CHICAGO’S FREE WEEKLY SINCE | JANUARY
“I’M IN HEAVEN RIGHT NOW”
Angel Bat Dawid taps into the root of all black music.
BY L G31
MAYORAL RENT CONTROL THEATER SPOTLIGHT ON IN THE FIRST AND DIRECTORS ON TONI PRECKWINKLE 26TH WARDS GENDER BIAS Ben Joravsky | Kathleen Hinkel 10 IN CHICAGO Samantha Smylie 8 Novid Parsi 15 THIS WEEK CHICAGO READER | JANUARY | VOLUME NUMBER
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
“DOES JOURNALISM HAVE a future?” Jill disaffection for journalism that Lepore and have stated their support quite clearly. Lepore asked in the most recent issue of the Peretti point to in their own ways. I’ve put We’re honored. New Yorker, as prankster turned media inno- several of my own publications down, watched But the real appreciation for your sup- vator Jonah Peretti laid o 15 percent of his freelance paychecks dwindle, faced increas- port shines through our pages and on our workforce at BuzzFeed and then refused to ing antagonism for asking basic questions of website. Listen to our first-ever podcast pay most former employees their paid time authority. Perhaps most horrifying, I’ve faced the BACK ROOM DEAL at chicagoreader. o . Meanwhile, we’re over here adding pages the prospect of either doing the work for free com/backroomdeal (or Spotify, Stitcher, or to our print edition, launching a podcast, or choosing to live in a world where the work Apple) for the complete scoop on the Chi- and tracking gains in Web tra c month after doesn’t get done. cago elections from Ben Joravsky and Maya month (after month). (We also expanded our Yet we’ve seized the chance at the Read- Dukmasova. Read their in-depth, ward-lev- staff—Davon Clark, welcome to the graphic er to envision a different world, and the el reporting on our pages. Check out our design team!) whole city seems intent on making it real- photographic essay on the rent-control ban What’s the Reader got that nobody else ity. Does journalism have a future? It just referendum in the First and 26th Wards. like Ike Holter, and eateries like Irving Park seems to? You folks. might, Jill. We’ve got four pages of very Read up on Toni Preckwinkle’s mayoral cafe Finom. I’m not naive (trust me), nor do I believe tiny print filled with the names of people campaign. And don’t overlook our coverage Finally, I speak for the whole editorial sta our alternative newsweekly to be immune who seem to think so. We’ve also got a spe- of what makes this city truly great: per- when I say, from the bottom of our hearts: to the ravages of capitalism and the national cial letters section, where some of them formers like Angel Bat Dawid, playwrights thank you. —A E M
FEATURES
MAYORAL SPOTLIGHT PHOTO ESSAY THEATER FEATURE MUSIC FEATURE Meet Toni Preckwinkle The rent is too Beyond the Improvisation and Can the front-runner recover from this rough patch? damn high “woman slot” inspiration The First and 26th Wards will vote Angel Bat Dawid speaks Q&ABB J | Chicago theater’s lady problem on li ing the rent-control ban. from her heart. ASS 8 BN P 15 BK H 10 BL G30
2 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll THIS WEEK
IN THIS ISSUE T R - @ CITY LIFE 04 Transportation Is CPD using racial LETTERS P T B profi ling to catch Divvy thieves? E C AE M M E P S K To the editor, availability of tickets, # of M E D K H I’ve been reading this paper local bands, etc.—in eval- D E K S C L SK every week for about 35 uating the vitality of live D P J R years. It’s a staple in my life music scenes in cities. The C E AL with lots of information you report is available at https:// M E PM can’t get anywhere else or culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/ A E J L 27 Movies of Note Hale County This Morning any other newspaper. That’s chicago-music-city S W D I This Evening succeeds as an experimental BJ M S a fact! I remember before —L R S W M D L G fi lm and a documentary The Grand Bizarre I was able to aff ord a car. I G D D C inspires a sense of wonderment and The would hop on CTA, get a S M E B W World Before Your Feet attempts to walk transfer, go to Hyde Park or M L C L C ride the el to Fullerton stop To the editor, FL C P F every block in New York City T A E C S to get my weekly Reader Wow. Krupa said “day one NEWS & POLITICS C paper. Trump supporter.” Cue the 05 Joravsky | Politics Spending plans for D AE B D C L So. Please keep printing collective gasp. C I G A G Rahm’s billion gi to Lincoln Yards this paper. How much did Madigan J H J H I H D 06 Dukmasova | Politics Can —T W -D & Q uinn pay the Reader J M K SK M AnybodyButMitts win in the th Ward? M BM S M JRN for this pro-Quinn article M O L P J To the editor, [“Somebody somebody P BS D S We need a strong intelligent sent,” January 24, 2019]? KW A W voice in this city as exempli- Maybe the 13th Ward ------fi ed by the columns of Ben likes the ”workerbee type?” D D Joravsky. Does “workerbee” stand for JD —R K “defendant in multiple costly D P E &P lawsuits?” K K O M To the editor, How many investigations SN L MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE Please keep the Reader are underway right now for 36 Shows of note Chicago Psych Fest POS going! Marty Quinn’s ethics viola- ADVERTISING Ólafur Arnalds and other excellent shows this The Reader has been my tions, sexual harassment and -- - @ week weekly addiction for over retaliation problems? C @ 37 Secret History Blues showman Le y Dizz 25 years. Haven’t missed an How about those lawsuits S M P F FOOD & DRINK 40 Early Warnings Eels Projeto Arcomusical issue in that time—when out that Quinn is named in and S A R 13 Restaurant Review Finom is a good place Wild Belle and many more justannounced of town, I’d have someone the arrest and public fi ring AM A R for a latte a lecsó sandwich and a nap concerts pick it up for me. of his “political consultant’ It’s been my go-to for all brother? You know, the one LM -H N S 40 Gossip Wolf Gloriously idiosyncratic label C R M things Chicago and to keep who was strong-arming all T P Mississippi Records moves to Chicago Space up with politics and the arts. those signatures? Blood drummer William Covert celebrates a I’ve even clipped and kept Uh-oh, Mr. Madigan. solo tape and Smashed Plastic throws a free so many articles because And bigger uh-oh to Marty N A grandopening party packed with local talent they’re keepers! Quinn. V M G --- —A B —CR C JL SB CLASSIFIEDS ------41 Jobs To the editor, As lead author of the U D C 41 Apartments & Spaces [email protected] of Chicago report cited Please address all -- 41 Marketplace in this great piece [“Why correspondence won’t City Hall fi ght for intended for print to the STM READER LLC OPINION Chicago’s homegrown music Editor, Chicago Reader, B P D RL S. Michigan, Suite T ER ARTS & CULTURE 42 Savage Love Babies are the only STI men scene?,” January 24, 2019], S J S 19 Comedy The storytelling show We Still Like fear Dan Savage off ers advice for every I just wanted to note that in , Chicago IL A- S V You wants you to embrace embarrassment situation addition to providing basic or via e-mail at letters@ economic stats, it also, more chicagoreader.com C C EB 20 Theater The play about a storefront theater (Please use the subject importantly, emphasized the ------playing in a storefront theater a delightful 43 Comics Urban wildlife the adventures of header “To the editor.”) importance of—and provided mashup of Star Wars and Ocean’s and girl detective Violet and everyone’s favorite When space permits, we R ISSN - measures for—diversity, STMR LLC more shows to check out blemishaffl icted hero only on our pages will print your letters, quality of acts (using critics’ SM SC IL edited for brevity and -- polls), popularity (using clarity, in future editions FILM various stats), venue size, of the paper. C ©C R 27 Reviews Gavagai is hard to explain but O PL F P C IL thanks to a combination of poetry and F F ’ A C R R camerawork easy to feel RR T ®
ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 3 CITY LIFE
Meanwhile only five non-Hispanic whites out that the area around the Chicago Avenue were ticketed. That’s approximately 17 per- Red Line station is designated as a crime cent of recipients, although whites also make hot spot by the CPD, so it has a 24/7 police up about a third of the city. (Of the other two presence. people ticketed, one was Asian, while the A CPD representative confirmed this area other had no race listed on his ticket.) is heavily policed due to numerous assault Romanian immigrant Samuel Baltes, 21, cases last year. Most recently, on December was one of only two white men ticketed. On 9, a group of teens attacked three bystanders July 20, Baltes was biking down the sidewalk on the el platform, fracturing one man’s eye on Chicago near Rush on his old beater while socket. Eight of the 30 ticketing incidents, making food deliveries for Postmates. Sudden- including half of the arrests, occurred within ly a squad car whipped around the corner to this zone. CWB also noted that Appling and block his path. He said the o cers wrote him a Thomas had each been arrested several times $50 ticket but he wasn’t cu ed or frisked. in the area for various o enses. Upward of 500 Divvies went missing last Prior arrest histories may have informed summer due to the shortsighted decision o cers’ decisions to stop some of the other 28 to remove a key piece of security hardware downtown sidewalk riders. But that doesn’t from their docks, according to city e-mails the necessarily explain why the cyclists who were Reader obtained in September. Soon after- ticketed, but not arrested, were still three ward Divvy sped up the pace of reinstallation, times as likely to be black than white. wrapping up by the end of November, and, CPD spokesman Howard Ludwig asserted thankfully, the bike-share problem seems to be that racial profi ling didn’t play a role in deci- behind us. sions on whom to stop last summer because Police arrest Divvy rider Joshua Thomas last August. EBONY SENAI HAWKINS Arrests for possession of stolen Divvies officers had legitimate reasons to suspect peaked in July and August, when more than some of the African-Americans who were 120 adults were charged citywide, according ticketed had stolen bikes. “The CPD issues ci- to the anonymous crime blog CWB Chicago. tations for riding on the sidewalk . . . without Of the 30 people ticketed for sidewalk riding regard to race,” he said. “Reasonable suspi- TRANSPORTATION bikes. She noted that people of all races downtown in those months, eight were arrest- cion is required ahead of any investigatory pedal on sidewalks downtown, where hectic ed for possession of stolen bikes—all of them stop.” multilane streets put cyclists at risk, but she African-Americans on Divvies. “During the period of increased Divvy thefts Blue-bike blues asserted that white sidewalk riders are rarely The CPD says it has used sidewalk biking last summer, o cers were under guidance to ticketed, let alone handcu ed and searched. enforcement to recover stolen cycles. be on the lookout for Divvy bikes with bent or Advocates say ticketing data proves “In no way is it OK for the Chicago police to en- But after learning that 23 out of those 30 broken spokes, which is an indicator that the CPD used racial profi ling in its eff orts force [a crackdown due to] the fact that Divvy people were African-American, Senai Hawkins bike had been [pried from the docks],” Ludwig to catch Divvy thieves. has a technology issue.” and other black bike advocates say the data added. However, it’s highly unlikely that a po- Soon afterward I spoke with black Old Town confirms their suspicions: police have been lice o cer would be able to spot faulty spokes By J G resident Hakeem Appling, 24, who was also unfairly singling out African-Americans who on the spinning wheels of a moving Divvy. riding a Divvy on the sidewalk near Chicago cycle downtown for tickets. “How else would CDOT, which oversees Divvy and may have and Rush on July 18 when he was detained, you interpret it?” she asked. provided that guidance, declined to comment. cu ed, frisked, ticketed, and arrested for pos- David Griggs, who leads the monthly South Karen Sheley, director of ACLU of Illinois’s n the evening of August 18 last year, session of a stolen bike. Appling argued that Side Critical Mass bike rides, noted that the police practices project, told me the lopsided Eboni Senai Hawkins, cofounder his skin color was a factor in the stop. “That’s Chicago Tribune found that o cers have writ- downtown bike enforcement numbers do indi- of Chicago’s chapter of the black harassment.” ten exponentially higher numbers of sidewalk- cate a racial equity problem. “Looking at this bicycle group Red Bike and Green, Catrina Hampton, 23, a vehicle transporter riding citations in some communities of color. relatively small sample, the racial disparities witnessed Joshua Thomas, a for Hertz, was yet another African-American Last summer a CPD representative admitted refl ect the disparities we’ve been concerned O22-year-old African-American, being stopped who was ticketed for sidewalk biking on a that this was due to bike enforcement being about in other, larger data sets for years, by police while riding a Divvy bike-share Divvy near Chicago and Rush on August 9. She used as a pretext for searches in high-crime including driver and pedestrian stops across cycle on the sidewalk near Chicago Avenue said she was handcu ed and searched, but the areas. the city,” she said. “We also have to question and Rush Street. The o cers handcu ed and police didn’t call in the number on her Divvy. After seeing the downtown ticketing num- whether enforcing low-level infractions as frisked Thomas, called in the serial number All told, 23 of the 30 adults ticketed for bers, Griggs said, “It’s disheartening to know part of a broken-windows policy is really on the baby-blue bike, and discovered it was sidewalk riding in the two downtown police police are targeting black riders wherever what the CPD should be doing right now. And stolen. They arrested Thomas, who was later districts during July and August of last year they may ride, not just on the south and west if they are, that should be part of the public sentenced to two days in jail. were African-American, including 20 black sides.” debate.” v During the height of that summer’s Divvy men, according to records the city provided However, after I reported on the Appling theft crisis, Senai Hawkins argued that police earlier this month. That’s about 77 percent of and Thomas cases on Streetsblog last summer, John Greenfield edits the transportation were targeting young black men for sidewalk- the ticket recipients in a city that’s roughly a CWB Chicago ran a post arguing that racial news website Streetsblog Chicago. riding tickets as a strategy to recover hot third African-American. bias wasn’t a factor in those stops. It pointed @greenfieldjohn 4 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll NEWS & POLITICS
Anyway, the fi rst item in the estimated costs should fall under the category of you’ve got to be freaking kidding me! It’s where we learn that Rahm’s proposing to commit $25 million of your hard-earned property tax dollars to pay for Sterling Bay’s lawyers, publicists, architects, and marketers. Marketing? It’s bad enough that we have to stomach their propaganda. Even worse that we have to pay for it. Most attention has focused on Lincoln Then there’s another $25 million to buy Yards—largely because Sterling Bay’s ignited property and demolish buildings. I call this local opposition with its proposal to build a the buy-and-obliterate the Hideout (and other massive complex (50-story skyscrapers in- local properties) fund. cluded) on 55 acres in the heavily industrial The Hideout’s the bar—owned by Katie and area just west of Lincoln Park. Tim Tuten—that hosts my First Tuesdays So I’m going to concentrate on the Lincoln show with Mick Dumke and has been threat- Yards budget. But don’t worry, I’ll get into the ened with extinction by the project. For all sordid details of the $1.1 billion Rezko Field (or I know, it’s getting punished for putting us
COURTESY STERLING BAY Roosevelt/Clark TIF) another time. onstage. Like I’ve been telling you, Katie and The budget for Lincoln Yards has been Tim—get yourself a good eminent-domain a work in progress. At a public hearing in lawyer. POLITICS November, the city estimated it would spend Then there’s $22.5 million set aside for “job about $800 million on the project. training, retraining, welfare-to-work” and Then in December, the city released its of- “day care services” for low-income employees Over one billion reasons fi cial Cortland/Chicago River Redevelopment who are working for businesses in the TIF Plan, an 83-page document written in dense district. The purpose of these programs is Spending plans for the TIF money Rahm’s giving to Lincoln Yards legalese. to make sure that people from communities On page 24 under a chart headlined Estimat- other than the near north side benefi t from the By B J ed Cost (in big bold print) there’s an itemized TIF. list of expenses that totals $900 million (also These are good programs. And I support written in big bold print). them. But Sterling Bay, not the public, should here were at least 1.3 billion reasons They annually divert hundreds of millions So somehow, in less than a month, the price be paying for them in exchange for getting the to oppose the Lincoln Yards TIF of property tax dollars from the schools, tag rose $100 million. TIF handout. In other words, it’s not really a deal—until, under intense pressure parks, fi re department, and police. But wait! There’s a footnote that links to community benefi t if Sterling Bay just passes from local residents, Sterling Bay Every TIF contract is approved by the City some fi ne print at the bottom of the page that the cost on to the public. scrapped plans to build a soccer Council’s fi nance committee, whose chair until says “in addition to the costs listed in the table The largest expense is the $800 million Tstadium. recently, Alderman Ed Burke, has hit up TIF re- above,” the project “shall include an estimated that’s earmarked for “public works & improve- So that means—one reason to oppose down, cipients for his property tax appeal business. total of $400 million in additional financing ments.” The budget doesn’t specify what they and another, oh, 1.3 billion reasons left to go. Or maybe they voluntarily hired Burke’s law costs, including without limitation interest are—presumably that means building bridges, That 1.3 billion is the money it will cost you firm to curry his favor—guess we’ll have to expense, capitalized interest and costs associ- streets, sewers, etc, to accommodate the to build Lincoln Yards—a project that nobody wait for his corruption trial to fi nd out. ated with optional redemptions.” project. other than the developers has asked for. And now, I’ll reveal how much Rahm’s In other words, we’re paying for the borrow- Look, no one told Sterling Bay it had to build Welcome to the next installment in my mul- latest TIFs will cost you and how the mayor’s ing costs. In TIF deals, as in used cars—beware such a massive project. If it can’t afford the tipart series on the making of TIFs in Mayor proposing to spend your property tax dollars. of the fi ne print, people. infrastructure, it should scale the damn thing Rahm’s Chicago—also known as the fl eecing of Don’t blame me—I’m only the messenger. At this point I’d like to give another shout- back. Chicagoans by its not-so-beloved mayor as he The bottom line is—as I said—$1.3 billion. out to Dave Glowacz, who writes the Inside By chance, the Sun-Times recently pub- dashes out the door for greener pastures. Well, actually, it’s $2.4 billion. Chicago Government blog. He’s the guy who lished a poll of the most important issues on I’ll get to that $1.3 billion, but first, to re- That’s $1.3 billion for the Cortland/Chicago discovered the $400 million fi ne print while the minds of Chicago voters as we head toward view . . . River TIF district, which will go to Sterling plowing through the contract. the February 26 mayoral election. In de- We’ve already learned that TIFs raise your Bay’s Lincoln Yards deal. Also, there’s $1.1 He’s also the guy who discovered that the scending order, they are crime, city fi nances, property taxes, even as the mayor swears up billion for the 78—a South Loop development Joint Review Board was meeting to discuss schools, political corruption, race relations, and down that they don’t. that I call Rezko Field. ’Cause Tony Rezko, the the TIF—something the city neglected to and police reform. They’re intended to eradicate blight in notorious fi xer, used to own the land. mention. That enabled dozens of residents to Needless to say, supporting a plan to fork low-income communities, but instead they As a general practice, I think we should show up to the Joint Review Board meeting a over billions to Rahm’s developer pals didn’t largely underwrite upscale developments in name all TIF deals after convicted felons. couple weeks back to protest. Not that it did make the list. v already gentrifying areas (like the near north Nothing quite symbolizes corruption in Chi- any good, ’cause the board rubber-stamped side between Lincoln Park and Bucktown). cago like the tax increment fi nancing program. the deal. @joravben ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 5 NEWS & POLITICS
POLITICS Can #AnybodyButMitts win in the 37th Ward? Incumbent alderman faces two challengers and a new hashtag.
