died. Mark called me at school and said, “Dad’s died.” The first thing I said was, “God, I guess his number was up.” But Dad was a big man. There wasn’t a cheese he didn’t love—there was always half a wheel of Jarlsberg in our fridge. The man having a massive heart attack was not out of the question. It was interesting to watch our mom after Dad died, coming into her own without her larger-than-life husband, figuring out, “Oh my God, I own this company.” As much as we missed Dad, it was time to make the doughnuts. Then Mom died suddenly at age 65 of a brain tumor, 14 days from diagnosis to death. And Mark and I inherited the family business. MARK: Whenever anybody hears we’re in the vending business, they
ask, “Do you sell healthier things now?” The answer is yes.
DANIEL: Dad would be rolling in his urn if he found out how much bottled water we sell. He was a Depression baby. The notion of selling water would baffle him. And we sell a lot of bottled water. About a decade ago, Mark and I started seeing a therapist together once a week. It’s made us better business partners and better brothers. Sometimes the line between family issues and business issues gets blurred, and it’s nice to have someone calling you out and saying, “Daniel, your reaction to that is a little irrational,” and I’m like, “Holy moly, it’s because I’m mad Mark got that tricycle when he was three!” Anyway, I like what I do. And I love working with my brother.
MARK: Did the reporter just say “Awww”? That’s sweet. Thank you. I love working with my brother too. —AS TOLD TO ANNE FORD
# Keep up to date on the go at chicagoreader.com/agenda.
SURE THINGS THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
" On ion Ci ty Film Festi va l Chicago Filmmakers presents the annual international festival exclusively devoted to experimental film and video. Through 3/6, Defibrillator Gallery, 1463 W. Chicago, onioncity.org, $5, $25 for festival pass.
# Th e Inte r v iew Show Mark Bazar celebrates eight years of his live talk show with guests Pat Quinn, Mindy Segal, Hebru Brantley, and Toronzo Cannon. 6:30 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, hideoutchicago.com, $10.
$ Bulk Up! Chicago Market hosts this co-op pop-up featuring food and goods from local farmers and producers like Mint Creek, Metropolis Coffee Company, and Three Sisters Garden. 2-5 PM, Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark, chicagomarket.coop, RSVP required.
" Battle of the Balls Local chefs go head-to-head to see who can create the tastiest meatball. Participants include Sean Pharr (the Bristol), Paul Virant (Perennial Virant, Vie), and Joshua Kulp and Christine Cikowski (Honey Butter Fried Chicken). Noon and 2 PM, Formento’s, 925 W. Randolph, battleoftheballs.bpt.me, $60.
! Th e Poetor y A monthly spoken-word reading featuring poetry from Bryant Cross with music by the Corner and DJ Rae Chardonnay. 7 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, promontorychicago.com, $5.
% S iamsa na nGael The annual Saint Patrick’s Day celebration features performances from Metropolis Symphony Orchestra, Old Saint Patrick’s Concert Choir, Trinity Irish Dancers, Irish Trad band, soloists Gavin Coyle, Rodrick Dixon, Catherine O’Connell, and more. 7:30 PM, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan, cso.org, $30-$60.
& Trainwreck Second City alumni Dan Bakkedahl (Veep) and Ed Furman perform a completely improvised play. 8 PM, Second City, 1616 N. Wells, secondcity.com, $15.
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 7
CITY LIFE
BOBBY SIMS
Read Ben Joravsky’s columns throughout the week at chicagoreader.com.
POLITICS
It’s the governor, stupid Democratic primary challengers should be running against Rauner. By BEN JORAVSKY
A
s the last unabashedly New Deal Democrat left in Chicago, I’d like to offer the chieftains of the Democratic Party a few words of unsolicited advice as they prepare for the final stretch of the March 15 primary campaign: It’s the governor, stupid! That’s Bruce Rauner, our whacked-out Republican governor, who seems determined to eradicate unions and bankrupt public schools in the name of making Illinois more attractive to rich people. Don’t blame me, folks—I didn’t vote for him. If you’re a candidate angling for a win in the upcoming Democratic primary, you have to put Rauner’s head on your opponent’s torso, whether it’s a fair fit or not. After all, Rauner is
8 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
the most unpopular politician in Chicago not named Rahm. But apparently, not all candidates appreciate this rather obvious campaign strategy— especially Juliana Stratton, who’s running against Ken Dunkin in the fiercely contested, highly expensive, mother-of-all primary battles for the Fifth District seat, on the south side. Before I delve into the Stratton/Dunkin race, allow me to demonstrate the power of this political tactic by showing you how a master plays the Rauner card—that would be my old frenemy, former 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell, with whom I’ve been feuding on and off for almost 30 years. Ah, where does the time go, Dick?
That old warhorse is running state rep Jaime Andrade against a challenger named Harish Patel in the 40th legislative district, on the near northwest side. Andrade was appointed in 2013, replacing Deb Mell—Dick Mell’s daughter—when she moved from the state assembly to the City Council after her father retired. (Just following that great Chicago tradition of keeping it in the family.) Andrade’s a dependable Democratic loyalist who’s been more than happy to join house speaker Michael Madigan’s holy crusade against Rauner. As part of his reelection effort, Andrade has sent out at least a half-dozen mailings blasting Patel as a Rauner tool supported by unnamed gubernatorial allies. Is there any truth to these accusations? No. Patel’s a left-of-center progressive who fits in with the Will Guzzardi/Carlos Ramirez-Rosa wing of the party. To which my old pal Mell would probably say: whoop-de-doo. If misleading, distortion-filled flyers can confuse an easily manipulated Chicago electorate, so it goes. All’s fair in love and war—and Chicago politics. Again, I’ll say this for Andrade—at least he’s a dependable foot soldier in the fight against Rauner. If only the same could be said for Dunkin—Rauner’s favorite Democrat. Well, aside from the Daley brothers, that is. Twice in the last year, Dunkin has sided with Rauner over Madigan. After Dunkin’s last defection, in which he helped kill an effort to keep Rauner from making more cuts in childcare assistance, Madigan made it clear that he wanted Dunkin out. So along with several other high-ranking Democrats, Madigan enlisted Juliana Stratton—a lawyer and former aide to Cook County president Toni Preckwinkle—to run against him. Backed by many unions, Stratton’s received about $900,000 to unseat Dunkin. Rauner and his allies have responded by sending close to $1 million to Dunkin. And so this race has become a proxy battle between Madigan and Rauner. As opposed to a faux proxy battle like the one Mell and Andrade have engineered against Patel. Given all this, you’d think that Stratton would be hammering Dunkin as a Rauner flunky. But no, her campaign’s wasted valuable weeks trying to convince the voters that Dunkin—a four-term incumbent—is a thug. They’ve been sending out flyers featuring Dunkin’s 20-year-old mug shot, taken after he was arrested on charges of assault. Back in 1996, he slugged a man and broke his nose.
All right, look, I don’t condone brawls. And from press reports, it sort of sounds like Dunkin sucker-punched the dude. I don’t condone that either. But, c’mon, people, it was 20 years ago. Dunkin was sentenced to perform 30 days of community service and given 18 months of probation. It’s ancient history, and not nearly as relevant as Rauner’s assault on our dear state. I don’t even think it’s helping Stratton’s campaign to raise the subject. For instance, at a debate last week in the South Loop, Dunkin successfully turned the issue on its head and used it to effectively counterattack Stratton. Noting that Stratton describes herself as an advocate of restorative justice, Dunkin demanded to know what was restorative about dredging up an old mug shot. There were many people in the audience nodding their heads in agreement. I’m pretty sure I was one of them. Dunkin went on to blast Stratton for being Madigan’s handpicked tool—part of an effort to punish him for daring to leave “the plantation.” And how did Stratton respond? Instead of saying she had support from other Democrats—including Preckwinkle, secretary of state Jesse White, and Third Ward alderman Pat Dowell—she said she was offended by terms like “plantation politics.” To which Dunkin basically responded—oh, you’re sensitive about accusations of plantation politics, but not too sensitive to spread my mug shot all over the district. I’ll say this about Dunkin: he’s pretty good at debates. After the back-and-forth, everyone I talked to said Stratton should have counterpunched when Dunkin mentioned plantation politics. Or as my old pal Billy put it: “She should have said, ‘At least I’m not on the Rauner plantation.’ ” In short, when the Democrats can legitimately put Rauner’s head on a candidate’s body, they don’t. And when they can’t, they do. I swear, rooting for the Democrats in the fight against Rauner is like cheering on the Bears. They seemed determined to mess it up. Here’s a suggestion: maybe Stratton should bring in Dick Mell to run her campaign. I know, he’s just another old white guy from the north side. But he’s smart enough to know that in this election, it’s the governor, stupid. v
! @joravben
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MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 9
CITY LIFE Critics balk at the idea of using public money for an express train designed for wealthy travelers. ! GARY MUSGRAVE
TRANSPORTATION
Train wreck? CrossRail could improve the plan for a high-speed train to O’Hare. By JOHN GREENFIELD
L
ast week the city awarded a $2 million contract to local engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff to identify possible routes, station locations, and a cost estimate for pricey high-speed rail service between the Loop and O’Hare. Some area residents are applauding the mayor’s plan as a smart strategy for fueling the city’s economy. Others say it’s a case of misplaced priorities, and likely to be a financial disaster. Still others argue the project could be more useful and have broader appeal if done as part of a proposal to link the airport with the southeast side. Last year Emanuel and aviation commissioner Ginger Evans announced the airport express as a top priority, claiming that it would ease congestion on the Kennedy, create jobs, and generate tax revenue. Parsons Brinckerhoff is expected to take ten months to come up with a concrete plan. It’s likely the corridor for Metra’s North Central Service, which currently stops on the northeast side of the airport on its way to An-
10 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
tioch, would be used. The downtown terminal would probably be Union Station, already slated for a major renovation. The ride would likely take about 20 or 25 minutes, compared to the current 40 to 45 minutes for the Blue Line, Evans said. She estimated that an express ticket would cost between $25 and $35. The commissioner told the Sun-Times she’s confident that bankers and lawyers will pony up for a faster, plusher ride. “They want a quiet space where they can talk on the phone and pull out a laptop,” she said. “They’re traveling on expense accounts.” Bruce Unruh agrees. He lives in Oak Park and flies in and out of O’Hare frequently for his job as a commercial construction rep. He usually takes a cab, at an average cost of $38. “Even if the express wouldn’t benefit me very often, I’d support all public transportation options like this,” he said. “Thirty dollars to and from downtown would certainly compete with taxi service, and would just plain be more [environmentally] responsible.”
A 2006 CTA business plan for an airport express estimated a $1.5 billion price tag. Although a news release from the mayor’s office said the goal is to avoid using taxpayer money for construction and operations, Evans conceded to the Tribune that public funds will likely be used for building the stations. Detractors balk at this cost, arguing that the train project would be a wasteful boondoggle. Urban planner Daniel Kay Hertz skewered the plan in a recent Chicago magazine piece. While no one claims a $30 train ride is going to appeal to ordinary riders, Hertz argues that the service won’t even attract its target ridership of people with deep pockets or expense accounts. Boosters have cited Toronto’s Union Pearson Express as a model, but Hertz notes that ridership on that line has been dismal. In fact, Toronto officials announced last week that fares would be slashed from about U.S. $20 to roughly $9 in hopes of attracting more customers. Hertz also notes that the Blue Line is already a popular train route to O’Hare, and it’s likely to be improved by the current Blue Line renovation project, which could shave up to five minutes off the trip from O’Hare to the Loop. Moreover, the Blue Line runs every four to ten minutes, while the airport express would likely run at 15-minute intervals and drop passengers off much farther from Michigan Avenue hotels. When you factor in the additional waiting time, plus the cab or bus ride from Union Station, he argues, the expensive train wouldn’t be much faster or more convenient than the cheap one. Finally, Hertz argued that the project could divert taxpayer dollars from transit projects at much higher priority. Some transit advocates say they would only support the project if it used no public funds. Active Transportation Alliance director Ron Burke, for example, is in that camp. But Rick Harnish, director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association—which is enthusiastically backing Emanuel’s plan—argues that his group’s CrossRail proposal would be a solution for adding value to the express project and ensuring that it’s not simply an amenity for elites at the expense of other residents, as critics have claimed. This would involve connecting the southeast side’s Metra Electric District line with the northwest side’s North Central Service via a freight route that runs west from McCormick Place along 16th Street.
“The CrossRail project is what politicians call a ‘Christmas tree.’ It’s got many different ornaments to appeal to a broad constituency.” —Rick Harnish, highspeed-rail advocate
The plan also calls for upgrading the North Central from diesel to electric power, and eliminating dangerous at-grade rail crossings. The Electric District would get track upgrades, switch modernization, and station rehabs. Harnish said these improvements would create a new crosstown rail corridor able to handle many types of service, including the O’Hare express, but also Metra, CTA, the South Shore Line, Amtrak, and even the kind of high-speed bullet trains common in Europe and Asia. “CrossRail is what politicians call a ‘Christmas tree,’ ” he said. “It’s got many different ornaments to appeal to a broad constituency.” Harnish’s group estimates a grand total of $3.5 billion. But the sound of rapid transit cars on the electric tracks would be music to Mike Payne’s ears. He’s a long-time south-sider and office-machine technician who now lives in west-suburban Lisle. For years Payne has pushed for the CTA to take over the route from Metra, a scheme he calls the Gray Line. His plan would mean lower fares and more frequent service, making it easier for low-income residents of the southeast side to access jobs. While Payne wouldn’t have a problem with an airport express bankrolled solely by private investors, he’s infuriated by the idea of taxpayer dollars being spent on the O’Hare express. The O’Hare express engineering team will study CrossRail as part of their planning process, according to aviation department spokesman Owen Kilmer. If the city does embrace CrossRail, Payne says, the O’Hare express project could “serve a very diverse demographic—instead of just catering to rich people.” v
John Greenfield edits the transportation news website Streetsblog Chicago. ! @greenfieldjohn
ARTS & CULTURE
R
Slow Stretch, work by Joseph Belknap, Sarah Belknap, and Eileen Rae Walsh ! EILEEN RAE WALSH
VISUAL ART
The home Stretch By SASHA GEFFEN
W
ith Slow Stretch, the new gallery installation from curatorial collective Third Object, interdisciplinary artists Sarah Belknap, Joseph Belknap, and Eileen Rae Walsh dissolve the boundaries that typically circumscribe artists in collaboration. The show, open through April 3 at Mana Contemporary Chicago, is a mess of visual conversation, and although there’s never any question as to which artist produced each work, the idea of “work” as a discrete visual unit is called into question by the three artists and Third Object’s curators. Two long, elevated platforms display the results of an in-house dialogue between the Belknaps, both MFA graduates of the School
of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Walsh, currently an MFA candidate in photography at Columbia College. The Belknaps’ contributions to Slow Stretch consist of found and made objects coated in graphite dust, all one dark gray color with a slight metallic sheen. Because their small-scale sculptures are all the same shade, texture emerges as the main differentiating factor between the objects. Rather than display her photographs as two-dimensional pieces with flat surfaces, Walsh uses sculptures to keep prints in a half-folded position, curled into a cylinder, or bunched up in the middle. Some of the prints reuse the same image, and the textures vary:
READER RECOMMENDED
b ALL AGES
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some feature ink splattered across newsprint, while others include images painted on velvet matte paper. Walsh’s subjects echo the Belknaps’; all three artists fixate on the visual harmony between hands and natural objects, such as branches and rocks. The most intriguing disruption in Slow Stretch is how the art space is transported into the viewer’s personal space. Before the installation’s opening, Third Object offered a series of free mailings to potential audience members. The first was an artists’ statement divulging the theoretical framework guiding the collaboration; the second an interview between Third Object’s curators and the presenting artists; and the third a set of three small, unique artworks created after the gallery’s main pieces had been completed. Two prints and a miniature sculpture arrived in my mailbox the day before I previewed the standing installation. One print mapped stream-of-consciousness writing across parchment paper, while the other was an abstract silver gelatin print folded into triangles enough times to give it a sculptural quality. The sculpture itself was a small, blue stone mounted on a metal pick, like a tie pin or an olive skewer. Visitors who didn’t sign up for Third Object’s mailing series may find the same materials—including their own take-home art pieces—at the gallery itself. Few exhibitions send works home with attendees, but the show’s final mailing reinforces its fluidity, its commitment to dialogue over authority, like a concert in which audience members are invited up onstage. v SLOW STRETCH Through 4/3, Mana Contemporary Chicago, 2233 S. Throop, 312-8500555, manacontemporarychicago.com. F
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MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 11
! TAYLOR NICOLE HOTTER
ARTS & CULTURE Gregory Madden and Zach Livingston ! SUZANNE PLUNKETT
THEATER
Brokeback Mountain it ain’t By TONY ADLER
B
ig media companies have long since figured out that they can extend the profitability of their film assets by turning them into stage shows. Disney alone has recycled properties from Beauty and the Beast to Aladdin. We’ve seen theatricalizations of Kinky Boots and Shrek, School of Rock and Once. Hairspray and The Producers both started out as movies, transmuted into musicals, and then morphed back into movies. A scored version of Groundhog Day will premiere at London’s Old Vic this year. Sometimes the makeover makes aesthetic sense, sometimes not—but it doesn’t really have to as long as the economic argument is sound. A live iteration of Midnight Cowboy is a whole different story. It’s got everything working against it from a commercial point of view, including the bleakest settings, direst situations, and saddest ending this side of Son of Saul. Even plague-riven Rent has its Christmas-miracle finale; if you’ve seen John Schlesinger’s classic 1969 movie version of Midnight Cowboy, you know how poorly it would lend itself to snappy production numbers. So the motives behind Chris Hainsworth’s stage adaptation must be artistic.
