Chicago Reader print issue of April 18, 2024 (Vol. 53, No. 14)

AUDIOTREE FOUNDER, MILLIONAIRE, VOYEUR

“THE MAN DOES NOT UNDERSTAND CONSENT.”

BY KERRY CARDOZA

FOOD & DRINK

NEWS & POLITICS

FILM

celebrate their post-COVID album, and Rich Jones and ShowYouSuck launch a monthly variety show.

CLASSIFIEDS

THEATER

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

36 Shows of Note Previews of concerts including Heccra, Laraaji with Sam Prekop, Qwanqwa, and Mike

40 Early Warnings Upcoming shows to have on your radar

41 Gossip Wolf Motel Breakfast

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SENIOR

GRANTS MANAGER JOEY MANDEVILLE

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AMY MATHENY

SENIOR SALES REPRESENTATIVE LINDSAY FIGURSKI

SALES REPRESENTATIVE WILL ROGERS

DIGITAL SALES ASSOCIATE AYANA ROLLING

MEDIA

APRIL 25 • 5:30 TO 10 PM • LINCOLN PARK ZOO

FEATURING

SHERMANN ‘DILLA’ THOMAS

DEANNA ORTIZ

SOLOSAM

SOUTH SHORE DRILL TEAM

DJ BONITA APPLEBLUNT

RICH ROBBINS

OLIVIA AND THE LOVERS

LUIS CARREON

MY BLOCK, MY HOOD, MY CITY

ALDERPERSON ANDRE VASQUEZ

CHICAGO GREATER FOOD DEPOSITORY

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

CHICAGO POETRY FOUNDATION

Re: “Mission: demolition?” written by Kerry Cardoza and published at chicagoreader. com on April 15

This is down the street from me. It’s clear to anyone who lives in the neighborhood that Loyola was choke-holding these properties. They are ugly gashes of gravel and asphalt that were meant to drive down the property value to make their purchase. And they won. —Saidh, via X

Re: “ShotSpotter worked with alders on push to keep the technology,” written by Shawn Mulcahy and published at chicagoreader.com on April 12

I’m probably more of a subject [that matters] more than those lobbyists, and I can easily scrape a large amount of days that comes to the basic conclusion: ShotSpotter needs to go.

So how much can I get paid for my services? —Dion McGill, via X You guys didn’t think aldermen write their own ordinances, did you? Obviously the City Council and the city’s legal department have the final say but initial dra legislation is o en written by subject matter experts hired by the proponents of the ordinance. —Progress Illinois, via X

Re: “Hip Linkchain played blues guitar like he meant it,” written by Steve Krakow and published in the April 4 issue (volume 53, number 13)

My favorite of all the bluesmen I knew or played with. I still miss him. —Paul Garrett, via Facebook

Re: “Pedestrian safety, PRB, Poetry Making Playground,” the weekly online Make It Make Sense column written by Shawn Mulcahy and published at chicagoreader.com on April 5

The news about Charlie [Mills] is so sad. He was the person who made Jones [College Prep] run, not just helping us get our textbooks or helping with the productions the school put on, but also as someone who helped out kids in need. If you went to Jones and ever needed anything there was a good chance Charlie was the person who would be helping you.

This is a huge loss for the Jones community, and the planners who let these dangerous roads stay this way share the blame with the driver for Charlie’s death. —Henry N., via Instagram

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The Chicago Reader accepts comments and letters to the editor of less than 400 words for publication consideration.

m letters@chicagoreader.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

You’re working for a “cool place to work.” You can wear jeans—in fact, your coworkers would be confused if you showed up in a suit. There are frequent happy hours with coworkers and bosses alike. If you roll in a few minutes late, no one bats an eye. You feel comfortable exchanging ideas, taking a break, o ering solutions. You genuinely want to hang out with most of the people you work with.

But what happens when the people who are in charge aren’t intentional in navigating concerns like safety and security for all of you? If something happens while you’re working that puts you in harm’s way, do they have a plan? And when it’s something egregious, that no one in their right mind could possibly expect to happen: what would they do?

Would they know how to handle it? Would they ask for help? Would they believe you?

Our cover story this week examines allegations of serious issues at a workplace that, at the time of the alleged incidents, was led in part by Michael Johnston. In 2022, Johnston pled guilty to a felony count of unlawful videotaping connected to three incidents at his then-home in Roscoe Village.

Since 2021, culture editor Kerry Cardoza has been investigating stories from ex-employees and others that allege a “boys club” atmosphere at the o ce under Johnston’s leadership. Kerry’s report starts on page 12, and I urge you to read, reflect on your own experiences as a worker or manager, and ask yourself, “If the people I care about at work aren’t being cared for, how cool can this place be?”

As we put this issue together, nine-year-old Ariana Molina was shot and killed during a mass shooting in

Back of the Yards in which ten others (including several children) were injured, some critically. Relatives told NBC5 and other news stations that the shooting happened during a family celebration.

Last night as some of my neighbors up the alley put the cap on a late Monday party, someone deployed a bunch of fi reworks. This is a common occurrence here in my area of the city, as I’ve written to our readers before. We like celebrations, and there’s not many people around here who seem to bother with making noise complaints.

As I sat in my backyard watching the explosions, I thought about how relaxed I felt in the yard, and how good that was for my mental health. And at the same time, I thought about how relaxing in public makes me vunerable, and the fact that while my eyes were on the sky, my back was to the street, where anyone could be walking or driving.

My wish is that we all get to have private moments of peace in public places, parties with those we love for as long and as loud as we like. And that danger never falls on our doorsteps. But I know our shared reality is that there are too many guns in this city (and this world), too many unraveling threads of poverty and inequity that create desperation, and too many people who feel like they can’t solve things without violence. There’s many possible solutions and I’m not here to o er any of them. Even as someone who believes in and loves this city, sometimes I worry for us.

Sending peace to the Molina family and all other survivors of violent crime, and a wish for all of us that we fi nd better solutions. v

—Salem Collo-Julin, editor in chief m scollojulin@chicagoreader.com

A New Year’s Eve 2015 downtown march against violence led by Father Michael Pfl eger BOB SIMPSON/FLICKR VIA CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED

Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago’s Free Zoo

There’s something for everyone at Lincoln Park Zoo this spring and summer! From events with friends and programming for kids to immersive animal habitats within lush gardens, you’re sure to have a memorable visit to Lincoln Park Zoo!

ALL YEAR LONG

Visit Lincoln Park Zoo for free! Lincoln Park Zoo is the nation’s only privately managed free-admission zoo, dedicated to remaining open and accessible for all, 365 days a year.

APRIL

Earth Day Monday, April 22 (all ages, free)

Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago Party Thursday, April 25 (adults only, paid)

JUNE

Run for the Zoo Sunday, June 2 (all ages, paid)

JULY

Summer Wine Fest Friday, July 26 (adults only, paid)

ALL SUMMER LONG Campouts at the Zoo Select Dates (families, paid)

Malott Family Penguin Encounters (ages 8+, paid)

Craft Brews at the Zoo Saturday, June 15 (adults only, paid)

Adults Night Out: Pride Party Thursday, June 27 (adults only, paid)

Learn more and plan your visit at lpzoo.org/events

CITY LIFE

Fad2Fresh has become an Andersonville staple

Find curated music, Bulls memorabilia, gender freedom, and more at the Black-, queer-, women-owned vintage shop.

By ATARAH ISRAEL

Doors open to toy cars, an old arcade machine, racks of vintage 70s sweaters, and the crooning voice of Zapp founder Roger Troutman. In the corner of the small vintage shop sits Alexandria Jones’s most prized possession: a 1990s poster of Michael Jordan and Spike Lee. Lee is caught suspended in midair, attempting (read: failing) to reach Jordan’s height.

At the eclectic, electrically colorful Fad2Fresh, community members shop clothes as old as the 1950s while munching on snacks and chatting with the owners about old jazz hits. For Jones and Abigail Millner, running the shop has become an act of community building. The couple opened the shop September 2022, and they now find themselves at the beating heart of the Andersonville community —earlier this year, their store garnered two Reader Best of Chicago nominations, one for best vintage shop and another for best genderneutral clothing store. On a sunny Sunday, I chatted with Jones about Ice Spice, Chicago Bulls memorabilia, and some of their most valued pieces.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Atarah Israel: What was it like starting out?

Alexandria Jones: We have been doing pop-ups all around the city of Chicago, Michigan, Indiana—and Andersonville. We started doing all the Andersonville vintage markets, and then [the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce] was like, “Hey, there’s a spot in Andersonville if you guys want to do it.” I was working full-time [elsewhere] at the time, and she [Millner] still works full-time. Three days before we opened up the shop, I got fired. Everybody in the whole company got fired, and now they’re not even a company anymore. So, Abby was like, “If you want to do this, you can do it full-time.”

What do you like most about running a vintage shop?

All the cool people that come in and out. Abby says we run a community center here. We had a bunch of our friends’ kids, and they be playing around, and we do fashion shows with them. It’s great. I get to meet people, [and] they bring me a lot of cool stu now that they’ve seen that we’ve grown. We love that. [Jones pauses to greet a new set of customers: “Hi there, friends. Welcome in. Five-dollar rack outside, treats out front. If you need a treat, everybody should take a treat. If you have any questions, let me know, OK?”]

Could you tell me a little bit about the pieces you have now?

We’ve continued to grow, expanding what we sell. We specialize in T-shirts, but me and Abby really love 60s and 70s stu . We’ve been trying to piece that in and bring a lot of what we really, really love in. We get a whole bunch of knickknacks and memorabilia—we right now have two of our friends, one who [collects] vintage baby clothes and then the other friend who does more Y2K. We’ve been trying to rotate that in and out. In the summertime, we have a block party that we started last year. We’ve been expanding because we’ve got people saying, “We need more block parties. We want to come back.”

I noticed you had a rare Malcom X shirt marked for $300. What’s the story behind that piece?

So, my friend Cam—I think that’s who I got that from—he traveled to Atlanta, and he met the guy who used to do the cartoons for [Louis] Farrakhan [head of the Nation of Islam, a Black nationalist organization] back in the day. He went through his estate sale, and that’s one of his shirts that he made. I had two of them.

So, that one’s pretty rare because it came from the original guy who was famous for drawing cartoons back in the day. Yes, it’s sick.

It’s very important to be a Black-owned business and highlight Black history and where it got us, especially me as a Black business owner. That’s why I keep that picture of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King facing me. It’s just for me to look and realize where I’ve come from.

You have come a long way since you started collecting. Could you walk me through your first time finding vintage pieces at an estate sale?

I was overwhelmed by the fact that all of this was in someone’s house. There was so, so much Chicago Bulls stu , which is kind of where we thrive. We sell out of it immediately when we get it. We found a lot of that stu in there and a lot of memorabilia, and I was like, “How is this all possible?” I brought it home, and then I kept bringing it home, and then I kept bringing it home, and then Abby was like, “What are you going to do with all this?” That’s where we just kept growing our collection. Now, estate sales are starting to kick back up. So, it’s our time to get up at one o’clock in the morning, get in line, and go hunting.

I noticed you have music playing from a speaker by your front entrance. How would you describe your music taste?

Well, I can tell you what Spotify said. Spotify thinks that I am a 65-year-old male. It starts with jazz from the 40s on, and it probably stops around early 90s R&B. Hip-hop, classic

rock, pop. I hate to say this, but I really don’t listen to nothing new except when we’re driving home and the radio is on WGCI, so I know what’s up. Also because of TikTok, I know what’s up. Also, I love Ice Spice.

Oh! Ice Spice is an interesting character.

I rock with Ice Spice hardcore. But like, this [ gestures to “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II” by Vaughan Mason and Crew playing in the background] is my shit. I love music that makes you feel good. I always think I’m playing music like my grandma is cooking, and it’s a barbecue in the summertime. It’s a vibe.

That’s beautiful. How does it feel to have a place that feels like a neighborhood staple?

It’s crazy. I love when people are like, “I love your shop, and I love the vibe.” It makes me feel so good because, you know, it’s important for me to hear those things. Sometimes I’m like, “Are we really doing a good job? Do people really love coming in here?” The only thing I’ve gotten from people is positivity, which is another initiative for me—to just keep going and keep providing the space for queer folks, for Black folks, for all folks. I love people who come in and feel like they see themselves, having people who are gender nonconforming come up to me and be like, “I feel so able to touch and not only belong to this side or that side.” That’s how I like to feel—not restricted into one box. And I’m glad that people feel like that. It keeps us going. v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Fad2Fresh owner Alexandria Jones (le ) and employee Sidney McCall KIRK WILLIAMSON

I.

By Charlotte Abotsi

oh girl, you don’t know tired ‘til it tuck you in. now me? I can only dance with sleep just a second before it is June and I am up before the sun rise. it is June and the earth still blue as me. some days all of me hurt. sometimes I don’t get this far up. this be the type of tired you feel in your neck but if the bed stay made when you wake, did you even sleep? II.

It’s not what it looks like! This isn’t the story you know–I know.

The one telling the tale of the dark woman without a wrinkle of fatigue. The boast of the tireless beast! Look at all she does for you–I know. You ain’t ever seen her like this before, have you? Tire toppling out of her gut. An ache so asleep it bends for mercy. I’ve been dreaming and it is exhausting me.

This winter was bitter and I was tired. This spring was slick so I woke up in sheen. It’s June and the edge of this bed might be where my heart stops and Lord, I know I’m unsightly–dust in my eyes, hair kinked up, a scowl for breath but I’m up. I’m up! I’m the only one up before my Sun. Son?

When he gets here, can you tell him come ‘round?

III. nothing more tender than the bed alone it ain’t ever cold on my side because all sides is mine. and yes, I’m awake ahead of the sky to kiss my own chest. night gown spilling out of me, you should smell the soft of me. I am sexiest like this! let my shuttered lashes be the next thing to spread apart.

Charlotte Abotsi is a poet raised in Providence, Rhode Island. As a spoken word poet, she has competed in several international poetry slams. Her work has been written about in HuffPost and Mic.com, and her poems can be read in Wax Nine journal. She has received fellowships from the Pink Door Writing Retreat, the Incubator for Community-Engaged Poets, Tin House, DreamYard’s Rad(ical) Poetry Consortium, AIR Serenbe, Undocupoets and Define American. She co-curated season two of the poetry-based web series Ours Poetica for The Poetry Foundation.

Poem curated by Stuti Sharma. Stuti is a poet, stand up comic, writer, filmmaker, but most importantly, a lover. She grew up on Devon street and the south suburbs. They are a Tin House 2023-2024 Reading Fellow. Stuti will not stop fighting for a Free Palestine and uplifting Palestinian voices & poets.

A biweekly series curated by the Chicago Reader and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation.

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Graywolf 50th Anniversary

In celebration of Graywolf Press’s 50th anniversary and the publication of Raised by Wolves: Fifty Poets on Fifty Poems, award-winning poet Harryette Mullen will read her poetry and discuss the complexities of influence and legacy alongside Graywolf publisher and poet, Carmen Giménez, and in conversation with Graywolf executive editor, Jeff Shotts. Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 PM CT

Learn more at PoetryFoundation.org

FOODBALL MONDAY NIGHT

The Reader’s weekly chef popup series, now at Frank and Mary’s Tavern, 2905 N. Elston, Avondale Follow the chefs, @chicago_reader, and @mikesula on Instagram for weekly menu drops, ordering info, updates, and the stories behind Chicago’s most exciting foodlums.

4/15

The revenge of Pinatta’s Indigenously inspired taqueria classics @pinattachicago

4/22

Death by Neapolitan Pizza Dom @deathbydough

4/29

Traveling raw bar Logan Oyster Socials @loganoystersocials

5/6

Preview the sweet saudade of Cadinho Bakery @cadinhobakery

5/13

Kumain ka na ba at Tita Tootsies Filipino lounge @titatootsies

5/20

The smoky Central Texas return of Shaker Barbeque @shakerbarbeque

Head to chicagoreader.com/foodball for weekly menus and ordering info!

Self Portrait as Blue Monday by Annie Lee

FOOD & DRINK

ANNOUNCEMENT

Monday Night Foodball finds a new home

The 52-year-old Avondale dive Frank and Mary’s Tavern now hosts the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up.

By MIKE SULA

For nearly a half century, nobody cooked in Mary’s kitchen but Mary.

Monday lunch was pork chops. Her famous meatloaf was on Wednesday. Thursdays, it was corned beef and cabbage, and on Friday, fried perch.

Tuesdays were “Mary’s choice”: whatever she felt like cooking for the city workers, truckers, office drones, and factory dayshifters that knew that they could walk in under the swinging Old Style sign any day of the workweek and get a heaping homestyle plate to fuel their engines until quitting time. Except for a short spell at the beginning of COVID, Frank and Mary’s Tavern in Avondale hasn’t stopped serving lunch since 1972, but

about seven years ago, Mary Stark’s health began to decline, and gradually, her brother Frank, who tended bar, took over lunch service, doing the best he could to re-create her pot roast or chicken divan. Her plum tarts, however, were gone for good.

Then Tony Mata stepped up.

Mary filed her recipes in her head, but Mata, a longtime regular, had once managed to get her meatloaf method down on paper, which he ran as an occasional “Mary’s Famous Meatloaf” special at the Silver Palm, where he was the chef.

This wasn’t even Mata’s first taste of fame.

Along with the late Matchbox bartender Dan Palm, he created the Three Little Pigs,

an egg-topped fried cutlet, bacon, and ham ziggurat that he memorably served to Anthony Bourdain, who declared it “the greatest sandwich in America” on a 2009 episode of No Reservations.

“Probably kept that restaurant open for another ten years,” says Mata.

The Silver Palm did close in 2018. And after it was sold just weeks before the pandemic descended, Mata exited the adjoining Matchbox where he was a partner.

He’d become tight with Frank and Mary Stark ever since he moved a block from the tavern in 2010. Frank and Mary were firstgeneration German immigrants who took over the bar in 1972 after its various runs as Earl’s

Tap in the 50s, and Jeanette’s, back in the 40s. Mary was particularly close with Mata’s wife, Callie Roach, and the siblings attended the couple’s wedding at the Hideout in 2016.

There aren’t a lot of true, blue-collar neighborhood dives like Frank and Mary’s left in Chicago, so as Mary’s health began to fail, and Frank started eyeing retirement, Mata o ered to keep it alive. “I love old bars,” he says. “I just hated to see it just go or become some cookiecutter bar with no soul.”

Frank and Mary gave Mata their blessing, and after Mary died in the summer of 2021, he took over as a managing partner. At first, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to maintain the daily specials, but as pandemic restrictions eased, the lunch crowd came roaring back.

“I just tweaked it here and there, but I wanted to keep it the way she had it,” says Mata, who brought back Mary’s chicken schnitzel and pork chop combo on Tuesdays, and corned beef on Thursdays. “The first time I cooked in that kitchen it was pretty weird, knowing that Mary had cooked in there for 50 years.” The fish fry still happens on Fridays, along with Italian beef, or maybe chili. The specials do change from time to time, but, “Wednesday is Mary’s meatloaf,” he says. “Always.” He trained a cook to take on daytime kitchen duties most of the week, but he often takes over Mondays himself when he griddles smashburgers to order.

As much as Mata strove to preserve the bar’s unvarnished soul, it’s not frozen in amber. Frank, who still owns the building and drops in every other week or so, gave him free rein. He had lake fish painted on the wall to complement the bar’s signature muskie replica and taxidermied walleye hanging above the glass block front window. (Frank hooked it himself.)

The Jane Byrne campaign poster is still hanging, as well as the pair of eight-point buck heads mounted above the bar (bagged by a regular who used to fix the HVAC). But outside, Mata and Roach, the general manager at Randolph Street beer garden Kaiser Tiger, built an enclosed patio set with picnic tables, whiskey barrels, and potted lobelia and sweet potato vines.

Just as lunch was always a certainty, dinner service was never a thing at Frank and Mary’s. But Mata began cultivating a dinner crowd,

Tony Mata at Frank and Mary’s Tavern JEFF MARINI FOR CHICAGO READER

RFRANK AND MARY’S TAVERN

2905 N. Elston

773 - 463 - 8179

@frankandmarystavern

first experimenting with sandwiches, then inviting friends of friends to pop up in Mary’s empty kitchen at night: say, fried chicken and biscuits from Jackiestyle Scratch Cooking, Deep Cut Pierogi’s crab and lobster Rangoon from bartender Chelsea Pickard, or cauliflower agnolotti and mushroom bao from Eat Ghosts.

This summer, he’s stepping it up. “The word ‘pop-up’ at Frank and Mary’s is not as strange as it was a year ago,” he says. “People are looking for this.” That’s why Mata’s booking food pop-ups when For the Love of Gas motorcycle club moves its Bike Night to Frank and Mary’s every third Tuesday of the month.

It’s also why Monday Night Foodball, the Reader ’s weekly chef pop-up, is launching its new spring schedule at Frank and Mary’s Tavern.

Last Monday, the patio season kicked off with a Foodball three-peat from the Brothers Guerrero and the Indigenously inspired taqueria classics of Piñatta. This Monday, it’s a Frank and Mary’s regular, Dominic “Pizza Dom” Vallone, slinging Neapolitan-style pies as @deathbydough. On April 29, bivalve boss

Rickie Pérez brings his traveling raw bar Logan Oyster Socials, followed by the return of Alejandra Rivera, previewing her upcoming brick-and-mortar Portuguese Cadinho Bakery

FOOD & DRINK

on May 6. The following week, the Filipino lounge Tita Tootsies makes its Foodball debut, and May 20 marks the return of an MNF OG, Mike Shaker and his central Texas-style Shaker Barbecue.

Some things never change. Like always, you can follow the chefs, @chicago_reader, and myself on Instagram for weekly menu drops, ordering info, updates, and the stories behind Chicago’s most exciting foodlums.

But it’s also a new day for Foodball—and for the Chicago institution at 2905 N. Elston in abiding Avondale.

“This is a 52-year-old, family-owned bar,” says Mata. “I do it all myself, aside from the help from my wife here and there. It’s a struggle, not having the pockets of a group that owns 14 restaurants. I’m just trying to keep it alive.” v

m msula@chicagoreader.com

(From le ) Bartender Tommy Carter, Mata, and cook Carlos Valiente JEFF MARINI FOR CHICAGO READER

Paid Sponsored Content

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By 2011, Cabrera was working at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), where she recruited undocumented students from around the country and connected with student activists in Chicago, including Rigoberto Padilla-Pérez, who helped found Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) in 2009. It became clear just how dire the stress of navigating higher education as an undocumented student could be to one’s well-being. “We noticed [undocumented students] were getting sick, developing eating disorders, disfiguration and pigmentation of skin,” she said. “Some of my students had developed tumors; they developed cancer because of the stress of wearing this mask, and not [being able to] disclose your information—not even to your closest friends.”

Chicago graduate student Eglė Malinauskaitė, a Lithuanian immigrant who moved to the U.S. with their family at age six, knows the pressures all too well. “People have this notion, based on the narratives that have been put out politically, that there’s good or bad immigrants, but I think I’d like folks to understand we’re just like everyone else,” they say. “At the end of the day, we’re just trying to pursue our education, get good paying work, food on the table, clothes on our backs, like—it’s just we’re structurally and politically used as scapegoats, more o en than not, for issues that we’re not at fault for.”

Spurred on by the efforts of student activists and community leaders, as well as local politicians

Courtesy MPI. From MPI’s analysis of monthly data (January to December from the CPS 2018) of states with at least 20,000 immigrantorigin students.

Infographic by Amber Huff

This sponsored content is paid for by Illinois Lottery including Leader) Dream mented in the umented to participate tion counselors established mission publicizing, tional ILDF 2018 umented degrees. applications are one cational umented For make

State Rep. Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Hernandez and Tanya Cabrera Chair, Illinois Dream Fund. Courtesy Office of Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez

including State Representative (and current Deputy Majority Leader) Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), the state passed the Illinois Dream Act in August 2011—a game changer for many undocumented students and their families. It made Illinois the first state in the country to create a private scholarship fund for undocumented students, allowed parents of undocumented students to participate in the state’s 529 college savings and prepaid tuition programs, and set higher training standards for high school counselors on options for undocumented students. The act also established the ILDF, a nine-person, governor-appointed commission that oversees the act’s provisions, including fundraising, publicizing, administering scholarships, and researching educational opportunities for immigrant youth.

ILDF has made a tremendous impact over the years. From 20122018 alone, it awarded nearly 300 scholarships to local undocumented students seeking their bachelor’s or postgraduate degrees. Cabrera says ILDF receives about 2,000 scholarship applications from undocumented students each year. While they are unable to grant each one a scholarship, they contact each one individually to help them create a game plan for their educational future and connect them with resources, such as undocumented liaisons at public universities and community colleges. For undocumented students, all those forms of support can make a difference. Malinauskaitė first encountered Cabrera as

an IIT student in 2013, and describes her as a “confidant” for them as well as other undocumented students. While Malinauskaitė received a full scholarship for their undergraduate studies, they’ve since received ILDF funding while working on their master’s degree at the University of Illinois Chicago’s School of Public Health. Eventually, they’d like to attend medical school, where they’d like to focus on global health. “There is such a disconnect between public health and clinical health in the U.S., and I want to study and apply both in my future work,” Malinauskaitė says. “In terms of the work that I’ve been able to do with Tanya’s support or the funding that’s been able to offset my tuition, I’ve been able to travel abroad using Advanced Parole [which grants certain undocumented immigrants the right to reenter the U.S. a er traveling abroad] to do global health work outside of the U.S.”

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Courtesy Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of data from the CPS October 2018 Educational Supplement. Infographic by Amber Huff

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INVASION OF PRIVACY

The millionaire behind Schubas, Lincoln Hall, and Audiotree recorded friends and employees without their consent. So far, he’s suffered few consequences.

By KERRY CARDOZA

Content note: This story includes mentions of sexual assault and sexual harm. Many subjects in this story use pseudonyms to protect their privacy. The first appearance of each is denoted by an asterisk.

Michael Johnston had a perfect life. A nearly 9,000-square-foot mansion in Roscoe Village. A wife and two beautiful children. A handful of businesses— music venues, a restaurant, a recording studio, and a music discovery platform—he ran alongside his longtime best friend, which didn’t require too much hands-on work. A multimilliondollar net worth, courtesy of his billionaire parents, with a trust that distributes $20,000 to him

per month for discretionary expenses.

But in February 2020, a crack appeared in the facade of that perfect life. That month, a young woman working for Johnston’s family as a home manager discovered hidden cameras filming her in the master suite. When she quit abruptly and Johnston lost access to the recorded videos that were streamed to his phone, he knew he’d been found out. Once Jane Doe*, as she appears in court documents, and her friend, Julie Doe*, who had also been filmed undressed without her consent, filed suit against Johnston and his wife, Kelly Halverson, in October 2020, that fissure deepened. News outlets across Chicago eventually picked up the story, and soon more people came forward

with lawsuits and allegations as they learned that they, too, had been filmed in Johnston’s home without their consent—sometimes nude, sometimes engaged in sexual acts.