By MD CPS teacher Tara Stamps came within 600 votes of beating Emma Mitts in 2015. This year she’s on the ballot again but she faces a tough battle as Mitts has garnered much of the union support that had previously gone to Stamps MAYA DUKMASOVA s the wind chill dipped below zero canvassers. Lavon, 50, didn’t want to give his and the snow piled on last week, last name but said he’d lived his whole life in small teams of youth hit the streets this corner of the ward. The unplowed streets, resident through a glass front door. “If you’re ordinance that required living wages for its of the 37th Ward. They fanned he said, are “the norm. Everybody knows that alderman you’re representing your commu- employees for a grand total of seven weeks out across unplowed residential we’re the most taxed and the least serviced.” nity, you’re supposed to get them what they before Mayor Daley’s veto). A variety of fast- Ablocks of Austin, West Garfi eld Park, and West He looked over the fl yer May handed him. He need, not just what’s gonna make you look food and other franchises has opened along Humboldt Park to tell locals not to reelect hadn’t heard of Stamps or Rutues before. good or help your campaign. . . . And I feel that the commercial thoroughfares of the ward incumbent alderman Emma Mitts. The teens, Lavon said he votes “every now and then,” Emma Mitts—she’s not doing that. So that’s during her tenure, as has the ward’s first li- some of whom have been involved with the but not because he truly has faith in any can- why I’m here.” brary. A transportation seating manufacturer #NoCopAcademy campaign to prevent a $95 didate. He’s not thrilled with the job Mitts has has brought in some 900 jobs on her watch. million police and fire training facility from done for the ward, but he said the unemploy- round the ward, yard signs for Mitts Perhaps the surest way of evaluating en- being built in the ward, have organized under ment and crime in the neighborhood aren’t aren’t as plentiful as they are for incum- thusiasm about her is to look back at past the hashtag #AnybodyButMitts. Just as when, just her problems to solve. Abents elsewhere in Chicago, but there’s elections. Her first time vying for voter ap- in 2016, the #ByeAnita campaign energized “I can’t point to Emma as the sole culprit be- no question that the alderman is in a prime proval—which happened in a special election Cook County voters to give state’s attorney cause it’s a systemic thing that has been going position to saturate her turf with campaign in February 2001—she beat three opponents Anita Alvarez the boot without specifi cally en- on for the last 50 years,” he said. “It’s a con- literature and canvassers if she wanted to. The with 80 percent of the vote. At the time, there dorsing Kim Foxx, so too this youth-led e ort glomerate of people who have taken an oath to web of political funds she has access to stands were almost 34,000 registered voters in the against Mitts isn’t an endorsement of either do one thing but are doing another thing.” at more than $165,000 and she’s received ward, and about a quarter of them cast a ballot of her opponents—CPS teacher Tara Stamps Nevertheless, as he chatted with May and tens of thousands of dollars from labor and in the special election. Over the course of the (who’s challenging Mitts for the second time) the other canvassers he didn’t seem too cyni- business groups, including many liquor stores 2003, 2007, and 2011 elections, the number and newcomer Deondre’ Rutues. cal. “The change has to start somewhere,” he in her ward (who rely on her good graces as of registered voters in the ward eroded, but The youth are working with community said. He’d like the alderman “to take all of the the chair of the Committee on License and an increasing percentage of them came out organizers Page May and Debbie Southorn, resources that are divvied up for the neighbor- Consumer Protection), as well as Governor to vote. Mitts kept facing challengers on the both deeply rooted in the city’s police and hoods, to put them here, and watch the young J.B. Pritzker, indicted alderman Ed Burke, and ballot, and she kept being reelected, but by prison abolition movement through groups people who are considered to be the future Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Many of her critics see narrower and narrower margins. In 2015 she like Assata’s Daughters and the People’s blossom into something,” he said. “Or just be this as a reward for her steadfast commitment found herself in a runo against Stamps, and Response Team. As they knocked on doors truthful enough to tell somebody, look them to supporting mayoral agendas. ultimately won by 600 votes. A third of the and tried to talk to people darting through in the face and tell them: I’m not gonna do shit Mitts, 63, was fi rst appointed alderman by registered voters in the ward came out to the frigid streets, they handed out fl yers that for you.” Richard M. Daley in 2000, after her prede- vote in that runo election—more than at any spelled out the basics about an alderman’s As for the police academy? Lavon sco ed. cessor, Percy Giles, was convicted of taking other time in the previous 15 years. role and criticized Mitts for her closeness with “That’s just a money ploy,” he said. bribes. As the Tribune put it at the time, Mitts Securing an interview with Mitts proved Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The fl yer also o ered a Before driving off Lavon advised the can- had been “plucked from obscurity” in the to be a challenge. After days of back-and- checklist of the three aldermanic candidates’ vassers to connect with organizations based city’s Streets and Sanitation department. She forth phone calls and text messages with her stances on various issues. in the ward and to involve longtime residents was the 25th alderperson to be appointed by media and legislative a airs coordinator, A.L. “We’re trying to do rounds where we hit the in their e orts. Two of the youth canvassers in Daley and was written o as a mayoral rubber Smith—which included an invitation to see same people at least two times—closer to four this group live in the 37th, but May, Southorn, stamp almost immediately. Since then, Mitts Mitts at a community meeting that arrived if possible,” May explained as a couple of the and another canvasser, 16-year-old Destiny hasn’t cultivated a reputation for indepen- nine minutes before the start of that meet- girls canvassing fi nished a conversation at a Bell, live elsewhere in the city. dence from the mayor, voting 100 percent of ing—I finally got 20 minutes on the phone. house on the 400 block of North Avers. “That’s As the group hustled to knock on doors one the time with Emanuel on divided votes over Smith was also on the conference call and, what we read it takes to get someone who’s block to the east, Bell argued that it doesn’t the last several years. though she didn’t want her comments to be not planning to vote to vote. It takes four matter that she happens to live in the Sixth Nevertheless, some residents praise her re- on the record, chimed in so frequently to help interactions.” Ward on the south side. “I care, even if I don’t cord on economic development. Mitts fought Mitts make her points that the alderman fi nal- A man pulled up in a large beige pickup truck live over here, I still care. ’Cause it’s still my to bring the first Walmart in Chicago to her ly told her: “Let me speak.” packed with lawn mowers, curious about the people,” she said after speaking to another ward in 2006 (and fought against the big-box Mitts said she hadn’t heard of the 6 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll Deondre’ Rutues COURTESY OF DEONDRE’ RUTUES NEWS & POLITICS
#AnybodyButMitts campaign but she’s as muscle, myself,” he says proudly. His only en- and she’s promising to fi ght to raise the mini- committed as ever to bringing the police and dorsement so far has come from the Chicago mum wage, push for stronger police oversight, fire training academy to the ward. She said Alliance for Animals, and he doesn’t yet have a and improve mental health care. She wants to youth opposed to the plan “have the issue of candidate committee to fund-raise. He’s doing see more social services and jobs for formerly being angry with the police,” and that the po- most of the preelection canvassing alone with incarcerated people who come back dispro- lice academy would allay their mistrust. a stack of door hangers. portionally to this part of town. “Once the facility will be built we’ll fi nd an Rutues thinks the 37th Ward deserves bet- Ringing the bells of a two-fl at on North Luna opportunity for [youth] to engage,” she said. ter than what they’re getting from Mitts. “I and hearing no response, she left a card stuck As for concerns that construction wouldn’t see the business she brings to the community in the door and prepared to move on. Then a employ locals, Mitts said a plan to guarantee and I see them shutter,” he says. “The same window opened up on the second fl oor and a 50 percent of the jobs to people from the sur- fast-food restaurants.” He also thinks it’s time man stuck his head out. Stamps shouted up an rounding west-side neighborhoods is in the for her to stop celebrating the Walmart that introduction: “I’m a teacher, I ran before!” I works. came in more than a decade ago. In a recent asked if he planned to vote. Mitts said she was proud of her record of radio interview, he pointed out that the same “Uh, you know, politics, it’s just . . .” he bringing new businesses and charter schools store had recently been shut down due to a rat began, then paused. “I been voting 30 years, to the ward. She denied that she’s hard to infestation. Rutues wants to see more juice and nothing’s changed.” He noted that crime reach, listing a litany of regular meetings she and salad bars, meditation spaces, and art But perhaps she’s not meant to fade into ob- has gone down in the area in recent years holds with ward residents. But she said she’s galleries in the ward. scurity. The daughter of legendary community but that ward services are so lackluster that not surprised to hear some people complain- “I don’t like the fact that there isn’t a pleth- organizer Marion Stamps—who helped bring “I don’t even expect anything.” He said he ing. “They’re always gonna complain—I’ve ora of black businesses or small business own- Harold Washington to City Hall by organizing couldn’t say what Mitts has been up to lately. never known folks not to.” She said she’s ership in our community, which in other com- residents of Cabrini-Green, brokered gang Stamps is used to apathy and cynicism. “I aware of the candidates competing with her munity are staples,” Rutues says. He’s trying truces, and also ran for alderman—Stamps know you’re frustrated,” she said, her voice but that she’s focusing on her own work. Is she to start a Rotary Club in the area to stimulate has a lot of fi ght in her. She launched her run booming through the quiet street. “But until confi dent about her reelection? local business development. If he were elected against Mitts in October—well into campaign we come up with something else better, we “I’m never confi dent about anything,” she he said he’d work to pass a property tax freeze season—because, she says, her family and gotta try to make this system work for us.” said fl atly. “I just keep working and trying to do in poor neighborhoods, restructure the city ward residents asked her to. With no money “Yeah,” the man in the window agreed, all that I can do every day for the community.” ticketing program that leads to high levels of and very little manpower, she had a lot of nodding. bankruptcy among African-Americans, and catching up to do. She admitted she had some “Policy is what dictates our personal choic- itts’s opponents certainly disagree. fi ght TIF deals that funnel money away from doubts about her chances, asking herself, “Did es in life,” Stamps continued. “This govern- Rutues, 31, grew up in Austin and public schools and other local government I do enough in the ward to stay relevant? And ment shutdown—we don’t have no control Mworks the night shift as a manager at services. He’s against the police academy. I think, honestly, there’s more I could have over that, but is it impacting our life? Yes. We UPS. After college he wanted to give back to “There’s no reason that $95 million should be done, but I also think we have an amazing op- gotta participate in this process even if we’re the neighborhood. He mentored kids and got spent in this ward and it not be spent on men- portunity still [to beat Mitts].” pissed off. We got every right to be pissed involved in racial justice and anti -violence tal health resources fi rst,” he said. Stamps successfully fought off a petition off—we’ve been given the short end of the demonstrations. In 2016 he launched a month- challenge, made the ballot, and has been stick. But we’ve got to fi ght back, we gotta use ly performing arts showcase to generate our years ago, Stamps, 50, ran a head- focusing on canvassing and phone banking whatever little stick we got.” money to pay for neighborhood cleanups in line-grabbing campaign against Mitts every day with the help of a couple dozen “It’s not just Trump,” the man observed. “It Austin and was discouraged at the lack of Fwith signifi cant endorsements and fi nan- volunteers. Though other labor groups have was before Trump.” support from local aldermen, including Mitts. cial support from labor unions, including her thrown their support behind Mitts—likely “No, it’s not just Trump,” Stamps agreed. “When I went to the alderman to ask for help own Chicago Teachers Union. A CPS teacher, because she’s supported various TIF deals, “It’s the system! And it’s the people that allow with that I realized how big a deal it is to try Stamps had made national news in an election which created union construction jobs—the Trump, just like it’s the people that allow to get help,” he says, “They gave me the run- year that was deemed to be a “referendum” on CTU is endorsing Stamps and she’s expecting Rahm and allowed Daley. For me the people around.” Then Donald Trump, who had no Rahm Emanuel for his deeply divisive school a signifi cant donation to her campaign. Long- that are more guilty [are] not just the person prior political experience, became president, and mental health clinic closures (the former time Cook County clerk David Orr has also at the head, it’s everybody sitting around, and Rutues decided to take a stab at public Mitts condoned, the latter she voted for). shown his support. Most of all, Stamps says, knowing it’s a bad idea, saying, ‘Yeah, do that,’ officialdom himself. “Being frustrated [with Though she succeeded in forcing Mitts she’s encouraged by the feedback she’s getting ’cause you’re too much of a chump, or you’re incumbent aldermen] was part of the catalyst, into a runoff, her loss was deflating and left from ward residents, some of whom seem to too much of a pump, to say, ‘No, I’m not rolling but when Donald Trump won I was like, OK, if her questioning whether the e ort had been be more interested in her now that she doesn’t with that, I’m not voting for that, I know that’s he could do it, I could do it.” worth it “because of the toll it took on my have so much big money and press swirling wrong, I’m not doing that.’” Initially, Rutues said, he asked elected of- family, the toll it took on me—just exhaustion, around her. Seeing that the man was ready to close fi cials for advice on how to run for o ce—he disappointment, heartbreak, not being able to In the waning light of a freezing day a couple the window and get out of the cold, Stamps admits he was naive about how these systems spend time with my family.” of weeks ago, Stamps shu ed along a stretch wrapped up her oration with one last dig work. He said he got nothing helpful from 29th Though she eventually rallied, helping of West Hirsch Street, her nephews and one of at Mitts. “They act like these little seats is Ward alderman Chris Taliaferro and state rep found the Greater Austin Independent Po- her sons spreading out through surrounding a fi efdom and they get to keep ’em,” she said Camille Lilly. litical Organization in 2017 and developing blocks to knock on every door and hand out sarcastically. “No, you need to do right, and if And so Rutues has done all of the campaign civic engagement classes for the community, glossy cards with her photo and platform you don’t do right you need to go.” v grunt work himself, collecting 1,700 nominat- Stamps has kept a relatively low profi le since printed on them. Stamps opposes the police ing petition signatures, “all of them off the her defeat. academy plan and charter school expansion, @mdoukmas ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 7 Toni Preckwinkle NEWS & POLITICS ERIK DAVIS
ted to speaking to Burke about a job opportu- nity for his son and, in a press conference, said she only “had one or two meetings a year with Alderman Burke out of a thousand meetings.” POLITICS “It’s getting more complicated to show enough distance with Burke,” said Dick Simp- son, professor of political science at UIC and former alderman of the 44th Ward. “Even if Damage control [Preckwinkle] did return some of the money Can Preckwinkle distance herself from the machine? raised at the fund-raiser.” (Simpson has endorsed and donated to the Lori Lightfoot By SS campaign.) Bowen said that there are a handful of nimble candidates out there ready to attack the presumptive front-runner at any chance, especially when she’s tried to knock them o the ballot. Last week at a mayoral forum at the Union League Club, Lightfoot accused Preck- winkle of being a boss behind a “corrupt orga- oni Preckwinkle is the front-runner she failed to push for the release of dashcam tinued. “Not necessarily that they’re illegal, nization that squelches innovation—doesn’t in the race for mayor of Chicago, footage before a judge ordered the tape’s but sometimes they’re unseemly.” allow for independents to ever have a voice.” sort of. According to a Sun-Times release. The Reader’s Maya Dukmasova also Enter 14th Ward alderman Ed Burke. He Preckwinkle replied that she was the most poll conducted by We Ask America, reported on a Preckwinkle fund-raising e-mail threw a fund-raiser for Preckwinkle at his progressive candidate running. Preckwinkle and Daley are “nominal” that sought to capitalize on the case of Cyntoia home in Gage Park on January 19, 2018. Then “Preckwinkle and Mendoza have been losing Tfront-runners with Preckwinkle at 12.7 percent Brown, a Tennessee woman serving a life sen- federal o cers raided his o ces on November ground on the public opinion polls,” Simpson and Daley at 12.1. The We Ask America poll tence for killing a 43-year-old man who had 29, 2018, and charged him with attempted explains. “It is too early to tell whether they also found that in hypothetical runo s, Preck- solicited her for sex when she was 16 years old. extortion. According to the Chicago Tribune, will recover. But they have been hurt by the winkle would lose—though not by much—to She was granted clemency earlier this year. Burke illegally solicited a $10,000 campaign story of Burke.” both Mendoza and Daley. Bowen—who worked as deputy campaign donation from a restaurant executive for an- Betty O’Shaughnessy, a former political “Every poll now has her in the mid to low manager for Rahm Emanuel in 2011, has man- other politician, reportedly Preckwinkle. science lecturer and coauthor of Winning teens. That is a disaster,” said Tom Bowen aged City Council and Senate campaigns, and Preckwinkle explained that while her cam- Elections in the 21st Century with Simpson, of New Chicago Consulting. He said that for worked on Obama’s 2008 presidential cam- paign did receive the money, she returned the said that the scandals around Preckwinkle Preckwinkle—a well-known African-American paign—said that running for mayor of Chicago funds to the donor because it exceeded the and Mendoza look ugly. “It depends on how woman who was elected Cook County Board is more like a presidential campaign, with TV state’s donation limit, which is $5,600 from an they handle all of this in the next week or two. president by Chicago voters in 2010, 2014, and and radio stations and major newspapers put- individual. In a public statement made earlier Because what you’re going see is the other top 2018 and maintained high favorability rat- ting a microscope to candidates. Preckwinkle this year, Preckwinkle said she was “appalled candidates are going to be jumping on it.” ings—that is a red fl ag. (A partner in Bowen’s positioned herself as a progressive working by Alderman Ed Burke’s apparent abuse of his Bowen said that while the mayoral race is firm is a consultant for the Gery Chico cam- outside of the political machine. Yet the truth position for personal gain” and stated that nonpartisan, it functions more like a Demo- paign, though Bowen does not work with the is more complex, and her campaign did not she would give back the $116,000 she raised at cratic primary because most of the voters are campaign.) “She tried to be the front-runner seem to be ready for the intense scrutiny that Burke’s house in 2018. Democrats. “The hardest thing to do is to run to push other people out. None of that has comes with an election, including allegations “I won’t have my name dragged through essentially against people of your own party in worked.” of “inappropriate behavior” against her for- the mud over the alleged criminal conduct a multicandidate primary,” he said. “Voters re- The projections are slim, but Preckwinkle’s mer chief of sta . Preckwinkle has faced scru- of Susana Mendoza’s mentor, Gery Chico’s ally do well when there’s a distinction between got a war chest nearly $3 million strong and tiny for being the “Boss,” someone who is a best friend, and Bill Daley’s longtime political candidates, Democrats or Republicans. Voters second only to the holdings of Daley, who as part of and has benefi ted from Chicago’s giant, ally,” she wrote in the statement, referring to need that signal to sort out where they should a former presidential chief of sta and com- often corrupt Democratic apparatus. Burke and throwing her mayoral contenders be.” merce secretary and former president of SBC Christopher Z. Mooney, a political science under the bus. “Cynics says that corruption Some experts thought Preckwinkle was Communications has big-money connections professor at the University of Illinois at Chi- and Chicago politics go together. I have never a sure thing after she entered the mayoral both local and national—not to mention that cago, said that Preckwinkle’s position in local accepted that. I have spent my career taking race in September 2018 after Rahm Emanuel he’s a Daley. Still, the 71-year-old Cook County government in Chicago is a double-edged on the good old boys’ club.” announced that he wouldn’t be running for Board president has hit a rough patch in her sword. It is job experience and has earned her Earlier this month, it was reported that Pre- reelection. If the polls can say anything with campaign. a level of renown, but “the downside is [her ckwinkle’s administration hired Burke’s son, confi dence, however, it’s that some 25 percent In her fi rst television campaign ad for the job presents] a great opportunity to piss o Ed Burke Jr., for a county job that gave him of the electorate is still undecided. v mayoral race she claimed to have been pivotal people,” he said. a six-fi gure salary. Then it was revealed that in exposing the killing of Laquan McDonald. “You’re also going to probably bump up Burke’s son was under investigation for sexual Additional reporting by Sujay Kumar The advertisement was criticized as exagger- against some situations that you don’t neces- misconduct in the Cook County Sheri ’s O ce ating Preckwinkle’s role, particularly since sarily want your mom to know about,” he con- at the time he was hired. Preckwinkle admit- @ sammie_smylie 8 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll NEWS & POLITICS Never miss a show When you look back at Rahm’s decision to to me that this site would be the subject of again. close those schools, do you think it has a tremendous TIF support. The question is connection to the drop-off in population whether you could do development there Chicago has suff ered in the black wards? without the TIF and preserve those property MAYORAL Q&A I don’t know what to attribute the popula- taxes for the taxing bodies, particularly our tion loss to—I think that’s something that public schools. Toni Preckwinkle bears further research. But you know, Mayor Emanuel came in basically disparaging teach- Bill Daley came out with a commercial ers. I think there was a contract [that] was saying he would have a moratorium on about to be up and he talked about how all property tax hikes. Do you favor such a the teachers cared about was money. Well, I moratorium? EARLY was a teacher for a decade. I never met any- Well, here’s the challenge. The city of Chi- body who went into teaching for the money. cago is not the only entity which relies on WARNINGS I’m sorry, but people who go into teaching property taxes. Public schools do, the coun- IN EARLY DECEMBER, Ben Joravsky inter- love kids, love their subject matter. Nobody’s ty does, and it’s hard to see how the mayor Find a concert, buy a viewed mayoral candidate Toni Preckwin- motivated by the money to go into educa- can pledge that your property taxes are not ticket, and sign up to kle. Now chair of the Cook County Dem- tion. To close 50 [schools] and not have the going to be increased if there are all kinds ocratic Party, and president of the Cook infrastructure in place to see that those tran- of other taxing bodies that have the same get advance notice County Board since 2010, she withstood sitions go well, I think was a terrible mistake, power to increase your property taxes. Prop- of Chicago’s essential the overturn of her soda tax to win reelec- and I said so at the time. That’s my tribe—I am erty taxes are less regressive than sales tion in 2014. Prior to her election to the a teacher. taxes and often less regressive than fines music shows at board she was the longtime alderman of and fees which governments also rely on. So chicagoreader.com/early. the Fourth Ward, and prior to that a CPS Of course, the other great plank on your I would hesitate to say I’m not going to raise history teacher. This interview has been platform is kicking more of the TIF surplus property taxes, although I think that the fi rst edited for length and clarity. to the Chicago Public Schools. Explain to thing you have to do when you go into the folks exactly what you’re talking about with mayor’s offi ce is look at operations and fi gure JORAVSKY: I was very intrigued by your that issue. out how we can be more efficient, how we call for a ban on the creation of new charter TIFs have been used way beyond the initial can be more eff ective, how we can use our schools. In the past you’ve been supportive way in which the program was envisioned— tax dollars better. of some charters. Is this an indication that that is, catalyzing development in struggling in your mind we went too far under Mayor neighborhoods. My state representative, The feds came knocking on Alderman Rahm and Mayor Daley by creating too many majority leader Barbara Flynn Currie, has a Ed Burke’s door in late November, going charters? measure in the hopper that would say that all through both his City Hall office and his PRECKWINKLE: We want to provide qual- declared TIF surpluses in Chicago would go ward offi ce. He had a fund-raiser a couple find hundreds of ity education for all of our kids. When I was to the Chicago Public Schools. They are the days later and a thousand people showed alderman—and I was alderman for almost 20 taxing body that suffers the greatest losses up. Were you one of the people that reader-recommended years—when people were thinking about mov- as a result of the sequestering of funds in TIF showed up at the fund-raiser? ing into the ward they came to me and they districts. No, it was the night in which I had three or restaurants said, we have two questions: Are the schools four other things. good and are the streets safe? So if we’re Mayor Rahm, as he’s heading out of office, exclusive video features going to build a strong city, we have to have has a proposal for a new TIF district on the Would you have shown up if you didn’t have and sign up for weekly news strong neighborhoods and schools that are north side of Chicago, the Lincoln Yards TIF three or four other things? community anchors, and we have to make district. It could bring in $800 million to a Probably not. chicagoreader.com/food them high quality in all of our neighborhoods. billion. He’s trying to rush it through before he leaves, during the lame-duck session. Are If you are elected mayor of the city of Chi- And about the ban on closing more schools you willing to stand up and oppose that TIF cago, are you pledging you’re going to have in the next four years, can we afford that, district, at least until you become mayor and a healthier relationship with the Chicago first of all, and why do you think that’s can review it? Teachers Union than Rahm Emanuel did? necessary? Let me say this, I think any development of Well, I hope to have a good relationship with When you close a school it’s not just clos- that magnitude and proposing that you put all of our labor unions. It’s really critical that ing a school, it’s withdrawing a community it all into a TIF district raises questions in my as mayor you have good working relation- anchor. It’s not just the education that’s with- mind. I know this is in Brian Hopkins’s ward, ships with the all the constituencies that drawn—it’s a very public way of disinvesting and I will tell you the truth, I haven’t talked to make up the city. Of course labor unions in a community, especially if, a er four or fi ve Brian Hopkins about it. So I don’t want to be have always been an important part of our years, the school is still vacant, boarded up, in a position where I haven’t even talked to city fabric, and that’s particularly true of the abandoned, an eyesore, and a blight in your the local alderman about a development and Chicago Teachers Union, and as I said, teach- community. then take a position on it. But it’s troubling ers are my tribe. v ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 9 Sixty-fi ve units of aff ordable housing are anticipated at this empty plot at the intersection of California and Division. “We want to preserve this as a space for Puerto Rican families,” says 26th Ward alderman Roberto Maldonado (right). He supports li ing the ban on rent control. “In order to motivate landlords to go along this path we need to provide incentive to upkeep property. A board should be established that would be comprised of people that know the neighborhood.”
“Don’t push us out” The First and 26th Wards will vote on a nonbinding referendum that asks whether Illinois should li the ban on rent control—prohibited in the state since 1997. Story and photos by K H
A crowd gathers at a press conference to announce initiatives to li the ban on rent control. “We’re not saying we don’t want people to come into our community,” says Rod Wilson, 45, the Since large corporate retailers have moved executive director of the Lugenia into Wicker Park, it’s become unrealistic Burns Hope Center. “We’re saying for smaller local businesses to keep up with don’t push us out.” escalating rents.
10 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll “How can we heal the damage of gentrifi cation?” asks Norma Rios-Sierra (le and above), 38, a homeowner working with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association to develop low- income housing initiatives. “I want people to have an option to live here.” She says her family receives “one mailing per week that is some amazing sales pitch to sell their property.”