12 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
Hainsworth evidently believed he could reveal something new by going back to the James Leo Herlihy novel that inspired Schlesinger’s film and teasing a play out of it. He succeeded, too, after a fashion: we definitely get a different Midnight Cowboy than the one we know. But the overwhelming effect of Lifeline Theatre’s world-premiere production is to demonstrate just how smart Waldo Salt’s Academy Award-winning screenplay was. And what a bad idea it can be to mess with Salt’s approach. Both onscreen and in the book, Midnight Cowboy is the tale of Joe Buck, dim bulb and lost soul, who leaves the American southwest to make his fortune as a cowboy gigolo in New York City—where, he reasons, rich ladies will pay high prices for sex because all the local guys are “tutti-fruities.” Needless to say, things don’t go as planned. Joe’s first big-city assignation actually loses him money, and it’s mostly downhill from there, until he finds himself hanging out in Times Square among the other Marlboro Man hustlers, getting blown for pay in sticky-floor porn houses. Along the way he meets Enrico Salvatore Rizzo, a sickly but resourceful gimp nicknamed Ratso against his will. Ratso’s dream is to spend his next winter in Miami, living on sunlight and coconut water (oddly prescient
of him, considering the current energy drink fad). Here too, results fail to meet expectations. Ratso and Joe room together in an unheated squat as the cold weather sets in and Ratso’s health looks to be the only thing going south. Salt’s screenplay takes a quick eight or ten minutes to introduce Joe Buck, sketch out his demons and delusions, and get him to Manhattan. From there it’s only a couple scenes more before our hero is sitting in a bar, getting befriended by Ratso. Hainsworth and director Christopher M. Walsh declare their fidelity to the novel, on the other hand, by devoting the first hour of a two-and-a-halfhour show to Joe’s psychic biography. Sure, we learn some interesting things. Salt, for instance, eliminated a character named Perry from the film; here, he’s not only been reinstated but looms as a great and terrible force in Joe’s life. Likewise, a lowlife preacher who merits only a set piece in the movie grows into a kind of guardian angel in a bathrobe. Indeed Hainsworth and Walsh go a long way toward putting an imitation-of-Christ spin on Joe’s travails. The problem is that, for all they do to explain Joe’s state of mind, these resurrected elements all but kill the play’s dramatic flow. Things only get going when Joe and Ratso start moving toward their shared tragedy. Hainsworth and Walsh don’t arrive at that point until their second half; Salt and Schlesinger, wisely, made it the foundation of the entire, propulsive movie. And didn’t lose a thing by it, either. Whatever is made explicit in Hainsworth’s adaptation still manages to resonate powerfully through Salt’s script even though it’s never mentioned. Zach Livingston has his strong moments as Joe, as does Adam Marcantoni as Ratso (though he seems awfully clean for a man living inches from the street). But the really vivid performances belong to supporting cast members—particularly Megan DeLay, Peter Blashill, Jack Miggins, and Heather Smith— in multiple roles. v MIDNIGHT COWBOY Through 4/10: Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 4 PM, Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood, 773-761-4477, lifelinetheatre.com, $40.
! @taadler
COMEDY
Where the Gilmore Guys lead, we will follow WHEN THE ENTIRE RUN of Gilmore Girls was added to the Netflix roster back in September 2014, comedians Kevin T. Porter and Demi Adejuyigbe were just a couple of nobodies in a crowd at LA’s UCB Theatre. They met there during a taping of the movie-trivia podcast Doug Loves Movies and, looking for a project of their own, turned to the WB dramedy about a mother-daughter pair for inspiration. On the podcast Gilmore Guys, Porter, already a superfan of the show, became Adejuyigbe’s guide as he experienced the series for the first time. The duo now have more than 150 episodes under their belt, and along the way they’ve brought on comedians like Beth Stelling, Jessica St. Clair, and Pete Holmes as guests, interviewed several members of the original show’s cast and crew, and achieved a level of celebrity in their own right. Gilmore Guys is connecting with fans across the country on its current tour, which stops by Chicago for two shows that feature a discussion of episodes 612 and 613 of Gilmore Girls. But it’s not just a recap: Porter and Adejuyigbe kick off every live event with an elaborate musical number, and comedic guests keep things lively even through the series’ most dour moments. And as with anything live, the joy is in the unexpected—on one of the first dates of this tour, a couple in the audience got engaged while the comedians reviewed the episode in which Luke and Lorelei got engaged. Based on the content of the episodes scheduled for the Chicago shows, there just might be a winter carnival in the lobby; or the entire audience might be called upon to put out an impromptu issue of the Yale Daily News. One of the greatest outcomes of the Gilmore Guys podcast is the rapport between Porter and Adejuyigbe; the two started as acquaintances, but have built a beautiful bromance. It makes for a pairing as loving and witty as the Gilmore girls themselves. — B R IAN N A WE LLE N R GILMORE GUYS Sun 3/6, 4 and 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 1227 W. 18th, gilmoreguysshow.com, $20, 8 PM show sold out.
ARTS & CULTURE James Vincent Meredith (front) and Michael Milligan ! LIZ LAUREN
THEATER
Moor is less in Chicago Shakespeare’s Othello By JUSTIN HAYFORD
A
lexander Dodge concocts a crafty set design for Chicago Shakespeare’s decidedly uncrafty Othello. A sterile, brutalist facade of identical institutional windows, looking for all the world like a maximum security DMV, represents Venice. Its impersonal menace deftly conveys the unreflexive militarism that permeates Shakespeare’s world, a place where the mercenary known as Othello the Moor, who boasts he’s known nothing but soldiering since the age of eight, achieves near mythic status as a war hero. And where Iago, long Othello’s right-hand man in battle and worshipper of traditional military order—and, most importantly, of Othello himself—can suffer a Hamlet-like crisis of faith when inexperienced staff officer Cassio is promoted above him to lieutenant, leaving Iago the duty of marching around with a flag. The slight destroys Iago’s world order, setting him on a cunning, nihilistic rampage. When everyone—Desdemona included— heads off to Cyprus to battle the Turks, Dodge packs them into an exquisitely barren military post, all hurricane fence and guard towers. They’re stranded, vulnerable, and perpetually distracted, giving Iago ample opportunity to ensnare people in his ever-expanding revenge plot. It should all be life-and-death stuff. Unfortunately, director Jonathan Munby overlooks the fundamentals that give this tragedy its scope. He does a fine job painting this Venice as a skittish security state—his situation room, where the CEO-like duke declares war despite manifestly faulty intelligence, is
particularly well drawn—but treats Othello like one among many military commanders rather than a cultural icon who can disarm an armed mob with a single sentence (a line unwisely cut from this production). With Othello given such diminished stature, the threat of his demise is likewise diminished, and Iago’s revenge shrinks to a personal grudge. Munby also overlooks Iago’s cunning. In Shakespeare’s text, Iago is a master of wit and improvisation, unburdened by conscience, keen to exploit everyone’s weaknesses, oversights, and missteps. He’s dangerous as hell. Here, Michael Milligan’s Iago is a determined bully who hammers forward with hardly a moment’s pause to strategize, lucky rather than ingenious. He’s dangerous primarily in moments of rashness. In essence, Munby creates a low-stakes tragedy. And that makes the cast’s propensity for stone-faced overearnestness and declaiming nearly every line in boldface italics particularly unconvincing. It’s an acting style that privileges grandiloquence over inner life, leaving the actors only a few emotional notes to hit repeatedly for three hours. As Othello, James Vincent Meredith alone takes an understated approach, giving him a singularly affecting presence, at least for a while. But once his jealous rage surfaces, he spends his final hour in unmodulated, unaffecting apoplexy. v OTHELLO Through 4/10: Wed 1 and 7:30 PM, Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand, 312-595-6800, chicagoshakes.com, $48-$88.
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 13
EXHIBITION
Soul Asylum
ARTS & CULTURE
Albany Park Theater Project, Tania Bruguera, Díaz Lewis, and Jenny Polak
R READER RECOMMENDED
JANUARY 22 – MARCH 26, 2016 PERFORMANCE
Border Land Albany Park Theater Project Weinberg/Newton Gallery (formerly David Weinberg Photography) 300 W Superior Street, Suite 203 Chicago, IL 60654
FRIDAY, MARCH 4 6:30–8PM
LIT
OPEN HOUSE
Hours Mon – Sat 10 AM – 5 PM
Amplify: Youth for Immigration Justice
Potent Portable
312 529 5090 weinbergnewtongallery.com
SATURDAY, MARCH 5 1 – 4PM
By AIMEE LEVITT
Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
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(out of five) “Beautifully realized Chicago premiere” –Time Out Chicago
(out of four)
–Chicago Tribune
“Gorgeous, angst-ridden… superbly cast and richly textured production”
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By Annie Baker Directed by Dexter Bullard Three central characters, one run down movie house and the complicated bond of workplace friendships. Tickets start at just $20 | steppenwolf. org | 312-335-1650
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EARLY WARNINGS
chicagoreader.com/early 14 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
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t’s difficult to describe Elizabeth McKenzie’s new novel, The Portable Veblen, because it is so many different things all at once. It’s the story of the courtship of Veblen Amundsen-Hovda and Paul Vreeland. It’s an exploration of complicated family dynamics. It’s a philosophical contemplation of life in northern California through the lens of the writings of the other Veblen, first name Thorstein, who coined the term “conspicuous consumption” and after whom Veblen Amundsen-Hovda is named. It’s a biting satire of the military-industrial complex and the marketing of medical apparatus. It is also funny and engaging and imbued with a very particular sensibility that might be described as “quirky” if that term had not become trivialized by its overuse; despite being full of jokes and turns of phrase that make a reader laugh out loud on the el during rush hour, The Portable Veblen is a serious and, at times, sad book. And there is a talking squirrel. “I didn’t really know at first if it would come together,” says McKenzie, who, though a California resident, is also an editor at Chicago Quarterly Review. “It was a challenge. But these were things I’m interested in, so they must be connected somehow.” Well, the squirrel doesn’t talk exactly. In earlier drafts, he was a detective, investigating crimes both squirrel and human. But, like all of us, he evolved. “The squirrel, in my mind, doesn’t talk,” McKenzie says. “He’s a projection of Veblen’s imagination, her idea of the real world and her voice of reason.” This is something Veblen’s parents have failed to provide. Her mother, Melanie, is
a narcissistic hypochondriac. Her father, Rudgear, is a war veteran who suffers from PTSD, among other ailments, and barely recognizes her. Paul’s parents are hippies who concentrate most of their attention on their intellectually disabled older son. All together, they bring to mind the late essayist David Rakoff’s crack that there should be a support group called Adult Children of Parents. And yet, Veblen loves her parents. She loves Paul’s parents, too. Like a squirrel, which, McKenzie notes, is a wild animal that has learned to adapt itself to human society, she constantly adjusts to accommodate their demands. (Or, as Veblen thinks to herself, “One could see she was bruised by all the dodging that comes from the furtive meeting of one’s needs.”) Oddly enough, McKenzie considers The Portable Veblen a tribute to her own mother, who died many years ago. “She’s still a force in my life,” she says, “and I hear her voice in my head. I like having her around. I’d talk to her about the book, and then I would know what to do next.” Until she finished writing, McKenzie wasn’t sure how the novel would end. “I would write myself into corners,” she says. “Anything could happen.” That sense of surprise makes The Portable Veblen feel like an adventure in the best possible way. v R THE PORTABLE VEBLEN By Elizabeth McKenzie. Readings Thu 3/3, 7 PM, Book Stall, 811 Elm, Winnetka, 847446-8880, thebookstall.com, and Fri 3/4, 6:30 PM, City Lit Books, 2523 N. Kedzie, 773-235-2523, citylitbooks.com. F
! @aimeelevitt
EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL
ARTS & CULTURE
Fri 3/4-Thu 3/31, Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, 312-846-2800, $11
The Paradise Suite
MOVIES
Eurotrash and Eurotreasure
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ver the past two decades the European Union Film Festival, presented by the Gene Siskel Film Center, has become a serious rival to the Chicago International Film Festival and a spring counterweight to CIFF’s annual blowout in October. The EU fest may lack the racial diversity and global reach of CIFF, but its programming is just as ambitious if not more so. The 19th edition of the European Union Film Festival opens Friday and runs for four weeks, with 62 new features and numerous personal appearances. Following are some of the highlights, but there’s much more; for a complete schedule visit siskelfilmcenter.org. —J.R. JONES
THE FENCER An elite Estonian fencer (Märt Avandi), hiding from Stalin’s secret police because of his forced service in the German army during World War II, finds safe haven working as a teacher in a remote Estonian village, but his rapport with the students in his fencing club arouses the jealousy of the school’s principal and jeopardizes his safety. Based on the life of Endel Nelis, this 2015 Finnish biopic is an affecting portrait of a decent man who risks his life to uphold a bond of trust with his students. Though squarely in the tradition of Dead Poets Society and The Bad News Bears, the film offers higher stakes and, consequently, a bigger payoff. Director Klaus Härö elicits fine performances all around, especially from his child actors, and Tuomo Hutri’s cinematography is gorgeous. In Estonian and Russian with subtitles. —MARILYN FERDINAND 93 min. Tue 3/8 and Fri 3/11, 8 PM.
FREE ENTRY Two teenage girls seek a taste of adulthood at a Budapest EDM festival in this strong debut feature (2014) from Hungarian director Yvonne Kerekgyarto. Newcomers Luca Pusztai and Ágnes Barta are excellent as the girls, whose pretense of cool barely conceals their adolescent insecurity, and a sense of dread gathers as they work their way into ever-more perilous situations involving drugs and guys with suspect intentions. The action builds to a particularly memorable scene making use of Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs’ sinister 1966 single “Li’l Red Riding Hood.” Also known as One Day of Betty. In Hungarian with subtitles. —ERIC LUTZ 69 min. Sun 3/13, 5 PM, and Thu 3/17, 8:15 PM. IN HARMONY In this 2015 drama from French director Denis Dercourt (The Page Turner), a beautiful insurance adjuster (Belgian actress Cécile De France) tries to convince a former
movie stuntman (veteran actor Albert Dupontel) to accept a settlement for the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. As she chips away at his story, arguing he took “ill-considered risks” the day a horse trampled his spine, and he holds out for lifelong compensation, mutual respect slowly turns to sexual tension. Thanks to a taut script and two stunning, nuanced performances, this is a tense, unconventional love story. Dupontel excels in a fearless, physical role, whereas De France demonstrates the power of dramatic restraint. In French with subtitles. —ADAM MORGAN 88 min. Sat 3/5, 2 PM, and Mon 3/7, 6 PM.
Lolo
LOLO Julie Delpy (Before Sunset) directed and stars in this crass but quick-witted comedy (2015), which might have been titled French Women of a Certain Age.
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A prickly Parisian (Delpy), vacationing with her outspoken girlfriend (Karin Viard) in a seaside town, gets involved with a local beach bum (Dany Boon). What begins as a typical rom-com takes a left turn, however, with the arrival of Lolo, the Delpy character’s bizarre college-age son, whose attempts to get rid of the suitor grow more elaborate and implausible. Smarter than most Apatow clones, this is an infinitely quotable riot, especially when Delpy and Viard share the screen. In French with subtitles. —ADAM MORGAN 99 min. Sun 3/13, 3 PM, and Thu 3/17, 6 PM.
LOVE ISLAND In this painfully unfunny sex farce (2014), a Bosnian man (Ermin Bravo) and his pregnant French bride (Ariane Labed) flirt with infidelity while vacationing at a cheesy “all-inclusive” resort on a Croatian island. The twist is that the husband doesn’t realize the Romanian beauty he desires (Ada Condeescu) is actually his wife’s lover, though the ensuing bisexual triangle is just an excuse for a series of lame gags, many revolving around Bravo’s ill-fitting Speedo. Director Jasmila Žbanić attempts a tone of lighthearted fun—hypersaturated colors, karaoke renditions of 80s pop songs, surreal underwater interludes depicting Labed and Condeescu as mermaids—but it all feels forced and cloying. Aging spaghetti-western icon Franco Nero (who served as executive producer) pops up as a randy Italian tourist and Greek-chorus figure. Žbanić cowrote the screenplay with Chicago-based novelist Aleksandar Hemon. Subtitled. —MICHAEL GLOVER SMITH 86 min. Hemon attends the screenings. Sat 3/5, 3:45 PM, and Mon 3/14, 8 PM.
