What’s New

It’s never been easier to meet someone online. There are more singles than ever in the dating pool. Most are in search of a meaningful connection that could lead to a long-term commitment. Landing a real catch in a traditional setting feels like fishing in the Dead Sea: impossible. But dating apps and websites have softened the blow and made it possible to scope out your options from the safety and comfort of your own home. With life online becoming an omnipresent reality, it’s one of the best ways to date. The best part? They actually work.

Now, this isn’t true of all dating sites, and there are plenty to comb through. While it’s nice to have options, digging around for the top dating sites can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Additionally, veteran daters know that modern dating culture has become murky at best.

Which apps will introduce you to singles who are serious about commitment and not just another hookup? Tinder might be the big dog of swipe-based dating apps, but you likely won’t find anything beyond a hot make-out session or a one-night stand. While most dating sites attract a mix of serious and casual daters, some options generate more success for long-term relationships.

Here’s an overview of the best dating sites that will give you the best chance at finding a real partner. When it comes to love, these apps do their best to find you the perfect match. Whether it’s a particularly advanced matching algorithm, personality analysis, or select group of users, these apps do more for you than your average hookup app ever could.

14 Best Dating Sites To Meet Someone Online For A Real Relationship in 2022

RankSiteBest ForRating1.eharmonyMeaningful connections5/52.MatchLasting relationships5/53.ZooskThose who love travel5/54.FriendFinderMix of casual and serious5/55.BumbleBest for women5/56.HingeBest for quick, serious matches5/57.OkCupidBest for progressive dating5/58.The LeagueBest for educated singles4.5/59.HappnBest for meeting someone in your social circle4.5/510.HERBest for femmes4.5/511.Silver SinglesBest for older daters4/512.Coffee Meets BagelBest for dating site newbies4/513.AdultFriendFinderBest for open-minded daters4/514.Plenty of FishBest for rural daters4/5

1.) eharmony 

Ok, so eharmony puts some cheesy ads out there that might deter you from trying it out, but if you’re tired of dating around, looking for a real connection and maybe just want to put a ring on it, you’re going to want to give it a second chance. Why? Well, eharmony is allegedly responsible for around 4 percent of all marriages in the U.S. today. Wild, right?

So what gives eharmony its secret sauce? We guess it has to do with the revamp of their model. Back in the day, eharmony would put you through the wringer with a lengthy sign-up process and lame alienating questions. Today, the questionnaire is around 30 questions long and very practical. It’ll ask you how you feel about moving in with someone or how you feel about arguments.

It should be noted though that eharmony hasn’t always been the most welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community and some users believe that it’s truly a place for the heteronormative. They’ve been working on fixing this major issue, but it seems that it hasn’t yet been totally resolved.

Tip for using eharmony to find a long-term relationship: Use eharmony if you are genuinely ready for commitment. Don’t be afraid to set up dates quickly and emotionally open up earlier than you normally would.

2.) Match

Match.com is a dating site that was launched in 1995, and it has been helping daters find long-term relationships ever since. Match is comforting to a lot of people because it’s so familiar and has pretty much provided the blueprint for other dating sites. Not to mention, it has worked hard to perfect its strategy over the years. There’s even a guarantee that you’ll be dating someone within six months, and if you’re not, they’ll give you six months free of charge! That’s how confident they are.

There are two factors that make Match best for long-term partnerships.

Number one is their matching algorithm. When you sign up, you will be put through a rigorous personality quiz. While it can feel a little cumbersome, know that Match is only doing its job. You’ll be asked about your basic preferences along with some gushy romantic stuff (which is important in a relationship).

Number two is that, though it’s technically a free dating site, most users end up paying $20 per month. Yeah, it’s a lot. But love is an investment you should be making for yourself, right?

Tip for using Match to find a long-term relationship: Match is known for their intense matching algorithm, so take your time with the questionnaire and try to make your profile as detailed as possible.

3.) Zoosk

For some, travel is one of the most important aspects of a relationship. Zoosk takes the concept of online dating and allows users to connect internationally. But this isn’t one of those “fly me out to hookup” sites. Zoosk utilizes behavioral matching to facilitate genuine connections between folks who may live thousands of miles apart. If you want your first date to involve a plane, this app is for you.

Rather than dragging you through a tedious questionnaire, Zoosk synchs up your social media profiles to analyze your behavior. It’s a unique way to determine personality, but arguably more accurate given that it takes your actions into account.

Zoosk is a crowd favorite because it doesn’t try to distract you with any bells and whistles. It’s got a smooth, modern interface that makes international dating feel like a breeze.

Tip for using Zoosk to find a long-term relationship: Clean up your social media profile. Zoosk uses it to determine your matches. Your matches will likely be able to find your socials as well. If you come across as a player, you won’t land a serious relationship.

4.) Friend Finder

Friend Finder is one of the biggest dating communities on the Internet. It has the feel and ease of a social media platform but ultimately aims to set up romantic connections between singles. There’s a wide range of connections to be made on Friend Finder, from the flings to the wedding bells. You are more likely to meet someone who doesn’t want to commit right off the bat, but knows they want to meet someone special. Friend Finder also caters to all genders and sexualities, giving it a really warm and welcoming feel.

The users on Friend Finder tend to be in their 40s, but anyone who is 18+ is welcome to give it a shot. They also take your safety very seriously and run a tight ship as far as regulating profiles and banning fakes, catfish, and bots. You do feel like you’ve got a matchmaker on your side when you use Friend Finder to find a mate.

Because Friend Finder is more of a community than strictly a dating site, there are various ways to meet people and other ways to enjoy the site. For instance, you can take a look at their interest groups and forum pages to learn how users in the community are feeling about Friend Finder and dating in general.

Tip for using Friend Finder to find a long-term relationship: Treat this community like a social media platform rather than strictly a dating app. It will open up the possibilities for you by introducing you to more people!

5.) Bumble

There’s a lot we don’t love about Tinder. The platform allows ghosters and players to run rampant. That’s why Bumble is the perfect alternative for women seeking a serious relationship with a man.

Bumble is swipe-dating with a twist. It’s a free dating app that requires women to break the ice first. If the man doesn’t respond to the initial message within 24 hours, the match goes away. It’s one of the first dating apps to really hold daters accountable for their ability to follow through. Flakiness doesn’t survive on Bumble.

The women-message-first concept also combats those incessant creepy messages that ladies on dating apps are used to getting. While the profiles are limited and there’s no major questionnaire, the rules laid out by Bumble make it a great environment to start a long-term relationship. Oh, and there’s also an Astrology filter for the horoscope buffs.

Tip for using Bumble to find a long-term relationship: If you are a woman, reach out to all the men that you match with. Remember, they can’t get in touch with you. You need to make the first move before those matches disappear. You swiped right for a reason, right?

6.) Hinge

Many daters cite Hinge as their absolute favorite dating app. While Hinge has introduced a ton of successful couples to each other, the draw to Hinge has more to do with the fact that using the app is fun! The app was originally supposed to match you based on mutual friends you had through social media platforms. But it has evolved since then to be the ultimate icebreaker dating app.

Setting up a Hinge profile takes some time, but it’s entertaining. Once you pick your photos and basic preferences, you can choose through dozens of hilarious or serious prompts to add to the profile. One reads, “A life goal of mine is. . .” while another reads, “We’re the same type of weird if. . .” Hinge users can “heart” someone’s photo or their prompt answer. They can also comment on it, which makes initiating a conversation so much more interesting than on other dating apps.

With engaging profiles and an in-depth matching algorithm, Hinge is the cocktail party that sets the scene for long-term potential. The crowd is generally young, cool, and interested in dating. Its slogan is, “designed to be deleted,” which is kind of awesome!

Tip for using Hinge to find a long-term relationship: Add some humor to your profile by picking funny prompts. This will give your potential matches an icebreaker when they reach out to you.

7.) OKCupid

OKCupid is the woke dating app geared towards socially conscious millennials. It’s been around for a while, but in 2017, OKCupid saw a massive redesign both in aesthetics and operations. Now, it’s incredibly modern and perfect for the liberal-minded dater who is seeking a likeminded partner. With 12 gender identities and 20 sexual orientations to choose from, it’s not hard to see why.

The questionnaire helps to weed out folks who you wouldn’t get along with by asking questions like, “Is contraception morally wrong?” They also get into your sexual preferences and dealbreakers. That’s when the algorithm takes over. At first, it feels a bit like Tinder. That would make sense as the two are owned by the same company, but it takes the more in-depth serious approach that goes beyond swiping based on appearances.