Hajiya Adamu, 61, works as a caretaker and lives in the 50th Ward. As rents have increased, Adamu has appreciated having a landlord who is reasonable and has allowed her to fi nd roommates as needed to keep up with her rent. She says more roommates still mean a higher water bill, and likely higher rent.
Casey Sweeney, 27, le , and India Peek-Jensen, 26, of Grassroots Illinois Action go door to door in Humboldt Park. The organization led the initiative to place li ing the ban on rent control on the ballot.
ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 11 A man walks along North Homan in the 26th Ward, where certain precincts will be voting on the nonbinding referendum to li the ban on rent control.
Cherie Travis stands outside of one of her properties near Logan Square. She’s against li ing the ban on rent control. “It is already a treacherous place for small landlords in Chicago,” she says. “[Rent control] creates a massive disincentive for landlords to keep up the property.”
Bloomingdale Avenue, in the 26th Ward, runs parallel to the 606 trail. Critics say the 606 has contributed to the disappearance of aff ordable housing in the neighborhood, accelerating gentrifi cation and displacing minority families who have traditionally called these wards home.
Ramon Vasquez (far le ), 41, owns Humboldt Cuts in one of the precincts of the First Ward that will be voting on the rent-control referendum. His colleagues and customers say the makeup of the neighborhood has changed drastically as gentrifi cation has set in. He notes that the extra business has been nice. A newer development on Armitage in the First Ward advertises itself with the slogan “Logan Square Redefi ned.” The building’s units start at $1,995 per month for 960 square feet.
12 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll F | R W. Irving Park - - finomcoffee.com FOOD & DRINK
Choco-spice; ham roll ALEXANDER GOULETAS
Or it could be that the sandwich did her in. That’s a custardy pile of buttery eggs, soft scrambled with a vegetable-and-sausage ra- gout, slices of smoky butterkäse cheese, and a smear of absinthe-spiked mustard, all swad- dled in a buttery croissant from Edgewater’s Phlour Bakery. Lecsó, a paprika-stained Hungarian stew of lard-sauteed peppers and tomatoes, doesn’t typically appear on a sandwich. But it is typically consumed with bread, as it is with Finom’s slightly more traditional expres- sion of it, served in a mini Le Creuset crock, crowned with a sel gris-sprinkled sunny-side up egg. Galarza supplements the erstwhile kick provided by hard-to-fi nd gypsy peppers with a dose of Erős Pista (“Strong Steve”) Hungarian pepper paste. Galarza, who’s worked at Kimski, Momota- ro, Yusho, and A10, isn’t Hungarian, and nei- ther is his partner, Daniel Speer, a former cor- porate chef for Nordstrom’s—but Speer’s wife is. When the two friends were trying to decide what kind of food to serve in their co ee shop, they wanted to fi nd something people couldn’t get anywhere nearby. Galarza knew nothing about Hungarian food, but that didn’t faze him. The fl avor pro- fi les are nothing most are unfamiliar with. He had a more primary concern. “Coffee-shop food sucks,” he says. “And it sucks to me that RESTAURANT REVIEW people are OK with really shitty food. You paid $7 for a shitty sandwich? It’s expected. We have to change the way people perceive this Irving Park’s Finom is a good place for food.” But if you have any familiarity with Hun- garian food, Galarza might change those a latte, a lecsó sandwich, and a nap perceptions too. Fans of the late, great Papri- kash shouldn’t expect the generous, meaty It’s Hungarian food and almond milk-hibiscus tea lattes. gut-busting platters that spot tra cked in. OK, the goulash (in Hungarian it’s By M S gulyásleves) is pretty straightforward, an ex- ample of what Galarza means when he says the fter the woman had fi nished her lecsó sandwich, cherry turnover, and choco-spice name of the dish is the only thing that might latte, she asked if she could take a nap on the couch. seem unfamiliar. It’s a warming, unleaded beef At fi rst Rafael Galarza thought she was joking. “So I said, ‘Yeah,’ and she proceeded stew (built on meat from the underappreciat- to take her shoes o , kick her feet up, and knock out for like an hour and a half,” says ed knuckle bone) with parsnips, carrots, and the chef and co-owner of Finom Co ee. onions; a defense against the Chiberian pun- AFinom inhabits a 130-year-old two-story frame building, and its old-timey wood-clad interi- ishment we’re grappling with. or feels like a comfortable refuge from the car-swept, pigeon-stained commotion surrounding The deceptively titled marrow toast, on the confl uence of Irving Park Road, the Kennedy, and the Blue Line and Metra stops just outside the other hand, is a delicate thing of beauty, a its doors. smooth composite, not of bone jelly, but J ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 13 Search the Reader’s online database of thousands of Chicago-area restaurants—and add your FOOD & DRINK own review—at chicagoreader.com/food.
Charcuterie plates ALEXANDER GOULETAS continued from 13 veal brain (or “head marrow” in Hungary), chicken liver, and smoky bacon, spread thin across toasted sourdough, bedazzled with sliced watermelon radish and pickled tomato, and showered with cured egg yolk and assort- ed microfl ora. Co ee and tea are provided by Counter Cul- Galarza and Speer round out the rest of this ture Co ee and Rare Tea Cellars, respectively, concise menu with house-made pickles, curat- and appear with help from barista Ari Franco ed cheese and charcuterie plates, and Portu- in specialty lattes such as the aforementioned guese and Spanish canned seafood conservas. choco spice, a Ibarra chocolate latte dusted There are pastries from Oak Park’s Spilt Milk, with paprika and crumbled Abuelita chocolate and more from Phlour too, but it’s when Galar- cookies; a Turkish delight latte with rosewater za goes rogue with weekly specials that things and candied rose petals; and a sunrise in a get particularly interesting. When a friend co ee cup: the Hawaiian Fog, an almond-milk- gave him a case of cactus paddles, he jumped and-hibiscus-tea latte dusted with dried cher- off from the tomato tartare at Momotaro ry powder and turmeric. and put together a charred nopale tartare, a Finom, on a smaller scale, is in league with constructed puck of meaty cacti amalgamat- the likes of Humboldt’s Park’s Café Marie ed with pickled tomato, raisins, cauliflower, dressed with wild porcini powder and spher- With limited space and equipment, Galarza is Jeanne and Washington Park’s late Currency cucumbers, Erős Pista aioli, absinthe mustard, ified truffle “caviar.” Another time he took nonetheless willing to play dealer’s choice with Exchange Café, those rare community spaces and sourdough bread crumbs. An aversion to körözött, the ubiquitous farmer-cheese table whatever he has on hand. “I’m cooking with no where the food is no afterthought to the caf- working with poultry led to mushroom papri- spread and gussied it up with an artful perim- hood, an induction burner, a soup warmer, and feine or the comfortable surroundings. v kash (versus the standard chicken), its sauce eter of paprika, mizuna, bread crumbs, edible residual heat from a toaster oven,” he says. But boosted with mushroom dashi and puree and fl owers, and egg-yolk jam. “I will 100 percent freestyle it.” @MikeSula
14 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll Do you think opportunities for women the- ater directors in Chicago have gotten better or worse during your careers so far? L-A B I directed my fi rst show in 2009, and in the last decade the visibility has changed. Everybody’s talking about it. K F The Chicago theater com- munity has emboldened itself to start having conversations that acknowledge the disparity, and that has forced artistic directors to try to make it better. Has that happened? Not com- pletely, but it feels like a slow burn towards getting a little bit better.
What does “better” mean? M L To me it means closer to pari- ty. And now I think the conversation’s beyond that, because we’re really talking about more than just a gender binary or gender parity. We’re talking about representation. V S Chicago is having a very Directors Vanessa active conversation about whose voices are Stalling, Lili-Anne part of the theater, and as we move forward, Brown, Marti Lyons, we start to see more and more who is left and Keira Fromm MICHELLE KANAAR behind or left out. But we hold one another accountable as much as we hold one another up. I feel like that is unique to Chicago.
Despite the active conversation, just over a third of plays in Chicago are directed by women—what do you make of that? Beyond the “woman slot” S Even if we four directors see each other’s social media posts and we know we’re Four Chicago directors discuss the challenges of leading a theater production while female. working, we might be in a bit of a bubble com- pared to what really is happening. The data By N P doesn’t lie. F There’s still a need for women in major artistic administrative roles in theaters. Primarily men still curate seasons, so those adly, I’m the 100th white guy standing up here to- V S , an ensemble member at the House projects are geared more toward men. But night,” remarked Nick Bowling at the Je Awards Theatre of Chicago, has helmed Photograph 51, currently because our community is having this conver- ceremony last October as he accepted his trophy playing at Court Theatre. K F is an ensemble sation, theaters acknowledge that, yes, they for best director of a musical. Then he pointed to member at About Face Theatre, which is currently running have primarily male directors and male play- his corecipient, L-A B , and said, “It’s her production of Dada Woof Papa Hot. M L , an wrights and they have to do better. Everyone Stime to change, and this is where it starts, right here.” The ensemble member at the Gift Theatre and an artistic asso- wants to feel like they’re moving towards pari- audience responded with the night’s only standing ovation. ciate at Sideshow Theatre Company, will direct Lauren Yee’s ty and not leaving communities behind, so the Bowling’s comments spoke to more than the demograph- Cambodian Rock Band at Victory Gardens in April. And intention is good. What o en happens is, to ics of that one coterie of award winners. Theater directors Brown will direct Lottery Day by red-hot local playwright check a box, a theater approaches one of us in the United States are predominantly men, and Chicago Ike Holter at the Goodman Theatre in March. and says, “Hey, I have this project that I need a theater is no exception. Just over a third of Chicago plays Recently, these four freelance directors—and friends, director for”—versus seeking us out ahead of during the 2015-’16 season were directed by women, ac- judging from their easy laughter and off-the-record ban- that process to ask, “What stories are compel- cording to a 2017 study. ter—sat down at Chez Moi, a French restaurant in Lincoln ling to you?” Theaters need to invite women’s Yet Brown is not the only harbinger of change. She belongs Park. While sipping water and co ee, they chatted about voices into the curating process, not at the to a group of emerging women theater directors in Chicago Chicago theater, the progress it’s made, and the progress end when they recognize they have to fulfi ll whose careers have been taking o . For years, they’ve been it’s yet to achieve. some criteria. an invaluable part of the city’s storefront theater scene. This conversation has been condensed and edited for B That’s something that happens when More recently, and in the upcoming months, they’re direct- clarity. you’re any kind of special demographic—in ing plays on some of the city’s most prominent stages. other words, not white cis male. For the- J ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 15 continued from 15 And it’s only been in the past couple of years aters that have been doing it the same way that I’ve found it’s enough to say, “Well, it’s for 20 to 30 years, it’s normal for them to be my artistic vision that’s carrying us through like, “I want this guy, this guy, this guy—these this process.” It’s been a confi dence-building are my homies and I’m gonna ask them what issue. shows they want to do—oh, shoot, we need a L It’s interesting. This is not actual- woman slot. OK, let’s get a woman slot. Let’s ly a conversation that’s comfortable for me— see, who are the women directors? Great, talking about the ways being identified as a what woman play do you want to do?” And woman director has been limiting. That’s not you’re like, “What?” Last week I did a pitch a major focus for me in my own internal dia- meeting where I got asked about everything logue because it’s not very productive. It may I wanted to do, and I thought, oh, this is so be a conversation I have with my peers and exciting, and then they came back and said, trusted collaborators and artistic directors. “We love all of your ideas but we have a slot I’m just recognizing how careful I feel because for a female playwright, and we want it to MICHELLE KANAAR there are so many incidents where people have a small cast and be very joyous and cel- have gone above and beyond. It’s not that I ebratory because there’s so much dark stuff the theater yet because I’ve been doing store- moments that were large enough to make me don’t think about gender everyday; I do. But going on.” I’m like, well, that’s not anything I front theater, so I’ve been in charge. [Laughs.] aware of my gender in that moment. I don’t have public conversations about it that pitched. Also, when I fi rst started freelancing, the only L I’ve had that, and with designers will then be in print. S What’s really important is how we people who hired me were women. I couldn’t also. I’ve had instances where I said to a male are moving out of default. For so long, the get hired by men, so they couldn’t treat me designer, “Can you bring this up in the pro- Who’ve been some of your mentors, and default way of programming a season was weird. I remember one interview process duction meeting?” Because then I know we’ll how have they made a difference in your a bunch of white men and white male play- where I literally had so much more experi- get it, or at least it will be heard differently careers? wrights talking about white male stories. So ence than two friends who were both men, than if I ask for it. S Jim Lasko, the former artistic there has been progress. My father was a and they both got hired and I didn’t. I’m also F It’s tricky because as artists and as director of Redmoon, trusted me when I behavioral psychologist, and he was like, in moving through the world with black skin, so theater makers we need to be good collab- didn’t know why he should have. He was a order to change behavior and literally repro- sometimes I don’t know which thing is hap- orators. I’m constantly feeling torn between big risk-taker. Deb Alley, who was the artistic gram your neurons, you have to change phys- pening, to be honest. deference, subservience, and collaboration. director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, ically what you’re doing in practice. Then that L Directing is such an isolated experi- There’s a pitfall there, which is that I am not said, “First and foremost, always assume peo- will help change all those default settings. So ence that it can be very diffi cult to tell what the dominant voice in the room, and sudden- ple are doing the best they can. Everybody we’re in a period of adjusting the default. is systemic and what is just you. We’re not in ly I become aware my voice is actually not wants to do good work.” And Robert Falls at each other’s rehearsal rooms or interviews. being heard in this moment. Then it’s a game the Goodman has such a generous personali- You all were nodding when the conversation Early on in my career, there’s so much I was around: Is the designer going to take up this ty; I learned a lot from him. turned to “the woman slot.” Have the rest of doing just to survive in this career. For me issue? Maybe then it’ll get better traction. Or B Brad Lyons used to be the artis- you experienced that, too? there was a bit of requisite tunnel vision and maybe an artistic director echoes something tic director of Timber Lake Playhouse, which L Certainly. But checking the box is also a lot of internalizing of things that maybe I’ve already said. That absolutely happens. is where I got my start. It’s in a cornfield in actually a great fi rst step. It might feel unnat- weren’t about me, which is also maybe gen- S I’ve been lucky to have been a Mount Carroll, Illinois. He was the fi rst person ural for a while for a theater to override its dered. I’m only in a place now where I’m able signifi cant part of cra ing who’s in the room who had conversations with me about what I instinct, and that unnatural feeling is OK. to have enough perspective on things that with me and who’s part of that process, and was trying to do and how I could do it better. That’s where we start. But for me, I really may have been at play and there are times that’s huge. I do not consider myself an auteur L The directors Chay Yew, Les Waters, feel that checked box when I’m in a situation when I think, oh, this feels really gendered. director where I’m at the top of a hierarchy and Kimberly Senior. They encouraged me to where I realize the theater wanted someone S It’s hard to know if someone is and everyone else is doing what I say—that’s trust my own voice and gave me the space who’s going to operate the way a racist het- seeing a woman, because I just see myself. actually really boring for me and not fun at all and time to develop my skills. The playwright ero white male was going to, but they needed It was not until a couple of years ago when and there’s zero room for discovery in rooms Tanya Saracho gave me my fi rst job in Chica- to fi ll this slot. I’m like, oh, you wanted some- we started having these conversations in like that. I work better when I know I have go when I was 22 and nobody knew who I was. one who looked like me but you didn’t actu- the public sphere that I thought maybe such collaborators that are going to inspire me. She was like, “You do it.” ally want to invite my entire artistic being or and such is happening because I’m a woman. Am I being naive? Or is this not something F The directors Diane Paulus and Kim- perspective into this experience. That’s when I thought I had to operate a certain way and that I have had to deal with on a moment-by- berly Senior. The best mentors can talk with it hits me hardest. So theaters need to make that I was lacking something and that I was moment basis—recognizing I’m a woman now, you about both the art and the job. I just had space not just for the right numbers but for supposed to be stronger or more aggressive. I’m a woman now, I’m a woman now? a conversation with Kimberly yesterday about people’s diff erent lived experiences and make There was a moment when I directed through F I’ve found that artistic directors can agents. As directors, we don’t make a whole work from those experiences. my male assistant director—isn’t that sad? I be great advocates if there’s a moment of lot of money to warrant giving 10 percent thought, OK, I’ll send my direction through tension in a production meeting. It meant so away to agents. It’s a little heartbreaking think- Female directors have said they get ques- him because I think it will land differently, I much to me when the Gi Theatre’s Michael ing about some of those paychecks. [Laughs.] tioned or challenged more than male direc- think it might be heard. I’ve had other instanc- Patrick Thornton decided their 2013 season Kimberly suggested tallying up what I make in tors do in rehearsal rooms and production es where a male artistic director could lit- would have female directors. It was Marti, a year and then putting 10 percent of that to meetings. Do you all experience that? erally repeat what I just said and it would be myself, and Erica Weiss. There are a lot of my own professional development, like fl ying B I haven’t had a whole lot of that in heard differently—all the time. They’re brief artistic directors who are allies and advocates. myself to another city to see its theater. 16 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll What concerns you about Chicago theater right now? F Theaters are starting to believe they’ve done the work and the work is done— without acknowledging that it is a long game that requires patience and they have to involve women in the curating process and throughout the whole season. S Small storefront theaters being able to start in the first place. New York doesn’t get to have storefront theater any- more, it’s just too expensive. I look at the House and Jackalope, and I wonder how C they are going to be the next Looking- glass, which was the last company to move into a larger venue and be of the caliber of L-A B the Goodman or Steppenwolf. The fund- T T B 2/7–3/10: Thu-Sat 8 PM, ing question is real. If there isn’t storefront Sun 3 PM, Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwau- theater, there isn’t a process to get those kee, haventheatrechicago.com, $35. emerging voices access to opportunities so Photos: Jazzy Photo L D 3/29–4/28: Wed-Thu 7:30 they can move up. PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 and L I’m really concerned with what’s hap- 7:30 PM, Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dear- pening to journalism. We’re actually partner born, 312-443-3800, goodmantheatre.org. industries that need freedom of speech and K F freedom of expression, and that’s in crisis in D W P H Through 2/16: this country right now. And I agree that small- SPECTRUM Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, Theater Wit, er theaters are really important for upcom- 1229 W. Belmont, 773-975-8150, about- ing artists who might not otherwise have a facetheatre.com, $38, $20 students and seniors. chance at all in this industry. Those theaters are the entry-level gatekeepers. If you don’t DANCE THEATER M L have that, then you don’t have the thing on S S ! M 2/16– your resumé that even gets you to assistant- RAMBUNCTIOUS 3.0: THE IMMIGRANTS 3/16: Sat 11 AM, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand, 312-595-5600, chi- direct for one of us. cagoshakes.com, $34, $22 18 and under. S And how are the larger theaters able to take risks when funding is such a mas- January 31, February 1, and 2, 2019 C R B 4/13–5/5: Wed- sive element and they have to make sure their Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, 7:30 p.m. Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln, programming is sustainable? 773-871-3000, victorygardens.org, $37-$71. B I’m up at night thinking about the- ater boards. Does the board system even V S work? Who’s on the boards? How do we fresh- Donald Byrd is “an unabashed eclectic. His P Through 2/17: Wed-Fri en them up so that they’re more represen- 7:30 PM, Sat-Sun 2 and 7:30 PM, Court unruliness is accompanied by a love of order.” Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis, 773-753-4472, tative of our population and they have new courttheatre.org, $50-$74, $37.50-$55.50 ideas about how to get funding? They’re the —THE NEW YORK TIMES students. people behind the curtain who determine a theater’s tenor and the audience that theater invites in and who’s working there. It all starts at the top. TICKETS $30 REGULAR / $24 SENIORS / $10 STUDENTS What excites you about Chicago theater? SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25% B This room. And Chicago play- dance.colum.edu wrights that are really killing the game right now. S Chicago playwrights. L The innovation that can happen here because there’s not a high price for entry. F This community wants you to suc- ceed, and that doesn’t happen in a lot of the- ater communities. v ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 17 Pope ignores the damage as another prelate falls Stunning findings on report of Catholic Church abuse: -New York Times, October 12, 2018 Pa. priests molested more than 1,000 children -Fox News, August 14, 2018 Feds launch sex abuse investigation of Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic Church -NPR, October 19, 2018
“Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades . . .” -Grand Jury report on allegations of sexual abuse in the Pennsylvania Catholic Church
After five years in the papacy, the response from Pope Francis about these crimes has been a call for prayers and fasting, and the offering of empty apologies. The perpetrators should no longer be allowed to police themselves. It’s up to each and every one of us to help stop the victimization of children. This message is being underwritten during National Catholic Schools Week by a Chicago-area FFRF member. He is using a portion of his settlement with the church to pay for this appeal, with the hope that it will help spare future children similar abuse at the hands of clergy. He writes: “After serving mass for a wedding at age 13, I was attacked and molested in the sacristy by my parish priest. The trauma that followed caused me to withdraw and isolate myself to the point where I told no one for years about my experience. My parents died without ever knowing about the abuse I endured.” IT’S TIME TO LEAVE THE CHURCH And join FFRF in our vital work to liberate minds and place humanity above dogma Or ask for a brochure about FFRF’s significant achievements. We’ll also send a complimentary copy of FFRF’s newspaper, Freethought Today. Join FFRF: 1.800.335.4021 | FFRF.us/humanity
This ad is being run in conjunction with the FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter (www.ffrf.mcc.org).
