Chicago.com
If the lines into the Stage 773 theatre were any measure of the show about to begin, the 10th Annual Chicago Comedy Festival would be worth the wait. And it was.
The festival opened Thursday, Jan. 6 and ran through Sunday, and will continue on the next weekend as well. The shows I attended were on Saturday evening, Space Chocolate at 6 p.m. and The Cool Table at 7 p.m. These were just two of the 18 shows playing that evening. Each night there are multiple shows going on at once as Stage 773 houses three diffrent stages. There are different starting times every evening, i.e. 8p.m. Thursday, 7p.m. Friday, but each show runs one hour and starts on the hour. It continues this way until the last show gets out at midnight. The three stages inside Stage 773 allow shows to go on simultaneously, allowing patrons to view all the acts without ever leaving the building.
I arrived a few minutes before the first show to make sure I got a good seat. As I entered the venue, I was pleasently surprised. The box office was located in to the right of the entrance, far enough away to allow the lines to get long without blocking the doors. The lobby was spacious, large enough to leave room for a full service bar. It did get crowded as the evening went on, but those running the show clearly had anticipated large crowds and directred traffic well.
Stage 773 was also incredibly easy to get to. Whether one is traveling by train, bus, car or walking, it was easy to locate and get into. It was just a few blocks down Belmont also allowing for a wide selection of restaurants and bars for those looking to make it a full evening. There is even a 4 a.m. bar, Big City Tap, close by for those who stay for all the shows. Stage 773 is also right down the street from the Bailiwick Theatre, which was redone over the last year.
Before going in to watch Space Chocolate perform, I go to see Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival management team at work. As it got crowded they did a great job of keeping lines moving and getting people in and out of the theatres quickly. For new comers things were clearly marked like where to go if one was paying for cash and how to obtain a wrist band for the bar. I especially enjoyed the Master of Ceremonies, as I liked to call him. In the left hand corner of the lobby there was a deck built and a man sat in this balcony before each show. Once the shows began he blew his horn and announced the theatre’s opening. It built excitement as everyone scurried to get a seat.
Space Chocolate performed in the North theatre at 6p.m. The group was made up of two men and featured another troupe, Man On the Ledge. Space Chocolate started out with a sketch about a woman getting stood up at a Swedish restaurant. The waiter had a Swedish accent and all the food had “funny” Swedish names. At the end of the sketch when the woman asked the waiter to join him, he turns out to be American. The sketches continued to be of this sort of caliber. The humor was predictable and stale. Often they went for the cheap laugh by making racial jokes or using physical comedy. Both men had stage presence and had clearly performed before, but they lacked comedic timing. Also they didn’t work well as a team. One man clearly was a stage hog, something I find to be extremely annoying. Man On A Ledge, however, brightened up the show a bit. While they weren’t leaving me in tears, they did have good comedic timing. They worked well together as a group and seemed to know each group members strengths well. Their sketches also had a bit more creativity and they used more socially relevant material. I especially enjoyed one in which the two girls in the group of six were radio DJ’s at a jazz station. All in all the performance left me a little weary about the rest of the evening.
Then The Cool Table happened.
The Cool Table began at 7p.m. in the west theatre. Within the first minute I was crying from laughter. Sketch after sketch they never fell flat. Their vocal inflections, comedic timing and physicality were flawless, creating a show where only mere seconds went by before the crowd was laughing again. Their humor was a nice mix of silly and adult. They incorporated buzzworthy medium, like Glee, into their writing, but also used classic topics, like cross-dressing, with new twists. For example, their performance included a the classic break up sketch, where the break up-er says “It’s not you, it’s everything about you.”, only this time the break up happened between male friends. Just one example of how they used the buzzworthy “bromance” in conjunction with the classic break up theme. The shining star of the evening, however, were the two ladies. They were the voice over to a mediation tape in which they took the audience on a journey throughout the body as nomads, rapped about lady parts and cereal and one stole the show when she sang about her cross-dressing. I laughed so hard, I cried.
The festival was clearly a hit, not just based on my opinion but based on the sheer number of people that came out to see the show. Brian Posen, the creator of the festival, has done a great job organizing the event, expanding the number of groups and gaining community support. It shows in the number of returning guests and through the performers, as both groups gave a shot out to him at the end of their shows. I urge everyone and anyone who has a couple extra bucks and enjoys shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia or SNL then the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival will deliver. I know I will be going back.