One critique that OKCupid gets is the feature that allows you to message someone who you haven’t matched with yet. They won’t see that message unless you match. While it keeps creepy messages at bay, it also lends itself to a bunch of unanswered messages and a strange feeling of rejection.

Tip for using OKCupid to find a long-term relationship: Don’t bother using this application if you are ultra-conservative. You likely won’t find anyone who meshes with your views. Also, show more than you tell. In other words, pick profile photos that communicate who you are as a person.

8.) The League

If all the apps were personified, The League would be the most narcissistic. To get on the app in the first place, you must apply by submitting your LinkedIn profile, current job status, and what university you attended. So yeah, it’s a little full of itself. However, for people who think that education and job status is a dealbreaker, it’s a nice change of pace from the randomness that apps like Tinder supply.

The League allows you to be very picky with your preferences, even allowing you to select which races you prefer to see. That makes our stomachs turn a little. If you’re willing to ignore the cringeworthy-ness, The League is a pretty decent dating app. It has a high success rate, so we think it deserves a review.

Members span all age groups but tend to be on the younger side. There’s also no way for catfish to get onto this app. You must link both your Facebook and LinkedIn for approval. Unless a catfish is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to land someone, they aren’t going to slip through the cracks on these dating apps.

Tip for using The League to find a long-term relationship: The League tends to be a tough crowd and the app comes across as a little judgmental. You can ease the tension by sending a message to someone who you have something in common with. Perhaps you’ve been to their university, hometown, or have insight about their career choice.

9.) Happn

Some people believe in fate and others believe in the “Proximity Effect.” There’s a strong correlation between proximity and attraction, which Happn takes into account. Rather than setting you up with people who live in a five-mile radius from you, Happn actually matches you with someone you’ve crossed paths with in the past. It’s a neat concept in that it shows you and your match have similar habits and interests. It’s also the most convenient way to date.

We’ll be honest though, there aren’t a ton of people who use Happn, so there might be slim pickings. There have also been reports that the daters you’ve apparently “crossed paths with” are hogwash. This is coming from users who never stepped foot outside of their homes and were told they had a handful of missed connections. However, there are also folks who say the exact opposite.

Regardless of whether or not the proximity feature is a placebo, it sure makes for a nice icebreaker when you finally do go on that first date!

Tip for using Happn to find a long-term relationship: Don’t rely too heavily on the proximity feature. Try to get to know the people who you match with and then decide if you want to meet up with them!

10.) HER

Nearly all dating sites claim to be inclusive of all sexualities and genders; however, many people in the queer community don’t completely agree. Some sites just don’t feel all that welcoming or provide enough options, especially to queer women. Grindr was there for queer men, but what about the ladies? That’s where the app HER comes in. It’s a tailored dating site and community for women in the LGBTQ+ community.

According to their members (currently 4 million and counting), HER is a really fun space. Profiles can get quite detailed with the ability to put your diet preferences (like vegan) on your profile, along with your astrological sign and pronouns. There’s also an entire element of HER that doesn’t really have to do with dating but rather operates as a social media platform and shows you what queer events are going on in your area.

HER is great, but it’s not perfect. In the past, users have reported some glitches that make the user experience a bit frustrating and annoying. However, they are actively working to evolve their functionality in a positive way.

Tip for using HER to find a long-term relationship: HER is all about empowering women and LGBTQ+ dating. Mimic that energy by always shining a positive light while you are chatting with new friends or matches.

11.) Silver Singles

Dating over 50 can be quite a challenge. Many of these online dating apps focus so much energy on catering to millennials that they don’t take time to consider the older daters. Silver Singles is a dating app that’s exclusively for daters who are age 50 and above. Knowing that you’re in the company of others who are your age and looking for love can be really comforting.

Silver Singles takes matching seriously and uses a personality test to break users up into the Big Five personality traits, and then matches you accordingly. There’s an expectation on Silver Singles that the dating is taken seriously, so it’s not for the person looking for something casual. The users who are old enough to be completely over dating games that tend to be consumed by them see this as a benefit.

Tip for using Silver Singles to find a long-term relationship: Make it clear that you are seeking a long-term relationship. You can do this by posting it in your profile or by opening each chat by explaining what you want out of the app. The mature daters will appreciate the transparency.

12.) Coffee Meets Bagel

The concept behind this dating app was to set up a casual online dating experience. It’s likened to grabbing a cup of coffee with someone, but online. The vibe is meant to feel low-key, so that pressure doesn’t get in the way of your dating experience. A Reddit review actually noted that “Coffee Meets Bagel helped me find someone, which I never thought would happen because I am cripplingly introverted.” So, we know it works!

Other dating sites will throw a bunch of options at you, leaving you swiping through tons of photos or scrolling through an indefinite amount of prospects. While this can be nice, it also can deter you from really investing in one person and might make you feel overwhelmed. It’s not exactly the easiest way to make a real connection. That’s why CMB sends you seven options a day that are carefully selected based on their matching algorithm. These matches are called “bagels,” which frankly is a little strange. But hey, we’re not here to judge CMB on anything but their success rate as a dating app. To encourage followthrough, the bagels only last for a week. If you really like someone, you need to reach out.

Another reason why CMB works so well is that the algorithm takes your previous swipes into account when curating the next batch of fresh bagels for you. It learns your trends and preferences based on actual activity rather than just a questionnaire.

Tip for using Coffee Meets Bagel to find a long-term relationship: Give each “bagel” a chance. You might be used to apps that give you tons of options; however, there’s a reason why these bagels were suggested to you. Don’t be afraid to do a deep dive into each of their profiles!

13.) AdultFriendFinder

Ok, so AdultFriendFinder isn’t exactly great for finding your soulmate, but nothing is impossible! The reason it makes the list is that some people like to approach dating in a casual way before getting into anything super serious. Physical intimacy is an essential part of any relationship, and AdultFriendFinder has no problems in that department.

While millennials rely on Tinder to help them find friends-with-benefits, AdultFriendFinder caters to an online dating crowd that’s a tiny bit older. It’s sort of the Tinder for Gen X. Given that there are so many users on AdultFriendFinder, it’s nearly impossible to not find someone interested in talking to you. But be warned—AdultFriendFinder is not for the faint of heart. There’s no telling how raunchy your inbox will get.

AdultFriendFinder is an adult site, so that means explicit photos are welcome and encouraged. You won’t find that on other dating websites. In a time where isolation is more familiar than physical touch, it’s a nice change of pace.

Tip for using AdultFriendFinder to find a long-term relationship: Keep an open mind, sexually. AdultFriendFinder has a lot of raunchy undertones. By going in without judgment, you open yourself up to a world of dating potentials on this site.

14.) Plenty Of Fish

Plenty Of Fish is a popular free dating site, but they’ve been known to have just as many bots as they do genuine users, so that’s why it sits at the bottom. This doesn’t mean that POF doesn’t work. It has been known to foster a ton of successful relationships. There are even some celebs who have found love on POF. It simply might get annoying attempting to dodge the folks who aren’t real.

One of the best aspects of POF is the volume of users. They have so many. Bots aside, even if you live in a small town or rural area, you will find plenty of prospects. Most apps function best in urban cities, but POF does the job well anywhere. Another thing we love is that POF, and all features like unlimited messaging, is totally free.

Because there are so many daters on POF looking for all sorts of relationships, POF has implemented a pretty advanced search feature that allows you to whittle down the crowd. The quality of daters doesn’t seem to be as top-notch as some other apps on this list, but there are definitely some catches who make their way onto the site.

Tip for using Plenty Of Fish to find a long-term relationship: POF is known for having a ton of users. With that in mind, be selective with who you decide to reach out to. Too many options won’t help you land that soulmate you’re after.

Read More

Cannabis has never been more popular in the United States, with an overwhelming number of Americans expressing support for legalization, according to the Pew Research Center. With some 37 states having legalized cannabis for medical use, and sixteen for recreational purposes, more Americans than ever are considering growing their own cannabis.

Buoying this surge further is the 2018 Farm Bill, which helped dramatically boost both cannabis and hemp production in the U.S. Now, demand is higher than ever among Americans looking to grow their own. So, where are they turning? Most likely, to the hundreds if not thousands of cannabis seed banks found online, just a Google search away.

Seed banks, for the uninitiated, are repositories that store seeds to maintain and propagate genetic diversity. Cannabis seed banks online thus provide would-be growers with the seeds they need to get started growing cannabis. The problem, however, is that not all of these are reputable, and there is a wide range in overall quality among these vendors. So many options might leave beginning growers understandably scratching their heads.