On November 15, 2021, Johnston publicly stepped down from his roles as CEO and president of the aforementioned businesses; his best friend Adam Thurston, with whom Johnston cofounded the music discovery platform Audiotree, moved into those roles instead. As far as the businesses seemed to be concerned, that was that; they had washed their hands of Johnston and were moving forward with a clean slate. But beneath the surface, it wasn’t that simple.

Public records show that Johnston, or a business entity owned by himself or his father, still oversees the companies. In a deposition publicly available through court documents from the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Johnston has admitted that he meets twice a week with the executive team to discuss “financial budgeting, vision strategy, [and] advice.” Several former Audiotree employees have spoken to me about the poor working conditions at the company in the 2010s, noting that human resources complaints both small and large went unaddressed or were swept under the rug; women employees were stuck in dead-end jobs or unceremoniously fired when they spoke up too much; and a boys-club mentality reigned, complete with o -the-clock bar sessions where company decisions were made. As a close-knit start-up, there were a lot of gray areas between being friends and being employees, so perhaps it’s no surprise that a former Audiotree employee numbers among those who have brought suit against Johnston.

Jane Doe was hired as a home manager and personal assistant by the Johnston family on December 30, 2019. The position was full-time and paid $60,000 per year. According to the job o er, included in a discrimination complaint Jane filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), the position included a broad swath of responsibilities. She was expected to clean the house, run errands, take care of the dog, do light meal prep and cooking, babysit, drive their two children to activities, and watch one or both children “when needed in case Kelly has an appointment, goes to the gym, or is running errands” or in case “Kelly needs a break.”

Less than two months after she started the job, on the evening of Valentine’s Day, 2020, Jane was house-sitting for her new employers when she noticed something that seemed out

of place: a new picture frame in the master bathroom, angled towards the tub, which she thought might be a hidden camera. (All the information related to criminal or civil charges brought against Johnston comes from court documents or Jane Doe’s IDHR complaint.)

It’s possible (and incredibly easy) to buy tiny hidden cameras disguised in just about anything: Bluetooth speakers, showerheads,

of what they found and removed the memory cards from the spy cam, as well as from two additional hidden cameras they found that were embedded in phone chargers.

The following day, Jane viewed the videos captured by the hidden cameras. On them were nude videos of herself and Julie using Johnston’s master bathroom; the two had house-sat for the couple in January of that

pens, clocks, smoke detectors. Unless you know what you’re looking for, they’re nearly impossible to detect; the lens is about the size of the one on your smartphone, if not smaller. But Jane had recently watched a video online by the YouTuber Shane Dawson, which went into detail about spy cams and their use by Airbnb hosts. In the video, Dawson shows a camera disguised as a picture frame—the same thing she was now seeing in the bathroom at 3310 N. Leavitt, the Roscoe Village mansion owned at the time by her employers.

Freaking out, she called her friend and roommate, Julie Doe, to come over, as detailed in her complaint. Together, they took pictures

civil suit is inching its way toward a trial date: May 20. The process has been delayed along the way by all manner of tricky lawyering and multiple criminal cases against Johnston. In all, at least seven plaintiffs have brought allegations of unauthorized video recording against Johnston; court documents suggest that others have settled cases outside of the judicial system. Some of the accusers were Johnston’s domestic sta , some were friends, and at least one was Johnston’s onetime employee at Audiotree.

By all accounts, Audiotree was a fun place to work. Founded by Johnston and Thurston in 2010, the company started out as an a la carte record label, putting out records but also o ering various professional services to bands: recording space, graphic design, licensing help. Recording bands live and conducting interviews—now Audiotree’s main focus—was part of the vision from the very beginning. Such an idealistic new music company, run by a couple of twentysomethings, had a certain appeal as a workplace, especially for young music lovers looking for a job that was fun and fed their passion.

“It was not professional,” says one former employee. “It was like friends hanging out for eight hours a day.” Another former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, agrees. (Many sources asked to remain anonymous in this story out of fear of retaliation.) “There was a lot of laughter and goofing o and, like, sometimes solid hard work,” they say. “But a lot of it felt like a bit of a bro culture. I’ve realized, since leaving, there was a culture that was centered around drinking and music venues and late nights at bars . . . but it felt very energizing and exciting because it was this start-up culture.”

year. Another video showed Johnston standing in the bathtub in the master bathroom, fully clothed. He seemed to be positioning the angle of the camera, pointing it toward the tub. He then looked at his phone, presumably to check the angle (the videos automatically uploaded to an app that Johnston could access from his phone). Jane never reported back to work, eventually pressing charges with the police department, filing a sexual harassment complaint with the IDHR, and bringing suit against Johnston and Halverson, seeking substantial damages.

More than four years since the hidden cameras were discovered, Jane and Julie’s

“Bro-ey is definitely a word that would not be that far o ,” says another former employee. “It definitely had a youthful vibe.” There was occasional day drinking in the o ce, with free beer from sponsorship deals. “It was pretty common for a weekday lunch to turn into, like, happy hour basically.”

Audiotree’s Instagram shows an o ce with an open floor plan and paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Dogs are welcome. The workday would often end at Club Lucky, a bar across the street from the o ce. The team was small and close-knit; in the mid- to late-2010s, it typically had around a dozen employees, plus some people doing contract work. Johnston often coasted around the o ce on a lightup hoverboard. Former employees describe

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him as mostly a hands-off boss who liked to joke around and didn’t like to make tough decisions. Not a particularly e ective leader, but not a pariah by any means. (Neither Johnston nor his attorneys responded to a request for comment; through an attorney, Audiotree declined to comment.)

For Alex Smith*, who asked that their real name not be used to protect their privacy, working at Audiotree was “a dream come true.” Smith studied the music industry in school; Audiotree was precisely the sort of place they wanted to work. After finishing school, Smith was hired at Audiotree in a position that bridged business development with their love of music. “This is exactly what I wanted to do,” Smith remembers.

Over the course of almost three years, Smith says she excelled at her job. She secured lucrative contracts and planned a variety of complex music events. “Adam saw how hard I worked,” Smith says. “It would usually be he and I putting in a lot of hours.”

However, Smith came to see that the company wasn’t without its issues. “I remember I’d be trying to literally close $50,000-plus [contracts]. And Michael would come around on his hoverboard and throw stuff at me or take my laptop from my desk in the middle of big pitches over the phone—just thinking it was funny.”

Worse were the human resources issues that never got resolved. “There was no real way of leveraging or bringing your complaints to anyone ever,” says another former Audiotree employee, who left the company after nearly a decade in 2022. “You would have to sort of corner [management] at the right time at their right state of mind like in a day where they’re feeling generous to set aside a discussion, and very little would often become of it.”

“They always talked about how there was no hierarchy, which created more chaos and confusion in how everyone would interact with each other,” Smith says. “Because there was, like, ‘OK, well, who’s your boss and who’s not your boss then?’ Or like, ‘Who does get to make decisions?’ And literally, when I would try and get answers, they’d be like, ‘Just figure it out.’”

Smith also remembers that there seemed to be di erent standards for men and women, a sentiment reiterated by several other former employees. She’d get pushback when she called for women to be put in leadership roles or when she asked management to implement sexual harassment trainings. “I asked

if we could institute some of that and I was chastised,” she says. “You know, ‘It’s not your place.’” Several former employees told me that, beyond a company handbook, as of early 2022, there were no HR policies in place and never any sexual harassment prevention training, which is required by law in Illinois.

Smith says other employees, including people who worked at music venues Lincoln Hall and Schubas, which Johnston acquired in 2015, would sometimes come to them with policy or HR-type questions, like wondering whether a coworker was getting a better shift because they were reportedly sleeping with a manager. Smith says they brought these issues to the attention of management, who declined to get involved in what they seemed to consider personal problems.

As someone working in event planning and business development, part of Smith’s job included networking. One night in 2017, some Audiotree employees and contractors met up for a fundraiser. It was a social event and many attendees were drinking. There, Smith met a

“As soon as we get into this new location, he is trying to shove his hands down my pants and the back of my pants. And I’m trying to pull them away. I’m trying to say, ‘Please don’t do that.’” She managed to extricate herself from the situation but was deeply scarred by what had happened. A few weeks later, she alerted management. She had hesitated because she expected management wouldn’t respond well to the news. Afterward, there was little follow-up from management. “Michael stopped talking to me after I told him.”

Smith got more stressed about the situation in December, as the company holiday party approached. They repeatedly asked management whether Tom would be attending the party, but could never get a straight answer. Then over the next few months, Smith says it felt like management was mounting a campaign against her.

“Given the audience of who Audiotree caters to, which is like DIY kids and indie kids who care about the wellbeing of people, for them to be duped like this really gets me.”

man, whom I’ll call Tom*, who was working as a contractor on a project for another of Johnston’s businesses. Smith and Tom exchanged numbers, in order to connect about work, and later split a cab home. Smith thought their interaction had been clearly professional, so she was confused when the cab pulled up to her apartment building and Tom started to get out. “I had to close the gate on him and he was kind of rattling the door,” she says. She made it clear she wasn’t interested in inviting him up, leaving him outside. “I mentioned that to Adam the next day, like, ‘That was weird.’”

The incident left Smith uncomfortable, but they were ready to chalk it up to the alcohol. A few months later, in October, Smith met up with Tom at Club Lucky. Johnston was also in attendance.

Smith confronted Tom, telling him what he did was inappropriate. He told her his behavior was his “biggest regret this year.” She felt good for setting boundaries. It seemed like she had gotten through to him. So Smith invited him to accompany her to another bar, where she was meeting up with some friends.

would be considered a protected activity under the law. “That means that anything they did to her after that, that was the result of her complaining about this guy, is retaliation and that would be actionable,” she says. “And they fired her—that would definitely be an adverse employment action. My view would be, if she came to me, I would say, ‘You very likely have a claim.’”

One day, management reprimanded her over an irreverent post on her personal Instagram feed—although Smith wasn’t aware of any social media policy for employees at the time. They say it felt like a double standard for male and female employees. “It just felt really strange and hypocritical.” Then, on International Women’s Day, Smith was fired. Thurston and Johnston had called her in for a meeting. “They verbatim said it has nothing to do with [my] work,” she says. She remembers that it was a short conversation, though it came as a shock. “I was in such a naive place. I mean, I loved my job.” Smith added, “It was never questioned, my value or what I brought to the business. It was just that they didn’t want anyone calling them out on mistreating women.”

Smith told them it felt like they were being punished for being sexually assaulted on the job, but says management didn’t seem concerned about any potential legal issues.

Jamie Franklin is an associate clinical professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law who specializes in employment discrimination. Franklin says that, based on her review of what Smith says, Smith’s treatment and subsequent firing could be considered unlawful retaliation, even though what happened to her was technically outside of work. Since there are aspects of Smith’s experience that impacted her work—such as not knowing if she’d have to interact with Tom again—her complaint

After the assault, Smith confided in a few friends about what happened. They even consulted a lawyer but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the financial and emotional toll. They had no money and would have been taking on a multimillionaire. Smith says they have since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their biggest regret is wondering if they should have fought harder. It took her a few years to put the incident behind her, but once the allegations against Johnston hit the news, it all came back.

“I don’t think he has any remorse from his behavior,” Smith says. “It adds up to him taking advantage of people and [he] doesn’t see anything wrong with it. The man does not understand consent.”

Michael Johnston grew up with all the advantages money can buy. His mother, Ronda Stryker, is an heir to the Stryker Corporation, a medical equipment manufacturer founded by her grandfather in 1946. According to Bloomberg, Stryker inherited one-third of a trust that held shares of the business; today she owns about 5 percent of the company, which had revenue of around $18.4 billion in 2022. In April of this year, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index named Stryker the 262nd richest person in the world.

In 1983, Stryker married William Johnston, who is now a chairman of Greenleaf Trust, a private asset management company that is also a Stryker Corp shareholder. A 2016 article in Crain’s noted that Greenleaf managed close to $9 billion in assets, though court documents put that number at $17 billion today. Michael’s parents are philanthropic: they’ve made headlines for their sizable donations to Western Michigan University and the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. In January 2024, they pledged $100 million to Spelman College, an HBCU that Stryker has been on the board of since 1997.

Stryker had Michael in September 1983, the first of three children. He grew up in Portage, Michigan, a small city in Kalamazoo County, the southwest part of the state. It’s an a uent

community—according to the 2020 census, the median household income in Portage was $74,837. Johnston’s parents set up two trusts in his name; one of those accounts is where his $20,000 monthly allowance comes from.

Johnston and Thurston grew up together, becoming friends in the second grade. They separated for college, with Johnston heading to the University of Colorado and Thurston to Michigan State University. They later reconnected over their shared love of music, taking classes at Florida’s Full Sail University, a private school that specializes in entertainment media.

Johnston moved to Chicago in late 2007, first living in Wrigleyville before buying the house on Leavitt with his wife. (Thurston lived on the same street with his wife, a couple miles to the north; both couples have since moved to the suburbs.) Tall and blond, Johnston bears a striking resemblance to his mother, albeit with gauged ears and a sleeve of tattoos.

When Johnston first moved to the city, he worked as an independent producer and audio engineer, according to his deposition. He and Thurston started Audiotree in 2010, first working out of the West Loop and later moving to their current space in West Town. By most accounts, Audiotree has rarely, if ever, been profitable, though some of their YouTube videos have garnered millions of views. When the company needs an infusion of cash, Johnston testified in his deposition that he taps his father for money.

In 2015, Johnston acquired the local music venues Schubas and Lincoln Hall under the LLC Audioleaf, a portmanteau of Audiotree and Greenleaf Trust. Johnston’s father again provided the start-up capital for these enterprises. In 2018, the company opened Tied House, a restaurant neighboring Schubas, with capital from Johnston’s father. (According to Johnston’s deposition, his father is also paying his ongoing legal fees.)

not involved in any part of the day-to-day operations of any of the venues,” says Gregory Frohbieter, former head of security at Lincoln Hall.

One former Audiotree employee remembers Johnston having an air of coolness, with the gauges in his ears. Though, after the allegations came out, the employee started to rethink past experiences. “I’ve had thoughts of my own where I’m like, ‘OK, maybe there are things that happened every once in a while

porn on his computer, but definitely showing you hot girls on Instagram kind of guy,” a former male employee says.

Many of Johnston’s former colleagues describe him as relatively down-to-earth, even generous. Like many who commit such shocking crimes, his behavior mostly didn’t raise any red flags. Joanna Kerwin, a member of the now defunct band the Soil and the Sun, says Johnston was the band’s manager for a few years. “I never felt uncomfortable around

Another employee had the same recollection. “Sometimes [Michael] would pull up the app on his phone and be like, ‘Oh, I can see what’s happening in Lincoln Hall right now,’” they said. “Like, why were you looking at it? . . . Wouldn’t that be someone else’s role?”

“Michael was obsessed with cameras. He loved filming stu ,” another says. Two former employees recalled to me the same story of another employee going to pick up a company truck from Johnston’s house, Johnston taking a picture of him from his home surveillance system, and forwarding it to him. “Maybe it’s all unrelated but it feels like some sort of voyeur’s mode of evidence, like you’re interested in filming people without their knowledge,” the employee continued.

Sometime after the initial charges against Johnston were filed in 2020, his family started making plans to move from their North Leavitt house to the suburbs. In June 2021, he bought an 8,500-squarefoot mansion in Northfield, complete with a pool, hot tub, in-home gym, and media room, on a quiet dead-end street. The funds—a little over $2.6 million—came from his trust, his deposition shows. He sold the house in Chicago, the site of the crimes, in December 2021, for $2.85 million.

An early employee at Audiotree described Johnston as quite hands-on, though that seems to have diminished over time. Employees at Schubas, Lincoln Hall, and Tied House said he wasn’t really involved in the day-to-day work of those businesses. “He was

that make me feel weird now because I don’t really know what exactly was going on in his mind.’” In the early 2010s, Audiotree rented an Airbnb for employees on a work trip, and Johnston went around encouraging everyone to use the jacuzzi tub in his own personal suite. “So I took a bath in that tub,” she says. “Probably nothing happened. But you can imagine how unsettling that is to read about this person and then to have to wonder if my own privacy was violated.”

Male and female employees reported di erent experiences of working at the company, with men more comfortable with the overall culture. “Michael was definitely not pulling up

[Johnston and Thurston] at all,” she says. “And I’ve had a history of older men being inappropriate to me throughout my life, so I have a little bit of a radar with stu like that.”

Kerwin remembers a time when Johnston handed over his credit card so she could buy a new amp when hers unexpectedly went bust.

There was one curious behavior that several former employees pointed out: Johnston’s love of surveillance cameras. One employee recalled how Johnston, and sometimes Thurston, would be hanging out after work and would pull up surveillance cameras from the venues on their phones. “That always struck us as weird, the voyeur kind of vibe,” they said.

On November 15, 2021, Audiotree posted a statement to its social media channels: “In light of the allegations against co-founder Michael Johnston, he has been removed as President & CEO of Audiotree, Audiotree Presents, Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and Tied House. As of Saturday, November 12, Johnston is no longer a part of the Audiotree team. We respectfully ask for patience as we navigate this challenging time. Co-founder and COO Adam Thurston will now lead the companies as President & CEO.”

For a time, even Audiotree employees thought that Johnston was really gone. But eventually, some started to wonder how separate from the companies Johnston really was. Business records show that Johnston is still listed as the sole manager for the LLCs behind Schubas and Lincoln Hall and his name is still on the Audiotree business license registered with the city. Not until December 2023 was his

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name removed as manager for Audiotree LLC and Audiotree Publishing LLC—more than two years after he supposedly left the “Audiotree team.”

“Given the audience of who Audiotree caters to, which is like DIY kids and indie kids who care about the well-being of people, for them to be duped like this really gets me,” one former Audiotree employee told me. Many of the Audiotree employees I spoke with did so with trepidation—despite everything, they still care about the company and many of the dedicated people who still work there. “There are people there who I know want to do good things and want to be doing good work. And I still really care about them,” that employee said. “They hate the reality of what Michael did. There are people who are fighting for it to be a good place. It’s just sort of poison from the top.”

Smith was not the only woman at Audiotree to be let go after pushing for substantive changes. One former employee, who left the company in 2022, describes a workplace that felt like it had two tiers: upper management—which consisted of Johnston and his close friends—and day-to-day employees— videographers, the production team, and graphic designers—where things were more egalitarian.

“Mike Johnston does not know how to interact with women,” she says. ”This company, it was him and his best friend that started this thing, and then he just hired all of his friends around him to fill out management positions,” she says. “So, it’s just a bunch of guys. Women weren’t really in upper management roles.”

And those after-hours meetups at Club Lucky? “Women weren’t invited,” she says. “Going out to drinks after work isn’t just going out to drinks after work, especially if it’s the management team of a company.” In the early days, she had to insert herself into those situations before eventually all employees were welcome to join.

This employee started as an intern, eventually transitioning into a full-time role. She says she had to fight for every role she took on. “They wouldn’t even welcome women to the table to even allow them the opportunity for management positions. It was just the door was so closed for that opportunity. It felt like we were imposing on them,” she says.

After working at the company for five years, in February 2022, she and another colleague were abruptly fired. “They didn’t give me any

warning for my firing. I got no performance review; it was out of the blue,” one of them told me. “I think that they were worried that Michael was gonna pull funding, and the financial structure of Audiotree is just untenable without having an angel investor.”

The other employee that was fired has their

performers on their roster. “There was maybe more of a pressure coming from me to be more inclusive and I think that that wasn’t always like well received,” she says.

Still, despite these tensions, she was shocked when she was terminated. “There had been no conversations leading up to it that

own theory about their termination. They think that they were targeted because they pushed back the hardest on folks in the company who were supportive of Johnston. They believed that “if we wanted to be a company with any integrity,” then Audiotree needed ”to fully separate from him in whatever way that means, like totally have him gone.”

Another longtime former female employee was also let go suddenly. She, too, recalls a di erence in the way male and female workers were treated. “In the beginning, there were very few female employees,” she says. In the early 2010s, she says male employees tended to last longer than women did. “That’s the culture.”

She also struggled with the company’s power dynamics. “I actually started working for a female-owned and -run company [after leaving Audiotree] and had this sense of like, ‘Wow, I know a lot more than I think I know and I’m more valuable than I think I am.’ And that’s in large part because I had been working for years and years for people who—if they were utilizing my full skill set—they weren’t really giving me any appreciation or feedback on that.”

Over the years she worked there, she strongly advocated for management to hire more women and to include more women

Franklin says that the treatment of these women, too, could be grounds to sue. “If the women are being treated di erently, and their ideas are not being listened to, and they’re being kept from progressing to higher levels in the company—that is just plain old sex discrimination,” she says. Employees are protected from discrimination and retaliation under laws ranging from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance. “For those kinds of claims, you have to show that you were a member of a protected group, that you were discriminated against, and there has to be what’s called an adverse employment action. So if a woman at the company was not getting a promotion, for example, that would be an adverse employment action.”

She adds that, based on these allegations, Audiotree’s female employees were potentially being retaliated against—which is also illegal. “If someone complains about sex discrimination or complains about the company not hiring female artists or complains about other people being treated differently because of their sex and then they get retaliated against, that’s a separate claim that they can bring against the company,” she says.

gave me any indication that that was going to happen,” she says. “I had a really favorable and great performance review and then a couple of months later, that’s when I was let go.” During her termination proceedings, in fact, management told her she wasn’t being let go due to her job performance; she still doesn’t understand why she was fired. The termination hit hard, Audiotree being her first employer after graduating college. Afterward, she had a “crazy time period” where she had to rebuild her self-worth.

Three former employees recall the termination of a fourth female employee, who was let go under similar circumstances. One believes the termination was for “speaking up too much” and “pushing too hard” for changes in the company. This woman, whose identity I am keeping anonymous as she was also involved in litigation against Johnston, pushed management to diversify the acts at their now defunct summer event, Audiotree Music Festival, which took place in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “[She] definitely got a ton of shit for continuing to push it, for saying it again and again,” this employee says. Another former employee believes the woman’s firing was “really unfair.” “They never really gave much of a reason for that,” she says.

Based on her review of the allegations,

This fourth employee would later be one of the parties to file criminal charges against Johnston, for unauthorized videotaping in his home. She wasn’t just an Audiotree employee. She was also a longtime friend of Johnston and his wife—one of several whom Johnston videotaped while he was out of town.

To date, at least seven cases have been filed against Johnston in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Three were separate criminal complaints brought by the state, one of which was filed in December 2021 (the initial complaint, from Jane and Julie Doe, who also filed civil suits) and two others which were filed in April 2022, including the complaint brought by the former Audiotree employee. All the criminal complaints were class four felony indictments for unauthorized videotaping.

Johnston initially pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. He was represented by top Chicago attorneys Matthew Madden and Damon Cheronis, who is perhaps best known for unsuccessfully defending Harvey Weinstein during his 2020 Manhattan trial for sexual assault. These cases were making their way through the courts when, on October 11, 2022, Johnston pled guilty to three counts of unauthorized videotaping.

According to the transcript for court proceedings that day, Johnston’s attorney asked

Schubas KIRK WILLIAMSON

for an off-the-record conference with Judge Lawrence Flood and an assistant state’s attorney in order to arrange a plea deal. Afterward, when proceedings were back on the record, Flood proposed that if Johnston were to plead guilty to the three counts against him (one count having been dropped by the state), he would be sentenced to 24 months of probation and 50 hours of community service. The law stipulates that sentences for class four felonies range from imprisonment “of not less than one year and not more than 3 years,” with an extended term of up to six years. Flood also noted that “there’s a fine that can be imposed up to $25,000.” Despite these potential penalties, Johnston was not sentenced to imprisonment or required to pay a fine. (The state’s attorney’s o ce would not make the assistant state’s attorney who was present in court that day available for an interview, nor would it speak to how the sentence was determined.)

Flood, who retired last September, has a dubious history on the bench. He was found in a 2023 Chicago Tribune investigation to be “one of the slowest judges at the main Cook County courthouse in handling murder cases”; in September 2023, he acquitted two Chicago police o cers who were accused of shooting an unarmed man and then lying about it; and in January 2023, he dismissed sex-abuse charges from four people—including three minors—that were filed against R. Kelly.

Flood wasn’t the judge initially assigned to one of Johnston’s cases. It first went to Judge Thaddeus Wilson, but Johnston’s lawyers filed a motion to substitute the judge “on the ground that such judge is so prejudiced against him that he cannot receive a fair trial.” (Wilson has a reputation as a strict disciplinarian.) The case then went to Flood.

Johnston’s probation, which expires in October, simply requires him to refrain from possessing weapons and to obtain the consent of the court before he travels out of state. And, as someone with nearly unlimited financial resources, he travels a lot. In June 2022, he vacationed at his in-laws’ former home, a $3 million mansion in a gated community in Carlsbad, California, followed by a trip the following month to Kalamazoo. In October of that year, he returned to Carlsbad for a wedding, then, for Thanksgiving and New Year’s, he traveled to Key Largo, Florida—where his parents own oceanfront property in a gated community with its own airport, which Zillow values at $34 million. In October 2023, he vacationed in Puerto Rico—where he stayed at the Ritz Carlton, an oceanfront hotel where

rooms start at $2,984 a night—returning to Key Largo for Thanksgiving. In December, he took a trip to the Bahamas and then to Encinitas, California, for New Year’s. On the docket for 2024 are trips to Vail, Colorado; Key Largo; and the Bahamas.

A civil case was brought by a Jade Doe*, who was hired by the Johnston family as a dog sitter in November 2019. Jade’s complaint included charges of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy against both Johnston and his wife. In her complaint, Jade notes that she wasn’t aware that she had been filmed partially or completely nude until November 2021, when the first allegations were made public. Halverson denied the allegations in court filings, noting in her response that she was unaware of any hidden cameras in her home. After Johnston entered a guilty plea in his criminal cases, Jade amended her complaint to add a willful and wanton count—basically, intent to purposely cause harm—against Johnston for which she sought punitive damages. Then, a few months later, in February 2023, the parties reached a settlement and the case was dismissed. (Likely due to nondisclosure agreements, the lawyers could not confirm any settlement amounts or negotiation outcomes.)

The civil suit filed by Jane and Julie Doe in October 2020 has not yet been settled. Over the past three-plus years, the case has slowly progressed toward a trial. After months of attempted mediation, it began in earnest in July 2021. Since that time, Johnston and Halverson’s attorneys have brought several motions that have effectively delayed proceedings, from repeated attempts to halt the proceedings to refusing to accept what Jane and Julie’s attorney called an agreed-upon settlement. (Johnston and his wife have di erent representation for the civil cases, having retained the Chicago firm Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC and the Michigan firm Varnum LLP.)