Chicago is a world famous city for a variety of things. People from all over the world know about Chicago. In Europe, people always associate Chicago with Michael Jordan and Al Capone, at least in countries I’ve lived in. Yes, I understand it is very predictable and superficial to be associated to a sports icon and gangster of all gangsters but such are the facts. Sure here in the States we are known as the “Windy City” and a town with a great skyline and even better food, but across the world people don’t know about these things. Jordan, Capone and now Obama are the first things that people associate with our city and quite frankly there could be worse things to be associated with.
In summertime there is no better city to live in than Chicago and there aren’t many people that would argue against that statement. There are so many different activities to choose from, whether on Lake Michigan or in many of our trendy neighborhoods, there is always something to do.
In wintertime, however, the options become somewhat limited. Chicago winters are so cold that even the biggest of outdoor enthusiasts sometimes want to curl up on a couch and avoid the awful temperatures. Those who do dare to get outside and look for things to do usually end up going to shows and performances, both of which there are many in our wonderful city.
Museums are another great way to spend a day inside and get ones self educated on a variety of different things. While all the museums charge a fee to their fantastic exhibits, almost all of them have specific days when they offer free entrance. These free days are available throughout the year and every single museum has them at one point or another.
Here at Chicago.com we have compiled a list of 8 major ones and the days when these free days are featured. In today’s economy people are looking for deals constantly and Free Days at variety of Chicago museums has been a fan favorite for a number of years, especially among students throughout the city and the suburbs.
Adler Planetarium:
The museum has not yet announced when it will have its free days for 2011 but they have said on the site that it will be updated soon. Click here for the updated info.
The Art Institute of Chicago:
From January 3rd through February 4th, the museum is offering free admission, every weekday, all day long (late evenings included).
For more info please click here.
Brookfield Zoo:
Tuesdays and Thursdays are currently FREE days for zoo general admission. While admission is free on these days, normal internal attraction fees still apply for different attractions. Those who arrive after 4:00 p.m. on Free Days, regular admission rates still apply for Holiday Magic exhibit.
For more information please visit the Brookfield Zoo website.
Chicago Children’s Museum:
Free Thursday evenings 5-8 p.m.
First Sunday of every month is free admission for ages 15 and under.
Chicago History Museum:
The Museum is free on Mondays.
The Field Museum:
The Field Museum is offering 52 days a year when basic admission is free. The Field Museum offers Target Free Second Mondays, where Target’s sponsorship is making it possible for The Field Museum to offer free basic admission on the second Monday of each month.
2011 Target Free Second Monday dates are:
January 10th
February 14th
March 14th
Target Free Second Monday hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Other regularly scheduled free basic admission days at least in wintertime are:
January: 3rd, 11th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 26th, 31st,
February: 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 17th,
April: 11th
Museum of Science and Industry:
General admission is free on the following dates at MSI but it does not include admission into any of the MSI’s specific exhibits:
January: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 31st
February: 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 22nd
Shedd Aquarium:
During Community Discount Days, admission to the aquarium’s original galleries is free. This includes the Waters of the World, Amazon Rising, and the Caribbean Reef. Packages including Wild Reef, Polar Play Zone and Abbott Oceanarium are available at a discounted rate. Shedd’s 52 discount days a year take advantage of civic and school holidays to make family visits more convenient.
Upcoming Monday and Tuesday Community Discount Days in 2011 are:
January: 10th, 11th, 24th, 25th, 31st
February: 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 28th
With all this information at hand the time is now to go out and visit one of our great museums.
Labor Day weekend is usually a time for relaxing. The three-day weekend is a much-loved occurrence for many people. Some grill in their back yards, putting the last bit of warm weather to good use. Some visit family or go camping – to end the summer on a good note. This year, however many celebrated differently. This year, they spent three of their days having their minds blown by some of the best bands in the country.
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The North Coast Music Festival made Labor Day weekend into an unforgettable event. Big name bands from all over the country, as well as local artists performed on four stages over three days in Union Park. Thousands of music fans flocked to the premiere festival to see popular acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Nas & Damian Marley, Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits, Moby (performing a DJ set), Pretty Lights, and De La Soul.