Well, that’s where we come in! Today, we’re looking at ten of the very best seed banks from which U.S. citizens—at least in states that have legalized growing your own—can order seeds and start producing their very own cannabis.

Top 10 Cannabis Seed Banks To Buy Cannabis Seeds Online

RankBrandBest For1.Seed SupremeBest overall2.I Love Growing Marijuana (ILGM)Runner-up best3.SeedsmanBest variety4.Crop King SeedsBest for global shipping5.MSNL SeedbankBest delivery6.Quebec Cannabis SeedsBest for promotional offers7.HerbiesBest for convenience8.Ministry of CannabisBest for dependability9.Amsterdam Marijuana SeedsBest for guaranteed delivery10.Weed Seed ExpressBest “new kid on the block”

Click here to go straight to the reviews.

Ranking Criteria

To some extent, your choice of cannabis seed bank will depend on whether they have the strains that you want to grow. We obviously could not consider that in our rankings, as it varies from person to person. Instead, we focused on the following equally important factors.

Quality of Seeds

Perhaps the most important consideration in our rankings is the quality of the seeds. You need high-quality seeds if you want to maximize your chances of successful germination. High-quality seeds also optimize the quality of your plants, including the buds.

Satisfaction Guarantees

For a seed bank to be considered one of the top options, it needs to have a satisfaction guarantee. Even seed banks with a high quality of seeds will occasionally have lower-quality seeds. The best ones acknowledge that this can happen and take steps to remedy any issues customers have. Of course, a satisfaction guarantee also shows that the seed bank in question has a high level of trust in its products.

Discreet Shipping

Even if cannabis is legal in your state, it may not be in the states your package passes through. And there are still some negative connotations and stigma associated with cannabis. Because of this, we prioritize seed banks that use discreet packaging. Many of the best seed banks not only use discreet packaging but also purposely package it to look like something else, like a DVD case or toy.

Why Trust Us

You should feel comfortable taking our advice when it comes to cannabis seed banks. We’ve helped cannabis growers find reputable seed banks online for years. Over this time, we have reviewed most of the largest and most popular stores, along with many of the smaller ones. We have taken the time to thoroughly compare and contrast each based on the above ranking criteria. 

Simply put, our rankings are the result of years of knowledge, experience, and research, along with a careful point-by-point comparison. 

Types of Cannabis Seeds

Autoflower

Autoflowering seeds will begin to flower after two or four weeks of growing. Importantly, growers don’t need to change the light schedule to start and continue the flowering phase of growth. 

Beginner

This refers to seeds that are easy enough for beginners to grow. They tend to be resistant to mold, powdery mildew, disease, and pests. 

CBD Hemp or CBD

These seeds are for plants legally considered hemp. As such, they have less than 0.3% THC. They tend to be higher in CBD, but that is not always the case. 

Fast or Fast Flowering Strains

Fast strains, fast flowering strains, or quick strains reach the flowering phase one or two weeks more quickly than other strains. 

Feminized

Feminized seeds will only produce female plants. This is important as most growers want female plants due to their buds. Feminized seeds save you the hassle of growing seeds and then going through them and removing the males.

High CBD

These are strains that are particularly high in CBD concentration. What each seed bank considers to be high CBD varies. 

High THC

These are strains with higher-than-average concentrations of THC. As with high CBD strains, the definition of high THC depends on the seed bank. 

High Yield

High-yield strains produce more buds for every square meter. They let you get the most buds in the smallest amount of space. 

Hybrids

Hybrids have genetics that combine indica and sativa strains. 

Indica

One of the two main categories of cannabis strains, indicas tend to have full-body effects. The plants tend to be short and stocky, featuring broad, wide, and chunky leaves. They grow more quickly and produce more buds than sativa. They tend to have higher CBD levels without sacrificing THC levels. 

Indoor

These seeds excel at growing indoors. They are ideal for anyone looking to grow inside a greenhouse or other space. 

Low or Extra-Low THC

These are strains with lower THC levels. Remember that what qualifies as “low” or “extra-low” will vary by seed bank. The THC will typically still be above 0.3%; otherwise, the plant would be hemp. 

Mix and Match or Mixed Packs 

This refers to when seedbanks sell packages of multiple types of seeds. They are ideal if you want variety in your growing.

Outdoor

These seeds flourish only when grown outdoors, so they are not ideal for indoor growers. You should only consider them if you have ample outdoor growing space. 

Photoperiod 

Unless otherwise specified, all cannabis seeds are photoperiod, with autoflowering seeds being a notable exception. Photoperiod seeds require you to change the lighting conditions for the seeds to enter and maintain the flowering phase. 

Regular 

Regular cannabis seeds contrast with feminized seeds. They include both male and female seeds. This means that you have to grow all of the seeds and wait for them to reach the stage where you can tell whether they are male or female. Then, you can remove the males and continue growing the females. You must do so promptly, however, or you risk your female seeds becoming fertilized. 

Sativa 

Sativa is the other major category of cannabis strains. They tend to deliver a mind high, reducing anxiety or energizing the user. They grow tall and thin, and their leaves are finger-like. They take longer to mature compared to indica and tend to have less CBD and more THC. 

1.) Seed Supreme — Best Overall (*Top Pick August 2022*)

Seed Supreme is our best overall pick for a variety of reasons. For one, not only do they accept cryptocurrency, like many of the other seed banks featured here, they even have special discounts for Bitcoin. This makes it an appealing choice in particular for Bitcoin holders, as they can save quite a good bit of money.

In terms of the other usual suspects, Seed Supreme excels. If you’re specifically looking for autoflower and feminized seeds, Seed Supreme is the right seed bank. The quality is second to none.

Pros

Quality seeds
Discounts (up to 30 percent!) for paying in Bitcoin
Above-average strain variety
Loyalty rewards program

Cons

Lacking in customer service

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized

2.) I Love Growing Marijuana (ILGM) — Runner-up best

ILGM is a quality seed bank with a well earned reputation. In addition to fantastic customer service and a wide variety of seeds to choose from, they also provide tons of sales and discounts while educating customers through an extensive library of growing resources.

As far as their seeds, the quality is excellent and, importantly, backed by a germination guarantee. They have a variety of classic cannabis strains as well as some you may have never heard of before. As far as safety, ILGM has an extremely solid reputation and their customer service easily competes with the best out there. In fact, on TrustPilot they have more than 4,000 user reviews with an average rating of 4.8/5.

Considering how reputable ILGM is, coupled with an extensive collection of top-quality seeds, it was not at all difficult to select them toward the top of our list. The only real downside—and it’s a minor one—with ILGM is that it will cost a pretty penny if you want tracked shipping, as it costs $25 (compared to their standard shipping, which is free).

Pros

Monthly deals and promos
Extremely reputable and highly rated
Germination guarantee (money back)
Discreet packaging
Free standard shipping
Features all the best-known strains
Growing resources and 24/7 support

Cons

Delivery with tracking will set you back $25

Seeds Offered

Beginner, High THC, High Yield, CBD Hemp, Autoflower, Indoor, Outdoor, Sativa, Indica 

3.) Seedsman — Best Overall Variety

Seedsman—true to its name—offers an amazing variety of seeds, many of which are top quality. Whether you’re after feminized seeds, auto-flowering seeds, or rare seed strains, Seedsman will almost certainly have you covered. OG Kush, White Widow, Purple Haze, Girl Scout Cookies—they’ve got all your favorites.

Another nice aspect of Seedsman is they tend to give out a lot of free seeds when buying in bulk. So if that’s you, you’ll reap some additional seeds by going through Seedsman. They also offer worldwide shipping, which makes them a solid option if you’re outside of the U.S.

Although Seedsman is one of our top picks overall, thanks in particular to its extensive seed variety, it does lose some points due to its questionable customer service and somewhat clunky website.

Pros

Worldwide shipping
Massive seed variety
Free seeds with bulk purchases

Cons

Subpar customer support

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, Regular, Fast strains

4.) Crop King Seeds — Best for International Customers

Crop King Seeds gets points for its easy-to-use site—some of its competitors still feature clunky sites, which can be unappealing to the modern cannabis grower, skewing younger every year. Crop King Seeds also wins points for being a beginner-friendly site, with germination guides to help you grow (literally!).