In another instance, Alexander Loftus, one of Jane and Julie’s attorneys, filed a petition alleging that Johnston’s legal team violated the protective order in the case when they showed some of Johnston’s unauthorized videos to people not involved in the lawsuit. According to the filing, the lawyers showed videos to at least five outside individuals, including two attorneys and three people filmed without their knowledge at the Johnston home. The protective order stated that the confidential information (which included personal identifying information and video recordings) was only to be viewed by “counsel

for the parties” and plainti s or prospective plaintiffs, who “may view only images or recordings of themselves (but not others) in connection with this litigation.” Furthermore, the order stated that such information should “be used solely for the preparation, trial, and appeal of this action, and shall not be used for any other purpose.” [Emphasis mine.] The court eventually denied this petition as well.

Four months after this petition was filed, in October 2022, two additional plainti s were added to Jane and Julie’s case: John Doe*, one of the people whom Johnston’s lawyers allegedly showed the unauthorized videos to, and Judy Doe*, a former housekeeper for Johnston. (Court documents show that two additional women whom Johnston’s lawyers allegedly showed the videos to—with whom he and his wife were friends—settled out of court.)

According to his complaint, John Doe stayed at the Johnston house in December 2019, part of a group of friends invited to house-sit while the family was out of town. While there, John was recorded having sex with his then girlfriend in 42 videos. In his complaint, lawyers alleged that this invasion of privacy “exacer-

on nine separate occasions, when the Chicago Police Department showed her images of herself from the memory cards obtained by Jane and Julie. Judy’s complaint alleged that, since this invasion of privacy, “she has experienced anxiety in work situations, fearing that any kindness displayed by an employer was merely grooming.” It further stated that Judy had lost many clients as a result of this anxiety, “causing a severe loss of wages,” and that she was “unable to a ord the necessary therapy to process the trauma and remains on waitlists for nonprofit service providers.”

Both Judy and John brought invasion of privacy and eavesdropping complaints against Johnston. They alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress against both Johnston and Halverson, and Judy brought a complaint of sexual harassment against both defendants, as she was filmed while an employee of the house. Johnston and Halverson either denied or failed to answer the majority of the allegations in the complaint.

Since then, both Judy and John have settled out of court with Johnston, the terms of which are confidential. According to court documents, it appears that at least five accusers

bated John’s existing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which he developed while serving in the U.S. Air Force in a war zone.” It further alleged that the recording hindered his ability to trust people and “diminished his sleep.”

Judy worked for Johnston and Halverson from 2016 until October 2021. In February 2022, her complaint alleges she learned she had been recorded in Johnston’s bathroom

have settled out of court with Johnston, and that there are likely additional parties who settled through mediation outside the court system.

Now, only Jane and Julie’s civil complaint remains. Their experience thus far with the lawsuit cannot have been easy. Beyond having to keep what’s undoubtedly one of the worst experiences of their lives front of mind for the

Lincoln Hall KIRK WILLIAMSON

NEWS & POLITICS

continued from p.17

past several years and having nude videos of themselves entered into the court’s record, there are countless other indignities that have occurred over the course of the case—a reminder of why so many survivors of sexual harm are reluctant to press charges.

In Halverson’s request for discovery, she asks for photos and videos from dance, theater, or modeling events that show the plainti s “nude, partially nude, and/or in a state of undress” dating back to when Jane and Julie were 18 years of age. It also asks for all the data from their social media accounts. Jane and Julie’s attorney, Gail Eisenberg, calls out the invasiveness in their opposition to these requests, writing that discovery is not meant to be a mechanism for “unreasonable annoyance” or “oppression.” Eisenberg writes, “Whether Plainti s had voluntarily participated in any such art or photography is absolutely irrelevant to whether they were harmed by Defendants’ surreptitious recording of them nude in a bathroom in violation of their rights to privacy and rights to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace.”

Johnston’s attorneys also moved to subpoena Jane’s current employer, seeking all documents related to her employment, including “payroll and/or commissions paid, performance reviews, performance-based bonuses or incentives, attendance, personal and/or sick leave, and/or records of any personal or medical accommodations in connection with her employment.” Jane’s attorney argued that “most of the purpose of allowing Plaintiffs to proceed under pseudonyms will be defeated if the subpoena is allowed.” Jane even o ered to produce her own personnel file for the defendants. In the end, both parties agreed to draft a document stipulating what workplace information is needed, which Jane will submit to her employer.

And, while Johnston’s attorneys plan to depose Jane and Julie’s therapists, they still filed a motion for both women to undergo a mental examination by a psychiatrist paid for by the defense—a motion granted by the judge. The psychiatrist in question is Dr. Prudence Gourguechon, whose website advertises her expert witness services in psychiatry, trauma, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and emotional injury. Gourguechon is also a contributing writer at Forbes, where she has penned articles on sexual harassment in the workplace. In one such piece, on the sexual harassment allegations against former CBS CEO Les Moonves, she writes about Freud’s concept of transference, which “leads all of us to endow

powerful figures in our adult lives with the perceived omnipotent qualities of the parents of our childhood.” She writes that the greater the power differential in a relationship, the greater the transference. “Society recognizes the vulnerability inherent in these kinds of relationships,” she continues. Her words seem to perfectly describe the behavior of Johnston.

Johnston was deposed in October 2023. The following month, Loftus argued that because Johnston had admitted much of what the complaints allege in his deposition, the court should narrow the issues considered at trial, namely the charges of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violation of the wiretap act. “The only issues remaining are measuring the harm caused and the amount of money necessary to punish and deter Johnston (the son of a billionaire) from secretly recording his employees, family, and their friends when naked or engaged in sexual activity,” the motion states.

In his deposition, Johnston admits to setting up the hidden cameras for the express purpose of capturing his employee in the nude. “I did place it knowing that our nanny, [Jane] was going to be staying at our home,” he said, adding that he angled it toward the shower “because that’s where someone would be showering—would be nude.” He further admitted that most people would have an expectation of privacy while bathing.

my wife, didn’t know what to do. You know, my brain was scrambled. And I was just trying to tell Kelly, ‘Well, let’s not push her too much. Let’s not—don’t pry too hard.’ . . . I don’t know what I was thinking. I think, at best, I was hoping she may never come back and this would all go away.” At another point, Johnston states his wife first learned the truth when Jane and Julie’s lawyers sent a letter to their home; he says that’s when he admitted to her what he’d done.

What justice looks like might be di erent for everyone. For Smith, the former Audiotree employee who said she was sexually assaulted by a contractor, their ideal scenario would be entirely different owners taking over these companies. “These venues have so much history and amazing talent has come through and there’s so much community, and that’s what it should be,” they say. “I don’t want to lose that, but . . . it’s a safety concern for anyone going in those spaces.” Smith just doesn’t see a way forward with the same people at the helm.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I think, at best, I was hoping she may never come back and this would all go away.”

Johnston details how he had added additional cameras to the bathroom shortly before Jane found them, “Because the one camera I had was a very narrow view and just—if someone was cleaning, pick it up, clean around. You know, it would move around, so I was giving myself more opportunity to capture the shower, essentially,” he said.

Johnston says he realized Jane had found the cameras while he was out of town because he lost access to the videos on his phone, implying that the memory cards had been removed. At this point, Johnston says, his wife did not know about the cameras. Jane never came back to work and “Kelly didn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell her why she’s not coming back to work,” he said in the deposition.

Johnston’s answers provide a rare view into the thinking behind his actions. “I, at the time, knew why and didn’t know what to tell

work focuses on ending sexual violence in the music industry; she previously worked for the local group Our Music My Body, which seeks to raise awareness about sexual harassment in the music scene, and which has partnered with Schubas and Lincoln Hall in the past. I asked her how she thinks we can work to create a culture where there is more safety and accountability as it relates to gender-based harm.

“We need to break out of this idea that violence is individual, and really expand our view to understand that violence is never happening in a vacuum,” she says. “When we do that, we can start to understand better how we, as individuals, can then contribute to a better, more safe community. Because if we have that individual mindset, then it’s really easy for us to be like, ‘Well, I’m not one of those bad people so I’m good.’ And it’s like, ‘No, you need to actually be supporting the people who are harmed and pushing against the people who are causing harm.’”

The way the businesses operate now—rescued from financial insolvency by Johnston and his father as needed, and with little public outcry after the initial news broke— means there’s no incentive to make changes. In the years I worked on this story, I reached out to more than a dozen mostly local acts that had worked with Audiotree, and few would provide an on-therecord comment. Nor would the Chicago Independent Venue League, where Johnston once served as treasurer. And the way Johnston’s attorneys have thus far fought his accusers tooth and nail signals that he doesn’t seem particularly inclined to just make the situation go away. As one former employee put it, “He just always seemed like somebody who didn’t have to face a lot of consequences in his life.”

Up to now, Johnston has su ered virtually no fallout for his actions, which he has publicly admitted to. What message does that send to his accusers, or to others who might su er similar harms in the future? Would his experience make others feel that it’s worth it to come forward with their own accusations?

Maggie Arthur is the program director of Here for the Music at Calling All Crows, an organization that mobilizes music fans to support feminist, community-driven activism. Arthur’s

Ultimately, the outcome of the trial, and whatever impact it might have on the businesses still to some degree underJohnston’s purview, will have repercussions that extend far beyond Chicago’s music scene and the people Johnston harmed. People who experience sexual harm are already unlikely to seek justice through legal means. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti–sexual violence organization, fewer than one-third of sexual assaults in the U.S. are reported to police, and less than three percent of perpetrators are incarcerated. Of course, incarceration isn’t everyone’s idea of justice, but how public cases of sexually based harm are handled surely influence how survivors decide to move forward with their lives—whether they seek any justice, perhaps in the form of an accountability process, or even whether they feel comfortable sharing their story or asking for help. If nothing else, Johnston’s experience illuminates the limits of the #MeToo movement and the lack of teeth in “cancel culture,” particularly for those who can throw money at NDAs and settlements. And as Arthur points out, this issue isn’t specific to the music industry. “This particular situation that you’re covering involves the owner of a music venue, but it could have been the owner of any business,” Arthur says. “Because, inherently, harm happens within power and control. The owner has ultimate power, right? At the end of the day, this could have happened anywhere.” v

m kcardoza@chicagoreader.com

Opens May 19

Kindertransport – Rescuing Children on the Brink of War was created and organized by Yeshiva University Museum and the Leo Baeck Institute - New York | Berlin.

Children from a Kindertransport after their arrival in Waterloo Station in London, February 2, 1939 (ÖGZ S 52/11). with Geoffrey Baer

ARTS & CULTURE

RA love letter to punks of color

Bianca Xunise’s Punk Rock Karaoke screams, “South-side punks to the front!”

By MICCO CAPORALE

Bianca Xunise’s graphic novel debut Punk Rock Karaoke is a love letter to the south side and punks of color everywhere. In 248 rapid-paced pages, Xunise tells a comingof-age story centered on Ariel Grace Jones, an 18-year-old punk who spends the summer coming to terms with their ambition, changing friendships, and what it means to be part of a community.

The book is packed with visual and written footnotes about Blackness, rock ’n’ roll, and south-side punk that provide endless cultural rabbit holes for burgeoning rockers. Simultaneously, the text is grounded in Chicago’s unique alt subculture history, celebrating everything from nights at Nocturna to passing down the folklore of Resurrection Mary. It’s a meticulously rendered and richly rewarding YA novel sure to resonate with readers of all ages.

Jones lives in a neighborhood populated with quinceañera dress shops, Italian beef stands, and advertisements for buying gold and flipping houses. By day, they work at a hip co ee shop, and by night, they hit shows and practice with their band, Baby Hares. Their room is a shrine to cultural figures like Tina Turner, David Bowie, and the Slits, where they daydream and write rock songs. Music is their life—so much so that they’ve been accepted to Oberlin’s Conservatory of Music. It’s something they feel conflicted about: Many of their friends are working multiple jobs to help support their families or are

struggling to scrape together tuition for community college. When tensions mount within their social group, Jones finds support in a breakout scene icon who’s laying low in Chicago for the summer. What they hope could be a mentorship turns into a romance that proves more than Jones can handle—but they get by with a little help from their friends.

Continuing the comics storytelling traditions of people like James Spooner and the Hernandez brothers, Xunise builds a singular universe teeming with studded belts, faulty amps, black lipstick, and attitude from the perspective of a punk of color. Each page ex-

the book feel like both a movie and a syllabus.

The book is also inescapably Chicago. There are endless rat references, but there are also explicit and implicit mentions of local cultural touchstones. One character wears a Canal Irreal backpatch, a nod to the postpunk project featuring multiple staples of the south-

Xunise builds a singular universe teeming with studded belts, faulty amps, black lipstick, and attitude.

plodes with odes to Black cultural icons, from the wisdom of Maya Angelou (“When someone tells you who they are, believe them”) to the bold style of singer Betty Davis. But Punk Rock Karaoke is also a mixtape all its own, introducing each scene with a song to play—or imagine playing—while reading the passage. Cue up Fugazi’s “Waiting Room” when Jones first encounters their hometown hero. Switch on Siouxsie and the Banshees’s “Happy House” as Jones’s bestie Michele enjoys time alone in her bedroom. By attaching a song to each scene, Xunise makes

R Bianca Xunise in conversation with Jessica Hopper S at 4/27, 3:30 PM, Quimby’s, 1854 W. North, quimbys.com/blog/store-news/bianca-xunise-celebratespunk-rock-karaoke, free

side hardcore scene, most notably Martin Sorrendeguy of Los Crudos and Limp Wrist. After a night dancing at a large all-night goth party—what is unmistakably Nocturna at Metro—Jones and their friends head to Punks’n’Donuts, a nostalgic nod to the Dunkin’ Donuts nicknamed Punkin’ Donuts that helped sustain the scene for over a decade. At one point, Jones makes a joke about Resurrection Mary, the wandering spirit of a dancer who haunts Archer Avenue. (She’s arguably Chicago’s most famous ghost, but the tale is such a south-side punk legend, it even served as inspiration for one of the scares at the annual haunted house held at the late Rancho Huevos.)

While the story is aimed at audiences 14 and up, it’s a satisfyingly encyclopedic work drawn with a sophisticated sense of passion and chaos. Newer punks will find themselves rewarded by googling the names hidden on T-shirts, posters, and CDs, while scene veterans will recognize things like Soo Catwoman’s makeup and haircut and an

X-Ray Spex poster. The book presents punk as something with multiple access points that doesn’t start or end at a specified age; it can be an evolving, lifetime journey with innumerable joys, disappointments, and surprises.

Some may be put o by aspects of the narrative’s wish fulfillment—overworked parents who know the most thoughtful and sympathetic things to say, interpersonal frustrations like flakiness that can be neatly excused by understandable life stressors, endlessly emotionally patient friends. But part of believing another world is possible (a tenet to many punks) is having some idea of what it could be. Drawing on Xunise’s own life growing up a Chicago punk, they fuse experience and fantasy for an original, optimistic read that invites as much cultural curiosity as it does pride in who you are and where you came from. Southside punks to the front! v

m mcaporale@chicagoreader.com

COURTESY

THE ARTIST

ARTS & CULTURE

PERFORMANCE ART

‘Unstuck’

is a genre-shattering evening of live work

SITE/less hosts five artists who work outside of traditional disciplines.

By JT NEWMAN

“U

nstuck” is an evening of performance art and installation, a result of the dynamic collaboration between dancer-choreographer Michelle Kranicke (Zephyr Dances) and internationally touring performance artist and curator Joseph Ravens (DFBRL8R Gallery). This onenight-only tour de force occurs on Saturday, April 27, at West Town’s SITE/less venue.

Walking into SITE/less on a sunny spring afternoon, visitors are at once confronted by the unconventional charm of the crooked, vintage, industrial space (it’s laid out in a backward italicized L). There’s a cluster of enormous houseplants basking in the fading sun of glass block windows in a front room, a curious installation of bricks laid out like an early 20th-century floorplan of a miniature house, and a massive plywood installation painted in variously color blocks of bright, playful circus colors and chroma-key green. (Think of taking the work of Piet Mondrian and Norman Teague, adding a skate park vibe, mixing it in a cocktail shaker, and pouring it out geometrically to create a multilevel dance stage.)

This set—a semipermanent installation in the space—was designed by architect David

audience had a choice to be on one side or the other [or to] stand in the middle and look at both,” Ravens explained. The piece was about the di erence between contextualizing live art and dance. “This piece turned into an ongoing conversation and decade-long collaboration.”

The conversation evolved into an evening of genre-shattering live work. “[As we were curating the show], we realized that the body, movement, and space were central themes to each artist,” Ravens said. “It sounds funny, but the body is an aspect of the work of these artists. It’s where the title came from, and no one is mired within a particular pre-established discipline. They are all people who fall between things. And that’s where ‘Unstuck’ came from. This idea is that they’re not stuck in those definitions of dance, music, or theater.”

The evening will include Dead Letters by Carole McCurdy, a segment of her ongoing “Death Cleaning” project—a performance and video piece about disposing of one’s material possessions while still alive to spare others after one’s death. The work continues her investigation of ephemeral material, an integral element of her practice since 2010. In this

study, her continued research into ephemerality will inform a meditation on empire and passing—a fall from grace.

Also on the program are onto a skin, highly reflective (improvisation IV), a direct response to the SITE/less stage construction by Ále Campos in collaboration with Bun Stout, Jasmine Lupe Mendoza, Melina Gaze, and Liquid City Motors; Free Drumming , a work using technology, new media, and free drumming by sound artist Sal Moreno; and Deep Moon, Pluto , a performance piece by Polish artist Kuba Falk about the body entangled with technology, vulnerable male sexuality, voyeurism, openness, and transformation through exposure and subordination. [Note: This work contains nudity.] It will be an engaging performance and live art evening in an unusual architectural setting.

On my way out, I asked how the plants would fit into the evening. “Oh, those are just from our deck at home. We keep them here over the winter so they can get some sun,” said Kranicke, laughing. v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Sundry, Kranicke’s partner, who shares the space with her. “David took those measurements [of this space] and put them on CAD so he could figure out where to put the pieces that would make a more flat stage. And then he did the curvilinear [ones],” Kranicke explained, pointing towards the “walls” of the stage, which curve up into a 90-degree angle. When needed, the pair rearranges the set pieces and builds new ones to fit the specs.

Kranicke continued, “As an architect, he’s always like, ‘Oh, you dancers, you always say this thing: site-specific.’ And he’s like, ‘There is no site-specific. In architecture, you must deal with the conditions present in a space.’ So, part of SITE/less asks artists to deal with the given conditions. What comes in [here] doesn’t usually go out. Those bricks were brought in when we opened in 2018 for a di erent installation. There are 1,500 bricks, and we keep them here in di erent configurations.”

Ravens and Kranicke have been collaborating for 12 years, at least twice a year. This began with a work called Allowances and Occurrences, where Zephyr dancers were paired with a wall between them, and the artists performed a three-hour durational work in the gallery. “The

Michelle Kranicke performing at SITE/less VIN REED

THE THANKSGIVING

THEATER

DRAMATIC DIALOGUE

The Thanksgiving Play sends up white liberal guilt

Larissa FastHorse brings humor—and a little bit of medicine—to Steppenwolf.

By CHARLI RENKEN

Growing up mixed Indigenous (Cherokee on my dad’s side), I always had an understanding of U.S. history that my peers didn’t. While my family celebrated Thanksgiving every year, my dad made a point of teaching me about what the pilgrims actually did to people like me hundreds of years ago. However, I didn’t really understand how little my peers knew. On some level, I knew that our history wasn’t taught in schools, but I remember the sheer faith my friends had in the U.S. government taking me by surprise. I didn’t know that they didn’t know what our Founding Fathers were responsible for.

The misunderstanding of history is something Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) explores in her popular show The Thanksgiving Play , a satirical comedy about a group of white people trying to put on a politically correct play about the first Thanksgiving for Native American Heritage Month at a school. The only problem? They don’t actually know any Native Americans and their attempts to bring in the “Native perspective” are as convoluted as they are hilarious.

The Thanksgiving Play was one of the ten most-produced shows in the U.S. in the past two seasons and made its Broadway debut last year with a star-studded cast that included Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, D’Arcy Carden, and Chris Sullivan. That production made FastHorse the first woman Native American playwright produced on Broadway. (The show also played off-Broadway in 2018 at Playwrights Horizons, and there was an online version that streamed during the pandemic shutdown.)

Next month, the play comes to Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Ensemble Theater, where it will be performed in the round (directed by Jess McLeod). I sat down with FastHorse to discuss her work, her experience writing it, and how Native representation in the entertainment industry is (and isn’t) changing.

4/25 -6/2 : Tue-Fri 7: 30 PM, Sat 3 and 7: 30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Wed 5/82 PM only, no performances Tue 4/30, Sat 5/ 11, or Tue 5/28 ; open captions Thu 5/ 16 7: 30 PM and Sat 6/13 PM, ASL interpretation Fri 5/24 7: 30 PM, audio description and touch tour Sun 5/26 3 PM (touch tour 1: 30 PM); Ensemble Theatre at Steppenwolf, 1646 N. Halsted, 312-335 -1650, steppenwolf.org, $20 -$ 86

than good. They were trying to overcompensate. I ended up using that and shedding light on that in this play in a humorous way.

What about humor teaches those lessons better than other mediums?

Humor unites us. Humor actually adds time to your life. It does many good things. This play is a comedy in a satire. So you get to have all the comedy, all the fun, but there is going to be

Charli Renken: You say 80 percent of the play comes from your own experiences. What were some of those experiences?

Larissa FastHorse: My experience is pretty particular, working in American theater which is a fairly politically unified group of people. They tend to consider themselves especially “woke,” if you will, even though that’s a horribly appropriated word. They consider themselves that way and are pretty proud of that, and yet it was shocking how little thought was being paid to the Native American people in the room. Things would be said to account for everybody except us and then when someone did realize I was Native American and being left out, the pretzels they would twist themselves into to try to be accommodating were so intense and overdone and so inward-looking at themselves and their guilt that all of a sudden, they were actually causing more harm

a little bit of medicine that’s going to go down with the laughs.

I personally don’t enjoy a play that hits me over the head the whole time, even if I’m 100 percent behind the message. I feel guilty for showing up, I feel horrible for showing up, and I feel really traumatized for showing up. I don’t enjoy that experience so I didn’t want to create that for others. Some people actually do enjoy that and really need to see things in that way, but that’s not me. That’s not the experience you’re going to get with my plays. While there’s certainly some shocking things in my work, it’s not sad.

Does it ever bother you that it took a play about white people to make your work popular and get your foot in the door?

Yeah, for sure. I used to say, “This is my most depressing success.” But I will say now that

I’m a few years into The Thanksgiving Play doing so incredibly well, now I think, “You know what? The good news is I love this play. I love what it says. It says everything I wanted to say.” I’m really proud of it and it’s changed my whole life. In the past year I’ve done seven plays, and in five of them, the majority had Native American leads; before The Thanksgiving Play, I couldn’t have done that. So I’m incredibly grateful for that. Do I wish people performed my earlier plays and produced them all over? Absolutely, but it’s happening now. I’ve gotten to employ all these Native people. I have four actors touring in Peter Pan for the next several years and going forward, Peter Pan will have to have Native actors in it.

I love what you’re doing with Peter Pan , that instead of the old racist stereotype you have a group of Native people in Neverland trying to keep their culture alive. I teared up reading about that. That’s so moving.

Yeah, I mean it uses the magic of Neverland, right? Neverland is a place where no one ever grows old, so let’s use it in a positive way. It’s been a negative thing for so long so it’s like, “Oh, great, Neverland is helping us now.” They say a couple of times in the show, “We’re preserving our cultures here and we hope to bring them back.” How cool would that be?

The character Alicia in The Thanksgiving Play pretends to be Native for the sake of getting a role. That’s obviously nothing new in the entertainment industry. Do you think that’s evolving?

I think we have more awareness about it. I think the problem though is we don’t have laws and union regulations that are keeping up. I’ve had this weird reverse problem because it says clearly in the script for The Thanksgiving Play that people of color who pass for white should be considered for all roles because people are doing redface all the time, right? Non-Indigenous people are playing Indigenous people, so then it must be perfectly legit for folks like myself who can pass for white to be allowed to play white people.

I’m really proud that a lot of BIPOC actors have gotten their Equity insurance off of it for being in the show, but at the same time I’ve run into a lot of problems with unions saying “We can’t do that anymore! We can’t let people pass for someone else,” and it’s

Larissa FastHorse COURTESY JOHN D. & CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

like, wait, people are still playing redface but I can’t have Native people intentionally play whiteface? That doesn’t make any sense. If we’re going to stop it everywhere, great, but then they’re like, “Well, we can’t legally ask them what they are and how do we determine who’s Native?” Legally that’s a problem, but you can’t have it both ways, right? As long as white people are still playing redface, I’m happy to encourage Native actors to get their union insurance, because it’s really good insurance. I’m thrilled that people are trying to be more equitable, but it’s not quite there yet.

In the last couple of years, there’s been more stories about Native people told by Native people like Reservation Dogs, Echo, Killers of the Flower Moon, etc. Why do you think the entertainment industry is finally listening to us?

I hate to say it, but part of it is economics. My shows sell out. My shows do really well and people in the industry are constantly ba ed by this. “Your play made more money than this white guy’s play. How is that possible?” It’s because people honestly want to know about us. People want to understand and there’s nowhere else to get that information. That’s part of the point of this play. Our education system is failing. It’s not teaching students about us. It’s not teaching about the land they’re on. It’s not teaching people about their own ancestral history. If you’re part of America, your ancestral histories are about Indigenous people. It’s very hard within the provided governmental system to get that information and that’s intentional. People want to hear these stories. I’ve been seeing it in theater for ten years already or more and I think it’s finally translated over to film and television.

Despite all that, Native representation is under one percent of stories out there. We’re proud of the Native actors who are getting those roles, but they’re still under one percent and there’s not 100 other lead roles coming out to give us another chance. I saw a graphic recently about representation in Hollywood and they didn’t even give us a category. It had white, Black, Latino, etcetera, and they skipped us. It’s like we don’t exist.

How has The Thanksgiving Play evolved over the years from when it first came out to being at Steppenwolf?

I’m very much a collaborative artist, so it

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continues to evolve with each group of people and with each place it’s performed. We had a break because of COVID and things had changed; new issues had come up in the world and we felt like we needed to update. Political issues that have happened affected some of the interstitial scenes in the show and the things that Logan and Jaxton are wrestling with in the show.

