Chicago Reader print issue of September 26, 2024 (Vol. 53, No. 34)
By TK
IN THIS ISSUE
Aburmishan teaches Palestinian youth at Balata Refugee Camp the tools of comedy.
20 Previews El Brote from Argentina and Desvenar from Mexico explore supporting players and cultural archetypes in the Destinos Festival.
FILM
22 Review Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a horrifyingly absurd exploration of Hollywood’s obsession with beauty.
23 Moviegoer Sunshine and blow jobs
24 Movies of Note Child Star is an empathetic documentary about fame, Never Let Go never quite grabs viewers, and The Wild Robot pairs a simple story with beautiful animation.
MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
25 City of Win WateRR comes to rap as a teacher.
26 Gossip Wolf Tasha returns from her new hometown to celebrate her third album, and Marian Runk reunites players from her second record for a release party.
27 Shows of Note Previews of shows including Warm Love Cool Dreams, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Previous Industries
CLASSIFIEDS
30 Jobs
30 Professionals & Services
30 Auditions
30 Housing
BACK
31 Savage Love Using all the tools to turn an undecided voter
ON THE COVER
ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE READER BY JOI FULTON
MORE FROM FULTON CAN BE FOUND AT JOIFULTON.COM OR ON INSTAGRAM @THEDAINTYHEART.
TO CONTACT ANY READER EMPLOYEE, EMAIL: (FIRST INITIAL)(LAST NAME) @CHICAGOREADER.COM
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SENIOR WRITERS LEOR GALIL, DEANNA ISAACS, BEN JORAVSKY, MIKE SULA
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With their Twelve Ten solo show, Tali Halpern comes into their own as a kind of cyborg artist. RILEY VALENTINE FOR CHICAGO READER
Did you know that October 1 marks the Reader’s 53rd year in print?
That’s 53 years of unrivaled coverage of music, theater, and visual arts. Fifty-three years of deeply observant long-form writing. Fifty-three years of steadfast commitment to tracking Chicago’s culture through the lens of its most important asset—you.
But it costs money to make free journalism. It takes about $53,000 to write, edit, print, and distribute the Reader every week. Since we became a
nonprofit in 2022, we’ve worked hard to cover half of our expenses through our still-strong advertising. But for the other half, just like our storytelling, it also comes down to you—our loyal readers.
So today I am asking you, as the heart and soul of the Reader, to show us some birthday love with a donation. Whether it’s $5.30 a month, $53 right now, or $530 as an extra-special birthday gift, every dollar helps keep the Reader in print.
Your support empowers the Reader to grow and adapt, expand our coverage, tell the stories that need to be told, and
keep Chicago connected. As our editor in chief Salem Collo-Julin says, “Chicago is joy,” and we want to continue spreading joy as far and wide as we can.
Just like Marina City, the John Hancock Center, and Cloud Gate , the Reader is a Chicago icon, and it should be celebrated accordingly. Make your tax-deductible gift today, and join us in making another 53 years of free, local independent journalism possible.
Sincerely,
Solomon Lieberman CEO & Publisher
JOI FULTON
16TH ANNUAL
Reader Letters m
Re: “The revered, the reviled, and the taste of rubber bands,” (about a new book detailing the history of Malört), written by Jonah Nink and published in the September 19 issue (volume 53, number 33)
I had a couple of Malört hangovers back in the day lol. Ouch! Thanks for the memories to Simon’s Tavern in Andersonville.
—@YourPanGranny, via X
WHITNEY M. YOUNG, JR. SERVICE
AWARDS DINNER
October 10, 2024
6pm - VIP Cocktail | 7pm - Program The Ivy Room At Tree Studios
Honoring
Marnetta Harris Cub Scout Leader Pack 3312
Quintin E. Primo III Chairman and CEO of Capri Capital Partners, LLC
Pathway to Adventure Council, Scouting America, warmly invites you to our 16th Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Awards Dinner. Join us in celebrating Marnetta Harris and Quintin E. Primo III, whose extraordinary leadership and service embody our mission to empower and support youth across all communities.
Your support is vital to ensuring that Scouting opportunities reach those who need them most. Secure your spot today and be part of an evening dedicated to empowering the leaders of tomorrow.
REGISTER: Scan the QR code or visit: www.tinyurl.com/WMY24
Questions? Contact: Brooke Parker at Brooke.Parker@scouting.org or 872-298-4050
Re: “A sign of the times,” (on vintage signs in Chicago), written by Miles MacClure and published in the September 19 issue
[Playing] devil’s advocate: let’s not get hidebound. Even if [the] metal structure is OK, there are a dwindling number of folks who can repair neon and mechanical chasers, and replacing with new components can keep a very similar look while being cheaper to maintain and run.
—@mckiesdjlounge, via X
About 25 years ago, I had an idea to do a photo book of Chicago neon signs, with architectural historians, city planners, or historians doing commentary. You could tell the subject was disappearing 25 years ago. Probably too late now —@ramblermania, via X
Find us on socials: facebook.com/chicagoreader twitter.com/Chicago_Reader instagram.com/chicago_reader threads.net/@chicago_reader linkedin.com search chicago-reader
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
“Who rides the bus? People like us!”
When my friend Ann B. came up with that terrific imaginary Greyhound tagline back in 1993, we were fresh o a seven-hour trip on one of the company’s buses that took us from the terminal in what’s now called the West Loop to an outdoor bus stop near our destination in Iowa (another friend was going to college there, if you must know). We had endured a bit of drama—a man with questionable dental habits attempted to sit on Ann’s lap, I misplaced and then found my glasses (and did so three times), and we both learned way too much about the benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk from a chatty seat neighbor.
Regardless, we both felt energized by the possibilities of interstate bus travel (Paul Simon’s song “America” loomed in our pretend-hippie brains) and decided that what Greyhound needed was a “normalization” marketing campaign. “Bus travel: e cient and practical,” I said. “Everyone can do it,” Ann agreed.
This month, contributor Gregory Fairbank went to the Greyhound terminal on Harrison, which may lose their lease at the end of October, and talked to several people there who ride the bus. While the airlines have longcaptured much of the market for interstate travelers, there is still a significant ridership for Greyhound and other bus services, which o er a lower-cost travel solution. It would be advantageous for the owner of the property (which happens to be a subsidiary of Alden Global Capital, killer of newspapers) to come to an agreement with Greyhound to keep the terminal as it is and show Chicago how they truly feel about all of us, their potential customers. v
—Salem Collo-Julin, editor in chief m scollojulin@chicagoreader.com
BREAK CYCLES TO BUILD FUTURES
FOOD & DRINK
What would Fat Jesus do?
Von Harris’s Fat Plate Fridays can pop up in any situation.
By MIKE SULA
Von Harris wanted to cook his Great-Grandma Shortstop’s greens for his high school classmates and teachers. It was one of a series of lunches that served as evaluations for an advanced cooking class called Chef and Restaurant Cooking. For his prep list, the 15-year-old Hinsdale South sophomore requested collard, mustard, and turnip greens, along with smoked turkey wings. But the next day, his teacher instead produced fresh, raw wings and a bottle of liquid smoke.
“I was like, ‘I’ve never used liquid smoke before. I’m not really sure what to do with this.’ And she was like, ‘Oh, just pour it in the pan. It’ll work fine.’ I thought about another process that made sense. I seasoned the turkey wings, and then I poured liquid smoke on them, and I let those sit overnight.” Then he braised the wings until the meat fell off the bone and added the greens.
The Black and Brown kids Harris usually ate with knew something was off. “My table was like ‘What is this? What is going on here?’ It just didn’t have the same flavor. It was almost like using imitation vanilla versus real vanilla.” But they got eaten, and he eventually earned an A in the class.
Back then, Harris dreamt of opening his own restaurants and seriously considered attending culinary school. Since he was little, he’s been absorbing kitchen skills from three grandmothers, his mother, stepfather, and grandfather, who taught him the fine art of low and slow barbecue. But after graduation, something turned him away from the professional kitchen.
“There’s technique, and there’s being a natural, and I think I’ve always been a natural. At that point, I was like, technique is cool. I want to learn technique, but I don’t want to be boxed in.”
Instead, he studied psychology and got into music; he started rapping, promoting shows, and managing artists. One night in a parking garage, he arose from the smoke of a hotboxed car like a vision, and one of his early clients, Roman Flwrs, dubbed him “Fat Jesus.”
“It was empowering of the word ‘fat,’” he says. “It’s just one of those things that kept sticking.”
Seven years ago, he was managing Classick Studios in Ukrainian Village, sleeping and cooking for himself on-site. People started to notice the meals he’d make for himself and whoever happened to be around, with nothing more than a wok, a crock pot, and a hot plate— elaborate presentations of nachos, seafood pasta, or chicken tacos.
Around this time, he developed his smoked wing recipe, rubbed in an herbaceous, smoky, Creole-Latin-influenced blend; the signature recipe was established after a 2017 Los Angeles lock-in with Smino and the Zero Fatigue collective.
Eventually he and Classick owner Chris Inumerable began marketing “Fat Plate Fridays” to draw in more customers to the studio: lunch cooked by Harris, with the cost of ingredients and labor built into the hourly rate of a two-hour session.
When the pandemic shut down the studio, he began cooking out of his Humboldt Park apartment, opening Fat Plate Fridays up to the public for pick-up and delivery, which was detailed in a deep dive by the Triibe.
That kind of publicity, along with his extensive industry contacts, led to catering gigs for weddings; video shoots; a Lululemon sta dinner at which he served Peruvian-style pollo a la brasa, shrimp ceviche, and elotes; and a Modern Notoriety–Adidas–Derrick Rose photo shoot where he featured four variations on the point guard’s favorite—grilled cheese— along with the wings.
Like a lot of cooks behind the underground culinary pivots that flourished during the pandemic, Harris was also working through a mental reckoning. “I have an extremely nurturing nature,” he says. “I spent very many years filling everybody else’s cup. During the pandemic, I kind of realized my cup was very, very, very low, and it wasn’t being replenished.”
Harris cut his artist roster back from a
peak of seven artists to three—Prince Coop, Prodxvzn, Young Pink (formerly Bari)— while he considered what other directions he could take the concept, none of which included a brick-and-mortar. One concept is a line of seasonings he plans to launch with his F.J. Dry Rub that he calls Pudgie’s Cabinet, for the childhood nickname his grandparents gave him.
But last October, he ran out of arugula cooking for a 150-person catering event. At his neighborhood Cermak Produce, he slipped on the newly mopped floor and tore a meniscus, which took him out of action for about six months. Pudgie’s was delayed further when he was o ered to pop up on the patio at Empori-
um Fulton Market, which led to a summerlong pop-up stand.
These were some of the first o cial pop-ups Harris participated in, and they reinvigorated him. “Doing deliveries, I don’t get to see people enjoy the food. I remember the day when we first did ribs—there was these two drunk guys that came and they ordered ribs, and they were literally sitting there dancing on their seats sucking on these rib bones.”
Still, Harris didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a pitmaster, and after the summer he planned to put away the smoker, something he was forced to do earlier than expected. He was watching the forecast all week ahead of his final stand at Emporium last Sunday,
Von Harris, aka Fat Jesus, and his deep-fried chicken wings SANDY NOTO FOR CHICAGO READER
Mon 10/21, Frank and Mary’s Tavern, 2905 N. Elston, chicagoreader.com/foodball
and when the rain started coming down, he polled his Instagram followers on their likely turnout.
He decided to call it off, but he had to do something with the 450 wings he’d prepped,
pened to be at Emporium. “I actually gave him one of his first shows way back in the day at Reggie’s. So I was like, ‘If he’s down with it, let’s try to make it happen.’”
Smoked wings were out of the question, but Harris saw an opportunity to test the idea that Fat Plate Fridays could be a popup that can fit any situation, so he rolled in his deep fryer. “People that were planning to come out earlier ended up coming out later, and we ended up getting a lot of people that hadn’t heard of us because of the afterparty. I ended up selling out of everything.”
That left nine slabs of baby back ribs, eight slabs of rib tips, chicken andouille sausage, and hot and mild links, which he hopes to unload this week during his first public
Smoked brisket taco at Antique Taco in Bridgeport
I’ve lived in Chicago for almost 25 years, and while it’s di cult to find a taco I’d flatly call bad, the bar is set high for a truly standout, superior version of the portable classic. At Antique Taco in Bridgeport, the smoked brisket taco is a must-order.
FOOD & DRINK
Fat Plate Fridays drop since last fall. Keep an eye on @fatplatefridays for details.
“Right now, I’m being blessed with something that I have no control over. I never planned to do barbecue. I don’t know what’s gonna happen a lot of time, but I do trust that I’m on the right path. But when I see opportunity—when I see something in my way—I jump.” v
On October 21, Harris is bringing Fat Plate Fridays to Monday Night Foodball, the Reader ’s weekly chef pop-up at Frank and Mary’s Tavern in Avondale. Stay tuned for details.
m
msula@chicagoreader.com
as an ode to the classic south-side speciality, a traditional Polish sausage. Instead of mustard, Antique Taco prepares a special habanero “beware sauce” that proportionally grabs the tongue. The fiery blast of flavor doesn’t overwhelm, particularly if it’s accompanied by a rosemary margarita to wash it down. A single taco eats like a meal, but if I’m extra hungry, I’ll get two. If I order three, I’m rubbing my belly contemplating my reckless life choices.
along with trays of mac and cheese, baked beans, and his grandmother’s greens and cornbread.
Femdot. happened to be playing Schubas Tavern that night, and the after-party hap-
Brisket isn’t usually something I seek out. Elsewhere, this cut can be greasy, sometimes unpleasantly chewy—but at Antique Taco, it melts in my mouth. The locally sourced brisket is seasoned with an in-house dry rub and smoked for 12 hours, creating just the right amount of fatty gloss on the tiny, trimmed pieces. Beyond the spicy, savory meat in this overstu ed pocket from heaven, I find eternal romance as onions, cilantro, and both yellow and orange cheeses mingle in the hearty shell for perfect, uniform bites.
This taco—available only at Antique Taco’s Bridgeport location—was invented
I also enjoy Bridgeport’s allseason outdoor dining area, kitschy as it is, surrounded by an Airstream, an overturned canoe on a stand, a rusted pickup truck, and rows of fresh green planters for a private, cozy feel. Just less than a mile west of Guaranteed Rate Field, the crowd is less baseball fan and more hipster chic. I dine in style knowing I’m mingling with those in the know about the most fire taco in Chicago right now. —ANDREA JAVOR ANTIQUE TACO BRIDGEPORT 1000 W. 35th St., $6, 773-823-9410, antiquetaco.com v
Reader Bites celebrates dishes, drinks, and atmospheres from the Chicagoland food scene. Have you had a recent food or drink experience that you can’t stop thinking about? Share it with us at fooddrink@ chicagoreader.com.
