What’s New

From 3-8:30 PM, the Trans Chicago Empowerment Center (2753 W. Division) is hosting a Halloween edition of Pillars, its marketplace for trans BIPOC vendors. Along with tarot readings, poetry books, and handmade wares for sale, there will also be free gender-affirming nail services for trans individuals. Yecy, a local Latinx nail artist, will be providing single-color gel manicures from 4-8 PM. (Sorry, no acrylics, designs, or fill-ins!) Throughout the event, HIV, hepatitis C, and STI screenings will be available as well as cheese danishes (quesitos) courtesy of Chucherías Tropical Creations. Get spooky and come out! (MC)

For almost two years, rapper and comedian Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson was on house arrest after participating in an August 2020 protest to defund the police. Not only has his case demonstrated the high price some pay for free speech, but it has also highlighted extraordinary gaps in the judicial process, including the burden those on house arrest face since 80 percent of ankle-bracelet alerts are false alarms. Now three months free and riding high on a new single (which Reader senior writer Leor Galil covered for our current issue), Johnson makes his return to live music tonight at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West), where he and Davis the Dorchester Bully open for Cleveland musician Eliy Orcko. Tickets are $20 ($15 in advance) and open to those 18 and older. The show starts at 7 PM. (MC)

The independent professional wrestling group WrestlePro visits Logan Square Auditorium tonight (2539 N. Kedzie) to present Champions of Hope, an evening of wrestling and sports entertainment featuring nine matches. Proceeds from admission fees and a 50/50 door raffle benefit Chicago’s Hope For Us Network, an organization focused on suicide prevention and creating strategy and policy around mental health care. The bell for the first match rings at 7 PM, and advance tickets are available at Eventbrite. (SCJ)

Superhero origin stories are everywhere—but what about the origins of the creators? Chicago playwright Mark Pracht tackles the tangled history behind who gets the credit for bringing Batman to the world in The Mark of Kane, the first in a planned trilogy of plays about the world of comic books. Collaborators Bob Kane and Bill Finger first introduced the Caped Crusader in Detective Comics #27, which debuted on March 30, 1939. But Kane got sole credit in perpetuity from DC; Finger’s granddaughter, Athena, had to fight to get her grandfather credited by Warner Brothers (parent company of DC) on film and television projects involving Batman going forward. As Pracht told Reader contributor Josh Flanders, “Bill Finger and Bob Kane is like Cain and Abel . . . artists conflicting with each other.” The show, directed by Terry McCabe, is in previews tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 PM at City Lit Theater (1020 W. Bryn Mawr) and has its press opening Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets for previews are $30 ($25 seniors, $12 students, and military); during the regular run (10/30-12/4) tickets are $34 ($29 seniors, $12 students, and military). Information and reservations at citylit.org. (KR)

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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

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From 3-8:30 PM, the Trans Chicago Empowerment Center (2753 W. Division) is hosting a Halloween edition of Pillars, its marketplace for trans BIPOC vendors. Along with tarot readings, poetry books, and handmade wares for sale, there will also be free gender-affirming nail services for trans individuals. Yecy, a local Latinx nail artist, will be providing single-color gel manicures from 4-8 PM. (Sorry, no acrylics, designs, or fill-ins!) Throughout the event, HIV, hepatitis C, and STI screenings will be available as well as cheese danishes (quesitos) courtesy of Chucherías Tropical Creations. Get spooky and come out! (MC)

For almost two years, rapper and comedian Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson was on house arrest after participating in an August 2020 protest to defund the police. Not only has his case demonstrated the high price some pay for free speech, but it has also highlighted extraordinary gaps in the judicial process, including the burden those on house arrest face since 80 percent of ankle-bracelet alerts are false alarms. Now three months free and riding high on a new single (which Reader senior writer Leor Galil covered for our current issue), Johnson makes his return to live music tonight at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West), where he and Davis the Dorchester Bully open for Cleveland musician Eliy Orcko. Tickets are $20 ($15 in advance) and open to those 18 and older. The show starts at 7 PM. (MC)

The independent professional wrestling group WrestlePro visits Logan Square Auditorium tonight (2539 N. Kedzie) to present Champions of Hope, an evening of wrestling and sports entertainment featuring nine matches. Proceeds from admission fees and a 50/50 door raffle benefit Chicago’s Hope For Us Network, an organization focused on suicide prevention and creating strategy and policy around mental health care. The bell for the first match rings at 7 PM, and advance tickets are available at Eventbrite. (SCJ)