When it comes to Steppenwolf, we’re doing it in the round, which I haven’t seen done before. It’s interesting how things change in production. We’ll be doing a scene, and I’ll fi nd myself wondering, “Huh, why is this longer? I feel like it should have ended three sentences ago,” and then I’ll remember, “Oh, that’s because in this theater, they have to get o stage and run around and get back and I had to kill some time.” In a space like this, everybody can see everybody all of the time, it’s just right there, so it requires some adjustments. That’s why I’m here in town to support the team and help them make the play work perfectly in this space. This is a very specific production for Chicago audiences at Steppenwolf Theatre Company doing what they do best.

You were adopted by white parents, but you kept connection with your Lakota roots. How did growing up in those two worlds a ect your writing?

A ton. I always say, I’m a bridge. I’m a translator. I know how to work and switch into both worlds very quickly. I’m able to write to whatever audience I’m trying to reach because I want my theater to be more than just entertaining. I want it to be changing. I want to change your thoughts and the way you think about things. I want to make you ask a lot of questions and think about why you don’t know the answers to them.

Unfortunately, the majority of theatergoers are not Indigenous. They’re primarily white and people of color who are not Native so I’m always thinking about how I can translate things for those folks so they can hear me and what I’m trying to say. I do that because what we as Native people need are allies and accomplices. The genocide was very e ective, so we need people on our side helping us and supporting us because there aren’t many of us. I feel like my background gives me the ability to speak to those people with compassion and care for their lack of understanding and their desire to do better. v

m crenken@chicagoreader.com

MAY

On the heels of Gem of the Ocean (2022), expert August Wilson interpreter Chuck Smith revives the second work in the famed American Century Cycle—one of Wilson’s best-loved, most compelling plays. Herald Loomis searches the country with his young daughter to find his estranged wife. But first, he must regain a sense of his own heritage and identity in this story of spiritual and emotional resurrection.

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OPENING

RChildren will listen

Beyond the Garden Gate is a dark twist on children’s fables.

It’s tempting to start a review of Beyond the Garden Gate with a comment like, “The fairy tales I grew up with were never like this.” But let’s face it: The fairy tales we grew up with at least started out as something like this. Impostors Theatre Company’s expert, if occasionally disturbing, new production (written by Mallory Swisher) brilliantly ties many of the long-repressed elements in childhood lore into a meditation on death, aging, and family ties.

When Kat (Maria Clara Ospina) stops at her grandmother’s (Hilary Sanzel) house—where ne’er-do-well sister Maeve (Eliana Deckner-Glick) is hiding out from the rest of the family—the two siblings discover all the eerie truths behind the yarns that their grandmother has long spun. Kat and Maeve journey past the titular garden gate into the hellish realm of the villainous Morrigan (a wonderfully creepy Jaclyn Jensen). During their journey, it’s Kat who especially learns that the spells, promises, and pledges that bring children’s stories to their happy endings rarely are honored in real life.

Director Stefan Roseen brilliantly incorporates numerous storytelling elements into the show; the puppets and silhouettes made this almost a dark mirror of the Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins production I saw last year. Performances are good across the board, particularly Jasmine Robertson’s excellent turn as the Watcher, as well as the entire company of goblins slinking and slithering alongside the Morrigan. Just be forewarned that there are several moments of visceral and graphic violence—not to mention full-throated screams of horror, pain, and despair—that might be especially intense in a small performance venue. —MATT

SIMONETTE BEYOND THE GAR-

DEN GATE Through 4/27: ThuSat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, theimpostorstheatre.com, $20-$25

Spy slog

Destroy All Evidence! squanders its comic potential.

But it is what Batdorff does with the plot—or, rather, doesn’t do with it—that kills the show. No action. No romance. No dramatic tension or surprising developments. Just seven characters in search of a reason to be on stage. Which is frustrating because the ensemble from time to time shows flashes of comic talent. Mikey Fried earns a few honest laughs as a laconic, ambition-free janitor. And Sophia Brazda works very hard to bring a second dimension to her paper-thin stock character, an alluring Natasha Fatale–like Russian spy. But most of the time, the cast looks like a bunch of lost improvisers trapped in one of those nightmare scenes that never comes together and never ends. —JACK

HELBIG DESTROY ALL EVIDENCE! Through 5/10: Fri 8 PM, Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont, twochairstheatre.com, annoyance.com, $20

Hat trick

The Hatmaker’s Wife blends magical realism with domestic dramedy.

Forgetting a hookup’s name? Bad. Forgetting your spouse’s name? So bad it requires Old Testament intervention.

Hetchman (Scott Danielson) is on a mission to find his lost partner (Daria Harper) and favorite accessory in Lauren Yee’s 100-minute, one-act, modern fable dramedy. A er a young woman (Taylor B. Hill) moves to a new home in the suburbs with her boyfriend (Sarah Wisterman), she begins to hear and imagine the domes-

sentient walls—but they’re kept at a perfunctory and mostly prerecorded minimum. Absent those heightened production elements, the character and relationship work (which is quite good, especially from Harper, who appears frustrated though resolutely full-hearted) feels at odds with its cutesy framing devices. It also puts Hill in the unenviable spot of maintaining comedic and emotional timing against a prerecorded voiceover, leaving pivotal moments feeling inert. —DAN JAKES THE HATMAKER’S WIFE Through 5/4: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, theatreevolve. com, suggested donation $20

R Mazurkas of memory

Hershey Felder’s Monsieur Chopin is an intimate evening with the Polish composer.

Hershey Felder first played Frédéric Chopin at the nowclosed Royal George Theatre in 2005—one of several solo shows about great composers that Felder has created over the years (he’s also played George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, and Beethoven, among others). Now Writers Theatre has brought Felder’s Monsieur Chopin (directed by Joel Zwick) back in a stylish and mostly absorbing production. If it doesn’t break a lot of new narrative ground, this solo bio-musical does provide a master lesson on Chopin’s life and music. The conceit is that the audience are students, and Felder’s Chopin is here to show us how his work drew upon his Polish heritage (including his famous polonaises), and to tell us “Music is what reminds us that we are human.”

Written and directed by Grant Batdorff, this satire of spy thrillers for Two Chairs Theatre at the Annoyance begins with a bang: a wry, spot-on parody of those bombastic title sequences popular in the 60s in shows like Mission: Impossible and mocked in the 90s in the Austin Powers movies. Sadly, nothing in the subsequent show approaches the wit and verve of the titles. By comparison, Batdorff ’s script is flat, dry, and tedious. The plot—something about a secret team of spymasters at the Pentagon tasked with trying to find and destroy documents—is pretty flimsy, and not particularly well suited to the stage. (Really, how many scenes can an audience stand of someone sitting at a table poring over documents?)

tic squabbles of its former tenants via a chatty, quippy, disembodied mysterious voice, and learns about herself and the tale-as-old-as-time challenges of communicating needs with a partner. What she discovers tests the unconditional support of her increasingly concerned lover.

It’s a story of magical realism that, in Spencer Ryan Diedrick’s Theatre EVOLVE production at Raven Theatre, goes so on the magic. As Hetchman sets out to find his hat (or as it’s pronounced here, hhhchyaat), Yee’s story presents a lot of opportunities for theatrical spark, or at least whim—a golem assembled from discarded snack bags, the divine music of inner peace,

From the death of his beloved little sister to his stormy affair with French writer George Sand, we get glimpses of the anguish behind the technically demanding compositions. (These are rendered by Felder with silky ease—his Chopin makes a point of mocking the bombastic style of Franz Liszt.) It’s not all personal pain, either: his comments about Russia’s attacks on his beloved homeland (“How many more Russian crimes are you going to allow against my people?”) probably hit differently now than they did in 2005. Felder also exhibits some impressive improvisational chops in unscripted Q and A interludes with the audience, which could be cloying but are rendered with vinegary charm by the performer. Overall, Monsieur Chopin knows how to teach and tantalize us at the same time, while building a fresh appreciation for its subject and his oeuvre. —KERRY REID MONSIEUR CHOPIN Through 5/12: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 2 and 6 PM; also Wed 4/17 and 5/1 3 PM; Sun 4/21 and 5/5 2 PM only; Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe, 847-242-6000, writerstheatre.org, $35-$90

RDemented bordello

Trap Door’s revival of Nana goes for the gut.

My first visit to Trap Door Theatre did not disappoint, from the hidden alley entrance to the immediate sense

of time travel and disorientation upon entry. For the last show of its 30th anniversary season, the company is bringing back Nana by Olwen Wymark, first staged in 2002. Resident choreographer Miguel Long codirects with managing director Nicole Wiesner. For Wiesner, it’s a full circle moment a er originating the title role. A dramatization of a 19th-century novel by Émile Zola, this play comes to life with avant-garde, outlandish flair, thanks to a fully committed cast performing to every inch of the tight space.

The plot’s minutiae aren’t always clear in this performance for the gut, rather than the brain. Nobody embodies this better than Maryam Abdi as Nana herself, who makes a sparkling entrance a er we hear the buzzing social gossip surrounding her larger-than-life persona. The doomed courtesan is basically a mesmerizing walking id, devouring suitors and destroying lives across Paris society in the tornado of her impulses.

What makes the performance most memorable is Abdi showing what’s under the hood of the defiant iconoclast, from suffering heartbreaking abuse to being overwhelmed as a mother. This production uses physicality to create freewheeling highs and shocking lows, a testament to the violence and intimacy design of Bill Gordon. Memorable song and dance numbers also punctuate the chaos, with a lively can-can and more sinister dominance/submission duets adding layers of color to this demented bordello. —MARISSA OBERLANDER NANA Through 5/18: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland, 773-384-0494, trapdoortheatre.com, $30 (two for one Thu)

RLight-years ahead

Babes With Blades deliver thrills in The S Paradox

What is better than a time travel play? Not much. A rare species in itself, it can only be improved upon by something equally awesome—like centering women in the plot, impeccable stage combat, and a rock-solid plot that accounts for the bootstrap paradox. This is exactly what the Babes With Blades world premiere of The S Paradox pulled off on opening night at Factory Theater. Written by Jillian Leff (Joining Sword & Pen International Playwright Competition winner and Margaret W. Martin Award winner), and directed by Morgan Manasa, The S Paradox delivers thrill a er thrill, tightly choreographed combat, multiple dimensions, and snappy, character-driven dialogue that keeps you invested in the story.

With 12 ensemble cast members, the small stage somehow never seems crowded—or empty—as characters zip in and out between scenes, creating and erasing alternative realities as they go. As Kayla Marie Klammer plays Sloane, the would-be cop in a utopian world, and Maureen Yasko plays her older, more wizened self, “S,” the situation quickly becomes a conundrum. Fortunately, their genius geek friend (with a huge crush on them) named Dez (her younger self played by Elisabeth Del Toro and older self by Sonja Lynn Mata) comes to the rescue, creating time travel in her angsty, people-pleasing way. Both versions of Dez brought comic relief and an easy-to-relate-to geek foil to Sloane’s earnest badass timecop persona.

Most impressively, true to its title, the play skitters on the edge of the theory of relativity, de ly explaining away paradoxes in the plot and timeline with humor and much more sound reasoning than most time travel fiction.

—KIMZYN CAMPBELL THE S PARADOX Through 5/18: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; open captions 5/45/5 and 5/9-5/10, sensory-friendly performances

Beyond the Garden Gate COURTESY KYLE SMART / IMPOSTORS THEATRE COMPANY

4/21 and 4/28, online streaming available 5/11-5/12 and 5/16-5/17; Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard, babeswithblades.org, $28-$35

R Suburban circus extravaganza

Triton Troupers celebrate 51 years of allages acts.

One of Chicagoland’s best-kept circus secrets is the Triton Troupers Circus, a motley cast of 80-plus circus performers who put on a traditional show every spring in Triton College’s gymnasium to packed bleachers full of families and fans. For just $10 a ticket and $1 for concessions, you get two hours of jaw-dropping circus fun for less than it costs to get a take-out lunch. It is one

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show featuring 18 acts, they signed off as they always do, with the nostalgic wish, “May all of your days be circus days.” —KIMZYN CAMPBELL TRITON TROUPERS

CIRCUS Information for next year’s show at tritontrouperscircus.com

R Amphibian friendship

A Year With Frog and Toad is even more delightful up close.

Chicago Children’s Theatre’s (CCT) first production, back in 2006, was the Tony Award-nominated A Year With Frog and Toad, created by brothers Robert (music) and Willie Reale (book and lyrics) from the much-loved books by Arnold Lobel about the amphibious friends and staged at the Goodman’s Owen Theatre. It’s back now in CCT’s home space in a delightfully homespun almost-in-theround staging by Michelle Lopez-Rios that puts this story of the changing of the seasons and the steadfastness of friendship practically in our laps.

of only a handful of circus “training to show” programs hosted by colleges around the U.S.

What makes this show even more exciting is that it is performed by a cast of all ages, from regular people all around the Chicago region who simply love circus and the community around this cherished tradition. That means that while attending a show you might catch your yoga pal on a cloud swing 30 feet up in the air, or a few of your kids’ classmates performing a dizzying unicycle act. Heavy on the clowning and a flashy light show, the appeal is charmingly old-school. With the new leadership of director Hannah Jeselski and dozens of committed volunteers like her, the cast is expanding each year, with the more experienced fostering the skills of newcomers twice a week each December through March until show week. Beyond the undeniable thrill of learning circus disciplines like trapeze, partner acrobatics, and juggling, it’s an opportunity for those curious about how circus shows are put together to get involved in learning rigging skills, to improve their backstage etiquette, and to put creative energy into costume and prop design.

This past weekend was the 51st Annual Triton Troupers Circus, with a matching theme: Area 51. Full of alien acts (like Space Jam unicycle basketball), a Robo disco (on stilts), and the Moon Bounce (featuring super mini trampoline acrobatics), stargazing clowns and kids were spellbound. Longtime ringmasters Elliot Wimbush and Lynn Zumstein mostly stuck to their traditional regalia of red topcoats, but Wimbush did kick off the whole event in a silver bomber jacket, expertly crooning “Welcome to Area 51.” At the end of their two-hour

Frog (Eduardo Curley-Carrillo) is upbeat and adventurous, while Toad (Nick Druzbanski) is more choleric and cautious. (The amphibian version of Ernie and Bert, if you will.) In 70 wellpaced minutes, we see them take a spin around the calendar, celebrating simple pleasures like swimming (as “Getta Loada Toad” tells us, “Toad looks funny in his bathing suit”), baking cookies, raking leaves, and surviving a harrowing sledding excursion. Rachel Healy’s eye-catching costumes and Lonnae Hickman’s props are especially good at reminding young audiences that any common household object can be transformed by their imaginations.

The youngsters at the show I attended seemed rapt, but the lovely message of how friends stay with us through all the seasons of our lives may resonate even more with adults. Upon hearing that Toad never gets letters, Frog literally uses “snail mail” to send his pal a missive. (Diego Vazquez Gomez plays the slow-moving but determined gastropod with adorable can-do spirit, even as one young audience member yelled at him, “You’re going the wrong way!”) It’s a lovely reminder to do the little things for the people around us, no matter the weather or time of our lives.

—KERRY REID A YEAR

WITH FROG AND TOAD Through 5/26: Sat-Sun 9:30 and 11:30 AM; sensory-friendly performances Sat-Sun 4/27-4/28 9:30 AM, ASL interpretation and open captions Sat 4/27 11:30 AM, audio description and touch tour Sun 4/28 11:30 AM (confirm two weeks prior to show); Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine, 312-374-8835, chicagochildrenstheatre.org, $45.25-$55.25. (Lap seat tickets for children 18 months and under $12.25 per show and should be reserved in advance via phone or purchased at the box office day of show.) v

FILMFILMFILM R

GUERRILLA TELEVISION: THE REVOLUTIONS OF EARLY INDEPENDENT VIDEO

Fri 4/ 19–Sun 4/21

5811 South Ellis, Cobb Hall, University of Chicago Free, reserve tickets in advance mediaburn.org

Media Burn hosts a historic symposium

The local nonprofit—an essential archiver of documentary and experimental film—presents Guerrilla Television: The Revolutions of Early Independent Video.

By JENNIFER SMART

In an age in which distinctions between broadcast and streaming or video and digital are increasingly meaningless, it can be easy to forget just how revolutionary the technology of video was when it was introduced.

Prior to the availability of cameras like the Sony Portapak in the late 1960s, capturing moving images was the province of wellfunded filmmakers and studios. Video’s affordability and portability ushered in a wave of artistic experimentation, and early video art pioneers like Vito Acconci and Joan Jonas (who is currently the subject of a massive retrospective at MoMA) are now lionized figures in the history of art.

But art history tells only one piece of the story. Another lies in places like the Media Burn Archive.

Founded in Chicago in 2003 by Tom Weinberg and Sara Chapman (who now serves as the executive director), along with a team of volunteers and supporters, Media Burn

collects and preserves experimental and documentary works on video.

The archive’s origins lie in Weinberg’s own collection, acquired in large part through his role producing Image Union for WTTW. Image Union premiered as a documentary series in 1978 and acted as a showcase for independent video makers from Chicago and beyond. Many of the episodes are available to stream on Media Burn’s website and serve as a treasure trove of abstract video, short documentaries (including early work by Chicago-based Kartemquin Films), stop-motion animation, and student films (by the likes of Joe Mantegna).

As the collection has grown to house over 10,000 videos, Media Burn has remained committed to working on video on the margins of more mainstream art worlds. They recently added a collection of videos from Club LaRay, a Black queer nightclub that was a center of house music in Lakeview in the 1980s. Another new addition is videos from the Electronic Vi-

sualization Laboratory, an organization at the University of Illinois Chicago that was at the forefront of experimental computer-generated imagery in the 1970s.

trippy images.”

Media Burn has also remained committed to Weinberg’s desire that the collection be accessible online, with much of the collection available to stream directly from their website.

Their commitment to both undercelebrated work and accessibility reflects the values of the collection’s origins in the guerrilla television movement.

“Guerrilla television” is a term coined by Michael Shamberg, an early video activist and artist, who used it to describe the potential of video to democratize media production.

Media Burn’s collection holds a lot of footage documenting protests and urban realities, such as landlord neglect. But, ascribing to the philosophy of the artists originally associated with the guerrilla television movement, Media Burn defines political engagement more broadly.

“The mere act of producing a video yourself was and is kind of radical,” Chapman emphasizes, “whether it’s about labor organizing or whether it’s just about making weird,

“The goals of the guerrilla television movement, inasmuch as they were ever coherent, were political in the sense that it was about creating a people’s television,” adds Adam Charles Hart, the curator of the Guerrilla TV Project at Media Burn. “The community-based participatory model of the media gave power to people that previously didn’t have power.”

This month, Media Burn is returning to their roots and hosting Guerrilla Television: The Revolutions of Early Independent Video, which will take place April 19–21 at the University of Chicago. The event will bring together dozens of participants from around the country to discuss the history and legacy of a still underappreciated era of image production.

Although a massive undertaking in its own right, the symposium actually represents the culmination of a three-year project in which Media Burn—in partnership with the University of Chicago and an impressive consortium of archivists and scholars—has been working to preserve and digitize over 1,000 videos to create an online archive specifically dedicated to

video from the guerrilla television era of the 1970s.

(Clockwise from top le ) A still from Pat Lehman’s 1977 documentary First Impressions; fi lmmaker Megan Williams; a still from a tape called Mary Ann , by Denise Zaccardi

MEDIA BURN

The symposium itself will be a historic event, bringing together a remarkable range of artists, most of whom are not household names but who were important participants in the video revolution. Two of the founding members of the L.O.V.E. (Lesbians Organized for Video Experience) Tapes Collective, which was founded in 1972 and recorded LGBTQ+ events in New York City in the era, will be in attendance. So will Susan Milano, a filmmaker who worked at the Kitchen, a multidisciplinary arts space in New York City, and founded the New York Women’s Video Festival, which ran from 1972 to 1974.

The event presents an opportunity to start writing the history of an underdocumented era, but it’s also a chance to reflect on the present and future of community-oriented filmmaking. The final day of the symposium will feature a panel of artists, including Chicago-based creatives like Raphael Nash, the owner and creative director of Endangered Peace Productions; Caullen Hudson, founder and executive producer of SoapBox Productions and Organizing; and Steven Walsh, a film director and founder of Omni Media, making

a strong case for Chicago as a center of grassroots media activism in the 21st century.

Although some of the videos that will be housed in the new archive were aired on local PBS or public access channels when they were initially produced, many of them will be seen by a wider audience for the first time when the Guerrilla Television Archive launches, hopefully around the time of the symposium. The archive will augment the already impressive number of archives dedicated to the preservation of experimental and amateur video in Chicago, including the Video Data Bank housed at the School of the Art Institute, and the South Side Home Movie Project, which preserves films and home videos made on Chicago’s south side.

“Our view is that there’s this really exciting ten-year period of media that has been seen by almost no one,” Chapman says. “It’s a really large collection of tapes to unearth and make available at one time. People are finally going to get the chance to really study this period and understand it.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

NOW PLAYING

RThe Beast

If given the choice to kill his darlings—beloved ideas that may otherwise seem out of place—or embolden them, French enfant terrible Bertrand Bonello (House of Tolerance, Saint Laurent, Nocturama) will undoubtedly choose the latter. He’ll reinforce whatever he’s trying to get across—or maybe not; he seems little concerned with our understanding of it, with layer upon layer of allusions. The results o en challenge what it means truly to comprehend a work of art while allowing viewers to relish in, even if confusedly, what may be intelligible only to the author, a prospect likewise alluring and alienating.

This effect reaches its apotheosis in Bonello’s loose adaptation of Henry James’s 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle. Léa Seydoux (wonderful as always) and George MacKay (in a particularly auspicious performance) star as Gabrielle and Louis, would-be lovers who meet across three periods in time: 1910, 2014, and 2044. Following James’s novella, the titular beast that these three iterations of Gabrielle and Louis fear is fear itself—specifically a fear of love and all its terrible and sublime unknowns.

In the 1910 portion, Bonello employs a period-appropriate rendering (the Great Flood of Paris compounds the already prescient sense of fear); the 2014 section invokes American incel culture, with Louis as an Elliot Rodger-like figure whose trepidation results in violent resentment; and the third part takes place in a future where artificial intelligence has rendered human labor mostly obsolete and technology has been developed that allows for memories of past lives to be erased from a person’s DNA.

Bonello’s unique deviations from James’s novella are distinctly his own, with flourishes such as the recurrence of a portentous pigeon and dolls seemingly birthed in the uncanny valley. It’s a textually dense, formally ambitious, and supremely engaging, genre-melding treatise on fear and love. The film perhaps confronts us, too, with our very fear of engaging with such formidable work, out of which a profound appreciation may arise. —KAT SACHS 146 min. Music Box Theatre

R Civil War

With Civil War, writer-director Alex Garland brilliantly imagines an escalation of existing contradictions. Humans flit between displays of tender compassion—Wagner Moura’s Joel comforting young journalist Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) comes to mind—and startling lapses of humanity. Empathetic bystanders regard body-littered streets with weary acceptance. Garland acknowledges both our capacity for good and our suggestibility to evil. It’s a searingly focused “what if” that eschews partisan soapboxes as it takes a hard-eyed look at everything war warps and takes.

The near-future Civil War sees militants from Texas and California, together called the Western Forces,

pushing their way across thousands of miles of infighting to reach the White House. Thankfully, Garland’s script doesn’t get tangled up in the hows and whys.

By centering the story around journalists instead of the machinations of a well-cast president (Nick Offerman in tip-top form), Garland distances himself from the allure of political statements. He smartly steers clear of prognosis, instead getting visceral about what this chaos could look like and how it might dominate the everyday. Sweeping shots of burning landmarks and exploding cities help us grasp scope, but what hurts the most is also what Garland is most intent on showing us: the minutiae of a nation on fire. A road trip soundtracked with distant gunfire and implied atrocities. Stricken reporters scrubbing their colleagues’ blood from the back seat of their press vehicle. Sandwiches that cost $300 at a well-guarded gas station serve as a potent slice of world-building, a microcosm of just how broken everything is. This all amounts to a devastating portrait of subsistence, trauma, and abandonment of humanity. Garland isn’t here to warn us. He’s here to show us.

Christofascist obsession with controlling women’s bodies and pregnancies has an especially ugly resonance in post-Roe America.

Nell Tiger Free, playing aspiring American nun Margaret visiting Italy to take the veil, turns in a desperate, despairing performance, in which compassion

Get showtimes and see reviews of everything playing this week at chicagoreader.com/movies

behind the team in a van. She helps remind Townsend that this isn’t a team of professional cyclists, but young teens who just learned how to ride bikes.

Director and cowriter R.J. Daniel Hanna brings viewers along for the ride by using a wobbly, handheld camera. During production, the real-life Townsend, as well as retired pro cyclists Christian Vande Velde and George Hincapie, were present as consultants, giving the film grit and veracity. In the same way that Breaking Away revolutionized road cycling teams and inspiration for working-class folks in 1979, Hard Miles pulls on those same heartstrings. It also shares common ground with other troubled teen movies like Lean on Me from 1989.

A brilliant Kirsten Dunst haunts the picture with quiet resignation. As seasoned war journalist Lee, she doesn’t need to speak to tell us she’s seen this before; we see the wear etched into her face, the smoldering remnants of purpose in her once-bright eyes.

But Civil War is most frightening when it reminds us just how small of a leap these horrors are. Garland’s vision is a terrifying extrapolation, and while it may be too early to laud or fear its prescience, its power and relevance are all too clear. —HAYDEN MEARS R, 109 min. Wide release in theaters

RThe First Omen

The 1976 classic The Omen is a terrified reactionary fever dream in which the rebellious, untrustworthy youth bring about the apocalypse through an assault on the hierarchical verities of church and state.

Director Arkasha Stevenson’s prequel/sequel The First Omen neatly and wittily inverts the moral valence. In her film, it is the church itself, fearful of change and jealous of power, which embraces the Antichrist, defiling its own rituals and promises by embracing its own worst impulses and legacies.

Stevenson doesn’t have the budget or the wherewithal to reproduce the original film’s high-class production values, nor to reproduce its famous, elegantly vicious death scenes. But she makes up for it by anchoring the plot in queasy, viscerally disturbing evocations of the Catholic church’s history of sexual violence and abuse of children; the nods to the church’s current

for disturbed teen Carlita (Nicole Sorace) gives way to dawning terror and rage. You’ll almost surely see the twist coming, and both the Rosemary’s Baby nods and the sequel set-up seem a little pat. But this is a heartfelt, angry film whose exploitation genre beats can’t conceal a core of real hurt, betrayal, accusation, and maybe even—in the suggestion of sisterhood and resistance—hope. —NOAH BERLATSKY R, 119 min. Wide release in theaters

RHard Miles

If you’re looking for a film that makes you feel fuzzy inside, this is it. Hard Miles features Oppenheimer actor Matthew Modine, who plays Greg Townsend, an inspirational coach working at a correctional school in Colorado. Based on a true story, the film follows Townsend and his revolutionary idea to bike 1,000 miles from Denver to the Grand Canyon with a group of troubled teens.