NO HOME MOVIE Chantal Akerman’s final film shares some formal concerns with her earlier works; what sets it apart is a stream of love and yearning, regret and loss, from which painful memories resurface. Akerman (who died in 2015) said that she prepared for her 1975 masterpiece Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles by closely observing her homemaker mother, Natalia, for decades, and indeed this 2015 documentary about her mother’s last years reveals an extraordinarily warm, intimate bond between parent and globe-trotting daughter. Long takes of the Israeli desert, paralleled with long takes of empty rooms in Natalia’s apartment, suggest her sense of dislocation as a Holocaust survivor, a condition she struggles to verbalize in her kitchen with a daughter who probes for more. J
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ARTS & CULTURE continued from 15 The combination of memoir and abstraction is both cerebral and heartrending. In French with subtitles. —ANDREA GRONVALL 115 min. Sat 3/19, 3:30 PM. ONE FLOOR BELOW Rudimentary settings, a scoreless soundtrack, and extended takes all locate this Romanian feature squarely within the “New Wave” of the
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aughts, but the story is pure Hitchcock: In the stairwell of an apartment building, a phlegmatic family man (Teodor Corban) overhears the attractive woman in the unit below his clashing with a married man from across the street (Iulian Postelnicu) and shortly thereafter she’s found dead. Unwilling to get involved, the witness keeps mum during a police interview, but then the suspect neighbor uses his friendship with the man’s son to insinuate himself into the
family’s home. Writer-director Radu Muntean (Tuesday, After Christmas) occupies his characters with trivial matters—the neighbor offers his tech-geek expertise to the son and presses the father for help with a car registration—but the weirdly ambiguous conflict between the two men eventually comes to a boil. Alexandru Baciu and Razvan Radulescu collaborated with Muntean on the script. In Romanian with subtitles. —J.R. JONES 93 min. Sun 3/20, 5:30 PM, and Thu 3/24, 6 PM. THE PARADISE SUITE For this 2015 drama from the Netherlands, writer-director Joost van Ginkel interweaves the stories of a Bosnian mother, the Serbian war criminal she’s tracking, the Bulgarian model he kidnaps and casts in a sex show, the African immigrant who performs with her, the Swedish conductor who watches them at a tony brothel, and his son (Erik Adelöw in a brilliant debut), a 10-year-old pianist, who spies the Bosnian woman by chance. Music from the conductor’s rehearsal accompanies a masterly montage that
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One Floor Below
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lends common pathos to unconnected acts around the city; ultimately the film’s medley of interpersonal crises widens into a moving vista of modern Europe. Subtitled. — BILL STAMETS 118 min. Screens on Friday as part of the opening-night program, with a reception after the film. Actor Issaka Sawadogo attends both screenings. Fri 3/4, 6 PM, and Sat 3/5, 8 PM. PHANTOM BOY In this moving 2015 animation by Alain Gagnol and JeanLoup Felicioli (A Cat in Paris), a young cancer patient with the power to leave his body helps a cop whose legs have been broken bring down a criminal mastermind holding New York City hostage. Able to fly anywhere invisibly, but unable to touch anything, the boy acts as a spy for the cop, who’s been marginalized by the force for his reckless methods, and as a guide to the enterprising journalist also trying to save the city from the gangster. The noirish plotline is smart and engaging, but this French film is most powerful for its treatment of the young hero’s illness; in one scene he
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uses his supernatural ability to eavesdrop on his family as they discuss him. In French with subtitles. —ERIC LUTZ 84 min. Thu 3/31, 6:30 PM. THE PROSECUTOR, THE D EFENDER, THE FATHER AND HIS SON This regrettably titled international coproduction (2015) is not a sequel to Peter Greenaway’s erotic art-house favorite The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) but a dour legal procedural about the war crimes trial of a Bosnian military commander at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Inspired by a true story, Bulgarian writer-director Iglika Triffonova brings an ostensible objectivity to the trial by alternating between the perspectives of the French prosecutor (veteran actress Romane Bohringer) and the Dutch defense attorney assigned to the case (Samuel Fröler). One admires her intent to do justice to the full complexity of the ethical and legal issues raised, but she fails to provide the dramatic tension necessary to make this compelling. Though Bohringer is a formidable screen presence, her performance is compromised by a shaky command of English, which she’s required to speak at length. In English and subtitled Dutch and Bosnian. — MICHAEL GLOVER SMITH Sun 3/27, 5:30 PM, and Wed 3/30, 8:30 PM. SUNSET SONG Ever the pictorialist, Terence Davies opens his adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s 1932 novel by panning over a field of rippling wheat, from which the 18-year-old heroine (Agyness Deyn) suddenly sits up. The shot asserts her strong bond to the farming country of northeast Scotland, which holds her despite a life of hardship: her mother commits suicide rather than bear a seventh child, her hardened father (an especially scary Peter Mullan) ritually beats her older brother (Jack Greenlees), and her loving marriage to a local lad (Kevin Guthrie) turns dark after his service in World War I provokes in him a savagery reminiscent of
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her father’s. The story’s extreme physical and emotional violence poses a challenge to a lyrical master like Davies, and his staging of the domestic drama can seem slow and somber. But Deyn gives a vivid performance as the daughter, a quiet but determined survivor in a patriarchal society; whenever she steps out into the wider world, the movie soars. —J.R. JONES 139 min. Fri 3/18, 2 PM, and Sat 3/19, 3:30 PM. TALE OF TALES The ambitious Italian director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah, Reality) makes his English-language debut, directing an international cast that includes Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, Vincent Cassel, and John C. Reilly. Yet the material is deeply rooted in Garrone’s native land: drawn from Tale of Tales, a 17th-century fairy tale collection by Neapolitan poet Giambattista Basile, the movie poaches on Guillermo del Toro territory with its alternately comic and gruesome treatment of three supernatural stories. Hayek plays a barren queen who gets pregnant by eating the cooked heart of a sea monster, and Cassel is a randy king whose lovely new queen is really an old hag magically transformed; best of all is Jones as a king who adopts a flea as a pet and raises it into a pale, clammy-looking beast (which he cooingly addresses as “Scootchy”). A scene of a trained bear entertaining the court with its horn-playing and hula-hoop prowess is typical of the movie’s freakish delights. —J.R. JONES 134 min. Sun 3/27, 3 PM, and Wed 3/30, 6 PM.
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THE TREE In this 2014 Slovenian drama, writer-director Sonja Prosenc sketches an ambiguous parable about freedom amid murderous customs. An imaginative nine-year-old boy (Lukas Matija Rosas Ursic) lives with his teenage brother (Jernej Kogovsek) and their mother (Katarina Stegnar) in a house whose tall white walls protect them from unseen neighbors with guns. The boy rides his bike around the courtyard, prettifies the family goat with blue dye, buries a dead J
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MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 17
ARTS & CULTURE Sunset Song
continued from 16 bird, and erects a tiny forest with twigs; his father’s absence is never explained, nor is the family’s outing to a graveyard where the mother washes a gravestone with no name or dates. Prosenc tries to create a sense of old-world menace, but it’s hampered by the mannered cinematography and insistent score. In Slovenian with subtitles. —BILL STAMETS 90 min. Sat 3/5 and Mon 3/7, 6 PM. VIVA A young, gay hairdresser (Héctor Medina) who styles wigs for a drag troupe in a Havana nightclub starts supplementing his meager income by taking to the stage himself, but just as he’s discovering the joys of performance, his long-absent father (Jorge Perugorría) is released from prison, moves in, and forbids him to go near the club. Irish director Paddy Breathnach and screenwriter Mark O’Halloran tell a familiar coming-of-age story in an unfamiliar setting—beautiful, crumbling, time-frozen Cuba. The grinding poverty of the characters, who barter, borrow, and steal to make ends meet, becomes a backdrop to the central story of an alienated father and son trying to connect. Sentimentality creeps into the closing scenes, undermining the film’s tough-minded realism, but Breathnach and O’Halloran show a real affinity for life in Cuba, a land, like their own, where people see better opportunities overseas. In Spanish with subtitles. R, 100 min. —MARILYN FERDINAND O’Halloran attends the screenings. Sun 3/13, 5 PM, and Mon 3/14, 6 PM.
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A WAR Tobias Lindholm—whose gripping thriller A Hijacking (2012) detailed tense negotiations between Somali pirates and Danish shipping executives over
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a hijacked vessel—brings his exacting, clinical approach to this tale of Danish military forces in Afghanistan. Like the earlier film, this one is divided between two distinct worlds with different power dynamics: for the first half, Lindholm cuts from a company commander (Pilou Asbaek), stationed in Helmand province and charged with protecting innocent Afghanis from the Taliban, to his wife (Tuva Novotny), worrying about him and struggling to care for their small children. Only in the second half, after the commander is accused of a war crime and returns home to stand trial, do these two worlds merge and their respective realities clash, with sobering results. In Danish with subtitles. —J.R. JONES R, 115 min. Fri 3/25, 6 PM, and Sat 3/26, 8 PM.
WONDROUS BOCCACCIO Given the bawdiness of many tales in The Decameron, one might be surprised that writer-directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (The Night of the Shooting Stars) have included only one risque story (about a couple of wayward nuns) in their 2015 adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s classic. A group of bereaved youngsters flee medieval Florence to escape from the plague and, out in the countryside, console each other with fables about star-crossed lovers and dark obsessions (in the best of them a faithful swain rescues an infected woman whose husband has left her for dead). The brothers take a somber approach to the material, and the spare production design suits the stark choices facing the characters. Sometimes these attractive storytellers resemble the posed subjects of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and their comportment helps make the filmmakers’ case for art and discipline over chaos and despair. In Italian with subtitles. —ANDREA GRONVALL 120 min. Fri 3/11, 2 PM, and Wed 3/16, 7:45 PM. v
SMALL SCREEN
Zach Galifianakis clowns around in Baskets. ! FX
Hell in a clown basket By DMITRY SAMAROV
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o one in Baskets gets to have what he wants. Take Chip Baskets (Zach Galifianakis), who just wants to be a clown. Back home in Bakersfield, California, after flunking out of clown school in France, Chip gets a gig with a rodeo, but it does little to fulfill his artistic ambitions. Nevertheless, he prepares to be knocked around by the bulls as if he’s about to take the stage at Carnegie Hall. This kind of conflation and misapprehension of fantasy and reality is at the heart of this very dark comedy. Baskets, created and produced by Louis C.K. and Galifianakis, is set in the trenches of consumer capitalism. Piles of cheap junk abound, and Chip’s mother (in a revelatory performance by Louie Anderson) buys it all. Every product presents a chance for her to be enchanted. “Nothing would make me happier than to be able to make my own curly fries,” she says while pontificating on the merits of Arby’s. Unlike portrayals of the “uncultured” in a Coen brothers film, the characters in Baskets are not presented mockingly. Chip emotionally abuses Martha (Martha Kelly), a Costco insurance adjuster sent to help him after he crashes his imported French scoot-
er while trying to swat a bee. She seems to be Chip’s only friend, and keeps coming back to him because he’s so helpless and obviously needs her. Even though people on the show repeatedly fall on their faces, they do so with a measure of dignity. Somehow, Baskets is still a comedy. The secret might be the low-key, deadpan delivery of all the dialogue. The decision to have the actors underplay even the most devastating moments has the effect of enhancing their gravity and resonance. The overall flat affect also makes the occasional explosions all the more jarring, such as when Martha calls out to Chip and he turns around and flings his Big Gulp all over her windshield. Looking out over a vista of industrial parks and strip malls, Chip’s mother asks Penelope, the Frenchwoman who married Chip for a green card but now refuses even to be in the same room with him, how she likes the view. Before she can answer, Mrs. Baskets adds, “Isn’t it beautiful?” without a shred of irony. It isn’t beautiful and everyone knows that, but it’s better to laugh about it, if for no other reason than to keep from crying. v BASKETS Thursdays at 9 PM on FX
MUSIC J.Kwest makes room for rap in the house of the Lord
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
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By defying the Christian reluctance to embrace hip-hop, this Hyde Park pastor and MC hopes to help people find God in their daily lives. By TIFFANY WALDEN
Senior pastor Julian DeShazier, aka Christian rapper J.Kwest, at University Church ! JOHN STURDY
—JOHN 1:3
ulian DeShazier has been leading a congregation at University Church in Hyde Park since 2010 and rapping as J.Kwest for even longer. He’s on a quest—hence his stage name—to find a middle ground where hip-hop and gospel music can coexist. Defined by the qualities that differentiate them—the former is often saturated in profanity, violence, and sex, while the latter is a sacred African-American tradition rooted in praising and worshiping God—the two genres might seem as incompatible as oil and water. But Christian rap has been around for decades: Virginia trio DC Talk earned a Grammy in 1994 with the hip-hop influenced 1992 record Free at Last. (Oddly, it won Best Rock Gospel Album— the category didn’t become Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album till 2007, and after 2011 the word “rap” disappeared from the names of the gospel categories altogether.) DC Talk paved the way for today’s most glorified Christian hiphop artist, Atlanta-based rapper Lecrae, whose sixth studio full-length, 2012’s Gravity, took home a Grammy for Best Gospel Album in 2013. Despite how long Christian rap has existed, J.Kwest still grapples with calling himself a Christian rapper. Born in Chicago, the 32-yearold became senior pastor at University Church a month after graduating from the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. In his teens he attended New Faith Baptist Church in Matteson, which accepted his hip-hop rhymes with open arms—the rap duo Verbal Kwest, which he’d joined while still in high school in 2001, even performed there. But when he toured as a musician after graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2005, he found the climate very different. While playing in churches around Chicago and across the country in 2007 to support the J.Kwest EP 20/20: The InVision, he discovered just how rare it was for pastors to support Christian rap. “There were certain churches that would mess with you, and then you just knew the ones that wouldn’t,” he says. “One time, I got off the stage [at] a church in Chicago, and the pastor comes up after me and says, ‘All right y’all, now we can get back to having church for real,’ ” J.Kwest recalls. J
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(He doesn’t feel comfortable referring to the south-side congregation by name.) This fall J.Kwest released his first fulllength album, Lemonade, but he continues to struggle to find churches that will allow him to perform his music. He’d like to be able to call it simply “Christian rap,” but many people in traditional gospel circles dismiss Christian rap as sacrilegious for its attempts to mimic what’s popular in secular music—often seen as “the devil’s music.” The friction between the two is at least as old as the Saturday-night/ Sunday-morning dichotomy in the blues. Pastor Phil Jackson preaches at the House Covenant Church in North Lawndale, which incorporates hip-hop into its young-adult services. “It’s, like, 9,000 churches in Chicago,” he says. “I would say maybe there’s a good 100 out of 9,000 that would not be intimidated by [Christian rap].” Jackson says the black church’s long history of resisting developments in pop music dates back at least to Thomas Dorsey, revered as the father of gospel. Perhaps best-known for the song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” which he wrote in 1932 after his wife and son died in childbirth, Dorsey was also a blues musician who’d cut raunchy hit records under the name Georgia Tom. He moved to Chicago in 1916, and in the 1920s and ’30s he incorporated blues influences into sacred music. “The church used to rip out ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ from the hymnals,” Jackson says, because it was so different from the gospel songs of the time. “But now, you can’t go to a funeral in the hood and not hear [it].” The church’s suspicion of hip-hop arises in part because the genre doesn’t have its roots there. It’s more about the street than the sanctuary. By contrast, uncountable soul and R&B singers of the past—Ray Charles, Aretha
The first J.Kwest full-length came out this past November.
Franklin, Whitney Houston—fell in love with music in church or got started singing in choirs. “Young people are motivated by the realness and rawness of hip-hop, and that kind of spooks the church,” Jackson says. Christian rap doesn’t tend to get regular radio airplay, and what little it does get is the occasional spin on gospel stations such as Chicago’s Rejoice 102.3 FM. It’s too tainted by the “cash, guns, hoes” stigma of mainstream hip-hop. Keno Greer hosts a Friday-night gospel show, Street Sermonz With Keno, on 102.3. He says he doesn’t play a lot of Christian rap because it’s not what his audience wants to hear. The playlist is based on ratings, he explains, which provides an incentive for advertisers— and that translates to revenue. “They [management] feel that there’s not an audience for it, or they feel the audience is too small. So I’d rather cater to a majority of the people than take a chance on playing some new stuff, playing something different,” Greer says. “If it’s not broke, you not gon’ fix it.” Gospel stations cater to an older crowd. And that crowd loves praise and worship songs (“Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker), oldschool choirs (the Mississippi Mass Choir),
traditional gospel artists (Donnie McClurkin), and contemporary groups (Mary Mary). “If we play a J.Kwest or Lecrae, that may turn them off, and they are our committed audience,” says Greer. “I want to keep my ratings as high as they can be, so I can keep my maximum amount of advertisers. It comes down to money.” Another drawback, according to Greer, is that radio executives often see Christian rap as too corny for mainstream audiences—hiphop and R&B stations such as 107.5 WGCI and Power 92.3 won’t play it during peak hours. (Greer’s show used to air on Power 92.3, but the station cut it in 2011.) This reluctance persists notwithstanding the success of songs like Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.” J.Kwest thinks Christian rap has been hurt by the church’s reputation for moral rigidity. “When I listen to and read Kanye, what I think is, this man is exploring the idea of God in his music,” he says. “The church sometimes feels that it has to be the authority and it’s about right and wrong. When Kanye and Kendrick [Lamar] talk about God, they’re not talking about right or wrong. Right or wrong don’t matter. This is what’s right to me. This is what’s true to me.” J.Kwest narrowly escaped the pull of gangs in his Washington Park neighborhood as a child. He looked up to his gangbanging cousin and idolized street life—until he began to understand what became of the dope dealers and gangsters on his block. “The older I got, I started to see where that went for them,” he says. “They’re not around no more, which I didn’t realize meant they were dead or in jail or in the hospital. I just started to say, ‘I don’t want this to be my life.’ They don’t look like they’re having fun anymore.” He turned to music instead. As a freshman at Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, J.Kwest overheard a fellow student named J
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MUSIC J.Kwest continued from 21
Anthony Lowery rapping in the hallway with a big circle of kids around him. The kid—his rap name was BreevEazie—told everyone to catch his show every Monday night at New Faith Baptist Church’s youth group. J.Kwest was soon a regular at New Faith, and he eventually became BreevEazie’s sidekick in the duo Verbal Kwest. “Rap saved my life—hip-hop and the ability to tell my story put me at ease enough to where violence became no longer an option,” J.Kwest says. “A church that allowed me to use hip-hop is how I found Jesus. It’s how I found God. So without it, who knows?” On iTunes, his album Lemonade is listed under “Hip-Hop/Rap” and “Christian & Gospel,” but he wants to be a Christian rapper without people listening to him differently. The lead single, “I Woke Up,” begins with a declaration over heavy bass: “We don’t pop champagne / We make lemonade.” The reference, of course, is to what you’re supposed to do when life gives you lemons. “Liquor ’n Pills” digs deeper into J.Kwest’s personal story. He raps, “I watched cuz while growing up / He kept me out of his biz / I couldn’t wait to get big / ’Cause they had hoodrats and drove downtown and had / Liquor ’n pills.” His latest single and video, “Don’t Push Me,” is an antibullying anthem featuring the Soul Children of Chicago. “Me and all the voices in my head / Feeling this close to the edge / And they said, Don’t let ’em get you / Get into you, but that’s a joke / When you wear the same pants and you sick of being broke.” When he raps, J.Kwest doesn’t preach a sermon or beat you over the head with Bible verses. He’s telling his story, hoping that he can save someone else’s life. As Greer puts it, what matters is that J.Kwest’s music comes from a Christian worldview. “Although he does have that [Christian] message in the music, and a message of positivity, he also deals with just everyday life things,” Greer says. “I think that it’s more attractive to the average listener.” Bronzeville-bred MC Sir the Baptist, the 28-year-old son of a preacher, hears the Christian mission in J.Kwest’s music. He finds it inspirational. “I don’t see why anybody would have a problem with that,” he says. He wants to be considered a Christian rapper himself, despite the occasional curse words in his music. “Gospel music had its time. It just needs some growth. It needs more realism.” According to Sir the Baptist, connecting everyday life to gospel is the future of the music.