With a massive variety of strains, Crop King has received thousands of positive reviews for its seeds, and its reviews are regulated, helping keep out biased or paid reviewers and showing you who are regular customers. Their reviews frequently indicate high germination rates, from 80 to even 100 percent.

To help narrow your choices, use the site’s filters to find what’s best for you. Crop King is also reasonable in terms of shipping, with $10 and $30 for regular and express, respectively, plus free shipping on orders over $300.

Pros

Germination rate of 80 percent or more
Special review system
Germination guides
Helpful infographics
Free shipping for larger ($300+) orders
Global shipping

Cons

No free shipping
One- to two-week shipping time is among the slowest
Targeted to beginners, which might turn off more experienced growers

Seeds Offered

Feminized, Regular, Autoflower, Mix and Match, CBD

5.) MSNL Seedbank — Best For Quickest Delivery

MSNL has been in the game for a long time and is definitely among the most reliable seed banks out there. It also offers one of the fastest processing and shipping times, so if you need seeds right away, MSNL should be at the top of your list.

This reputable seed bank also runs frequent promos, enabling you to save some money (especially over the long haul). Although they have a great range of male and female seeds to order from, MSNL does lose some points due to its lack of a germination guarantee.

One thing that does keep it toward the top of our list is its lightning fast and discreet shipping, which has helped make it one of the most popular seed banks online. Another nice feather in MSNL’s cap is the fact that their seeds have won High Times and Cannabis Cups.

Pros

Fast and discreet shipping
Lot of promos/freebies
Solid strain variety

Cons

Subpar customer support
No germination guarantees

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, Regular, High CBD

6.) Quebec Cannabis Seeds — Best Deals

Quebec Cannabis Seeds is a great seed bank overall, but particularly if you live in the U.S., as its proximity makes for quick deliveries compared to some other seed banks.

Although Quebec Cannabis Seeds lacks the variety of many of the other seed banks on this list, it helps make up for it in a variety of ways—namely, fast delivery, awesome discounts, and high-quality seeds. They’re an especially good choice if you’re on a budget, as their weekly discounts offer big savings—sometimes up to 50 percent, although often in the still-great 10-25 percent range.

A few other things about this French-Canadian seed bank: It carries a germination guarantee but also has a no-return policy, which seem to kind of cancel each other out, and it also allows for payment in USD—so no need to do any conversions, but be mindful of their 3.8 percent credit card fee.

Pros

Germination guarantees
Weekly discounts
Fast deliveries to the U.S.

Cons

No return policy

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, Outdoor, CBD, Mixed Packs

7.) Herbies — Best for Convenience

Herbies also makes our list in large part thanks to its site’s convenient layout. It’s really easy to navigate and figuring out what’s discounted and what’s highly rated is a breeze, thanks to their intuitive, color-coded system.

In addition, Herbies also shares many similarities with the other seed banks listed here in that it has a wide range of top-quality seeds. They also have reliably quick processing and shipping, which can be really important when you’re trying to get a grow operation underway quickly.

Thanks to how easy the Herbies site is to navigate, as well as its solid value in terms of variety, quality, and shipping, it easily makes our list of the best overall online seed banks. Unfortunately, like a fair number of seed banks online, its customer support is sorely lacking.

Pros

Easy-to-navigate website
Reliable and fast shipping
Top-quality seeds

Cons

Weak customer support

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, Regular, Photoperiod, Fast flowering, High THC, Extra-low THX, High Yield, High CBD, Beginners, Indoor, Outdoor, Indica, Sativa

8.) Ministry of Cannabis — Best for Reliability

Ministry of Cannabis is super reliable, which has helped it gain a lot of happy customers, even though it lacks the number of promos offered by many other seed banks. This seed bank tends to attract serious customers because they have a unique feature: rotating seed stocks.

This attention to the freshness of their seed supply helps make Ministry of Cannabis one of the most reliable seed banks out there. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to get bunk seeds. Another feature that helps them win “best dependability” is their above-average customer support.

Overall, Ministry of Cannabis is a solid choice, even if we’d appreciate seeing more promos offered like many of its competitors. Their fresh supply of seeds is probably why they feel as if they can get away with not having a germination guarantee like many other seed banks.

Pros

Solid variety
Fresh seed supply
Reliable customer support

Cons

No germination guarantees
Few promos

Seeds Offered

Feminized, Autoflower, CBD

9.) Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds — Best for Prompt Delivery

Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds insists on having top-notch quality. Although it may lack some of the seed variety of its competitors, you’re guaranteed to receive seeds of the highest quality, making it one of the more reliable suppliers for serious growers.

Another aspect that helps it win “best guaranteed delivery” is the fact that customers have claimed that their orders were guaranteed, even in the event that customs confiscated their packages. This helps make up for the fact that Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds has one of the slowest shipping speeds on this list. This stings a little less though if you’re on a tight budget, as shipping is free.

Pros

Free shipping
Highest quality seeds
Guaranteed orders

Cons

Slow shipping speeds

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, Indoor, Outdoor, High CBD, High THC, Indica, Sativa, Hybrids

10.) Weed Seeds Express — Best New Bank

Every industry has its up and comers and, over time, some of them even manage to supplant the oldest, most well-established companies. Weed Seeds Express might just accomplish this tough feat.

Why? Because they are proving themselves to be one of the most reliable seed banks online, with fast, discreet shipping and a huge variety of high-quality seeds. They also ship worldwide and boast a lot of promos.

The only thing holding back Weed Seeds from claiming one of our top spots is the fact that it’s simply really new to the industry. As long as it continues to do what it’s doing, it will no doubt establish a great reputation and continue to grow (yes, pun intended).

Pros

Frequent promos
Stealthy worldwide shipping
Top-quality seeds

Cons

New on the block

Seeds Offered

Autoflower, Feminized, High CBD

Cannabis Seed Bank FAQ

Q: Is it illegal to buy cannabis seeds in the U.S.? A: Yes and no. That just depends on where you are! Since each state has their own specific laws, and cannabis has not yet been fully decriminalized/legalized on a federal level (although it’s looking more likely than ever), it depends on your specific state. That said, seed banks usually use an antiquated law to help surmount legal hurdles and conduct their business. This works, in essence, by framing the seeds as either a souvenir or fish bait/bird food. You can see disclaimers about this on their websites.

Q: Which seed banks have the best genetics? A: The award here goes to the seed banks that have built a great reputation for delivering high-quality seeds: Seedsman, Crop King Seeds, and Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds. These banks, it would seem, test their seeds to ensure that the strains are of the highest quality. Stick to these three if acquiring top-quality seeds is your main preference.

Q: Does it matter how I pay for my seeds? A: Once again, it depends. Many seed banks actually offer discounts for crypto payments because of the discreet, decentralized nature of how cryptocurrency transactions function. While most accept credit cards, which does offer you some protection through your credit card company, many have a strong preference for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Two that offer discounts for Bitcoin payments are Seed Supreme and I Love Growing Marijuana. With these two, it can definitely add up to solid savings—assuming that Bitcoin doesn’t eventually skyrocket in price one day (clearly this is another factor in the acceptance of Bitcoin by many seed banks).

Q: What’s “stealth shipping” and why should I care? A: The last thing anyone wants is to have issues with their order in terms of customs/government involvement. As such, it’s nice to order from a seed bank that guarantees discreet shipping. A common method is to include other, inexpensive items with the seeds, such as DVD cases. This helps the package seem less suspicious. Another way to keep a low profile is to resist the urge for expedited delivery or a delivery option that requires your signature.

Q: Which seed banks offer worldwide shipping? A: Weed Seeds Express, Seedsman, and Crop King Seeds. These will need to be your first choices if you live outside of the U.S.

Tips for Using a Cannabis Seed Bank

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your seed bank shopping experience:

Browse a number of different sites so that you can take advantage of any special promos that might be going on.
Check to make sure that the site has the payment option that you prefer to use (particularly if you are looking to pay via cryptocurrency).
Make sure that they ship to your country/state.
Check for a “germination guarantee” and, if they don’t have one, investigate their return policies and customer support. You want to make sure that you protect yourself the best you can.

Wrapping Up

We’ve put together this list carefully to ensure that you go about your cannabis seed shopping in a safe way and don’t get ripped off. So, any one of these should do the trick just fine. Ultimately, what it comes down to is your specific preferences—for example, shipping time, location, payment method, reliability, seed variety, etc. Factor these in so that you make the choice that’s best for you.

That said, you can’t really go wrong with one of the most well-established seed banks such as I Love Growing Marijuana or MSNL Seedbank.

No matter what you choose, happy growing!