18 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll FFRF_Chicago-Reader_Quit_square.indd 1 1/25/19 9:43 AM R READER RECOMMENDED b ALL AGES F ARTS & CULTURE
told a story about his grandmother dying and COMEDY that he felt like he hadn’t connected with her and he had slighted her and ignored her and didn’t get a chance to say all those things. Not You should be ashamed a dry eye in the house, just weeping. And then right after him was a story from a guy named Matty Ryan, and the story was about a jellyfi sh of yourself stinging his dick. That moment still to this day encapsulates my favorite thing about the show: It’s a space where both of those things can exist right alongside each other.” Every show is recorded for a podcast, but all performers are given the option of having their name or the names of anyone else in the story edited out or for the story not to be in- cluded at all. The producers are still surprised at what people allow to be broadcast, like the guy who stole a car, crashed it, then set it on fi re to destroy the evidence. “I’m a lawyer during the day,” Grotheer The storytelling show We Still Like You says.“I hear stories sometimes and I’m like, wants you to embrace embarrassment. I’m going to take my lawyer hat o for a bit.” Even after fi ve years of stories, the produc- By B W ers are still shocked by the terrible things that happen to people as well as the terrible things people do. Dan Sheehan (le ) and J. Michael Osborne SARAH LARSON “There is a great Chicago comedian who’s told a story about how while at church he wrote this thing that I was convinced Dan Sheehan, and Tyler Snodgrass were new lowed by a public moment of forgiveness as the masturbated to a picture of a girl in a church was brilliant,” says the comedian J. to Chicago comedy and wanted to start a crowd shouts, “We still like you!” Afterward, quarterly magazine who was a victim of the Michael Osborne, a producer-host of performance series of their own. At the time, members of the audience can ask questions Columbine shooting,” Snodgrass says. “I still the shame-based storytelling show many people in the community were com- or pry for further details during a Q&A. And can’t believe that one.” We Still Like You. “It was like, [about] plaining about an oversaturation of comedy after every performance, there is more often There are plenty of others: The guy who IJesus, but it’s in the modern day, Fox News showcases. Gallegos, Sheehan, and Snodgrass than not a rowdy party, which the producers butt dialed 911 during his fi rst make-out ses- commentators don’t like him very much, isn’t decided to combine their shared love of story- sion. The white woman who read a story she that interesting? I was sitting in the middle of telling, house shows, and wallowing in shame wrote when she was eight years old from the this party and was like, I have to get this down. to create something that stood out from the W S L Y F perspective of a black girl who just doesn’t un- Then one of the guys that lived there asked me crowd. The fi rst year they used pizza and beer A S derstand the appeal of Martin Luther King Jr. what I was writing on, and I fl ipped it over, and to bribe audiences to come to their shows in a Sat / , PM, The drag queen who got blackout drunk and Collaboraction Theatre, it was a newspaper clipping of this old guy, I Buena Park apartment. Now We Still Like You N. Milwaukee, had to break a window to get into her house didn’t know anything about him, and he was is regularly selling out shows at the 50-seat westilllikeyou.com , $. on Christmas Day—in full Mrs. Claus drag. like, ‘Oh that’s the last [existing] photograph Storefront Theatre in the Flatiron Arts Build- And the hosts are certainly not immune to of my dead dad, and that’s the only copy that I ing in Wicker Park and has o shoots in Den- feeling shame of their own. They share stories have.’ And then I kept it. I was so convinced my ver, Louisville, and LA, where Sheehan now consider a chance for everyone to live out a We every week. (Most of those don’t end up on the story was so good I had to keep it.” lives. The Chicago team has grown to include Still Like You story for a future show. During podcast.) It’s a story Osborne’s told onstage before, host-producers Gallegos, Snodgrass, Osborne, the four-year anniversary show last February, Goals for the future include bringing We and it’s a favorite of the other producers and Erin Grotheer, and Jesse Betend, who also Snodgrass presented an illustrated slideshow Still Like You to more cities, both through hosts of the show. As he casually retells the produces the eponymous podcast featuring of the most embarrassing moments that have touring and setting up more permanent chap- story to the four others on the team, they’re all stories from live shows across the country. happened over the course of We Still Like You. ters, and opening it up to other members of laughing so hard they’re gasping for breath, “Shame means something different to ev- The producers don’t accept just any story the Chicago performing scene, not just come- some wiping away tears. The group has eryone, and I think our show does a really good for the show. The submission form includes dians. Anyone who has recently been publicly reached a level of trust where they can share job of representing that,” Gallegos says. “It’s some guidelines, like “do not humblebrag” embarrassed has an open invite. anything—they know each other’s deepest building a sense of community on a shared and “do not send us stories about pooping/ “We want to get any of the Fyre Fest guys,” darkest secrets, and they can laugh about feeling that we’ve all felt, and then also releas- peeing.” The hard-and-fast rule is, performers Gallegos says, “except Billy McFarland and Ja them. Once a month they invite members of ing that tension of feeling deeply guilty about must feel real shame. Where the story goes Rule, because you have to be capable of shame the public to join them and share their own the things you’ve done.” from there is anybody’s guess. to do the show.” v shameful secrets at We Still Like You. Each show features five or so performers “In one of my all-time-favorite moments It began fi ve years ago when Danii Gallegos, telling embarrassing stories. Each tale is fol- from the show,” Osborne says, “Cody Melcher @BriannaWellen ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 19 SIX YOUNG WOMEN. ONE SMALL TOWN. ARTS & CULTURE DIFFERENT LANES.
Red Rex LEE MILLER
THEATER TWILIGHT The play about a storefront theater playing BOWL in a storefront theater In Red Rex, Ike Holter’s Chicago Cycle gets meta.
BY REBECCA GILMAN By JH DIRECTED BY ERICA WEISS ke Holter’s Red Rex, the sixth in his have erred on one side or the other. But seven-play Chicago cycle set in the fi c- Holter’s play, especially in the current Steep After graduating from a small Wisconsin high school, Sam heads to college on tional neighborhood of Rightlynd (aka Theatre premiere directed by Jonathan Berry, scholarship—but her cousin Jaycee’s future isn’t looking as bright. As the young the 51st Ward), is a play at war with is, I think, stronger—and more interesting— women and their friends face adulthood, their local bowling alley becomes a itself. On the one hand it wants to enter- because of its contradictions. Itain: the play is a spot-on send-up of Chicago It helps that Holter knows how to tell a good place to celebrate triumphs, confront challenges and forge new identities. storefront theaters and the quirky people who story, fi lled with interesting, well-drawn char- make up those ragtag companies. On the other FEBRUARY 8 – MARCH 10 hand, it wants to be a serious play, packed with meaningful observations about life and R R art. It succeeds on both counts. One of the R Through /: Thu-Sat PM, Sun PM, Steep Theatre , W. Berwyn, - more bracing aspects of Holter’s play is how -, steeptheatre.com, $ -$. 312.443.3800 | GoodmanTheatre.org it bristles with trenchant observations about GROUPS OF 10+ ONLY: 312.443.3820 race and class and the insidious way uncon- scious racism influences the perceptions of acters. He’s also a very graceful wordsmith even well-meaning people who believe in their with a strong ear for dialogue and dialect.
THE ELIZABETH F. hearts they are not racist. He has shown us this side of his craft before. CHENEY FOUNDATION A lesser play might have been torn apart In The Wolf at the End of the Block (2017) Holter Major Support Contributing Sponsors by this tension between entertainment and slides from a dizzying slam-poet style in which edification. A lesser theater company might continued on page 25 20 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll A Shul In Wilmette Andrew Dost Anthony Illarde Barry Owen Brenda Fischer Bruce Sewick Chris Schaerli Aaron Cohen Andrew Edmonds Anthony Sacco Barry Stern Brenda J Minor Bryan Gleason Chris Sergio Aaron Osborne Andrew Fan Anthony Van Dorston Bart Lazar Brendan Dineen Bryan Ricketts Chris Sherbak Aasma Husain Andrew Glass Anthony Warnelis Bart Winters Brendan Hendrick Bryan Sills Christa Ojeda Ada Mae Edecker Andrew Gorodetsky Anthony White Ben Housten Brendan Hutt Byron Samuel Christee Snell Adam Cornelius Andrew Greaves Antiques Ben Levine Brendan Malone C ODonnell Winchester Christian McGrath Adam Farber Andrew Hayes Aquariphone Ben Warren Brent Fagerburg Caketown Ceramics Christian Mendenhall Adam Hecktman Andrew Hertzberg Arcilla Stahl Benjamin Berkman Brent Stephens Calvin Brown Christina Pfeff er Adam Peindl Andrew Huff Ariel Cheung Benjamin Bultema Brett Neiman Cameron Moore Christina Woelke Adam Przybyl Andrew Loferski Ariel Robinson Benjamin Burton Bria Dolnick Can I Talk My Ish Christine Allender Adam Singer Andrew Norton Ariel Woodiwiss Benjamin Chandler Brian Anderson Canteen Communications Christine Badowski Adam Sondag Andrew Pickell Arnie Silberman Benjamin Helphand Brian Andrews Carissa Remitz Christine Barloga Adam Thoma Andrew Polacek Arnold Velez Benjamin Seeder Brian Boyer Carla Bruni Christine Casale Adam Vales Andrew Rice Art Schwartz Bernadette Smith Brian Cagle Carla Gordon Christine Evans Adam Wynn Andrew Rowe Arthur and Judith Klowden Bernard Gillespie Jr Brian Clark Carley Callis Christine Geovanis Aileen Geary Andrew Suprenant Arthur C. 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continued from page 20 . . . That is my life, it belongs to me. You give it a special skill to bring to the table—led by a nerdy ringleader (ably played by Eric Eilersen) who still lives characters deliver street-smart, word-drunk back. You give it back.” To this, the executive at home with his mom. Then we hear in exquisite detail monologues to naturalistic dialogue that director has no response. Later he and other their well-laid plans for penetrating a Kenner warehouse could have been lifted straight from tran- members of the theater can’t even remember and stealing a fortune in Star Wars booty. The second scripts of everyday conversations. But this his name. They keep calling him Trayvon act is the heist itself and its a ermath. time he has gone meta. Red Rex is a play about (after Trayvon Martin, another sly dig). It’s a measure of Zettelmaier’s skill as a playwright that All Childish Things never feels formulaic even a storefront theater in a gentrifying south- At another point in the story someone ob- All Childish Things TOM MCGRATH when it adheres most closely to the formula of the side neighborhood putting on a play with a serves the critics will all write great reviews of genre. Director Melanie Keller and her cast and crew strong social message playing in a storefront Lana’s play—which, frankly, looks and sounds THEATER at First Folio also deserve their share of praise. In their theater in a gentrifying north-side neighbor- like a mess—because they’re afraid of being hands, the production unfolds with the grace of a well- In a galaxy not so far away. . . maintained droid. —J H A C hood (Edgewater). Oh, and Red Rex is a play labelled racist if they don’t. And, indeed, once R All Childish Things is a delightful mashup T Through 2/24: Wed 8 PM, Thu 3 PM, Fri 8 steeped in social justice issues. the play opens it does receive glowing reviews of Star Wars and Ocean’s 11. PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, First Folio Theatre , Usually there’s a touch of narcissism to and becomes a hit. 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook, 630-986-8067, firstfolio. this kind of meta theater, like the gentle self- It takes guts to write a play that pokes at the You don’t have to be a Star Wars fanatic to like Joe org, $34-$44, $29-$39 students and seniors. Zettelmaier’s 2006 heist comedy about a group of criticism of a play (like Noises O or The Play still mostly white Chicago theater audience twentysomething fanboys (and one fangirl) who plan to Wages of sin That Goes Wrong) that slaps wrists and then (and critics) this way. But that’s another of steal a fortune in mint-condition Star Wars action fi g- The suff ering of In the Blood’s heroine serves no forgives everyone at the end—oh, aren’t we a Holter’s strengths. He’s a terrifi c provocateur. ures. But it doesn’t hurt if you know a fanboy or two IRL, higher purpose. funny, quirky lot! In Red Rex, Holter isn’t going He has found a good company for his work the better to appreciate how well Zettlemaier’s script to let anyone o the hook. at Steep Theatre. Every aspect of the pro- captures the aggressive geekiness of these twenty- and Red Tape Theatre presents Suzan-Lori Parks’s 1999 early thirtysomethings who know everything there is Pulitzer-nominated riff on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Holter loves to poke sacred cows. (It’s one of duction is flawless. Holter’s story unfolds to know about the Star Wars universe but can barely Scarlet Letter. In Parks’s version, Hester (Jyreika Guest) his most endearing qualities as a comic writ- at just the right pace, and Berry’s ensemble navigate this one. (Zettelmaier comes by this knowledge lives in a lean-to under a graffi tied highway overpass er.) Repeatedly he reveals the racist assump- perfectly embodies its characters. Amanda naturally; he is an honorary member of the 501st Legion, with her fi ve fatherless children, scrounging for scraps tions made by his well-meaning white theater Powell’s performance is a revelation: as the an international Star Wars cosplay club.) to survive while appealing to anyone who will listen to Zettelmaier’s carefully structured play follows the help her fi nd a way out of her situation. makers. Lana, the white director-playwright manipulative, emotionally damaged director- basic pattern of the heist genre. First we meet the Every authority fi gure in Hester’s life—the doctor, at the center of the story, for example, appro- playwright Lana she slithers through the play, gang—each member quirky in his or her own way, with the welfare worker, the preacher, and the father of B priates the tragic story of a local woman, the slowly revealing the racism lurking beneath victim of police brutality, without thinking of her shallow white liberal platitudes. Likewise, asking permission from the living members of Debo Balogun is riveting as Trevor, an intense
Karthik Pandian & February 1 her family—or even contacting them. young man trying to preserve the memory of Andros Zins-Browne As it happens, Trevor, the woman’s son, still his senselessly murdered mother. — lives in the neighborhood. His confrontation Holter and the folks at Steep Theatre have with the executive director of the Red Rex achieved something great here: a play that theater over the appropriation of his mother’s both entertains and edifies. It unflinchingly story is one of the most powerful moments in dares to tackle serious issues and serious the play: “You stole some shit from me. From ideas, but it never leaves the audience want- ATLAS UNLIMITED my family. Our history. I think you took my life ing less. v from my life and I think you’re trying to pass
it o like it’s some shit you just came up with. @JackHelbig arts.uchicago.edu/logan/gallery
Red Rex LEE MILLER
ACTS V –VI March 17 • Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts • 915 E 60th St Chicago IL 60637 Chicago IL 60637 the Arts • 915 E 60th St for Center Logan and David Gallery • Reva Center Logan
ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 25 ARTS & CULTURE
B her fi rstborn—abuses her in some way. Hester is pre- sexist and anti-Semitic James Watson (Alex Goodrich, in sented as a cross between Job and Mary Magdalene, fi ne smirking fettle)—view her. (Mostly, they’re puzzled suff ering and bearing the sins of others presumably for at her utter lack of interest in catering to their needs.) some higher purpose. But to me, no such purpose ever We catch brief glimpses of Franklin’s vulnerability presented itself; instead, what I saw was a wretched only late in the play. But the importance of her work person tortured and tormented for two hours until she (including the titular fi nding that unlocked the secret snaps and lashes out in a murderous rage. of DNA) looms large in terrifi c projections designed Speaking of snaps, I heard a bunch of the slam- by Paul Deziel that illuminate Arnel Sancianco’s clever poetry variety from the audience at dramatic moments set. (Matching spiral staircases at each end suggest in the play. The gesture is a mark of approval, an the double helix.) And as reports from women in labs endorsement of what they were hearing and seeing. today tell us, sexism still remains entwined in the DNA Maybe I missed something or this work wasn’t meant of scientifi c research. —K R P for me, but I heard no music in Parks’s words, nor any Through 2/17: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat-Sun 2 and resonance in this story. Watching an illiterate homeless 7:30 PM, Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis, 773-753-4472, woman being called a slut by everyone in her life, courttheatre.org , $50-$74. then being driven to kill may have been meant to be a condemnation of an uncaring world, but it comes off Beckett in the backyard as wallowing in misery to no discernible end. Chika Ike R The Realistic Joneses face the existential directed. —D S I BThrough dread of suburbia. 2/23: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 7 PM, Mon 8 PM, the Ready, 4546 N. Western, redtapetheatre.org . F A cavernous lyricism gives Will Eno’s wry, deadpan, seemingly inconsequential plays their near debilitating Scientific hazards resonance and o en gets the Brooklyn-based play- The Realistic Joneses EVAN HANOVER R Rosalind Franklin tells her story in wright anointed the Next Beckett. And this coy, static Photograph 51. backyard drama, which marked Eno’s Broadway debut in 2014, certainly has a Beckettian fl avor. Two married cou- as though they’re fl inging empty words at a world that show in the south: just her, Sylphe the “armless wonder” Chemist and X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin’s ples named Jones—one a decade or so younger than the isn’t adequately tragic to cast their lives into clear relief. (Stephanie Mattos), and their abusive, greasy-haired crucial contributions to discovering the double helix in other—mostly dither and stall and circumvent their way It’s Chekhov’s world, where the struggle to mat- handler Armand Aubigny (Rory Zacher). Aubigny is DNA were largely uncredited during her too-short life. through several banal days, always peculiarly on edge as ter is a sad farce, and this Shattered Globe-Theater former plantation aristocracy and dreams of reclaim- (She died of ovarian cancer—possibly caused by expo- though some undefi nable, momentous threat is perpet- Wit coproduction astutely and aff ectingly captures its ing fame and wealth as an impresario-anthropologist- sure to radiation in her work—at age 37.) Anna Ziegler’s ually in the offi ng. It’s easy to imagine Eno has essentially myriad gray tones. The cast is uniformly excellent—so naturalist at the 1904 World’s Fair. Swamp Baby fantasiz- drama is a sturdy if sometimes overschematic portrait substituted Beckett’s postwar existential void with the good that, for once, everyone onstage is working with es about a mysterious woman named Desirée (Destiny of the professional purdah Franklin endured in and anomie of contemporary suburban America. as many cylinders fi ring as the always outstanding H.B. Strothers) who sometimes sings to her in visions. A out of the laboratory. (She’s called “Miss” not “Doctor,” But as the performances in director Jeremy Ward. —J H T R J doctor (Rob Frankel) arrives to examine her, but he and can’t eat lunch with the men because the staff club Wechsler’s gentle yet rigorous staging make clear, the Through 3/9: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Theater Wit, mostly works with a crystal ball, so never mind about doesn’t allow women.) four Joneses run not from indeterminacy but from 1229 W. Belmont, 773-975-8150, sgtheatre.org, $30- science. This could be one terrible tall tale, except the Vanessa Stalling’s de , thoughtful staging features a excessive certainty. Marriages don’t last, passion leads $74, $28 seniors, $20 29 and under. beautiful language of the play is so expertly handled stellar Chaon Cross as the suff er-no-fools Franklin. The to nothing, and death is everywhere. Yet facing such by the cast, especially Mattos and Strothers, who bring memory-play direct-address narrative device feels a bit despair amid middle-class comfort, their uncalibrated out the dignity and humanity in their characters. Where clunky at times, but allows us to see how the men sur- fears fi nd only meager expression: the language of daily these two shine, so does Swamp Baby. —I H rounding Franklin—from her smitten-but-condescending life perpetually fails them, and nearly everything said S B Through 3/3: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 lab supervisor, Maurice Wilkins (Nathan Hosner), to the is subject to rapid revision, reversal, or retraction. It’s PM, Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, 773-404-7336, mpaact.org, $38, $28 students and seniors. v
Swamp Baby SHEPSU AAKHU Freak show C The actors in Swamp Baby bring dignity and BLI PU E humanity to this allegory of xenophobia. H T O T N E P O An advertisement allegedly produced by Aeromexico Feb. 27-March 1, 2019 D N A recently went viral off ering a discount proportional to E
E
the percentage of Mexican heritage its American cus- FR tomers could demonstrate. In the video, tequila-loving, CHICAGO burrito-eating ’Murrikans aren’t sure if they are winning or getting a booby prize for the (spoiler!) Mexican blood
found fl owing through their pale, pale veins. This is only FEMINIST funny because the same xenophobia that conceived of the one-drop rule hasn’t been bred or bled out yet. FILM Aaron Carter’s Swamp Baby, premiering at MPAACT under the direction of Lauren “LL” Lundy, is a FESTIVAL poetic allegory that refl ects the lust for the exotic and Film Row Cinema the fear of contamination that characterizes the idea of 1104 S. Wabash Ave. 8th floor Photograph 51 MICHAEL BROSILOW miscegenation. Green-skinned orphan teenager Swamp chicagofeministfilmfestival.com Baby (Myesha-Tiara) grew up in the saddest little freak
26 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll G sss Directed by Rob Tregenza. In English and subtitled Norwegian. min. Facets Cinémathèque, W. Fullerton, - -, facets.org , $. FILM