It was a very windy and often chilly weekend. As the sun went down each day and temperatures fell, the best way to keep warm was dancing in the crowds. The atmosphere throughout the park was filled with excitement and joy. The positive energy from both performers and festival goers was almost overwhelming, especially for a first run.
On Friday, DJs Paul Kalkbrenner and Paul Van Dyk got everyone moving and dancing. They warmed up audiences for the night’s headliners: The Chemical Brothers and Pretty Lights. Both headliners put on amazing shows, entrancing audiences as they performed. The Chemical Brothers had every persons hands in the air. Pretty Lights featured a spectacular stage design with a colorful lights show that seemed to turn the park into a raving night club. Glowsticks and balloons were tossed throughout the crowd as everyone grooved to the music.
Saturday’s line-up was packed with highly anticipated acts. Van Ghost, The New Deal, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, Umphrey’s McGee, and Moby (DJing) were a few of the days’ favorites. Jay Electronica’s mix of serious political messages and dirty humor made his set unforgettable. Various guests joined him on stage throughout his performance, adding to the unique experience. De La Soul packed the area in front of the Groupon Stage next. Old fans and new enjoyed the hip-hop group’s energizing set. Later, Umphrey’s McGee and Moby (performing a DJ set) battled for the attention of festival goers. Both had engaging sets and lights to compliment their personal musical moods.
When not enjoying the day’s musical acts, people enjoyed food from vendors such as Veeras Way, O’Briens, The Abbey Pub & Restaurant, Soul Vegetarian, Pizanos, and Tiparos Thai. I had fried coconut shrimp from The Abbey – it was filling and warm, which perfectly balanced the cold weather. The lines at beverage ticket booths all over the festival seemed to never end. Note to future festival goers: get as many beverage tickets at once as you think you’ll need for the day, the lines are always ridiculous.
Merchandise vendors and festival sponsors also had booths along the food and beverage areas. People shopped at booths selling clothes and accessories as well as band merch and custom t-shirts. Detroit-based media company Detek was there promoting their exclusive parties and selling t-shirts decorated with the phrase “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Techno” in various styles. Honest Teas and Juices promoted their drink items with samples at their booth. The low-sugar, high antioxidant beverages were refreshing and perfect for dehydrated festival goers. Other booths had jewelry, scarves, shirts, dresses, hats, and other accessories for sale – many items were handmade or environmentally conscious.
Overall, the North Coast Music Festival was a success. Great national and local bands played for large, excited crowds in a perfect setting. The festival was a prime example of Chicago’s enormous love for music and ability to embrace new events as equally as older annual festivals.
Walking into Smith Park on Saturday afternoon felt like stepping into a celebration in Ukraine itself. The 27th annual Ukrainian Days festival was a treasure of an experience. Immediately you were immersed in Ukrainian culture – at the entrance people greeted each other in the Ukrainian language, accepting everyone as one of their own.
White tents decorated with yellow and blue (the colors of the Ukrainian flag) were scattered over the park. In the center was the shopping area. Arts and crafts booths as well as vendors selling hand-made and authentic items were busy with customers. They were selling everything from CDs and instruments to clothes and accessories and even ethnic home décor. Some vendors sold religious items, others specialized in jewelry. One booth was selling local honey – they even had flavored honeys and jams. To the right of the shopping tents, local teams played soccer matches as spectators cheered them on.
At the back of the festival area there was a large stage where performances took place. When I arrived, a young girl in a traditional dress was singing and dancing along to what sounded like ethnic Ukrainian music with a modern pop spin. She sang completely in her native language, and the crowd seemed to adore her. After her performance, an elderly man, also dressed traditionally, was introduced. He began to play classical Ukrainian folk music on a little flute, which I believe is called a “dentsivka”. The man was very talented, which the audience admired. Hearing his music waft through the festival gave it a charming atmosphere.
The entertainment was wonderful, but the food was over the top. The festival hosted five Ukrainian restaurants and one Italian restaurant. The borscht from the Livago tent was delicious. It was served in little cups for only $1, it was a smooth and refreshing savory appetizer. Pizza from Mancini’s (the Italian restaurant) was a great snack, and their gelato was simply incredible. Smooth and refreshing, the mint-chocolate gelato I had was perfect. I also tried a Ukrainian sweet cheese crepe, which was served with whipped cream and berries. The mildness of the cheese in the crepe complimented the tangy berries for a balanced flavour.
