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NBA GMs favor Bucks to win title, Luka for MVPon October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am

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Stephen A. calls out Kawhi: ‘Can we see you play please?’ (1:48)Stephen A. Smith wants to see Kawhi Leonard play more after the All-Star has missed plenty of games the last few seasons. (1:48)

The Milwaukee Bucks are slight favorites to win the 2023 NBA championship, and Luka Doncic was tapped as most likely to win the 2023 Most Valuable Player award in NBA.com’s annual survey of all 30 of the league’s general managers.

The 21st edition of the survey was released Tuesday and saw Milwaukee receive 43% of the vote. The other teams to receive votes were the defending champion Golden State Warriors with 25%, the LA Clippers with 21% and the Boston Celtics with 11%.

Not surprisingly, the Bucks were the clear favorites to win the East. They were followed by the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Those six teams were the only ones to receive votes to finish among the top four seeds in the East this season.

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Out West, meanwhile, nine teams received votes. The Clippers finished slightly ahead of the Warriors for first in the West, followed by the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves (tied for sixth), the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

Doncic was a narrow, but clear, favorite at MVP, as the Slovenian superstar collected 48% of the vote, compared to 34% for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, 14% for 76ers star Joel Embiid and a single vote for Warriors star Stephen Curry. It was Antetokounmpo, however, who finished ahead of Doncic in the category of player a GM would most want to build their team around, with Antetokounmpo getting 55% of the vote and Doncic 45%. No other player received a single vote.

Curry, Suns star Devin Booker, Nets star Kevin Durant, Antetokounmpo and Nuggets star Nikola Jokic were selected as the top player at each position. The only change from last year was that Booker surpassed James Harden as the league’s top shooting guard.

Speaking of shooting guards, Cleveland’s acquisition of Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers to the top spot among teams in terms of who had the best offseason, coming in with 41% of the vote. The Timberwolves, 76ers and Jazz finished in a three-way tie for second with 17%, while the Celtics and Sacramento Kings also received votes. The two former Jazz co-stars, Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, finished first and second, respectively, in the category of which player will make the biggest impact in their new home, while New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was third.

The Gobert trade to Minnesota ranked as the most surprising move of the offseason with 47% of the vote — just ahead of Mitchell going to Cleveland, which received 43%. Malcolm Brogdon being traded to the Celtics, meanwhile, was seen as the most underrated move of the summer.

Luka Doncic, right, is the favorite to be named this year’s MVP, according to an NBA.com survey of all 30 general managers. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was the second in the survey. Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

The top overall pick in June’s NBA draft, Paolo Banchero, was the runaway selection Rookie of the Year, collecting 79% of the vote, with Kings forward Keegan Murray finishing second. Banchero was also the pick to be the best player in the class in five years, finishing with 31% of the vote, while Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was just behind him with 28%. Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith were tied for third with 14%. Pistons center Jalen Duren and Rockets forward Tari Eason also tied for the biggest steals in this year’s draft.

Antetokounmpo was tapped as the best defensive player in the NBA, followed by Draymond Green and Gobert. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was picked as the best perimeter defender, Gobert was selected as the best interior defender and Antetokounmpo was selected as most versatile. The Celtics — last year’s top-ranked defensive team — were the runaway selection as the league’s best defensive team.

On the coaching front, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was picked as the top coach in the league by 52% of voters, followed by Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, Monty Williams and Tyronn Lue. Kerr was tapped as the best manager/motivator, as well as running the best offensive schemes, while Lue was credited with being the best at in-game adjustments and Spoelstra was seen as having the best defensive schemes.

Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Bucks assistant Charles Lee were tied for being the best assistant coaches in the NBA, while Chris Paul received 32% of the vote to lead the way as to who would be the best future coach among current NBA players.

In the team categories, the Warriors were the runaway winner as most fun to watch, as well as to have the league’s most efficient offense this season. The Toronto Raptors were selected as having the best home-court advantage in the NBA, while the Nets were seen as the team that was the most difficult to predict how it would do and the Cavaliers — fresh off getting Mitchell — finished just ahead of the Grizzlies (41% to 38%) in terms of who has the NBA’s best young core.