Gavagai more importantly, it’s the rare movie success- It would all seem very simple if it weren’t fully designed to satisfy poetry lovers. for the frequent overlays of Vesaas’s poetry Tregenza introduces the film’s aesthetic and Tregenza’s lovely camerawork, which concerns in the fi rst shot. It begins in daytime sometimes follows the actors’ movements as a train pulls into a station somewhere but more often goes o on its own path or else in rural Norway. A German man, identified pauses to refl ect calmly on the action. There’s only in the end credits as Carsten Neuer (and also the matter of Carsten’s wife’s ghost, played by Andreas Lust), disembarks the train who appears unexpectedly and walks slowly and walks away from the station. The camera around the frame. Tregenza likes to use these briefl y follows him on his path, then stops to di erent e ects (poetry, camerawork, super- observe him walking away and ultimately out natural plot elements) to contrapuntal e ect, of the shot, leaving viewers to meditate on the as when he sets an early scene in a grocery empty landscape. As all this is happening, Lust store to a poem about ambition and adven- reads an English translation of Vesaas’s poem ture. (“They journeyed for a dream, / were “The Journey” over the soundtrack. It begins: ready to give their all . . . and the bonfi re fl ares At last we emerged up on every horizon / while fresh seekers poke from the night mist. No one recognized any among the ashes.”) But as Gavagai develops, one now. the various components slowly jibe, yielding The faculty was lost on the journey. beautiful, polyphonic results. It doesn’t mat- No one asked or demanded: ter that Tregenza withholds key details about MOVIES spotlights the difficulties of translating into Who are you? the characters: we never know what Carsten cinematic terms both poetry and the internal Tregenza lets Vesaas’s words fill out the does for living, what his marriage was like, or experience. The fi lmmaking is ravishing. Tre- personless image until Lust runs back onto the why his wife loved Vesaas’s poetry so much. Lost—and genza employs long takes and elaborate yet screen and past the camera, which pans right Through the manipulation of cinematic form gracefully executed camera movements—you to observe him getting back on the train, then and spoken verse, Tregenza expresses feel- could say it flows like a poem. Yet Tregenza emerging with his jacket. Lust rests on a bench ings—like grief, gratitude, and longing—that then found— often reminds us how movies and poems are for a moment, then leaves the frame again. are hard to express through conventional dissimilar, not to mention how movies can’t This impressive shot tells us little about psychological drama. convey emotions as precisely as poems do. Carsten’s character, but it conjures up all Gavagai is not just an emotional movie, in translation The most interesting thing about Gavagai may sorts of emotions through the combination of but a sensual one. Tregenza’s lyrical camera be that it produces something so calming out the poem, the depopulated location, and the movements and the actors’ recitations of Ve- Gavagai is hard to explain, but of such a jarring clash of art forms. detached, ghostly presence of the camera. Tre- saas’s poetry contribute most plainly to this thanks to a combination of poetry Prior to Gavagai, I’d seen only one other genza manages to sustain this complex mood e ect, but what makes the fi lm enthralling is and camerawork, easy to feel. fi lm that Tregenza directed, his debut feature, over the next half hour of Gavagai, despite the the near erotic sense of possibility that the Talking to Strangers (1988), though I’d seen fact that he reveals almost nothing else about fi lmmaker creates at any given time. Because By B S two on which he’d served as cinematographer, the protagonist during this time. The fi lmmak- we only know the characters through what Alex Cox’s Three Businessmen (1998) and Béla er focuses on straightforward actions and in- Tregenza hints about their emotional states, Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies (2000). These terpersonal confl icts: Carsten, who can’t drive, we can relate to them but never be completely he title of Gavagai, an internationally three fi lms are enough to reveal his core fi xa- meets a tour guide (Mikkel Gaup) and hires him sure of what they’ll do. This push-pull feeling coproduced art fi lm playing this week tions—namely the tension that arises from as a driver. The two men go to some woods a few between knowing and not knowing reaches a at Facets Cinémathèque, refers to a combining extended intricate camera move- hundred miles away; when they return, Carsten head in the fi lm’s climax, which unfolds in its word in a made-up language invented ments and seemingly spontaneous onscreen asks the guide for a ride several hundred miles longest single shot. Having reached his fi nal by American philosopher W.V. Quine behavior as well as the attendant thematic north to the town of Vinje. Before they depart destination, Carsten overlooks a valley from a Tin his thesis on the indeterminacy of trans- question of whether our lives are shaped by the next morning, the tour guide learns from wooded peak in the rain. He crouches by a fi re lation. I won’t pretend to understand Quine, destiny or chance. They’re also enough to his girlfriend (Anni-Kristiina Juuso) that she’s pit, takes from his knapsack the urn contain- but thankfully he’s not discussed in the fi lm, convince any discerning viewer of Tregenza’s pregnant; he responds to the news with shock, ing his wife’s ashes, then scatters them along which in fact contains little dialogue. Rather, mastery. His fi rst new feature to play Chicago which upsets her, then takes o with Carsten. with several pieces of paper. At some point he cowriter-director-cinematographer-editor in roughly two decades, Gavagai constitutes It’s only at this point in the fi lm that the hero mumbles in a language other than English that Rob Tregenza employs the term as a clue to something of an experimental “event” movie. discusses his translation project, explaining Tregenza refuses to subtitle. There’s so much the movie’s opaque content. That it’s not as great as the fi lms mentioned that he’s doing it as a testament to his late wife, the viewer still wants to know about Carsten, As you might guess, Gavagai is about the above doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive on a Chinese woman who wanted to share Vesaas’s yet it’s remarkable how close one feels to him di culties of translation, in both subject and a formal level or that it o ers any less to think poetry with the Chinese-speaking world. Also by this point in the film. That indistinct yet form. The main character is a German tourist about. The fi lm runs a little under an hour and around this time, Tregenza reveals that Carsten strong emotional connection is the stuff of trying to translate the poetry of Norwegian a half and comprises just 22 shots, nearly all is traveling with his dead wife’s ashes, leading poetry, cinematic and otherwise. v author Tarjei Vesaas (1897-1970) into Chinese; of them ambitious in some way. Gavagai is one to predict (correctly) that he intends to in a formal analogue to the story, Tregenza a must-see for fans of long-take cinema, but scatter them during his journey. @1bsachs
ssss EXCELLENT sss GOOD ss AVERAGE s POOR • WORTHLESS ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 27 FILM
NOW PLAYING The Grand it from them—is a fascinating and important chronicle. Bizarre The video is limited at times by the diffi cult task of Cold War representing events recounted in the interviews when R Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski’s latest appropriate footage isn’t available, but the overall story fi lm chronicles—stopping just short of celebrating—an is indelible. —J R 1985 58 min. aff air that blazes across a postwar European landscape 16mm. Jane Collective member Judith Arcana attends already strewn with too many ashes, and grimly divided the screening. Sat 2/2, 1 PM. Northwestern University by the Iron Curtain and closing borders. The attraction Block Museum of Art F is immediate when Zula (Joanna Kulig) and Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) fi rst meet in 1949 rural Poland. He’s a The Magnificent Ambersons refi ned composer and musicologist in his 40s, chafi ng R Orson Welles’s second feature (1942) is in under Stalinism as he catalogs traditional folk songs and many ways his most personal and most impressive, but auditions performers for a new touring folk troupe. She of his Hollywood fi lms it’s also the one most damaged is one of the hopefuls, a vibrant twentysomething scrap- by insensitive reediting (like the sublime and personal per determined to escape her dead-end lower-class Don Quixote is among his independent features); in origins. They are mismatched in terms of temperament, his absence RKO cut the movie by almost 45 minutes sensibility, pragmatism, ethics, and drive, but their and tacked on a few lamentable new scenes (including sexual connection is so strong that their liaison survives the last one). For the most part, this is a very close her fi rst betrayal (when she spies on him for a Commu- that something signifi cant is going on. With Irene Cara, adaptation of Booth Tarkington’s underrated novel nist party climber) and the many other disputes and Lee Curreri, Eddie Barth, and Laura Dean. —D K I Am Cuba about the relentless decline of a wealthy midwestern recriminations that follow throughout their 15-year-long 1980 Thu 2/7, 7 PM. Univ. of Chicago Doc Films R Some of the most exhilarating camera move- family through the rise of industrialization, though on-again, off -again relationship. —A G R, ments and most luscious black-and-white cinematog- Welles makes the story even more powerful through 88 min. Music Box Theatre. Visit musicboxtheatre.com The Grand Bizarre raphy you’ll ever see inhabit this singular, delirious 141- his extraordinary mise-en-scene and some of the fi nest for showtimes. R Jodie Mack, the most playful and imaginative minute communist propaganda epic of 1964, a Cuban- acting to be found in American movies (Agnes Moore- avant-garde fi lmmaker of her generation, delivers her Russian production poorly received in both countries head is a standout). The emotional sense of America Dead Snow longest work to date, and the results are characteristi- at the time (in Cuba it was o en referred to as “I Am in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is so palpable A coed group of Norwegian medical students arrives at cally inspired. The overarching theme is the many facets Not Cuba”). Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov—best known you can taste it. With Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, a cabin near the giant Oks ordjokelen glacier, hoping of graphic design. Mack creates a breathtaking montage in the West for his 1957 The Cranes Are Flying—from a Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Ray Collins, and Richard Bennett. to ride snowmobiles and get laid, but their holiday fun with shots of maps, printed alphabets, computer code, screenplay by Yevgeny Yevtushenko and Enrique Pineda —J R 2002 88 min. 35mm. Former is spoiled by zombie storm troopers le over from the and intricately patterned textiles (the latter being an Barnet, this multipart hymn to the Cuban communist Reader fi lm critic Jonathan Rosenbaum lectures at the Nazi occupation. Combining the undead and the Third ongoing motif in the director’s work). The fi lm also revolution may be dated to the point of campiness Tuesday screening. Fri 2/1, 2 and 6 PM; and Tue 2/5, 6 PM. Reich seems like a novel idea—the peanut butter and considers a variety of locations, among them shipyards, in much of its rhetoric, but it stands alongside the Gene Siskel Film Center jelly of trash culture—but in fact Spanish exploitation airports, and open-air bazaars; rather than interrupt the unfi nished masterworks of Sergei Eisenstein and Orson legend Jesus Franco already got to it back in 1981 with fl ow of close-up images, the location shots complement Welles about Latin America, Que Viva Mexico and The Prowler Oasis of the Zombies. Tommy Wirkola, who wrote and them, challenging viewers’ perceptions of what consti- It’s All True, two parallel celebrations from foreign R Though it dates from the fi rst years of his career directed this feature, sticks closely to formula, and his tutes large and small forms of human ingenuity. Despite perspectives. (The constructivist shack occupied by a (1951), this hallucinatory fi lm noir is still, for me, Joseph snarky attitude toward the young campers precludes the headiness of Mack’s concerns, the fi lmmaker main- Havana prostitute in the fi rst episode is one example of Losey’s best fi lm. Beat cop Van Hefl in falls in obsessional much sympathy for them. But gore hounds will enjoy tains a light tone throughout, incorporating stop-motion stylization run amok here.) In Spanish and Russian with love with Evelyn Keyes, whose unseen husband is a the comic mayhem and picturesque blood splatter on animation, sped-up motion, and bouncy electronic music subtitles. —J R 2006 141 min. Amy disc jockey; their trysts are timed to his radio show. A the virgin snow. In Norwegian with subtitles. —JR (the score generates beats from sources ranging from Heller and Dennis Doros, founders of Milestone Films, Double Indemnity plot is hatched, which leads to a wildly J R, 91 min. 35mm. Fri 2/1-Sat 2/2, midnight. airplane engines to industrial looms). What emerges is which distributes the fi lm, attend the screening. Fri 2/1, 7 stylized fi nale in a desert ghost town. For once, Losey Music Box a sense of wonderment toward sights and sounds one PM. Logan Center for the Arts F declines his Brechtian “distance”; the result is a fi lm with normally takes for granted. —B S 61 min. 35mm. a vivid sense of entrapment as well as a cool, critical Eve’s Bayou Showing with Mack’s 2018 short Hoarders without Board- The Incredibly True Adventure of intelligence. Hefl in, cast in the Losey line of male hyster- R Unlike most stories that allude to incest, this ers 1.0. Mack attends the screening. Thu 2/7, 6 PM. Gene ics, gives his most impressive performance. With John intriguingly fractured 1997 narrative acknowledges the Siskel Film Center Two Girls in Love Maxwell and Katharine Warren; the photography, which complexity of the faddish topic. Samuel L. Jackson plays This sweet, tender, exciting feature by writer- moves eloquently from cast-iron night to blinding sun, is the roguish father of ten-year-old Eve (Jurnee Smollett), Hale County This Morning, director Maria Maggenti is about the puppy love that by Arthur Miller. —D K 2009 92 min. 35mm. Thu whose mother and aunt seem to tolerate his extramarital R This Evening blossoms between two high school seniors: a rebellious 2/7, 9:30 PM. Univ. of Chicago Doc Films aff airs. Subplots are woven stealthily into the story, tak- tomboy pothead gas-station attendant who lives with ing the pressure off the central drama, allowing it to be RaMell Ross’s remarkable debut feature is as much an her aunt in an all-lesbian household and a popular Secret Beyond the Door. . . aff ecting rather than melodramatic, and heightening the experimental fi lm as it is a documentary, and it succeeds wealthy black intellectual. Maggenti doesn’t always R Fritz Lang’s third thriller (1948) with Joan atmosphere of the lush Louisiana setting. Aunt Mozelle smashingly on both fronts. The director shot it between have her technique together—there are some awkward Bennett (a er Scarlet Street and The Woman in the (Debbi Morgan), who’s both clairvoyant and practical, 2012 and 2017, during which time he taught photography voice-overs, and a couple of secondary performances Window), a Freudian version of the Bluebeard story, is intimidated by the idea of fate and delivers some and coached basketball at a predominantly black high are overblown—but her feeling for the lead characters is probably the most psychoanalytically oriented of of the movie’s edgiest dialogue when she worries that school in rural Alabama. “Photographing in my day-to- and for adolescence in general is so energizing that his features, and because it’s Lang, the murkiness is she may be cursed because the men she marries keep day I began fi lming, using time to fi gure out how we’ve these lapses seem minor. This movie triumphs even mainly a strength. Silvia Richards, who later worked on dying. Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons. —L come to be seen,” Ross explains in an opening title when it makes a sudden transition toward the end from both Lang’s Rancho Notorious and King Vidor’s Ruby A 1985 R, 109 min. 35mm. Sat 2/2-Sun 2/3, card, and what follows challenges traditional notions romantic comedy to farce. With Laurel Holloman and Gentry, is credited with the script, adapting a story by 11:30 AM. Music Box of representation with regard to both rural and black Nicole Parker. —J R 1995 R, 94 min. Rufus King. With Michael Redgrave and Ann Revere. American life. The fi lm moves unpredictably between 35mm. Tue 2/5, 7 PM. Univ. of Chicago Doc Films —J R 2007 99 min. 35mm archival Fame moments of domestic intimacy and scenes of public life, print. Fri 2/1, 7 and 9:30 PM, and Sun 2/3, 1:30 PM. Univ. Another environmental study by Alan Parker, whose proceeding according to a mysterious logic that o en Jane: An Abortion Service of Chicago Doc Films previous investigations included a Turkish prison (Mid- suggests something out of a dream. (Not coincidentally, R An hour-long 1995 video documentary by Chi- night Express) and a miniature Chicago (Bugsy Malone). the great Thai fi lmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul cagoans Kate Kirtz and Nell Lundy about the women’s Shoplifters This time it’s the New York High School of Performing served as a creative adviser.) Ross’s subjects come to health collective Jane, whose members performed With Shopli ers, which won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Arts, where half a dozen main characters struggle to seem almost impenetrably complex, even as the fi lm 12,000 safe but illegal abortions within the University Cannes Film Festival, Japanese writer-director Hirokazu overcome their one-note personal problems through a remains accessible in its emotional content and images of Chicago community between 1969 and 1973. The oral Kore-eda strikes a balance between the two sides of cathartic application of Art. The fi lm is cut at such a fren- of natural beauty. —B S 76 min. Fri 2/1, 7 PM. history that emerges—which links this work to other his creative persona, with neither one overwhelming zied pitch that it’s o en possible to believe (mistakenly) Northwestern University Block Museum of Art F political activities of the period even as it distinguishes the other. Shopli ers alternates between tender and
28 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll 164 North State Street Get showtimes$11 GENERAL at chicagoreader.com/movies. | $7 STUDENTS | $6 MEMBERS MOVIE HOTLINE: 312.846.2800 Get showtimes at chicagoreader.com/movies. FILM JEAN-LUC THE WORLD sobering observations, and the frequent alternations sight. A middle-aged minimalist, Green preserves his BEFORE keep the movie unpredictable. Kore-eda doesn’t just ambling lifestyle by crashing with friends and acquain- GODARD’S change the emotional register from scene to scene, tances, pet sitting, and living on $15 a day. Director- THE IMAGE BOOK YOUR FEET but within individual scenes; he also manages these producer-editor Jeremy Workman, who also holds the 7.1 Surround Sound! shi s so gracefully that they never feel jarring. When camera during Green’s outings, includes perspectives FEB 1 - 21 he moves from a sentimental mood to a stark one, the that challenge Green’s own, such as ex-girlfriends who Fri 2/1 @ 4:15 & 8:15 pm; FEB 1 - 7 eff ect is like being woken with a splash of cold water; note Green’s resistance to future planning and a fellow Sat 2/2 @ 5:30 pm; Fri 2/1 @ 3:45 & 7:45 pm; yet when Kore-eda transitions the other way, it feels like walker who says, as a black man, he must think about Sun 2/3 @ 3 pm; Sat 2/2 @ 5:30 pm; he’s retreating from his own insights. These moments of how he presents himself in a way that Green, as a Mon 2/4 @ 6 & 8 pm; Sun 2/3 @ 3 pm; Tue 2/5 @ 8:15 pm; Mon 2/4 @ 6 pm; retreat, which make Shopli ers an occasionally frustrat- white man, does not. Still, Green’s openness to learning Wed 2/6 @ 6 pm; ing experience, speak to Kore-eda’s worst tendency as about himself and others by going out to notice and Wed 2/6 @ 6 pm; Thu 2/7 @ 8:15 pm Thu 2/7 @ 8:15 pm a fi lmmaker—his Spielbergian desire to reassure, if not appreciate what most overlook—a crumbled landmark, Additional showtimes at Urban explorer Matt Green placate, his audience in spite of the bitter truths he has an unexpected garden—is edifying. —L P 95 siskelfilmcenter.org/imagebook in person Fri. (7:45) & Sat.! to share with them. Thankfully these moments aren’t min. Subject Matt Green attends the Friday 7:45 PM and Oscar ® nominee! Best fatally distracting, as Kore-eda’s head is around to keep Saturday 5:30 PM screenings. Fri 2/1, 3:45 and 7:45 PM; FEB 1 - 7 • HIROKAZU KORE-EDA’S SHOPLIFTERS • Foreign Language Film his heart in check. —B S 2018 R, 121 min. At Music Sat 2/2, 5:30 PM; Sun 2/3, 3 PM; Mon 2/4, 6 PM; Wed Box Theatre: Sat 2/2, 11:20 AM, and Mon 2/4-Wed 2/6, 2 2/6, 6 PM; and Thu 2/7, 8:15 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center BUY TICKETS NOW at www.siskelfilmcenter.org PM. At Doc Films: Sat 2/2, 7 and 9:30 PM, and Sun 2/3, 4 PM. At Gene Siskel Film Center: Fri 2/1, 2 and 6 PM; Sat 2/2, 3 and 7:45 PM; Sun 2/3, 5 PM; Mon 2/4, 7:45 PM; ALSO PLAYING Tue 2/5, 6 PM; Wed 2/6, 8 PM; and Thu 2/7, 6 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center, Music Box, Univ. of Chicago Doc Films Films by Shayna Connelly A program of short fi lms (2015-’19) by local fi lmmaker and They Shall Not Grow Old DePaul University professor Shayna Connelly. 54 min. R The title is a misnomer: Peter Jackson’s doc- Connelly attends the screening. Sat 2/2, 7 PM. Chicago umentary about the British soldiers of World War I is Filmmakers narrated by old men, veterans who were recorded by the BBC and the Imperial War Museums in the 1960s The Image Book and ’70s. Collectively they tell the story of their war, Jean-Luc Godard’s experimental Swiss-French from enlistment and basic training to the trenches in documentary-essay fi lm uses a carefully constructed France to their return home in 1918; it is, by turns, funny, soundtrack and a densely edited collage of footage to gross, terrifying, and heartbreaking. There’s neither explore a wide-ranging set of subjects, including cinema, glory nor heroism; a er just a short time on the Western history, religion, and more. In English and subtitled front most of them no longer remembered what they French, Arabic, Italian, and German. 84 min. Fri 2/1, 4:15 were supposed to be fi ghting for. One million of them and 8:15 PM; Sat 2/2, 5:30 PM; Sun 2/3, 3 PM; Mon 2/4, died—just from the British army. The narration is accom- 6 and 8 PM; Tue 2/5, 8:15 PM; Wed 2/6, 6 PM; Thu 2/7, panied by archival photos and fi lm footage from the 8:15 PM; Fri 2/8, 4 and 8 PM; Sat 2/9, 5:45 PM; Sun 2/10, IWM, restored and colorized by Jackson and his crew 3:30 PM; Mon 2/11, 6 PM; Tue 2/12, 6 PM; Wed 2/13, 8:30 Groundhog day and projected in 3-D. This sometimes gives the visuals PM; Thu 2/14, 8:15 PM; Fri 2/15, 3:45 and 8 PM; Sat 2/16, an artifi cial Madame Tussaud’s eff ect, but at their best, 3 and 6:30 PM; Sun 2/17, 2 PM; Mon 2/18, 6 PM: Tue 2/19, w/ beer tap party this is as close as we can get to a full immersion into one 8:15 PM; Wed 2/20, 6 and 7:45 PM; and Thu 2/21, 8:15 PM. FEB. 2 - PARTY AT 6 PM, MOVIE AT 9 PM of the most horrifying and ultimately pointless wars in Gene Siskel Film Center modern history. —A L 2018 R, 99 min. ArcLight Cinemas, City North 14, River East 21, Webster Place 11 Mouth Harp in a Minor Key: Viridiana Hamid Naficy In/On Exile R Luis Buñuel returned to his native Spain to Maryam Sepehri directed this Iranian-U.S. documentary create this 1961 masterpiece, which marked his rebirth about Northwestern University fi lm professor and schol- as a fi lmmaker of international repute. Mexican star ar Hamid Nafi cy. In English and subtitled Persian. 62 min. Silvia Pinal plays the title character, a girl about to enter Sepehri and Nafi cy attend both screenings. Showing with a convent whose confi dent plans for sainthood are Nafi cy’s 1969 documentary Ellis Island (38 min.). Sat 2/2, interrupted by her uncle’s (false) announcement that he 8 PM, and Sun 2/3, 4:45 PM. Gene Siskel Film Center has raped her in her sleep. She forges ahead anyway, Dial M For Murder fi lling her uncle’s estate with beggars and madmen in an An Opera of the World JAN. 9 - 11 AT 10:30 PM obsessive demonstration of Christian charity. Franco’s Malian-born NYU professor, scholar, and fi lmmaker government, which fi nanced the fi lm, later attempted Manthia Diawara directed this 2017 documentary about to suppress it, burning all the prints that remained in migration that is centered on rehearsals for a Malian Spain. Luckily, a few had already been sent to France, production of a Sahel opera but also includes inter- For showtimes and advance tickets, visit and the rest—Buñuel’s brilliant late period—is history. views, personal refl ections, and archival footage. 70 thelogantheatre.com With Fernando Rey and Francisco Rabal. In Spanish with min. Diawara attends the screening. Wed 2/6, 7 PM. subtitles. —D K 1985 90 min. Sun 2/3, 7 PM. Univ. Northwestern University Block Museum of Art F of Chicago Doc Films Police Story The World Before Your Feet Perhaps the most celebrated vehicle for Jackie Chan, Matt Green, the curious subject of this simple yet the biggest star of the Asian cinema. Directed by Chan sweeping documentary, is on a mission to walk every himself, this 1985 detective thriller is set in Hong Kong block of New York City’s fi ve boroughs. He started this and features numerous comic and death-defying stunts please recycle project, along with a blog of research and photographs by Chan; the Taiwanese actress Lin Qingxia costars. In of what he encounters on his walks, nearly seven years Mandarin with subtitles. 92 min. At Music Box Theatre. this paper ago; by the fi lm’s close, he is content to see no end in Visit musicboxtheatre.com for showtimes. v ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 29 Paid Advertisement Drug Companies Fear Release Of New $2 Sex Pill For Older Men Men in clinical trial see huge boost in desire, strength of erections, and sexual activity without side eff ects.