Superhero origin stories are everywhere—but what about the origins of the creators? Chicago playwright Mark Pracht tackles the tangled history behind who gets the credit for bringing Batman to the world in The Mark of Kane, the first in a planned trilogy of plays about the world of comic books. Collaborators Bob Kane and Bill Finger first introduced the Caped Crusader in Detective Comics #27, which debuted on March 30, 1939. But Kane got sole credit in perpetuity from DC; Finger’s granddaughter, Athena, had to fight to get her grandfather credited by Warner Brothers (parent company of DC) on film and television projects involving Batman going forward. As Pracht told Reader contributor Josh Flanders, “Bill Finger and Bob Kane is like Cain and Abel . . . artists conflicting with each other.” The show, directed by Terry McCabe, is in previews tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 PM at City Lit Theater (1020 W. Bryn Mawr) and has its press opening Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets for previews are $30 ($25 seniors, $12 students, and military); during the regular run (10/30-12/4) tickets are $34 ($29 seniors, $12 students, and military). Information and reservations at citylit.org. (KR)

Read More

Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

Read More

Jose Abreu is a Chicago White Sox veteran, a fan favorite, and despite reduced power numbers in 2022, one of the core hitters. He’s also a free agent and he’s closer to the end of his prime career years than the beginning.

With Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets on the roster as backup first basemen who also have pop in their bats, there appears to be not one but two possible replacements if Abreu walks.

Sheets is a left-handed bat which is nice too. Both Vaughn and Sheets played the outfield for the Sox in 2022 and both struggled defensively.

Perhaps the key to deciding what to do with Abreu actually involves another outfield position which is left field.

Eloy Jimenez has played there but most Sox fans believe he should move to designated hitter because his defense is questionable and because he has a tendency to get hurt out there.

If Eloy moves to DH, maybe Vaughn and/or Sheets could play left. If Jimenez is able to be the everyday left fielder, Vaughn and/or Sheets could play first (either in a platoon or with one starting and one coming off the bench) and Abreu can move to DH.

The Chicago White Sox have a big decision to make on Jose Abreu this off-season.

It appears to this author that the Sox have several options regarding Abreu. Here they are:

The Sox keep Abreu, keep Vaughn, keep Sheets, and Abreu remains the first baseman, with Vaughn and Sheets coming off the bench to play first. Jimenez is the DH.The Sox keep all three, Abreu is the 1B, Jimenez is the DH, and Vaughn/Sheets play left.The Sox keep all three, Abreu is the DH, Jimenez plays left, and Vaughn/Sheets play first (and perhaps also serves as DH when Abreu needs a day off).The Sox keep all three, Abreu is 1B, Eloy is DH, the Sox find a different left fielder, and Vaughn/Sheets are bench players who come in to play in the field and DH as needed.Vaughn or Sheets is traded.Abreu walks and is replaced by Vaughn or Sheets

Perhaps it’s sentimentality over the cold, hard logic of baseball statistics and analytics but it would be nice to see all these players stay.

The easiest way to achieve that would be for Jimenez to play left, Abreu to DH, and Vaughn to play first with Sheets coming off the bench.

Having Jimenez at DH, Vaughn in left, and Abreu at first could also work. Vaughn (or Sheets) becomes less of a defensive liability in left than in right.

As stated at the outset, this decision is probably Rick Hahn‘s trickiest, outside of selecting a new manager to replace Tony La Russa this offseason. Here’s hoping that however the roster is constructed, it works to the White Sox’s benefit in 2023.

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The Chicago Reader is pleased to announce some new hires in our editorial and marketing departments.

Kerry Cardoza (she/her) is the Reader’s newest culture editor, and her focus will be on art, architecture, books, literary arts, and other related cultural topics. She is a Chicago-based journalist who often writes about art, culture, labor, and power. In addition to her work with the Reader, Cardoza is the punk columnist at Bandcamp Daily, and a member of the Freelance Solidarity Project. 

“Kerry has been a valued contributor to our culture pages since her tenure here years ago as an intern,” said managing editor Salem Collo-Julin. “She will bring a trained eye and studied expertise to our coverage and I’m happy to have been able to bring her on as part of our talented staff.”

Chasity Cooper (she/her) is the Reader’s new newsletter associate, and works closely with our marketing and editorial teams. She is a writer, entrepreneur, and wine culture expert. Cooper has previously written for Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, and the Chicago Tribune. 

“I’m so excited to bring Chasity Cooper on board. Her extensive background and expertise on brand and marketing products is such a crucial addition to our marketing team,” said Reader director of marketing Vivian Gonzalez. “Excited to see what we can accomplish.”

The Chicago Reader is published by the Reader Institute for Community Journalism, a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization.

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Last Wednesday, multidisciplinary artist Mykele Deville went public in a detailed Instagram post about his traumatic experiences at the Hideout, where he worked as programming director from summer 2021 till March 2022. The next day, the Hideout issued an apologetic response. I find the venue’s response inadequate, but I encourage you to read both posts. I’ve developed some insight on the matter myself, though I’ve had no good way to share it—from April till August, when Deville decided that he’d rather not tell his story through the media, I attempted to report on his work for (and firing from) the Hideout.