The real-life inspiration is Rite of Passage, a cycling team from Ridgeview Academy who are confronted with life-threatening scenarios like heat strokes, as well as not-so-threatening scenarios like bumped testicles, riding difficulty, and the inevitable chafing.

As you can imagine, Townsend and his five-person crew face physical, mental, and emotional obstacles. Viewers can expect to see arguments, pushback, and frustrations, as well as renewal, upheaval, and unbelievable crossroads.

Haddie (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams), a social worker who is Townsend’s voice of reason in the film, follows

RFor some, watching begrudging teens ride bikes might not sound exciting, but this film delivers a lot more than tires on asphalt. It gives truth to the phrase, “If you’re going through hell, keep on going,” because, for this team, there’s only one way out.

—S. NICOLE LANE PG-13, 108 min. Wide release in theaters

The Old Oak

The Old Oak is a familiar story about immigration. Hard hearts so en and friendships are formed, as outsiders and insiders recognize each other’s innate humanity. But director Ken Loach avoids the schmaltzy cliche of “we aren’t so different a er all.” Instead, his efficient, sometimes stark storytelling reminds us that we are different. We carry different burdens, hold different pains, but what we can share is compassion.

TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) owns the Old Oak, the only pub in a disheveled British village. Despite his budding friendship with refugee Yara (Ebla Mari), TJ is torn between risking his livelihood and allowing his bar to become a hot spot of rising prejudice. Rather than condemn the village folk, though, Loach opts for empathy. The locals have had their futures stolen, but not by the refugees. The closed mines haunt them, just as the people le behind haunt the displaced Syrians. They all live in a state of economic precarity; all of them share the same anxieties for their children’s futures. The parallels Loach makes are obvious, but that doesn’t make the film any less emotionally potent. The dialogue may be blunt and the message overt, but it strikes hard and fast, pulling us easily into TJ and Yara’s story of unity and solidarity. When Yara shows TJ her camera, she tells him that it saved her life—its lens helped her see hope, when all her eyes saw was the dark. That is Loach’s philosophy here, too. He shows us hate, pain, and suffering, but also kindness, joy, and connection. —MYLE YAN TAY 113 min. Gene Siskel Film Center v

Civil War A24

“I think being a barber is what made me a real man.”

CITY OF WIN

Ano Bank$ is a cornerstone for his people

The south-side rapper, barber, coach, and father drops a new EP he hopes will be an inspiration.

By ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ

City of Win is a series curated by Isiah “ThoughtPoet” Veney and written by Alejandro Hernandez that uses prose and photography to create portraits of Chicago musicians and cultural innovators working to create positive change in their communities.

The barbershop has long been a cornerstone institution for Black and Brown communities. It serves folks looking for fresh cuts, of course, but it’s ultimately a place where people gather and exchange information. This information can be as trivial as sports banter or as profound as the wisdom born of experience that older barbers give their young clients.

“I think being a barber is what made me a real man,” says Ano Bank$. “Yes, we have

great conversation. Yes, we cut people’s hair and make them feel better. But in working in that space, I learned what it means to be a cornerstone as a person. In any business or any relationship, the number one thing is probably going to be availability. Are you available to service your people? Are you available to heal your people?”

Ano Bank$, real name Anthony Travis Jr., is a hip-hop artist, barber, youth football coach, and father based in Chicago’s Low End, but his story begins in his native Springfield, Illinois. When he was a kid, his mother was fighting addiction, and his two older brothers were removed from the family home and placed in foster care. Bank$ stayed, though, and spent a lot of time hanging out in a barbershop where an older cousin worked.

In high school, he was a standout football player, which earned him a scholarship to play at the University of St. Francis in Joliet. He enrolled there in 2008, around the time he says he began making music. He left school the following year, after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. She died six months later.

“After that, I started leaning on music a lot and made it something I was going to do, especially to replace football,” Bank$ explains. “The thing about creation is that you just don’t create art. You create a life. You find people that’s in the lane that you’re in, and [the music] kind of builds a life of its own. I think that’s been the most satisfying part. To know that I’ve been able to create something that just isn’t music but a life. It’s a beautiful fucking thing.”

For much of the early 2010s, Bank$ paused his music making, focusing instead on his children and family life. But since ending that hiatus, he’s continued experimenting with di erent styles: “Been pretty much every type of artist you could think of,” he says. One of his earliest supporters was close friend and Pivot Gang photographer Evan Brown. Brown connected him with producer Martin $ky, and their first collaborations were the 2018 singles “Give-n-Go” and “Trading Places.”

Bank$’s connection with $ky (now known as Septober) helped him begin refining his own sound, which incorporates elements of jazz, blues, “lover boy” music, and even gospel. He

raps and sings, using a voice that owes something to his childhood years in a church choir led by his grandmother. His style reflects influences such as OutKast, D’Angelo, Smino, and Miles Davis, and he calls what he does a blend of alternative rap and experimental jazz.

“I’m a person who believes that no matter what you’re good at in life, you should lean into it,” Bank$ says. “You should always try to master multiple things, but if you’re good at something, master that first before moving on to the next thing. And now I’m coming to the point where I pretty much know what I want to do.”

Throughout 2023, Bank$ released a string of singles. The latest, “Gang 4 Yu.,” came out in September, and it’s a wholesome, jazzy love song that blends playful rapping with sweet melodies. Bank$’s nostalgic flow summons memories of Chicago’s mid-2010s blog-rap era, when rappers spit lyrical miracles over jazzinspired instrumentals. He’ll release more new music on Saturday, April 20: four years to the day after the EP Blue Smoke, he’s dropping Blue Smoke 2 The new EP will include “Gang 4 Yu.,” and its tracks deliver strong themes of love, gratitude, and positivity—as well as evidence of Bank$’s prowess as a former battle rapper on the barheavy and braggadocious “LSD3.”

Despite making music for more than a decade, Bank$ still feels he’s just starting out. He wants to inspire the next generation to be greater, and in all his roles—barber, dad, coach, and veteran musician—he tries to steer other people in the right direction.

“There’s so much more to do. The only way I consider myself an OG is because I got a catalog. I really implore artists to make a back catalog. Making art is like catching lightning in a bottle, so if you got ideas, act on them,” Bank$ says. “It’s OK to try something and make a mistake.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Ano Bank$ THOUGHTPOET FOR CHICAGO READER

Photos by ThoughtPoet of Unsocial Aesthetics (UAES), a digital creative studio and resource collective designed to elevate communitydriven storytelling and social activism in Chicago and beyond

MUSIC

CHICAGOANS OF NOTE

Jon-Carlo Manzo, indie tastemaker

“It’s so hard to make music last longer than, like, 24 hours.” As told to LEOR GALIL

Jon-Carlo Manzo grew up in Shorewood, an exurb just west of Joliet, but his tastes are thoroughly informed by Chicago. Since graduating from New York University in 2021, he’s entrenched himself in the Windy City’s indie-rock scene. In fall 2020, he began interning for indie label Fire Talk Records, which works with many Chicago acts—some of which are represented by Pitch Perfect PR, one of the premier agencies in independent music. Pitch Perfect hired Manzo in June 2021 as an administrative assistant, and he’s now a tour publicist for the Chicago-based agency.

In his free time, he continues to work for Fire Talk, helping out with digital marketing campaigns and dabbling in A&R. Last fall, Manzo launched a Fire Talk imprint called Angel Tapes that focuses on Chicago acts, using the slogan “Music in good faith.” Angel Tapes has since released two EPs, one by postpunk fourpiece Cruel and the other a reissue of folk duo Sleeper’s Bell. Next month, Angel Tapes will drop the debut EP by Feller, the noisy rock duo of Ethan Toenjes (Old Coke, Sleepwalk) and Pete Willson (Pete Willson & the Rooks, Cafe Racer).

At NYU, I was booking shows with the school’s program board. I didn’t really know much about the music industry before I went to college, but I got involved with [the program board] because it seemed like those were the kids that liked all the same music I was into. Booking shows was just an added plus.

What encouraged me was that the people on the program board were very nice and took to me. They created an environment that was pretty welcoming for someone who didn’t know much about it. But it was definitely a learning curve, and I definitely made a bunch of big mistakes. One time that stands out was getting yelled at by an agent over the phone. But the kids were nice enough. They were all so much more involved and smarter than me,

because those kids had been doing things when they were in high school, going to NYU’s music-business-program summer camp and things like that. I didn’t study music business. I was an English major who had a minor in political science. But my taste sort of spoke for itself and went a long way for me.

My sister, honestly, did a lot of the legwork for me. She’s four years older, and she was into Death Cab [for Cutie], the Postal Service, and indie music of that vein in the early 2010s, late aughts. So she covered my bases with that. And then being a gay guy, I was also super into pop music too. So those have synthesized over the years into my little vein of—“indie music with a knack for memorable hooks” is how I think of it.

At the program-board meetings, we would have icebreakers, and we would all be talking about the shows we wanted to book. So there’s like 20, 30 di erent band names being thrown around at every meeting. As I got more into

“It’s nice to offer people something that isn’t, like, ‘Upload your song to DistroKid and pray for the best.’”

a leadership position in my junior and senior years of college, I was pretty meticulous with writing down who people were interested in and the bands that seemed to be grabbing everyone’s attention that I had no idea about, and from there finding the record labels that were putting out these bands and their records. Going to shows too, and showing up early and seeing who else was on the bill for people I was excited about—you know, your normal music-discovery mode when you’re in college.

I have one memory of being at a party in college. I was a freshman at the time, talking to the senior who was in charge of booking all the new music shows. I asked him, “Where do you find music?” He gave me the rundown: “I check Brooklyn Vegan’s new songs roundup every day. I’ll check Pitchfork track reviews.”

Talking to people and going out to events was really, really helpful to just dive in.

A highlight from the NYU days was definitely booking 100 Gecs’ first New York show ever. They did it at NYU, and we also had Pop Smoke

ETHAN AYER

UPCOMING SHOWS

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MAY 4 BELLE & SEBASTIAN WITH THE WEATHER STATION AND HALEY HEYNDERICKX

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APR 26 STRFKR ............................... THE SHED WITH RUTH RADELET

MAY 3 ATMOSPHERE ........................... THE SHED WITH NOFUN! AND HEBL

MAY 9 TREY ANASTASIO & CLASSIC TAB ........... THE SHED

MAY 11 PORTUGAL. THE MAN ..................... THE SHED WITH REYNA TROPICAL

MAY 17 CHICANO BATMAN ....................... THE SHED WITH LIDO PIMIENTA

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continued from p. 32

on the bill. It was a crazy, chaotic show. The kids were going so hard that the ceiling tiles of the floor below us started falling down in the middle of a lecture hall. Pop Smoke ended up running out of the room where we had the show, and people in the crowd were chasing him—truly, you couldn’t make that shit up. We booked a Pride concert that had Slayyyter and Alice Longyu Gao that was really fun. It was right when hyperpop was becoming a thing and popping off, but wasn’t overkill at that point, so it all felt really exciting, fun, and new. The pandemic’s kind of a blessing in disguise for me, because I got an extended amount of time to be back in the suburbs with my family. Then I went back to New York in the summer of 2020. At the top of 2021, my mom got diagnosed with cancer, so I came back and did my last year of college from the suburbs, just to be closer to her as she went through chemo. When I was graduating, my main concern was, “I need a job. I would love a job that’s in Chicago and has to do with music, just so I can be close with her.” That ended up having me interviewing with places like the Empty Bottle and Pitch Perfect, where I ultimately landed.

They worked on a lot of records that Fire Talk was putting out—and going through their roster of clients, a bunch of records that I was passionate about outside of Fire Talk too. Going in and interviewing with everyone and talking to them, it seemed like everyone was nice and normal, which I was also looking for in a music job, because they can famously be not so nice and not so normal. So the people really drew me in—and the shared taste across the board.

I started there in June of 2021. It was my birthday that I got the call. I probably had a week or two of having no school, and then I started the job pretty immediately after. I started as just an admin assistant. I was just updating press reports and writing press releases for people. Now I’m veering into publicist territory with doing tour press and working on a bunch of artists that I’ve been a fan of for so long.

I also helped with bringing in new clients to the company, because I have a pretty wide network. It’s been nice to see some homies link up with the Pitch Perfect crew—getting Slow Pulp over to Pitch Perfect was definitely a highlight, and other bands like Friko and Villagerrr have been really cool too. The summer of 2020, everything seemed terrible and pandemic drenched. I was send-

ing a bunch of cold emails to people in the music industry that I respected, just putting it out there that I was looking for some internship opportunities. Even at that point I hadn’t done a whole lot. I was booking shows, and I had done an internship at [the talent agency] Paradigm. I was not feeling the whole booking landscape as something that I wanted to spend time with, so I was focusing on management and record-label stu .

Fire Talk was at the top of my list, because I was so into Water by Dehd and Deeper’s self-titled record—and the Chicago thing. I was like, “They seem like real heads that I would love to work with.” That fall I was interning, and by the end of that year I’d been brought on in a part-time capacity to flesh out marketing.

I like to think of myself as being on the cutting edge of indie labels doing memes. We

did our A&R for a while and is now over at Fat Possum—during her tenure at Fire Talk, she started a singles imprint called Open Tab that had done stuff with Chanel Beads, the Dare, and Maria BC. I started squeezing some Chicago bands in there. At the top of 2023, we did one with this band Hydrodate, and then that March we did a single with Friko—we put out “Crimson to Chrome” to give them one final push as they were shopping the record [the February 2024 release Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here] around to labels.

I wanted to do more, but I didn’t want to keep intruding on Ruby’s pet project. I talked to Trevor [Peterson], who owns Fire Talk, about how I was super into working with bands around Chicago. I like helping them out and giving them the backbone to release music properly and in good faith. So we landed on the idea of a little tape label, and the rest is

were kind of early on that, and I helped them do a lot more—but also creative marketing ideas for campaigns on a larger scale. A highlight’s always gonna be Mia Joy, when she did Spirit Tamer. We set up a horoscope generator on the Fire Talk website where people could put in their birthdays and it would churn out a Mia Joy lyric that corresponded with their sign. We just launched a Bnny “loveline” that I’m super proud of—people can call in and dish on their little relationship secrets. Stu like that has been fun. It’s so hard to make music last longer than, like, 24 hours—that stu can help add some longevity.

My former coworker Ruby [Ho man]—she

that isn’t, like, “Upload your song to DistroKid and pray for the best.” We have infrastructure that can actually help bands in their first releases and set them up for later down the line when they are ready to put out the debut record. You can say, “I got on these playlists; I’ve gotten this press; I did it with this label who’s respectable.” It’s meant to be building blocks for developing artists.

The reward is knowing I’m helping these bands and seeing how excited they get. It may not be the most exciting thing to Beyoncé to get on Apple Music’s “New in Indie” playlist, but for a local band who is just starting out it is really exciting. It’s nice to be able to be a part of that.

The fact that there is so much music is exciting. Yes, it’s overwhelming, and it’s hard to sift through, but it’s also cool to know that [artists’] spirits aren’t being bogged down by how bleak it may look, on first glance, to release

“The kids were going so hard that the ceiling tiles of the floor below us started falling down in the middle of a lecture hall.”

history or whatever.

I don’t have the hugest ambitions for it. I’m not trying to take over the world by any means. I’m inspired a lot by Julia’s War, Bud Tapes, Citrus City—labels that have a strong community around them. I can go to any of those people, look at what they’re putting out, and know that on some level I’m gonna enjoy it. I just want to continue to put out good music that people enjoy, not sully my good name as a tastemaker, and help out bands in Chicago that I like.

There’s truly so many bands out here, and putting out music is hard, because everyone’s doing it. It’s nice to offer people something

music in 2024. No one’s shrinking away from making music—there’s actually an excess of it.

Like I said, I got into Fire Talk because of Chicago bands, so it’s nice to see the new era, the new sound that Chicago bands are moving in. Friko is a great example of that sort of chamber-pop sound that I think is so exciting. It’s been nice to see some bands adopt it. But also, Cruel, who’s putting out really chargedup postpunk, is fun and exists in a long history of that in Chicago. It’s revamped for the college kids. Listening to the music of the bands around here really gets me amped up.

m lgalil@chicagoreader.com

COURTESY JON-CARLO MANZO

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MUSIC

PICK OF THE WEEK

Heccra made the sound of today’s digital emo underground a decade ago

More than a decade after the project’s debut, Heccra is playing live in Chicago for the first time.

HECCRA, BUG MOMENT, FRAXIOM, COCOJOEY

Wed 4/24, 8 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, $15, 17+

EVERY EMERGING SCENE has its share of young artists who take inspiration from one or two obscure, forgotten bands, often showing the rest of us what was so special about that relic we discarded, ignored, or plain couldn’t understand. So bless all the fifth-wave emo kids who’ve fl ocked to Heccra, an early-2010s project by a bedroom musician (and former Chicagoland resident) who borrowed from starry-eyed emo, chirpy video-game soundtracks, and acerbic grindcore. Heccra’s recordings power their whirligig emo guitars and hyperprocessed vocals with rampaging electronic percussion, a sound that’s worlds away from the scru er, more lived-in aesthetic that dominated the fourth-wave emo current at the time. Many bands of that era seemed to want to re-create the best, sweatiest basement show you’ve ever been to, but Heccra’s wild, compact songs sounded

like a Sega Genesis having an existential crisis. The Devil-Faces of My Old Friends, Beneath Me , which Heccra recorded while working in Algonquin, epitomizes his synthesis of video-game aesthetics with emo. This vision has made its way into today’s freewheeling fifth wave of emo via a cohort of emerging musicians who know Call of Duty as well as the Caulfield Records catalog. (I can also hear Heccra’s influence in several underground electronic styles whose center of gravity is online, including hyperpop, cybergrind, and digicore.) Heccra maintained his anonymity in part by never playing live—that is, until last August, when he made his onstage debut. This coheadlining tour with Milwaukee’s Bug Moment includes his first Chicago appearance; openers Fraxiom and CocoJoey make this one of the season’s must-see local shows. —LEOR GALIL

FRIDAY19

Bnny Tim Kinsella & Jenny Pulse, Ulna, and Tobacco City (DJ set) open. 10 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $15. 21+

Chicago indie-rock band Bnny, led by charismatic singer Jessica Viscius, have returned this month with their new second album, One Million Love Songs (Fire Talk). On the band’s 2021 debut fulllength, Everything, Viscius embodied the most gripping and opaque aspects of trauma following a personal tragedy—the 2017 death of her partner, local musician Trey Gruber, at age 26. But on One Million Love Songs, Viscius switches gears to another familiar and complicated human emotion. Playing with the giddiness that comes from finding a new heartthrob, Bnny lighten their approach on One Million Love Songs without sidestepping the complexities and emotional baggage of past loves that we tend to carry from one relationship to the next.

“Snow is falling / And we’re kissing / When I’m with you / I almost forget / That he’s missing,” Viscius sings with bittersweet ease on opener “Missing.” The infatuation-steeped lyrical meditation sets the stage for what One Million Love Songs represents: a poignant, shameless reminder that love is never just one thing. It can be demanding, confusing, and cruel; it can also be fulfilling, compassionate, and dreamy. And the good feelings weave together with the bad.

Album standout “Good Stuff” is uplifted by weightless harmonies, while “Screaming, Dreaming” and “Something Blue” teeter on the edge of punk spirit as they explore the heart-pounding frustrations of love gone awry. “Nothing Lasts” and “Crazy, Baby” speak from an experienced heart, one that’s been broken one too many times to be fooled by the idea of happily ever a er. Despite love’s inconsistencies, Bnny present a cohesive portrait with One Million Love Songs , where Viscius confronts her emotions and shapes them into whatever small crevice, snow-covered fairy tale, or corroded artery they can fit into. —SHEA RONEY

Fire and Water Quintet

7:30 PM, Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th, $40, $32 for U. of C. faculty and staff, $20 for people under 35, $10 for students. b

Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet was born out of a one-off concert during her weeklong residency at New York venue the Stone in June 2019. Its all-woman all-star lineup consciously celebrated the advances women have made within jazz and improvised music since Melford launched her career in the 80s, when the Evanston native was usually alone among men on the bandstand. It also recognized the potential inherent in the performers’ singular instrumental gi s and strong personal connections.

Working with scant rehearsal time, Melford confronted guitarist Mary Halvorson, cellist Tomeka Reid, saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, and drummer Susie Ibarra with a combination of notated passages, text scores, and improvisational prompts; they handled the material so effectively that everyone walked away from that first concert knowing that a new band had been born. Despite the fact that every member is a renowned bandleader with obli-

LOVESICKETHAN

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gations to match, the quintet has made only one lineup substitution in five years; drummer Lesley Mok replaced Ibarra before they recorded their second album, Hear the Light Singing (Rogueart), in 2022.

From the start, Melford conceived of Fire and Water’s music as a continuous, performance-long arc, and as she became better acquainted with each players’ talents, she inserted new sections into the sequence. Their music, which shifts purposefully between focused lyricism and jagged abstraction, rarely repeats itself. Instead it constantly evolves, setting up varied and challenging terrain for improvisations that complement the composed material rather than use it as a mere springboard for solos.

—BILL MEYER

Minor Moon Macie Stewart and Moontype open. 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $20, $15 in advance. 18+

On Minor Moon’s new The Light Up Waltz (Ruination Record Co.), front man Sam Cantor sings about crossing an unstable bridge over an unearthly abyss (“Blue Timing”) and navigating what feels like an ongoing civilizational collapse (“I Could See It Coming”) with soothing, sure-footed tenderness. Cantor has been releasing rootsy folk tracks under the name Minor Moon for a decade, and the graceful hand he’s developed over the years gives the material on The Light Up Waltz an extra glimmer. His core band—bassist Jason Ashworth, electric guitarist Chet Zenor, drummer Sam Subar, and pedal-steel player Max Subar—perform here with ironclad dependability, and he deepens their instrumental colors by adding a small chorus and several ace instrumentalists to the ensemble, including saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, cellist Lia Kohl, and flutist V.V. Lightbody. When Cantor and his backing vocalists land on the last mellow melody in “Since the Water Rose,” then make room for a waggish guitar solo, their lighthearted interplay adds an undeniable buoyancy to a tranquil song. —LEOR GALIL

Nora O’Connor Janet Beveridge Bean opens. 8:30 PM, FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt, Berwyn, $20 general admission, $150 reserved seating for six. 21+

For decades, Nora O’Connor has played a vital support role in the alt-country scene, not just in Chicago but far afield. Her sunshine-and-honey–tinged vocals recall the counterculture heyday of Laurel Canyon, and as a backup singer she’s lent her pipes to myriad releases by the likes of Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird, Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, and the Decemberists. She also releases her own music sporadically; she’s put out three records over the past 28 years, and each one has been worth the wait. O’Connor’s most recent album, 2022’s My Heart (Pravda), is disappointingly short at 36 minutes— but nothing else about it is a letdown. “Tarot Card” channels hippie vibes in lyrics that, like the best country songs, embrace everyday detail. Over a breezy, loping rhythm, the narrator feels around “for change in the back seat of my car” and instead finds the “naked body parts of the Lovers from a tornup tarot card.” “Grace” is even better; O’Connor’s heartbreakingly on-point Linda Thompson impres-

sion combines with a funereal organ to make it a slow-burn soul-folk showstopper. Like the Lovers of the tarot, O’Connor’s music intertwines joy and sorrow. If the past is any guide, we’re not likely to get a new record from her for some time—but the good news is that we can hear her live at this FitzGerald’s show. —NOAH BERLATSKY

WEDNESDAY24

Heccra See Pick of the Week at le . Bug Moment, Fraxiom, and CocoJoey open. 8 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, $15. 17+

qwanqwa 8 PM, Maurer Concert Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln. F b

Qwanqwa are an Addis Ababa–based ensemble founded by American five-string violinist and Debo Band veteran Kaethe Hostetter in 2012. The group’s shi ing intergenerational lineup has included many stellar players over the years, notably Mesele Asmamaw, a vocalist and master of the electric krar, a lyrelike stringed instrument with a very flexible voice; he’s released traditional and avant-garde solo albums and collaborated with Dutch punk explorers the Ex. Asmamaw is no longer with the band, but these days Hostetter is joined by Bubu Teklemariam on bass krar, Misale Legesse on kebero (a double-headed hand drum), and Endris Hassan on masinko (a single-string bowed lute), as well as vocalist and dancer Selamnash Zemene.

Qwanqwa’s three full-lengths, Volume One (2014), Volume Two (2015), and Volume Three (2020), are fascinating records that move with masterful fluidity between traditional and modern, integrating ancient forms with club music and psychedelia. The group’s name translates to “language” in English, and they treat music like the universal language we know it to be. They strive to dazzle in concert halls and jazz clubs while remaining accessible to the proverbial “person in the street” anywhere in the world. It’s an ambitious goal, but Qwanqwa make it feel within reach.

“Sewoch,” from Volume Three, has a bluesy swing and an interlude of pure trippy funk; the rollicking Volume Two instrumental “Kemekem” jam-packs elements of rock riffing, jazz improv, and de string picking into a slinky three minutes, with the individual instruments soaring nearly like singers. Qwanqwa’s sound fits within the 60s and 70s tradition of world-beat psychedelia, which carries with it optimism about cross-cultural interaction—it believes that the joy of music and the wonder of hearing the brand-new wrapped in the familiar can be powerful weapons against dehumanization.

The epic closing track of Volume Three, “Serg,” is really multiple songs in one—it’s a nearly 20-minute medley of wedding songs from the region, driven by strings, rhythms, and Asmamaw’s vocals into a transcendental jam. I’d say strap in for the ride, but you don’t want to be held down for this one. Qwanqwa have become familiar faces on the African and European festival circuits, but their current U.S. tour is only their second time in the country. They’ve come to Chicago on both trips: in 2022 to the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and this week to the Old Town School of Folk Music.

—MONICA KENDRICK

Fire and Water Quintet: Mary Halvorson, Lesley Mok, Myra Melford, Ingrid Laubrock, and Tomeka Reid DON DIXON

Qwanqwa JAMES BARRY KNOX

Nora O’Connor NATHAN KEAY

continued from p. 37

THURSDAY25

Mike 454, Niontay, and El Cousteau open. 8 PM, Metro, 3730 N. Clark, $30, $25 in advance. 18+

Mike is a slick talker who’s become an even slicker positive force on today’s hip-hop. The rapper occupies a corner with le -of-center MCs such as Earl Sweatshirt and Wiki, yet he’s snuggled into a space all his own. His music is low-risk and high-reward, and his projects are practically guaranteed to satisfy fans of melancholic, masterful wordplay combined with adventurous sounds. That’s a consistency few are able to deliver in this age of microwavable content and “here today, gone tomorrow” artists.