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30 CHIC305606_10_x_10.5.inddA O READER -1 JANUARY 1/16/19 8:26 AM ll Angel Bat Dawid taps into the root of all black music
LESLIE FREMPONG
n 2014 Angel Elmore quit a job selling given herself to focus on music, she found the Monument Ensemble led by Eternals front high-end lingerie that she’d held for regular free-jazz sessions that Chicago sax- man Damon Locks . seven years, cashed out a 401(k) worth ophonist David Boykin convenes through his At the end of 2014, Elmore took a job at The cofounder of Chicago’s nearly $10,000, and moved into a coach organization Sonic Healing Ministries. Soon Hyde Park Records, but the fi re she’d lit con- Participatory Music Coalition house in Greater Grand Crossing. She she founded a community-centric collective tinued to grow. A few months ago she quit talks about the improvisation Iwas 34 years old, and she wanted to take a year called the Participatory Music Coalition with to focus on music full-time, and that part of and inspiration that shaped to pursue a dream she’d nurtured ever since like-minded musicians she met there: Adam her life could get a lot busier very soon. Next her new album, The Oracle. her first piano lesson at age 12: to become a Zanolini, who’s since become executive direc- week, tastemaking Chicago-based jazz label musician. Throughout her 20s, that dream had tor of the Elastic Arts Foundation, and inter- International Anthem will release her album By L G seemed out of reach. She’d fl unked out of the disciplinary installation and performance The Oracle, credited to Angel Bat Dawid—it’s Moody Bible Institute, and during her junior artist Viktor Le Givens. her Facebook name (“Bat Dawid” is Hebrew year at Roosevelt University, when she was Anytime Elmore saw an opportunity to play, for “daughter of David”), and after someone 22, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that with the Coalition or without it, she said yes. put it on a show fl yer a couple years ago, she A BD& eventually required surgery. At 27 she grieved By taking any gig she could, sometimes with ran with it. B the death of her older sister. But Elmore kept musicians she’d never met, she grew into an Elmore, now 39, says she’s recorded several W /P D Thu 2/7, 9 PM, Elastic Arts, music close, even when she didn’t yet feel important player in Chicago’s loose commu- albums’ worth of material, but this is the fi rst 3429 W. Diversey ste. 208, $10 ready to make it her life: “It’s always been nity of jazz and improvising musicians. In time she’s had a record come out on a label. suggested donation, all ages my best friend,” she says. “It ain’t ever let me the years since, she’s accompanied some of To celebrate she’s playing a concert at Elastic down.” the city’s celebrated recent exports, among Arts on Thursday, February 7 , with her band Elmore sings, composes, and plays key- them Ben LaMar Gay and Jaimie Branch , and the Brothahood: Zanolini on bass, fellow boards and clarinet, and during the year she’d performed in the sprawling, ambitious Black Participatory Music Coalition regulars J ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 31 Angel Bat Dawid recorded most of The Oracle in this small studio on the third fl oor of the Radcliff e W. Hunter House of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in Bronzeville. LESLIE FREMPONG
continued from 31 he church right out this window is Saint in the Brothahood. We’ve been doing “Self I loved it, but there was a part of me that Norman Long on electronics and Xris Espino- Thomas Episcopal Church. One of the Care = Resistance,” so we really did it for our- always felt like, “I don’t feel like a real musi- za on reeds, Julian Otis on vocals, and Isaiah Tpriests [Reverend Shahar Weaver], selves: “OK, we’re always doing shows, but cian ’cause I’m stuck to a page.” My hand Collier on drums (Le Givens is usually part of she’s an artist—she’s part of an art collective when do we just get to heal ourselves?” We always wanted to kind of wander somewhere the Brothahood but can’t make the show). called Sapphire and Crystals, a women’s art started doing these jam sessions where any- else. I didn’t know that there was a context for The spiritual jazz songs on The Oracle are collective. She was like, “Well, we got this body can come, any level of musicianship, and what I was doing. My dad is a big music fanat- loose and flowing, with interwoven layers parish house that’s empty on the top fl oor, and we play together. I want to off er sonic healing ic, so he had all sorts of music, lots of jazz: Sun of voice, horn, keys, percussion, and other we’re not doing anything with it—let’s make to my community. Ra, Pharoah Sanders, all that. I would listen to instruments, and Elmore played almost every artist spaces!” B’Rael [Ali Thunder] was the I like being right here. Another great his CDs, and when I heard Sun Ra, I was like, note herself—the album’s only guest musi- fi rst one in here. When he told me, I was like, thing about this place is the historical con- “What is that?” He had the movie Space Is the cian, Asher Simiso Gamedze, added drums “Well, how do I get in?” He was like, “Just talk text—next door is Margaret Burroughs’s Place, and we watched it. I was like, “What on “Capetown.” She recorded the music with to her.” She was like, “Cool, come on in!” The house. This woman started a museum in her just happened?” It’s my first recollection of, her cell phone, using an app that allowed her only thing that you have to do is do something basement, ’cause she was like, “We’ve gotta like, “There’s something out there that’s like to overdub, and some tracks include as many in the community. keep our treasures. We gotta tell our nar- me.” as seven stacked layers. Often the album feels I proposed a workshop I wanted to lead, ratives.” South Side Community Art Center At the South Side Community Art Center, I like you’re somehow eavesdropping on her and this is a good way to talk about what’s is right down the street, one of the oldest ran into a bunch of artists who I still perform during a private, contemplative moment. really important to me: improvised music. It’s black community arts centers in the country. with now. We did a show, and David Boykin— Elmore recorded the album over a period of amazing how globally people know about Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Zora he has these jam sessions called Sonic Heal- more than a year, beginning with “What Shall AACM—Association for the Advancement of Neale Hurston, all of them was walking right ing Ministries . He said, “Come to some of I Tell My Children Who Are Black” in 2017 and Creative Musicians. People know about Art down this block, and I feel them. The cre- my free-jazz shit.” I said, “Well, what do I do? finishing with “We Are Starzz,” which she Ensemble of Chicago, and the monumental ative vibration in Bronzeville, Chicago—it’s Is there gonna be sheet music? I’m nervous.” wrote just in time to include in her set at New contribution those musicians have made to just time to reactivate all of that. That’s why Jazz has always been that holy sanctuary, York’s Winter Jazzfest earlier this month. She music worldwide. The community doesn’t real- I’m here! where you be like, “Gotta get my chops up, did most of the work in a small studio space on ly know; that’s all a systemic thing, of putting I’ve been doing music since I was a lit- ’cause somebody might yell at you if you miss the third fl oor of the Radcli e W. Hunter House out information and keeping it from where tle girl. I always remember singing. We lived a note.” I went to the jam session, and I’m like, of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, which is it’s from. One of my passions is emphasizing in Africa when I was seven to 12; my parents “Well, what do we play?” He’s like, “Just play also home to several other art studios and a how improvised music, experimental music, were missionaries. When we came back to the anything. Just play.” I went to town! That was gallery at 3800 S. Michigan in Bronzeville. I is black music too. It’s not some weird “Oh, States, I was like, “Give me lessons! I want to my church—I went every Sunday. met Elmore there, and we talked for nearly what’s wrong with them,” no! The root of all learn piano!” I started piano fi rst—it was really, I met so many friends at that session. Those two hours about improvisational music, the black music is improvisation—participatory really hard, but I kept trying at it. Then I got friends were like, “OK, Sunday’s not enough, legacy of Chicago’s black south-side commu- music. to the clarinet. My earliest musical experience we need to do this even more.” I had a coach nities, and the inspiration for The Oracle. Her There’s a workshop I do with a group, me was classical. I love Mozart. Amadeus, that house at the time, and I was like, “My neigh- words are condensed and edited below. and another friend of mine, Julian Otis, who’s movie changed my life. bors love live music—they love it when I J 32 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll ®
2nd Show Added at 10pm Friday February 15 Park West
On Sale Now! 7:30pm show Thursday, February 21 is Sold Out! Riviera Theatre
2nd Show Added at 10pm Saturday March 2 Vic Theatre
On Sale Now! 7:30 Show is Sold Out! Friday, February 22 • Vic Theatre
2nd Show Added! Sunday, Sept. 29 Riviera Theatre
May 22 • Vic Theatre 2nd Show On Sale T his Friday at 10am! On Sale This Sept. 28 show is Sold Out! Friday at 10am!
BUY TICKETS AT ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 33 Less scrolling. continued from 32 focusing on Margaret Burroughs and Gwen- play.” So we started doing jam sessions at my dolyn Brooks. I was like, “I should write some- house. That turned into me discovering about thing.” I found that [Burroughs] poem, “What AACM. I was like, “Wait a minute! You’re try- Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black,” and ing to tell me that there was a black collective some other poems and I created this Marga- of musicians who got together right around ret Burroughs/Gwendolyn Brooks suite. I’ve the block from me? I’m doing this music, and gotta fi nd this recording—we were out in the they’ve been doing it for 50 years, and I’m just park, and there were all these cute babies. now fi nding out about them?” I went berserk! These kids came up, and this little girl came—I Once you go into the avant-garde—Great got her little voice singing, “What shall I tell.” Black Music, Ancient to the Future—there’s no Oh, it’s so cute. She was so precious. turning back. I’ll travel a lot—I got the travel bug young. One thing I do love about Chicago’s music International Anthem, they were having scene, especially this particular music scene: this thing in London [in October 2017] with we’re like family. There may not be a lot of Makaya McCraven, Ben LaMar [Gay], Jaim- money in this, and that’s very frustrating. Peo- ie Branch. They’re friends of mine. And Art ple got mouths to feed, and you want to be Ensemble was actually performing on my able to live off your art. But I’ve come to a lot birthday, in London. I was like, “Ben, I’m going of conclusions about that. Music can bring just for my birthday.” He’s like, “You bringing you money, but you can’t really put a price tag your horn? Want to play on my set?” Then I on your soul. Music is my soul. met Jaimie Branch. She’s like, “You wanna play That year, 2014, I was learning about the in my set?” She wrote this part for me. I was scene. I was halfway through the AACM book like, “So not only am I going, I get to play with A Power Stronger Than Itself, by George y’all?” The song “London” I actually recorded Lewis . I’m reading it, and Adam Zanolini calls in London. My Airbnb, sweet couple—they had me: “Angel, guess who finna be at Constel- a piano. lation? Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe South Africa was my trip last year. I love More strumming. Mitchell.” I was like, “What? I was just read- Africa so much—I didn’t realize how wonder- ing about them! I’m there, let’s go.” I had ful it is just to be around so much blackness. the book, and I wanted them to sign it. I go It was like a weight was off my shoulders; I up to Muhal—he was one of the founders of didn’t even realize I was carrying weight. It’s AACM—I was like, “Your book is so inspiration- not that Africa doesn’t have problems, but it al.” He looked at me, gave me a hug, and said, was just this ancient blackness that you don’t “If you take care of the music, it will take care get here, because America’s a very young of you.” nation. Impepho is this incense that—in the I’ve been riding on that. Anytime I get ner- African spirituality tradition there, they burn vous about my fi nances, I’d be like, “Hold up! this incense to connect with their ances- Take care of the music, Angel. Muhal said tors, and there were some groups there that it would take care of me. He said it!” And I I met that were very intentional about that. believe him, because look at his life. Look at There’s also this wonderful music called gqom his contributions to music. It took really good music. It was like house, but it was diff erent— care of him. He died a noble man. Goodness, it had this bass. I can’t claim that I’m doing the dude was tired of playing the same shit any gqom, but I can hear its infl uence in [my and wanted to do something diff erent and got song] “Impepho.” It rubbed off—that’s why I a bunch of black folks together to do it, and call myself a sonic archaeologist. I like to go they’re still doing it. to places, just like you leave fossils every- I’ve done a lot of music, and I was in a hip- where—hello, sonic sounds are still le there hop group with my good friend DeLundon. He too! They rub off on you. always used to say, “Angel, you remind me of “Capetown,” that was a jam session. Met up the Oracle in The Matrix.” That was one of my with this guy Asher [Simiso Gamedze]. He’s Give your digital life a break. favorite characters in The Matrix—they gotta like, “You want to come to my house and do go to a sista to get the knowledge. I took that a jam session?” So we went and we had this Connect over music, dance & more. on. I think by me taking it on I actually became epic jam session that’s on the album. It’s all that; oracles get messages from the divine. these kind of journeys. Winter group classes forming now. All of the songs [on The Oracle] came at I’ve got this collective of musicians [the oldtownschool.org diff erent points. Some of them are recorded Brothahood]. Everybody’s fuckin’ busy all the a year ago. Participatory Music Coalition, we time, so I was like, “OK, you know what I’m had the opportunity to do Music in the Parks gonna do, so that rehearsals can be like boom with the Park District; that year they were boom boom—I’m just gonna record for peo- 34 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll The family 3730 N. CLARK ST photo on the METROCHICAGO.COM cover of Angel @ METROCHICAGO Bat Dawid’s The Oracle, taken by her grandfather, WINTER BLOCK depicts the PARTY X: MAGIC GIANT artist at her CASTLECOMER baptism. THIS IS CHICAGO SAT FEB 9 FRI FEB 15 / 7PM 12PM / ALL AGES ALL AGES
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ple.” Some musicians I work with, there’s a mix I like it, others like it—because they can hear of people who can read music and can’t read me, they can really hear my true authentic music. The people who can’t read music—I self. That’s me being Angel for real—I wasn’t send them something, so that they’ll hear it making that for no one but me. There wasn’t one time and get it. So a lot of the record- even anybody in the room when I made those ings, like “What Shall I Tell My Children Who songs, except for the one with Asher. Are Black,” all of these were meant for a band The best way to collect memories is to just to play. So that was just me recording all the stay present. So if you do have that moment parts. But the recordings actually sounded where you do want to go back in time, you kinda good. can—we can be time travelers. You go back I’ve been playing a lot in the city. [Interna- in time all the time. If there’s been painful tional Anthem cofounder Scottie McNiece] moments, some people don’t like to go back had been to a few shows, and he’s like, “Angel, to their painful moments, but you gotta be you should put out an album—you want to put brave sometimes and go back. I go back to something out? Send me some stuff.” And I those painful moments as myself now, ’cause was kind of nervous because I’m like, “Well, I’m stronger, and I comfort my little girl self. I recorded all of these on my phone.” I was So it’s very appropriate that the cover worried about the quality and shit like that. I for my album, that’s my baptism. My dad, he SMARTBARCHICAGO.COM knew how to mix, because I used to be really showed me a comic book and it was this pic- 3730 N CLARK ST | 21+ into hip-hop production. I have a simple multi- ture of hell, and I was like, “I ain’t trying to go track app—you can put as many tracks as you there! Hell no, what do I need to do?” He’s want in there. I sent it to him, and they were like, “You gotta get baptized.” I’m like, “Next like, “You all right! We’ll get our man to master Sunday, I’m getting baptized.” So you look it.” They didn’t touch my mix. at that picture, I’m very serious, ’cause I’m You know what they say luck is—prepara- like, “I am going to heaven. I’m gonna go to tion meets opportunity. Being ready for the heaven.” opportunity means you have to be disciplined: And heaven is just what I’m talking about. If you gotta play music every day, it’s got to be you want it to be someplace in the clouds, by the most important thing you do, you’ve gotta all means; you can believe heaven to be what- believe in yourself more than anyone, you can’t ever you want it to be. But for me, it’s making be iffy and insecure. If you don’t believe it, every moment heaven. This is heaven: we’re no one will believe it. I don’t care if anybody talking about cool shit, I’m about to be in the ever heard any of those songs; I like them. Reader, we’re in my studio. I’m in heaven right They’re from my heart. If it was just me listen- now. I will always try to go to heaven. v ing to them on my headphones, I’d be fi ne with that too. I like the album, and I think because @imLeor TICKETS AVAILABLE VIA METRO + SMART BAR WEBSITES + METRO BOX OFFICE. NO SERVICE FEES AT BOX OFFICE! ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 35 Recommended and notable shows and critics’ insights for the week of January 31
MUSIC b ALL AGES F
THURSDAY31 PICK OF THE WEEK Chicago Psych Fest See also Friday and Saturday. Mako Sica & Hamid Drake headline; Good Willsmith, McLuhan, and Wet Mick Jenkins proves Piss open. 8 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, himself one of the best $12. 21+ For ten years now, Chicago Psych Fest has been warping minds. Organized by musician rappers in Chicago with and artist (and longtime Reader contributor) Steve Krakow and local artist Matt Ginsberg, Pieces of a Man the three-day festival is much like the classic shows held at the Fillmore (in San Francisco and NYC), the Kinetic Playground (in Chica- go), the Grande Ballroom (in Detroit), and the Boston Tea Party (guess) during the genre’s MICK JENKINS HAS become one of the best rap- earliest days, with combinations of younger pers in the city (if not the country) by making acts, veteran bands, and even infl uences from music that comes across as if he’s inviting you outside fuzz-tone rock. Thursday is highlight- ed by McLuhan, one of the rare rock bands into a deep conversation. Because his songs take to record for the Chicago-based Brunswick on race, consent, systemic injustice, and black label in the early 70s, when it was dominated history, among other subjects, you can’t passively by soul artists such as the Chi-Lites. Although they had a full horn section when that was in listen to them—they require the kind of atten- vogue, McLuhan were more blatantly orient- tiveness that makes your listening experience ed toward prog than the likes of Chicago and an interaction. His best tunes arrive gilded and Blood, Sweat & Tears, which made them some- thing of an anomaly—in fact, it’s the title of their shine to a degree that it can take at least a couple 1972 debut (and only album). Also on Thursday, dozen listens to begin to approach his headier jazz-world percussionist Hamid Drake appears points. The resplendent, soul-infl uenced sound of with experimental-rock trio Mako Sica. And on Saturday, Vee Dee, a modern-day heir of October’s Pieces of a Man (Free Nation/ Cinematic Blue Cheer, will re-form a er a fi ve-year peri- Music Group) bolsters Jenkins’s ascendancy and od of dormancy. That same night also fea- makes the case for his crossover pop potential. tures Dos Santos, a group that bridges gaps between psychedelia and traditional Mexican Though he’s a rapper with big bars and big ideas, folk, making stops along the way for jazz, R&B, when he half-croons in his commanding baritone and cumbia. Throughout the weekend, other atop tender adult-contemporary guitars on “Plain groups on the bill will mix and match styles just to see what happens—often the best way to Clothes,” I can picture a future when his voice generate something new. On Friday, Krakow’s graces R&B radio hits. And since Jenkins does a group Plastic Crimewave Syndicate collabo- great job encouraging his listeners to reexamine rates with south-side no-wavers Ono. As always, Chicago Psych Fest proves that psychedelia is the world around them and the roles they play in SAM SCHMIEG more than just a light show, a Nehru jacket, and MJ K F it, it’s a change I hope arrives soon. —L G a strand of fl ea-market love beads—it’s a state of Sat 2/2, 9 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $22-$40. 17+ mind. —J P
LINCOLN HALL SCHUBAS 2/09 - CHROME SPARKS 3/23 - BETTER OBLIVION 2/05 - YOSHI FLOWER 3/10 - WESTERMAN + 2/16 - THE SUFFERS COMMUNITY CENTER 2/08 - JOSHUA HEDLEY PUMA BLUE 2/19 - CURRENT JOYS 3/25 - IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE 2/15 - WARBLY JETS 3/15 - GIRL K (RECORD RELEASE) 2/21 - MOTHER MOTHER 3/26 - BLAQK AUDIO 2/16 - SKELA 3/17 - EZRA COLLECTIVE 3/02 - WAY DOWN WANDERERS 3/28 - HAELOS 2/22 - GRAVES 3/19 - ELDER ISLAND 3/03 - MYKELE DEVILLE 3/29 - MANSIONAIR 2/25 - ADIA VICTORIA 3/21 - OH PEP! 3/10 - THE FLESH EATERS 3/30 - HAYES CARLL 2/26 - BUCK MEEK 3/22 - ELUJAY 3/15 - BRONZE RADIO RETURN 4/03 - COM TRUISE 3/02 - LILY & MADELEINE 3/25 - METHYL ETHEL LH-ST.COM 3/16 - CASS MCCOMBS 4/04 - OLIVIA O’BRIEN 3/04 - JUSTIN NOZUKA 3/26 - BETA RADIO 3/17 - IKE REILLY 4/06 - THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS 3/07 - FATAI 3/29 - STELLA DONNELLY 3/21 - SUMMER WALKER 4/11 - THE CRACKED PODCAST 3/08 - LIZ COOPER 3/31 - TOW’RS