Speaking of the Grizzlies, star Ja Morant was picked as both the league’s most athletic player and the fastest player with the ball, while Curry was — no surprise — tabbed as its best shooter, the best at moving without the ball and the player you’d most want to take a shot with the game on the line. Jokic was selected as the league’s best passer, Paul as its best leader and Antetokounmpo as its most versatile player.

LeBron James was at the top of one category: the player with the highest basketball IQ, where he got 45% of the vote ahead of Jokic’s 23%.

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NBA GMs favor Bucks to win title, Luka for MVPon October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am Read More »

Zion returns for Pels: ‘Getting a feel for it again’on October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am

CHICAGO — The Zion Williamson show is officially back. Even if it was just for a preseason viewing.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward returned to the court Tuesday night, scoring 13 points in a 15-minute performance at the United Center in a 129-125 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Earlier on Tuesday, Williamson told ESPN his mindset was to treat this like just another preseason game, but he admitted it was hard to ignore the messages blowing up his phone and appearing on social media about the year-plus he missed.

Williamson showed flashes of his old self during the contest. He drove baseline on Bulls forward Patrick Williams for a slam. He had what some on the Pelicans bench thought should have been a chase-down block just a minute earlier in the first quarter on Williams that was ruled goaltending. Still, he was flashing the skills that made him a household name.

After Tuesday’s game, he said he was most excited about playing the game he loves. That didn’t mean fans got to see all the things the Pelicans have been working on with Williamson back in the fold.

“Couldn’t show them everything,” Williamson said following the victory. “But just kind of getting a feel for it again. Find spots. Picking and choosing where I want to attack. But, I got a new team since the last time I played. I’m still learning some of the guys. Today we were able to click. I feel like if we can do that for the rest of these preseason games, I feel we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

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The Pelicans have only five players remaining from when Williamson last suited up on May 4, 2021, and two of those players — Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis Jr. — missed Tuesday’s preseason game with injuries.

New Orleans has reshaped its roster around Williamson, Ingram and guard CJ McCollum, whom the Pelicans dealt for at last year’s trade deadline.

The Pelicans brought in guard Devonte’ Graham to play alongside Williamson’s “Point Zion” iteration but instead Graham has settled into a bench role with this edition of the Pelicans, something he did well against the Bulls with a team-high 21 points and five assists off the bench.

He said he noticed a difference when Williamson is on the floor as teams pack the paint to try to stop him.

“I thought he looked good too,” Graham said. “I know he was excited to be out there. I know it felt good for him to hear his name in the starting lineup and stuff like that again. It’s just the beginning.”

This was also Willie Green’s first chance to coach Williamson after Green was brought in prior to last season. It’s Green’s task to try to fit Williamson, who averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with 61.1% shooting in 2020-21, back into an offense that has a lot of firepower with Ingram, McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas.

“He looked good and he’s just going to continue to get better,” Green said. “That’s what we know about Z. He works at it. He’s a competitor. And you know it doesn’t look like it but he had 13 points, four rebounds in 15 minutes. That’s the type of work he puts in on the floor.”

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Zion returns for Pels: ‘Getting a feel for it again’on October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am Read More »

Projected No. 1 Wembanyama wows in U.S. debuton October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am

HENDERSON, Nevada — With Chris Paul and A’ja Wilson watching courtside, French basketball star Victor Wembanyama, the uncanny 7-foot-5 center and projected No. 1 NBA draft pick, put on a showcase in a 37-point performance Tuesday night at the Dollar Loan Center against the G League Ignite and Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick.

Henderson scored 28 points and led his team to a 122-115 victory.

At halftime, Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 team, a pro squad from France, was down 71-52 before his second-half burst helped his team take the lead and battle the Ignite down the stretch.