Chicago artists are doing it in their own way. Kanye’s new song “Ultralight Beam” features Chance the Rapper promising to defend God’s name against nonbelievers, and respected gospel artist Kirk Franklin ends the song in prayer. Franklin delivered a slightly different version on Saturday Night Live last month than appears on the album:
Father, this prayer is for everybody who feels like giving up This prayer’s for everybody that feels like they’re not good enough For everybody that’s said “I’m sorry” too many times. Jesus, that’s why I’m glad you came to give us eternal life I’m so glad about it “Before, the only people who knew Kirk Franklin were church folks,” J.Kwest says. He means before Franklin made the 1997 album God’s Property From Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation with the choir God’s Property—the hip-hop-influenced “Stomp,” which features Cheryl James (aka Salt from 80s and 90s hit makers Salt-n-Pepa), was one of the most popular gospel songs of the decade. Jackson says Franklin was criticized for mixing rap and gospel but nonetheless managed to reach many people who felt shunned by the church. BJ the Chicago Kid’s recent single “Church” is about doing drugs and having sex on a Saturday night despite having church the next morning. Sir the Baptist feels like most gospel music expects a perfection from people that isn’t realistic. “If you look through it, who don’t have sex because they have church in the morning? You just have sex anyway and go to church when you get up,” he says. “If ‘realistic’ is based off what you can touch and what you can see, then gospel would be the intangible, talking about what you can’t see. We have to find some way to connect God seamlessly with your life—whether you’re smoking a cigarette or weed or drinking.” That’s going to be difficult, J.Kwest says, because mainstream hip-hop artists use God’s language so flippantly—he mentions Meek Mill’s 2012 hit “Amen.” “There are words of church that have lost their sacred meaning and sacred power,” he says. “For me, my goal is to talk about life because I know God is in there, to talk about my story because I know God is in there. And if somebody hears my story, they’ll find their story in the midst of that.” v
! @Waldens_Block
ONSALE FRI 03.04
05.17
MARCH 4TH
HELLOWEEN W/ THEM
MARCH 5TH
EDX
NO EXCUSES TOUR
MARCH 10TH
RISK! PODCAST
03.01 TONIGHT ALIVE
SET IT OFF / THE READY SET / SAYWECANFLY
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FIT FOR A KING / OUT CAME THE WOLVES / DAYLIGHT DAWNS / CAPITAL VICES
ONES TO WATCH PRESENTS
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03.06 HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS / THE ATARIS HANDGUNS / LONDON FALLING
03.11 FREELANCE WRESTLING
MARCH 11TH HIPPIE SABOTAGE W/ HAYWYRE, ALEX WILEY, KEMBE X
MARCH 12TH BRILLZ
W/ PARTY FAVOR, DR. FRESCH,
MARCH 18TH
MANICFOCUS W/ ARTIFAKTS
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AYHO / LARRY LESNIAK
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SILVER WRAPPER PRESENTS
03.26 YOUNG FATHERS 03.27 ARCHGOAT VALKYRJA
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AJR / SHE IS WE / ELENA COATS & BROTHERS JAMES
04.01 SLAVES
CAPTURE THE CROWN / MYKA, RELOCATE / OUTLINE IN COLOR / CONQUER DIVIDE
04.02 DELTA RAE 04.08 THE EXPENDABLES
JON WAYNE & THE PAYNE / TUNNEL VISION
04.09 PORCHES / ALEX G YOUR FRIEND
BOTTOM LOUNGE & SILVER WRAPPER PRESENT
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04.12 ATLAS GENIUS
SKYLAR GREY / SECRET WEAPONS
MARCH 25TH
SNAILS
W/BOTNEK*SOLDOUT*
MARCH 26TH
YUNG LEAN
04.15 THE WILD FEATHERS THE SHELTERS
04.17 THE SPILL CANVAS DANIEL WADE
04.19 BASEMENT
DEFEATER / TURNSTILE / COLLEEN GREEN
04.20 THE WHITE BUFFALO 04.23 KVELERTAK TORCHE / WILD THRONE
04.24 THE SUMMER SET
HANDSOME GHOST / CALL ME KARIZMA
WWW.CONCORDMUSICHALL.COM 2047 N. MILWAUKEE | 773.570.4000
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MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 23
Recommended and notable shows, and critics’ insights for the week of March 3
MUSIC
b
ALL AGES
F
Logic ! COURTESY DEF JAM RECORDINGS
PICK OF THE WEEK
The wiggy and spastic Emotional Mugger is yet another win for Ty Segall
THURSDAY3 Conan Serial Hawk and Bottomed open. 9 PM, Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, $14, $12 in advance.
! DENEE PETRACEK
TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS
Mon 3/7 and Tue 3/8, 9 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $25-$28, $23 in advance. 17+
IN THE CREDITS FOR his ripping new album Emotional Mugger (Drag City) prolific LA rocker Ty Segall writes, “Thank you to all of the Spud Boys.” I’m not sure to whom he’s referring, but “spudboy” once described a manic Devo fan, and there’s something about the new record that reminds me of the early work of those Akron geniuses. Numbed-out analog synth patterns throb and squiggle across the entire album, and the artwork and promotional videos feature eyeless dolls and musicians wearing mutant masks, bringing to mind Mark Mothersbaugh’s Booji Boy character. The record’s dominant flavor suggests the fuzzed-out glam of T. Rex, heard both in how Segall’s nasally voice (and attendant falsetto) traces irresistible melodies and how the lumbering, distorted guitars serve up one furious riff after another. And on closer inspection the guitar solos are almost uniformly wiggy and spastic, as psychedelic excess disintegrates into avant-garde provocation and slate-gray analog-synth patterns cut harshly across the grain. A number of guest musicians turn up to help Segall: Melvins drummer Dale Crover and bassist Mikal Cronin drop in for a blammo, low-end demolition of “Diversion,” an early jam by Eddy Grant’s Equals, while onetime Chicagoan Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang) contributes melodic but warped solos on three tracks. Emotional Mugger conveys an experimental flair I haven’t heard from Segall in quite a few years, adding some tension that’s been missing lately, so while it may not be as strong overall as the perfect Manipulator (2014), his creative restlessness often redeems it. Axis: Sova open on Monday; CFM and Feels open Tuesday. —PETER MARGASAK
24 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
Liverpool trio Conan play what they call “caveman battle doom,” which gives you some idea how seriously they want you to take their lumbering, comically down-tuned barbarian metal. Their new third full-length, Revengeance (Napalm), throbs with the inimitable guitar tone of founder and front man Jon Davis, which is as crushingly dense as the core of a collapsing star—you can practically smell the furnace-hot output tubes glowing in the back of their amps. The vocals sound like somebody (or two somebodies in a tense, warlike interval) hollering from the other side of a canyon, probably while wearing an extravagantly horned helmet and the the bloodied pelts of several recently extinct abominations. Drummer Rich Lewis (he and bassist Chris Fielding have both joined since 2014’s Blood Eagle) adds busy tumbles of varicolored cymbals that twinkle in the yawning gaps between his lunges, stomps, and stabs—he even cranks up into the occasional stampeding blastbeat, which combines with the front line’s volcanic riffs to raise a cloud of dust thick enough to blot out the sun. Every time I hear Conan these days, I imagine a towering armored beast that despite its rippling bulk turns out to be nimble enough to pluck out your eyes on the ends of two of its claws. For this tour, Renata Castagna of Samothrace fills in on bass. —PHILIP MONTORO
Sunflower Bean Honduras open. 7 PM, Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, $12, $10 in advance. b In a January interview with Rolling Stone, New York trio Sunflower Bean name-drop an eclectic array of influences, from Metallica to Brian Wilson, but their 2015 debut, Human Ceremony (Fat Possum), doesn’t
quite show that range. Instead it’s a solid and lovely album of indie dream-pop with an occasional subgenre like doom metal or classic rock mixed in to provide a thoughtful accent. The song “2013” chimes winsomely before slogging through metal noise for its last 20 seconds, while “Wall Watcher” pairs Julia Cumming’s light, ethereal vocals with a crunchy punk riff straight out of the early 90s. Rounded out by guitarist Nick Kivlen and drummer Jacob Faber, the band can write an indelible indie-pop song: “I Want You to Give Me Enough Time” is the kind of languidly vulnerable ode to complicated love that seems destined for a million Spotify playlists. The band haven’t quite turned their skill and smarts into an individual style, but greatness seems within reach. If you go out to this show, there’s a good chance that five years from now you’ll get to say you saw them when. —NOAH BERLATSKY
FRIDAY4 Toronzo Cannon See also Saturday. 9:30 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, $12. Toronzo Cannon incorporates influences drawn from the postwar Chicago blues tradition with inspirations like Hendrix and post–70s blues rock. On his latest release, The Chicago Way (Alligator), his first for a major blues label, he limns scenarios that are vivid and fraught with emotion, yet resolutely adult: the protagonist in “Fine Seasoned Woman,” for instance, turns down a young temptress in favor of a woman with “a couple of wrinkles” who’s wiser in the ways of life and love. Meanwhile, Cannon’s guitar work bursts with brio, though it’s tempered by restraint—even at his most incendiary, he remembers to play ideas, not just notes. His maturity as both a storyteller and a stylist is especially evident on ballads like “When Will You Tell Him About Me?,” a soul-blues parable about the psychic toll taken by illicit love. On the track he cools down the intensity but remains focused both emotionally and musically, with extended, clear-toned lines that inter- J
Trifonov P L A Y S
Prokofiev W I T H
T H E
Montreal Symphony Orchestra FRIDAY, M A RCH 18 , 8: 0 0
Montreal Symphony Orchestra Kent Nagano conductor Daniil Trifonov piano DEBUSSY Jeux PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring The Montreal Symphony Orchestra brings its “beautiful and enormously powerful” (La Razon) sound to Chicago with celebrated Music Director Kent Nagano. Phenomenal young pianist Daniil Trifonov joins the orchestra for Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program closes with a fiery performance of Stravinsky’s savage and revolutionary The Rite of Spring.
SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS POWERSHARES QQQ ORCHESTRA SERIES cso.org 312-294-3000 DANIIL TRIFONOV
Artists, prices and programs subject to change.
Sponsored by:
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 25
3855 N. LINCOLN
MUSIC
martyrslive.com
THU, 3/3
BIG C JAMBOREE... ADAM LOPEZ & HIS RHYTHM REVIEW (OK) FRI, 3/4
POCKET RADIO, FROM THA 99, JOSH GRIFFIN TRIO SAT, 3/5
HIBER, MOLEHILL, ZOO TRIPPIN, TREE MON, 3/7
KILGUBBIN BROTHERS TUE, 3/8
OLD TIMEY, LIZ CHIDESTER, JEANNE ARRIGO
Foxing ! MITCHELL WOJCIK
WED, 3/9 - 18&OVER
17&OVER
PRESENTS: THE REVIVAL ANDREAS KAPSALIS, OKETO THU, 3/10- COMMUNION & SILVER WRAPPER PRESENT…
KEVIN GARRETT, MATT WOODS FRI, 3/11
THE BAMBIR, MARROW, THE BOXERS SAT, 3/12- 4:30PM - ALL AGES
PADDY MELT, KILGUBBIN BROTHERS
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continued from 24
weave gracefully with his vocals and the backing of his sidemen, including keyboardist Brother John Kattke, guitarist Pete Galanis, bassist Larry Williams, and drummer Melvin “Pookie Styx” Carlisle. —DAVID WHITEIS
Angela James Stirrup open. 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $10. 18+ On her smoldering, gorgeous new self-released album Time Will Tell, folk-leaning singer Angela James suffuses many of the tracks with darkness: relationships fray, expectations fall short, lives end, and narrators struggle to manage their losses. “What if this becomes the last song I ever write?” she asks on the opener, “What If.” But as with many of these kinds of meditations on the record she finds a Zen-like solace—here she answers her own question with “We’re all and we’re nothing / And everything is unknown / But here’s to hoping we hold on.” Despite the uncertainty that consumes her lyrics, James sings with a firm determination, and she does so with a soft, honeyed beauty and a reassuring sense of calm. Those qualities are further enhanced by excellent arrangements from a terrific cast of players. Saxophonist Nick Mazzarella plays gauzy overdubbed lines to open “In Between”— which gets subtle jolts of R&B via the insistent piano stabs of Ben Boye—while Jordan Martins lays down a stinging, languid electric guitar solo on “Bad Memory,” one that adds ominous tidings to James’s words about a curdled romantic obsession. To celebrate the release of the album, James will play it in full while backed by both Boye and Martins as well as the agile trio Stirrup: drummer Charles Rumback and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, who both play on the record, and bassist Nick Macri. Stirrup open the evening with a set of their own. —PETER MARGASAK
Logic Dizzy Wright opens. 6 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, $27. b November’s The Incredible True Story (Def Jam/ Visionary Music Group), the second album from rapper Logic, is loosely tied together by a series
26 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
of skits chronicling the future misadventures of a pair of astronauts played by voice actor Steven Blum (Regular Show; Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law) and producer and songwriter Kevin Randolph (Vince Staples, Ashanti). The album kicks off with the former announcing he’s about to listen to The Incredible True Story, to which Randolph responds, “You know this was the album that changed everything, right?” Logic’s ambition is palpable throughout, even if that opening prophecy is flawed—he doesn’t so much reinvent the wheel as improve its traction, speed, and durability. He speeds through tracks with the determination of a sprinter and the natural groove of a Soul Train dancer, and he manages to keep it up across the album’s 18 cuts, which combine to equal just over an hour. The skits view earth through the lens of a dystopian future, but The Incredible True Story is actually grounded in the present, particularly Logic’s experience growing up in the D.C. area (more specifically Gaithersburg, Maryland). On “Paradise” he raps about the painful memory of seeing his mother torn away from him and how he turned to pop music. He handles the emotional turbulence with ease, zooming through the lines while injecting enough nuanced emotion to allow the experience to linger. —LEOR GALIL
SATURDAY5 Toronzo Cannon See Friday. 9:30 PM, Buddy Guy’s Legends, 700 S. Wabash, $20. Black Tusk Holy Grail, Cokegoat, and Scars of Armageddon open. 9 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 2105 S. State, $14, $10 in advance. 17+ Savannah’s sludgy power trio Black Tusk have always been prolific about releasing EPs and splits, but 2011’s relentless Set the Dial had long been their last full-length on file. Thankfully the brand-new Pillars of Ash (Relapse) is well worth the long wait and everything you want it to be, though it’s a bittersweet return rather than a joyous one. The record features the last recordings of bassist Jonathan Athon, who died after a motorcycle accident in the fall of 2014, leaving behind the underpinnings of a
Where are the rest of the music listings? Find them at chicagoreader.com/soundboard.
very solid album. Pillars of Ash churns and burbles and gallops with unrelenting ferocity: the roaring high-speed intro of “Walk Among the Sky” sets the stage for monster riffs, and the aptly named “Punkout” integrates the band’s hardcore roots with flawless ferocity. Corey Barhorst of Niche and Kylesa takes on bass duties for this tour, and if the band’s career in this form ends here, they’ll go out in a blaze of glory. —MONICA KENDRICK
Jeremiah Jae Part of Waffle Fest 6 also featuring 7oddz, D2G, Pinqy Ring, Slot A, Mic Terror, Milly Mango, Vapor Eyes, Encyclopedia Brown, and Nikko McFadden. 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $10, $13 with chicken and waffles. Rapper-producer Jeremiah Jae aims his career for outre bumps, releasing albums on eclectic labels like Warp and Brainfeeder—the latter’s founder, Flying Lotus, recruited him to produce part of 2012’s Duality, the mixtape debut from FlyLo’s rapper alter ego, Captain Murphy. A Jackson Park native, Jae occupies the meeting place between cerebral hiphop and soulful songwriting and performance, a wheelhouse that affords him some ease to breathe outside of it if he so chooses. Last year’s The Night Took Us in Like Family (Mello Music Group) is a fulllength collaboration with North Carolina producer
L’Orange, who drops dusty samples at bizarre intervals and speeds while instrumentals mosey along with a jolt in their step. Jae takes to the beats as if they were his own, delivering Lego-like constructions of words that nearly overlap—it’s as though he’s vibing off the pulse of each track’s instrumental while a different one careens around inside his head. He’s a playful lyricist who manages to find new ways to twist syllables while exploring familiar subjects at new angles. Atop the sloshing instrumental of “The Concrete Some Call Home” he points out the absurdity of the violence plaguing inner cities: “Criminal mind state, the villain is primate / The illest, most nihilist, venomous, high on this island I’m Gilligan.” —LEOR GALIL
SUNDAY6 When the Wall Street Journal premiered Foxing’s “Weave,” bassist Josh Coll said the single was a reaction to the group’s 2013 debut: “It’s intended to put ‘The Albatross’ to bed, in a way.” Though front man Conor Murphy sings with glum remorse about feeling stuck and “making a living off J
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FAUX FEROCIOUS
THU
3/3
BASEMENT FAMILY • POWER HAUNTS FREE
FRI
3/4
HARD COUNTRY HONKY TONK WITH
THE HOYLE BROTHERS
RINGO DEATHSTARR FUTURE DEATH • SLEEPWALK WAFFLE FEST 6
SAT
3/5
SLOT A • MIC TERROR • VAPOR EYES ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN • NIKKO MCFADDEN PLUS FINALE W/ COMEDY BY JASON EARL FOLKS AND SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCES BY VAPOR EYES HOSTED BY AWDAZCATE
3/9
3/6
CAUSTIC CASANOVA • SNOW BURIAL MON
3/7
FREE
OOZING WOUND
RECTAL HYGIENICS • RUNNING
LIL TITS
MAR 15
IN THE ROUND
NEW
A STARS HOLLOW TOWN MEETING
MATMOS JEFF CAREY
A EVENING WITH
THE MAVERICKS
LEVITATION CHICAGO
ONEOHTRIX POINTSTRANGERS NEVER / ROYAL TRUX / HANDSOME CHELSEA WOLFE / HEALTH / EARTHLESS
MAR 19/20 MAR 25/26 MAR 31
AXIS: SOVA / CFM, FEELS
WXRT WELCOMES
MAVIS STAPLES THE FLAT FIVE
TITUS ANDRONICUS CRAIG FINN
APR 01
NOEL FIELDING
APR 03
ESCORT
APR 05
A EVENING WITH
WXRT WELCOMES
THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN W/ SAINTSENECA CLOUD CULT THE SWORD ROYAL THUNDER
4/9: LAS CAFETERAS, 5/19: SPEEDY ORTIZ WITH HOP ALONG, 6/2: CHRIS GETHARD: CAREER SUICIDE, 6/3: BIG TERRIFIC WITH JENNY SLATE, GABE LIEDMAN & MAX SILVERSTRI, 6/4: REGGIE WATTS & KAREN
T H A L I A H A L L | 1 8 0 7 S . A L L P O R T S T. P I L S E N C H I C A G O | T H A L I A H A L LC H I C A G O . C O M
MAR 03
MAR 05
MAR 04
GROSS POINTE
THU
ADULT BOOKS • BLIND MOON @ THALIA HALL (1807 S. ALLPORT ST.)