36 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll Ovef Ow Bleach Party and Baby Money & the Farfi sa lines, and riptide guitars. Ovef Ow engage Down Payments open. 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, in big-P politics in their lyrics, and on Crash the 1035 N. Western, $8. 21+ Party they excel most when they show how the per- sonal is political; on the reproductive-rights rager Chicago foursome Ovef Ow evolved out of Me “Host,” Velasquez sings “I’m not a host / An incuba- Jane, a postpunk band that specialized in the kind tor / Reduced to a container” with indignation that of chilly, danceable melodies that emanated from underscores the frustration of continually having to Manchester in the 1980s. For the name of their fi ght for your own agency. —L G new project, bassist-vocalist Marites Velasquez and drummer-vocalist Sarah Braunstein took an angular logo Timothy Breen had designed for their old band and turned it upside down—the results looked like FRIDAY1 a couple nonsensical words, “Ovef Ow.” Rounded out by Kyla Denham on synths and Nick Barnett on Chicago Psych Fest See Thursday. Dead guitar, Ovef Ow transplant the cold aura of Me Jane Rider headline; Twila Bent, Plastic Crimewave to the beach; on their latest EP, Crash the Party Syndicate, Ono, SPVD, and DJ Catie-O open. (Midwest Action), they build surf-rock vibes out 8 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, $12. 21+ of bright, shout-’em-out vocal harmonies, choppy J ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 37 Est.Est.1954 1954 Celebrating over 6165 years of service service to Chicago! 1800 W. DIVISION MUSIC (773) 486-9862 N LINCOLN AVENUE, CHICAGO IL OLDTOWNSCHOOL.ORG . . Come enjoy one of THURSDAY, JANUARY PM Chicago’s finest beer gardens! continued from 37 FEBRUARYSEPTEMBERJAJANUARYNUARY 11...... 20 31 23 ...... MIKEDA SUNNDOGVID QUINN FLABBY FELTEN HOFFMAN SHOW 8PM SEPTEMBERJA NUARY 12...... 21 .....WAGNERR. AVENUE AMERICAN& MORSE DRAFT Kasey Chambers FEBRUARYSEPTEMBERFEBRUARY 22 24 1 .....THE ..... AMERICANDADYRKNAMOSROOM TROUBADOUR MEN NIGHT El Hitta Elvy the God and LGado open. 6 PM, JA NUARY 13...... MIKE’S DJ BIRTHDAY SKID LICIOUS SHOW! Campfi re Tour USA • with guest Carly Burruss SEPTEMBERJA NUARY 14...... 23 ....WHOLESOMERADIOHAPPYWHITEWOLFSONICPRINCESSTO BIRTHDAYNY DO DJRO MIKE NIGHTSARIO FELTEN! GROUP Reggie’s Rock Club, 2105 S. State, $15, $12 in JAFEBRUARYNUARY 17...... 2 MURPHY THEMOJO NEW THOMPSONJA 49MIE NEWWA RAMBLERSGNER 9:30PM & FRIENDS advance. b MIKERONNIE FELTEN AND THE NASTYS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY : PM JA NUARY 18...... CHRISTOPHER MIKE FEL TOSULLIVANN FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 25 3 .....WHOLESOMERADIOTHE ART RON 101 AND PARTY RACHEL SHOW DJ NIGHT SEPTEMBERJANUARY 19...... 24 .....RC BIG BAND SITU 7PMATION DAVID When west-side rapper El Hitta dropped his FEBRUARY 4 PROSPECTMAXLIELLIAM FOUR 9PM ANNA WBEZ Podcast Passport Presents FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 26 6 .....RCBIRDGANGS MORSE BIG & 9:30PMBA WAGNERND 7PM breakthrough single, “Aww Yea,” in July, he put it JAFEBRUARYNUARY 20...... 7 TITTY SMILIN’ CITTY FIRST BOBBYWA RDAND PROBLEMS THE CLEMTONES FEBRUARY 8 FIRST WARD PROBLEMS out under his original name: El Hitla. “Everybody FEBRUARYJAFEBRUARYNUARY 21...... 28 10 .....PETERDUDE HEISENBERG SAMETO CASANONY DO UNCERTAINTYROVASARIOQUARTET GROUP 8PM NPR'S Embedded SEPTEMBERJA NUARY 22...... 26 .....PETERPLAYERS CASANOVA RC BIG7PM QUARTETBAND 7PM wanna name theyself off the bad guys,” he told MARCHSEPTEMBERJAFEBRUARYNUARY 1...... SMILIN’ 24...... 27 11 .....DORIAN RC BIGTA PETERJ BANDBO CASONOBBY 7PM ANDVA THEQUARTET CLEMTONES SEPTEMBER 28 .....TOURSJON RARICK NONET 9PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY PM the TRiiBE in December. “Me not knowing what it JAFEBRUARYNUARY 25...... 12 FLABBY THE HOFFMAN WICK SHOW 8PM MARCH 2...... ICEBULLY PULPITBOX AND BIG HOUSE was, I, you know, end up picking the name Hitler.” JAFEBRUARYNUARY 26...... 13 ELIZABETH’S THE HEPKATS CRAZY LITTLE THING SEPTEMBER 29 .....SOMEBODY’SFEATURINGSKIPPIN’ SINS MAYARO CKKEYTAR 9PM A er doing more research on the genocidal dem- MARCHFEBRUARY 3...... CHIDITAROD 14 FEATURING FLABBY JOEHOFFMAN LANASA AND SHOWTARRINGTON 8PM 10PM Dead Horses with special guest JAFEBRUARYNUARY 27...... 16 RICH EXPERIENCE THE STRAY BO 50THLTS BIRTHDAY BASH agogue and scourge of 20th-century Europe, the MARCHSEPTEMBER 7...... 30 .....OFFJA THEMIE VINEWA 4:30PMGNER & FRIENDS The Brother Brothers • In Szold Hall JANUARYOPEN 28...... MICNUCLEAR HOSTED WHOLESOMERADIO JAZZ QUARKTET BY MIKE 7:30PM & DJMIKE NIGHT rapper changed his stage name to Hitta. That’s not EVERY TUESDAY (EXCEPT 2ND) AT 8PM ONEVERY TUESDAY TUESD EVENINGSAY (EXCEPT (EXCEPT 2ND) AT 2ND)8PM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY PM exactly a friendly-sounding choice either, but Hitta HAPPYOPEN MIC65TH HOSTED ANNIVERSARY BY JIMIJON PMI AMERICA 2/4/54 is emerging as one of the city’s most promising Masters of Hawaiian Music: rappers due to his ability to empathize with those who’ve struggled with violence. On December’s George Kahumoku Kr., Owe Nobody Nothin (Groovy Gang/DUB Life), his Nathan Aweau & shocking, resonant voice rumbles as if he’s taking Dave Rempis CENGIZ YAR big gulps of air while he raps, and his blustery bars Kawika Kahiapo lacerate the album’s most bombastic beats. Hitta record also contained some of Alexander’s most comes across as tough, but his melodic sensibili- overtly political lyrics to date; on “Savion Glover,” SUNDAY, FEBRUARY PM ties, emotive fl ow, and lyrical twists bring out aff ect- he raps, “Dehumanize communities like Black Hawk ing performances. Atop the rushed, dramatic piano Down / They realize immunities then rape them Mariachi Los Camperos melody on “Aww Yea,” he delivers the lines “People towns . . . The Oval Offi ce and the oil lobby prolly steady thinkin’ it’s a game / Till they whole life rear- listen to Fugazi, singing, ‘This one’s ours; let’s take SUNDAY, FEBRUARY PM ranged / Brains on his shirt, he a stain” as if they’re another’ / Then they dance away clean like Savi- the last words he might ever utter. —L G on Glover.” For Never Better’s tenth anniversary, Kitka In Szold Hall Alexander is hitting the road to perform the album in its entirety, and he’s coming stocked with vinyl SATURDAY, FEBRUARY PM Faces of the Bog Gravedirt, Coyote Man, reissues of the record and new merch made from and Satan’s Dealer open. 8 PM, Livewire Lounge, old unearthed designs. Indie hip-hop heads won’t 3394 N. Milwaukee, $10. 21+ want to miss this. —S M Bonnie Koloc For a long time I thought the name of this local FRIDAY, FEBRUARY PM psychedelic-sludge powerhouse was related to the “bog people”—those scarily well-preserved ancient SATURDAY2 Sierra Hull corpses that turn up from time to time in peat bogs with special guest String Symphony in Europe, o en bearing signs of violent deaths that Chicago Psych Fest See Thursday. Dos have made some archaeologists think they were Santos headline. Vee Dee, Suns of Hydra, Sip, SATURDAY, MARCH PM human sacrifices or executed criminals. Which is and DJ Travers open. 8 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. pretty damn metal. It turns out that’s not the case Wabansia, $12. 21+ Fifth House Ensemble at all; their name means “Faces of the God,” using and Alash present the Polish word for “god.” The band threw down a heavy gauntlet with their 2016 debut, Ego Death. THE Devil Makes Three The Lost Dog Street Sonic Meditations Produced by Sanford Parker, the recording is a Band opens. 8 PM, Concord Music Hall, 2047 N. In Szold Hall hefty slab of heavy but limber eldritch-psych that Milwaukee, $23. 18+ brilliantly builds energy in its longer tracks. Though FRIDAY, MARCH & PM they’ve been semidormant for a little while, Faces of The members of the Devil Makes Three grew up in the Bog have recently been in a fairly heavy gigging New England but formed their trio in California in The Earls of Leicester period—they’ve also been busy writing songs for 2002. They’ve since moved their home base to Bur- featuring Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, their next release. —M K lington, Vermont, and their crisscrossing migrations Charlie Cushman, Johnny Warren, and Jeff White seem fi tting for a group that draws on rootsy styles and sounds from across the continental U.S., includ- SUNDAY, MARCH & PM P.O.S Swade and Ander Other open. 9 PM, Empty ing folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and ragtime, with Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $20, $18 in advance. 21+ traces of punk and rock attitude. For most of their Steep Canyon Rangers career the Devil Makes Three have stuck to bare- When he released the 2009 LP Never Better bones, folky tunes played on acoustic instruments (Rhymesayers), Minneapolis MC and rock musician (Pete Bernhard on guitar and lead vocals, Lucia Turi- WORLD MUSIC WEDNESDAY SERIES FREE WEEKLY CONCERTS, LINCOLN SQUARE P.O.S (born Stefon Alexander) had already made a no on upright bass, and Cooper McBean on banjo name for himself on his own and with Doomtree, his and guitar), and their 2016 full-length, Redemp- El Sonido de la Juventud featuring Los seven-member hip-hop collective and record label. tion & Ruin, topped Billboard’s bluegrass chart. Jarochicanos, Cooper Mariachi, The Chicago Cuatro Orchestra, The Ruiz But Never Better announced a new P.O.S—one who But for their sixth album, August’s Chains Are Bro- Belvis Collective, and Cielito Lindo had taken his production and lyricism to another ken (New West), the Devil Makes Three have gone Tcheka level. Its aggressive beats, huge hooks, dexterous electric, and in keeping with that bigger, louder fl ow, and fully articulated punk-rock attitude made sound, they’ve added drums on every song, cour- it one of the best and most unique rap albums of tesy of touring member Stephan Amidon. That’s OLDTOWNSCHOOL.ORG the year. Full of clattering snare rolls, distorted not to say they’ve suddenly become arena rock— bass lines, gang vocals, and infectious choruses, the they’ve just traded some of their raw bluegrass and 38 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll Find more music listings at chicagoreader.com/soundboard. MUSIC
old-time music for folk- and country-rock jams and four steered away from the laser-focused punk of the essentials of the music; avant-gardists dispar- At one time, Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds’s twangy Americana ballads. Though not every song their other bands in favor of scuzzy heavy metal and age the stodginess of orthodox practitioners—and music, with its gently surging melodies and con- is a win (the verses on “Native Son” sound too much sleazy, riff ed-out rock ’n’ roll. On the six-track demo neither acknowledges the commonalities between templative prettiness, might have been catego- like Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ annoy- tape they released this August (which features two the camps. This residency is an antidote. Alto, tenor, rized as new age. But these days that appellation ing “Home”), the barroom boogie “Need to Lose” songs that include the word “rock” in their titles), the and baritone saxophonist Dave Rempis has been at is largely out of fashion, and musicians can evoke and the slow burner “All Is Quiet” make the change foursome blast away on simple, raw, wildly distorted the cutting edge of Chicago jazz since the mid-90s, generic nondenominational spirituality without in the band’s style feel like a natural progression. AC/DC-fl avored riff s that barrel forward with Wiz- when he sought out Ken Vandermark for lessons and being placed in any particular box. Arnalds has Longtime fans may be worried by the new album’s niak’s caffeinated energy and get topped off with ended up joining his band. He possesses iron chops, taken that leeway and run with it, making bright, comparatively sleek vibe, but I doubt it’ll aff ect the Johnson’s in-your-face wails. Hitter aren’t breaking responsive instincts, and an endless stream of har- emotive soundscapes that exist at the intersec- band’s onstage energy. —J L new musical ground, but it’s clear they’re not trying monic and rhythmic ideas. Since drummer Jeremy tion of classical, electronica, film scores, and to—what makes their music so good is that you can Cunningham moved to Chicago in 2009, his ability library music. To create his most recent album, hear how much fun they’re having, and that will keep to combine unfl agging propulsion with a light touch 2018’s Re:member (Mercury Kx), Arnaulds used Mick Jenkins See Pick of the Week, page anyone coming back. Also playing this show are has made him a valued accompanist for Marquis Hill custom-built software called Stratus to connect 35. Kari Faux opens. 9 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. another local four-piece, Rezn, who operate in the and Caroline Davis. Rempis and Cunningham con- his central piano to two player pianos. When he Allport, $22-$40. 17+ realm of metal opposite of Hitter: on their October nected fi rst on a social level and eventually discov- plays a note, the other instruments are triggered LP, Calm Black Water, they worship at the beyond- ered they got along onstage as well. The plan for this to play two different notes to generate varia- stoned, psyched-out, loud-as-hell altar of Sleep and monthlong residency (every Tuesday in February) is tions in harmony and melody. While that may not Dead Meadow. —L C to play two sets each night, one as a duo, the other sound promising, the results are accessible and TUESDAY5 with three invited guests who’ll help them map out dreamy, with notes bouncing back and forth in rip- the space between the stylistic poles. This week the ples and echoes—like raindrops in a pond. There Rezn, Hitter Melkbelly headlines; Rezn and Dave Rempis & Jeremy Cunningham guests are saxophonist Mars Williams, bassist Joshua are other eff ects as well; “Unfold” is built around Hitter open. 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Rempis, Cunningham, Mars Williams, Josh Abrams, and drummer Avreeayl Ra. —BM a string-section loop that saws away repetitively, Western, $12. 21+ Abrams, and Avreeayl Ra headline; Rempis and providing a rhythmic foundation for the keyboard Cunningham open as a duo. 9:30 PM, Whistler, pattering, while on “Undir” synth washes crescen- When I first heard of local outfit Hitter coming 2421 N. Milwaukee. 21+ F do into a beat that wouldn’t be out of place in a together—with Adam Luksetich of Foul Tip on guitar, WEDNESDAY6 (very low-key) club setting. These variations keep Madalyn Garcia of Lil Tits on bass, Ryan Wizniak of One of the jazz world’s less fortunate elements is the album engaging without ever traveling too far Meat Wave on drums, and Hanna Johnson of Life- the antipathy that often arises between its main- Ólafur Arnalds Arnalds also plays Thu 2/7 from Arnalds’s characteristic mood of quietly wink- styles and Lil Tits on vocals—I was expecting them to stream and progressive wings. The straight-ahead (same venue, same time), but that show is sold ing transcendence. —N B v be the coolest, punkest band I’d ever hear. But these crowd decries radicals for going too far and losing out. 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $31-$45. 17+
LIVE MUSIC IN URBAN WINE COUNTRY 1200 W RANDOLPH ST, CHICAGO, IL 60607 | 312.733.WINE DON’T MISS... 2.24 (2pm) THE FOUR C NOTES Happy birthday 2.19 victor garcia UPCOMING SHOWS 2.24 FUNKADESI 2.3 2.6 MARCUS JOHNSON WITH langston hughes: A KATHY KOSINS 3.1 WE BANJO 3 CELEBRATION IN POETRY, PROSE & 2.25- steve earle WITH SPECIAL 2.10 (12pm) FOX CROSSING STRINGBAND 3.6 THE IDES OF MARCH SONG FT. REGINA TAYLOR, TERISA GUEST SHANNON MCNALLY GRIFFIN, RUSSELL HORNSBY & MORE 2.26 2.11 RUEN BROTHERS 3.7 KASIM SULTON’S UTOPIA 2.12 HUDSON TAYLOR WITH CRAIG 3.11 LUTHER DICKINSON, AMY HELM 2.10 anita wilson 2.27 ann hampton callaway STRICKLAND & BIRDS OF CHICAGO - SISTERS JAZZ GOES TO THE MOVIES OF THE STRAWBERRY MOON 2.13 PATRIZIO BUANNE 2.17 kandace springs 3.12-13 THE HIGH KINGS 3.3 jd souther & karla 2.17 CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC bonoff CHAMBER PLAYERS - ALL YOU 3.14 Q PARKER (OF 112) & FRIENDS 2.18 donavon NEED IS LOVE 3.15 EILEN JEWELL frankenreiter 3.4-5 aaron neville 2.20-21 PROCOL HARUM - STILL THERE’LL BE MORE 3.16-17 LOS LONELY BOYS FEB FEB FEB FEB 4 14 22 + 9 - + 5 16 23 MS. LISA FISCHER ANDERS OSBORNE 10,000 MANIACS BOBBY MCFERRIN & GRAND BATON ANNUAL VALENTINE’S DAY RUN & GIMME5: CIRCLESONGS ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 39 CHICAGO SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IN THE WEEKS TO COME
EARLY WARNINGS b ALL AGES F WOLF BY KEITH HERZIK UPCOMING Never miss a show again. Acid Mothers Temple, Yaman- taka // Sonic Titan 4/13, Sign up for the 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle newsletter at Action Bronson, Meyhem chicagoreader. Lauren 2/23, 6 PM, Concord GOSSIP Music Hall, 17+ com/early Adrian Belew 4/4, 8 PM, Maur- er Hall, Old Town School of WOLF Folk Music b Pup 5/4, 7:30 PM, Metro b Black Lips, Fucked Up 4/27, Todd Rundgren 4/23-24, 8 PM, A furry ear to the ground of 8 PM, Metro, 18+ Athenaeum Theatre Black Moth Super Rainbow Santana, Doobie Brothers the local music scene 3/20, 8 PM, Sleeping Village 8/4, 7 PM, Hollywood Casino Billy Bragg 4/25-27, 8 PM, Lin- Amphitheatre, Tinley Park SINCE Eric Isaacson has run Mis- coln Hall, 18+ Travis Scott 2/21, 8 PM, United Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Center sissippi Records, a shop in Portland, Ore- Angel, Necrot 3/4, 6 PM, Son Volt 4/27, 8:30 PM, Thalia gon, that launched a wonderfully eclectic Concord Music Hall, 17+ Hall, 17+ and idiosyncratic label in 2004; late last Claypool Lennon Delirium Spiritualized 4/9, 8 PM, the year, he turned over the label half of the 4/26, 9 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ Vic, 18+ Clutch 3/13, 7 PM, Concord Vince Staples, JPEGmafi a 3/12, operation to filmmaker Cyrus Moussavi Music Hall, 17+ 8:30 PM, Riviera Theatre, Fri and experimental musician Gordon Ash- Dead & Company 6/14-15, 7 PM, 12/14, 10 AM, 18+ worth. “We agreed to do it if we could Antlers COURTESY ANTI Wrigley Field T-Pain 3/29, 8 PM, Park leave Portland,” Moussavi says. And so Stella Donnelly 3/29, 9 PM, West, 18+ Schubas, 18+ Teenage Fanclub 3/6, 7:30 PM, Mississippi Records is moving to Chica- Jim James 5/23, 7:30 PM, Riv- San Holo, Taska Black 4/27, Dream Theater 3/29, 8 PM, Metro, 18+ go—though it doesn’t yet have a physi- NEW iera Theatre, on sale Fri 2/1, 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 18+ Chicago Theatre Tortoise 2/17, 8:30 PM, Empty cal HQ, and it’s been on pause since mid- 10 AM, 18+ Strange 90’s: a Benefi t for Excision 3/30, 8 PM, Navy Bottle December while Moussavi and Ashworth Allister 3/2, 8 PM, Cobra Japanese House 4/29, 7 PM, Jerry Bryant of JBTV with Pier, 18+ Jeff Tweedy 3/22-23, 8 PM, the Lounge, 17+ Bottom Lounge, on sale Naked Raygun, Andrew W.K., Bryan Ferry 8/1, 7:30 PM, Chi- Vic, 18+ transport its stock via a monthlong tour Antlers 4/5, 9 PM, Thalia Fri 2/1, 10 AM b Local H, and more 3/8, 8 PM, cago Theatre Sharon Van Etten 2/14-15, that ends at the Co-Prosperity Sphere Hall, 17+ Eric Lugosch & Phil Heywood Metro, 18+ Fleetwood Mac 3/1, 8 PM, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ on Friday, February 1. They’ll screen Isaac- Better Oblivion Community 5/5, 1 PM, SPACE, Evanston, Twin Temple 3/3, 8 PM, Metro, United Center Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, son’s documentary A Cosmic and Earthly Center 3/23, 8 PM, Lincoln on sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM b in the Top Note Theatre Flesh Eaters 3/10, 8 PM, Lin- Angel Du$t 3/8, 7 PM, Sub- Hall, on sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 18+ Matterhorn, Wing Walker Jimmie Vaughan 6/28, 8 PM, coln Hall terranean b History of Recorded Music According to Bijou 3/8, 10 PM, Electric Hotel 4/26, 8:30 PM, Constella- SPACE, Evanston, on sale Foals 4/27, 8 PM, Riviera The- Ric Wilson 4/13, 8 PM, Bottom Mississippi Records as well as shorts from Black Label Society 4/30-5/1, tion, 18+ Fri 2/1, 10 AM b atre, 18+ Lounge, 18+ Raw Music International, a fi lm collective 6:30 PM, Concord Music Hall, John Mayer 8/14, 7 PM, United Visceral 4/10, 8 PM, Concord Haelos 3/28, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Yob, Voivod 3/27, 8 PM, Thalia Moussavi cofounded. Golden Wilson of on sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 17+ Center, on sale Fri 2/1, noon Music Hall, 18+ Hall b Hall, 17+ Boys of Fall 4/13, 7 PM, Cobra Meat Wave 5/4, 8:30 PM, Summer Walker 3/21, 7:30 PM, Trevor Hall 3/29, 6:30 PM, Con- Zveri 5/31, 7 PM, Concord Olvido Records DJs, and tickets are $10. Lounge b Sleeping Village Lincoln Hall, on sale Fri 2/1, cord Music Hall, 18+ Music Hall, 17+ Gossip Wolf knows Chicago drummer Brohug 3/22, 10 PM, Electric Mekons 7/14, 8 PM, Hideout 10 AM b Hatebreed, Obituary, Terror William Covert from noisy duo Space Hotel Mark Morton, Light the Westerman, Puma Blue 3/10, 4/11, 6:30 PM, Concord Music Blood and poppy posthardcore trio Rust Chvrches, Cherry Glazerr 5/2, Torch 3/21, 8 PM, Bottom 8 PM, Schubas, on sale Fri 2/1, Hall, 17+ SOLD OUT 7:30 PM, Aragon Ballroom, on Lounge, 17+ 10 AM, 18+ Iceage, Nadah El Shazly 5/7, Ring, but he’s been working solo too: sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 17+ Mr Eazi 4/6, 7 PM, Concord Wild Belle 4/21, 9 PM, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+ Casey 5/24, 7 PM, Bottom last winter, he says, he tried to “musically Deer Tick, Courtney Marie Music Hall, 17+ Metro, 18+ Interpol 2/7, 7:30 PM, Chicago Lounge b encapsulate” the season’s “loneliness and Andrews 5/7, 8:30 PM, Thalia Ayla Nereo 4/25, 7 PM, Works by Catherine Lamb fea- Theatre Dave Davies 4/20, 8 PM, isolation.” His new solo tape, Music for Hall, on sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 17+ Schubas b turing Aperiodic 2/20, 8 PM, Jawbox 7/27-28, 7:30 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Julia Den Boer 3/3, 8:30 PM, New Found Glory, Real Logan Center for the Arts Metro, 7/27 sold out b FKJ 5/17, 8 PM, Concord Music Synthesizer and Drums, has a sparse, ele- Constellation, 18+ Friends, Early November Yonder Mountain String Band Jerusalem in My Heart 3/26, Hall, 18+ mental feel well suited to extreme cold! Doro 5/2, 6 PM, Reggie’s Rock 6/23, 6 PM, Concord Music 3/10, 8 PM, Thalia Hall 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle Jess Glynne 3/30, 7:30 PM, Covert drops the cassette Friday, Febru- Club, 17+ Hall, on sale Fri 2/1, noon, 17+ Mabel Kwan 2/21, 8:30 PM, the Vic b ary 1, via Canadian label Coup sur Coup; Kevin Drumm, Rage Thorm- Tobe Nwigwe 3/24, 8 PM, Constellation, 18+ Grandson 3/12, 7 PM, Reggie’s bones 2/22, 8:30 PM, Constel- Thalia Hall, 17+ UPDATED La Luz 3/22, 9 PM, Sleeping Rock Club b the next night he celebrates with a solo lation, 18+ Joey Pecoraro 4/24, 7 PM, Village Conan Gray 4/8, 7:30 PM, Bot- set at the Co-Prosperity Sphere with the Eels 4/25, 8 PM, Thalia Hall, on Beat Kitchen, 17+ Mac DeMarco 9/28-29, 7:30 PM, Lavender Country 4/14, 8 PM, tom Lounge b Poison Arrows, Parlour, and Pinebender. sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 17+ Pedro the Lion, John Vander- Riviera Theatre, 9/28 sold out, Hideout Beth Hart 4/25, 7:30 PM, Park This fall the Reader covered Smashed Ensemble Dal Niente 2/24, slice 5/19, 8:30 PM, Thalia 2/19 added, on sale Fri 2/1, Jenny Lewis 3/30, 7:30 PM, West, 18+ 8:30 PM, Constellation, 18+ Hall, 17+ 10 AM b Riviera Theatre, 18+ Hives, Refused 5/20, 7 PM, the Plastic, Chicago’s first vinyl-pressing Kevin Eubanks Quartet 4/28, Neyla Pekarek 4/17, 8 PM, Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Meek Mill 3/8, 7:30 PM, Aragon Vic, 18+ plant in decades. On Saturday, Febru- 5 and 8 PM, City Winery, on SPACE, Evanston, on sale Snitzer Orchestra 2/15, 7:30 Ballroom b LP 2/8, 7:30 PM, the Vic, 18+ ary 2, Smashed Plastic throws a free sale Thu 1/31, noon b Fri 2/1, 10 AM b and 10 PM, Park West, late Misfi ts, Fear, Venom Inc. 4/27, Ella Mai 3/3, 8 PM, Concord grand-opening party at the plant (4200 W. God Is an Astronaut 9/25, Portland Cello Project 4/12, show added, early show sold 7:30 PM, Allstate Arena, Music Hall, 18+ 8 PM, Thalia Hall, on sale 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, on out, 17+ Rosemont Massive Attack 3/23, 8 PM, Diversey) that includes an slew of local tal- Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 17+ sale Fri 2/1, 10 AM b Wanda Jackson 3/14, 8 PM, Mono, Emma Ruth Rundle Chicago Theatre ent: rapper Serengeti , garage-rock squad Aldous Harding 4/14, 9 PM, Jessica Pratt 5/10, 9 PM, SPACE, Evanston, canceled 6/15, 6 PM, Bohemian Nation- Mumford & Sons 3/29, 7:30 PM, Bleach Party, country stalwarts the Law- Empty Bottle Sleeping Village The Love Song of R. Buck- al Cemetery b United Center rence Peters Outfit , shoegazers Diag- Miki Howard 4/8-9, 8 PM, City Projeto Arcomusical 3/17, minster Fuller by Sam Kevin Morby, Sam Cohen 6/7- MXPX, Five Iron Frenzy Winery, on sale Thu 1/31, 8:30 PM, Constellation, 18+ Green with live score by 8, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 17+ 3/29-30, 8 PM, Bottom onal, and DJs Tim Zawada and Chuck noon b Josh Ritter & the Royal City Yo La Tengo 2/26, 6:30 and Molly Nilsson 3/20, 8:30 PM, Lounge, 17+ Wren. Partygoers can preorder an LP of Howie Day 5/16, 8 PM, City Band, Penny & Sparrow 5/22, 10 PM, Thalia Hall, late show Empty Bottle Rainbow Kitten Surprise 2/8-9, live performances recorded at the event. Winery, on sale Thu 1/31, 7:30 PM, the Vic, on sale added, 17+ Ocean Alley 6/10, 8:30 PM, 8 PM, Riviera Theatre b —JRN L G noon b Fri 2/1, 10 AM, 18+ Damo Suzuki’s Network 5/4-5, Schubas, 18+ Robyn 3/6, 8 PM, Aragon International Contemporary Rhonda Ross & Rodney Kend- 8:30 PM, Constellation, sec- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Ballroom b Ensemble 2/23, 8:30 PM, rick 4/24, 8 PM, City Winery, ond show added, 18+ 2/15, 8 PM, Concord Music Lennon Stella 3/28, 7 PM, Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or e-mail Constellation, 18+ F on sale Thu 1/31, noon b Hall, 18+ Metro b v [email protected].