Read More

Death is an often unwelcome teacher. It descends into our lives suddenly, without warning, or takes its sweet time. No matter when it finds us, Grief is right behind Death, bringing myriad reactions that we do not always see coming. Such is life for Jess in Emily Schwend’s A Mile in the Dark, when Jess and her father Roger must deal with the sudden death of Carol, Jess’s beloved stepmother. 

A Mile in the DarkThrough 12/11: Thu-Fri 8 PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; also Mon 11/28 8 PM and Wed 12/7 8 PM, no performances Sat 11/19 and Thu 11/24; Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge, 773-334-7728, interrobangtheatreproject.org or rivendelltheatre.org, $35 ($25 seniors; limited number of pay what you can tickets at each performance)

Schwend’s play, making its world premiere with Interrobang and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, is 90 minutes of sideways glances, awkward silences, and stumbling words. While that series of events can be the harbinger of death for most live theater, those moments of discomfort are Schwend’s bread and butter as a storyteller. Death is messy, so it is fitting that the fallout is just as uncomfortable. This keen playwright has a tight grip on naturalism that few dare to approach. 

Director Georgette Verdin’s ensemble cast meticulously assembles this slice-of-life drama into moments so many would wish away. Liz Sharpe as distanced childhood friend Kayla rounds out the bristling moments between Roger (a varied Keith Kupferer) and perfectly pensive Laura Berner Taylor as Jess. As Jess tries to piece together the final moments of her stepmother’s life, we observe with bated breath the most uncomfortable realization: that we never really know someone. 

Read More

For immediate releaseNovember 2022

The Reader Institute for Community Journalism, which operates the 51-year-old newspaper, Chicago Reader, has announced its board of directors and officers for 2023. 

RICJ’s current chairperson Eileen Rhodes, has been re-elected, along with secretary Kim L. Hunt. New board member Reese Marcusson has been elected treasurer. Returning at-large board members are Alison Cuddy, Vanessa Fernandez, and Robert Reiter. New at-large members are Daniel Dever, Matt Doubleday, Torrence Gardner, and Christina Crawford Steed. Officers serve for one year while at-large members serve in staggered two-year terms.

“I am very excited about the addition of five well-qualified board members,” said Rhodes. “This has been a very heavy lift for our team, transforming the Reader into a nonprofit in 2022, after more than two years of pandemic-fueled economic challenges. We have added experience in finance, governance, fundraising, community engagement, and marketing. 

The board has engaged The Morten Group to assist in its search for a new CEO and publisher. The current president and publisher, Tracy Baim, will step down once new leadership is onboarded. Baim, who was hired in fall 2018 when the Reader was two days from being shut down, has transformed the paper’s revenue streams, avoided layoffs during the pandemic, and diversified staff during her tenure. She has also helped uplift the city’s media ecosystem with RICJ’s Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA) project, and successfully transitioned the organization into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Officers

At-large members

Read More

The early part of the 2022-23 NBA season has been a welcomed fresh start for a number of surprise players looking to add some hardware to their r?sum?s.

While there is still plenty of season left, a handful of players have hopped into the driver’s seats for the NBA’s biggest accolades so far.

After a down season riddled by injuries in 2021-22, Luka Doncic has jolted to an early lead in this year’s MVP race with career-best and league-leading offensive stats, and is doing it all with seemingly less help from the rest of his Dallas Mavericks team than in previous years. Still, Doncic will have some stiff competition to fend off down the stretch with the likes of Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up some eye-catching numbers themselves.

Meanwhile, it’s still early for this year’s rookie class, but it’s looking like a tall task for any other first-year player to catch Paolo Banchero in the Rookie of the Year race. Banchero put up at least 20 points in each of his first six games, which included a stretch of back-to-back 30-point performances.

The Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards all feature close races so far, but there is time for other contenders to hop into the conversation and for current contenders to separate themselves as well.

Here’s a look at who the ESPN experts believe have already made a case for the NBA’s biggest accolades this season:

Who is your way-too-early pick for MVP?

Nick Friedell: Luka Doncic. He carries the Mavericks every night and seems to have less help around him than he did last season. He also figures to have the narrative on his side this year given that Giannis Antetokounmpo already won the award in 2019 and 2020.

Kendra Andrews: Stephen Curry. The one knock against him is that the Warriors are struggling to produce wins as a team, sitting just outside of the play-in picture at 12th in the West. But there is no denying the level at which Curry has started the season. He has scored at least 30 points in 10 of his 14 games played this season, including 50 in a loss to Phoenix on Wednesday. Earlier this month, Curry was the oldest player to register consecutive 40-point games since Michael Jordan in 2002.

2 Related

Ohm Youngmisuk: Antetokounmpo looks like he’s on a mission. He scored 30 or more points in six straight games — including 44- and 43-point performances. But the most important statistic was the Bucks starting the season 9-0.

Tim MacMahon: Doncic has a slight lead over Antetokounmpo, who has missed a few games, which isn’t a major issue in the long run, but it’s a quarter of the season so far. Meanwhile, Doncic is more dominant than ever, leading the league in scoring (34.4 points per game) with career-best efficiency (60% true shooting).

Andrew Lopez: Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics had quite the curveball thrown at them to start the season, but they haven’t missed a beat with Joe Mazzulla at the helm. Tatum has been a big part of that, averaging a career-best 31.1 points per game. No Celtics player has ever averaged 30 points per game over an entire season. Tatum doing that and keeping the Celtics near the top of the East gives him the early nod here.

Who is your way-too-early pick for Defensive Player of the Year?

Friedell: Jarrett Allen. The Cavs are rolling, and Allen at center is a major reason. He’s a force down low and has become a focal point of one of the most impressive teams in the league.

Andrews: Milwaukee is leading the league in defense right now, and at the center of it all is Brook Lopez. Lopez is leading the league in total blocks with 35, and his presence in the paint is impacting the way opponents have to play the Bucks. Opponents are taking just 21.2% of their shots at the rim against Milwaukee, which is the lowest in the league, according to Second Spectrum Tracking. And of those shots, they’re hitting just 64%.

Youngmisuk: Lopez is on a helluva run. He already has nine games of two or more blocks, including three games with five or more blocks. He leads the league in blocks with 35 and could very well hold on to this lead.

LeBron James is on track to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leader in regular-season points this season. We’ll have complete coverage all year long.

o Game-by-game points trackero A lack of shooters is affecting LeBrono LeBron, KD and the sign of changeo LeBron’s chase for other milestones

MacMahon: Lopez. The Bucks have the stingiest defense by a significant margin, and Milwaukee has a few candidates in Antetokounmpo, perimeter stopper Jrue Holiday and Lopez. I’ll go with Lopez in part because Milwaukee was in the middle of the pack defensively last season when he barely played because of injury. The Bucks allow only 96.9 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the floor — the lowest among their dominant defensive trio.

Lopez: The Bucks are first the NBA with a 104.9 defensive rating — more than three points better than second-place (LA Clippers, at 107.4). The Bucks could have three Defensive Player of the Year candidates in any given season — Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Lopez — but let’s give love to Lopez for his start to the season. Lopez is second in the league in blocks per game (2.5) and top five in stocks (44 combined steals and blocks).

Who is your way-too-early pick for Rookie of the Year?

Friedell: Paolo Banchero. He’s making the Magic relevant again, matching the kind of numbers that only Shaquille O’Neal put up as a rookie in a Magic jersey. He’s the guy. There is no other option if he stays healthy.

Andrews: Banchero, almost no contest. He’s averaging 23.5 points per game after six consecutive 20-point games to start the year, and registering at least 30 points in his past two games. He’s proving he was the correct No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and can be the centerpiece the Magic have been waiting for.

Youngmisuk: There’s so much to be impressed about with Banchero. From starting his career by scoring 20 or more in his first six games to back-to-back games with 30 or more points in each, Banchero looks like the runaway Rookie of the Year. Only injury can seemingly slow him down as an ankle injury sidelined him recently.

MacMahon: Banchero, and this one is pretty easy. He’s leading all rookies in scoring and rebounding, and he ranks second in assists. He’s more than living up to being the No. 1 overall pick and looks the part of the long-term franchise centerpiece the Magic so desperately need. Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin is the only other real challenger in the Rookie of the Year race so far.

WednesdayCeltics-Hawks, 7:30 p.m.Warriors-Suns, 10 p.m.

FridayBucks-76ers, 7:30 p.m.Knicks-Warriors, 10 p.m.