NEWS & POLITICS
MADE FROM SCRATCH PLAY TODAY
PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
‘This is what safer communities look like’ Advocates celebrate a year without money bond.
By MAIA MCDONALD
One year after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the Pretrial Fairness Act, which ended the use of money bond across the state, advocates gathered to celebrate its impact and discuss the next steps for creating a more equitable legal system in Illinois.
and kept millions of dollars in our poorest communities.”
On Wednesday, September 18, the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, a coalition of nearly 50 organizations working to end cash bail and reduce pretrial jailing, hosted a press conference outside the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse, at 2650 S. California, with community members, local representatives, criminal justice advocates, faith leaders, and others.
The law’s passage was historic—making Illinois the first state in the country to pass legislation ending the practice of collecting cash bond for those charged with crimes.
The group discussed how the act has helped ensure people charged with crimes in Illinois, especially those from Black and Brown communities, aren’t required to pay large sums of money to post bond or face indefinite detention whilst awaiting trial. A collaborative effort between thousands of people across the state, the Pretrial Fairness Act has so far succeeded in creating a more “fair” and “just” Illinois, Reverend Violet Johnicker of Brooke Road United Methodist Church in Rockford, said on Wednesday.
State senator Robert Peters, state representative Justin Slaughter, Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle, Reverend Otis Dr. Moss III of the Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation policy director Madeleine Behr, and others from groups like the Chicago Community Trust and the MacArthur Justice Center were also in attendance on Wednesday. Remarks were positive, focusing on the legislation that critics believed would have a detrimental impact on crime.
When the Pretrial Fairness Act went into effect on September 18, 2023—the result of the Illinois Supreme Court overturning a ruling by a lower-court Kankakee judge—Illinois became the first state to end the use of cash bail. The measure was included as part of the wide-ranging SAFE-T Act, which Governor J.B. Pritzker signed in 2021 and reformed the state’s criminal justice system through pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial sentencing, and corrections.
“In every corner of this state, people were being caged, not because they were a danger to the community, but simply because they couldn’t afford to purchase their freedom,” Johnicker said. “Since taking e ect last year, the Pretrial Fairness Act has reduced pretrial jailing, made the pretrial process fairer,
Critics of the legislation—often states attorneys, law enforcement, or right-wing political figures, such as then Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey—called the act a “purge” law, referring to the 2013 horror movie that depicts a scenario in which crime in the U.S. has been legalized for one day a year. Many believed if the law passed, it would lead to higher crime rates or result in a mass release of people from jails and prisons.
However, in the last year, Illinois has seen no dramatic increases in crime that can be directly attributed to the passage of the Pretrial
Fairness Act. Representative Slaughter called the idea that eliminating cash bail would cause increases in crime “foolish rhetoric.”
Instead, according to Slaughter, crime rates have decreased since the Pretrial Fairness Act took e ect—violent and private property crime rates dropped 12 percent in the last year, he said—and the millions of dollars once spent on money bonds are staying in communities most impacted by the legal system.
“On average, annually, Illinoisans were spending $140 million on money bonds. These millions of dollars will now remain with family members across the state to contribute to the overall well-being and economic security of entire communities,” Slaughter said.
“It’s not lost on us, as well, that we are doing all we can to minimize the disruption of, generally, what pretrial was causing: the ability to remain in your home, to have custody of your children, in your job, in school. Also, we’re seeing positive impact as it relates to your health and medical situation. These are all situations that are able to be addressed in a more e cient way
because of our new e ort. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what safer communities look like.”
The press conference also highlighted the importance of supporting people charged with crimes, who often face challenges navigating the legal system, such as Lavette Mayes, who currently works with the Chicago Community Bond Fund (CCBF).
With the help of the CCBF, Mayes was able to pay her $250,000 bond after spending more than a year incarcerated at the Cook County Department of Corrections—the country’s largest single-site jail—and more than 100 days on electronic monitoring.
“When you incarcerate a woman, you incarcerate the whole family,” Mayes said at the press conference. “This day will always mark a special day for me because I know that what I went through no one else’s family will have to su er: the loss of kids, housing, and your ability to work or medical [care], or just simply hanging clothes in your backyard.”
Mayes was inspired to begin advocacy work with the CCBF after recognizing firsthand the
organization’s impact in turning around her life, similarly wanting to help people who have been charged with crimes and may be from primarily Black communities like her. Mayes, who recalls her experience in jail being demoralizing, wanted her advocacy work to shine a light on struggles faced by incarcerated people.
“I just vowed that when I get out of here, I’m going to tell everybody what’s going on, the iron bars, how people are treated, how things are going and everything,” she said.
With a year of the Pretrial Fairness Act now under our belts, state legislators are hoping to improve other parts of the legal system, such as building up Illinois’s public defenders program to provide more robust, meaningful hearings, and make sure people have access to high-quality representation, Slaughter said. He also would like to see more community programs and services for those awaiting trial.
“What we have come to understand is that there are a myriad of different challenges that our individuals and families awaiting trial need, and so the more that we can do to
bolster our community-based approach to getting them services, the better [they are] as they await trial,” Slaughter said. “These take on many di erent forms, whether it’s mental health, whether it’s job or workforce development, housing.”
Peters believes Illinois could adopt a public defender system similar to New Jersey’s statewide court system, which supports smaller counties. He also called on lawmakers to “continue to support and fund the Pretrial Success Act that brings community-based services to every county in the state.”
Toni Preckwinkle echoed the need to push forward legal reform. “We must continue to build a justice system that treats every resident with dignity, no matter their economic status or race,” she said. “The Pretrial Fairness Act is one step along a long, long road. It reflects our belief in a country where justice is truly fair and every resident can live safely and with dignity.” v
NEWS & POLITICS TRANSIT
Goodbye, Greyhound?
Chicago’s only intercity bus station could soon close. Does anyone care?
By GREG FAIRBANK
Top L: “I just don’t get it. I have a lot of friends who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our government spent so much money and time demolishing these places and giving money to these countries, and yet they don’t even take care of our own people who are here. I’ve used Greyhound for years—I live in Davenport, Iowa. It’s always been good to me. I’ve never had any delays or missed buses. I got here at 10 AM and my bus leaves at 2 [PM]. If this closes and I’d have to wait outside? In the winter? I don’t know what I would do.” –Al
Top R: “I have disabilities. I can’t stand for long. I couldn’t wait outside; there’s nowhere to sit. What would I do?” –Amy
Bottom: Shasta, Amy’s service dog
Within the next month, Greyhound plans to close the only intercity bus station in Chicago. Of the 130 largest cities in the world, according to the Chicago Tribune, only two are without a bus terminal: Nairobi in Kenya and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chicago could soon be third on that list.
The city’s current plan? Leave people to wait outside along the curb. But this isn’t a solution. Winter is fast approaching, bringing with it subzero temperatures. Add to that Greyhound’s proclivity for canceling trips and it becomes clear that the situation is dire.
Feeling frustrated, powerless, and invigorated, I spent a few hours at the Greyhound station, on Harrison between Desplaines and Je erson, one Sunday afternoon in midSeptember. I interviewed about a dozen people and snapped their portraits. Most had no idea the closure was imminent.
I met Joshua, who had been waiting at the bus station for more than 24 hours—his trip had been canceled and rescheduled three times. What would he do overnight, in the winter? As DePaul University professor Joe Schwieterman recently told Block Club Chicago, “inter-city buses provide an essential travel option for older people, low-income riders, those with disabilities and people who can’t or don’t drive.”
Maybe someone with power will care. Or maybe this was just a cathartic release on a Sunday afternoon. We’ll see. v
m letters@chicagoreader.com
GREG FAIRBANK
“I got how long to wait today? Eight hours? I ain’t got no money, no food, nowhere to go. So I’ll be waiting in here.” –Larry
“It would be horrible. Waiting outside? In this city’s winter? . . . Why doesn’t the city do something? They don’t care about the low-down people.” –Razan
“If the city didn’t have a convenient bus option, I just wouldn’t come here. . . . It’s good for the city. It’s self-defeating to close this station.” –Diego
“If this place closed, it would add to my struggle. My life is already a struggle. I feel like a poor bum, sleeping here when my bus is canceled.” –Draven
“The governor and the mayor need to leave their mansions and fancy homes and come here to see how people actually live and would be affected.” –Arnez
“Working-class people, underprivileged people, they make a city what it is. They use this station. If you close it, it cuts out a certain group of people from coming to the city.” –Jenna
Support Illinoisans grappling with Alzheimer’s disease with your purchase of a $200,000! Bingo Tripler Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive medical disorder that impacts every community. In 2020, the Illinois Lottery launched a new specialty Instant Lottery ticket called The End of Alzheimer’s Begins With Me, designating 100 percent of its profits to the Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter. To date, the Illinois Lottery has raised more than $4.4 million to the association’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Fund, which provides care and support services for individuals and families grappling with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) as well as education and public outreach programs. In 2024, the Illinois Lottery introduced their joint specialty ticket, the $200,000! Bingo Tripler Instant Ticket, where a portion of the profits raised go to the Alzheimer’s Association, along with nine other worthy causes. The ticket, which has a cheery sunshine-yellow color that could bring a smile to anyone’s face, costs $5 and is available for purchase at more than 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers throughout the state. Visit the Illinois Lottery website for more information.
Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating medical disorder characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. It occurs when tau protein deposits and beta-amyloid plaques build up in the brain, impacting the areas that control thought, memory, and language, eventually disrupting daily living. The progression and duration of Alzheimer’s disease is different for every individual (it can last from around four to more than 20 years a er diagnosis), and it is eventually fatal.
While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, early diagnoses can play a pivotal role in delaying the development of symptoms—prolonging good health and quality of life as long as possible while reducing burdens on loved ones, caregivers, and the medical system. That makes a huge difference in a country where, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 6.7 million Americans ages 65 and older lived with AD/ADRD in 2023, a number they anticipate will rise to 14 million by 2060. Here in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported that by 2025, 260,000 Illinoisians ages 65 and older will live with Alzheimer’s disease—representing a nearly 13 percent increase since 2020.
Despite their prevalence, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias manifest differently from person to person, and no two cases are exactly alike. That makes it imperative for people to learn about the condition, and understand how to recognize common symptoms and differentiate them from normal signs of aging.
“There is a lot of denial, and just lack of education [about ADRD].” says Olivia Matongo, vice president of programs at the Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter. “So, it’s really helping people differentiate between what is normal aging versus ‘We probably need to go to the doctor and figure out what’s happening.’”
Courtesy the Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter
The funding the Alzheimer’s Association receives from the Illinois Lottery’s specialty ticket supports Illinois individuals, families, and caretakers grappling with AD/ADRD. It also helps the organization provide education and outreach programming to empower the public to learn more about the condition and, if necessary, take the next steps to connect with medical experts and other forms of support.
One of the easiest places to start is with the Association’s online article “10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” which compiles some of the most common traits of early-stage AD/ADRD while offering tips for how to distinguish between regular age-related changes versus red flags that warrant further attention. Forgetting someone’s name and remembering it later, for example, could be a run-ofthe-mill memory lapse, while regularly forgetting important dates or asking the same questions over and over again could indicate that something is wrong.
Another common symptom is confusion with time and place. “Six out of ten people that are living with Alzheimer’s and dementia wander at some point during their journey,” Matongo says. “That’s huge. That’s a really big number of people that are getting lost in their community, or they go to the grocery store and don’t know how to get back home.”
In addition to in-person events and free online resources, the Alzheimer’s Association runs a dedicated 24/7 telephone hotline where those who suspect themself or a loved one has developed AD/ADRD can speak to an expert in confidence. They also offer a live chat option from 7 AM to 7 PM CT. Whether by phone call, direct messaging, or email, team members are available to provide local resources, crisis assistance, and emotional support—including guidance on how to start challenging crucial conversations around AD/ADRD.
“When you call the helpline, there’s a master-level clinician who’s able to guide you through how to start having these conversations, who you should consider having a part of these conversations, and how to include the person that’s living with this, who you’re suspecting,” Matongo says. “They really help guide you through that and get families to where they need to be. It’s truly terrific.”
A er a diagnosis is made, the Alzheimer’s Association can further assist individuals and families in navigating AD/ADRD. In April, the organization announced a partnership with on-demand patient support system Rippl, where they can pool resources and expertise to further support those grappling with AD/ ADRD in connecting with medical, financial, and social support. “They help you through this journey, so you have this person that knows you and knows what your concerns are, and they walk you through it.” Matongo says.
That includes providing information about new therapies, such as donanemab and lecanemab, which have recently been approved by the FDA to help those with early-stage AD/ADRD slow its progression, allowing them more time to enjoy life and make plans for their future on their own terms. “Buying more time is the dream—that’s what everybody wants,” Matongo says.
In addition to these groundbreaking medical interventions, Matongo notes that new research in risk reduction has proved promising in reducing the number of new cases of Alzheimer’s disease for future generations. This summer the Lancet published findings that up to 45 percent of dementia cases are potentially preventable by modifications of 14 risk factors at various stages throughout their life.
“Every time I go to do a presentation or a program, I take information on this, and people just eat it up,” Matongo says. “What can you do for your brain today to really slow your risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia? It’s things that are manageable: exercising, managing your diabetes, sleeping well, maintaining a healthy weight, moving your body, checking your blood pressure, stop smoking . . .”
With every purchase of a $200,000! Bingo Tripler Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery, you can help the Alzheimer’s Association continue their vital work in supporting Illinois residents grappling with AD/ADRD while playing a part in reducing the number of new Alzheimer’s diagnoses throughout the state.
“There is hope,” Matongo says. “People do want to make sure that they’re taking care of themselves and their family members, so that they’re reducing their risk by 45 percent. So, I think there’s a lot of good work happening in this space to help people feel more positively about what [AD/ADRD] looks like.”
To find out more about the Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter visit alz.org/illinois.
This sponsored content is paid for by Illinois Lottery
Data supplied by Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Infographic by Amber Huff.
ARTS & CULTURE
Tali Halpern dreams big
For the artist’s white-wall gallery debut, large fiber works represent grand ambitions.