40 CHICA O READER - TK_MONTH ll data on mobile dev; Declarative APT. #2, CHICAGO, IL 60612 Name in the conduct or trans- named above as a Defendant: that is or may be incorrect in the L/O interface dsgn; Frgmnt-bsd MARKETPLACE The true and real full name(s) action of Business in the State,” You are hereby notifi ed that the Complaint. A judgment may be JOBS Android app archits; iOS SDK; and residence address of the as amended, that a certifi cation Plaintiff named above has fi led enforced as provided by law. A GENERAL iOS interface: table & collectn GENERAL owner(s)/partner(s) is: JOSEPH was registered by the under- a lawsuit or other legal action judgment awarding money may views, navig ctrllers, button & BOTTIGLIERO 719 N. HOYNE signed with the County Clerk against you. The Complaint, become a lien against any real ACCOUNTANT ctrl types, & create custm inter- FOR SALE AVENUE APT. #2 CHICAGO, IL of Cook County. Registration which has been sent to you by estate you own now or in the fu- Bachelor’s deg in Accounting. face elemnts; Cocoa progrmg 60612, USA (1/31) Number: D07106551 on January U.S. Postal Service First Class ture, and may also be enforced 40hr/wk. Mail Resume: Blue methdlgies & memory mgmt; 8 Drop vans 53’ 16, 2019 (For Offi ce Use Only) Mail, states the nature and basis by garnishment or seizure of Island Lavanderia at 1847 Blue Interface Builder & strybrds w/ 20 aluminum/combo flatbeds Notice is hereby given, pursu- Under the Assumed Business of the legal action. Within forty property. Island Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 1 app created using Interface 48’ ant to “An Act in relation to the Name of KESCO SECURITY (40) days after January 31, 2019, Builder (UI tool); Web Srvcs 6 reefers 53’ use of an Assumed Business with the business located at: you must respond with a written Dated: January 21, 2019. Validation/Quality Engineer (JSON or XML-formttd rtrn 3 conestogas 53’ Name in the conduct or trans- 3041 HARTZELL STREET, answer, as that term is used in VAN LIESHOUT LAW OFFICE (Pharmaceutical Mfg) to data); Block &/or multi-threaded Int’l 9200, Ford Aeromax, GMC action of Business in the State,” EVANSTON, IL 60201 The true chapter 802 of the Wisconsin Attorneys for Plaintiff /s/David manage QA activities. Medefi l, progrmg cncpts; Src ctrl sys: Brigadere as amended, that a certifi cation and real full name(s) and resi- Statutes, to the Complaint. The J. Van Lieshout State Bar No. Inc., Glendale Heights, IL Send Git, SVN, ClearCase, Visual stu- Financing available was registered by the under- dence address of the owner(s)/ Court may reject or disregard 1012641 resume to: Sandeep Aggarwal, dio; Multi mobile pltfrms; Profi le, Call Bruce at 815-674-5230 or signed with the County Clerk partner(s) is: Owner/Partner an answer that does not follow 122 E. Main Street P.O. Box 186 Medefil, Inc., 405 Windy Point tune, & optimize Java apps; 3rd 815-842-2888 of Cook County. Registration Full Name Complete Address the requirements of the statutes. Little Chute, WI 54140-0186 Dr., Glendale Hts, IL 60139 party librs & frmwks; Root devic- Number: Y19000288 on January BRIAN POST 3041 HARTZELL The answer must be sent or (920) 788-0800 (2/14) es/bld pltfrm from src; Android 9, 2019 Under the Assumed STREET EVANSTON, IL 60201, delivered to the Court, whose Quantitative Researcher to Studio; Bld libry projs & stream HELP WANTED Business Name of THE SOFT USA (2/14) address is 320 S. Walnut Street, develop trading strategies. Gen- media for Android; JNI; Frmwks: TOUCH with the business lo- Appleton, Wisconsin 54911, and eral Welfare Group, Oak Brook, React native & Redux; Dvlpt for House Cleaner needed $600/ cated at: 3525 N. RACINE AVE STATE OF WISCONSIN CIR- to Plaintiff’s attorneys, whose ANNOUNCE- IL. Send resume to: Linda Oliva, Wear OS on Android; Langs: Weekly APT 2W, CHICAGO, IL 60657. CUIT COURT OUTAGAMIE address is 122 E. Main Street, 611 Enterprise Drive Oak Brook, Kotlin, Swift, Java, Javascript, Working Days: Monday and The true and real full name(s) COUNTY BRANCH 1. Case Little Chute, Wisconsin 54140- MENTS IL 60523 Obj C, ShellScripting, PHP, Friday and residence address of the No. 18 CV 1203 PRN HEALTH 0186. You may have an attorney Drupal; Apple’s entrprse dvlper Time Schedule: 9AM - 2PM owner(s)/partner(s) is: TIFFINY SERVICES, INC. 1101 E. help or represent you. If you do Architects. Highly experienced. accts & ad-hoc distributn on std Email: jenniferbenny18888@ YATES 3525 N. RACINE AVE South River Street Appleton, not provide a proper answer Dominick D. rocks. Residential and Commercial. dvlper accts; & Swift, AV media outlook.com APT 2W, CHICAGO, IL 60657 WI 54915 Plaintiff v. MARK within forty (40) days, the Court MTV Ridiculous Rob & Channel, Small projects welcome. Zon- frmwks, iOS’s ntwkg frmwks, (1/31) WELDLER 6134 N. Saint Louis may grant judgment against you Britney S. Guns n Roses, Aero- ing, Building Permit services, Core gfx, Core animations, & SERVICES Avenue Chicago, IL 60659, for the award of money or other smith, M. Crue, Sabbath, ACDC, Report/Consultation starting SQL-bsd DB sys &/or Core data Notice is hereby given, pursu- et al Defendants AMENDED legal action requested in the Misfi ts, Bieber, Lady G, I. Azillia, at $150. www.thdarch.com A. Grande, Alaska, Karol G. M. tech. Req BA/BS or frgn equiv Obsessed with erotic writing, ant to “An Act in relation to the SUMMONS THE STATE OF Complaint, and you may lose 312-361-1134 Trainer. in Comp Sci, Info Tech or rltd and fueled by an unrelenting use of an Assumed Business WISCONSIN To each person your right to object to anything Love, Tracy Guns fl d & 2 yrs exp as Sw Dvlper or passion, my married chicks long Urban Real Estate Research, rltd occ. Send C.V. to victoria. to chat with strangers. Join us, Inc., a local boutique firm in [email protected] & ref Job free of charge, at MyMarried- downtown Chicago, IL, seeks a Code SMD-RP. Chicks.com full-time entry-level Commercial Real Estate Appraiser primarily Danielle’s Lip Service, Erotic for Ad Valorem real estate tax Phone Chat Only! 24/7, Must purposes to conduct/develop Be 21+, All Credit Card and narrative reports & communicate REAL Debit Cards Accepted. All the results. Must be willing to: Fantasies and Fetishes are Wel- work in fast-paced heavy work- ESTATE comed. 773-935-4995. load environment while meeting RENTALS production deadlines; work African spiritual heal- during evenings & weekends ing and reading during peak season; regularly BEDROOM CLASSIFIEDS Traditional healer help- travel and drive throughout ing people ease prob- Chicago, suburban Illinois, & oc- lems. Financial, health, casionally elsewhere in the Mid- One Bedroom. family, misfortune, west. Must have a car & valid Large one bedroom apartment marriage, love, job, legal, bad Driver’s License. Annual salary: near Metra and Warren Park. luck, drinking, smok- $40,000. Apply by submitting 1904 W. Pratt. Hardwood fl oors. ing, academic, etc. your resumes to aud1000@aol. Cats OK. Heat included. $975/ Call 773 956 0754 Or com, Reference Job ID: Com- month. Available 2/1. (773)761 872 888 5108. JOBS mercial Real Estate Appraiser 4318. www.lakefrontmgt.com 2019-1 in the subject line. BEDROOM VALENTINE’S DAY ADMINISTRATIVE The Northern Trust Co. is ISSUE seeking a Sr. Analyst, FX Client 1701 N. Talman apartment SALES & Services in Chicago IL, with the Beautiful 2 Bedroom apartment, following requirements: Bach- Want to send a note to someone central heating AC, hardwood special? An old fl ame, a missed MARKETING elor’s degree in any fi eld and 3 fl oors, appliances good condi- years related experience. Prior match, or an ongoing partner? tion, laundry, storage available. The Reader wants to be your FOOD & DRINK experience must include the fol- Close to CTA Blue line. One cat, lowing: perform currency overlay destination for love. Call 312- $1,300/month. Call Fabio 773 392-2934 or email snlane@chi- SPAS & SALONS management and system imple- 988 2073 mentation including share class cagoreadercorp.com to submit your message. First ten words BIKE JOBS hedging, look through hedging UPTOWN, Large 2 bedroom and portfolio overlay (1 yr); man- free, $10 for additional twenty apt, 2 blocks from lake, 4344 words. GENERAL age operational risk in a trading North Clarendon Ave ( At environment (3 yrs); develop Montrose), rehabbed vintage, procedural flows, integrating hardwood fl oors, heat/applianc- tools and consistent processes es included. $1475.00 call EJM LEGAL across global teams (3 ys); (773) 935 4425 REAL convert manual processes to NOTICE automated solutions, increasing Two Bedroom. ESTATE capacity and scalability (1 yr). Large two bedroom duplex Apply on-line at www.northern- near Warren park 1900 W. IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF trustcareers.com and search for Pratt. 2 full bathrooms. Heat PULASKI COUNTY, ARKAN- RENTALS Req. # 19007 included. Private storage. Cats SAS DOMESTIC RELATIONS OK. $1600/month. Available 2/1. 14TH DIVISION ADELAIDE FOR SALE Senior Mobile Developer (Job (773)761 4318. www.lakefront- BUCK PLAINTIFF VS CASE Code SMD-RP) (Roundarch mgt.com NO: 60 DR 2018-4680 DAVID NON-RESIDENTIAL Isobar, Inc., Chicago, IL): ROLON DEFENDANT WARN- Project phases: reqs gatherg, STUDIO ING ORDER The Defendant, sw dsgn, dvlpt & testg using exp David Rolon, is hereby warned
ROOMATES interactg w/ teams for features to appear in the Circuit Court Studio. reqs; Dsgn, dvlp & test apps of Pulaski County in Domestic Large studio near Warren using exp w/Java & obj C (dvlpt), Relations, 14th Division, 401 Park. 1904 W. Pratt. Hardwood New relic (monitor & crash W. Markham, Little Rock, AR floors. Cats OK. $795/month. anlys), Android studio (profi ling) 72201 within thirty (30) days MARKET- Heat included. Available 2/1. & Git (src ctrl); Work w/ data and answer the Complaint of (773)761 4318. www.lakefront- srcs & APIs (REST APIs) using the Plaintiff , Adelaide Buck, and mgt.com PLACE exp w/consuming RESTFUL upon failure of Defendant to do API’s (JSON & XML) & validate so, the Complaint filed herein & parse info into mdls, & deploy GENERAL will be deemed to be admitted. GOODS actions on AWS svrs & store in SENIOR FACILITY WITNESS my hand and seal RDS DB; Dvlp & deploy Android Grant Village Apartments as Clerk of the Circuit Court of SERVICES API 16+ based apps using Java 4161 South Drexel Boulevard Pulaski County, Arkansas, this using exp w/MVVM/ MVP an- Chicago, IL 60653 9TH day of January, 2019. (1/31) HEALTH & droid archit, data bindng spprt, (773) 268-5133 string localizatn & bld themes, Included: Senior Community Notice is hereby given, pursu- WELLNESS Firebase cloud msgng for push Room, Appliances, A/C, ant to “An Act in relation to the notificatns, frgmnt based app, Laundry Room use of an Assumed Business INSTRUCTION SQLlite, & integrtg 3rd party Near: Lake, Shopping, Name in the conduct or trans- librs into apps; Trblshoot & tune Public Transportation, Off Street action of Business in the State,” MUSIC & ARTS using exp w/Android studio Parking as amended, that a certifi cation profiler, new relic crash anlys, Waiting List Open was registered by the under- NOTICES & Memory mgmt. Req skills: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 signed with the County Clerk Android-based dvlpt; OO dsgn & From 9:00 AM –1:00 PM of Cook County. Registration dvlpt; Android SDK; work w/data Valid Picture ID Required to Number: Y19000321 on January MESSAGES from outside APIs; Understand & Apply 11, 2019 Under the Assumed LEGAL NOTICES parse XML, JSON & serialized Business Name of APARTMENT data; Embedded relatnl DBs TWO with the business located ADULT SERVICES (SQLite) or techs for persisting at: 719 N. HOYNE AVENUE ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 41 SAVAGE LOVE By Dan Savage
find hundreds of Stealthing vs. raw-dogging reader-recommended Advice for women who want men to wear condoms REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN. restaurants : I’m a 21-year-old woman, and I have an reported having experienced stealthing. . . . . IUD. I’ve had sex with quite a few men, and A majority of both groups reported discuss- exclusive video features one thing seems to be almost constant ing the event with their partner afterward, among them: trying to fuck without condoms. and most also reported feeling emotional- Try FREE: 773-867-1235 and sign up for weekly news Many of the men I’ve been with seem to be ly stressed about it. A majority also consid- More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 chicagoreader.com/food perfectly fi ne and terribly eager to have sex ered stealthing to be a form of sexual assault. without condoms. This has always angered These results suggest that stealthing is not Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+ me. They generally assume or make sure a rare occurrence and we would do well to I’m on birth control, which they immediately study it further.” take to mean condom-free sex is welcome. The researchers didn’t ask heterosexual I don’t want to have sex without condoms men about being stealthed, and as Lehmiller without being in a committed relationship. I points out, there are some scattered reports know people cheat and monogamy doesn’t out there about women poking holes in con- mean STIs won’t happen, but it’s a risk I’m doms before sex or retrieving them after comfortable with. I’m so annoyed by how sex. We don’t need a study to tease out the o en men try to get out of using condoms motives of these women—they want to have (it’s o en persistent, even with people I’ve a child and don’t care whether their partners please recycle been seeing a while) that I want to start lying do (and that is not OK)—but we could use and say I’m not on birth control. The risk of a a study that asked heterosexual men about this paper baby seems to be the only STI most men are their motives for stealthing. One question we concerned with. Is it all right for me to lie and should put to these assholes: Are they more say I’m not on any birth control and explain likely to “go stealth,” i.e., to sexually assault why I lied later on if things get serious? —I’ a woman, if they know her to be on some U D other form of birth control? Or are they just so wrapped up in their own momentary sex- A: Let’s get this out of the way fi rst: You’re ual pleasure that they don’t give a shit about right, IUD, sexually transmitted infections babies or any of the other STIs? (STI) do happen to people in monogamous Moving on to your actual question . . . relationships. People cheat, people lie, people Can you lie? Of course you can. Should contract, people transmit. A 2015 study found you lie? In the case of a casual sex partner that people in consensually nonmonogamous who might not have your best interests at (CNM) relationships were no more likely to heart, i.e., some total rando you want to fuck contract an STI than people in monogamous but aren’t sure you can trust, I think you can relationships. The reason? If a person in a lie and should lie. This lie doesn’t do him any monogamous relationship screws around harm; it’s not like you’re telling him you’re on and doesn’t use a condom, they can’t ask birth control when you’re not. And if telling their partner to start using condoms again this lie inspires some rando to be more care- without drawing attention to their infi delity. ful about keeping the condom on (sometimes ADMIRAL If someone in a CNM relationship asks their condoms fall off by accident), then it’s a lie ★★ THEATRE ★★ primary partner to start using condoms that made the sex safer for you and for him. again—because a condom broke or fell off And if you get serious about someone you or didn’t wind up on a cock for some other initially lied to about having an IUD—if some reason—they’re drawing attention to their dude makes the transition from hot rando to fi delity. Moving on . . . hot boyfriend—and he reacts badly when you Right again, IUD: Babies do seem to be the tell him the truth, just say (or text) this to him: only STI many men are worried about. Aus- “I could have waited to fuck you until I was tralian researchers conducted a large study sure you were a good guy. But then you would about stealthing—the deeply shitty, rape- have missed out on all the awesome sex we’ve 3940 W LAWRENCE adjacent practice of surreptitiously remov- had up to now. Would that have been better? ing the condom during intercourse—and they And by coming clean now, I’m basically saying OPEN 7PM TO 6AM were shocked to discover how common this that I think you’re a good guy that I can trust. deeply shitty practice seems to be. I know that now, but I didn’t always know it ADMIRALX.COM “The researchers estimated in advance because I’m not psychic. Now, do you want to (773) 478-8111 that approximately 2% of the sample would raw-dog me or do you want to complain?” v report having been stealthed,” sex research- MUST BE 18 TO ENTER er Justin Lehmiller wrote in a blog post look- Download the Savage Lovecast every ing at the results of the study. “In fact, 32% Tuesday at savagelovecast.com. of the women and 19% of the men surveyed @fakedansavage 42 CHICA O READER - JANUARY ll Never miss a show again. EARLY WARNINGS Find a concert, buy a ticket, and sign up to get advance notice of Chicago’s essential music shows at chicagoreader.com/early. ll JANUARY - CHICA O READER 43 B:9.75” T:9.75” S:9.25”
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T-Mobile - LHQ • TracyLocke Mech Trim: 9.75” x 9.875” Final Trim: 9.75” x 9.875” Mech Live: 9.25” x 9.375” Final Live: 9.25” x 9.375” 00000195 Studio# OTHC-P00001043 Mech Bleed: None Final Bleed: 9.75” x 9.875” Q1 Big 6 - Print (O er 1)
Print Ad • Chicago - 9.75x9.875 Document Fonts:Tele-GroteskUlt (Regular), Tele-GroteskHal lhq000195_mch_prt_Q1Big6Print_Chicago_9_75x9_875. (Regular), Tele-GroteskFet (Regular) indd Vendor: Valassis Print Code: – Contact: Michael McCorkle 214-259-3540 Marker: Chicago Studio Artist: MW Pub: CHICAGO READER Built At: 100% • Print Scale: None 4-Color Process: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black File name: 002495_Top 6 1H.19_01.31.19 Placed Images:Samsung_Galaxy_S9+_Lilac_Purple_Front_ 1-24-2019 4:38 PM Dandelion_CMYK.psd (CMYK; 315 ppi; 95.09%) 3L