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Did you read about Stephen Colbert, Kiss, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.Hey, did you read:• That Walmart will be selling discount organic foods? —Steve Bogira•Tribune op-ed columnist Steve Chapman...
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12 O'Clock Track: Some demented surf-rock courtesy of Ed Schrader's Music Beat
When I first heard Baltimore singer-songwriter Ed Schrader six years ago he'd been making antifolk that approached throwback 50s pop with a minimalist, amateurish pizzazz—with just a single floor tom...
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Under the Skin: On the road to nowhere
In Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson is an alien life-form stalking strange men. by Ben Sachs This arty sci-fi thriller, adapted from a 2000 novel by Michael Faber, raises far more questions than it...
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Two huge local festivals happening this weekend
On Fri 4/11 and Sat 4/12, two festivals are happening in town, both featuring a massive lineups of local underground rock. First up there's the Distractions Distortions fest (mentioned in this week's...
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Plating the night: Sixteen chef Thomas Lents on his "Night and Day"...
Once restaurants had floor shows full of dancers and strolling Gypsy violinists and waitstaff dressed like they were in the Habsburg army. Then suddenly such things were gauche, and dining was straight...
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Talking show business and Cheap Thrills with David Koechner (part one)
Tomorrow the pitch-black indie Cheap Thrills begins its Chicago run at the Music Box. Described by at least one critic as a hybrid of Jackass and Michael Haneke's Funny Games, it takes place over a...
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Best shows to see: Tweens, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Donovan Wolfington
Earlier this week we premiered Tattoos, the nervy new EP from local rock outfit Coaster, and on Saturday the band will celebrate its release with a show at Township (listen to it here until then). If...
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Hosting the IPW, Chicago gets lucky
Last Sunday, the first full day of IPW,* the international "Choose America" travel meeting hosted by Chicago this week at McCormick Place, we got a break: the sun came out. "Thank God," was the most...
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Reader's Agenda Fri 4/11: Darger and the Detective, Easter egg hunts, and...
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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Jude Law, Nicolas Cage, Scarlett Johansson, and the rest of this week's...
Now that spring has sprung, you may be less inclined to sit in a movie theater, but this weekend brings a number of strong new releases: Cheap Thrills, a potent indie about two guys down on their luck...
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Locally Brewed paints a portrait of some of the midwest's best breweries
In the introduction to Locally Brewed: Portraits of Craft Brewing from America's Heartland, Anna Blessing writes, "In part this is a book about beer, but mostly it is a book about people: the...
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House of Games, The Red Shoes, and other Reader-recommended movies to watch...
Each Friday, we recommend seven Old Movies to Watch Now, all of which come recommended by one of our critics and can currently be screened online. Read the review, watch the movie, feel accomplished.…[...
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Did you read about Chris Christie, exploding head syndrome, and Nirvana?
Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.Hey, did you read:• That the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act should remind us of an era in which "a large and confident...
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12 O'Clock Track: 'Neo-Confederate Cred' is excellent Ohio lo-fi
The lineup for this year's HoZac Blackout has been announced, and it includes some huge names from punk rock history, most notably the Dictators and the Boys. The band at the fest that I'm most excited...
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Bare Mutants''Crying With Bob,' a video
Local garage-pop outfit Bare Mutants released a video yesterday for "Crying With Bob," a slow-build single from their 2013 debut on In the Red, The Affliction. Directed by Reader contributing...
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Talking show business and Cheap Thrills with David Koechner (part two)
Read part one of the interview here.Ben Sachs: You're performing at the Park West this weekend. Is the show part of a tour?David Koechner: I've just been going out on weekends since January.…[ Read...
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By the moon's horn: Biodynamic wines and Sixteen's new menu
Yesterday I spoke with Thomas Lents, executive chef of Sixteen in the Trump Tower, about his latest seasonal menu. Actually there are two menus—one called "Day" and one called "Night," each built...
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Spritz Burger: Last seat on the burger bandwagon
Spritz Burger, the Hearty Boys' collaboration with Gale Gand, hops on the upscale-burger bandwagon a half decade too late. by Mike Sula You know Malort has outlived its usefulness as a tool of civic...
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My gift to Mayor Rahm
As part of my mission to help Mayor Emanuel get out of his predicaments even if they are of his own making, I'm trying to figure out a way for him to finance his great pension scheme without pissing...
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Reader's Agenda Sat 4/12: CoffeeCon, Tom Hanks Day, and CHIRP Record Fair
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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