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What the hell is this Place? Alchemy Arts
Books on the satanic scriptures are available, but Alchemy Arts is more welcoming than its dark texts suggest. by Tosten Burks The first thing you'll notice upon entering Alchemy Arts (1203 W. Bryn...
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Llama: It's what's for dinner
So I was touring a cold-storage room at Fortune Fish & Gourmet in Bensenville with my kids (it's summer, so they get to tag along on Dad's unlikely and occasionally gruesome field trips) when one...
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Best shows to see: Richard Buckner, Hunters, Mary Gauthier, Hookers
When kids start to go back-to-school shopping, there's always a feeling that it's about time to rein in your summer recklessness. It's harder to justify a late night when even the kids are up and at it...
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A voyage to Oak Park in search of Forbidden Root
On August 12 I read a post on Michael Kiser's beautiful blog, Good Beer Hunting, about the inaugural Naperville Ale Fest, which went down on July 20. Toward the bottom of the page, Kiser mentioned...
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Street View 114: Black and white at the Violet Hour
Sometimes I see fabulous people and boring walls. Other times I come across awesome backgrounds, but no one to shoot.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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Visual allusions and optical illusions in David Fincher's Zodiac
Revisiting David Fincher's Zodiac (2007) on 35-millimeter the other day significantly deepened my admiration for the movie. Like all of Fincher's work, Zodiac is full of digital effects—and it's all...
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James Tissot's tragic muse
In the Art Institute's "Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity," painter James Tissot's muse stands in sharp focus. by Deanna Isaacs If you've stood at the corner of Michigan and Adams this summer and...
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In The Distancers, the past is another Illinois countryside
The Distancers, Lee Sandlin's newest, is an austerely beautiful remembrance of his southern Illinois family. by Sam Worley Lee Sandlin's new book will read familiar to those of us who grew up in the...
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Reader's Agenda Tue 8/20: Chicago Dancing Festival, Hunters, and Story Club...
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered:If you're the least bit interested in dance, get yourself to the Chicago Dancing Festival.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this...
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The deli is dead, long live deli at Dillman's
"L.A.'s vast sprawl allows its delis the freedom to grow into hangouts suited for Hollywood's taste . . . they have parking lots and valets, and have been built to feel like a cross between diners and...
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: James Wesley Jackson
James Wesley Jackson toured the world with Funkadelic—and you can see him at the Hideout on August 23. by Plastic Crimewave[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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Did you read about Watch Dogs, Mark Kirk, and Elmore Leonard?
Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.Hey, did you read:• About Watch Dogs, the upcoming video game that allows you to hack Chicago's Central Operating System, the...
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12 O'Clock Track: Danny Brown and Darq E Freaker's "Hand Stand"
One of my favorite moments at the Pitchfork festival last month came during Rustie's absolutely destructive Saturday-night set. Around 20 minutes in, an abrasive high-pitched sneer suddenly joined the...
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Exclusive song premiere: "Tchana" by the Niger guitar band Tal National
Few records due this fall have made me as happy as Kanni (which is due from Fat Cat on September 10), the stunning new album and first internationally available release from Niger's Tal National. The...
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What this week's top ten has to say about the year in pop
This week's Hot 100 is notable for the fact that every one of its top ten songs are in the same positions they were in last week, a rare peaceful period for a chart that's normally defined by its...
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All-American bullshitting with writer-director David Gordon Green (part one)
I've decided to post the entirety of my interview with writer-director David Gordon Green for a few reasons. The first is that Green is one of the most lively and entertaining people I've interviewed,...
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Experimental collective Kill All Comedy now experimenting at the Hideout
Experimental troupe Kill All Comedy is now experimenting at the Hideout. by Gwynedd Stuart Kill All Comedy's Joey Dundale made a good observation last week: the Wicker Park and Bucktown areas are...
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The Butler: The anti-Gump
In Lee Daniels's The Butler, painful social realities collide with delirious fantasy. by Ben Sachs In each of the four films he's directed, Lee Daniels has created moments unlike anything else I've...
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Noir City: Shadowy films in vibrant color
Noir City: Chicago 5 brings classics, rarities, and even Technicolor examples of the genre to the Music Box. From Friday through Thursday, the Music Box Theatre will present "Noir City: Chicago," its...
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Gossip Wolf: Marc Ruvolo hands over the Bucket O' Blood
Marc Ruvolo hands over the Bucket O' Blood, Owen Ashworth records with Sun Kil Moon, and more. by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Gossip Wolf hears that Marc Ruvolo—former front man of No Empathy and the...
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