Mike seeks out audacious production, and his distinctive drawl and melodic tenor help his technical yet straightforward raps hit home while somehow sounding effortless. The 26-year-old is wise beyond his years, double-dutching into cadences and rhythms and solidifying his elite spot in contemporary rap. He sounds right at home over classic boom-bap production as well as bass-booming modern trap beats, and he delivers incredibly sharp features—the way he slid on Niontay’s track “Real Hiphop” last year should be studied. Mike finds his pockets and stays in them—he o en sounds so good there’s no need to break up the party. He may sound monotone to the untrained ear, but to alt-hip-hop nerds, he’s untouchable.

Mike is also prolific: he’s released 12 projects since 2017, and superfans will declare he’s been on a classic run since 2019’s Tears of Joy. His 2023 album, Burning Desire, made more than a few “best of” lists, and his latest project, Pinball (his first fulllength collaboration with producer Tony Seltzer), could easily do the same. (It was on repeat in my house for several days when it came out in March.)

FRIDAY26

Laraaji and Sam Prekop Each musician will perform a solo set, and then they’ll play together as a duo. 8 PM, Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland, $58.71. 21+

Mike is a great beat selector and a fine producer, and his pen is smoky, poetic, and intuitive as hell. His self-analysis is a salve, and it offers further proof that he’s making fine art that also happens to be selling out concerts across the U.S. and Europe. In any case, Mike’s heartfelt lyrics and brain-busting production make this Metro show a great bet for exceptional hip-hop. —CRISTALLE BOWEN

Owen Love of Everything opens. 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $20. 21+

Twenty-three years have passed since Mike Kinsella issued his self-titled debut as Owen, a largely acoustic solo endeavor that made the twentysomething musician seem older than his years. Even in 2001, his whispered, unhurried vocals already suggested feelings that could make your stomach churn and your bones ache, whether from longing, regret, or fear. The contemplative reserve of his delivery—as if he were recalling sensations he experienced long ago—made the emotions seem almost tangible. His precise guitar work, alternately sharp and delicate, sounded like the product of decades of woodshedding, and it felt like Kinsella also had the wisdom that would’ve come with all that work.

In the years since, Kinsella’s gentle, breathy voice has gained a soulful richness, while his wispy instrumentation—which straddles emo, folk, and postrock—has become more detailed and complex. Almost a decade ago, Kinsella enlisted Bon Iver drummer S. Carey to produce Owen’s 2016 album, The King of Whys , and that enriching partnership continues; the new The Falls of Sioux (Polyvinyl), is the 11th Owen album and the third produced by Carey. The music is as fragile and ornate as a Fabergé egg, and Kinsella brings a callused heartache to his performances. No matter how intense the distress he sings about, though, he somehow manages to color his songs with a subtle sense of upli . —LEOR GALIL

Laraaji is ambient music’s prince of laughter. Since 1980, when he debuted with a sparkling collection of acoustic string compositions that became the third installment in Brian Eno’s famous ambient series, the multi-instrumentalist has distinguished himself with the optimism in his fantastical soundscapes. Laraaji is known as a pioneer of new age music, a genre o en maligned for its sentimentality and earnestness if not for its association with pseudoscience and cultural appropriation—but his compositions, which shimmer with complexity and imagination, show how profoundly enjoyable the style can be. His music is also wrought with humor, which shines through during his performances. Laraaji worked as a comedian and actor before coming to Eastern mysticism in the 70s, and he’s since combined those experiences into an ongoing laughter meditation practice. Though he’s very serious about his cra , he never takes himself too seriously, and laughter is a big part of his sets. He enjoys enchanting audiences with zithers, hammer dulcimers, thumb pianos, and other instruments— and engaging them with big, well-timed bellyful releases of ha-ha-has.

At his third Chicago appearance, Laraaji will share the stage with Sam Prekop, who’s best known as the leader of local indie-rock outfit the Sea and Cake but has also produced an impressive catalog of solo material using mostly modular synths. Prekop’s synth work resists tidy categorization but sits somewhere on the glowing orb of the ambient world.

For this show at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, Prekop and Laraaji will play solo sets, then join forces for their premiere duo performance. The concert is organized by Reflections, an organization founded in 2023 that’s hosted shows across

the country featuring electronic musicians and light artists in radiant architectural spaces—most often cathedrals. At this one, part of what’s been dubbed the Solar Reunion Tour, Laraaji and Prekop promise unforgettable sounds bolstered by meditative visuals that defy space and time. It might just turn out to be the most relentlessly cool night of restorative music Chicago’s ever seen. Come prepared to melt.

—MICCO CAPORALE

SUNDAY28

Gorgatron Carrion Throne, Selenoplexia, and Scumrot open. 9 PM, Reggies’ Music Joint, 2105 S. State, $20, $15 in advance. 21+

North Dakota death-metal unit Gorgatron have been building up steam since they released their debut album, Torturetorium , in 2010, but it wasn’t until they toured in support of 2020’s Pathogenic Automation that they scorched their imprint on the national underground scene. The five-piece specialize in deranged, outsize old-school death metal injected with bits of grind and tech death, but despite the brutality and the blastbeats (not to mention the terrifying imagery of “Frost Bitten Amputation” and “Pierced From All Angles”), their music always feels like a party where everyone is invited. (Be sure to bring beer!) Gorgatron are currently on the road as they gear up to release their fourth album, Sentience Revoked (Redefining Darkness), in June. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the new record showcases some of the band’s gnarliest work yet, with impressively crushing solos and acrobatic instrumental interplay. Last month, Gorgatron released the album’s first single, “Conduit of Pain,” based on a memorable occasion when vocalist Karl Schmidt got a concussion and had to take an ambulance ride while tripping on mushrooms—an experience he described to Invisible Oranges as the most horrific he’d ever been through. If you come out to Gorgatron’s show, make sure to confine your headbanging to the pit.

—JAMIE LUDWIG

Mike ARI MARCOPOULOS

Laraaji JANE JONES

Laufey Wasia Project open. 8 PM, Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State, sold out. b

No artist in recent memory has been able to cross the generational divide quite like 24-year-old jazzpop phenom Laufey. Ever since she released her full-length debut, 2022’s Everything I Know About Love , the Icelandic-Chinese singer and multiinstrumentalist has commanded a surprisingly young TikTok audience with her orchestral jazz-pop fusion.

The cellist and pianist writes and produces most of her material, and she’s part of a musical lineage—her mother, twin sister, and grandfather have all been classical violinists, and her grandfather taught the instrument at the Central Conservatory of Music in China. At age 15, she performed her first solo with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and she cut her teeth with them before attending the Berklee College of Music, where she made it her mission to revitalize traditional jazz.

Laufey’s music merges jazz and dream pop with a modern-day cabaret flair, an approach she solidified on her earliest singles, including 2020’s “Street by Street” and 2021’s “Let You Break My Heart Again,” the latter of which was recorded with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. Like many of her pop contemporaries, she writes gut-wrenchingly confessional lyrics, which has helped capture the attention of Gen Zers while introducing them to a genre that hasn’t had such a visibly rising champion since Diana Krall and Norah Jones emerged more than 20 years ago.

Laufey raised her own stakes with her sophomore album, 2023’s Bewitched. “Dreamer” and “California and Me,” with their cinematic flourishes and lush arrangements, could find a place in a Broadway musical as easily as on a pop record. “Letter to My 13 Year Old Self” stands out for its quiet approach and sweet folk-pop sound, while “Lovesick” is her biggest pop ballad yet.

Upon its release last fall, Bewitched broke a Spotify record for the biggest debut of a jazz album. It later became an underdog Grammy winner for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album—besting even

MUSIC

Bruce Springsteen. Don’t miss the chance to catch Laufey at the Chicago Theatre; when she comes back in a few months, she’ll be on one of the big stages at Lollapalooza, performing with the Chicago Philharmonic for one of her most ambitious sets yet.

—SELENA FRAGASSI

TUESDAY30

Helado Negro Marem Ladson opens. 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $25. 17+

Singer, composer, and producer Roberto Carlos Lange, better known as Helado Negro, creates soundscapes that exist in a beautifully liminal space.

His luminous avant-pop creations, which he sings in Spanish and English, overlap organic and electronic music while seamlessly shape-shifting between tropical ebullience and plaintive lament.

On his ninth studio album, the February release Phasor , the Ecuadorian American artist incorporates output from the world’s first composing machine, the SalMar Construction, which is housed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Developed by musician and educator Salvatore Martirano with a group of UIC engineers and musicians, the SalMar’s hybrid analog-digital system was completed in the early 1970s, using parts from the five-ton IILIAC II supercomputer. It allows players to produce real-time composition on up to 24 audio channels.

For Lange, the possibilities of the SalMar seemed endless. As he told me over Zoom, he became fascinated by the way the machine “was spitting out, not Bach or Beethoven, but really wild and noisy sounds.” As an artist who’s always trying to find new processes and ways to push his sound into novel territories, he loved the idea of creating something generative and constantly evolving.

On Phasor , Lange deconstructs recordings he made with the SalMar into loops and textures, using them as launch points for songs or transitions. One of my favorites, “Colores del Mar,” repeats and distorts the syllables of the song’s lyrics, rendering them abstract and emotive, before surrounding them with undulating waves of brassy drums, propulsive synth grooves, and warm guitar chords that sometimes evoke the tender sway of MPB (música popular brasileira).

This Thalia Hall performance, where Lange will be backed by bassist and guitarist Andy Stack and drummer Jason Nazary, should be a real treat. As Lange floats his layered, enveloping vocals through heady neosoul atmospheres colored with tinkling chords, fuzzy percussion, effects-laden funk guitar, and metallic buzzes, he invites his audiences to surrender to a warm, hypnotic trance. —CATALINA MARIA JOHNSON v

Graham Parker with special guest

Covert In Maurer Hall

THURSDAY, APRIL 18 8PM

Joe Pug In Szold Hall

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 8PM

Joe Pug's 40th Birthday Show with special guests In Maurer Hall

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 8PM

The Weight Band

SATURDAY, APRIL

Gorgatron COURTESY THE ARTIST

EARLY WARNINGS

MAY

THU 5/2

Mizu, Ohyung 8:30 PM, Constellation, 18+

SAT 5/4

Belle & Sebastian, Weather Station, Haley Heynderickx 8 PM, Salt Shed (indoors), 17+

WED 5/8

John Oates (acoustic), Pete Muller 7:30 PM, City Winery b

THU 5/9

Evangelia, Tommy Bravos, DJ Pantazi 8:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+

SAT 5/11

Melkbelly, Loolowningen & the Far East Idiots, Tension Pets, Godstar Megamax 9 PM, Empty Bottle

MON 5/13

Jim White & Marisa Anderson 8:30 PM, Constellation, 18+

WED 5/15

Electric Callboy 6 PM, Aragon Ballroom b

THU 5/16

Surely Tempo, Tony Jupiter 8 PM, Avondale Music Hall b

FRI 5/17

Budos Band, Machïn 8 PM, Ramova Theatre, 18+

SAT 5/18

Margaritas Podridas, Chokecherry 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, 17+

JUNE

FRI 6/7

Wiley From Atlanta, LaSalle Grandeur, Johnny N0rm4l 6 PM, Cobra Lounge b

SUN 6/9

Pom Pom Squad 8 PM, Subterranean, 17+

MON 6/10

Raveonettes, Soap Horse 8 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+

MON 6/17

Queef Jerky 8:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+

THU 6/20

Protomartyr 9 PM, Empty Bottle

FRI 6/21

Protomartyr 10 PM, Empty Bottle W.I.T.C.H., Rahill 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+

MON 6/24

Pedro the Lion, Squirrel Flower 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+

TUE 6/25

Cedric Burnside 8 PM, Schubas, 18+

Jean Deaux 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+

WED 6/26

Cedric Burnside 8 PM, Schubas, 18+

FRI 6/28—SUN 6/30

Logan Square Arts Festival featuring MJ Lenderman & the Wind, Binki, McKinley Dixon, Khaliyah X, Footballhead, and more Kedzie at Milwaukee b

BEYOND

THU 7/4

Rose on the River day one featuring My Morning Jacket, Neal Francis, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Hans Williams 4 PM, Salt Shed (outdoors) b

FRI 7/5

Rose on the River day two featuring Tash Sultana, Flying Lotus, Tank & the Bangas, Karina Rykman 4 PM, Salt Shed (outdoors) b

SAT 7/6

Rose on the River day three featuring Thundercat, Badbadnotgood, Domi & JD Beck, Carrtoons 4 PM, Salt Shed (outdoors) b

Early Warnings newsletter: sign up here

SUN 7/7

Rose on the River day four featuring Vulfpeck; a celebration of the Meters with George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, and Dumpstaphunk; Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe; Giacomo Turra 4 PM, Salt Shed (outdoors) b

TUE 7/9

Etran de L’Aïr 9 PM, Empty Bottle

FRI 7/12

Brijean 10 PM, Sleeping Village

SUN 7/14

Black Lips, Watermelon 6:30 PM, Empty Bottle Black Lips, National Photo Committee 10 PM, Empty Bottle

FRI 7/26

Vampire Weekend, Princess, Ra Ra Riot 6:30 PM, Huntington Bank Pavilion b

SAT 7/27

Lambrini Girls 10 PM, Sleeping Village Vampire Weekend, Princess, Ra Ra Riot 6:30 PM, Huntington Bank Pavilion b

FRI 8/9

Devotchka 7:30 PM, Park West b

THU 8/15

Dweezil Zappa 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre b

SAT 8/17

Santigold 6:30 PM, Concord Music Hall b

THU 8/22

Built to Spill 8 PM, Metro, 18+

Missy Elliott, Ciara, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland 7 PM, Allstate Arena, Rosemont b

FRI 8/23

Built to Spill 8 PM, Metro, 18+

SAT 9/7

The Lox 7 PM, Concord Music Hall, 18+

SUN 9/15

Paul Weller 7:30 PM, the Vic, 18+

WED 9/18

Dana & Alden 8 PM, Schubas, 18+

FRI 10/4

Zolita 7 PM, Chop Shop b

FRI 10/11

La Santa Grifa, Dharius 7:30 PM, the Vic, 18+ Mildlife 9 PM, Chop Shop, 18+ v

Missy Elliott performs in Rosemont in August. DEREK BLANKS/CROWDMGMT

MOTEL BREAKFAST front man Jimmy Drenovsky founded the indie-rock five-piece in 2017, while at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He’d met most of his bandmates—guitarist Mick O’Donnell, keyboardist Conor Brennan, and drummer Jesse Nasadowski—growing up in Chicago’s south suburbs. When the band got together, though, O’Donnell and bassist Drue deVente were at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, while Brennan and Nasadowski were in college in Chicago.

“Lots of voice memos, lots of frantic sessions too,” Drenovsky says. “We would have a show booked, on, like, a Saturday night in someone’s college town, and we would spend Friday messing around and practicing—and maybe try to do a couple new songs someone had texted over.” Drenovsky graduated in 2018, and since then Motel Breakfast have made a home in Chicago.

Earlier this month, the band self-released their second album, I Promise I’m Having Fun The pandemic quashed the momentum they’d built up since college—they issued their selftitled debut in February 2020—but Drenovsky says they made the most of it. “During the pandemic, we kind of became a unit where all five of us were writers,” he says. “It was really exciting and also a very creative period.” Drenovsky and his colleagues weren’t trying to make a cohesive album from their postlockdown material, but by tackling each song as it arose, they ended up binding together alt-country, emo, and blue-collar rock.

“We honestly struggle with the big picture to a point that it allowed the small moments to shine,” Drenovsky says. “We got out of our heads and said, ‘Let’s just make music.’” A er three years, Motel Breakfast had around 16 new songs, but they weren’t sure their work was done. Their friend Dan Lambton (of Rationale and Real Friends) listened to the recordings. “He’s the one that first sat down with us in the living room and said, ‘Yeah, you have your album—stop thinking so hard,’” Drenovsky recalls.

Motel Breakfast have recruited four auxiliary musicians to help them celebrate I Promise I’m Having Fun at Metro on Saturday, April 20. Scarlet Demore and Harrison Gordon open; tickets are $25 ($20 in advance), and the show starts at 8 PM.

CHICAGO RAPPER, food enthusiast, and promoter Rich Jones is teaming up with local rapper and producer ShowYouSuck (half of the duo Air Credits with Steve Reidell) to

GOSSIP WOLF

bring you your dream blunt rotation. Actually, though: Dream Blunt Rotation is their new variety show, held the last Wednesday of every month. They’re showcasing Chicago artists you might not otherwise see sharing a bill, and the name of the series is supposed to evoke the off-the-wall unpredictability of the memes using that phrase. “It’s like, ‘This is your dream blunt rotation,’ and it’s Teletubbies or something,” Jones says. “You don’t know what [our show’s] gonna be. The anticipation is that it’s going to be a different crew each time.”

The first installment of Dream Blunt Rotation is April 24 at Subterranean’s downstairs space. Mannasseh x Semi-Cycle will provide soul and R&B vibes; ShowYouSuck will enter the ring with his bedroom- produced beats and killer bars; Jones brings his mix of groovy singer-songwriter vibes and excited rapping; and comedian Cleveland Anderson will deliver a stand-up set. “I miss the era where the rappers and the rockers and the ravers could all be in the same room together and appreciate what was in front of them,” Jones says.

Jones grew up on the northwest side and started attending open mikes in 2005, meeting his earliest collaborators and friends, including SKECH185 and the group Jyroscope. He got to know ShowYouSuck via mutual friends at Fess Grandiose’s backyard hip-hop festival, Kimball House Rock, in the early 2010s. From 2012 till 2019, Jones booked a showcase at Lincoln Park’s Tonic Room called All Smiles , and after pandemic lockdowns ended, he thought about returning to that kind of work as a way to combat loneliness and help get people gathering again.

“To do it in a healthy, fun way, to me, sounds like just what the doctor ordered,” Jones says. So he teamed up with ShowYouSuck to get Dream Blunt Rotation rotating. When booking future shows, they plan to showcase new talent as well as tap into long-standing connections they’ve made during their careers. DBR is using air filters from Clean Air Club, and as of now it’s sponsored by Ivy Hall, a dispensary with a location around the corner from SubT. ShowYouSuck hopes that people will come to treat the series like a neighborhood bar, and that it’ll attract regulars.

“I can’t wait for the night we do hyperpop with jazz,” Jones says. “Watch out.” —DMB AND LEOR GALIL

Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or email gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.

A furry ear to the ground of the local music scene

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS PROFESSIONALS & SERVICES MATCHES

JOBS

Health Care Service Corporation seeks Business Analyst (Chicago, IL) to work as a liaison among stakeholders to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems. REQS: This position reqs a Bach deg, or forgn equiv, in Tech or Bus Admin or a rel fld + 2 Yrs of exp as a proj mgr, sys analyst, or a rel position. Telecommuting permitted. Applicants who are interested in this position should submit a complete resume in English to hrciapp@bcbsil. com, search [Business Analyst / R0026599. EOE .

Security Guard at Black Ensemble Theater Black Ensemble Theater is seeking an experienced full-time SECURITY GUARD for immediate hire. Send inquiries and RESUMES to dbrooks@ blackensemble.org $17 p/ hour

Health Care Service Corporation seeks Sr Developer (Chicago, IL) to be responsible to develop, integrate, test, and maintain existing and new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) applications using the UiPath software. REQS: This position reqs a bach deg, or forn equiv, in Comp Apps, Comp Soft, or rel fld + 4 Yrs of exp as an Info Tech Spec or rel occ. Telecommuting: Hybrid, 2 Days Work from Home. Applicants who are interested in this position should submit a complete resume in English to hrciapp@bcbsil. com, search [Sr Developer / R0026598 - EOE .

Relish Labs LLC d/b/a Home Chef seeks Facilities Project Manager (Chicago, IL). Responsible for providing leverage to the National Engineering Manager by effectively supporting the management of maintenance and capital improvement projects across all fulfillment centers. REQS: Bchlrs dgr, or frgn eqvlnt, in Egnrg, Sci or Mth rltd dgrs or a rltd fld pls 2 yrs of exprnc as a Sprvsr, Mngr or rltd occptn. 100% Tlcmmtg. Up to 50% nationwide travel. To apply please email resume to sta ng@homechef.com / Subject: Facilities Project Manager

Associate Director, Decision Support Group (now, Decision Sciences Group) Associate Director, Decision Support Group (now, Decision Sciences Group), AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois. Provide advanced analytical support for teams, portfolio & Long Range Plan (LRP) planning processes. Facilitate & lead project teams on single-asset decision or other strategic analysis projects. Apply methods of decision analysis & other analytic best practices to structure the decision problem, analyze data, & develop results & insights. Facilitate/manage decision team meetings to effectively convey & obtain information necessary for successful completion of analyses. Facilitate & contribute to development & execution of processes, timelines, tools & templates for Plan Portfolio / LRP data collection, as well as other decision & strategic analyses. Construct strategic models/dashboards to accurately reflect technical & commercial attributes of a project / asset for Plan Portfolio & LRP. Utilize knowledge of Decision Analysis & Operations Research literature & attend & contribute to conferences & symposia on DA & Portfolio Analysis. Discuss insights obtained with senior members of Decision Support Group & decision team. Manage complex portfolio analysis & prioritization tools and databases such as LRP data files and databases, lead portfolio & LRP data aggregation. Provide advanced facilitation support for DSG-led team & management meetings (prepare meeting materials, record information gathered at meetings, & write-up minutes/action items); archive assessments, rationale, assumptions & other pertinent information. Utilize latest tools & techniques in decision analysis / portfolio analysis. Responsible for successful completion of modeling, analytical & facilitation assignments in timely manner. Accountable for quality, flexibility, & user-friendliness of complex models, & for quality of portfolio database & tools. Design complex decision analysis models to reflect technical & commercial interactions of project / asset utilizing decision analysis techniques such as Monte Carlo & Decision Tree analyses, sensitivity analysis, waterfall, & tornado charts. Responsible for large-scale data analysis involving integration of next generation sequencing data & health or pharmacological databases. Responsible for developing & executing custom computational analysis plans leveraging novel algorithms & relevant databases. Responsible for successful completion

of modeling, analytical & facilitation assignments utilizing modeling & database software such as PowerPoint, Excel, Enrich, Tree Plan, ThinkCell & Crystal Ball. Must possess a Master’s or foreign academic equivalent in Biological Sciences, Decision Sciences, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, or a closely related field with at least 2 years of related progressive experience in: (i) managing complex portfolio analysis & prioritization tools & databases such as LRP data files & databases, lead portfolio & LRP data aggregation; (ii) designing complex decision analysis models to reflect technical & commercial interactions of a project / asset utilizing decision analysis techniques such as Monte Carlo & Decision Tree analyses, sensitivity analysis, waterfall, & tornado charts; & (iii) completion of modeling, analytical & facilitation assignments utilizing modeling & database software such as PowerPoint, Excel, Enrich, Tree Plan, ThinkCell & Crystal Ball. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF22832Y

Senior Engineer, Technology II Senior Engineer, Technology II, North Chicago, IL. Resp. for engineering solutions to support key business initiatives, across functional disciplines & tech solutions that solve significant integration or business problems. Serve in role such as database developer/administrator, ETL developer, data analyst, BI analytics developer, &/or solution developer of contextual search applications. Act as a lead engineer & critically evaluate relevant technological advances & integrate this knowledge into new bus. tech. solutions. Design, engineer, & implement software & tech solutions by Enterprise Data Platform ecosystem. Demonstrate ability to resolve key project hurdles & assumptions by effectively utilizing available information & technical expertise. Utilize exp. w/ tools including Cloudera CDH, CDP, Amazon Web Services, EMR ecosystem (such as SOLR, Spark, Impala, Hive, Hue, Athena, Glue, etc.).Demonstrate high proficiency across a wide range of technologies & platforms related. to software design & development, programming languages, data integration, data warehousing, data analysis & visualization tools, data storage, network connectivity, & virtualization/cloud environments.

Utilize exp. w/ Amazon Web Services Informatica tools (PowerCenter, Big Data Management, MDM), MarkLogic, SAS Analytics, python, & R. Demonstrate knowledge of pharma & healthcare business, & utilizing this knowledge in the rapid advancement of agile, impactful, & cost-effective solutions. Resp. for understanding & adhering to corp. standards regarding applicable Corp. & Divisional Policies, incl. code of conduct, safety, GxP compliance, data security, & software development lifecycle. Must have Bachelor’s or foreign equiv. degree in Comp. Science or a highly related field of study w/ at least 6 yrs. related exp. in the following: (i) exp. in a several data processing roles such as database developer/administrator, ETL developer, data analyst, BI analytics developer, &/or solution developer. of contextual search apps.; (ii) exp. w/ tools incl. Cloudera CDH, CDP, Amazon Web Services, EMR ecosystem (such as SOLR, Spark, Impala, Hive, Hue, Athena, Glue, etc.); & (iii) exp. w/ Amazon Web Services Informatica tools (PowerCenter, Big Data Mgmt., Master Data Mgmt), MarkLogic, SAS Analytics, python, & R. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en and reference REF22831J

Associate Service Consultant Associate Service Consultant, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL. Deliver business value by maximizing financial investment & sustainability of the application & manage Service providers to quality outcomes. Demand & release change prioritization with plan build as required. Provide input & feedback into the Change, Release & Deployment processes & schedule ensuring minimal impact & downtime of changes to the business. Monitor & approve Change Records for ACoE Owned Changes. Accountable for Demand Approval by ensuring the right change, right change type, clear & complete scope/requirements. Provide budgetary impact of proposed changes to plan organization & ensure transfer of budget and updates portfolio tracker. Ensure that the Service Transition processes are fully executed. Approve readiness for support transition &serves as escalation point for any delays in service transition. Responsible for the fulfillment of Audit Artifact Service Requests. Coordinate with internal compliance team for internal compliance driven audit requests. Monitor MSP execution of audit process & procedures. Ensure timely & accurate delivery

of external compliance driven audit artifacts. Govern the application recertification process occurs as scheduled. Provide audit results as needed. Evaluate & approve the Service Providers reported performance trends & the process improvement recommendations to identify areas where preventative maintenance might be performed to improve Applications performance & efficiency. Review ticket patterns & identify opportunities that were presented by their MSP. Approve SLA exception breaches. Responsible for reviewing the service provider Service Level Agreements & participating in any action plans that are required to address any deviations &/or improvement opportunities with the supplier. Manage the relationship with vendors to ensure superior service delivery for all application maintenance & support activities. Perform summary daily reviews of prior days ticket activity: queue levels, processing e ciency, backlogs, aging levels along with prior day Incidents. Ensure that ticket processing & the Problem Management engines are performing within expected operational parameters. Act as approver for SLA exception breaches. Serve as primary AbbVie contact point & first level of escalation for Incidents & Problems, including activities that require multiple teams to solution. Assist with the prioritization & escalation of system recovery issues with Cross-functional, Build & Infrastructure teams. Must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a highly related field of study with at least 5 years of experience, in the alternative, employer will accept a Master’s degree in aforementioned fields). Each alternative must possess at least 1 year of experience in the following: (i) Information Technology field with Application outsourcing & terminology such as Minor Enhancements, ARC’s/RRC’s, Service Level Management & Vendor Management; (ii) experience interpreting data, including analyzing trends, solving complex problems, & presenting recommendations to management; (iii) experience managing & executing complex IT processes and demonstrated ability to identify exceptions to the process, or potential process improvements; (iv) experience with identifying and executing continuous improvement opportunities & cost reduction initiatives; & (v) experience with Software

Development Lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies. Employer will accept any suitable combination of education, training or experience related to the job opportunity. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF22826T.