THU
3/10
LEVITATION CHICAGO FEAT.
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER HEALTH • GARY WILSON • VAADAT CHARIGIM EARTHEATER • HAUSU MOUNTAIN DJs
FREE
FRI
3/11
HARD COUNTRY HONKY TONK WITH
THE HOYLE BROTHERS
BLIPSTER LIFE felonious monk, dave helem
MAR 11
CHRISTIAN SCOTT presents stretch music
MAR 13
LIQUID SOUL
MAR 20
DRESSY BESSY
MOPE GROOVES • THE INJURED PARTIES
@ THALIA HALL (1807 S. ALLPORT ST.)
CHICAGO CAJUN ACES
PREDATOR • IRATA
GILMORE GUYS LIVE
TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS
MAR 13
MAR
10-12
MAR 06
MAR 18
MS. LISA FISCHER & GRAND BATON
SHAH JAHAN • SOFT CANDY
3/10
CAJUN DANCE PARTY FEAT.
2PM
SUN
MAR 09
MAR
07/08
HEATERS
WED
HOSTED BY THE WAFFLE GANG FEAT.
JEREMIAH JAE • 7ODDZ D2G • PINQY RING
ANDERS OSBORNE
AMY HELM & THE HANDSOME STRANGERS
TAL WILKENFELD
Foxing Lymbyc Systym, Tancred, and Adjy open. 6:30 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, $15, $13 in advance. b
WED/THU
MAR 05
MAR 04
FRI
3/11
LEVITATION CHICAGO FEAT.
ROYAL TRUX LIGHTNING BOLT
RYLEY WALKER • RANGDA • BLANCK MASS NITE FIELDS • THRILL JOCKEY DJs
SAT
3/12
BLOODIEST
ELECTRIC HAWK • SWEET COBRA • ALLEN EPLEY
3/12: HANDMADE MARKET (12PM-FREE!), 3/12 @ THALIA HALL: LEVITATION CHICAGO FEAT. CHELSEA WOLFE, EARTHLESS, FAUST & MORE!, 3/13: AL SCORCH’S WINTER SLUMBER (2PM-FREE!), 3/13: ONEIDA, 3/14: CANADIAN RIFLE, 3/15: HEAVY TIMES, 3/16: GLITTER CREEPS PRESENTS ROB CROW’S GLOOMY PLACE, 3/17: CURBSIDE SPLENDOR PRESENTS WORDS + MUSIC (FREE W/RSVP!), 3/18: M O N A K R, 3/19: ODD OBSESSION MOVIES PRESENTS BOARDINGHOUSE (1982), 3/19: THE SOCIALISTS (6:30-FREE FOR KIDS), 3/19: WINDY CITY SOUL CLUB, 3/20: SPRING EQUINOX TAPE FAIR NEW ON SALE: 4/26: KLAUS JOHANN GROBE, 5/12: YOU WON’T, 5/13-14: GOOD VYBES FEST, 5/26: CAVE SINGERS
JEEZ LOUEEZ PRESENTS: 5TH ANNUAL JEEZY’S JUKE JOINT
mar
CHRISTIAN SCOTT
mar
presented by u of c & whpk
04 16
mar 22
new
presents stretch music
SOUTHSIDE SALSA el caobo
MAUREEN CHOI QUARTET
JACQUEES
HANDSOME STRANGERS HOSTED BY MANNY TREO
mar
PARTY NOIRE
apr
NORMAN CONNORS
26 03
apr 08
DJ RAE CHARDONNAY
& THE STARSHIP ORCHESTRA sean healy presents
MOBB DEEP D2G
THE JONES FAMILY SINGERS
apr 09
apr 15
may 28
GHOST-NOTE: a snarky puppy project feat. robert “sput” searight & nate werth sean healy & cimmfest present
SLUM VILLAGE, king’s courta tribute to J. DILLA little steven’s underground garage & sirius XM present
THE SONICS barrence whitfield
3/30: HANAH JON TAYLOR, 4/1: SLICK RICK, 4/2: FUNKADESI, 4/5: ELEMENTS: A TRIBUTE TO EARTH WIND AND FIRE, 4/14: DAVID BANNER, 4/16: AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, 6/10: THE NOTATIONS
the promontory | 5311 s. lake park w. drive chicago | promontorychicago.com
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 27
MUSIC
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THE WORLD’S GREATEST PINK FLOYD SHOW
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT TICKETMASTER.COM THE CHICAGO THEATRE BOX OFFICE OR BY PHONE: 800-745-3000 28 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
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of drowning,” “Weave” blossoms with triumph as the Saint Louis emo unit flex their quasi-symphonic muscle while sounding cleaner and more expansive than they did on The Albatross. October’s glorious, haunting Dealer (Triple Crown) showcases Foxing’s innate balance of melodic grandiosity and heartwarming intimacy, not to mention their growth and poise. With it, the group have swept away the musical frisson of The Albatross to embrace a wider palette via touches of melodica, electronic-drum patterns, and subtly swaying horns that illuminate the tension and brittle souls that inspired the songs. Murphy sings about parents who suffer due to the
broken bodies of their children on “Indica,” and though his sullen vocals render the crimson stains clearly, the band’s performance hints at a hidden sense of relief—by channeling the heavy emotions, they can see any track through to the end. —LEOR GALIL
MONDAY7 Michael Attias 7:30 PM, Experimental Sound Studio, 5925 N. Ravenswood, $10, $5 students and members. b
Where are the rest of the music listings? Find them at chicagoreader.com/soundboard.
Toronzo Cannon ! CHRIS MONAGHAN
In the right hands an alto saxophone can emit airy sounds that are buoyant and light and move smoothly across any disturbances that might intersect their paths. New York reedist Michaël Attias is a fluid, inventive improviser whose performances are marked by that deft and nimble touch. He’s one of the more overlooked musicians on the improv-jazz scene, but his superb new album with his long-running trio Renku—titled Live in Greenwich Village (Clean Feed)—offers the kind of magic that in a just world would correct that wrongdoing. Over the limber grooves and texture-rich machinations of bassist John Hébert and drummer Satoshi Takeishi he traces out fluid melodies full of tart accents and elegant shapes, and even when the intensity cranks up and the harmonies veer toward dissonance, the music retains its irresistible bounciness. Once a regular collaborator of cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, Attias doesn’t make it to town often, and though he’s never performed solo here before, he’ll be doing just that tonight on alto sax and piano. The performance is part of Experimental Sound Studio’s weekly “Option” series and will be followed by a discussion with percussionist Tim Daisy. —PETER MARGASAK
MusicNow 7 PM, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph, $26. b Last year Sam Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek were named Mead Composers-in-Residence by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and part of that gig involves curating the “MusicNow” series at the Harris Theater. So far they’ve demonstrated a much greater sense of imagination and adventure than their predecessors, Anna Clyne and Mason Bates— in addition to dispatching with the shitty ambient DJs following performances—and that’s no more evident than with tonight’s exciting program. All of the works feature the voice, and half of the program focuses on two remarkable singer-composers. A poem by Wislawa Szymborska finds a wonderfully jagged setting in Agata Zubel’s bracing “Labyrinth,” in which the Polish vocalist’s intonation of rapid-fire phrases provides intense rhythmic fire, usually in unison with a galloping pattern played on tenor saxophone or bass—while during other moments her hushed, breathy delivery words float
like omens over the restrained ensemble. New Yorker Kate Soper will perform her three-movement work Only the Words Themselves Mean What They Say, which uses text by writer Lydia Davis. Her voice is accompanied by Erin Lesser, whose flute amplifies and shadows every syllable-stretching utterance— words become like putty, imbued with meaning and odd shapes. The singer also performs on Katachi, a knockout work of chaotic shape-shifting composed by Eric Wubbels, who along with Soper is a key member of the superb New York ensemble Wet Ink. The six-movement work includes Auto-Tuned violin, a pure 60-Hz electric hum, and melodies played with a sort of looseness that generates cognitive dissonance. It floors me every time I hear it. The program is rounded out by Ogonek’s “Falling Up,” which I haven’t heard but includes texts by Arthur Rimbaud and Shel Silverstein. —PETER MARGASAK
®
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Running Oozing Wound headline; Rectal Hygienics, Running, and Lil Tits open. 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. F Over their six-plus years together, Running have never much let on like they could give two fucks. Instead, the snide and abrasive trio of local boys have always seemed more bent on creating misshapen towers of screaming noise girded by skronky guitar feedback that less resembles fingernails on a chalkboard than jigsaws on a pristinely restored ’57 Chevy Bel Air convertible. And though it’s easy to swoon over Running’s erratic tempos, rapidly churning bass, and smeared, unintelligible vocals—courtesy of bassist/vocalist Matthew Hord— there are so many instances in which the racket coalesces and the members chug along in a powerful and intimidating unison. On their filthy new fulllength Wake Up Applauding (Castle Face), opening track “Reclaimed Would” and deep-cut “Ghost Bag” seem to amass clatter as they relentlessly move ahead, almost like a battalion of rogue tanks gaining speed as they careen downhill, while on “Speed Camera” shards of noise slice through the core of the track as the band seem 100 percent satisfied with gnashing its sound to bits. It’s an album so wholly unconcerned with being attractive and desirable that that in turn makes it attractive and desirable. Or, you know what, maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing. Tonight acts as both the record-release show for Wake Up Applauding and a fond farewell for drummer Kyle Reynolds, who plays his last show with headliners Oozing Wound. Running play second—bookended by Rectal Hygienics and Lil Tits— so get there early. Chances are great that their set will not exceed 15 minutes in length, as is their way. —KEVIN WARWICK
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FOOD & DRINK
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1000 W. Fulton Market 312-733-9420 facebook.com/coldstoragechicago
Beef tartare combined with raw oyster meat and topped with crunchy fried onions; steamed clams swim in a Portuguese-style broth. ! JAMIE RAMSAY
NEW REVIEW
Cold Storage might leave you cold The new casual seafood spot from the Boka Restaurant Group is fishily inconsistent. By MIKE SULA
I
n the 13 years that the Boka Restaurant Group has opened as many restaurants, it’s been a rare event when it’s launched one that’s not outstanding. Number two, the late Landmark, was a sophomore slump from which the company quickly recovered, but it hasn’t faltered since. The rest, from the flagship to Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat to Perennial Virant to Balena and Momotaro, have been dependably delightful to eat at and write about, ideal syntheses of food, service, and design. And with that kind of average, I’m always confident that each new spot will meet the impossibly steep standards
30 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
already set. That certainly happened in the case of Swift & Sons, Boka’s lavish steak house, recently opened in the repurposed Fulton Market Cold Storage building with chef Chris Pandel of Balena at the helm. And I certainly expected it of Cold Storage, Swift’s more casual seafood-focused sibling located in the same space, with marbled high-tops, flat-screens, and specials scrawled on the mirrored walls. The Boka group already has a fish house, River North’s excellent GT Fish & Oyster, under command of Giuseppe Tentori, the group’s first chef, who will be getting his own eponymous steak house in the coming months. Cold
Storage is Chris Pandel’s baby, but in terms of the overall menus there are some vague similarities—here too are big-ticket raw offerings supplemented by creative interpretations of familiar seafood preparations. Cold Storage’s raw bar is producing expertly presented crustaceans at the same high level as you’ll find at the neighboring steak house: a selection of three seafood towers priced at $20, $40, and $75 per person according to size and variety, featuring, among other sea creatures, a varying selection of briny east-coast and creamy west-coast oysters, perfectly shucked and brimming with liquor, priced around $3 apiece.
Luck may vary among the daily catches, featuring fillets and whole fish, occasional snacky bits like grilled collars and fried smelts, and pricey indulgences like Santa Barbara sea urchin. I got pinched by a large $45 Irish brown crab after my trio struggled to harvest the meager, stringy flesh inhabiting its empty carapace. Meanwhile a tiny eight-ounce whole red mullet, firm and buttery, was a unforgettable morsel even at $12. It’s in the lower sections of the menu, broken down into warm and cold plates and sandwiches, where things get interesting, for better and worse. A bowl of roasted turnips surrounding a soft-boiled egg sprinkled with orange trout roe bursting with briny, bright orange ichor is every bit as elementally satisfying as a beef tartare combined with raw oyster meat and topped with crunchy fried onions, a riff on the 50s-era carpetbagger steak, traditionally stuffed with whole mollusks. Bold oceanic flavors are occasionally tempered by dairy: a substantial bowl of crudites, radishes, fennel, rapini, etc, is drizzled with aioli and grated with bottarga, the salted, cured roe of the gray mullet (since replaced with cured tuna loin), while delicate, sweet prawns are split in the shell and smothered in an assertively funky anchovy butter. A large enameled pan of steamed clams swimming in a Portuguese-style broth brimming with chickpeas, mint, hearty greens, and chorizo is a dish likely to keep one busy sopping up the brew with wedges of toasted bread long after the bivalves are gone. On the other hand almost as many of these dishes can be poorly executed. Salmon-skin chicharrones, a snack I’ve enjoyed plenty of times in other venues (see Yusho), tastes scorched, overburdened by a muddled spice blend, and denuded of any fat that could help it go down easy. There were similarly bitter burnt notes on the tough octopus, at least mitigated by spicy nduja. A prep cook had to have muscled a blade through the rock-solid, underripe avocados accompanying a wedge Crab Louie salad—my spindly twigs weren’t strong enough to do it. Meanwhile, a pair of sandwiches arrived on overly doughy rolls long after having expired on the pass—cold, leathery fried clam strips drowned in J
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○ Watch a video of Calvin Marty making this cocktail at chicagoreader.com/food.
FOOD & DRINK Cold Storage continued from 30
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dill-forward tzatziki sauce on one, and an acrid walleye fillet on the other. It’s a big kitchen that Swift & Sons and Cold Storage share, and I know the head chef can’t be everywhere at once, but I couldn’t help but notice the majority of these poorly executed dishes were served on a night when Pandel wasn’t around. (He and a number of the group’s other executive chefs were posting selfies from a Blackhawks game in Minnesota.) Desserts by the incomparable Meg Galus feature a selection of shakes, malts, and sundaes—including a take on the brown cow with vanilla ice cream and root-beer-flavored cake and syrup whose character sneaks up on the palate—as well as a pie of the day, featuring on one occasion a thick, tall lemon meringue sprinkled with tiny white-chocolate malted milk balls for texture. Drinks are generally straightforward: there’s a selection of traditional classic cocktails and a short list of beers and wines nowhere near as vast as the encyclopedia next door. Cold Storage is by no means a bad restaurant, but for anyone spoiled by consistent excellence of the Boka group, it’s a surprising disappointment. There is one sure bet right now: happy hour from three to six PM on weekdays for tangy, malty waffle potato chips and those pricey, perfect oysters discounted to $1 apiece. v
! @Mike Sula
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Celery root gives birth to Julia’s Child By JULIA THIEL
Julia’s Child by Calvin Marty of Best Intentions " CORY POPP
C
ELERY ROOT, bulbous and brown with wormlike tentacles sprouting off in all directions (OK, they’re technically roots), looks more like an alien character in a Pixar movie than something to eat. It’s the root not of the celery we usually eat but of a close cousin—though it does taste a little like celery. (It’s also known as celeriac, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery.) CALVIN MARTY of BEST INTENTIONS had never even eaten the root vegetable before he was challenged by GREENRIVER’s JULIA MOMOSE to create a cocktail with celery root. He started out by figuring out how to cook it, roasting the ingredient with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Marty also tried pickling it. Ultimately he incorporated the celery root into a cocktail by roasting and pureeing the vegetable, then adding the strained puree directly to the drink. Celery root “reminded me of a potato, so I thought of potato vodka, which I really love,” Marty said. “It comes out real creamy and frothy [after being shaken], which must be all the starches in there.” Using vodka as the only spirit meant there was “a little too much potato going on,”
though, so he added gin to the mix. Apple bitters imparted a touch of fruitiness; lemon juice, simple syrup, and a dash of Angostura bitters finished off the recipe. “It’s a clean, crisp, refreshing cocktail,” Marty said of the drink he dubbed the Julia’s Child. “Going simple really lets the celery root flavor shine.” RECIPE
1 OZ BROKER’S GIN 1 OZ KARLSSON’S POTATO VODKA 2 OZ CELERY ROOT PUREE .5 OZ FRESH LEMON JUICE .75 OZ SIMPLE SYRUP 3 DASHES APPLE BITTERS 1 DASH ANGOSTURA BITTERS Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice, then double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a celery leaf.