By MICCO CAPORALE
The first time I met Tali Halpern, they lowered their gaze to mine and said in a voice so deadpan they seemed anesthetized to failure: “I have big dreams for my art.” It was a studio visit at SAIC in January of 2023, as Halpern was settling into their second semester of grad school in the painting and drawing program.
Over the preceding years, I’d watched the now 30-year-old’s practice evolve via Instagram from hand-painted streetwear featuring queered pop culture references to intimate collage paintings festooned with temporary tattoos, Polaroid self-portraits, and cutouts from fetish magazines that meditated on themes like transness, sel ood, love, and lust. In grad school, their paintings had become monumental—the same subjects appeared on five-foot canvases that read like story quilts rendered in oil. By the summer of 2023, Halpern would transition to making outsize textiles that looked like jumbo woven xeroxes of their previous work. They’re large pieces representing their grand ambitions. For their white-wall gallery debut, “A e Eyed,” Halpern has mounted six of these textiles at Twelve Ten gallery.
When it comes to Halpern, it’s impossible to separate the art from its creator. Everything they make is profoundly textual, selfreferential, and confessional—a writing and rewriting of the self that’s as much an exercise in creative freedom as it is a tell-all diary. In “Ae Eyed,” Halpern underscores this by showing themselves—literally. Each piece features images of Halpern collaged with found text and various patterns made using a digital loom. Text is borrowed from a private arsenal of phrases: an instructive sign on a beach, for example, or a grounding aphorism from a 12step pamphlet.
R“ AE EYED”
Through 10/26: Wed-Sat 1-6 PM or by appointment, Twelve Ten, 1210 W. Thorndale, twelvetengallery.com/exhibitions/halpern-stareeyed
To make their weavings, they feed an image of themselves collaged with all this material into a digital loom, then use their body to control the pedals and shuttle, which transforms pixels into thread. Once complete, they pull on strings to amplify textures in spots; some portions are painted, others embroidered or braided. Beads and stone are added in places to bring something emphatically human to the machine-made tapestries. The results are a riot of textures and colors anchored by coarse black strings that feel very punk. Halpern has come into themselves as a kind of cyborg artist.
This is not Halpern’s first public reveal. They’ve had solo shows at underground spaces like Happy Gallery and Heather Hannoura’s ask-a-punk spot, and they’ve participated in group shows like “SPACORE” at Co-Prosperity. Even more than their work, the artist has a knack for being seen. For over a decade, they’ve been a phantom of the Chicago club scene, haunting photos by party documentarians, DJs, emerging designers, makeup artists, and ambitious photographers who’ve dared sneak entire crews and lighting kits into the Rainbow Hotel. They’ve donned designer
clothes, kitschy masks, skintight latex, and sky-high pleasers; and they’ve rearranged the facts of their face with contours and gems as well as fillers and hormones. The vernacular of club culture—and its relationship to self mythology and world-building—has always been central to their work. But for the last two years, Halpern has spent less time making a statement on the dance floor and more time hidden in their studio crafting something that’s threaded deep into these latest pieces: a sober life.
It’s not hard to see drugs’ influence on
Halpern’s practice has evolved from streetwear to intimate collage paintings to outsize textiles.
Halpern’s work. “Devotion,” their 2021 show at Happy Gallery, featured the repetitive patterning and trippy color schemes that are hallmarks of psychedelic art. Halpern has consistently made liberal use of the so-called “tribal” flame motif and similar shapes, which grew out of 90s tattoo culture but have enjoyed renewed popularity and broader visual application, not only for their proximity to lowbrow and underground culture, but also because of how the work moves on ketamine. The drug can create an optical haze and a sense of dripping that supercharges the aesthetic’s wavy-gravy appeal. Halpern had been a stoner since high school and a consummate party boi for their 20s, but when they finally decided they needed a change, it was ketamine—and the tangled chaos of interpersonal dramas that resulted from it—that brought them to their first 12-step meeting.
Early in 2020, they relocated from Chicago to LA to become a studio assistant to Melissa Cody, a fourth-generation Navajo weaver who’s famous for showing how white capitalism has influenced traditional Navajo weaving and for creating her own space within those frameworks. Halpern had not considered being a textile artist, but Cody taught Halpern how to weave and gave them their first loom. At that time, fiber art wasn’t something they’d given much thought to or were ready to take seriously.
When lockdown was lifted, Halpern moved into a house with four other people. Everyone was high all the time, and one of their housemates was a dealer. Artistically, Halpern felt like they were competing with machines: having to regularly crank out work like a printer and also paint with a certain level of realism to “prove” something cameras can
do better. Taking drugs helped them escape that mindset and tap into a more loose and abstract side of themselves. The louder work anxieties became, the more they tried to quiet them with substances. Eventually, it felt like the drugs had more control over their life than they did—and that they were orienting their days around their addiction instead of their art.
It wasn’t the first time compulsive behavior had derailed them. In both high school and undergrad, Halpern was hospitalized for an eating disorder. Eating disorders aren’t addictions but often present with features of process addictions, like binge eating or compulsive exercising. Similarly, they force a person to reorganize their life around repetitive, self-destructive behavior that can cost them their health, friends, and sense of self—and still keep them coming back for more.
In 2022, Halpern connected with Dani Miller via Tinder. Miller is the singer of jangly punk band Surfbort. She’s modeled for Gucci and opened for the Descendents, and at this time, Miller was two years sober.
“Dani was like . . . whoa ,” Halpern says. “You know what I mean? Like, ‘This is the life you’re creating? Whoa.’ I mentioned how I use ketamine, and she’s like, ‘I don’t have friends that do drugs.’ That planted the seed for me.”
By July, Halpern had been accepted to graduate school and was attending AA meetings daily to mentally prepare themself. Upon returning to Chicago, they moved in with their parents and gave school and artmaking their full attention.
In 12-step programs, the first step is admitting one’s powerlessness. When Halpern incorporates phrases like “shackled by lust” into their work, they’re being uncannily sin-
cere. But since pursuing recovery, those sentiments have become tempered by expressions of self-love and hope, like “please respect this sacred space.” Part of their recovery, they say, is learning to manage their borderline personality disorder—an illness distinguished by black-and-white thinking. All-or-nothing mentalities are common among people living with addiction. To create an image that es-
ARTS & CULTURE
vision.” In another, they simply look at the viewer with the absent frankness of a supermodel, remaining grounded even as the world around them melts with words woven like a vanity license plate to read “simply A e eyed blessed.”
To create just one of the featured pieces—a 27” x 28” thicket of hope, ache, and wool called Blood Runs Throu —they spent
The vernacular of club culture—and its relationship to self mythology and world-building—has always been central to their work.
capes the binary of male and female, then to mechanically embed that into work that blurs the binary between human and machine, is to break free of the punishing rigidity of binary life. For them, the process is healing.
Twelve Ten saw Halpern’s work on SAIC’s website for its MFA thesis show and contacted them. Could they put together something for Chicago Exhibition Weekend? Shortly after making an agreement, Halpern began a two-week summer residency at Praxis Fiber Workshop in Cleveland, where much of the work for “ A e Eyed” was made. Some of the photos they used are part of ongoing collaborations with photographers like Riley Valentine (the photographer on this piece) and Stephanie Jensen. The pieces are embellished with Bratz- and copypasta-style fonts that capture a fierceness forged online. In one, Halpern looks like a naked Elvira somewhere between fighting and reveling in a toxic vortex. The text reads “lust?,” “crushed by the tumbling tide,” “in 2 deep,” and “inner
two days hand-painting the warp, two days preparing the loom, then four hours weaving, two days adding and braiding fringe, and two weeks beading. It’s anyone’s guess how much time went into errant details. Every day they continue to work eight to 12 hours on tinier, backpatch-like weavings; leftover projects from grad school; and other work for future shows. Each work is a record of the frantic intensity they used to channel into activities like exercising, finding sexual partners, and procuring drugs.
“I’m scared,” they say. Not about relapsing, but about continuing to produce in this way. Digital looms like the TC2 that Halpern prefers are expensive (they start around $33,000), so fi nding and accessing them can be challenging. Most require an institutional a liation or a private connection to someone extremely privileged and/or business-savvy; very few are publicly available. Any time they have access to a loom, they feel an internal pressure to make the most of the opportunity by producing as much as they can—an expectation that runs counter to the slowing down and mindfulness necessary for recovery. They also have a degenerative disc disease that sometimes limits their physical capacity for making.
Nonetheless, they’re learning how to adapt their practice to their circumstances. They’ve invented and reinvented their work many times over. Staying sober is their number one goal, so they’re mindful to make creative and professional choices that sustain that because Halpern’s got big dreams. They’re a manufactured star. They’re starry-eyed. v
m mcaporale@chicagoreader.com
Everything Halpern makes is profoundly textual, self-referential, and confessional. RILEY VALENTINE
ARTS & CULTURE THEGREENPAGES
OPENING
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Unsettling works by Alberto Ortega Trejo
On the artist’s foreboding solo show at Prairie Mexican architect and artist Alberto Ortega Trejo’s exhibition at Prairie is a result of the artist’s ongoing investigations into Otomí people—an Indigenous group native to what is now known as the Mezquital Valley north of Mexico City and of which he is a descendant. Here, he focuses on their cosmology and the fraught relation to their land, plagued by a centuries-long environmental crisis and state-sanctioned petropolitics. In a cryptic setup, three charcoal drawings on concrete, depicting convulsing rodents, surround a fire-spewing metal sculpture. In the back room, an uncanny metal tub that held beer during the opening now sits empty aside from maguey fibers rotting at the bottom.
The fire sculpture, The world was created by fire, by dance (Mapa del sol muerto) feels central to the exhibition. Conceived as an abstract map of the oil pipelines from Mexico to the U.S.—sites of innumerable catastrophes—it puts a strain on visitors, as the fire looms threateningly and adds to the late summer heat in the poorly ventilated Pilsen space. That tension is echoed in the hinges atop the drawing frames, an add-on that seems to prophesize the eradication of the images they hold. It’s this foreboding that renders the exhibition dynamic, especially because without the artist’s discursive input, there is barely any narrative to hold on to. Perhaps the most suggestive is in the scant exhibition statement: “One of them is the night, which belongs to the Devil, and to him, the half of the world where the Otomí people, his children, live.” Try to catch Ortega during open hours on Thursday a ernoons for a walkthrough around his extensive mental outgrowths. Or, as he suggests, visit the work as is and witness how these nocturnal beings, perhaps more than simple skunks, possums, and raccoons, speak to you. —INÉS ARANGO “ONE OF THE QUALITIES OF NOCTURNAL BEINGS IS THAT THEY SPEAK WORDS OF TRUTH” Through 10/5: Thu 6–9 PM, Sun 1–4 PM, Prairie, 2055 W. Cermak, prairie.website/albertoortegatrejo.html
at Chicago Art Department. In this exhibition, curators Cristobal Alday and Carlos Flores orient visitors to the relics of Diana Solis and Patric McCoy, two photographers whose work documents the intricate webs of love, community, activism, and joy for queer Black and Brown people in Chicago.
In short, this exhibition spotlights an archive of repressed queer histories. Spanning the 1970s to the early ’90s, the photographs outline sites that served as havens for queer communities when they were excluded from cis-hetero-centric spaces in the city. Solis’s photos capture the vibrancy that existed within queer activist communities and lesbian social circles on the north and lower west sides, while McCoy’s portraits focus on formal and informal gathering spots for Black gay men throughout downtown and the south side.
Both native Chicagoans, McCoy and Solis captured moments from the spaces they frequented. These photographs were not taken with the intention to have them on display—they are simply a living document of who the artists were at those moments.
Two otherwise static representations of queer narratives during this time are brought to life through this exhibition. Alday and Flores illustrate the connection between McCoy and Solis (despite the two not being formal acquaintances) through a large interactive map of Chicago that visualizes a network of gathering sites for queer Black and Brown Chicagoans. This map disintegrates the geographic, racial, and gender divide between the experiences and the histories of queer communities of color.
Like a group hug, each side of the map features portraits of queer life, one by McCoy that features two men playing chess in friendly competition and the other by Solis that features two femme folks whose backs are turned to the camera while embracing one another.
R Diana Solis and Patric McCoy document LGBTQ+ joy
“Just Below the Surface” brings queer histories front and center.
There is something extraordinary about physical photo albums for me. There’s a warm feeling of belonging that accompanies each page turned, as new perspectives are gained of stories I’m only vaguely familiar with. Photo albums enliven personal histories when words can’t convey the depth of the moment. I was reminded of this sensation while visiting “Just Below the Surface”
McCoy and Solis generously shared audio recordings of casual conversations with friends—along with ephemera, including a camera, several negatives, flyers, and magazines—that detail the interests of each photographer, providing an even deeper glimpse into the circles and spaces they inhabited. The opposite side of the wall features groovy scenes from Marilyn’s bar and the Rialto, important gathering spaces for each photographer. The glare and the shimmer produced by the camera flash unify McCoy and Solis’s communities and serve as a reenvisioning of the two partying together in the same space in that era. A forbidden shine now recognized, “Just Below the Surface” honors those who dared to live out loud and thus paved the way for spaces where queer POC can feel a bit more at ease and at home. Expanding on the principle of chosen family, this exhibition symbolically invites visitors into a distant queer relative’s home and warmly seats them in the living room so as to say, “Let me tell you a story.”
—RACHEL DUKES “JUST BELOW THE SURFACE”
Through 10/26: Mon–Fri noon–6 PM, Chicago Art Department, 1926 S. Halsted, chicagoartdepartment.org/diana-solis-patric-mccoy-just-below-thesurfacebrseptember-14-oct-26 v
Visit from a relative (Araña), Alberto Ortego Trejo COURTESY OF PRAIRIE, CHICAGO
COMEDIC HEALING
Mona’s kids
A former Chicago comedian teaches Palestinian youth in a West Bank refugee camp how to rock the mike.
By JONAH NINK
Nasir knows just how to make his brother laugh. The 15-year-old has that special sixth sense of the comedic pressure points all siblings have for each other. When Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked his family’s home during a raid on the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Nasir kept his brother calm, and even laughing, through the violence.
“We were trying to find something to laugh [at],” Nasir says. “[We] laughed in front of the army.”
Nasir told the story during his first live stand-up set at the Yafa Cultural Center in Balata on August 8. He and a handful of other Balata teens put on the show to flex the comedy and storytelling skills they learned as part of the cultural center’s new “Summer Camp and More . . .” pilot program. Their instructor is Mona Aburmishan, a veteran comedian with deep ties to Chicago and Palestine.