Business Systems Manager

Business Systems Manager, AbbVie Inc., (Vernon Hills / Waukegan (Lake County), Illinois. Work directly with business unit clients to understand specific business processes, business drivers and business strategy across multiple business units. Identify and communicate resulting needs and opportunities for business process improvement that can be enabled via technology. Identify information required to support business strategies and lead the development of appropriate information management strategies. Responsible for compliance with applicable Corporate and Divisional Policies and procedures. Identify current and emerging business needs and evaluates alternative technology solutions using standard information systems methodologies such as establishing business goals, vendor evaluations, performing market research, evaluating customer feedback, performing ROI analysis, and cost benefit analysis. Proactively seek out strategic business opportunities for the application of new or existing technology capabilities (across multiple business areas) with high-level business unit executives providing key opinion-leading clients with comprehensive strategic analyses and insights to help them discover strategic uses of technology products and services. Develop, lead, and review the creation of information systems strategy to support the strategic requirements of multiple business areas. Make recommendations to process stakeholders regarding the correct approach to achieve process improvement objectives, including business process outsourcing, application development or adopting business process management (BPM) practices. Develop business relationships and integrate activities with other BTOs to ensure successful implementation and support of project efforts. Manage relationships between clients involved and BTOs to assure effective communication between the groups is occurring. Broker

services within BTS on behalf of customers; coordinates portfolio of solutions and identifies interdependencies. Identify the impact of any relevant statutory, internal, or external regulations on the organization’s use of information. Responsible for the accuracy of the fit of the proposed business process improvements and the technical solution to the business needs and the information upon which the business justification and prioritization decisions are made. Communicate business needs and drivers to development groups to assure the implementation phase can fulfill the business need. Must possess expertise/ knowledge sufficient to adequately perform the duties of the job being offered. Expertise/ knowledge may be gained through employment experience or education. Such expertise/ knowledge cannot be “quantified” by “time”. Required expertise/ knowledge includes: (I) working directly with business unit clients to understand specific business processes, business drivers and business strategy across multiple business units; (II) identifying current and emerging business needs and evaluating alternative technology solutions using standard information systems methodologies such as establishing business goals, vendor evaluations, performing market research, evaluating customer feedback, performing ROI analysis, and cost benefit analysis; (iii) developing, leading and reviewing the creation of information systems strategy to support the strategic requirements of multiple business areas; and (iv) making recommendations to process stakeholders regarding the correct approach to achieve process improvement objectives, including business process outsourcing, application development or adopting business process management (BPM) practices. Must possess a Bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Biology or a highly-related field of study plus seven (7) years of related progressive experience. In the alternative, employer will accept a Master’s degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Biology or a highly-related field of study plus six (6) years of related progressive experience, or employer will accept a Ph.D. degree

or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Biology or a highly-related field of study plus two (2) years of related progressive experience. Employer will accept any suitable combination of education, training or experience.

Apply at online https:// careers.abbvie.com/en and reference REF22827J.

Senior GCP Compliance

Auditor Senior GCP Compliance Auditor, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois.

Responsible for ensuring high quality clinical trials are performed in compliance with worldwide regulatory expectations.

Demonstrate good scientific rationale and interpretation of data integrity through regulatory submissions.

Responsible for preparing, conducting, and reporting audit activities of clinical trials activities utilizing software such as TrackWise, Salesforce, IMPACT, Veeva Vault, Spotfire, Medidata, InForm, YPrime, Endpoint, Premier, Calyx, CRF Health, etc.

Responsible for leading investigator site audits to ensure compliance with global regulatory requirements. Lead internal audits to assess the systems processed and procedures in place to support the clinical trial conduct and their overall compliance with ICH GCP guidelines, applicable regulations, and the organization’s Quality System. Appropriate protection of all human subjects participating in organizational Clinical Trials. Assist with Clinical QA program management activities in support of studies and projects to ensure compliance with regulations, guidelines, policies, procedures and sponsor requirements. Deliver consistent, high-quality documents and clinical program activities for Research and Development (R&D). Ensure that R&D remains in compliance with worldwide regulatory expectations and requirements. Lead and develop strategy for global Quality Assurance in alignment with R&D strategies. Interpret, explain and apply the applicable current regulations, guidelines, policies and procedures. Plan, organize and lead multiple GCP vendor compliance audits on a global scale. Initiate, manage, and participate in quality improvement projects. Prepare and present project progress reports to update management and keep the team(s) informed. Must possess a Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic

equivalent in Physical Science, Life Science, Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Engineering or a highly related field of study with at least two (2) years of related experience in the following: (i) demonstrating good scientific rationale and interpretation of data integrity through regulatory submissions; (ii) preparing, conducting, and reporting audit activities of clinical trials activities utilizing software such as such as TrackWise, Salesforce, IMPACT, Veeva Vault, Spotfire, Medidata, InForm, YPrime, Endpoint, Premier, Calyx, CRF Health, etc; (iii) assisting with Clinical QA program management activities in support of studies and projects to ensure compliance with regulations, guidelines, policies, procedures and sponsor requirements; and (iv) initiating, managing, and participating in quality improvement projects. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF22825A.

Data Science Program Lead II Data Science Program Lead II, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL. Align Data & Statistical Science (DSS) study teams with program & study-level strategies. Lead the DSS Study Team & represent DSS as a member of crossfunctional study team. Act as single point of contact & accountable operational lead from DSS. Coordinates associated DSS study teams to meet operational objectives. Utilize clinical trial systems including Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Interactive Response Technology (IRT) & Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS). Utilize understanding of Laboratory data, Clinical Outcomes Assessments (COA/eCOA), ECG, IRT, Pharmocokinetic & other external data types. Engage & connect global functional & crossfunctional teams at study level. Interact with & influence cross-functional team members to achieve program objectives. Plan, coordinate, & deliver data management tasks within timeline. Utilize operational analytics & project management tools to optimize execution of programs & studies, manage internal & external resources, track study progress, & prepare study status reports. Author, revise, & review data management related plans & documentation, including Data Management Plan, Data Review Plan, Electronic Case Report Form (eCRF), & completion Guidelines. Anticipate

& identify issues that could affect timelines or quality & develop options & solutions, identify & mitigate risk and contribute to Risk Assessment & Management Plan. Ensure adherence to federal regulations & applicable local regulations, Good Clinical Practices (GCPs), ICH Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), & functional quality standards. Perform project management skills including metrics analysis & reporting methodologies. Keep abreast of new &/ or evolving local regulations, guidelines & policies related to clinical development. Participate as DSS study owner in regulatory inspections & internal quality audits. Participate in oversight of vendors & provide feedback related to clinical trial operations, issues, & trends in performance. Utilize reporting & data visualization tools such as Spotfire, J-Review, Business Objects &/or SAS to generate data review listings, also, project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet or equivalent. Responsible for coaching & mentoring team members. Lead DSS innovation & process improvement initiatives & participates in cross-functional initiatives. Conduct study execution across functions. Conduct indirect supervision of employees as well as supervision of work of contract resources. Must possess a Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Biology, Biotechnology, Information Technology, Business, or a related field of study with at least 2 years of experience in the following: (i) Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Interactive Response Technology (IRT) & Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS); (ii) planning, coordinating, & delivering data management tasks within timeline; (iii) authoring, revising, & reviewing data management related plans & documentation, including Data Management Plan, Data Review Plan, Electronic Case Report Form (eCRF), and Completion Guidelines; (iv) project management skills including metrics analysis & reporting methodologies; & (v) Spotfire, J-Review, Business Objects &/ or SAS to generate data review listings.

Position requires work at various & unanticipated work locations throughout the U.S. 100% telecommuting permissible. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie.

com/en

Senior Clinical Pharmacologist Senior Clinical Pharmacologist, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois. Conceive & execute novel scientific research of development in Clinical Pharmacology that achieves projects & Clinical Pharmacology & Pharmacometrics (CPPM) goals. Generate new PK/PD proposals & lead those efforts. Investigate, identify, develop, & optimize new methods & techniques in PK/PD field. Act as lead PK scientist in their area of expertise & critically evaluate relevant Clinical Pharmacology, PK/PD & regulatory advances & integrate this knowledge into research or development programs. Employ understanding of physicochemical properties as related to drug delivery & preclinical & clinical formulation design, as well as physiological barriers to drug absorption, including various potential transport mechanisms. Contribute to clinical development by supporting Phase 1-4 studies including study design, & clinical pharmacology strategy. Design & perform diverse in vitro & ex vivo assays to evaluate absorption & other development potential. Author regulatory documents including protocols, study reports, population PK reports, exposureresponse analyses reports, relevant section of investigator brochures, common technical documents, white papers, & other similar documents. Conduct data analyses including noncompartmental analyses, modeling & simulation, literature data analyses. Employ experience with analytical techniques & typical equipment utilized for physicochemical characterization of smallmolecule candidates (e.g., HPLC, DSC, TGA, PXRD, drug release testing). Participate & present at various departmental & cross functional teams such as study teams, clinical pharmacology & biopharmaceutics, clinical strategy team, CPPM leadership team, journal club. Perform data analysis in order to conduct analysis & interpretation of trends in large data sets by utilizing statistical tools such as Python Pandas & Microsoft Excel. Employ experience with PBBM/ PBPK & compartmental analysis to interpret pharmacokinetic data & perform oral absorption modeling. Collaborate with scientific support from other CPPM functional groups to

provide unified clinical pharmacology position to clinical, CMC & regulatory teams. Author scientific publications & present at scientific conferences. Must possess PhD or foreign academic equivalent in Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a highly related field of study with an academic or industrial background in the following: (i) physicochemical properties as related to drug delivery & preclinical & clinical formulation design, as well as physiological barriers to drug absorption, including various potential transport mechanisms; (ii) designing & performing diverse in vitro & ex vivo assays to evaluate absorption & other development potential; (iii) analytical techniques & typical equipment utilized for physicochemical characterization of smallmolecule candidates (e.g., HPLC, DSC, TGA, PXRD, drug release testing); (iv) performing data analysis in order to conduct analysis & interpretation of trends in large data sets by utilizing statistical tools such as Python Pandas & Microsoft Excel; & (v) PBBM/ PBPK & compartmental analysis to interpret pharmacokinetic data & perform oral absorption modeling. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF23206B.

Manager I, Market Access Insights

Manager I, Market Access Insights, AbbVie Inc., Mettawa, Illinois. Responsible for leading communication of market access insights to leadership requiring a broad range of market access expertise as the brands commonly experience differing market access challenges. Lead development of GPO, Specialty Pharmacy, Health Plan & PBM contracting strategies for launch brands across payer channels through advanced modelling techniques, communicating analytical narratives that describe opportunity & risks of stakeholder negotiations, & informing financial projections based on launch pricing & contracting strategies. Derive findings & implications from payer, physician, distributor & patient/ consumer analytics to strengthen commercial understanding of marketplace dynamics, performance, & brand opportunities. Inform forecasting & brand planning processes & develop fact-based

marketing & sales strategies to optimize performance. Align business issues with findings & implications with some supervision. Guide development of marketing investment strategies to increase effectiveness &/or e ciency of promotional activities. Influence deployment of strategy through executional recommendations across marketing & sales tactics for multiple brand &/or indications. Complete timely evaluation of program impact/ response & recommend appropriate actions. Utilize syndicated & AbbVie proprietary data, data science & modeling techniques & ability to synthesize insights into compelling narratives. Utilize knowledge in supplier & stakeholder management, leading external analytics to deliver compelling learnings, & formulate analytical strategies appropriate to issue at hand. Deliver insights based on analytics generated by leveraging multiple healthcare data sources, including physician & patient level data utilizing programs. Lead delivery of brand specific market access analytical insights in response to specific market access issues/ trends. Understand impact of utilization management, tiering & medical policy impact on overall demand, line of therapy & co-pay support. Conduct investigative analytics to validate &/ or quantify market phenomenon related to competitive or customer tactics. Identify value drivers that guide clinical data development & value positioning through quantitative methods. Leverage custom & syndicated data sets to identify & address key business issues relative to product & indicationlevel performance ensuring that multiple stakeholder perspectives are considered. Integrate & synthesize information to report key insights to internal stakeholders & deep understanding of healthcare data & policies. Bridge gap between new patient starts & total demand & integrate & synthesize all available information specific to issue. Understand sub-national (Accounts or physicians) drivers of brand performance, providing more granularity to performance dynamics & opportunities across distribution channels & customers. Create analytic models that address critical issues & meet key business criteria & key technical criteria. Manage stakeholders, external partners to increase & enhance use of advanced modeling

& analytic methods & produce results that fully leverage available data & analytics. Develop & communicate demand forecasts in support of all brand & financial planning processes, effectively advising organization in setting financial expectations for assigned brands as well as optimizing allocation of resources to achieve the plan. Effectively communicate results of complex analytical models & influence action to improve brand performance. Identify & evaluate data sources that will enhance customer, market & competitive understanding, & influence budget holders to secure sources essential to driving business forward. Bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics, Economics, Statistics or a highly related field of study with at least 5 years of related experience. Alternatively, employer will accept a Master’s degree in aforementioned fields. Each education alternative with at least 1 year of related experience in: (i) informing forecasting & brand planning processes & developing fact-based marketing & sales strategies to optimize performance; (ii) delivering insights based on analytics generated by leveraging multiple data sources, including physician & patient level data utilizing programs & tools; (iii) Integrate & synthesize information to report key insights to internal stakeholders; & (iv) creating analytic models that address critical issues & meet key business criteria & key technical criteria. Employer will accept any suitable combination of education, training or experience related to the job opportunity. 15% domestic travel required. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF23194H.

Senior Analyst, Marketing Business Intelligence Senior Analyst, Marketing Business Intelligence, AbbVie US LLC, North Chicago, IL & various & unanticipated worksite locations throughout the US [Remote]. Collaborate with stakeholders to understand analytic needs across the business & provide accurate & actionable analysis to support their critical business decisions. Design innovative analytic approaches to test hypotheses, extract actionable insights by identifying patterns in structured & unstructured data. Develop recommendations to drive business performance by

utilizing statistical analysis & modeling, A/B Testing, Python, SQL programming, Tableau & MS Excel. Apply advanced analytics techniques such as core statistical methods, data mining & data visualization to extract actionable insights through analysis of large-scale, highdimensional data. Write SQL queries in Snowflake to extract data from data warehouse in order to answer Adhoc analytics questions and show trends. Responsible for developing dashboards to enable clear visibility into business performance utilizing SQL programming, Tableau & MS Excel. Enable clear visibility into business performance by building & maintaining dashboards using Tableau Desktop. Publish, schedule & maintain dashboards using Tableau Online. Responsible for following Agile methodology & organize projects & tasks using Jira. Provide documentation of work & create data dictionaries in Confluence. Work with data engineers to ensure accurate & up-to-date data powers each analysis. Employ experience with modern visualization & programming tools such as SQL programming, Tableau, Looker, MS Excel, ETL, etc. Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Computer Science, Industrial & Systems Engineering or a highly related field of study. with 3 years of related progressive experience in: (i) designing innovative analytic approaches to test hypotheses, extract actionable insights by identifying patterns in structured & unstructured data; (ii) developing recommendations to drive business performance by utilizing statistical analysis and modeling, Python, SQL programming, Tableau & MS Excel; (iii) applying advanced analytics techniques such as core statistical-modeling, data visualization & data mining to extract actionable insights through analysis of large-scale, highdimensional data; (iv) developing dashboards to enable clear visibility into business performance utilizing SQL programming, Tableau & MS Excel; & (v) modern visualization and programming tools such as SQL programming, Tableau, Looker, MS Excel, ETL, etc. 100% Telecommuting Permitted. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF23207S.

Project Designer, Chicago. Develop 3D models, structural system & component designs. Perform computations for loading conditions. Review design drawings against design intent. Travel to local job sites. Bach in civil eng./ related, 6 mos exp. Civil/ structural eng., familiar w/ MATLAB, FEA software required. Mail res., cov. Let. To R. Magruder, Goodfriend Magruder Structure LLC, 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste. 340, Chicago, IL 60604.

DePaul University seeks Instructors for Chicago, IL location to teach courses in degree & credential programs in the Dep of Leadership, Language, & Curriculum & Value-Creating Edu for Global Citizenship, Bilingual-Bicultural Edu & Curriculum Studies. Ph.D. in Value-Creating Edu for Global Citizenship/Curriculum Studies/related field req’d. 5% telecommuting permitted. Apply online: https://apply.interfolio. com/143583, REQ ID: 136201

Paralegal sought by Kriezelman Burton & Associates in Chicago, IL to assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal docs & researching legal precedent. Reqs Bach deg in any field. Mst hv perm auth to wrk in US. Snd rsm & cvr lttr to 200 W Adams, Ste 2211, Chicago, IL 60606.

Culinary Arts Instructor – Summer Chicago Community Organization seeks a creative, energetic, artistic individual as Instructor Cake Decorator of a youth program at Olive Harvey College. Experience and knowledge in cake and pastry decorating, sculpting, cake design, and clean presentation exhibitions. Able to work as part of a team and teach a class of young people aged 14 -15. For more information contact Ms. Williams at 773-517-5108.

Middle Office Sr. Analyst CTC Trading Group, LLC seeks a Middle O ce Sr. Analyst in Chicago, IL to assist with various reporting and reconciliations including P&L, capital, volume, and key metrics. Telecommuting is permitted. Apply at https://www. jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref # 60246.

Network Optimization Engineer Miniat Holdings LLC in South Holland, IL seeks a Network Optimization Engineer to order, structure and visualize manufacturing data to drive up OEE and foster lean manufacturing processes. Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related. Must have 1 year experience in job offered, Mechanical En-

gineer, Systems Engineer or related experience in Operational/Production Engineering. Must have have gained the following either through education or experience: Structured Query Language (SQL) (2) Design, develop and test optimization using MATLAB (3) Using Autodesk - AutoCAD to design and develop graphical calculations manufacturing solutions (4) Design and update piping and instrumentation diagrams to troubleshoot mechanical issues (5) Optimize heat transfer variables to match capacity demands and pinpoint potential thermal inefficiencies. Apply online at https:// www.miniat. com/aboutus/careers/. Refer to Job ID: VC24

Sr. Scientist I – Cell & Molecular Biologist Sr. Scientist I - Cell & Molecular Biologist, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL. Design, execute, & interpret critical experiments to answer scientific questions. Generate & test hypothesis by designing, performing, & interpreting laboratory-based experiments. Read literature critically & analyze genomic data to support these activities. Develop in vitro & in vivo screening assays in collaboration with therapeutic area scientists by generating cell lines, developing lentiviral & RNP delivery methods, & integrating & optimizing screening protocols. Responsible for transfection, lentiviral transduction, flow cytometry, cell sorting, next generation sequencing, & performing CRISPR screens in neuronal & glial cell types. Perform pooled & arrayed CRISPR screens with FACS-based molecular & functional assays on immortalized cell lines, primary cells, & iPSC-derived cells. Work closely with NGS & bioinformatics scientists to process genomic samples, analyze screening results, & generate screening hits for follow-up studies. Investigate novel screening hits in the context of disease biology by generating & testing hypothesis using a variety of biochemical, molecular, cellular, & genomic assays. Utilize molecular analytic methods including DNA/RNA isolation, PCR/qPCR, molecular cloning, genotyping, &/or western blot. Map candidate genes to known disease genetic networks through experimental & bioinformatic approaches. Learn, understand, & master new experimental techniques, & act as a resource or mentor for others. Perform RNA-sequencing, RNAi (shRNA/siRNA), & CRISPR gene editing. Collaborate and communicate with cross-functional scientists on experimental designs

and results and scientific goals. Report research progress to management on a regular basis, provide project updates to cross-functional project teams, and provide scientific presentations to department and other internal scientific forums.

Seek and advance opportunities to present research results at external scientific conferences & publish high-impact articles in peer-reviewed journals. Must possess a PhD or foreign academic equivalent in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, or a closely related scientific field with an academic or industrial background in: (i) transfection, lentiviral transduction, flow cytometry, cell sorting, next generation sequencing, & performing CRISPR screens in neuronal & glial cell types; (ii) molecular analytic methods including DNA/RNA isolation, PCR/ qPCR, molecular cloning, genotyping, &/or western blot; & (iii)RNA-sequencing, RNAi (shRNA/siRNA), & CRISPR gene editing. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF23197A

Energy Modeling Specialist exp U.S. Services Inc. is seeking a Energy Modeling Specialist in Chicago, IL to Dvlp, implement, & validate energy models for various building/project types, energy systems, & technologies using IESVE (Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment), or relevant software tools as reqd. 100% remote work allowed; can live anywhere in the US. Co headquarters in Chicago, IL. Apply at www. exp.com, search for job# 108066

IN-HOUSE COUNSEL Electronics recycling svc co. seeks a f/t In-House Counsel. Req. J.D. plus 2yr exp as Attorney or InHouse Counsel using MS Office & legal research tools (including Westlaw and Lexis). Req. Illinois Bar. Jobsite: Chicago, IL. Send resume to: Jenny Cheng, jennyc@ rdirecycling.com. RDI, Inc. EOE.

Sales Engineer in Itasca, Illinois to utilize advanced knowledge of and experience with products and service offerings, and an understanding of the customer’s business to develop customized proposals that present creative solutions and successfully sell the organization’s capabilities. (if applicants apply via ER website). Bachelor’s degree in engineering in any field combined with industry experience in lithium battery manufacturing req’d. 5 yrs’ of experience as Development Engineer, Sales Engineer or related or

comparable occupation within the industry req’d. Requires one week per month domestic travel to visit customer with locations varying. For position details & to apply, visit: Sugino Corp @ https://suginocorp.com/ about-sugino-corp-usa/ careers/

Engineer, Technology II Engineer, Technology II, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL & various & unanticipated worksite locations throughout the US [Remote]. Responsible for coding to organizational corporate standards to ensure Cloud & OS security compliance. Assist developers with application & code deployment, including code deployed utilizing CI/CD processes & standards of practice. Assist developers with code remediation when necessary to align with corporate Cloud & OS security & compliance. Implement new code to keep up with the agile demand of organizational R&D. Responsible for utilizing knowledge of multiple automation toolsets & programming languages for both on premise & cloud computing deployments. Collaborate with various business units to provide consultation & support on-premise hardware & cloud solutions with a focus on best practices and security. Responsible for designing, executing, & supporting cloud services & environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Investigate & engineer new technologies to enhance & secure on-premise & cloud platforms utilizing integration & automation tools such as GIT, Jenkins, Ansible, python, YAML, JSON, PowerShell, Bash, CloudFormation & Terraform. Employ experience with cloud native AWS security tools such as Systems Manager, Config, CloudTrail, CloudWatch, & IAM. Utilize experience with various Operating System core components such as Windows & Linux. Review architectural diagrams for proposed solutions & implementing standard cloud or on-premise services based on computer, data & security requirements.

Manage automated configuration & deployments of Operating Systems for both on-premise & Cloud. Develop scripts for automating client & server functions. Employ experience in networking & core internet protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, SMTP. HTTP, & distributed networks). Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support the engineering & implementation of new cloud applications or solutions. Provide 3rd level support to operational teams to ensure incident & problem management is a mechanism

that feeds continuous improvements. Assist development teams with proof-of-concept cloud services & implementations. Responsible for collaborating with the architecture team in strategy & adhering to corporate standards regarding applicable corporate &division policies. Must possess a Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Computer Science, Digital Sciences or a highly related field of study with at least 4 years of related experience in: (i) utilizing knowledge of multiple automation toolsets & programming languages for both on-premise & cloud computing deployments; (ii) designing, executing, and supporting cloud services & environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS); (iii) investigating & engineering new technologies to enhance & secure on-premise and cloud platforms utilizing integration & automation tools such as GIT, Jenkins, Ansible, python, YAML, JSON, PowerShell, Bash, CloudFormation & Terraform; (iv) employing experience with cloud native AWS security tools such as Systems Manager, Config, CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and IAM; & (v) networking and core internet protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, SMTP. HTTP, & distributed networks). 100% telecommuting permitted. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF23196G.

Computer Systems

Engineers

Computer Systems Engineers, Schaumburg, IL: Involve in bi-weekly sprint cycles of Agile Scrum methodology workflow. Create test cases on analyzing the business requirement and providing to the product owner representing the progress against the status of dependencies, Issues, blockers, and risks and developing them on Android platform. Travel/ reloc to various unanticipated U.S. locs. Send res to: Rigelsky, Inc. at 120 W Golf Rd, Suite 106, Schaumburg, IL 60195 or email: info@rigelsky.com

Vice President, Information Technology Esperanza Health Centers seeks Vice President, Information Technology in Chicago, IL to maximize business intelligence systems, including medical services, operation, billing, finance, development, population health. Requires bachelor’s in comp. sci., comp. engg or rltd; 7 yrs exp. as an IT professional or rltd; 5 yrs exp. in managerial role working w/ healthcare data. Exp. must include using data management & analysis tools & creating advanced reports w/ data visualization concepts. Telecommuting

permitted from Chicago area. Send CV to hr@ esperanzachicago.org.