WHO’S NEXT:
Marty has challenged ROGER LANDES of MFK to make a cocktail using SEAWEED. v
! @juliathiel
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CINE at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), located in a large metropolitan area, is seeking an Instructor to assist the department conduct medical science research related to the roll of stem cells in differentiation into L cells. In addition, perform research related to the trafficking mechanisms underlying the internationalization of Na and C1 transporters in response to food born pathogen EPEC infection. Collect and analyze data, prepare manuscripts for publication, present scientific data, and submit grant applications. Requirement is a PhD degree or its foreign equivalent in Biological Science, Medical Science, Chemical Science, Zoology, or related field of study. MD degree is also acceptable. Some travel is required. For fullest consideration, please submit a CV, cover letter, and 3 references to the attention of the Search Coordinator via email at paprzyca@ uic.edu, or via mail at UIC Department of Medicine, 840 S. Wood St., CSB 1020S, Chicago, IL 60612. Application deadline is March 28, 2016. UIC is AA/EOE/M/F/Disabled/Veteran
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SENIOR ENGINEER, SYSTEMS
Development. Chicago, IL. Develop, create and modify computer applications software including leading projects. Work with: multi-threaded object-oriented systems development, Java, C++, C#, Java Script, HTML5, Angular JS, ActionScript, MySQL, ASP.NET, Python, Cassandra, Spring framework, Web service development (RESTful/JSON), Spring Boot, Bootstrap, Gulp, JavaScript testing with Karma, Jasmine and Mocha) and FIX. Required: Master’s Degree (US or foreign equivalent) in Computer Science/Electronic Engine ering/Software Engineering/ Computer Information Systems/ related. NO PHONE CALLS. Forward resumes to: Chicago Board Options Exchange, Attn: Human Resources, Ref. NTVE - PERM, 400 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60605.
COMPUTER/INFO TECH ULTA, INC. seeks Lead IT Analysts for Bolingbrook, IL location for functional, technical & configuration responsibility for the implementation & support of merchandising planning systems. Master’s in Comp. Sci., Com p./Info. Sys. Eng. or any Eng. field +3yrs exp. or Bachelor’s in Comp. Sci., Comp./Info. Sys. Eng. or any Eng. field +5yrs prog. exp. req’d. Must have exp implementing JDA Sui te/i2, incl. Assortment Planning 8x, Enterprise Planning, Allocation, & w/ data validation, Oracle, PL/SQL, Unix scripting, ETL Datastage, Agile Methodologies, database set up, Stores Inventory Management (SIM), In- & Pre-season Business Planning, data warehouse database. Apply online: ht tp://careers.ulta.com/ EOE COMPUTER/INFO TECH Ulta, Inc. seeks Senior IT Analysts (BODS) for Bolingbrook, IL loc. to interface w/ key stakeholders & apply technical proficiency across stages of the SDLC, incl. req.’s elicitation, design & dev. Master’s in Comp. Sci./ Comp. Eng./any Eng. field +2yrs exp. or Bachelor’s in Comp. Sci./Comp. Eng./any Eng. field +5 yrs. of prog. exp. req’d. Must have SAP exp. w/ BODS, ERP, BW, EIM Suite, Data Services, Data Quality, Info. Steward, ECC, ETL, data integrator, data arc h./data mgmt., SDLC, data warehousing. Apply online: h ttp://careers.ulta.com/ EOE QUANTITATIVE MATHEMATICIAN (QUANT Analyst), Mail
replies to Megan Suerth, Akuna Capital LLC 333 S Wabash Ave, 26th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604. Must’ve Master’s deg & univ coursework in asset pricing, fixed income models, computational finance in C++, stochastic calculus, Monte-Carlo simulation, options futures & financial derivatives, including different volatility curves. Must’ve completed internship or research project during univ study involving financial models such as equities, derivatives or fixed income. Must pass proprietary timed math exam. Mult positions.
COMPUTER/INFO TECH ULTA, INC. seeks Senior IT Ana-
lysts (BODS) for Bolingbrook, IL loc to interface w/key stakeholders & apply technical proficiency across stages of SDLC, incl. requirements elicitation, design & dev. Master’s in Comp. Sci./Comp. Eng./any Eng. field +2yrs exp. or Bachelor’s in Comp. Sci./Comp. Eng./any Eng. field +5yrs exp. req’d. Must have SAP exp w/ BODS, EIM Suite, Data Services, Data Quality, Information Steward, ECC, BW, ETL, data integration, data architecture/data management, SDLC, data warehousing. Apply online: http://careers.ulta. com/ EOE
HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS ANALYST, Huntley, IL: responsible for end-toend management & operation of healthcare information system & associated components including electronic medical records. Send CV to M. Lozado, Transitions Hospice, LLC 12040 Raymond Ct. Huntley, IL 60142
Senior Systems Developer: design, analyze, dev., impl. & deploy new data driven apps & provide support for existing systems. Prev. exp. must include VB.NET, C#, ASP, ASP.NET, VB6, XML, & SQL Server. Submit CV to C. Shaver, StrategIQ Commerce, 549 W Randolph St. 3d fl, Chicago, IL 60661 COMPUTER/IT: MORNINGSTAR, INC. (Chicago, IL) seeks DevOps
Engineer w/ bachelor’s in CS, Eng’g, or rltd & 3+ yrs/exp as a software engineer focused on continuous delivery to play a critical role in modern software development and eng’g. Apply at corporate1.morningstar. com. No calls. EOE
CASTING OVER IT Next, a reali-
ty based pilot about relationships looking for people aged 21-45 who have recently suffered a breakup to tell their story for a chance for help-emotionally or financially. Please reply to pat@ whowantsto-beatvproducer.com
MECHANIC’S
HELPER
AND
parts pick-up person needed. Must have valid drivers license, uniforms provided, opportunity for advancement. South side Chicago. Call 773247-6962.
DRIVERS - INDEP. contractors w/ own cube/straight trucks needed for local/distance, same day deliveries. The Freight Escape. 630-350-0555 AGENT LOOKING FOR
ACTRESSES, MODELS, DANCERS LOMBARD - CHICAGO 630-814-9999
REAL ESTATE RENTALS
STUDIO $500-$599 NICE. CHATHAM 8630 S. Ingle-
side, Lrge Studio, Liv Rm, Enclo Bdrm, Hdwd Flrs, Stove, Frig, Ht included $575 + Sec Dep 773-358-7757
STUDIO $600-$699 STUDIO APARTMENT NEAR
Loyola Park. 1335 W Estes. Hardwood floors,. Cats OK. Heat included. Laundry in building. $675/ month. Available 5/1. 773-761-4318, www. lakefrontmgt.com
STUDIO APARTMENT NEAR
Red Line. 6824 N Wayne. Hardwood floors. Pets OK. Heat included. Laundry in building. $675/ month. Available 5/1. 773-761-4318, www. lakefrontmgt.com
7500 SOUTH SHORE Dr. Brand New Rehabbed Studio & 1BR Apts from $650. Call 773-374-7777 for details.
STUDIO $700-$899 HIGH RISE STUDIO, Montrose Harbor, doorman, pool, cleaners, store in building. No pets. $850/ mo. Heat included. Available April 1. 708-283-0506
STUDIO $900 AND OVER LINCOLN PARK 545 West Ar-
lington Place. 2450 North. Available now. Courtyard building set off by our lovely courtyard. Exposed brick hallways, oak floors, modern kitchens and baths. Resident engineer. 2-1/2 room studio $1125. Heat and appliances included. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
WE’LL PUT YOU in our place.
DePaul District. 2901 North Seminary. Available now. Cabinet kitchens and updated baths. Heat and appliances included. Studio $1095. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
CLEAN ROOM WITH fridge and microwave. Close to Oak Park, Walmart, Buses & Metra. $115/wk & up. 773-637-5957 BIG ROOM WITH stove, fridge, bath & new floor. N. Side, by transp/ shop. Clean w/elevator. $116/wk + up. 773-561-4970
CHICAGO - HYDE Park
CROSSROADS HOTEL SRO SINGLE RMS Private bath, PHONE,
85TH & HERMITAGE , 2BR, $100 0/ month plus security deposit. Hardwood floors,heat included. Section 8 ok. 708-794-6485
CABLE & MAIDS. 1 Block to Orange Line 5300 S. Pulaski 773-581-1188
1 BR UNDER $700 7022 S. SHORE DRIVE Impecca-
bly Clean Highrise STUDIOS, 1 & 2 BEDROOMS Facing Lake & Park. Laundry & Security on Premises. Parking & Apts. Are Subject to Availability. TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS 773-288-1030
MIDWAY AREA/63RD KEDZIE Deluxe Studio 1 & 2 BRs. All
modern oak floors, appliances, Security system, on site maint. clean & quiet, Nr. transp. From $445. 773582-1985 (espanol)
CHICAGO SOUTH - YOU’VE tried the rest, we are the best. Apartments & Homes for rent, city & suburb. No credit checks. 773-221-7490, 773-221-7493 AUBURN GRESHAM. 8105 S. PAULINA ST. 1 & 2BR APTS, CREDIT CHECK, SECTION 8 WELCOME. $650-$750/MO. TOM 708205-1448 CO-OP APARTMENTS AFFORDABLE LIVING, Chat-
ham, 83rd & Langley. Dep. Req, Pymt Plns Avail. heat incl, no appliances. Credit chk fee $50. Call 773-723-1374
CHATHAM, 708 E. 81st (Langley), 1BR, 3rd flr. 738 E. 81st (Evans), 1BR, 3rd floor. $650/mo + security. Call Mr. Joe at 708-870-4801 CHICAGO, BEVERLY / Cal Park
/ Blue Island Studio $530 & up, 1BR $650 & up, 2BR $875 & up. Heat, Appls, Balcony, Carpet, Laundry, Prkg. 708-388-0170
85TH/PAULINA - 1BR, 2nd flr
Apt $600/mo + $600 sec dep & ref check. Quiet Bldg, Incl heat & fridge. Avail now. 773-297-8575.
CHICAGO - ROOMS FOR Rent. 7131 S. Yale. $400/mo. No Security Deposit! Utilities included! Call 773-653-9312 WEST PULLMAN (INDIANA
STUDIO OTHER CHICAGO, HYDE PARK Arms
Ave) Nice, lrg 1 & 2BR w/balcony. 1BR $650, 2BR $750. Move-In Fee $300. Sec 8 Welcome. 773-995-6950
Hotel, 5316 S. Harper, maid, phone, cable ready, fridge, private facilities, laundry avail. $160/wk Call 773-4933500
EXCHANGE EAST APTS 1 Brdm $575 w/Free Parking,Appl, AC,Free heat. Near trans. laundry rm. Elec.not incl. Kalabich Mgmt (708) 424-4216
EDGEWATER - NICE Room with
6930 S. SOUTH SHORE DRIVE Studios & 1BR, INCL. Heat, Elec, Cking gas & PARKING, $560-$850, Country Club Apts 773-752-2200
stove, fridge & bath, by Shopping & Transp. Elevator, Lndry. $116/wk. & Up. Call 773-275-4442
NO SEC DEP 6829 S. Perry. Studio $460. 1BR. $515. HEAT INCL 773-955-5106 5401 S. Ellis. 1BR. $535-$600/mo Call 773-955-5106
79th & Woodlawn and 76th & Phillips 1BRs $650-$700, Remodeled, appls avail. Free Heat. Sect 8 welcome. Call 312-286-5678
1 BR $700-$799 PLAZA ON THE PARK 608 East 51st Street. Very spacious renovated apartments. 1BR $722 - $801, 2BR $837 - $1,009, 3BR $1,082- $1,199, 4-5BR $1,273 - $1,405. Visit or call (773)548-9300, M-F 9am-5pm or apply online at www.plazaonthepark apts.com Managed by Metroplex, Inc
1BR, 7726 S. JEFFERY, $700. Studio, 106 E. 70th St., $575. Heat and appliances Included. Shown by Appt. 773-874-2556 CHICAGO - DELUXE 5rm, 1BR
Apt, 101st & King Dr. Well maintained bldng. Appls & heat incl. $785/mo + sec. Mr. Ben, 312-802-9492
NEW REMOD 1, 4 & 5BR Apt & Houses w/ 1-2 full bath. Sec 8 Welc. All SS appls are incl. $700 & up. Move In Fee. 773-220-0715 CALUMET CITY, HUGE 1BR, 1Ba,
Newly rehabbed, appliances incl., $700/mo. + 1 month security. Section 8 ok. Call 510-735-7171
1 BR $800-$899 ROGERS PARK/ EVANSTON!
7665-7703 N. Sheridan Rd. 1 bedrooms starting at $875 to $925, includes heat and cooking gas! Hardwood floors, free WiFi. Vintage courtyard building, by Evanston Northwestern University, long-term private ownership, cats ok, dogs upon approval. For a showing please contact Samir 773-627-4894. Hunter Properties 773-477-7070 www. hunterprop.com
EDGEWATER. 1055 W Catalpa 1
bedrooms starting at $875 to $925 heat and cooking gas included! Application fee $40. No security deposit. Parking available for an additional fee. Laundry room in the building, wood floors, close to grocery stores, restaurant, CTA Red Line train, etc. For a showing please contact Millie 773-561-7070 Hunter Properties,Inc. 773-477-7070 www.hunterprop.com
LAKESIDE TOWER, 910 W Lawrence. 1 bedrooms starting at $825-$895 include heat and gas, laundry in building. Great view! Close to CTA Red Line, bus, stores, restaurants, lake, etc. To schedule a showing please contact Celio 773-3961575, Hunter Properties 773-4777070, www.hunterprop.com
ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT
near Warren Park and Metra. 1904 W Pratt. Hardwood floors. Cats OK. Heat included. Laundry in building. $800-$830/ month. Available 4/1. 773-761-4318, www.lakefrontmgt. com
ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT
near Red Line. 6826 N Wayne. Hardwood floors. Pets OK. Heat included. Laundry in building. $825/ month. Available 5/1. 773-761-4318, www. lakefrontmgt.com
CHICAGO, 11422 S. FOREST AVE., 1st floor, freshly updated, 3 large bedrooms, appliances included. Tenant pays all utilities. Call 773-966-4481 MAYWOOD - QUIET, 1BR, dining & living rm, carpet, heat & appliances included. Close to trans. $800/mo + security. 708-450-9137
1 BR $900-$1099 EVANSTON, 1404 CENTRAL,
Apt 107. Near Evanston Hospital and shuttle bus to Northwestern. Beautiful courtyard. Spacious vintage apartment, laundry and storage on premises. Near public transportation and el and super shopping on Central. Heat and appliances included. 31/2/1 bedroom. Available now-6/30. Renew optional. $1050. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
EVANSTON.
1124
CHURCH
Apt 1-1. Available April 9-August 31. $1075. Option to renew September 1, $1125. Near Northwestern. Downtown Evanston, shops, restaurants, movies, el, Metra. Large kitchens, spacious closets, laundry on premises, hardwood floors. Heat and appliances included. 1 bedroom. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm. Hyde Park West Apts., 5325 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Renovated spacious apartments in landscaped gated community. Off street parking available. 2BR $1400 - Free heat. Visit or call 773-324-0280, M-F: 9am-5pm or apply online- www.hydepark we st.com. Managed by Metroplex, Inc
6000 N. SHERIDAN. 1 bedroom
apartment with new wood floors, cabinets & tiles. Close to transportation and Lakefront. $950 Call DZ Mgmt 8 47.636.9660
1648 W. CATALPA 1 bdrm $950. Heat included. Call Rosie 773782-7627 or Paul J. Quetschke & Co., 773-281-8400 (Mon.-Fri. 9-5).
1 BR $1100 AND OVER BUCKTOWN/ WICKER PARK.
Milwaukee/ Ashland/ Division. Large 4 rooms, 1 bedroom plus extra room. Two blocks Blue Line, one block Kennedy. Victorian building. $1190. 773710-3634.
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LINCOLN PARK 528-1/2 West Addison #320. Available 4/1-9/30. $1330. Renewal option 10/1 $1395. Magnificent apartments, super light and airy, set off by a beautiful courtyard. Laundry room, storage lockers. Steps from the lake, steps from transportation and steps from shopping and recreation. Resident engineer. 1 bedroom. Heat and appliances included. to see call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm. EVANSTON. 818-1/2 FOREST
Ave Apt C-3. Stately building on quiet street, near Sheridan Road. Sedate residential area. Near Main Street, shops, restaurants and transportation. Heat and appliances included. We will fax floorplans upon request. 1 bedroom. Available now-6/30 option to renew. $1250. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
LARGE EAT-IN KITCHEN, W/ D, A/C, DW, TWO closets, stor-
age, new bath, patio. Paulina EL,Whole Foods nearby. May 1. 312. 720.8781 No pets. $1350
1748 W. WABANSIA 1 bdrm $1150. Water included. Call Daniel 773-875-8085 or Paul J. Quetschke & Co., 773-281-8400 (Mon-Fri. 9-5).