“I got a call from my sister,” says Aburmishan. “Her friend, who’s Palestinian living in New Orleans, was connected to Yafa Cultural Center, and they were looking for summer camp activities for 2024.”
Aburmishan says the military attack on Nasir’s home had happened only about a week before the show.
Aburmishan was born in Chicago and spent her early childhood on the north side before her family moved to Des Plaines, where she went to high school. At the behest of her father, who emigrated from Palestine in 1971, Aburmishan and her two sisters traveled to Palestine on their own for the first time in 1992. She remembers feeling an immediate connection to the land.
“I looked at the land. I saw the hills. I saw the valleys. I saw the vineyards of grapes and vineyards of olive trees. . . . This land is amazing, from the palm trees to the weather to the fresh vegetables every day. This is like paradise,” she says.
Another thing that took an immediate hold
was comedy. Aburmishan started doing comedy in 2009, cutting her teeth in the Chicago stand-up scene and studying writing and improv at Second City. She began teaching kids comedy in 2011 when her former employer, the commercial real estate and investment firm CBRE, was looking to develop new community outreach initiatives.
Eventually, Aburmishan would produce and perform nationally and internationally, producing the first all-Palestinian comedy show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2015. In 2016 she became the first Arab and Muslim woman to perform at Carnegie Hall, all while simultaneously teaching comedy and public speaking courses. Aburmishan has a number of TV credits, including a featured guest spot on the Egyptian news satire show Al Bernameg, a regional analog to The Daily Show hosted by Egyptian American comedian Bassem Youssef.
Aburmishan had already moved to the West Bank full-time in 2022 to live with her husband, Mohammed “Karam” Karajat, a native Palestinian from Hebron, where her father also grew up. She was living in Ramallah about an hour south of Nablus, which is home to the Balata camp.
Balata was established in 1950 by the United Nations, specifically the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and was originally meant to temporarily shelter 5,000 Palestinian refugees. Today it is one of the largest refugee camps in the West Bank, with 33,078 registered refugees living in a 0.25 square kilometer area, according to UNRWA. Youths make up an estimated 60 percent of the camp’s population, and it’s often the responsibility of community organizations like the Yafa Cultural Center to keep kids busy and o the streets.
The Yafa Center’s resources are strained, and Aburmishan says multiple large donors from the U.S. and European Union countries pulled support during the pandemic, the Oc-
Mona Aburmishan (top photo, middle) and students from her comedy classes at Balata refugee camp in the West Bank
CULTURAL CENTER
tober 7 attacks last year, and the Gaza genocide. Movement restrictions for refugees and an upswing in violence and IDF activity within the camp have program leaders spread thin and their students feeling more hopeless. Aburmishan and Karajat moved to guest houses—open due to a lack of volunteers— on the Yafa campus to minimize the commute.
“When I heard about [Yafa] and they wanted something, I was facing two things,” says Aburmishan. “One is to put together a program quickly, but also put together a program that can be self-sustaining.”
Aburmishan built her program on the fly. She was already teaching comedy full-time throughout the region, including work at a high-end school in Ramallah, but those were for schools with robust resources and safety nets, not a refugee camp. Founded in 1996, the Yafa Cultural Center hosts programs and workshops for Balata community members at every age level, and has a library and small theater. Activities manager Ibrahim Jammal, a former Yafa student turned longtime staff member, says the pilot program represents a new chapter for the cultural center.
“All the kids, the teenagers, the students here, have a talent. Beautiful skills that they don’t know about because of their life experience here,” Jammal says. “This project is a dream. We just started and we want to continue.”
Students arranged Yafa’s theater like a comedy club, and Aburmishan gave students a crash course in how clubs are run. Classes are coed (we were only able to speak with male students for this article), and students share ideas for material, run mock open mikes, and even have roast sessions. Time was also set aside for yoga, meditation, and other light exercise, and, as needed, candid conversations about the importance of creativity.
“There were some really intense conversations about [how] this microphone that I’m holding right now is more powerful than any AK-47 or M16 you guys could ever touch,” says Aburmishan.
Aburmishan’s students are in their late teens, right on the cusp of adulthood, a time that she says is pivotal for youths in Balata, especially young men. On August 15, an IDF drone killed Wael Mashah, 18, and Ahmad Sheikh Khalil, 20, during a firefight with IDF soldiers in Balata. The Times of Israel reported that Mashah had been released from jail during a November 2023 hostage deal with Hamas.
“The young kids, their idols are martyrs,” Aburmishan says. “Almost every one of the kids in here has either a brother that died, who was killed or murdered, or an uncle, a sister, or a mom.”
Aburmishan encourages students to draw from frustrations and fears for their material as a way to manage and understand trauma— to reach for a microphone, a pencil, anything instead of a gun.
“We have intense pain, intense emotions, intense fear. Fear is the vibe, because whenever we try to play, to go out, we are stuck. There is a pain from the occupation,” says 16-yearold Hasim.
During the show, 16-year-old Akhmed was able to screen a video he had filmed and edited honoring martyrs in his community. Two students sang songs. All of the students learned how to produce a show, design flyers, and manage cash flow through ticket sales. Aburmishan hopes to continue to add more media production elements.
“If we can create content that we can share instead of consume, I feel like I’ve helped these students wake up to the use of the media that they have to express themselves,” says Aburmishan. “To really learn how to navigate how the story can be controlled by the editing, the background music.”
same thing that comedians do after every show I’ve ever been to around the world. [The comedians say], ‘Yo, Mona that was amazing, we got to do more shows together.’
“Comedians on that stage and the audience members were committed to feeling better when they left.”
Maintaining a safe place for expression is often a challenge. It’s not uncommon to hear gunshots during class. The fear of the next IDF raid or bombing is constant. Since October 7 the IDF has steadily expanded airstrikes and ground incursions in the West Bank. Just as dangerous are the students’ phones, which direct an unending deluge of tragedy through news and social media.
Even when they’re at home and in school youths aren’t safe. In a 2013 article for Mondoweiss, physician, author, and filmmaker
“When we got into this project, we traveled from a bloody space to a safe place to share our talents, skills, and creativity.”
Alice Rothchild interviewed the head of Balata’s health unit at the time, writing, “School means nothing; the students have nothing to look forward to, there are problems at home and in the street. There are increasing difficulties with all kinds of drug abuse and more children are committing suicide.”
to a morning show to perform just so Western audiences can go, “Aw, those poor kids.”
“We learned a lot of skills. We discovered our talents. We broke the wall in front of talking,” says 16-year-old Samir. “We got a chance to experience self-expression.”
Karajat says that Samir had a fear of public speaking before starting the program. “Now you cannot take the mike from him. He has the mike all the time.”
Aburmishan will continue to host after-school programs while building out the summer program, which will begin its first o cial run in 2025. She will continue to live in the West Bank, as passport and visa restrictions prevent her and Karajat from living together anywhere else.
“[The students] almost see me as this superhero because I’ve got an American passport. If that’s the case then you know what? Fuck it, I’ll use it. I’d rather stay here and deal with the transformation of this holy land than be anywhere else worrying about it.”
The kids say that the program has helped them think more about the future. The Yafa Cultural Center works in partnership with AlQuds University in Abu Dis, near Jerusalem, and its dual studies program, which provides students with job placement opportunities and resources.
“It’s bloody here, daily,” says Akhmed. “Now it’s beautiful to think about life, about creativity. When we got into this project, we traveled from a bloody space to a safe place to share our talents, skills, and creativity.”
“What happens after apartheid?” has been a driving question for Aburmishan.
In 2004 she was studying international development at DePaul University, focusing on how a country recovers from apartheid. She saw how comedy could play a role in that road to recovery while working open mikes in the West Bank and Israel in 2022.
“I got into the Israeli comedy scene,” she says. “Personally I was fucking scared.” Aburmishan often found herself praying more before shows. Being a Palestinian American comedian from Chicago brought risks, especially when performing to Israeli audiences in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Aburmishan’s negative experiences performing in Israel were overshadowed by times when Palestinian and Israeli comedians would perform together at open mikes or shared bills.
“After the [shows] the comedians did the
Aburmishan says the program has also received some local pushback from parents due to the inter-gender collaboration involved.
“All those [students] honestly [were] traumatized from the situation. Me and Mona, we faced di culties to make those guys just listen because they’re really traumatized. They cannot focus,” says Karajat.
Aburmishan acknowledges that the challenges students face are daunting, but emphasizes that the worst thing foreign observers can do is patronize them. She says the program aims to give students the tools to write, speak, and perform louder than their adversities.
“Our connection is more authentic than us being a colonizer coming in and empowering you to be better while not giving you the tools to do that,” Aburmishan says.
Aburmishan jokes that one of the worst things that could happen to her kids is to be invited on
When asked if they could take an all-expenses-paid trip anywhere, Aburmishan’s class gave a diverse set of answers. The room got rowdy, and there was a genuine sense of excitement for what the world beyond Balata o ered in each student’s response. The favorite by far was Chicago, thanks to its place within comedy history and the chance to see Aburmishan’s home. The response that stuck out though was Akhmed’s, who would prefer that the world instead come to Balata.
“Whether it’s Chicago or Dubai, [I] just want people to know that we’re here. We’re alive amongst the dead.” v
Aburmishan hosts a GoFundMe for the Balata summer camp at www.gofundme. com/f/support-balata-refugee-camp-summer-camp-and-moreproject.
m letters@chicagoreader.com
EL BROTE 10/2–10/5 : Wed–Sat 8 PM; Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, clata. org and thedentheatre.com, $ 31 general, $26 students/seniors, recommended 15 +. In Spanish with English supertitles.
LATIN AMERICAN VOICES
El Brote and Desvenar explore supporting players and cultural archetypes
Argentina’s Compañía Criolla and Mexico’s Kraken Teatro make their North American debuts in Destinos.
By ALEJANDRO A. RIERA
You’ve seen them playing the soldier bringing an urgent message to the king or sent by the king to deliver a message (any of Shakespeare’s plays); running down a rickety mountain made of cardboard, paper-mache, and wire screaming in Castilian Spanish “Automobile!” (George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman); or as an elderly Italian couple on the way to their hotel room (Robert E. Sherwood’s Idiot’s Delight ). They are the actors cast to play the thankless roles that help populate a playwright’s world onstage. Had it not been for Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would have been as forgotten and inconsequential as those who are here one fleeting moment, in front of you, and the next moment, exeunt. But what of the actors who play these characters? What about their dreams, their ambitions? That is the question at the heart of El Brote from Argentina’s Compañía Criolla, written and directed by company founder Emiliano Dionisi, which is receiving its North American premiere at the Den Theatre next weekend as part of the seventh Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA).
Roberto Peloni plays one of those actors in
this one-man show: Beto, a Pirandellian character who begins to doubt his own reality as he shares with the audience his frustrations, backstage gossip, and even lines from classic plays. Peloni portrays dozens of characters in this 90-minute show—from characters straight out of the plays produced by the repertory company he works for to the fictional actors who play those characters, while Beto stands in the background waiting for his brief moment in the spotlight. It’s a physically demanding role, which is why, according to El Brote producer and company cofounder Sebastián Ezcurra, he avoids booking daily, backto-back performances of the play as much as possible.
“This is not a show that can be presented Tuesday to Sunday,” said Ezcurra during a recent Zoom interview in Spanish from Buenos Aires. “We can only program two shows per week due to the play’s physical requirements.”
“Roberto practically doesn’t speak before that evening’s performance. He is quiet all day. He drinks ginger tea and does everything you can think of to take care of your voice,” Ezcurra continued. “Besides being a great actor, he is also a great singer, having starred in musicals like Shrek and Phantom of the Opera. His voice projection is spectacular. He not only
DESVENAR
10/3–10/5 : Thu–Sat 7: 30 PM; National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19 th St., clata.org, $ 30, $25 students/seniors. In Spanish with English supertitles.
puts his entire body but his entire voice to work. It’s an exhausting job. In fact, Roberto always says that each performance feels like the World Cup final.”
The play was in development for a year; Dionisi presented it as a work-inprogress to theater students in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. But no matter how many changes Dionisi made to the play, he, Peloni, and the members of Compañía Criolla were concerned that El Brote could be seen as too self-referential, that only theater people would get it and most in the audience would feel left out. Then came opening night on February 13 of last year, at the 100-seat Teatro del Pueblo, Argentina’s first independent theater. They played to a packed house and the reviews El Brote received were overwhelmingly positive. After months at Teatro del Pueblo, Ezcurra had to secure a larger venue given the high demand for tickets.
“I am not going to lie to you: we were surprised,” said Ezcurra. “We didn’t think it could speak to so many people on that one weak aspect of being human: the feeling of frustration. We all have dreams, we all have wishes, and we all get frustrated and think that sometimes we don’t have the luck or we don’t get what we deserve or those opportunities pass us by.”
Under Dionisi’s direction the now 15-yearold company has given a rather eccentric, playful, contemporary shine to such classics as Cyrano de Bergerac, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth (Mabel, a Scottish Tragicomedy , featuring two male actors in kilts performing all the roles), and Romeo and Juliet (Pocket Romeo and Juliet , where two academics attempt to conduct a master class on the classic tragedy).
Mexico’s Kraken Teatro, also making its U.S. premiere next weekend as part of Destinos with Desvenar, seems to share Compañía Criolla’s quirky, playful sensibility. Their most recent one-woman show, Hombruna, uses giant
balloons to tell the story of an infamous serial killer who targeted elderly women in Mexico City; and in Dios Juega Videojuegos y Yo Soy su Puto Mario Broz (God Plays Video Games and I Am His Damned Mario Broz), the stage is a giant video game arcade where gods play with human nature.
Desvenar focuses on that fruit that is part of Mexicans’ diet, one that gives that country’s diverse cuisine its flavor: the chile. Written and directed by company founder Richard Viqueira, Desvenar explores the chile’s symbolic role in shaping Mexico’s identity—from its humor and music through its politics—via three representative characters: the Pachuco, the Cholo, and the Adelita, the archetypal woman warrior who fought during Mexico’s revolutionary war.
“One is that immigrant who decides to leave because he doesn’t feel represented by nor identifies with the culture and values that exist. He is also allergic to capsaicin, the active component found in chiles. Then there is the Mexican who returns because he misses the food, the music, the whole country. And then there’s his wife, the Adelita, who stands for the large number of women who stay behind to raise the family and ends up being the head of the family,” explained Valentina Garibay, who plays the Adelita, during a Zoom interview in Spanish from Mexico City. The two other characters are played by Viqueira and Angel Luna.