Associate Associate Brand Technology Consultant, Abbvie Inc., Mettawa, Illinois. Responsible for supporting execution of brand strategy through various data, integration, & technology projects. Forge relationships within the US Commercial Oncology team to support achievement of critical milestones by tracking key projects & initiatives & coordinate team responses to critical issues. Responsible for planning & overseeing multiple projects at once from ideation to completion, including helping secure cross-functional alignment on project scope, benefits, cost, & timeline. Work effectively across IT Shared Services teams, external third-party service providers, & other commercial business stakeholders. Utilize tools such as quality assurance testing, Waterfall, SDLC, Oracle, SQL, & Web Services Testing (SOAP & Restful). Work directly with business stakeholders to understand specific brand strategies, evaluate brand current state, collaborate on ideation, analysis, & strategy of digital tactics. Investigate & understand capabilities of existing systems & technologies already in use across business units, & similar & interconnected business areas in AbbVie. Investigate available technologies applies to this business area in industry. Identify information required to support business strategy & lead development of appropriate information management strategies. Write test cases, test scenarios & tracking defects, Multi Release, Enterprise, UAT, SUT, DST, Regression testing. Execute end-toend and performance test cases. Seek out business opportunities for the application of new or existing technology capabilities with business leads, providing them with comprehensive analyses and insights to help them discover strategic use of technology products and services. Decompose business needs into accurate system requirements and test cases using various methods (visualization, process flows, user stories, etc.). Interface with IT capability teams & influence by providing suggestions for future capability direction & enhancements that would benefit supporting business with their strategies & roadmap. Ally with other BTOs to remain current on project status & inform business of progress. Identify the impact of any relevant internal or external regulations on organization’s use of information. Evaluate business requirements

& translates them into capability requirements. Must possess Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, or a highly related field with at least 5 years of practical experience in the following:

(i) utilizing tools such as quality assurance testing, Waterfall, SDLC, Oracle, SQL, and Web Services Testing (SOAP & Restful);

(ii) writing test cases, test scenarios & tracking defects, Multi Release, Enterprise, UAT, SUT, DST, Regression testing; (iii) executing end-to-end & performance test cases; & (iv) decomposing business needs into accurate system requirements & test cases using various methods (visualization, process flows, user stories, etc.). Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF23447P.

Manager, IT Operations Manager, IT Operations, AbbVie Endocrinology Inc., North Chicago, Illinois. Drive IT Operations activities within AbbVie Endocrinology, Inc. (AEI) Business Unit. Responsible for supervising job responsibilities for 5 direct reports 1 Business Systems Analyst, Patient Care Solutions & 4 Consultants). Utilize ITIL or ITSM framework for IT service delivery using Service Now & similar tools. Responsible for overall operations & governance of AEI’s applications in line with AbbVie’s operations &ITIL service delivery framework. Measure, monitor & provide transparency of AEI’s application health to AEI business & leadership. Establish & maintain strategic level working relationship with functional counterparts in Technology Domain teams. Employ understanding of pharmaceutical business & experience with HIPAA guidelines. Serve as initial contact point for strategic initiatives initiated by Technology Domains teams that require AEI’s support & resources. Responsible for employing Relationship Management & influencing skills for both technical & non-technical audiences.

Manage & certify compliance with the Change, Release, Deployment & other Service Transition processes. Employ design & development experience using various programming languages, databases & technologies such as Java, .NET, Python, XML, JSON, Webservices, PL-SQL, Oracle, Teradata, Redshift, Informatica PowerCenter, Mercury Quality Center, Spotfire, etc. Employ experience working in Agile & scrum using JIRA and confluence, & Data Governance & Master Data Management (MDM) using Informatica MDM, IBM Infosphere.

Responsible for Function as overall Governance lead, to ensure common practices and processes across AEI applications. Employ experience with Program Management (e.g. Service Delivery, Budget, Performance Management, etc.) using Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) tools such as Broadcom’s Clarity and SAP Fieldglass.

Employ experience in all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) including inception, planning, requirements, design, development, quality assurance, deployment & operations.

Responsible for overall Demand, budget & resource management for applications under the area to interact with business users, Technology Domain team & infrastructure team to understand prioritize minor enhancements demand & drive the enhancements with service provider. Employ experience with business processes improvement, transformations, digitization, & modernization. Serve as an AbbVie primary contact point & Primary level of escalation for Incidents & Problems. Assist prioritization & escalation of systems recovery issues with service provider, cross functional teams, domain teams & infrastructure teams. Manage relationship with vendors & AbbVie’s internal IT groups to ensure superior service delivery for all application maintenance & activities. Employ understanding of systems & infrastructure such a Cloud, networks, datacenters, storage, VDI, VPN, different service models- PaaS, DbaaS, IaaS & business continuity Plan (BCP). Provide guidance & direction to other professionals, act in consulting &/or advisory capacity, coordinates highly complex problems & tasks, & processed to meet & operate under deadlines. Must possess Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a closely-related field of study with at least 4 years of experience as an analyst or related position. Must also have 4 years of experience in: (i) (i) ITIL or ITSM framework for IT service delivery using Service Now & similar tools; (ii) pharmaceutical business & experience with HIPAA guidelines;

(iii) Relationship Management & influencing skills for both technical & non-technical audiences;

(iv) design & development experience using various programming languages, databases & technologies such as Java, .NET, Python, XML, JSON, Webservices, PL-SQL, Oracle, Teradata, Redshift, Informatica PowerCenter, Mercury Quality

Center, Spotfire, etc.; (v) experience working in Agile & scrum using JIRA & confluence, & Data Governance & Master Data Management (MDM) using Informatica MDM, IBM Infosphere; (vi) Program Management (e.g. Service Delivery, Budget, Performance Management, etc.) using Project & Portfolio Management (PPM) tools such as Broadcom’s Clarity & SAP Fieldglass; (vii) all phases of software development lifecycle (SDLC) including inception, planning, requirements, design, development, quality assurance, deployment & operations; (viii) business processes improvement, transformations, digitization, & modernization; & (xi) Understanding of systems & infrastructure such a Cloud, networks, datacenters, storage, VDI, VPN, different service models- PaaS, DbaaS, IaaS & business continuity Plan (BCP). Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference REF23444Q.

Sales Dvlpmnt Representative Sales Dvlpmnt Representative @ Stripe, Inc. (Chicago, IL and various unanticipated locations across the US) Work w Demand Gen & the Account Executive team to qualify leads & collaboratively build Stripe’s sales pipeline. Job req’s Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance or rltd & 6 months of exp in user qualification & outreach. Salary: $79,002-$89,002/ year. To be considered, applicants must send resume to ad-reply@ stripe.com ref job code 3747794.

IT POSITIONS Schaumburg, IL & various unanticipated locations throughout the US: PACKAGING DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERS: Dsgn, dvlp, & implmnt cmpnts used for pkgng of incmng raw mtrls, final prod, & prod shpmnt. Prfrm Gap anlysis on exist doc to align w/latest stndrds. Rvw vldtn docs include process vldtn plan docs, risk assessmt, traceability mtrx, & smmry rprts. Idtfy root causes for qlty issues & cmplnce concerns & implmt corrctve actions. Master’s in Sci, Tech, or Engg (any) req’d. QUALITY ENGINEERS: Lead & partcpte in invstgtns, dvlp plans & excte tasks to solve procss prblms include Non conformances (NC), complaint invstgtns & audit obsrvtns. Dsgn & dvlp Risk Mgmt plan & DFMEA & PFMEA. Dvlp & excte commssnng, IQ & PV protcls, changes requests, gap & root cause anlysis, smmry rprts for facilities, equip & processes. Write engg change orders rltd to CAPAs. Prep & submit docmt for qlty cmplnce to regltry authrties. Master’s

in Sci, Tech, or Engg (any) w/1 yr exp in job offrd or rltd occup req’d.

BOTH JOBS: Mail CV: HR, Worklance, Inc., 1821 Walden Office Square, Ste 400, Schaumburg, IL 60173.

SCM Team Lead SCM Team Lead, Downers Grove, IL - Req: BS/ forgn equiv deg in Busi, Mgmt Information Sytms, Logistics, or a rel fld & at least 6 mon exp in supply chain mgmt, logistics & warehouse mgmt within food industry. CV: HR, CJ America Inc., 2001 Butterfield Rd, Ste 720, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

Scaled Customer Success Manager Scaled Customer Success Manager @ Stripe, Inc. (Chicago, IL and various unanticipated locations across the US) Help scope, build, & deliver ongoing product adoption, payments performance, & user advocacy engagements to a book of customers. Job req’s Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business or rltd & 5 yrs of exp in a client-facing role in customer success, consulting, financial services, sales, or working with a technical product. Salary: $145,059-$155,059/year. To be considered, applicants must send resume to ad-reply@stripe.com ref job code 3532201.

Technology Consultant, Architect Slalom’s Chicago, IL office has multiple openings for Technology Consultant, Architect (various types/ levels): Design and develop solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Must be available to work on projects at various, unanticipated sites within commuting distance of Slalom, Inc.’s Chicago, Illinois office. Some telecommuting is permitted. TO APPLY: Go to www.jobpostingtoday. com, search for job ID 12192 & submit resume.

Partner – Chicago, IL

Lead and manage domestic and cross-border infrastructure and other energy-related projects, including renewable energy. Represent private and public investors, developers, utilities, and sponsors in connection with the development, acquisition, sale, and financing of infrastructure and energy assets in the United States and abroad. Review, prepare, analyze, and negotiate legal agreements for these transactions. Assign and review legal research, and provide legal advice to address the complex legal problems that arise in these transactions. Supervise 7 Associate lawyers. Monday - Friday 40+ hours per week. Requires a United

States Juris Doctor (J.D.) or alternatively a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree, or the foreign equivalent; admission as a lawyer to the Illinois Bar; and eight years of experience as a projects lawyer with a focus on the energy sector. Also requires passing background checks.

Send resume and cover letter to Jenna Weissman, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. No phone calls or agencies.

(Waukegan, IL) Yaskawa America, Inc. seeks Senior SAP Functional Developer/Analyst w bach or for deg equiv in CS, Eng, Bus or rel fld & 5 yrs exp in job offer or in bus. Must have config exp w S/4 HANA/CRM S/W in folwg modules: SD, CRM-Sales/Svc Mktg; & SAP’s Order-toCash & Procure-to-Pay proc. Apply to HR, 2121 Norman Drive South, Waukegan, IL 60085 or https://www.yaskawa. com/about-us/careers

Office Manager Office Manager: Naperville IL. Manage office op. Acquire new clients. Maintain key clients, build relationships. Coop w/external suppliers. Negotiate contracts, close deals w/design, tech, prod departments. Cocreate strategies, introduce prod to new markets. Customer support. Prep contracts, docs for acc. Market services through social media, advertising tools. Create, oversee budget, expenses. Intake of new employees & subcontractors. 2 yrs exp. Bachelor’s in any business related field. Res: Custom Works, Inc. contact@ thecustomworks.com

ACCOUNTING

Rakuten Marketing LLC (dba Rakuten Advertising) has the following openings in Chicago, IL. Senior Accountant for Consolidated Billing and Reporting (Job Code: RMKT-PM-M112) – Collect data & manage the full billing process for various media publishers. Wage range $87,372 - $137,592 /yr. Telecommuting is permitted. To apply: send resume to globalm_jobs@rakuten. com. Must ref. job code in subj line.

Network Engineer Network Engineer. Design, engineer, implement network sol’ns. Wolverine Trading Technologies, LLC, Chicago, IL. Master’s deg. (Comp. Eng. or related) req’d. Min. 1 yr. exp. req’d. in network engineering pos’ns (s) involving a) Splunk & other software platforms to troubleshoot network issues related to BGP, EIGRP, OSPF network protocols, & b) deploying

Wireshark to carry out forensics & capture data re network bugs &/or network failures. Prior exp. Must incl. rendering network eng. Services for financial industry.

Resumes to: Recruiting, Wolverine Trading Technologies, LLC, 175 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, Illinois 60604 or via email networkeng@wolve.com.

Bakery Business Developer Bakery Business Developer: Responsible for bakery business dvlpt & sale. Strategic goals incl cost savings. Evaluate, select, manage supplier partnerships. Resolve quality issues. Source materials for new product dvlpt. Distribute bakery products, research new clients, markets. Establish relationships w/existing & new clients. Bachelor’s degree in any business-related field. 2 yrs exp in bakery mngt or bakery prod. Res: Markpol Distributors, Inc, 955 Lively Blvd, Wood Dale IL 60191

Senior Modelling Scientist LanzaTech Inc. seeks a Senior Modelling Scientist in Skokie, IL to analyze data, build metabolic models, and apply these to design new microbial strains. Reqs. PhD + 1yr exp. or MS + 3 yrs. exp. To apply mail resume to LanzaTech, Attn: HR, 8045 Lamon Ave, Suite 400, Skokie, Illinois 60077. Reference Job Title & Job Code: 000059.

Assistant Professor Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL. Teach graduate courses focused on child development & research. Advise graduate & doctoral students. Participate on at least one standing committee. Develop active program of funded research w/publications. Req: PhD in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field w/coursework in advanced child development and quantitative research methods. Apply online: www.erikson.edu/ careers.

Assoc. Cnsltnt, Field Engr – (Chicago, IL), WSP USA: Read & undrstnd prjct contrct docs, incldng constrctn drawings and specs. 10% dom trvl to local prjct sites req’d. Reqs: Bach’s (or frgn equiv) in Civil Engg, Cnstrctn Mgmt, or a rltd fld; 6mos’ exp as Civil/Prjct Engr, Cnstctn

Estmtr, or a rltd pos. Will acpt intrnshp exp. Email resume to jobs@wsp. com, Ref: 2186.

Softw Eng Softw Eng @ Stripe, Inc. (Chicago, IL & various unanticipated locations across the US) Design, build, & maintain APIs, services, & systms across Stripes engg teams using Ruby, Scala, & Go. Job req’s Bachelor’s degree in Comp Sci or rltd & 1 yr of Softw engg exp. Salary: $153,041-$163,041/ year. To be considered, applicants must send resume to ad-reply@ stripe.com ref job code 3140933.

Accountant This position will prepare, examine, and analyze accounting records and financial statements to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards. Employer: Green Electronic Solutions, Inc. Location: South Holland, IL. To apply, mail resume to C. Xiong at 510 W 172nd St., South Holland, IL 60473.

Software Engineer (Adyen N.V.; Chicago, IL): Design, implement, test, and monitor new functionalities to the platform. Salary: $150,000 to $160,000/year. Send resume to resumes@ adyen.com

Gastroenterologist Sinai Medical Group seeks Gastroenterologist in Chicago to diagnose & treat digestive disorders. Requires medical degree or equiv., IL physician license & completion of residency in internal medicine & fellowship in gastroenterology. Worksites: Mount Sinai Hospital & Holy Cross Hospital. Send CV to F. Copeland at fran.copeland@sinai. org.

Manager, Competitive Intelligence Manager, Competitive Intelligence, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL. Provide an objective commercial viewpoint of potential disruptive forces & pending market & competitive drivers, based on an in-depth understanding & analysis of healthcare dynamics, commercial, clinical, & scientific competitive information.

Lead Competitive Intelligence (CI) strategy within specified therapeutic

areas to ensure franchise teams have actionable intelligence by escalating the business implications of competitor’s activities and disruptive market events and trends to near and long-term strategies. Drive and execute CI plan by leading the collection of CI from secondary sources such as Biomedtracker. Manage external vendors, as well as synthesize and disseminating intelligence and associated implications. Coordinate, plan and execute company-wide CI activities at scientific conferences and consolidate and report back critical findings and implications. Act as CI expert, demonstrating awareness and understanding of appropriate CI applications and key internal and external data/information sources. Partner with MABI across the organization to incorporate clinical, medical, access, and regulatory perspectives that inform CI viewpoint and implications. Ensure all CI activities are conducted in accordance with financial and ethical compliance guidelines. Partner with Global Competitive Intelligence team to minimize overlap and optimize CI investment. Manage competitive intelligence research within agreed upon budgets and timelines. 20% domestic travel required. Position requires work at various and unanticipated work locations throughout the U.S. 100% telecommuting permissible. Most possess a Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Business Administration, Pharmaceutical Science or a highly related field of study with 5 years of related experience. In the alternative, employer will accept a Master’s degree in the aforementioned fields plus 2 years of related experience. Each educational alternative with at least two (2) years of experience in the following: (i) collection of CI from secondary sources such as Biomedtracker; (ii) ensuring all CI activities are conducted in accordance with financial and ethical compliance guidelines; (iii) managing external vendors and synthesizing and disseminating intelligence and associated implications; & (iv) managing competitive intelligence research within agreed upon budgets and timelines. 20% domestic travel required. Position requires work at various and unanticipated work locations throughout the U.S. 100% telecommuting permissible. Employer will accept any suitable combination of education, training, or experience. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF23814Y.

Senior Associate, Regulatory Lifecycle Management

Senior Associate, Regulatory Lifecycle Management, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL. Responsible for monitoring the activity in Cosmos (the Regulatory Information Management system) for assigned portfolio products and ensuring the completeness and accuracy of RIM data in the Cosmos system. Work with submission teams and provide appropriate guidance for managing the lifecycle of product submissions, applications and authorizations in Cosmos as described in functional area procedures. Work within an electronic Regulatory Information Management (RIM) system (e.g. Cara Life Science Platform) to create product, application and authorization data for pharmaceutical, device and cosmetic products in alignment with defined data standards. Determine system properties appropriate for the classification type/ submission type of object desired by the business in Cosmos. Utilize knowledge of regulatory submissions process. Build submission and correspondence history within the RIM system for complex regulatory applications. Elevate non-compliant records appropriately to the business user or regulatory admin for resolution using AbbVie change management expectations. Responsible for educating internal customers on Regulatory information issues including commercial, public affairs, clinical development, legal, quality and others who contribute to RIM. Extract data from the RIM system to address common regulatory reporting needs (e.g. Global Marketing Authorization report). Review complex issues and problem resolution successes and setbacks to assist in future problem-solving applications/ options. Prepare routine communications for functional area and senior leadership as requested. Execute business processes for activity type and product information management within Cosmos. 100% telecommunicating permitted. Must possess a Bachelor’s degree or foreign academic equivalent in Pharmacy, Biology, Chemistry, or a closely related field of study with at least 2 years of related experience in the following: (i) experience working within an electronic Regulatory Information Management (RIM) system (e.g. Cara Life Science Platform) to create product, application and authorization data for pharmaceutical, device and cosmetic products in alignment with defined data standards; (ii) knowledge of

regulatory submissions process; (iii) experience building submission and correspondence history within the RIM system for complex regulatory applications; & (iv) extracting data from the RIM system to address common regulatory reporting needs (e.g. Global Marketing Authorization report). 100% Telecommuting permitted. Apply online at https://careers.abbvie. com/en & reference REF23808D.

MULTIPLE I.T. POSITIONS MULTIPLE I.T. POSITIONS Itasca, IL area. Software Developers: Research, design, implement & manage software programs.

Annual salary: $144,560. Computer Programmers: Involvement in all phases of server-side and client-side development using model driven architecture. Annual salary: $123,614. Business Systems Analysts: SME for SAP FI & CO modules. Gather & identify system requirements. Annual salary: $120,328. All positions require travel / relocate to various unanticipated U.S. locs as reqd. Send res to: Sierra Consulting Inc., 650 E Devon Ave., Ste. 115, Itasca, IL 60143.

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SAVAGE LOVE

SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

Priced out

Dating someone who wants to keep going to sex workers, and getting back into the swing of things a er a 15 year break

By DAN SAVAGE

Q : My boyfriend wants my permission to see sex workers. He did this quite a bit before we were together. He goes to Canada, where the laws are different than in the U.S. and it’s supposedly safer. He says he’s just trying to be open and honest about his desire for variety and that I should be glad he doesn’t want to cheat.

To me, that sounds like a thinly veiled threat to

cheat with or without my permission. He says it’s not like that. Ideally, he (a 53-year-old man) would prefer a sexually open relationship, while I (a 46-yearold woman) would prefer more of a “monogamish” situation.

We were friends for 20 years before we started dating. We have great sex (though not as much as I would like), we get along great otherwise, and have a

wonderful time together.

This is definitely our biggest issue. Am I being closed minded or a prude to deny him the variety he desires?

I consider myself pretty open minded, but I am extremely triggered by this. I’m not completely closed to adventures. I’m open to threesomes, sex parties, etc., but those are scenarios where we are doing something together.

I’ve been in consensual

nonmonogamous relationships in the past but I don’t have the energy for that at this point in my life. Safety concerns aside, I have moral hang-ups about sex work. All I can think is, “What self-respecting woman would put up with this?”

The other thing is that he has a long history of dating much younger women— sometimes as much as 20 years younger than him. I may be the first “age-appropriate” girlfriend he’s ever had.

a: A particular phrase came to mind as I read your letter, VIV, but not one that will come as a comfort: irreconcilable differences

You can’t reconcile yourself to your boyfriend seeing sex workers. Your boyfriend can’t reconcile himself to monogamy and/or the kind of nonmonogamy you might be willing to explore (if you were interested in exploring nonmonogamy . . . which it doesn’t sound like you are).

make something happen for himself (seeing sex workers on business trips) than wait on things that might never happen (attending sex parties with you). It’s also possible your boyfriend prefers sex one-on-one—with you and other partners—over the kind of group play you might be willing to indulge him in.

While I know I am still very attractive and sexy and I get hit on all the time, the reality is that I will never be young and firm again. The sex workers he hires are both of those things. What do you think, Dan? Are we doomed? Can we both find fulfillment in this relationship? Or should we let each other go?—VERKLEMPT IN VERMONT

While sex parties, swinging, threesomes, and other forms of nonmonogamy where the couple plays together appeals to you in theory, VIV, it doesn’t seem to hold much appeal in practice. And if you told your boyfriend what you told me (that you don’t have the energy for nonmonogamy anymore), he may fear that the promised sex parties and threesomes may never materialize. So, for variety’s sake, he would rather get your permission to

Which means you two are at an impasse. Your boyfriend needs a particular thing to be happy—a permission slip from his partner to see sex workers—and you need the opposite thing. You need not just a promise from your partner to refrain from seeing sex workers, but ideally a partner with no interest in having sex outside the relationship at all.

And he’s not that guy.

If I may paraphrase Maya Angelou: when someone starts dropping unambiguous hints about who they are, take the hint the first time.

While your boyfriend didn’t explicitly say he is incapable

Your boyfriend needs a particular thing to be happy and you need the opposite. JURIEN HUGGINS/UNSPLASH

of honoring a monogamous commitment, he made it pretty clear that he’d rather not make one. I think the tell here, VIV, is that he said seeing sex workers with your permission was a better choice than cheating while failing to include not seeing sex workers on his short list of possible options.

So, is this relationship doomed?

It sounds like you crazy kids have a lot going for you: a long history, good sex (if not enough), and a lot of affection. But one of you is gonna have to give in—one of you is going to have to pay the price of admission— to make this relationship work. And if your boyfriend agrees not to see sex workers in exchange for a promise from you to have threesomes someday, you’re going to feel pressured to do things you may not wanna do, VIV, and verifying he’s not cheating on you is gonna be tricky. You’ll either have to take him at his word or never let him out of your sight. And the fact that you already feel like he’s making veiled threats to cheat is a bad sign—unless you’re willing to set your fears aside, and/or suspend your disbelief, and/or embrace tolyamory (putting up with acts a partner engages in with others for the sake of the relationship).

P.S. Alexander Cheves— author, writer, memoirist, and sex worker—walked into the cafe in Berlin where I was working on my response to your question, VIV. Since Cheves writes a sex advice column himself, I asked him to take a look at your question and share his thoughts.

“First, not all sex workers are women,” Cheves said, “and sex work isn’t just supposedly safer where sex work is legal, it is safer. And I guess I’d say to VIV that the fact her boyfriend is being transparent makes him a good potential partner. He’s laid out his ‘price of admission,’

as you call it, Dan, and now VIV has to decide if that’s a price she can pay. In general, I think people have too many dealbreakers, but not wanting the same kind of relationship—not wanting monogamy or not wanting the same versions of nonmonogamy—is often a sign that, yes, a relationship is doomed.”

Q: I’m a slightly bisexual but mostly gay man. Recently, thanks to diabetic medication, I lost a significant amount of weight (without meaning to) and I find myself unexpectedly interested in dating, companionship, and SEX for the first time in years!

I haven’t been in a relationship in 20 years and haven’t had sex in at least 15 years. With testosterone replacement therapy and improved sexual function in addition to my improved general health, I am ready to reconnect sexuality. But I haven’t pursued dating since before the turn of the century!

Technology has changed, dating has changed, and my physical abilities have changed so much that I am unsure of how to proceed. I’m even a little nervous and scared.

Hiring an escort service— bespoke sex for compensation—sounds like a good option. I am also open to encounters that include physical affection without sex.

I am so overwhelmed by new choices and lack of knowledge about choices, I feel frozen. Any advice on how to defrost would be greatly appreciated. —BACK ON TOP

a: “BOT has already answered his own question,” said Cheves. “He has an idea that an escort would be helpful—and I [agree]—and he’s talking about taking baby steps as he eases back into sex and intimacy. And taking

those small, manageable baby steps with someone you trust rather than diving in headlong is a good idea. He’s already giving himself the kind advice I would give him if he’d written to me.”

So, take some good and accurate pictures, create a profile, and thank your lucky stars that you’re getting back out there at a moment when everyone seems to want a hot daddy. And in addition to booking some time with an escort or two, look into hiring a gay life coach. Just as there are guys out there who make a living taking dick, there are guys out there who make a living helping other gay men learn how to navigate gay life, hookup apps, etc.

“Learning how to communicate online, learning how to make emotional connections, and learning how to tell sex and romance apart: some lessons he needs to learn, and some he may have forgotten and needs to relearn. Also, he should bear in mind that, even though he’s older, there’s gonna be knowledge and experience gaps between him and his partners, even if they’re younger than he is. He’s going to have to learn a new language—communicating on the apps—and he’s going to make mistakes. He’s also going to have a few unrequited crushes and he might get his heart broken. And while those experiences are painful, they’re essential to the process.”

You can follow Alexander Cheves on X (formerly Twitter) at @BadAlexCheves. His 2021 book My Love Is a Beast: Confessions is on Amazon and other places books are sold. Read Cheves’s advice column Love, Beastly (for guys who are into guys) at lovebeastly.com. v

Ask your burning questions, download podcasts, read full column archives, and more at the URL savage.love. m mailbox@savage.love

First Wednesday: Blues & Beyond Jam with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith

Wed, May 1 & Wed, Jun 5 • 7:30–9:30pm • Café Logan

These sessions, helmed by drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, bring together some of Chicago’s best next-generation blues musicians for each monthly House band to explore the blues and its many connections to other musical forms. Jam sessions are FREE for musicians of all levels and for audience members. Attendees are encouraged to purchase beverages and bites from the Café and consider a donation to support the continuation of the Logan Center’s Blues programming.

Musicians sign-up to jam: logancenter.uchicago.edu/blues boxo ce@uchicago.edu • 773.702.ARTS (2787) @loganUChicago