1 BR OTHER APTS. FOR RENT PARK MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT LTD. THE HAWK HAS... ARRIVED!!! MOST INCLUDE HEAT & HOT WTR STUDIOS FROM $510.00 1BDR FROM $575.00 2BDR FROM $745.00 3 BDR/2 FULL BATH FROM $1175 **1-(773)-476-6000** CALL FOR DETAILS APTS. FOR RENT PARK MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT LTD. THE HAWK IS HERE! HEAT, HW & CG INCLUDED 1BDR FROM $725.00 2BDR FROM $895.00 3 BDR/2 FULL BATH FROM $1175 **1-(773)-476-6000** CALL FOR DETAILS LAWSON HOUSE FURNISHED Single Room Occupancy, Now Leasing SRO’s from $435 to $578. 00. *Inquire about special programs* Twin Size Bed, Micro-
wave & Mini-Refrigerator Incl. Heat, Hot Water, & Electricity! Hot meal ea. month & On-Site Laundry Community Room & Computer Lab, 30 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-506-2674. Holsten Management Corporation Equal Housing Opportunity. Handicap Accessible
ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL Cedar Villas is accepting applications for subsidized 1BR apts. for seniors 62 years or older and the disabled. Rent is based on 30% of annual income. For details, call us at 847-546-1899 ∫
61st/Rhodes. Newly Decorated 3BR, 7 rooms, $875. 74th & East End, 2BR/DR, $825. 76th & Drexel, 2BR $725 Heat incl. 773-874-9637 or 773-493-5359
CALUMET CITY 158TH & PAXTON SANDRIDGE APTS 1 & 2 BEDROOM UNITS MODELS OPEN M-F, 9AM-5:30PM *** 708-841-5450 *** CHICAGO, 7727 S. Colfax, ground flr Apt., ideal for senior citizens. Secure bldng. Modern 1BR $595. Lrg 2BR, $800. Free cooking & heating gas. Free parking. 312613-4427 CHATHAM- 718 E. 81st St. Newly remodeled 1 & 2 BR, 1 BA, Dining room, Living room, hdwd flrs, appliances. & heat included. Call 847-5335463 6901 S. PRAIRIE, 7600 S. Stewart, 7810 S. Escanaba, 7840 S. Yates. Studio - 4BRs, new rehabs, heat & appls incl. Call 773-9830639 SUBURBS, RENT TO O W N ! Buy with No closing costs and get help with your credit. Call 708-868-2422 or visit w ww.nhba.com CHICAGO, RENT TO OWN! Buy with no closing costs and get help with your credit. Call 708-868-2422 or visit www. nhba.com SECTION 8 WELCOME SOUTHSIDE, RECENTLY RENOVATED, 1, 2 & 3BR APTS. $800-$1250/MO. CALL SEAN, 773-410-7084 CHICAGO - BEVERLY, LARGE 2 room Studio & 1BR, Carpet, A/C, laundry, near transportation, $640-$750/mo. Call 773-233-4939 WINTER SPECIAL $500 To-
ward Rent Beautiful Studios 1, 2, 3 & 4 BR Sect. 8 Welc. Westside Loc, Must qualify. 773-287-4500 www. wjmngmt.com
Large Sunny Room w/fridge & microwave. Nr. Oak Park, Green Line, bus. 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101/week & Up. 773-3788888 68TH & KING Dr - newly remod
4BR, 2BA, $1350. 72nd & St. Lawrence 2BR, $1100. Ten pays utils & 1 mo sec, 773-668-8901
CHICAGO - 1 & 2BR apts, Vicinity of 83rd & Ashland. Newly remodeled. Heat included, Section 8 OK. No smoking/pets. 708-565-6973 MOVE IN SPECIAL!!! B4 the N of this MO. & MOVE IN 4 $99.00 (773) 874-1122 CHICAGO, 3-4BR TOWNHOUSE & Single Family Homes. Beautifully renovated, new kitchen, hardwood floors. 708-557-0644
7637 S. PHILLIPS. Large 3BR, 2 Full Bath, hdwd flrs, renovated kitchen with appls, A/C. $1100/mo. Sec 8 Welc. 773-343-1808 before 6pm
CHICAGO SOUTH SIDE Beauti-
ful Studios, 1,2,3 & 4 BR’s, Sec 8 ok. $500 gift certificate for Sec 8 tenants. 773-287-9999/312-446-3333
NO MOVE-IN FEE! No Dep! Sec 8
ok. 1, 2 & 3 Bdrms. Elev bldg, laundry, pkg. 6531 S. Lowe. Ms. Payne. 773-874-0100
Chicago, 7129 S. East End, 1BR garden apartment, w/appliances. Heat included. $500/mo Section 8 welcome. 773-206-4737
Ashland Hotel nice clean rms. 24 hr desk/maid/TV/laundry/air. Low rates daily/weekly/monthly. South Side. Call 773-376-5200 ACACIA SRO HOTEL Men Preferred! Rooms for Rent. Weekly & Monthly Rates. 312-421-4597
ROYALTON HOTEL, Kitchenette $135 & up wk. 1810 W. Jackson 312-226-4678
2 BR UNDER $900 SECTION 8 WELCOME 80th/ Ashland - Beautiful, newly remod, 2BR Apt w/office, 1BA. Near schools & transp. $800/mo, tenant pays all utils. $500 move in fee. Avail Now. 773-775-4458 W. PULLMAN COMM: 115 E 119th Place 2BR, 2BA house, clean, Liv & din rm, 1/2 fin bsmt, Sec 8 welcome. $1150/mo 773-4158077 7701 S. South Shore Dr. 2 BDs with 1.5 Baths, Large Combo Living-Dining Rm, FREE Heat & cking gas. Prkng extra. $785-$800, Kalabich Mgmt (708)424-4216 CHICAGO large 2 or 3BR, Sect 8 ok, great bkyrd. Btwn $850-$1000 Newly renov. 7918 S. Essex. John 312-286-6039/ 312-431-0602
$725/MO. LRG 2BR 75th & Union. Near public trans, schools and shopping, appl incl. Sect 8 Welc. 708-334-5188 CHICAGO 7600 S Essex 2BR $599, 3BR $699, 4BR $799 w/apprvd credit, no sec dep. Sect 8 Ok! 773287-9999 /312-446-3333
2BR, STAINLESS APPLS, NICE AREA, HDWD FLS, CERAMIC KITCH & BATH, CLOSE TO SCHOOLS & TRANS. SEC 8 WELCOME $1100/mo 312-852-1260 4014 N. HOYNE, 2 bdrm $1100.
Water included. Call Daniel, 773875-8085 or Paul J. Quetschke & Co. 773-281-8400 (Mon.-Fri 9-5)
CHATHAM BEAUTIFUL REMOD 2 & 3BR, hdwd flrs, custom
cabinets, avail now. $1100-$1200/mo + sec. 773-905-8487 Sec 8 Ok
4153 N. LINCOLN 2 bdrm $1225. Water included. Quetschke & Co. (Mon.-Fri 9-5)
Call Paul J. 773-281-8400
3752 N. SOUTHPORT 2 Bdrm
$1100. Water included. Call Daniel, 773-875-8085 or Paul J. Quetschke & Co. 773-281-8400 (Mon.-Fri 9-5)
2 BR $1300-$1499 EAST L A K E V I E W / WRIGLEYVILLE Newly renovated, sunny, 2 bedroom apartment in elegant vintage greystone building w/hardwood floors, dishwasher, air-conditioning, backyard patio, washer/dryer on premises. $13 50/month. Call Nat 773-880-2414.
OLD IRVING PARK 2BR apartment, 1300-SQFT. hardwood floors, granite countertops, breakfast area in kitchen, SS appliances, close to Blue Line, laundry in building, $1400/mo. 773919-0221
2 BR $1500 AND OVER
2 BR $900-$1099 81ST & MICHIGAN, Chatham, large 5 rooms, 2BR, decorated, hdwd flrs, heat incl., $990/mo + security. Brown Realty Inc. 773239-9566 2BR+
NR
83RD/JEFFREY,
heated, decor FP, hdwd flrs, lots of storage, formal DR, intercom, newly remod kitchen & bath. $1000. Missy 773-241-9139
SOUTH SHORE 8221 S. Clyde. Quiet area, Large 2BR, hdwd flrs, heat incl, liv and dining rm. $1100/ mo + 1/2 mo sec. 708-951-4486 MONTICELLO & OHIO Beautiful 2BR apt, freshly painted, appl incl. tenant pays all util. Sect. 8 welcome. $900/mo + sec. dep. 773-533-0140
2 BR $1100-$1299 BASEMENT APT IN 3 flat bldg
on quiet tree-lined street, DR, kitchen, LR, laundry room; large shared backyard, zoned street parking; $11 00/month plus utilities. garage parking available $150/month. 773718-7266
ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL Cedar
Villas is accepting applications for Subsidized 2 and 3 bedroom apt waiting list. Rent is based on 30% of annual income for qualified applicants. Contact us at 847-546-1899 for details
CHICAGO, PRINCETON PARK
HOMES. Spac 2 - 3 BR Townhomes, Inclu: Prvt entry, full bsmt, lndry hook-ups. Ample prkg. Close to trans & schls. Starts at $816/mo. www. ppkhomes.com;773-264-3005
MATTESON 2 & 3 BR AVAIL. 2BR, $990-$1050; 3BR, $1250-$1400. Move In Special is 1 Month’s Rent & $99 Security Deposit. Section 8 Welcome. Call 708-748-4169
6639 S. PERRY 2BR LR, DR, newly rehabbed, tenant pays Utils and supply own appls, $800/mo + 1 mo sec, Greta Williams 773-502-1579 WEST PULLMAN, Cute 2BR, 120th & S. Halsted, hardwood floors, individual heat, appliances. $630 / mo. Call Mr. Orange, 773-230-9195
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION, rent for less! PRINCETON PARK HOMES. Rents Starting at $816/mo. A privately-owned south side Chicago rental town home community since 1944. Two and three bedroom residences featuring: • Spacious landscaped grounds • Walk to public transportation (CTA, “El”) • Nearby public and private schools • Ample parking • Convenient to shopping • Centrally located Campus Park • Easy access to Dan Ryan • Annual Resident’s Lawn & Garden Contest. Each unit includes: • Deck or patio • Private front and rear entrance • Basement with hook-ups for washer and dryer • Modern kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. For more information contact our rental office at: Princeton Park Homes • Phone: 773-264-3005. 9119 S. Stewart Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60620. Special movein credits. on selected units. Visit our website at www. ppkhomes.com
2BR/1BA, DR, FAMILY room,
kitchen, W/D, DW, Deck, 4 blocks to cali-fornia blue line, 5 minutes to I90/94, 1800/mo, tenant responsible for gas/elec. 773-718-7266 available immediately.
EVANSTON 818 FOREST Ave
Apt A-1. Stately building on quiet street, near Sheridan Road Sedate residential area. Near Main Street, shops, restaurants and transportation. Heat and appliances included. We will fax floor plans upon request. Large 5.5 rooms/ 2 bedrooms/ 2 baths. Available now. $1650. For appointment call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
7359 S. DORCHESTER, 1 & 2BR Apartments, brand new, heat & appliances included. Section 8 OK. Call Miro, 708-4737129 NEAR BEVERLY HUGE 2&3BR apt, nr Metra, CTA & stores. Sect 8 Welc 312.809.6068.
HARVEY 2BR, 1BA Modern Apt for Rent.
CHICAGO HEIGHTS 3 bdrm house for rent, exc cond, available now. $1050/Mo, 1st mo + sec dep. Tenants pay all utils. 708-343-8629
3 BEDROOMS 1 1/2 Bathrooms $1300.00 Monthly, Sec 8 OK Contact Mr. Smith 7089906237 for appointment.
6315 S. Whipple . newly renov. 2BR, all large rms, LR & DR, storage area, carpeted, heat inc l. Call James at 708-743-8204
CHICAGO SOUTH: 114 E 119th
EAST GARFIELD PARK Newly
Chicago, 120th and Normal. 5BR, 2BA, hardwood flrs, full finished basement, island kitchen. $1150/mo + sec. 708-369-3997
ELED large 3BR in a quiet neighborhood. Heat included. Section 8 welcome. AVAIL. NOW! 773-814-4301
Contact Shaneka 708-715-3169
3 BR OR MORE UNDER $1200 61ST/LANGLEY. 3BR/1BA. 2ND flr of 2 unit bldg. Avail Now. Sect 8 ok. Beaut apt, New fridge & stove. W/D in bsmt. Hdwd flrs. Nr Transp, 1blk from schl. $950/ mo. 312-464-2222 EAST GARFIELD PARK, West Side Newly Rehab 3BR Apts. $1195 - $1295 / month 773-230-6132 or 773-9316108 BRONZEVILLE - LARGE 3BR, 2BA, hdwd/carpeted, laundry, intercom, heated. 48th & Michigan. $1000-$1025 / mo. Call 773-2595512 CHICAGO, 3BR Modern Apt on Peoria St., private back porch, $85 0/mo + 1 mo sec. Heat included. Off street parking. Call 773-8746303 CHICAGO 5246 S. HERMITAGE: 2BR bsmt $400. 2BR 1st floor, $525. 3BR, 2nd floor, $625. 1.5 mo sec req’d. 708-574-4085. AVAIL NOW! 54th/May. Sec 8 ok, Very large 3BR, 2nd flr, lndry rm, hwd flrs, A/C, ceil fans, fenced in bldg, $1175/ MO+SEC 773-981-3919. 67TH/CARPENTER ST. 3BDRM, 1ba, up-dated kitchen/ba,
backporch and garage. By CTA, Schools and Ex-pressway. $950. 773569-1982
SOUTHSIDE 8035 S. Marshfield, 3BR, 2nd floor, no Pets, $875/mo. + 1 mo. sec. dep. Tenant pays all utilities. 773-873-4549
St. Newly decorated 4BR. Laundry facility in bsmnt. Heat included $1200 /month. 773-317-0479
CHICAGO, BEVERLY AREA 1316 W. 100th Pl. Total rehabbed, heat & A/C incl. 6 rms, 3BR, Sec 8 Welcome, $1000/mo. 773-339-0182
HARVEY- 3BR, 1BA, driveway, newly rehabbed, no pets. Section 8 Welcome. Contact Lou Davis, 708-275-5471 BEAUTIFUL 3 BDRM Apt for
RENT w/ Free Heat & AC. Laundry Room on Site. Sec. 8 Preferred. Call (708)638-1377.
CHICAGO S - NEWLY renov, Large 3-4BR Apts, In unit laundry, hrdwd floors, very clean, No Dep! Avail Now! 708-655-1397 5025 S. RACINE, 3BR, 1.5BA, fenced front & back yards, 1 level, Section 8 ok. 1.5 mo sec req’d Call 708-922-9069
PARK FOREST - South Suburbs.
3 BR, 2BA ranch, $1,150/mo + security. Section 8 OK. Appls incl. No calls after 5pm. 708-756-7918
3 BR OR MORE $1200-$1499 CHICAGO: E. ROGERS PARK
6726 N. Bosworth Ave. Beautiful, large 3BR, 2BA, DR, LR, Hrdwd flrs. Nr trans/shops. Heat, appls, laundry included. $1375. Available now. 847-475-3472
1 MONTH FREE RENT! Rehabbed 3 bdrm, 1 bth apt in S.Shore. Hrdwd flrs, w/d hook-ups, kitchen appliances, free heat, & intercom securi-ty system.773-263-3922.
4 BR, 1.5 BA, 2 car garage, section 8 OK. $1100-$1300 + security, modern kitchen & bath, wood fireplace & 2 car garage.847-9091538
Rehabbed 3 Bed, 1 Bath House! Section 8 Vouchers Welcome! Hardwood, Large. 312 989 9943.
CHATHAM! NEWLY REMOD-
3 BR OR MORE $1500-$1799 RICHTON PARK, 22822 East Dr., 3BR Split Level, 2.5BA, eat in kitchen, separate DR, spacious LR, close to trans, screened in back porch. Avail now. $1600/mo. 847-4178449 MARQUETTE PARK 7313 S Artesian, beaut rehab 3BR/2BA house, granite ctrs, SS appls, whirlpl tub, fin bsmt, 2-car gar. $1585. 708-288-4510 HOUSE FOR RENT! 4BR, 2BA,
family room, fireplace, full basment & full driveway, $1500/mo Neg. Sec 8 OK. 773-678-8654
ROSEMOOR 10230 S Rhodes, beaut rehab, 2+ 2BR, 2BA house, granite ctrs, SS appls, fin bsmt, 2 car gar., $1300/mo. 708-288-4510 SEC 8 WELCOME, no security dep., 6717 S Rhodes, 3-level, 5BR, 2BA house, appls incl, $1300/mo. 708-288-4510
3 BR OR MORE $1800-$2499 EVANSTON. 1703-1713 RIDGE
Near Northwestern, downtown Evanston, shops, restaurant, movies, el, Metra. Large kitchens, spacious closets, laundry on premises, hardwood floors. Heat and appliances included. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. Available now. $2395. For appointment call 312-8221037 weeekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm
CHICAGO- 9446 S. Wabash. 7BR, 3BA House, tenant pays utils., very close to CTA train, Sect. 8 Welc, $1,800/mo., 773-221-0061
LINCOLN PARK 518 West Addison. Available now. Magnificent apartments, super light and airy, set off by a beautiful courtyard. Laundry room, storage lockers. Steps from the lake, steps from transportation and steps from shopping and recreation. Resident engineer. 5/2 bedroom $1695-$1750. Heat and appliances included. To see call 312-822-1037 weekdays until 5:30pm, Saturdays until 3pm.