The fact that Kraken Teatro are making their U.S. debut in a city with the second largest Mexican population in the country and where, according to a recent study by the UIC Great Cities Institute, Mexican families are the majority in 15 of its neighborhoods, fills Garibay and the rest of the company with anticipation.
“We don’t know if they are children of immigrants, if they speak Spanish, if they don’t speak Spanish. The way in which each family decides to transmit their culture is di erent. There will be people [in the audience] who have lived there for 20 years or more, people who have lived there for a short period of time, who have the possibility to return, and those who have decided not to,” said Garibay.
“We are looking forward to seeing how this play will allow us to engage this audience in a dialogue. We believe that we will be able to make this connection. We hope this will also allow us to engage with other communities in di erent parts of the United States.” v
m letters@chicagoreader.com
Roberto Peloni in El Brote COURTESY COMPAÑÍA CRIOLLA
Prayer Candles
Without faith for some years
Out of angst
Out of pride
Candles lit
At the news
That my great aunt Was passing
Seen from a balcony
Overlooking a canopy of trees
The Biltmore hotel peeks out In the place of my birth
ECOS is a three-day festival celebrating Latine poetry in Chicago. Free, bilingual poetry events and activities will be presented with the North River Commission (Albany Park), the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (Humboldt Park), and the National Museum of Mexican Art (Pilsen). September 26-28, 2024
Casey Cereceda is an educator and musician living in Chicago, IL. Originally from South Florida, he finds inspiration from his childhood. A recurring theme in his work is identity, and how his has been shaped by places of origin and formative experiences related to ethnicity, masculinity, and spirituality.
A weekly series curated by the Chicago Reader and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation.
SUBSTANCE R, 141 min. Wide release in theaters mubi.com/en/substance
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a horrifically absurd exploration of Hollywood’s obsession with beauty.
By MAXWELL RABB
Mirror, mirror on the wall—why don’t you leave me alone?!
As beauty standards soar to unattainable heights, the mirror is often a reminder of how we measure up to the world. Standing face-to-face with your mirrored image, it is too easy, almost enticing, to scrutinize imperfections. And now, the pursuit of “perfection” is fueled by an ensemble of substances from Botox to Ozempic that push people—particularly women—to probe their self-image. That’s business as usual, sold as a chic and sexy enhancement to everyday life. And if that wasn’t enough, the mirror has jumped from the confines of our homes to the pocket-size parasites (our phones) that can document every change instantaneously.
Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance dares to explore what happens if we could change what we see in the mirror.
Many of these anxieties come hand in hand with growing older. That’s the case for Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a fading Hollywood icon and the star of a popular TV aerobics program. One of Fargeat’s many heavy-handed decisions is to open The Substance with a time-lapse of Elisabeth’s Hollywood star on the Walk of Fame, tracing it from its inauguration to its present weathered state, smeared with spilled fast food. This cynical view of fame is candid, kick-starting the movie with a ready-made sense of desperation.
So, when Elisabeth is fired on her 50th birthday by Harvey (Dennis Quaid)—a grotesquely apt (and appropriately named) embodiment of an industry rife with male chauvinism—we really feel just how fleeting fame can be. Fargeat’s direction is unflinching, capturing Harvey in an unflattering close-up shot as he crudely chomps down on a bowl of shrimp while dismissing Elisabeth for aging out. Here, Fargeat quickly establishes just how crucial the camerawork will be in implicating the characters—and the audience’s gaze.
Elisabeth leaves the one-sided lunch date only to be T-boned in her car moments later. Miraculously, she survives without a scratch.
At the hospital, a modelesque nurse with bright eyes informs her that she’s an ideal candidate for treatment, handing her a flash drive containing information about the titular “Substance.” In an almost Pynchon-like journey, Elisabeth discovers an opportunity that promises to rejuvenate her cells, ostensibly allowing her to become a younger, hotter version of herself. However, this opportunity presents a Faustian dilemma, where the cost of reclaimed youth might be far greater than it appears. Injecting the neon-green Substance inside her arm, Elisabeth falls to the floor, where her body mutates and moves with a Cronenbergian flair. This is where the body horror kicks off and doesn’t stop: Elisabeth’s back splits down the spine, and another body emerges, covered
with viscous liquid and blood. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley), a younger, smoother version of Elisabeth who radiates confidence and charm. Elisabeth and Sue are bound to a cycle in which each must regenerate in solitude while the other lives in the outside world, swapping places every seven days. This routine is governed by the directive: “Remember you are one.” What makes The Substance work is just how persistently self-aware Fargeat is. She portrays Moore’s Elisabeth fluctuating between bouts of compassion and anxiety-inducing mania. In both cases, these moments are undeniably private. On the other hand, Sue is a beacon of youth and beauty, and Fargeat directs her point-blank at the audience. It’s how we understand an influencer’s Instagram persona. Her first scenes are portrayed in an objectifying manner so stark that they place directors known for their male gaze in the hot seat—think Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in the Marvel movies, Megan Fox in Michael Bay’s Transformers, or just women in Zack Snyder’s films generally.
While Elisabeth spends her allotted weeks alone in the apartment watching TV and stewing in her depression, Sue auditions as the replacement for the TV aerobics show. It’s here that Fargeat makes the extent of Hollywood’s sexism abundantly clear. Swells of mediocre men decide who and what is beautiful. Sue is placed on a pedestal, while Elisabeth is forgotten—a vicious irony. It’s nothing new. Still, Fargeat confronts these hypocrisies with such intensity that it magnifies their absurdity, exposing them with unflinching clarity through the frenzied behavior of the film.
As Sue’s fame skyrockets, an increasingly reclusive Elisabeth begins to harbor resentment toward her other half. This delicate balance eventually collapses, leading to a struggle for dominance that draws its intensity from the internal psychological violence of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010) and the all-consuming vanity of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Varied acts of defiance against one another amplify the inner (now external) conflict until Sue, enticed by the fame and fortune that follows her youth, decides to abuse the seven-day rule for months—a temporary solution with ultimately dire consequences.
A struggle for dominance in a tale about the dichotomous self is as old as the concept of vanity itself. That said, each iteration brings its own nuance. Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde splits the pristine version of ourselves according
to societal expectations with our undying repressed desires. Black Swan probes the conflict between perfectionism and impulse. The Substance presents a resonant schism, amplifying the fear of decay and the desire for beauty found in Dorian Gray for the modern age, rendered with hot-blooded, unforgiving intensity. We are all implicated in participating in this vain media engine, where “in with the new and out with the old” dictates our ideas of self-perception and perfection. Social media has halved our half-life. We have never felt the looming sense of decay more.
Much of The Substance unfolds in Elisabeth’s sterile bathroom—a pronounced contrast to the lurid colors in sunny Los Angeles and the production studio where Sue’s new flashy exercise show takes place. Here, Fargeat has us confront the two individuals without distraction. The reflections of both Sue and Elisabeth in the bathroom mirror emerge as their own antagonists.
Let’s be clear—there’s nothing unkind to say about Demi Moore’s appearance. Yet, Elisabeth struggles with her reflection—a backscatter of boiling insecurities rather than anything physical. However, as Sue begins to face the consequences of her insatiable vanity, particularly forgetting that she and Elisabeth are one, her external beauty starts deteriorating in a gruesome fashion. Her ensuing desperation propels us into Fargeat’s final act, where Sue and Elisabeth morph into a Frankensteinian monstrosity, a composite of their physical anxieties, multiplied by a million. Every moment of Fargeat’s 141-minute runtime builds anticipation—for what, we’re not sure at first. Yet the urgency felt by both Sue and Elisabeth gives us no choice but to bask in the film’s high-octane movements. A bloodbath is the film’s final reprieve after a conflict that cycles from decay and rebirth to decay all over again. Its lasting irony is how oblivion becomes preferable to fame and perception. But, more than anything, The Substance is a grim reminder that when we approach the mirror, we bring more than just our reflection; we carry our vanities and insecurities, all bundled into one monster. To divorce them rather than work to make amends is disastrous. It’s as straightforward as the moral taught by the Evil Queen from Snow White. The true horror is stoked when you seek to become the answer to the question: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” v
m letters@chicagoreader.com
Demi Moore in The Substance MUBI
FILM
More than just movies, I love the moving image.
This takes many forms, including the amorphous “installation,” a channel with limitless possibilities of expression. This past weekend, I was on a girls’ trip in New York City, and on our list of things to do and see was the U.S. debut of an installation by British filmmaker and video artist Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Widows) at Dia Chelsea, Sunshine State (2022). It’s a two-channel, dual-sided video projection mounted in a large, dark room, where viewers sit on either side of the screen and McQueen’s narration echoes throughout, filling the otherwise quiescent space with the artist’s incorporeal presence.
He tells a story of his father, Philbert, an immigrant from Grenada who, in the 1950s, went to Florida to pick oranges. One night, Philbert and two other migrant workers leave their encampment and venture into a nearby bar, where the locals don’t take kindly to three Black men entering their space. Violence erupts, an experience that McQueen acknowledges as having left an indelible mark on his father’s consciousness. The narration begins over dual images of the fiery sun—Florida represented literally for its blazing heat and metaphorically for its then and still now tempestuous attitude toward immigrants—and then transitions to footage from Alan Crosland’s 1927 film The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, “the king of blackface performers,” (and widely, though mistakenly, believed to be the first sound film though it was the first only in its use of synchronized sound in certain sequences).
McQueen’s narration of his father’s story is told all the way through, and then, in subsequent “retellings,” certain parts of the voiceover are omitted. In the footage of The Jazz Singer, whenever Jolson’s character is putting on or wearing blackface, his face is either in the process of disappearing or totally obscured, white skin
An installation view of Steve McQueen’s Sunshine State (2022) at International Film Festival Rotterdam
STUDIO HANS WILSCHUT/IFFR, COURTESY THE ARTIST/MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY/THOMAS
DANE GALLERY, VIA DIA ART FOUNDATION
not just masked by black but completely undone by it. The discordance of the voiceover and images creates an unnerving e ect, a sort of “Wait, what did I miss?” feeling that illuminates both the presence of the blackface and absence of parts of his father’s story, suggesting the audacity of the o enses but also the erasure of such history. This is apparently the first time McQueen has used his own voice in his work, but while listening to it, I realized that even if I couldn’t hear it in his more traditional films, his voice has always been present in them.
My friends and I also went to the Museum of Sex to see “Looking at Andy Looking,” an exhibition of selections from Andy Warhol’s early film work (specifically 1963–64), among them Blow Job (1964) and Sleep (1963). In the former, a young man, DeVeren Bookwalter (though uncredited), is shown receiving fellatio, which is occurring o screen. Despite the film’s salacious title, all one sees is Bookwalter’s upper half. One doesn’t even necessarily see his reactions, as he doesn’t appear to have any; in addition to wondering who o screen might be performing this sexual act, one might also wonder if it’s even happening at all. This epitomizes the subversiveness of Warhol’s art, teasing viewers with what’s outside the cinematic space as much as what’s inside of it. At almost five-and-a-half hours long, Sleep shows just that, Warhol’s then partner John Giorno asleep for its entire, monumental duration. As Warhol is quoted in the exhibition’s overview, “My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat—or in film’s case ‘run out’—manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing.”
I don’t disagree. Until next time, moviegoers. —KAT SACHS v
The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film bu , collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to o er.
NOW PLAYING
R Child Star
The documentary Child Star explores the unique experience of having massive fame at a young age and the damaging highs and lows that come with it. Similar experiences connect the celebrities interviewed; there are clear patterns in the societal, psychological, and circumstantial conditions that drive children into the entertainment industry and their resulting struggles.
The interview subjects—Drew Barrymore, RavenSymoné, and others—all experienced fame during their formative years, but their backgrounds vary. However, there was a common thread of childhood stories about an unsteady homelife and a search for stability and external validation on set. Some used performing as a place to escape or acted as their family’s main breadwinner. In the years following their rise in popularity, many struggled with addiction, mental illness, disassociation, personality disorders, and attention-seeking or self-destructive behavior.
Directed by Demi Lovato and Nicola Marsh, the documentary is unlike others that study similar themes. At the forefront of the film is someone who experienced the phenomenon and therefore can empathetically navigate the conversations. Documentaries and nonfiction traumatic stories are o en exploitative of their subjects for entertainment, but Lovato shares a deeper understanding with those she’s interviewing, which in turn creates a safer space.
In recent years, legislation has passed that finally protects kids in the entertainment industry, such as the Coogan Law, which sets aside a percentage of the child’s earnings for them to have when they are 18. However, the Internet is still unregulated territory, which is an immediate danger to kids who are content creators and part of family-run accounts. Child Star has a direct call to action: a er seeing all the pain these people have endured, don’t you want to shield the next generation?
—KYLIE BOLTER TV-MA, 98 min. Hulu
Never Let Go
Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go is a clever horror film that quickly falls into the all too familiar trap of being too clever for its own good.
The movie is built on the trusty conceit of blurring the line between madness and the supernatural. A mother (Halle Berry) and her young twin sons, Sam (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV), live in the woods alone. Mom believes they are the last survivors of a zombielike infestation. To prevent themselves from being taken over, they need to stay in the magically blessed house or stay connected to it by ropes attached to the foundation.
As food runs out, though, Nolan becomes skeptical. Are they really the last ones on earth? Or is it just a way for mom to hold onto them?
The film raises painful questions about how fear for children—and not least for Black children—can become a spur and an excuse for abuse or neglect. Unfortunately,
Get showtimes and see reviews of everything playing this week at
writers KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby are unwilling to commit to a narrative or even to a theme, abandoning both in pursuit of jump scares and surprise twists. The metaphor and the plot never tie together; in the end, they’re just lying there like abandoned rope, a pile of loose ends.
Excellent acting can’t overcome this essential failure of nerve. Never Let Go, despite its high concept, never grabs hold of itself or the viewer. —NOAH BERLATSKY R, 101 min. Wide release in theaters
RThe Wild Robot
Ask any parent: most animated kids’ movies are absolute garbage. Sure, there are exceptions, like Encanto (2021) or Inside Out (2015), but much of what comes out these days seems hell-bent on cramming as many celebrity voices as possible into recognizable intellectual property, storyline be damned. Studios need the stars to get a little PR juice going, and kids—bless their hearts—generally don’t really care about the plot holes in the new PAW Patrol movie or whatever else is in theaters.