*All times Eastern

Lopez: Banchero is running away with this award. He started the season with six consecutive 20-point games, which is tied for the third most to start a career in NBA history behind only Elvin Hayes (10) and Wilt Chamberlain (56). Banchero has very much looked the part of the No. 1 pick in the draft while averaging 23.5 points per game early in the season.

Who is your way-too-early pick for Most Improved Player?

Friedell: Lauri Markkanen. The Jazz have been the biggest surprise in the league early in the season — and Markkanen is a huge reason. The 25-year-old took the momentum he gained from leading Finland in EuroBasket and has been rolling early in the season averaging a career-high 21.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game.

Andrews: Even after spending just half of a season with the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton‘s play and numbers started to jump from the first half of the year. And now getting to start the season with Indiana, he’s primed to keep growing. He’s already averaging 20.6 points per game with a career-best 49.2% shooting percentage and is leading the league in assists (10.4).

Youngmisuk: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has forced his way into the discussion for Most Improved Player. We already knew how good he is, or so we thought. Gilgeous-Alexander has taken his game to another level to start the season, averaging 32.3 points per game. He was seventh in scoring through his first 11 games. While he has increased his scoring every subsequent season from the previous year, this year’s jump has been dramatic. He has increased his scoring average by six points per game and is shooting career highs of 54.6% from the field and 90.6% (up from 81%) from the line. But he’s also getting it done on defense, too, averaging career highs of 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks. We’ll see if he can keep this up and if Oklahoma City will give him the opportunity to play in enough games to win this award or if they tank toward the end of the season.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

MacMahon: Desmond Bane, who actually owns the Most Improved Player trophy from last season, which Ja Morant won but gifted to his Memphis backcourt mate because he believed Bane deserved it. Bane has followed that up by making another massive leap, putting himself in the early All-Star conversation. Bane came into the league as a pure catch-and-shoot threat but now has developed into an all-around scorer. The majority of his 3s come off the dribble now, and he’s shooting at a 45.1% clip from long range.

Lopez: With a full season in Indiana under his belt, Haliburton is starting to take off. Haliburton is averaging 20.6 points and a league-best 10.4 assists per game. He’s also shooting a career-best 42.4% from 3-point range on seven attempts per game. Ever since he was dealt to Indiana last season, Haliburton has thrived and this year in the full-time point guard role, he’s looking even more comfortable.

Who is your way-too-early pick for Sixth Man of the Year?

Friedell: Malcolm Brogdon. On paper, the fit between Brogdon and the Celtics was there from the beginning. The key for Brogdon was to stay on the floor and be a calming veteran influence the group needed. So far, so good. Brogdon has been solid, averaging almost 14 points per game and helping the Celtics get off to a nice start.

Andrews: Brogdon has been a dream fit for the Celtics, especially their second unit. The one concern for Brogdon is his health. He missed Boston’s past two games because of a hamstring injury, but if he can stay on the court and maintain his production level he could take this award.

Youngmisuk: Brogdon has been a great fit coming off the bench, providing some scoring, playmaking and defense for the Celtics. If he can stay healthy, Brogdon should be a finalist for the award.

Get access to exclusive original series, premium articles from our NBA insiders, the full 30 for 30 library and more. Sign up now to unlock everything ESPN+ has to offer.

MacMahon: Bennedict Mathurin is the early Rookie of the Year runner-up. He leads all bench scorers in scoring (19.9 points per game) and has done it efficiently (63% true shooting) with a blend of acrobatics and long-range marksmanship. Cleveland’s Kevin Love, who ranks among the league leaders in plus-minus, deserves strong consideration, too.

Lopez: Dallas forward Christian Wood got off to a hot start to the season with three consecutive 20-point games. Wood has put up three double-doubles off the bench so far and has been the Mavericks’ third-leading scorer this season behind Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie, putting up 16.7 points per game. He has also been the team’s second-leading rebounder, trailing Doncic, at 7.5 a game. The Mavericks lost the two games Wood missed this season to the Magic and Wizards. With him on the court, they’re 8-4.

Read More

Alice Childress’s Trouble in Mind made its off-Broadway debut in 1955, but it never made the leap to the Great White Way (emphasis most definitely on “White”). The white producers demanded that Childress give her story about racism in the American theater a happier ending depicting racial harmony. (Pause for irony.) Childress refused at first, but out of concern for the paychecks of the off-Broadway cast and crew, she reluctantly gave in. But when it was optioned for Broadway—with the further demand that she retitle it So Early Monday Morning—she decided her integrity was worth more than being the first Black woman playwright to make it to Broadway. So that honor went instead in 1959 to Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun.

Given that the current off-Broadway revival of Hansberry’s classic has sparked its own controversy in the form of star Tonya Pinkins’s very public excoriation of New York Times critic Jesse Green, TimeLine’s production of Trouble in Mind, directed by Ron OJ Parson, feels particularly timely. Among other things, Pinkins called out Green for missing the central thrust of Robert O’Hara’s production, which explicitly places the emphasis on the women around Walter Lee Younger. Pinkins wrote, “There is zero irony in the fact that this first production of Lorraine’s play to be done as a protest play which centers the women as Lorraine intended would be misunderstood and panned by the New York Times.” (Filipina American actor Sara Porkalob, currently starring in the Broadway revival of 1776, also talked about what she perceived as the racial failings of that production in a controversial interview in New York Magazine earlier this fall; she later apologized for some of her comments.)

Trouble in Mind Through 12/18: Wed-Sat 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Tue 11/22 2 PM and Fri 11/25 4 PM, no shows Wed-Thu 11/23-11/24, Tue 11/22 and Fri 12/2 socially distanced performances, Fri 12/9 and Sat 12/10 4 PM open captions, Fri 12/16 audio description; TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington, 773-281-8463 x6, timelinetheatre.com, $42-$57 (35 percent student discount; $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family)

The sad truth is that Childress’s story of Black actors forced to negotiate making a living by walking into the dramatic minefield of racial stereotypes (and suffering the further indignity of white “allies” pretending that those stereotypes “humanize” the plight of Black Americans) could fit into any year since she penned it. (Childress was married for a time to Alvin Childress, a veteran of the Federal Theater Project and American Negro Theater who starred as Amos in the television version of The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, so she had a front-row seat for the ways Black actors in the 1950s had to assimilate to make the leap to mainstream acceptance.) It could still be timely some decades hence, if we don’t start seriously addressing the institutional racism, hypocrisy, and micro-and macroaggresions that run rampant in both commercial and nonprofit theater (as the 2020 We See You White American Theater manifesto laid out).

Childress’s play finally did get a Broadway production last year (with the original ending), winning four Tony Award nominations. But the playwright, who died at 77 in 1994, never saw it. She also never enjoyed the success Hansberry achieved (though Hansberry lived not even half as long as Childress). Even talking about these two women in parallel can feel like feeding a toxic narrative: as Childress once observed, “I just hate to see the ‘first’ Negro, the ‘first’ Black, the ‘first’ one. It’s almost like it’s an honor rather than a disgrace. We should be the 50th and the 1,000th by this point.”

The play-within-the-play in Childress’s story is a melodramatic hunk of tripe entitled Chaos in Belleville, and it’s about a Black family of sharecroppers in the south whose son, the symbolically named “Job,” faces a lynch mob when he insists on voting. It’s of course written by a white man, and directed by another. And it’s the conflict primarily between that director and star Wiletta Mayer, who plays the mother, that drives the narrative.

Wiletta has spent a lifetime playing maids and mammies, and she jokes with the younger Black actress Millie Davis about how, between them, they’ve played “every flower in the garden, and every jewel.” Sure enough, their characters’ names in the play are Ruby and Petunia, respectively. Initially, though, Wiletta mostly keeps her complaints away from the ears of pettish white director Al Manners, preferring to counsel newcomer John Nevins (who plays Job) about how to survive amid the scarce pickings for Black performers. (One of the funniest bits of advice she gives is for him to tell everyone he was one of the children in the original production of Porgy and Bess—a ruse that seems to pay off when the white people all act with knowing recognition upon hearing the lie.)

But as Manners pushes his own toxic dumbed-down version of Method acting on Wiletta, and as she increasingly feels frustrated by the offensive unbelievability of the story, sparks begin to fly. There’s a difference between a regular old stinkeroo of a play, and one that, like Belleville, presents a Black woman willing to sacrifice her own son, and Wiletta knows that difference too well to give in.