2 BR OTHER SECT 2BR, hdwd clean Sec Steve
8 WELC, 9 7 t h / J e f f e r y , 1BA, newly remod, flrs, all appls incl., bsmt, $1200 /mo. No Dep. 847-533-2496,
MARCH 3, 2016 | CHICAGO READER 35
STRAIGHT DOPE By Cecil Adams Q : Why is it that when you concentrate a
A : Wait—you heat up when you think really
hard? You might be on your own with that one, Margarita. Hot because you’re mad, though? Here there’s plenty to say. The nature of emotions such as anger, and how they play out in the body, remains vigorously debated by psychologists and neuroscientists, though their ideas of what an emotion is are somewhat more prosaic than the layperson’s. According to the strictest definition, emotions are simply the body’s automatic reactions to certain stimuli. You see a bear, your pulse spikes: congratulations, you’ve experienced the emotion fear. A more expansive characterization might consider, e.g., your apprehension of the bear plus acceleration of heart rate plus utterance of “Oh, shit”— but some neuroscientists differentiate these, using “feeling” to refer to the thing that happens when the brain becomes aware that emotion is in progress. We should note that we’re talking here about the so-called basic emotions, like anger and fear, which happen automatically, versus complex emotions like envy, which require self-consciousness. Basic emotions happen in the autonomic nervous system, which maintains the state of equilibrium that keeps us alive and functioning. The accelerated heartbeat, for instance, gets you ready to outrun the bear. Now, maybe you see the bear stealing your food, thus threatening your survival— you get angry. So basically here’s your answer: you’re hot because, perceiving something that riles you, your body automatically raises its heart rate and blood pressure in preparation for some sort of fight-or-flight outcome. Beyond the basics, though, agreement breaks down, with contention around a couple key questions. First, which comes first—autonomic response or conscious recognition? And what, if any, is the causal connection? The opening volley came in 1884 from the psychologist William James, who wrote, “The bodily changes follow directly the perception of the exciting fact, and that our feeling of the same changes as they occur is the emotion.” In other words, you take in a stimulus, your body reacts, and your subsequent awareness of
36 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
SLUG SIGNORINO
lot on one subject or are very angry, your temperature rises? Would thinking very hard about something work when you’re in a dangerously cold situation and need to get warm? —MARGARITA
stimulus and reaction creates what you feel. There must be a causal link, James thought, because it’s hard to imagine an emotion like fear without an increased heart rate or some other bodily manifestation—that’s what distinguishes them from thoughts. The physiologist Walter Cannon challenged this theory in the early 1900s by severing the sympathetic-branch nerves of a cat to disable the adrenaline surge that’s central to the standard stress response. When he then scared the creature, it still hissed and its hair stood on end—suggesting that the brain and the autonomic nervous system experience emotion independently, rather than in some causal relationship. A second point of contention: Are there distinct, consistent bodily response patterns that can be detected relative to specific emotions? That is, does “fear” universally equate to some recognizable combination of increased heart rate, sweaty palms, etc? Citing her analysis of some 200 prior studies, Lisa Feldman Barrett, director of an affective-science lab at Northeastern University, wrote last year that no, possible emotional responses are numerous, and vary with the situation. “Even a rat facing a threat,” she pointed out, “. . . will flee, freeze or fight depending on its surrounding context.” On the other hand, a 2013 study by Finnish researchers exposed subjects to the names of emotions and movies and stories with emotional content, asking them to indicate where on their bodies any corresponding sensations were felt. The researchers found distinctive locales for individual emotions—fear was in the chest, anger activated the arms. The implications of this are obviously important: identifying patterns in emotional response is one step toward controlling it, and thus theoretically toward advances in, e.g., how we treat mood disorders. And who knows? Maybe someday you’ll even be able to emote your way out of a snowbank. v Send questions to Cecil via straightdope.com or write him c/o Chicago Reader, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654.
SAVAGE LOVE
By Dan Savage
Ask and ye shall receive: concise advice to prolix questions Told to zip it, Dan does. Q : Are you incapable of
concision? Your answers are too long! You blather on, often rehashing the problem before giving four words (at most!) of (rarely!) useful advice. I’ve heard you say you have to edit letters down for space. Try this instead: Edit yourself! —KEEP IT
my intentions, I’m worried that I’m crossing the line and being unfair to my husband. Am I? Or am I just having some harmless fun that helps me satisfy this strange new itch that’s driving me crazy? —SECOND LIFER AND SPOUSE HAVER
appreciated, KISSES.
PS: It’s important to note that SL has not negatively impacted my RL sex life and, if anything, has made it better. It has also made me happier and less cranky at home.
Q : I’m 30, happily married,
A : You’re doing nothing
SHORT, SAVAGE, EXPRESSED SINCERELY
A : Feedback is always
with my husband since I was 17. First boyfriend, etc—I never had sex with anyone else. This never bothered me because I wasn’t really into sex—but that’s changed in the last year. I guess I’m having a sexual awakening. I’ve started reading erotica and fantasizing about getting kinky. I’ve also been having very strong urges to fuck someone else. These feelings really confused me! So, with my husband’s blessing I found a safe and harmless outlet: Second Life. I created a hot avatar and have been role-playing, talking dirty, and banging people across the world for six months. I love it. I get to experience scenarios I fantasize about but would never do in real life. Here’s where it gets murky. On SL I flirt as if I’m single, because I’m worried people will treat me differently if they know I’m married. The cybersex is superhot, and he’s sweet. He’s my go-to guy, and I’m his go-to girl. But I’m worried our SL relationship has become a bit more. He leaves me messages when I’m not online, telling me he misses me and “loves being with me,” and I’ve said the same to him. I’ve also made it clear I have no intention of meeting anyone from SL in RL, ever. Regardless of
wrong, SLASH.
Q : I am a kinkster. I have
been since I can remember (I am now 21 years old), and I’ve never told anyone about my deep dark desires until the last year. During my time at university, I made good friends with a guy who I was able to open up to about my preferences, as he had similar desires. We created a beneficial arrangement. I suddenly no longer felt like I needed to suppress my “fucked up” masochistic needs and became extremely happy and more comfortable with them. I keep a journal, and naturally I wrote about this arrangement and a lot of the explicit details. Last summer, my mother read my entire journal and was horrified. After she read it, I received a very nasty text message from her about how our relationship was over, she couldn’t believe what I had done, and she was no longer going to help pay for my postgraduate courses, etc. She was deeply disturbed to learn that some money she had given me for my 21st birthday was spent on a hotel room where I met up with my kinky friend. (It wasn’t like we could meet in my family home!) The only way to resolve the situation
was for me to pretend that I deeply regretted everything, tell her I can see now how messed up those “weird” sex practices are, and say that I’m cured and will never engage in them again. Months have passed and I’m still angry with her for having read my diary. I feel sad about the lies I told and having to pretend—still—that I regret what I did. Because the truth is I’ve never felt more like myself than when I am doing BDSM. It’s not my entire world, but it is an important part of who I am. How do you think I should take things from here? She’ll never understand, so telling her isn’t an option, but that means suppressing my deep upset at her as well. —MOTHER UNFAIRLY
ADMIRAL ★★ !"#$!%# ★★
3940 W LAWRENCE
OPEN 7PM TO 6AM ADMIRALX.COM (773) 478-8111
DESTROYED DAUGHTER’S LIBIDO ENTIRELY
A : Fuck mom; be you, MUDDLE.
Q : Three years ago at our
daughter’s preschool, my husband and I met that rare couple with a kid the same age and the same artistic interests and political values. Our kids instantly bonded and are now BFFs, while we’re really good friends with the wife. Recently I started up a FetLife profile for fun—my husband and I are monogamish—and I find the guy’s profile, which clearly states that his wife does not know he’s on this site. What do I do? Pretend I never saw it? —HAS EVIDENCE LOUSED PARENT MAKING ARRANGEMENTS
A : Mind your own business, HELPMA.
v
Send letters to mail@ savagelove.net. Download the Savage Lovecast every Tuesday at thestranger.com. ! @fakedansavage
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 37
b Never miss a show again. Sign up for the newsletter at chicagoreader. com/early
Waka Flocka Flame 3/26, 8 PM, House of Blues, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Whitehorse 5/13, 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM, 18+ Peter Wolf & the Midnight Travelers 5/21, 7:30 PM, Park West, 18+ Zhu 5/8, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 17+
UPDATED Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros ! COURTESY BIG HASSLE
NEW American Authors 5/14, 7:30 PM, Subterranean, on sale Fri 3/4, 11 AM b Avant, Dru Hill, Ginuwine 4/15, 8 PM, the Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Bear Mountain 4/21, 9 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 3/4, noon Being as an Ocean 4/4, 7 PM, Beat Kitchen, 17+ Blaqk Audio, Night Riots 5/17, 8 PM, Bottom Lounge, on sale Fri 3/4, noon, 17+ B.O.B., Scotty ATL 6/3, 8:30 PM, Double Door, 18+ Boy & Bear 6/29, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, noon Sam Bush 6/9, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 3/3, noon b Chance the Rapper, Katie Got Bandz, Lil Bibby, BJ the Chicago Kid, Dreezy, Famous Dex 4/8, 7 PM, Chicago Theatre b Javier Colon 5/3, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Crowbar, Harm’s Way 3/24, 7 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon 7/2, 7 PM, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Deicide, Season of Suffering 4/30, 8 PM, Cobra Lounge Donna the Buffalo 5/20, 9 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn, on sale Fri 3/4, 11 AM Dwarves, Queers 6/14, 6 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ English Beat 5/10-11, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Fabulous Thunderbirds 5/22, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Adam Faucett 4/15, 7 PM, Schubas
Flight of the Conchords 6/19, 7 PM, Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Michael Franti & Spearhead 6/28, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 18+ Eleanor Friedberger 4/29, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Kyle Gass Band 4/17, 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM, 17+ Graves at Sea 4/24, 7:30 PM, Reggie’s Music Joint Klaus Johann Grobe 4/26, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Anthony Hamilton, Fantasia 4/23, 8 PM, Arie Crown Theater, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Hapa 5/20, 7 PM, Szold Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 3/4, 8 AM b Hit the Lights, Seaway 5/20, 5 PM, Double Door The Kills, L.A. Witch 5/23, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM, 18+ Kitten 3/29, 7 PM, Beat Kitchen b La Luz 5/20, 9 PM, Subterranean, 17+ Ray LaMontagne 8/6, 8 PM, FirstMerit Bank Pavilion, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Lil Uzi Vert, Martin Sky 4/28, 6:45 PM, Metro, on sale Fri 3/4, noon b Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 6/9, 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Johnny Mathis 8/13, 7:30 PM, Rosemont Theater, Rosemont, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Mitski 7/20, 7 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, noon b Mutual Benefit 5/31, 8 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 3/4, noon Jeffrey Osborne, Freddie Jackson 5/6, 8 PM, the Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM
38 CHICAGO READER - MARCH 3, 2016
Juanito Pascual 5/28, 7 PM, Szold Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 3/4, 8 AM b Pity Sex 7/9, 7:30 PM, Bottom Lounge, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM b Possessed by Paul James 4/23, 10:30 PM, Subterranean Purson 5/23, 9 PM, Subterranean, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Chuck Ragan 4/4-5, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 3/3, noon b Cathy Richardson 5/27, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 3/3, noon b Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros 3/29, 8 PM, Maurer Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, on sale Fri 3/4, 8 AM b Billy Joe Shaver 5/26, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 3/3, noon b Sixx:A.M. 5/17, 6 PM, Concord Music Hall b Ben Sollee 6/2, 8 PM, City Winery, on sale Thu 3/3, noon b Speedy Ortiz, Hop Along 5/19, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM, 17+ Spose 4/19, 9 PM, Subterranean, 17+ Staves 6/6, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, noon Steely Dan 6/11, 7:15 PM, FirstMerit Bank Pavilion, on sale Sat 3/5, 10 AM Angie Stone 6/17, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 18+ Streetlight Manifesto 5/15, 5 PM, Concord Music Hall b Subhuman 6/2, 7 PM, Double Door Swim Deep 6/10, 9 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, noon Keith Urban 10/28, 7:30 PM, Allstate Arena, Rosemont, on sale Fri 3/4, 10 AM Vetiver 5/15, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 3/4, noon
Into It. Over It., The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die 4/29-30, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 4/30 sold out, 4/29 added, 18+ Riverside, Sixxis 5/9, 9 PM, Double Door, canceled
UPCOMING Abbath, High on Fire, Skeletonwitch 4/8, 6:45 PM, Metro, 18+ David Banner 4/14, 9:30 PM, the Promontory, 18+ Black Sabbath 9/4, 7:30 PM, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park b Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place 3/16, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Deer Tick 4/7, 7 and 10 PM, Maurer Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music b Fat White Family, Dilly Dally 4/27, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Freddie Gibbs 4/20, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ Tim Hecker 4/15, 9 PM, Empty Bottle Intronaut 4/3, 7 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 17+ Jezebels 3/31, 9 PM, The Double Door, 18+ King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard 5/8, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall Lush 9/18, 8 PM, the Vic, 18+ Mamiffer 4/2, 8 PM, Co-Prosperity Sphere, 17+ New Order 3/16, 7:30 PM, Chicago Theatre b Cullen Omori 3/24, 9 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+ Pusha T 4/5, 8 PM, the Vic, 18+ Small Brown Bike 3/12, 7 PM, Cobra Lounge Thermals 4/20, 9 PM, Lincoln Hall Tortoise 5/10, 9 PM, Metro, 18+ Twin Peaks 5/13, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall b Unknown Mortal Orchestra 5/10, 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ Amy Vachal 3/22, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b
ALL AGES
WOLF BY KEITH HERZIK
EARLY WARNINGS
CHICAGO SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IN THE WEEKS TO COME
F
Hunter Valentine 3/18, 8 PM, Reggie’s Rock Club, 18+ Paul Van Dyk 3/12, 10 PM, the Mid XXYYXX 3/16, 6:30 PM, Bottom Lounge b Yak 3/25, 10 PM, Hideout Yung Lean 3/26, 7 PM, Concord Music Hall b
SOLD OUT Alabama Shakes 7/19, 7:30 PM, Civic Opera House and 7/20, 7:30 PM, Aragon Ballroom b At the Drive-In 5/19-20, 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre b Courtney Barnett 4/28, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+ Leon Bridges 3/11, 7:30 PM, Chicago Theatre b Chvrches 3/13-14, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+ Gary Clark Jr. 4/1, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+ The Cure, Twilight Sad 6/10-11, 7:30 PM, UIC Pavilion b Daughter 3/11, 8 PM, Metro b Dawes 4/27, 8 PM, the Vic, 18+ Andra Day 3/15, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+ Greg Dulli 3/18, 8 and 11 PM, Maurer Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music b Experience Hendrix with Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and more 3/12, 7:30 PM, Chicago Theatre b Father John Misty, Tess & Dave 4/14-15, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+ Carly Rae Jepsen 3/12, 8:30 PM, Metro b Joy Formidable 4/6, 8:30 PM, Double Door, 18+ Lake Street Dive 3/11-12, 8 PM, the Vic, 18+ Los Crudos, MK Ultra 3/26, 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM, Beat Kitchen b Lucius, Pure Bathing Culture 3/24, 8:30 PM, Metro, 18+ Melanie Martinez 3/17, 7:30 PM, the Vic b Pearl Jam 8/20 and 8/22, 7:30 PM, Wrigley Field Rachel Platten 3/19, 7:30 PM, Park West b Charlie Puth 3/22, 7 PM, Park West b Rufus Du Sol 4/9, 9 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+ Shellac, Mono 3/30, 7 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+ Snails 3/25, 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 18+ They Might Be Giants 3/20, 3 PM, the Vic b Thrice 6/23, 6:30 PM, House of Blues, 17+ Underoath 4/7, 7 PM, Riviera Theatre b The Used 5/17-18, 8 PM, House of Blues, 17+ Widespread Panic 5/5, 8 PM, Chicago Theatre X Ambassadors 4/6, 6 PM, House of Blues b v
GOSSIP WOLF A furry ear to the ground of the local music scene LATE LAST WEEK, Metro and Smart Bar announced they’d added a member to their family: talent buyer Christen Thomas! She plays in Chicago posthardcore band Storm Clouds, but more important, she’d been lead talent buyer at the Empty Bottle since 2012—she tells Gossip Wolf that she left at the end of January. Thomas says that part of what inspired her to go for the new job was the team already in place, which includes senior talent buyers Jason Garden and Joe Carsello, an old friend. “Being able to work for someone as respected in the industry and the city as [Metro and Smart Bar owner Joe] Shanahan was really exciting,” Thomas says. “In our discussions leading up to my coming over here, I had a very strong feeling that we all got into the music business for similar reasons.” Thomas will help Garden and Carsello with day-to-day operations and booking; she’ll also take over programming at the Gingerman Tavern, aka GMan, once renovations to its back room wrap up this spring. “It’s a versatile space that we’ll be able to do seated and standing-room shows in,” she says. “We’re also hoping to create some interesting, community-involving day programming.” For a few months now, local dream-pop quartet Sexy Fights have been dropping tasty tracks via their Soundcloud page— Gossip Wolf especially digs “The End,” a sophisticated, soulful jam that mixes M83style synths and old-fashioned R&B belting from singer Jordan Rose Brzezinski. On Fri 3/4, Chicago label FeelTrip releases the band’s debut LP, Too Far Out. In the year or so since the fancy downtown Virgin Hotel opened its doors, the closest Gossip Wolf has come to staying there has been foraging in the Dumpster. Thanks for the continental breakfast, Mr. Branson! On Fri 3/4, though, this wolf is going straight to the hotel’s 25th floor—that night Reader-recommended acts Daniel Knox and Homme play a free show. —J.R. NELSON AND LEOR GALIL Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or e-mail gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.
A NIGHT WITH
JANIS JOPLIN
BRIT FLOYD
STAR TREK: THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
SPACE AND TIME CONTINUUM FRIDAY, MARCH 18
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
TREVOR NOAH
WANDA SYKES
JOE SATRIANI
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
10PM EVENT ON SALE NOW
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
GET ACCESS TO
CHASE PREFERRED
SEATING
AVAILABLE TO CHASE CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDMEMBERS.
For more info, visit Ticketmaster.com or
chase.com/chicagotheatre
M A RQ U EE PA R T N ER O F T H E C H I CAGO T H E AT R E ®
The Chicago Theatre provides disabled accommodations and sells tickets to disabled individuals through our Disabled Services department, which may be reached at 888-609-7599 any weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Debit cards are provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC Credit cards are issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A. © 2015 JPMorgan Chase & Co.
MARCH 3, 2016 - CHICAGO READER 39
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CHICAGO, SINCE 1988.