The Wild Robot bucks all those trends, though. Sure, there are stars in DreamWorks Animation’s adaptation of Peter Brown’s hit book series—Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal are top-line, along with Heartstopper’s Kit Connor—but the movie is really centered more around its deeply felt story and beautifully painted animation than most recent kid-friendly fare.
Dropped onto a forest island sometime in the not-sodistant future, Nyong’o’s ROZZUM Unit 7134 (nicknamed Roz) careens about manically trying to help animals before settling down to learn from what’s around her. A er an accident, she ends up picking up an orphaned goose egg, which eventually hatches into a gosling she names Brightbill (Connor). With help from a sly fox named Fink (Pascal), the robot learns to care for the gosling, with the goal of getting it ready to migrate with its kind in the fall.
The movie tackles all manner of big questions along the way, from the nature of love to the difficulty of breaking bad news to kids to the realities of the food chain. Explained with a mix of bluntness and humility, these reflections on life (and parenting) make the movie narratively profound for kids and adults alike, though little ones might have a bit of a tough time with some of the animal-on-animal (or robot-on-animal) peril occasionally involved.
More than anything, The Wild Robot is simply beautiful. It’s an instant front-runner for best animated movie of the year, and for good reason. It’s an elegantly simple story told well, drawn delightfully, and imbued with humor and heart. You can’t ask for much more than that. —MARAH EAKIN PG, 101 min. Wide release in theaters v
The Wild Robot DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
MUSIC
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.
As the story goes, hip-hop was born on August 11, 1973, at a back-to-school dance party hosted by DJ Kool Herc. In the more than 50 years since, hip-hop has evolved into a world-changing cultural movement and a massive moneymaker, but from early on it’s consisted of five key elements: MCing, DJing, graffiti, breaking, and knowledge. Today hip-hop culture (and rap music in particular) is more popular than ever, but some hip-hop progenitors feel that the drive for commercial accessibility has dumbed down the music. Chicago rapper WateRR aims to change that narrative.
WateRR comes to rap as a teacher
“I liken myself to a Leonardo da Vinci of rap. A lot of his work was meaningful—whether it was how somebody was positioned or the angle, there’s meaning to every little thing,” WateRR explains. “It’s the same way with how I approach my music. If you take the time to listen and I mention something you may not be aware of, it’s on you to do the due diligence to look that up. I’m trying to leave you with something.”
WateRR’s journey into hip-hop began in the sixth grade, when he came across other students sharpening their freestyle rapping
On his new album, Order of the Day: Family Business (Side A), he accepts the responsibility that comes with his platform.
By ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ
by “throwing rounds” in classroom cyphers. If they could do it, he thought, then so could he.
At the time, in the mid-1990s, Crucial Conflict and Do or Die were the biggest groups in Chicago’s rap scene, and they inspired the young WateRR. He began to take songwriting more seriously and became a lifelong student of hip-hop.
“Nina Simone spoke on the importance of artists and our responsibility as artists,” he says.
“If you’re allowed to be in the mainstream today, you have to be gangbanging or drug dealing, something along those lines. There ain’t no real jewels being dropped, compared to when I was growing up. You had the party pieces, but you had also the pieces where messages were being delivered and statements were being made that are considered socially conscious.”
In the early 2000s, WateRR attended the University of Wisconsin– Madison on a foot-
ball scholarship, but a medical condition forced him to find an alternative career path. Fortunately, his passion for knowledge not only influenced the rhymes in his music but also helped him find a calling in education—he primarily teaches math, including at the Urban Prep Academies and the Chicago International Charter School campus in Washington Park.
This penchant for educating continues to inform his approach to hip-hop as well. He’s played an important role in building the Chicago scene in the years since COVID lockdowns drove many artists together to plan and dream. He also works to bring audiences’ attention to the city’s rising stars and rap veterans: so far this year, he’s curated a showcase called the Renaissance of the Culture at Subterranean in February and participated in a tribute concert for Gq tha Teacha
at the Promontory in March. Education even figures into WateRR’s new album, Order of the Day: Family Business (Side A). He opens the project with the track “Early Lessons,” which pairs a serene beat with a recording of him teaching his daughter positive a rmations and spirituality. Order of the Day will speak directly to fans of throwback, boombap hip-hop that prioritizes lyrical precision and storytelling. In the middle of the track list is “Alpha Omega,” which sits at the heart of the album both literally and figuratively—right from the top, it addresses the lack of “realness” in today’s music industry. “Flow admired, you should go retire / Got food for your thinking, a bowl of triumph,” WateRR raps. “Live wire, I preside sire / Bring the message to people like Obadiah.” In the Bible, Obadiah delivers a prophecy that forewarns of the destructive nature of pride and promises the restoration of God’s chosen people.
WateRR says the attention to detail in his lyrics stems from his belief that too many popular artists today fail to accept the responsibility that comes with their larger platforms.
“If you take the time to listen and I mention something you may not be aware of, it’s on you to do the due diligence to look that up. I’m trying to leave you with something.”
“It’s just important to me to leave messages in subtle, creative ways, because you don’t necessarily want to preach to your audience. Music is still supposed to be a fun thing,” he says. “At the same time, the focus should be on resetting the narrative. A child may not have a [role model] growing up—they may be a foster child and grow up in the system, and you can get lost in the streets like that. But if you got some type of good musical guidance to listen to, you’ll be OK. So I just try to do my part.” v
m letters@chicagoreader.com
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
WateRR THOUGHTPOET FOR CHICAGO READER
CITY OF WIN
WateRR with a book by Black photographer Gordon Parks, also famous for directing Sha THOUGHTPOET FOR CHICAGO READER
10/14 Indigenous People's Day feat. Alejandra "La Morena" Robles
11/23 Paul Cauthen
12/7 Irish Christmas In America
12/12-15 Songs Of Good Cheer
4/10/25 Tindersticks (at Athenaeum Center)
GOSSIP WOLF
In Maurer Hall
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 8PM
Dos Santos In Szold Hall
Tom Paxton & The Don Juans In Maurer Hall SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 7PM
Ganavaya In Szold Hall SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER
Carrie Newcomer In Maurer Hall SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 8PM Kulaiwi - Native Lands
In Maurer Hall SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 7PM Ali Azimi In Maurer Hall
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 8PM The Hot Sardines In Maurer Hall
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 7:30PM
Frances Luke Accord with special guest Maeve & Quinn In Maurer Hall
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 8PM
Lady Lamb In Maurer Hall
A furry ear to the ground of the local music scene
LAST FRIDAY, CHICAGO singer-songwriter (and occasional Reader contributor) Tasha Viets-VanLear released her third full-length album, All This and So Much More. Her gentle indie-rock sensibilities have evolved to accommodate wide-screen expression, but she’s kept her tenderhearted intimacy intact. September has been an eventful month for Viets-VanLear—about a week before All This and So Much More came out, she moved to New York City. She says the new record contemplates big changes too—she finished writing it in early 2023, around the time she joined the live band for the stage adaptation of Su an Stevens’s album Illinoise
“I suddenly had this huge project and job that was not something I was ever expecting would come to me,” Viets-VanLear says. “I went to do the first workshop for that show in March of that year, right after starting to record this album. It was this really big opening up of, like, everything looking different— my career, where I would be living, and what I would be spending my time doing.”
She made another major shift in recording All This and So Much More. She’d recorded her previous full-length, Tell Me What You Miss the Most , with coproducer Eric Littmann in his Chicago home studio. Littmann died in June 2021, about five months before
the album dropped. Viets-VanLear produced All This and So Much More with SML guitarist and Chicago native Gregory Uhlmann . He’d originally reached out to her about four years ago, which led to an email collaboration that resulted in her windswept March 2021 single “Would You Mind Please Pulling Me Close?”
When Viets-VanLear flew to Los Angeles to begin working with Uhlmann on All This and So Much More, it was the first time they’d teamed up in person. “His vision and his imagination, when it came to the arrangements of the songs, was so surprising to me and felt very different,” she says. “I was really happy to follow his lead in the studio, when he would bring up ideas or suggest things, and then was really stunned along the way to hear how everything was coming together. It was really good for me, in that moment of newness and change, to welcome that same feeling throughout the recording process.”
Viets-VanLear returns to Chicago to celebrate All This and So Much More with a Lincoln Hall headlining set on Friday, September 27. “The thing with Chicago—and with Chicago being my home—is nowhere else will ever feel like that place,” she says. “Nothing I make will ever feel quite complete until it is shared with Chicago and with my people in Chicago.” McKinley Dixon opens. Tickets cost
$25 ($20 in advance), and the music starts at 8 PM.
EARLIER THIS MONTH , rootsy Chicago singer-songwriter Marian Runk self-released her second album, Two Wires and a Spark—it arrives six years a er her debut, A Few Feet From the Ground. Runk says her love of country and folk began with the 1987 album Trio , a collaboration by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. Runk’s mom had Trio on cassette, and when they’d drive from Dallas to Austin to visit Runk’s grandmother, they would listen to it in the car.
“Growing up in Texas and being more of [a] sensitive spirit, I didn’t really jell all that well with a lot of Texas and country music culture,” Runk says. “In my high school years, I was super into Tracy Chapman, Indigo Girls, Fiona Apple, and Lauryn Hill—typical 90s stuff.”
Runk’s family nourished her interest in music. Her father, Chris, played bass clarinet for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Runk took piano lessons as a child and sang in her church choir, but by high school she’d dropped music to focus on ballet. She moved to Chicago 20 years ago, after graduating from Oberlin, and eventually enrolled in graduate school at Columbia College to study printmaking and book arts. At the same time, Runk worked on comics and illustration and got reacquainted with country and folk music.
“I was working on my thesis project, and I was listening to a lot of Patsy Cline,” Runk says. “I was on a train and I started crying. I was like, ‘I want to make comics that make me feel the way Patsy Cline’s music makes me feel.’”
Runk found her way back to playing music in her 30s. She enrolled in programs at the Old Town School of Folk Music , where she learned from singer-songwriter Steve Dawson . He’s since become one of Runk’s close collaborators: he not only played several instruments on Two Wires and a Spark, but he also recorded it at his Chicago studio, Kernel Sound Emporium
Runk usually performs in a duo with bassist Andrew Wilkins , but for her record-release show at Judson & Moore Distillery on Sunday, September 29, she’s bringing several of her collaborators from Two Wires and a Spark “The album was mostly recorded live,” Runk says, “so I don’t know that it’s gonna sound a ton different. But we’ll have a little bit more of that special energy.” Tickets are $15, and the music starts at 8 PM. —LEOR GALIL
Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or email gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.
Tasha ALEXA VISCIUS
Recommended and notable shows with critics’ insights for the week of September 26 b
Warm Love Cool Dreams offers a
mix of aggressive and chill sounds—and
the return of the Jesus Lizard
WARM LOVE COOL DREAMS takes inspiration from a disarmingly uncynical line in Nelson Algren’s bleak 1954 novel, The Man With the Golden Arm (set in Chicago’s historic Polish downtown). “The veteran’s flat, placid, deadpan phiz fixed absently upon an oversized roach twirling its feelers invitingly at him with a half-drugged motion from beneath the radiator,” he wrote. “Come on down here where everything is warm love and cool dreams forever.” This new festival’s premise is fairly straightforward: one day of warm, fierce music, followed by a second filled with cool and dreamy sounds.
Warm Love Cool Dreams made waves out of the gate with the news that Saturday’s lineup would include the return of beloved wet-and-wild noise-rock heroes the Jesus Lizard. Formed in Texas in 1987 before relocating to Chicago in 1989, the on-again, off-again band have fans spanning multiple generations—including plenty who’ve been born since they split up after the release of 1998’s Blue. After a reunion tour that stretched from 2008 till 2010, the members parted ways until 2017, when they began gigging again. That said, Warm Love Cool Dreams is the Jesus Lizard’s first local appearance since 2018’s Riot Fest, and this time around they’re not confined to their back catalog. This month, they’ve put their ri s where their mouths are and unveiled a brand-new album, Rack , which has been in the works since 2019. Front man David Yow wasn’t initially committed to making another record, but his bandmates kept presenting him with new songs in various embryonic stages until he joined the fun. Rack is raw and fresh and timeless; for those of us old enough to have experienced the Jesus Lizard’s first era, it’s almost as if they never left. Saturday’s stacked bill also includes eerie Los Angeles postpunks Sextile, gothic doom purveyors King Woman, and sonic pranksters Aitis Band. As promised, Sunday’s artists are much more chill: Headliner Kelela is a liquid-voiced singer and composer of soulful, futuristic R&B and electronica, which she’s showcased in numerous collaborations and on two terrific full-length albums, 2017’s Take Me Apart and 2023’s
WARM LOVE COOL DREAMS
Saturday’s “Warm Love” lineup features the Jesus Lizard, Sextile, Provoker, King Woman, Bendik Giske, Aitis Band, and Stress Positions. Sunday’s “Cool Dreams” lineup features Kelela, Floating Points, Sister Nancy, Shabaka, 454, Lolina, and SML. Sat 9/28 and Sun 9/29, 3:30 PM, Salt Shed outdoors, 1357 N. Elston, $49.50 single-day pass, $115 single-day premium pass, $90 two-day pass, $200 two-day premium pass. 21+
Raven (both with companion volumes of remixes). Sister Nancy, a groundbreaking Jamaican dancehall DJ and singer, began DJing in the late 70s and made her name when there were very few women in the scene. Earlier this year, London-based Estonian producer Lolina released Unrecognisable, which combines rattling, skeletal beats and sinister ambience with uncanny valley vocal processing a la the Knife or Laurie Anderson. British-Barbadian jazz composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Shabaka (aka Shabaka Hutchings of Sons of Kemet and Shabaka & the Ancestors) recently put out his first solo album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
This well-curated two-day event highlights the power of prioritizing all kinds of diversity in festival programming, so come for the music you know and stay for what just could be your new favorite sound. —MONICA KENDRICK
THURSDAY26
A.G. Cook 8 PM, Metro, 3730 N. Clark, sold out. 18+
British producer and songwriter A.G. Cook has been a cutting-edge figure in pop music for more than a decade, long enough that you can see his finger prints on a profusion of albums and subcultures. When Cook founded outre label and collective PC Music in 2013, he also laid the foundation for hyperpop; any subsequent artist who’s playfully inverted pop through a subcultural lens owes him a debt. He’s since worked with a few top-tier stars, chief among them Beyoncé, who recruited Cook to contribute to her house-centric 2022 album, Renaissance . But his most important collaboration with a marquee name is his long-standing partnership with Charli XCX: Cook is an executive producer on five of her full-lengths, including June’s Brat, which defined the summer’s zeitgeist (at least for the chronically online). Charli appears on Cook’s recent third album, the sprawling Britpop (New Alias), which Cook has split into three discs: the first refers to his big-top pop past; the second, his rangy, guitar-oriented present; and the third, his experimental future. That last disc is stylistically slippery, a quality I’ve always appreciated about Cook’s work: he can remain elusive and unpredictable even when he’s mastered a specific pop sensibility. One of my favorite songs of his is “Beautiful Superstar,” from 2020’s Apple , which grafts midwest emo guitars onto a pop ballad with a volcanically explosive hook. Britpop has earworms to spare, but the album’s biggest strength is its expansiveness—it’s enough to convince you that Cook’s omnidirectional aesthetic is as boundless as pop music itself. —LEOR GALIL
SATURDAY28
Fugitive Molder, Snuffed, and Danger Feet open. 8 PM, Reggies Rock Club, 2105 S. State, $20. 17+
If you spent any time in hardcore or metal circles in the 2010s, Power Trip were on your radar. The Texas thrash lords hit the scene like a bat out of hell, and with each passing tour their live shows seemed to get tighter, better, and more unfuckwithable. By the time they released the 2017 album Nightmare Logic and the 2018 rarities compilation Opening Fire: 2008-2014, their unstoppable riffs and razor-sharp, politically charged lyrics were clearly resonating beyond the heavy music world—it began to feel like they could burst into the mainstream headfirst. But in August 2020, the band’s beloved front man, Riley Gale (a onetime Chicagoan), passed away at age 34. Power Trip guitarist Blake Ibanez, who’d helped start the band with Gale in 2008, took a break from music, but by 2022 he’d begun writing again and formed Fugitive with members of Texas outfits Creeping Death, Skourge, and Impalers. That summer, the five-piece dropped their debut, Maniac , a blistering five-song EP of filthy crossover thrash with death-metal-style vocals courtesy of front man Seth Gilmore (also of Skourge and, as of 2023, a retooled Power Trip). The 2023 seven-inch “Blast Furnace” b/w “Standup” ups the aggression and fun
The Jesus Lizard JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS
MUSIC
continued from p. 27
even further. Though Fugitive’s entire studio output to date totals around 20 minutes, they’ve stayed busy on the festival circuit (including a stop at Dark Lord Day in May). Anyway, if these DIY veterans were to run out of original material, they could definitely pull some fast and grimy tricks out of their cut-off sleeves. Tonight’s bill also includes three local heavy hitters: gory death-metal unit Molder (who recently announced a new album, Catastrophic Reconfiguration , due in November), hardcore four-piece Snuffed, and punk newcomers Danger Feet playing their third show ever. —JAMIE LUDWIG
Hyde Park Jazz Festival day one See also Sun 9/29. Today the festival takes place at 14 venues around the neighborhood, including Rockefeller Chapel, two halls at the Logan Center for the Arts, the Smart Museum, the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, Hyde Park Bank, the DuSable Museum, and two outdoor stages on the Midway Plaisance. Complete schedule at hydeparkjazzfestival.org.