TimeLine’s production stars Shariba Rivers as Wiletta, and it’s a stunning performance that should not be missed. Rivers, to me, has always been an intensely watchable and interesting presence on stage, no matter the material, and it’s a pure joy to see her move here with nimble leaps from sardonic asides to anguished take-no-prisoners confrontations with Tim Decker’s Manners. (In a twist of ironic nomenclature, the director’s a man with no manners whatsoever, and damned little self-awareness, though he apparently chugs self-pity by the gallon.) 

Her interplay with the other Black actors in the backstage setting (captured with careful detail by scenic designer Caitlin McLeod and properties designer Jennifer Wernau) runs from maternal warmth with Vincent Jordan’s Nevins to conspiratorial sisterhood with Tarina J. Bradshaw’s Millie to old-married-folks ease with Kenneth D. Johnson’s Sheldon Forrester. Forrester seems the most malleable of the ensemble, but he stops everyone in their tracks with his story of witnessing a lynching as a child. 

The white actors in the show—Jordan Ashley Griers’s Judy Sears, a Yale drama grad who is apparently piquing the physical interest of Manners, and Guy Van Swearingen’s neurotic character actor Bill O’Wray—predictably fail to stand up for Wiletta. Bill, who plays the white landowner in Belleville, doesn’t even like to eat lunch with his Black castmates. The director’s assistant, Eddie Fenton (Adam Shalzi), cringes whenever Manners aims his wrath at him. 

But everyone else is also terrified of losing their job, especially Sheldon, who seems on the verge of homelessness. (Judy’s worst problem is that she might have to move back to her parents’ comfortable Connecticut home.) Millie’s nice duds (eye-catching costumes across the board by Christine Pascual) can’t make up for the fact that she and her husband, who works for the railroad, are also on a constant financial knife’s edge. Indeed, the only person who seems immune to Manners’s rages is old stagehand Henry (Charles Stransky), who relishes memories of past theatrical triumphs (including seeing Wiletta in a musical revue, the details of which he remembers with pinpoint precision, much to her delight).

How do you make meaningful change when the people who are “allowing” you to participate in grotesque versions of your own stories hold such power over you? How can you achieve collaboration with people who tell you they want to help you, but turn on you the moment their own authority is questioned? (“You’re great until you start thinking,” Decker’s Manners tells Rivers’s Wiletta at one point—and he seems to believe he’s given her a generous compliment.) That’s the urgent conundrum threaded throughout the heart of Trouble in Mind. Parson’s funny but wrenching production places us up close to these characters as they wrestle with their consciences and each other. The trouble Childress anatomized in her play is still very much in mind, playing out on- and offstage with depressing regularity.

Read More

Alice Childress’s Trouble in Mind made its off-Broadway debut in 1955, but it never made the leap to the Great White Way (emphasis most definitely on “White”). The white producers demanded that Childress give her story about racism in the American theater a happier ending depicting racial harmony. (Pause for irony.) Childress refused at first, but out of concern for the paychecks of the off-Broadway cast and crew, she reluctantly gave in. But when it was optioned for Broadway—with the further demand that she retitle it So Early Monday Morning—she decided her integrity was worth more than being the first Black woman playwright to make it to Broadway. So that honor went instead in 1959 to Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun.

Given that the current off-Broadway revival of Hansberry’s classic has sparked its own controversy in the form of star Tonya Pinkins’s very public excoriation of New York Times critic Jesse Green, TimeLine’s production of Trouble in Mind, directed by Ron OJ Parson, feels particularly timely. Among other things, Pinkins called out Green for missing the central thrust of Robert O’Hara’s production, which explicitly places the emphasis on the women around Walter Lee Younger. Pinkins wrote, “There is zero irony in the fact that this first production of Lorraine’s play to be done as a protest play which centers the women as Lorraine intended would be misunderstood and panned by the New York Times.” (Filipina American actor Sara Porkalob, currently starring in the Broadway revival of 1776, also talked about what she perceived as the racial failings of that production in a controversial interview in New York Magazine earlier this fall; she later apologized for some of her comments.)

Trouble in Mind Through 12/18: Wed-Sat 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Tue 11/22 2 PM and Fri 11/25 4 PM, no shows Wed-Thu 11/23-11/24, Tue 11/22 and Fri 12/2 socially distanced performances, Fri 12/9 and Sat 12/10 4 PM open captions, Fri 12/16 audio description; TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington, 773-281-8463 x6, timelinetheatre.com, $42-$57 (35 percent student discount; $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family)

The sad truth is that Childress’s story of Black actors forced to negotiate making a living by walking into the dramatic minefield of racial stereotypes (and suffering the further indignity of white “allies” pretending that those stereotypes “humanize” the plight of Black Americans) could fit into any year since she penned it. (Childress was married for a time to Alvin Childress, a veteran of the Federal Theater Project and American Negro Theater who starred as Amos in the television version of The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, so she had a front-row seat for the ways Black actors in the 1950s had to assimilate to make the leap to mainstream acceptance.) It could still be timely some decades hence, if we don’t start seriously addressing the institutional racism, hypocrisy, and micro-and macroaggresions that run rampant in both commercial and nonprofit theater (as the 2020 We See You White American Theater manifesto laid out).

Childress’s play finally did get a Broadway production last year (with the original ending), winning four Tony Award nominations. But the playwright, who died at 77 in 1994, never saw it. She also never enjoyed the success Hansberry achieved (though Hansberry lived not even half as long as Childress). Even talking about these two women in parallel can feel like feeding a toxic narrative: as Childress once observed, “I just hate to see the ‘first’ Negro, the ‘first’ Black, the ‘first’ one. It’s almost like it’s an honor rather than a disgrace. We should be the 50th and the 1,000th by this point.”

The play-within-the-play in Childress’s story is a melodramatic hunk of tripe entitled Chaos in Belleville, and it’s about a Black family of sharecroppers in the south whose son, the symbolically named “Job,” faces a lynch mob when he insists on voting. It’s of course written by a white man, and directed by another. And it’s the conflict primarily between that director and star Wiletta Mayer, who plays the mother, that drives the narrative.

Wiletta has spent a lifetime playing maids and mammies, and she jokes with the younger Black actress Millie Davis about how, between them, they’ve played “every flower in the garden, and every jewel.” Sure enough, their characters’ names in the play are Ruby and Petunia, respectively. Initially, though, Wiletta mostly keeps her complaints away from the ears of pettish white director Al Manners, preferring to counsel newcomer John Nevins (who plays Job) about how to survive amid the scarce pickings for Black performers. (One of the funniest bits of advice she gives is for him to tell everyone he was one of the children in the original production of Porgy and Bess—a ruse that seems to pay off when the white people all act with knowing recognition upon hearing the lie.)

But as Manners pushes his own toxic dumbed-down version of Method acting on Wiletta, and as she increasingly feels frustrated by the offensive unbelievability of the story, sparks begin to fly. There’s a difference between a regular old stinkeroo of a play, and one that, like Belleville, presents a Black woman willing to sacrifice her own son, and Wiletta knows that difference too well to give in.

TimeLine’s production stars Shariba Rivers as Wiletta, and it’s a stunning performance that should not be missed. Rivers, to me, has always been an intensely watchable and interesting presence on stage, no matter the material, and it’s a pure joy to see her move here with nimble leaps from sardonic asides to anguished take-no-prisoners confrontations with Tim Decker’s Manners. (In a twist of ironic nomenclature, the director’s a man with no manners whatsoever, and damned little self-awareness, though he apparently chugs self-pity by the gallon.) 

Her interplay with the other Black actors in the backstage setting (captured with careful detail by scenic designer Caitlin McLeod and properties designer Jennifer Wernau) runs from maternal warmth with Vincent Jordan’s Nevins to conspiratorial sisterhood with Tarina J. Bradshaw’s Millie to old-married-folks ease with Kenneth D. Johnson’s Sheldon Forrester. Forrester seems the most malleable of the ensemble, but he stops everyone in their tracks with his story of witnessing a lynching as a child. 

The white actors in the show—Jordan Ashley Griers’s Judy Sears, a Yale drama grad who is apparently piquing the physical interest of Manners, and Guy Van Swearingen’s neurotic character actor Bill O’Wray—predictably fail to stand up for Wiletta. Bill, who plays the white landowner in Belleville, doesn’t even like to eat lunch with his Black castmates. The director’s assistant, Eddie Fenton (Adam Shalzi), cringes whenever Manners aims his wrath at him. 

