Posts

Illinois Supreme Court justice calls for a fifth star to be added to the city flag—in honor of her own charity At a Tuesday breakfast fund-raiser for Special Olympics that doubled as a roast for Mayor Rahm Emanuel on his 57th birthday, Illinois Supreme Court justice Anne Burke, a cofounder of the nonprofit organization, proposed that the city consider adding a fifth star to the Chicago flag in its honor, the Tribune reports....

After listening to Hillary Clinton’s recent chat with Howard Stern, I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that members of the centrist wing of my beloved Democratic Party would rather see Trump reelected than cast their lot with Bernie Sanders. I think we all agree that the worst Democrat is generally better than the best Republican on issues like judicial nominees, reproductive rights, environmental protections, etc. STERN: Bernie could have endorsed you quicker....

Hamburger Mary’s Chicago/Mary’s Attic Berlin Finalist: Roscoe’s

Moody Tongue’s Sliced Nectarine IPA moodytongue.com I don’t think I’m the only one who’s tired of the unrelenting hoppiness of IPAs. In theory the style is fine, but in practice it’s become so ubiquitous it’s like having sriracha on everything you eat—you don’t taste anything else. Nay. You can’t taste anything else. Which is what I liked about Moody Tongue’s Sliced Nectarine IPA, one of the lesser-known varieties of brewer Jared Rouben’s food-driven beers....

ARTIST: Justin Hertner SHOW: Bloodshot Records’ 25th anniversary celebration featuring Murder by Death, the Mekons, Vandoliers, and a tribute to Andre Williams at the Square Roots Festival on Sat 7/13 MORE INFO: instagram.com/bringthehert

The troubling thing about much of David Hockney’s work is its seeming lack of trouble. Especially in his drawings, his undeniable facility can lead him into images that are trite. Yet there’s no denying the man’s skill and, in his best work, his ability to evoke the grace, character, and beauty of his subjects. Hockney himself is the subject of an adoring new documentary by Randall Wright, and, watching it, I wondered if the director were trying to replicate the ease captured in so many Hockney canvases....

November 8 is the day that American voters have all been waiting for. Scratch that: exit polling Tuesday night says we just want this campaign season to be over. But most of us at least had the catharsis of casting a ballot. Millions of people living in the U.S., however, didn’t have that option. Whether they’re formerly incarcerated, immigrants, citizens in U.S. territories, or too young, millions of people here don’t have the right to vote....

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s MacArthur Fellowships, commonly referred to as “genius grants,” the Harris Theater will open its doors Friday for An Evening of Dance With MacArthur Fellows, a free performance that features work from a handful of dance-world geniuses: Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, Susan Marshall, Kyle Abraham, and Michelle Dorrance. The marquee lineup comprises five pieces, two more recent of which should have your attention....

Will Snider’s 2016 play is an intriguing, thought-provoking study of the unlikely friendship that develops between two men working in a restaurant in Lower Manhattan’s financial district. George, the eatery’s new executive chef, is a foul-mouthed, middle-aged, white guy with anger and guilt issues: he’s a recovering alcoholic and drug addict trying to get his life and career back on track. Steve, the dishwasher, is a quiet black man from East Africa who keeps to himself, focuses on his job, and speaks no English—or so it appears at first....

Since forming in 2005, the Velcro Lewis Group have played apocalyptic party music that melds funk, soul, psychedelic rock, garage punk, metal, and more. Their lyrics have occasionally incorporated a social or political message, but it’s usually been veiled or coded in an attempt to prevent it from becoming instantly dated—that is, until their new album, Amnesia Haze. “There’s a time where you feel like you need to preach and lay it all out,” says synth player and occasional vocalist Andy Slater (formerly known as Velcro Lewis), who cofounded the seven-piece group....

Lady Sophia Chase has never been so ravenous for BDSM. The local sex worker and professional dominatrix has been clientless for more than two months and is hungry to get her hands on someone again. Chase went years without advertising herself because she is established in the industry, but in April, she started doing sex phone calls, webcamming, and selling fetish items online, though it’s not as lucrative as in-person work....

“The charges announced are serious and the Chicago Police Department will have zero tolerance for proven misconduct,” CPD news affairs said in a statement. “CPD is fully cooperating with the US Attorney’s Office.” “The government is very selective about when it indicts,” says Taylor, explaining that Proano’s indictment means that the U.S. attorney’s office must believe it has a very strong case. “I’ve seen similar situations in the past for almost five decades now, and I’ve seen the powers that be in this city put up a good show that they’re doing fundamental changes when in fact they’re not,” he says....

The Humbling

Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Thursday, December 15, 2016. Illinois is the worst state in the U.S. at solving homicides Illinois had the lowest percentage of solved homicides in the U.S. in 2015, according to the Murder Accountability Project. Just 37 percent of the 756 homicides have resulted in charges or an arrest. “Illinois is badly underperforming when it comes to catching killers,” the project’s chairman Thomas K....

UPDATE Thursday, March 12, 3 PM: this event has been postponed. New performance dates will be announced at a later date. I saw the 2013 production of this show at Court, where the set felt like an ancient subterranean bathhouse-bomb shelter, with Kane’s vagabond Poet delivering his notes from underground. This time, Court has partnered with their Hyde Park neighbor, the Oriental Institute, and artistic director Charles Newell’s staging takes us through several rooms filled with artifacts—including a fragment of part of The Iliad written down in the first century AD....