Overall, Ukrainian Days was a fantastic cultural event. It brought the community together with traditional food, entertainment, activities, and crafts. Being there gave the feeling of being in the Ukraine, celebrating Ukrainian independence and culture all in one place. The festival really was “A taste of Ukraine in the heart of Chicago.”
There was a soggy beginning to the final day of Lollapalooza last Sunday in Grant Park. The morning rain cleared by 1pm, but left the ground muddy and slippery. Though this was a set-back, it did not keep many music fans from enjoying their favorite acts. The park was crowded and the bands put on great shows considering the dynamic weather conditions.
By the time Minus the Bear went on at 3:00, festival goers were huddling in the rare spots of shade to escape the beating sun. Many still had their umbrellas out from earlier — Though now using them for sun protection rather than rain protection. Creating your own shade became an art form as the day went on, with the temperatures peaking at 92 degrees. On the lawn in front of the Adidas Mega Stage, listeners sat on blankets or in the muddy grass while Minus the Bear gave a pleasant and energetic performance. People directly in front of the stage stood and swayed their arms above their heads for much of the alternative rock band’s set list.
The scathingly hot atmosphere was sometimes interrupted by a light cool breeze — Enough to keep people alive so long as they also kept hydrated. Some festival goers brought hand-fans or got the electronic personal fans that were available at the Sony Bloggie tent. There were other ways of preventing heat exhaustion, such as leaving the stage areas to relax under shaded tree-filled areas and the Q101 Hammock Haven let visitors cool down away from the action. Water-bottle re-fill stations at the park were generally busy, but kept festival goers happy. There were two food vendor locations on opposite sides of the park. I had a falafel pita from the Goose Island booth which was definitely worth $5. Water was about as expensive as you’d expect, but they let you bring two factory sealed bottles of your own into the park and you could re-fill them. A tip for next year: get cash before you come – ATMs at the festival had a $4 surcharge.
On the north side of the park, MUTEMATH played a considerably great-sounding set. The low-end was perfect especially for songs like “Reset” and other instrumentals which count on big bass sound for added groove. The band was active on stage which made them exceptionally fun to watch. Lots of people were dancing either in their place or as they walked by. At one point the lead singer said “Okay Lollapalooza, we’re going to turn up the volume now”, which was a cute addition to the elevating energy the band’s performance created. When they played the song “Typical” the whole audience lit up — It’s a popular song and it got even more people up and moving. By the end of their set the sun was starting to go down and the air was finally cooling off for the evening.
Next on the larger Budweiser Stage was MGMT. The “space-rock” duo’s popularity was evident as seemingly the whole park swarmed over to see them. Several members of the audience were dressed like extras from their music videos — such as the psychedelic jungle people from the “Electric Feel” video. The first two songs they played were off their newest album, but they played some favorites from their older album as well. As it went on, the crowd got larger and there were more people standing than sitting. During the song “Kids” some audience members made a long conga-line through the crowd — it was a funny and interactive part of the experience.
Much of the audience from MGMT pivoted and stayed for The National’s performance (the stages were set conveniently close). Their chilled-out, conventionally appealing songs were a nice break between the hyped MGMT and Arcade Fire sets. The National drew a generally older crowd — perhaps because of the later time, but also because of their wide-appeal. At times the singer would pause so the audience could sing along, this made the crowd feel involved and comfortable. It was a fun and relaxing performance, which was great for gearing up for Arcade Fire’s headlining set.
It was significantly darker outside when Arcade Fire went on stage at 8:30pm. The stage lights shone bright across the lawn as people gathered to find standing room. They began with the hit single “Ready To Start” from their new album. It was a fantastic way to begin, the crowd clapped along with the band members enthusiastically. The screen on the back of the stage changed with each song giving a personalized effect to the show. During “No Cars Go” odd images of black and white faces were superimposed over live footage of the band as they played. It was a unique effect and it added to the spectacular lights-show. The harmonies were perfect, as were the live accordion and horn parts, just like on the albums. The big, full sound of the performance rang through Grant Park as they shouted in unison “Let’s Go!” The performance overall was amazing — a mixture of old and new, sound and visual entertainment; Arcade Fire put the cherry on top another great year of Lollapalooza.