But everyone else is also terrified of losing their job, especially Sheldon, who seems on the verge of homelessness. (Judy’s worst problem is that she might have to move back to her parents’ comfortable Connecticut home.) Millie’s nice duds (eye-catching costumes across the board by Christine Pascual) can’t make up for the fact that she and her husband, who works for the railroad, are also on a constant financial knife’s edge. Indeed, the only person who seems immune to Manners’s rages is old stagehand Henry (Charles Stransky), who relishes memories of past theatrical triumphs (including seeing Wiletta in a musical revue, the details of which he remembers with pinpoint precision, much to her delight).

How do you make meaningful change when the people who are “allowing” you to participate in grotesque versions of your own stories hold such power over you? How can you achieve collaboration with people who tell you they want to help you, but turn on you the moment their own authority is questioned? (“You’re great until you start thinking,” Decker’s Manners tells Rivers’s Wiletta at one point—and he seems to believe he’s given her a generous compliment.) That’s the urgent conundrum threaded throughout the heart of Trouble in Mind. Parson’s funny but wrenching production places us up close to these characters as they wrestle with their consciences and each other. The trouble Childress anatomized in her play is still very much in mind, playing out on- and offstage with depressing regularity.

Read More

The Chicago Blackhawks had a really nice start to the 2022-23 NHL season. They won some games that nobody thought they would ever even come close to winning which turned some heads. Unfortunately, they are starting to come back down to earth.

On Wednesday, they hosted the St. Louis Blues in a rivalry game on national TV. Things went very poorly against this Blues team that has struggled to begin the year. They have a roster good enough to bounce back and they had a good start to that with a big win over the Hawks.

The Blues went out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Calle Rosen and Jordan Kyrou. Andreas Athanasiou brought them to within one goal but then the Blues restored the two-goal lead just under a minute later thanks to a goal by Ryan O’Reilly.

Athanasiou scored his second of the game later in the period but it was once again responded to quickly as Tyler Pitlick scored a few minutes later. Ivan Barbashev added one in the third period and the Blues took care of business for the 5-3 victory.

The Chicago Blackhawks have not been a good hockey team in recent games.

For the last few games now, the Hawks have looked every bit as bad as we thought they were going to be before the season began. They are starting to fall well below the playoff line and are inching closer to the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

There are a lot of teams in that mix though so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the end. There is no doubt that the Hawks have a roster capable of being the worst in the league.

They could potentially get even worse if they decide to make some impact trades. At this point, the futures of guys like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are very cloudy.

It is nice to see guys like Athanasiou and Max Domi raise their trade value every day too. This team can load up with more picks and prospects if they play their cards right in the coming months before the NHL trade deadline.

The Blackhawks are off for a few days now as they will take this show on the road. They will be on the east coast to take on the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

That is surely going to be an interesting game as the Bruins currently lead the NHL standings. It would be nice to see the Hawks at least be in the game and show the ability to keep up with the high-flying B’s.

Read More

Read More

Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.

I’m part Polish, but in 18 years of the Secret History of Chicago Music, I’ve somehow never covered a polka musician. By certain generous estimates, around 1,900,000 people of Polish descent live in the Chicago metropolitan area—it’s the largest such community in the United States and the second worldwide only to Warsaw. Polka originated in the early 19th century in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), and during its long history it’s been wildly popular in many countries and on several continents. But here in Chicago, it’s powerfully associated with the city’s Polish enclaves. 

Polka relies on accordion or concertina, and depending on its region of origin, it might also employ fiddle, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba, bass, or drums. It tends to use upbeat rhythms in 2/4 time, and it’s usually music for couples dancing. Chicago polka is its own thing, with roots in the postwar years, and generally has slower tempos (for easier rug cutting) and a more improvisational bent. It spawned two substyles: the “Chicago honky” and the fuller-sounding “Chicago push.” This week’s SHoCM subject, Walter “Li’l Wally” Jagiello, played a major role in creating this modern polka sound.

Singer, drummer, and concertina player Walter E. Jagiello (aka Władysław Jagiełło) also performed as “Mały Władziu” and “Mały Władzio”—both of which mean “Li’l Wally” in Polish. He was born in Chicago’s East Village neighborhood on August 1, 1930, near the Polish Triangle—the symbolic heart of the city’s oldest Polish settlement. The son of Polish immigrants, Jagiello often said “he came out of his mother’s womb singing,” according to his wife and business partner, Jeanette, who was quoted in his Chicago Tribune obituary in 2006.

At eight years old, Jagiello would get hoisted onto picnic tables to belt out tunes at Sunday Polish gatherings in Caldwell Woods near Milwaukee and Devon. He earned his nickname “Li’l Wally” while still actually a little kid, but even as an adult he only grew to five foot six. When Jagiello was ten, future polka concertina legend Eddie Zima, himself still in his teens, hired him to sing in his orchestra, which played up and down “Polish Broadway”—the busy Division Street strip between Ashland and Western, reputed to have been home to more than 50 Polish clubs in its heyday.

Jagiello never went to high school—instead he became a bandleader at 15, when Stanley Korzeniak, owner of the Lucky Stop Inn on Division, booked him for a gig and insisted he start his own group. Jagiello had already made a habit of sneaking out to see concerts at night: “I’d leave the window open a few inches,” he told Reader contributor Carl Kozlowski in 1999. “When I got back, if the window was closed, I knew I was in trouble.” But while his parents may have figured out he wasn’t abiding by his bedtime, they didn’t realize he was a neighborhood star. “They thought I was a crook because I always had all this money,” Jagiello said.

Jagiello had his first recording session in 1946, at which point he was still singing entirely in Polish. He released the tunes via his own small label, Amber Records, which he’d founded when he was 16. (Poland is associated with amber because of the large deposits in the Baltic Sea, some of which have been carried into the country by rivers and glaciers.)

Jagiello more than earned his other most famous nickname—the Polka King—by building his own cottage industry devoted to the music. He bought an office building on South Kedzie, built his own studio on the premises with help from Motorola engineer Jim Hogan, and acquired vinyl-pressing equipment from the Finebilt company of Cincinnati, Ohio. He gigged all over the midwest, usually with a trio of concertina, trumpet, and drums; for bigger shows he’d bring in clarinet, bass, or violin. He usually called his band some variation on “the Harmony Boys” (the Happy Harmony Boys, the Lucky Harmony Boys Orchestra, et cetera), but backing musicians came and went constantly—most of them worked day jobs in factories and couldn’t commit to extended runs.

Jagiello bought a new studio in Florida and kept touring and recording, albeit at a slower pace. He’d return to Chicago to gig, but as the city’s Polish enclaves began to decline, he started booking suburban banquet halls instead. “I still come back two or three times a year to show all the club owners I’m still alive, and to show the other bands how it’s done,” Jagiello told Kozlowski. “Other musicians are always spreading rumors that I’ve died, gotten sick, or have dropped my price. . . . Polka’s a competitive scene.”

“He would come to Chicago about once a year, play at some banquet hall like the White Eagle out in Niles,” Hedeker said. “So in 1999, we set up this show at Zakopane Lounge, which is on Division there, and the idea was the Polkaholics were going to be his backing band. I thought, ‘Wow, his vocal with our way of playing polka would be super cool. It would give us so much legitimacy right there!’ That’s what I thought anyway.”

Jagiello might have approved of the Polkaholics in principle, but he didn’t care for their sound. “At practice, as soon as we start the first song, he yells, ‘No, no, no, no, no!’ He was kind of a control freak,” Hedeker said. “He basically neutered us. He said, ‘What’s wrong with your guitar?’ I said, ‘It’s distortion.’ ‘I don’t want that!’ . . . It was very much like that [Chuck Berry] movie, Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll—except I’m not Keith Richards!” 

The Polkaholics weren’t prepared to deal with the expectations of an old-school bandleader either. “We spent that whole summer trying to learn as many of his songs as we possibly could, and then at that practice he changed the key on everything,” Hedeker recalled. “It was just a waste of time!”

The concert turned out to be a good time, but not for the reasons Hedeker expected. “So we do the show the next night, and I can’t even tell you how pumped up I was for that show—opening for Li’l Wally was like a dream come true,” he said. “As we were playing our set, he was at the bar and all these people were buying him shots. So by the time he comes on, he was just tanked! So it was quite an event, but musically, it wasn’t all that great, really.”

It might take a Polkaholic to see Jagiello as punk rock, but there’s no arguing that he threw his whole heart and soul into the music he loved. If there’s any justice in the world, he’ll be remembered forever—and not just by the International Polka Association Hall of Fame.

Read More