“At some point, it was just about taking over because our team needed players to step up because we were down [21 points], I think,” said Wembanyama, who admitted playing longer quarters for the first time (games in Europe are 40 minutes versus 44 minutes in the NBA and G League) affected his stamina. “Coming back from such a lead, it’s a tough task. … There are times, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

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Henderson finished 11-for-21 and led his team to the win with his own display of impressive shots, drives and dunks, including a 3-pointer and reverse layup over Wembanyama in the first half.

He said he never thought about the game as a matchup between himself and Wembanyama, though.

“It’s just playing basketball on a stage,” he said after the game. “That’s what I took away from this night.”

Tuesday night’s game was the first of two showcases between the teams this week in Henderson, Nevada, about 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The teams will play again Thursday at noon.

It was Wembanyama’s first game in the United States. He finished 11-for-20 (7-for-11 from the 3-point line) with five blocks — and with a number of noteworthy players and NBA reps on hand to see him up close.

Chelsea Gray and Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces stars who have captured both a WNBA title and FIBA World Cup championship in recent weeks, sat on the baseline. Phoenix Suns stars Devin Booker and Paul and free agent DeMarcus Cousins all had front-row seats, too.

“He’s good,” Gray said about Wembanyama. “To be that big and that tall with guard skills is nice.”

Paul said he came to the game to watch the top prospects battle and because of his passion for basketball.

“I’m a big fan of the game,” Paul said. “All of these guys are trying to get to the league.”

The NBA teams hoping to get lucky in the draft lottery on May 16 were also in the building. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was one of nearly 200 NBA representatives who had been issued credentials for the game, Ignite public relations director Mara Rudolph said.

Reporters from France and Brazil also attended the matchup.

Both Wembanyama and Henderson lived up to the hype.

Wembanyama, who is gifted with a set of skills perhaps no player his size has ever possessed, began the game playing point guard on one of his team’s early possessions before spinning off a defender and double-pumping a layup off the backboard, which dazzled the crowd. After a couple of big blocks, however, his offense mostly stalled against the Ignite’s pressure.

“He was amazing,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said after the game. “What he can do with his size, his agility, mobility, not only his ability to shoot the 3, moving very well. He even made a couple of very good passes. I think he [had] a real good game but he also will learn from the first half. He has to fight more because he knows to expect that kind of aggressive defense.”

After halftime, Wembanyama showed off some of the other moves that made one Eastern Conference NBA scout tell ESPN “we’ve never seen anyone like him.” Wembanyama hit multiple 3-pointers that helped his team get back into the game and take the lead entering the fourth quarter, including a late block on Henderson’s layup attempt.

“Some players come along and they’re special,” Ignite coach Jason Hart said. “He’s just a special talent.”

One thing seemed clear after Tuesday’s game, however, per conversations with some of the NBA folks who watched the game: Wembanyama might be in his own category for the 2023 NBA draft.

Asked whether he’d ever seen anyone like Wembanyama, Cousin, the former NBA All-Star, said, “Nah, man.”

“These kids are just getting rarer and rarer,” he added. “They’re growing fast. They’re bigger than ever. … I just wanted to be a fan and see it firsthand.”

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Projected No. 1 Wembanyama wows in U.S. debuton October 5, 2022 at 7:47 am Read More »

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means that Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky and former Reader staffer Maya Dukmasova host their monthly live interview show at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). First Tuesdays tonight takes on the politics of the Pretrial Fairness Act (“It’s not a ‘purge law,’” they tell us). Join Maya and Ben along with their guests State Senator Robert Peters and attorney April Preyar as they discuss the PFA and the steps involved in abolishing money bail. It’s $10 to attend and open to those 21+; tickets are available here. (SCJ)

Jazz composer and musician Isaiah Collier brings the Celestials Project, a 12-piece ensemble to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago tonight. They will present a new composition as part of the museum’s In Progress series, which is designed to highlight new work from artists, thinkers, and curators and give patrons a glimpse into the creative process. It’s free to attend, and starts at 6 PM in the museum’s Edlis Neeson Theater. (SCJ)