1 PM–midnight, $10 suggested donation. Fb
The programming for this year’s Hyde Park Jazz Festival once again defies the implicit parochialism of the festival’s name: this is a weekend of music that any major city on Earth would be proud to call its own. The two-day fest balances accessible local acts that go well with picnicking on the Midway Plaisance with representatives of Chicago’s cuttingedge improvised-music community, then tops off the bill with excellent out-of-town performers. In addition to the live music, the festival will also present the debut screening of Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra , a concert film featuring a homecoming concert by former Chicagoan Mazurek at the Adler Planetarium a couple years ago. (Full disclosure: A review I wrote of that concert has been repurposed as the liner notes of the accompanying soundtrack album.)
On Saturday, the festival spreads out across Hyde Park, presenting music throughout the day in more
than a dozen indoor and outdoor spaces around the neighborhood. On Sunday, all the performances take place during the a ernoon on the Midway’s two outdoor stages. Because the program comprises 35 concerts, I can’t give you a band-by-band breakdown here, but I can share some highlights. Saxophonist and composer Geof Bradfield & Colossal Abundance speckle vivid, contemporary bigband arrangements with incandescent solos by the likes of woodwind players Anna Webber and Greg Ward; the Jason Roebke Quartet conduct sui generis investigations of the tension between fixed and elastic senses of time; the New York woodwinds-and-piano duo of Webber and Matt Mitchell can be counted upon to bring rigorous compositional ideas to their improvisations, as can the trio of keyboardist Craig Taborn, local cellist Tomeka Reid, and drummer and vibraphonist Ches Smith.
Chicago saxophonist Mai Sugimoto has lately seemed to find new sound concepts each time she plays, and she’ll bring it all back to her freeswinging trio with bassist Joshua Abrams and drummer Isaiah Spencer. And in the penultimate performance on the Midway’s West Stage, Tatsu Aoki’s Miyumi Project will combine the full-on rhythms of Japanese taiko drumming with a rich timbral palette of reeds and strings playing in the tradition of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. While part of the festival’s charm is the chance to hear music in the glorious weather that late September usually gifts us, you should consider sticking around for the late indoor programming on Saturday night. You’ll face a tough winwin choice between the Makanda Project featuring singer Dee Alexander, which revives the music of under recognized jazz composer Makanda Ken
McIntyre, and the first local set this year by the trance-inducing Natural Information Society Community Ensemble with tenor saxophonist Ari Brown. And Saturday’s final concert—a solo performance by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire at Rockefeller Chapel—should close the night on a perfect note of distilled melody. —BILL MEYER
Los Angeles hip-hop trio Previous Industries are a relatively new group, but their members’ roots go back decades. Still Ri met Open Mike Eagle while they were in high school at Whitney Young in the late 1990s—both joined Pugs Atomz’s mighty Nacro bats crew before graduating. In the early 2000s, Mike attended Southern Illinois University, where he met fellow Chicagoan Video Dave, the third leg of the Previous Industries tripod. All three MCs keep the Windy City close to their hearts. Their June debut album, Service Merchandise (Merge), makes loads of references to defunct businesses, including some bygone local fixtures— it has tracks called “Dominick’s” and “White Hen.” Previous Industries aren’t beholden to the milieu where they came up so much as interested in using their shared past to inform the art they’re creating together now. Throughout Service Merchandise , Ri , Mike, and Dave sound energized by the act of rapping for one another—these three friends don’t seem to need any audience but themselves in order to get hyped. It’s a sensation I hope never gets old. —LEOR GALIL
Warm Love Cool Dreams day one See Pick of the Week on page 27. See also Sun 9/29. Today’s “Warm Love” lineup features the Jesus Lizard, Sextile, Provoker, King Woman, Bendik Giske, Aitis Band, and Stress Positions. 3:30 PM, Salt Shed outdoors, 1357 N. Elston, $49.50 singleday pass, $115 single-day premium pass, $90 twoday pass, $200 two-day premium pass. 21+
A.G. Cook SINNA NASSERI
Previous Industries COURTESY OF MERGE RECORDS
Fugitive WILL MECCA
Find more music listings at chicagoreader.com/musicreviews
SUNDAY29
Hyde Park Jazz Festival day two See Sat 9/28. The second and final day of the fest takes place on two outdoor stages on the Midway Plaisance; complete schedule at hydeparkjazzfestival.org. The Wagner Stage (at S. Woodlawn) features Alexis Lombré, the Charles Heath Quartet, and the Chicago Windy City Ramblers; the West Stage (at S. Ellis) features Tatsu Aoki’s Miyumi Project and the Victor Garcia Sextet. 2–7 PM (Wagner Stage) and 3–6 PM (West Stage), Midway Plaisance Park, $10 suggested donation. Fb
Warm Love Cool Dreams day two See Pick of the Week on page 27. See also Sat 9/28. Today’s “Cool Dreams” lineup features Kelela, Floating Points, Sister Nancy, Shabaka, 454, Lolina, and SML. 3:30 PM, Salt Shed outdoors, 1357 N. Elston, $49.50 single-day pass, $115 single-day premium pass, $90 two-day pass, $200 two-day premium pass. 21+
MONDAY30
Gene Loves Jezebel Sumthing Strange and Bellhead open. 8:30 PM, Reggies Music Joint, 2105 S. State, $25, $20 in advance. 21+
A decade before Oasis’s Liam and Noel Gallagher made headlines with their brotherly feuds, gorgeous fey twins Michael and Jay Aston tore through the British goth-rock scene with their own legendary spats. In the early 80s, the pair left their South Wales hometown for London, where they fell in with the competitive art circles that birthed the Cure and Siouxsie & the Banshees. To distinguish themselves, they changed their band name from Slavaryan to Gene Loves Jezebel and leaned into twincestuous vibes: Michael was “Gene,” a childhood nickname Jay had given him a er he broke his leg (a homage to rockabilly icon Gene Vincent, who walked with a distinctive limp). Jay was “Jezebel,” which to my knowledge has never been publicly explained—but its slutty androgyny speaks volumes. Fan rumors of their more-than-brotherly affection were so popular that famed 90s trans gay goth horror author William Joseph Martin, who wrote as Poppy Z. Brite, repeatedly used it for inspiration. The group were o en mentioned in his stories too, and his only nonfiction work is an obscure 1986 interview with the twins.
MUSIC
cial success largely due to Michael and Jay’s magnetic appeal. They mirrored each other with their high cheekbones, pouting lips, and languid silhouettes, and the moans and whimpers of their shared vocals seemed like they came from one heart that’d been split in two. But the Astons didn’t adore each other as much as they wanted people to believe. Tempers flared after 1985’s Immigrant , with each brother accusing the other of being hard to work with. It got so bad that Michael quit in the middle of the sessions for their next album, 1987’s The House of Dolls (he appears on only a handful of tracks).
Over the next two decades, the Astons had a strained off-and-on relationship that involved a lot of public shit talking. They managed a brief reunion tour in the mid-90s, but things got heated again
Akinmusire closes Saturday’s programming at the
Gene Loves Jezebel’s earliest songs were wailing, romantic soliloquies about loves lost, tormented desire, and—in the case of 1983’s “Upstairs”—fucking one’s mother. Compared to the music made by some of their better-known peers, their sound was more sparse and shivering, but they found commer-
when they tried to record a new album. The friction reached its zenith in 1997, when Jay and two bandmates sued Michael for the rights to the band name. The lawsuit was settled by creating two Gene Loves Jezebels, but in 2008, Michael sued Jay for trademark infringement. Now they must adhere to strict rules about which brother can use the name where; Michael Aston’s version of the band gets to be Gene Loves Jezebel in the U.S., while Jay has to play here as Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel. It’s been more than a decade since Michael and Jay have spoken, and they’ve long promised never to make music together again. But didn’t Liam and Noel say the same thing? Gene Loves Jezebel are a quintessential part of goth music history—and worth seeing even just to heckle Michael about a reunion.
—MICCO CAPORALE v
Ambrose
Hyde Park Jazz Festival. MICHAEL WILSON
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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].
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology/Physician Surgeon The Dept of Pathology, at the Univ of IL Chicago, located in a large metropolitan area, is seeking full-time Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology/Physician Surgeon to assist the department with the following responsibilities: Under direction and supervision, teach, train, and advise medical students, residents, and fellows in fields of Pathology, and specifically Dermatopathology and Hematopathology. Provide clinical patient care in the specialties of oncologic and non-oncologic Dermatopathology and Hematopathology to a diverse patient population in the hospital. Participate and collaborate on other sub-specialty diagnostic services, such as molecular pathology, digital pathology, HLA, and informatics. Conduct medical science research, publish and present scientific research findings, and perform University service and administrative duties as assigned. Some periodic travel may be required for conferences, professional development, and/or local travel in between worksite locations. This position minimally requires a Medical degree (MD) or its foreign equivalent, one (1) year of Dermatopathology fellowship training and one (1) year of Hematopathology fellowship training, a valid IL med license or eligibility for an Illinois medical license, & board certification or eligibility for certification in Anatomic & Clinical Pathology. For fullest consideration, please submit CV, cover letter, and 3 professional references by 10/5/2024 to Ms. Alsera Hayes, 840 S. Wood Street, 130CSN, MC847, Chicago, IL 60612 or via email to Alsera.edu. The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited
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Segment Industrial Engineer Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC: Segment Industrial Engineer – Chicago, IL (Up to 50% Tlwk permitted). Develop, evaluate, & recommend optimal supply solutions for new market activities affecting the segment, in close cooperation w/ the segment support IE’s & site IE’s. Job reqs Bach’s deg in Engg, Biz Mgmt, or rltd fld & 4 yrs of exp working as a Project Eng, Logistics Mgr, Industrial Eng, Ops Line Mgr, Supply Chain Mgr, or rltd position. In lieu of a Bach’s deg as stated, employer will accept 2 additional yrs of exp working as a Project Eng, Logistics Mgr, Industrial Eng, Ops Line Mgr, Supply Chain Mgr, or rltd position. Up to 20% domestic & int’l travel reqd for biz mtgs. To apply, send resume identifying Job Code 139 to MarsTA-PIC@ effem.com. No calls.
Commercial Technology Architect Enterprise Solutions – SAP Procurement Mars Information Services, Inc.: Commercial Technology Architect Enterprise Solutions – SAP Procurement (Formerly known as: Commercial (Procurement) Technology Solution Architect – Direct Procurement) – Chicago, IL. Partnering w/ key stakeholders across business segments to deliver new commercial technology solutions for Mars Information Services, Inc. Job reqs Bach’s deg in Comp Engg, Mgmt Info Sys, or a rltd fld + 7 yrs in any job title involving exp in Procure to Pay domain w/ responsibilities for solution design, product mgmt & sys implementation for SAP ECC, SAP SRM, & Ariba within the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry. Up to 25% intl & dom travel reqd for biz mtgs. Tlwk permitted up to 2 days per wk. To apply, send resume identifying Job Code 137 to MarsTA-PIC@ effem.com. No calls.
Manager FT. Orozco Trucking Corp, Elk Grove Village, Chicago, IL. Bachelor in mgmt, no exp, no training. Annual salary is $57,200.00. Email resume to Konstantins@ orozcotrucking.com
Engagement Manager – Implementation positions avail w/ McKinsey & Co, Inc. US in Chicago, IL . Dvlp relationships w/ clients; be expert in impl & delivering results. Req’s Master’s in Bus Admin, Fin, Econ, or nonbus adv degree, & 2 yrs of exp w/ a major top-tier int’l mgmt consulting firm as Assoc-Implementation or Consultant. Domestic & int’l travel typically required. Dest & freq impossible to predict. Telecommuting permitted. Email resume to CO@mckinsey.com and refer to CTR08EMIM. Multiple positions.
Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor: Part of multi-disciplinary treatment team. Psych treatment to help w/mental health disorders. Discuss mental health, assess symptoms, diagnose, appl treatment. Study of behavior patterns & cognitive functions. Observe individuals, record interactions. Master’s degree in counseling psychology. Res: LifePoint Child and Family Therapy. 5101 Washington St, Suite 1108, Gurnee IL 60031
Northwestern Memorial Healthcare seeks Sr. Cloud Security Analysts for various & unanticipated worksites in the U.S (HQ: Chicago, IL) to be responsible for providing security for cloudbased digital platforms. Bachelor’s in Comp Sci/ IT/related field +5yrs exp req’d. Req’d skills: 3yrs w/network protocols & topologies; proxies, Firewall, packet analyzers; Incident response; monitor & administer endpoint detection & response; Windows admin; Exp must incl at least 2 major security vendors; Python/ scripting; email security; SIEM; security controls & threat protection in cloud & hybrid; cyber threat intelligence. Edu/ exp: Linux/UNIX; Threat & Vulnerability Mgmt, Security standards/ controls (NIST, HIPAA). May work remote w/ ability to commute to Chicago office. Background check & drug screening req’d. Apply online: http://jobseeker.nm.org/ Req ID: LMT68894N
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare seeks Medical Laboratory Scientist (multiple positions) in Chicago, IL to perform test procedures in a clinical laboratory & convey
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Infectious Disease Physician Infectious Disease Physician needed in Park Ridge, IL. Please send resume to: Tara Kowalski, Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, 901 McClintock Drive, # 202, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Front End Developers Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago d/b/a Shirley Ryan Ability Lab seeks Front End Developers for various & unanticipated worksites throughout the U.S (HQ: Chicago,IL) to build, deploy, & maintain robust web sw applications w/ cloudbased & locally hosted infrastructures. Bachelor’s in Comp Sci/SW Eng/ related field +2yrs exp req’d. Req’d Skills: JavaScript; AWS Services (S3, EC2); React; HTML/ Sass; CSS; translating non-tech reqs for med sw apps to tech functional code; privacy protections & security safeguards for med sw apps; jQuery; Node.js; Python; PHP; SQL; Linux. 100% telecommuting permitted. Apply online: https:// www.sralab.org/careers REQ ID: JR-1061963
H.W. Lochner Inc. seeks a Bridge Engineer in Chicago, IL to conduct structural analyses, develop calculations, & prepare contract documents in accordance w/ state & local agency requirements. BS in Civil Engg, Structural Engg, or rltd fields, or equiv & 5 yrs of relevant exp in Bridge EIT or similar positions. In alternative, MS in Civil Engg, Structural Engg, or rltd fields, or equiv & 3 yrs of relevant exp in Bridge EIT or similar positions. Any suitable combination of education, training, or exp is acceptable. PE license req’d. This position allows hybrid telecommuting. For position details & to apply, visit: https://www. hwlochner.com/careers/.
Chief Financial and Construction Operations Officer Ten South Holdings LLC seeks an Chief Financial and Construction Operations Officer in Highland Park, IL to lead the development and expansion of major affordable housing development projects. Req.
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To Apply: Email resume to apply@tensouth.com. Must ref. Job Title: Chief Financial and Construction Operations Officer
Sr Software Engineers, Chicago, IL, for Team TAG Services, LLC (TAG) (2 positions): Develop & troubleshoot highly available, scalable revenue-generating systems. Work with stakeholders from Product Development, Product Management, Infrastructure, Security QA, Compliance & vendor partner teams to support and develop solutions. Req’: Bachelors in Comp Sci, IT, Comp or Software Engg or related and 5 yrs’ exp working in software dev. May work from home up to 2 days per week. Resumes to code SC/ MT-SSE, Juliana Ximenes, Global Immigration Manager, TAG, 800 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607 (juliana.ximenes@ aspendental.com).
(Chicago, IL) Maximum Healthcare Solutions, Inc. seeks Director of Operations/Finance Manager w/bach or for deg equiv in bus adm, fin or rel fld & 1 yr exp in job offr or sr ldrship role inc dev budg & bus plan; nego for int & extnl purp & perf data anayl & perf metr using bus mgmt sftw SAP, ERP or CRM. Apply to HR Amane@maximumhs.com
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER (ELECTRONIC TRADING TECHNOLOGY) At Kernel Trading Technologies LP (Chicago, IL) Resp for bldg highly sclbl & low-ltncy SW apps to use in fin mrkts. Req Mast in CS, CompEngg, rltd field or forgn equiv, plus 3 yrs prof exp in any occ where SW engg exp is gaind. Exp must incl 3 yrs exp w each of flwing: dvlpg highly sclbl sw apps that is capable of handlg 1 mil or more msgs/day w JAVA or C++; dsgng & implmntg sw microsrvcs APIs w AWS & Kafka; bldg data ETL pipelines w Python, cpble of handlg min 1 mil msgs/day; dsgng & implmng testg infrastrctr & anlyzg code cvrge w Unit testg framewrk eg JUnit; dployg SW apps to Linux op sys; dsgng & architctg distrbutd sys eg Kafka & AWS; & wrkg w fin data (mrkt data, anlyst rating data) for securities w Python. CV to hiring@ kerneltrading tech.com.
Intelsat US LLC is hiring for the following roles in Chicago, IL: Software Engineer to design, develop, test, debug, and document software, by providing high-quality technical solutions and services that deliver business value and drive continuous improvement across the organization. Telecommuting available. Ref. code: JJ0009.
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Embedded Software Engineer Job Fair
Embedded Software Engineer Job Fair, Arlington Heights, IL – 60004: Seeking experienced Embedded Software Engineers with state of the art Embedded software skills. Visit us on 10/08/2024 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 Am at HR, Aclat Inc, 5 E College DR, STE 100, Arlington Heights, IL – 60004.
Software Development Lead Engineer in Test sought by Enova Financial Holdings, LLC. in Chicago, IL. Partic in dsgn, cd, and tst case rvws. Remote work prtmd. Apply @ https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref # 40701.
Data Analyst Data Analyst, HDI Global Insurance Co., Chicago, IL: Achieve profitability in automating various business tasks using analytical, technical, & project mgmt skills. Analyze data, develop recommendations, & provide business insights. Work both individually & as part of a team to achieve the min. viable product (MVP) of their assigned projects. Exp. working w/ Qlik Sense. Must have Bachelor in IT, Eng’g, Comp Sci., or Stats (or foreign equivalent) & 2 yrs of progressively more responsible IT work exp. involving complex data analysis & synthesis for readable reports w/ visualizations. Of exp. req’d, must have 2 yrs exp. w/ ea. of the following: (i) Using Qlik Sense to build data models using 3 tier architecture; (ii) Building QVDs & QVWs; (iii) Using data mgmt software, incl. SQL; (iv) Designing Star & Snowflake schema data warehouses; & (v) Planning w/ inter-dept. groups assigned to tasks or project work. Exp. may be gained concurrently. Telecommuting permitted from any location in U.S. National & international travel is req’d 5% of the time for mandatory meetings. Apply at: recruiting. paylocity.com/recruiting/ jobs/All/99a7857a-705a41f0-b4ff-2803d238b62b/ HDI-GlobalInsurance-Company.
AUDITIONS
IDM/EDM ARTISTS WANTED original music only. contact : idm-edm.com
Local Author Reading: Joyce Goldenstern and Ted Morrissey Albany Park Public Library. 3401 Foster Ave. Sept. 19 (Thursday). 6:30 pm. Free admission and refreshments.
HOUSING
1506 N Hudson 4 bedroom duplex 1506 North Hudson, Unit 2, quiet neighborhood Spacious 4 bedroom duplex (2nd/3rd) floors. Large living room, den, two baths with 4 sinks, hardwood floors, kitchen includes dishwasher and microwave, washer/dryer in unit, central air and heat; private deck off third floor, large shared deck over garage. No Pets; gas and electric not included; $3,850 monthly, $5,775 deposit. garage space $140. 773.255.6988, 312.343.0449. Block from El station Logan Square 1 bedroom loft apartment for rent 3.5 room Logan Square apartment. 3rd floor. 1 bed, 1 bath. Pets okay. Near blue line stop. Call 224488-6164. $900/month
PROFESSIONALS & SERVICES
CLEANING SERVICES
CHESTNUT ORGANIZING AND CLEANING SERVICES: especially for people who need an organizing service because of depression, elderly, physical or mental challenges or other causes for your home’s clutter, disorganization, dysfunction, etc. We can organize for the downsizing of your current possessions to more easily move into a smaller home. With your help, we can help to organize your move. We can organize and clean for the deceased in lieu of having the bereaved needing to do the preparation to sell or rent the deceased’s home. We are absolutely not judgmental; we’ve seen and done “worse” than your job assignment. With your help, can we please help you? Chestnut Cleaning Service: 312-332-5575. www. ChestnutCleaning.com
Psychiatric and Mental Health Services At BrainBody, our mission is to establish and maintain a practice that provides medication management, therapeutic interventions focusing on whole health and lifestyle medicine to guide adults on a path to mental and physical health. Accepting new patients, in network with BCBS, Cigna, Optum, and Aetna. Email: support@brainbody.health
SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS
Bedroom politics
A former Republican weighs in and Dan li s a ban
By DAN SAVAGE
Q: I’m a gay man in his early 30s who’s into sex stripped down to its most basic elements: tops come in, fuck me, come, and leave. I’ve moved to a new city. One guy in his mid-20s came over and we had awkward but passionate sex. We chatted a little a erward. I went to his apartment to see him a week later and we did it again. It was hot; we have chemistry. Turns out, he’s also new in town.
He’s from a conservative part of the country and says I’m the second man he’s ever had sex with. He’s got a lot of things I look for in romantic partners: smart, cute, so -spoken, driven, and into his job. The bad part is that he’s in management training for a problematic fast-food company, and while he’s fairly apolitical, he says he will “probably” vote for Trump.
While there are certainly plenty of gay conservatives, I feel like he’s someone who hasn’t seriously given a lot of thought to politics outside of his strong belief in free enterprise.
You said once not to fuck Republicans because they should go fuck themselves. But I feel like there might be something here I can draw out of him. His desire for kinky gay sex might make him willing to hear me out about my sharply divergent politics. I don’t want to entertain someone who just wants his cake (my ass) and the license to eat it (his abhorrent politics) too. But the sex is good and I like the idea of fixing him. What to do? —AROUSED SLUT SEES
ULTIMATE POTENTIAL
a: For decades, ASSUP, I have urged sane gay men not to fuck gay Republicans (gay Republicans can go fuck themselves) but in 2015 I singled out one gay Republican in particular that I didn’t want other gay men fucking: Tim Miller, former campaign staffer for John McCain, former spokesman for the Republican National Committee, and, at the time of my statement, communications director for Jeb Bush. Seeing as Tim is no longer a Republican (but still a gay man), and seeing as my position on fucking gay Republicans hasn’t changed (just say no), I thought Tim might be able to offer you an unbiased answer. Despite my having urged other gay men not to suck Tim’s dick (without effect, it seems), Tim graciously agreed to weigh in. His response follows . . . Yo ASSUP.
As a former Republican who Dan once tried to cockblock on account of his political views—unsuccessfully, I might add (very unsuccessfully)—I appreciate where your head is. Your instinct is downright humanitarian. It’s in line with the message Barack Obama delivered at this year’s DNC convention. No, not the dick joke, the part where he said, “Everyone deserves a chance, and even when we don’t agree with each other, we can find a way to live with each other.” And here you are giving this hate chicken middle manager a chance to live in you! It’s a beautiful instinct really. Who knows, with your vice grip on his dick, maybe this young gay conservative
might blossom into a coconutpilled podcast host who eviscerates any MAGA moron that dares cross his path like yours truly.
On the other hand . . . it’s 2024, not 2014. Donald Trump attempted an insurrection. He’s currently advancing a racist conspiracy about Black immigrants abducting and eating house pets. He is a worthless shart stain with no redeeming qualities or virtues and that’s been abundantly clear to anyone with a brain for at least nine years now. Being for Trump at this point . . . it’s not exactly the same as just mindlessly supporting Thom Tillis. It’s either an act of active malice or supreme stupidity.
So, like you, ASSUP, I’m torn. Not a great quality for an advice columnist, but (unfortunately for you) Dan passed your question off to a substitute.
I guess my ruling comes down to a practical calculation. If he lives in a swing state, hold your hole hostage until he pledges to support Kamala. We can’t fuck around with so much on the line. If he doesn’t live in a swing state, well, give it a few more whirls, at least until he reveals himself to be intentionally awful. Who knows what could happen, right? After all, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, maybe your hole has the change he seeks. —Tim Miller I want to thank Tim, both for responding to your question and for eviscerating MAGA morons five days a week on The Bulwark Podcast—and I want to officially lift my “fagwa”: gay men everywhere can again suck
Tim’s dick without incurring my wrath.
I also want to expand a bit on something Tim said: can your (or anyone’s) hole change a person? While I think some people are too far gone for hole (or pole) to save (you can’t fuck the Nazi out of someone), some people don’t ever think critically about political beliefs instilled in them by rightwing families or churches until challenged by someone they’ve just fucked and want
to fuck again. The combination of sexual attraction, limerence, and oxytocin (the “love hormone” that floods our systems during really good sex) can open a person up in surprising ways.
So, you have my blessing, ASSUP, but you should gently draw this man out about his politics after he unloads in you. If thinking more deeply about his vote is the price he has to pay to keep unloading in you, he may wind up voting for Kamala Harris along with
you and me and Tim and all the other gay men out there with their heads screwed on straight.
T im Miller is the author of Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Follow him on X @timodc and Threads @timmillergram. v
Ask your burning questions, download podcasts, read full column archives, and more at the URL savage.love. m mailbox@savage.love
3rd Annual
A Benefit for the Chicago Reader
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO 220 E CHICAGO AVE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3RD
VIP COCKTAIL HOUR 6PM - 7PM | GENERAL 7PM - 9PM
DRESS CODE READER YELLOW OR GOLD
LINE UP TERRY HUNTER, ARIEL ZETINA, KENDRA JAMAICA, DESHAWN MASON