I’ve known Deville for years. He’s been part of several overlapping Chicago arts scenes, and he’s been appearing in the pages of the Reader since 2016, when Lee V. Gaines wrote a lovely profile. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Deville perform in several local venues; he’s one of the most magnetic rappers in the city, and his effusive performances leave me energized no matter how late it is. He has that effect on people in general, I’ve found. He’s been generous in his support of other Chicago artists too, notably through the Dojo, a defunct Pilsen DIY space he cofounded in the mid-2010s. Deville used his Dojo experience and the sterling reputation the venue acquired to apply for the job of programming director at the Hideout.

Deville shared the news about his hiring with the Reader’s Gossip Wolf column in June 2021. He also told me about his firing this past spring. I soon set out to report on what had happened to him at the Hideout, and on the wider impact and implications of his firing. 

When he’d been hired, Deville told me he wanted to “make sure to give space to people that you’ve never heard of.” In his short time at the Hideout, he brought in musicians, comedians, and visual artists who’d never been onstage there—some of whom had never even walked through its doors before. Deville’s bad experiences at the Hideout (and especially the way his tenure ended) will have ripple effects on the artists he booked and the fans they attracted, many of whom may also have been new to the venue.

I’m reminded of Tonia Hill’s January 2022 report for the TRiiBE on the impact that the closing of the Ace Hotel would have on Black millennial nightlife. “Ace Hotel helped fill a gap in the limited number of nightlife options for Black Millennials,” Hill wrote. Deville did the same for the Hideout. I wanted to capture that with my story too, and I thought I could do it quickly. But my reporting took months, and as always I had trouble squeezing in the work around other deadlines. When Deville asked me to stop, I obliged. It’s his story, and I appreciate that he entrusted me with it in any capacity. 

Even after Deville knew I wouldn’t be publishing my story, he continued to show me a lot of grace. This didn’t tell me anything new about his character, but it confirmed what I’d long known to be true. I wish he’d received the same grace from his former employers, and I’m glad he went public in the way that’s most comfortable for him.

When a musician gets onstage at a venue, a constellation of workers has already been involved—sound engineers, ticket takers, drink slingers, program directors, website developers. These employees make show spaces work, and when all goes well, they make them feel like homes away from home. I’ve certainly described the Hideout as a “haven” before, but it’s the staff, not the space, creating that feeling. And the question always needs to be asked: A haven for whom? If the owners of a venue harm the people who work there, then that’s a structural problem—and it means that in some senses the venue is welcoming in spite of its owners, rather than because of them.

On Tuesday, October 25, Deville posted a follow-up on social media. He said that the Hideout and venues like it can find a way forward, but that there are no shortcuts: “They need to be willing to do the true work of self analysis while not relying on the labor of BIPOC individuals to walk them through what that looks like.” 

Since Deville went public, several local acts have expressed solidarity with him by canceling their shows at the Hideout, including Mia Joy, Tobacco City, and Morinda. Block Club has published a roundup of such cancellations. The venue’s remaining staff may also be impacted, since lost shows mean lost revenue.

Earlier this week, former Reader reporter Maya Dukmasova and Reader columnist Ben Joravsky moved their monthly series, First Tuesdays, out of the Hideout—their November 1 election edition will be at the Nighthawk in Albany Park. And until the Hideout does the work Deville talks about, I can’t see myself going back, even though I once thought of it as a home.

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The Chicago Reader is pleased to announce some new hires in our editorial and marketing departments.

Kerry Cardoza (she/her) is the Reader’s newest culture editor, and her focus will be on art, architecture, books, literary arts, and other related cultural topics. She is a Chicago-based journalist who often writes about art, culture, labor, and power. In addition to her work with the Reader, Cardoza is the punk columnist at Bandcamp Daily, and a member of the Freelance Solidarity Project. 

“Kerry has been a valued contributor to our culture pages since her tenure here years ago as an intern,” said managing editor Salem Collo-Julin. “She will bring a trained eye and studied expertise to our coverage and I’m happy to have been able to bring her on as part of our talented staff.”

Chasity Cooper (she/her) is the Reader’s new newsletter associate, and works closely with our marketing and editorial teams. She is a writer, entrepreneur, and wine culture expert. Cooper has previously written for Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, and the Chicago Tribune. 

“I’m so excited to bring Chasity Cooper on board. Her extensive background and expertise on brand and marketing products is such a crucial addition to our marketing team,” said Reader director of marketing Vivian Gonzalez. “Excited to see what we can accomplish.”

The Chicago Reader is published by the Reader Institute for Community Journalism, a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization.

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