What’s energy healing all about? Learn about different healing modalities that involve smell, taste, touch, sight, and our often ignored sense of intuition. Master teacher and practitioner Lillian Irene Lovas offers a crash course in energy healing tonight at the Chakra Shoppe (5034 N. Lincoln) which will include hands-on experiential work in crystal healing, Tibetan bowls, Reiki, and more. It’s $33 to join in and starts tonight at 7 PM; go to the Chakra Shoppe’s website to learn more. (SCJ)

In the 1970s, W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend To Cause Havoc) was the biggest rock band in Zambia, and tonight they’ll be bringing their incendiary hybrid of psych-rock and African beats to the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) stage. Opening for them is tripped out garage rocker Pedrum Siadatian, who performs under the moniker “Paint.” The show starts at 8:30 PM and is open to those 21 and older. Tickets are currently sold out, but contact the venue to see if any will be released at the box office. (MC)

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First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more Read More »

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means that Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky and former Reader staffer Maya Dukmasova host their monthly live interview show at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). First Tuesdays tonight takes on the politics of the Pretrial Fairness Act (“It’s not a ‘purge law,’” they tell us). Join Maya and Ben along with their guests State Senator Robert Peters and attorney April Preyar as they discuss the PFA and the steps involved in abolishing money bail. It’s $10 to attend and open to those 21+; tickets are available here. (SCJ)

Jazz composer and musician Isaiah Collier brings the Celestials Project, a 12-piece ensemble to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago tonight. They will present a new composition as part of the museum’s In Progress series, which is designed to highlight new work from artists, thinkers, and curators and give patrons a glimpse into the creative process. It’s free to attend, and starts at 6 PM in the museum’s Edlis Neeson Theater. (SCJ)

What’s energy healing all about? Learn about different healing modalities that involve smell, taste, touch, sight, and our often ignored sense of intuition. Master teacher and practitioner Lillian Irene Lovas offers a crash course in energy healing tonight at the Chakra Shoppe (5034 N. Lincoln) which will include hands-on experiential work in crystal healing, Tibetan bowls, Reiki, and more. It’s $33 to join in and starts tonight at 7 PM; go to the Chakra Shoppe’s website to learn more. (SCJ)

In the 1970s, W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend To Cause Havoc) was the biggest rock band in Zambia, and tonight they’ll be bringing their incendiary hybrid of psych-rock and African beats to the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) stage. Opening for them is tripped out garage rocker Pedrum Siadatian, who performs under the moniker “Paint.” The show starts at 8:30 PM and is open to those 21 and older. Tickets are currently sold out, but contact the venue to see if any will be released at the box office. (MC)

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First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more Read More »

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and moreMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 4, 2022 at 10:43 pm

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means that Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky and former Reader staffer Maya Dukmasova host their monthly live interview show at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). First Tuesdays tonight takes on the politics of the Pretrial Fairness Act (“It’s not a ‘purge law,’” they tell us). Join Maya and Ben along with their guests State Senator Robert Peters and attorney April Preyar as they discuss the PFA and the steps involved in abolishing money bail. It’s $10 to attend and open to those 21+; tickets are available here. (SCJ)

Jazz composer and musician Isaiah Collier brings the Celestials Project, a 12-piece ensemble to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago tonight. They will present a new composition as part of the museum’s In Progress series, which is designed to highlight new work from artists, thinkers, and curators and give patrons a glimpse into the creative process. It’s free to attend, and starts at 6 PM in the museum’s Edlis Neeson Theater. (SCJ)

What’s energy healing all about? Learn about different healing modalities that involve smell, taste, touch, sight, and our often ignored sense of intuition. Master teacher and practitioner Lillian Irene Lovas offers a crash course in energy healing tonight at the Chakra Shoppe (5034 N. Lincoln) which will include hands-on experiential work in crystal healing, Tibetan bowls, Reiki, and more. It’s $33 to join in and starts tonight at 7 PM; go to the Chakra Shoppe’s website to learn more. (SCJ)

In the 1970s, W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend To Cause Havoc) was the biggest rock band in Zambia, and tonight they’ll be bringing their incendiary hybrid of psych-rock and African beats to the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) stage. Opening for them is tripped out garage rocker Pedrum Siadatian, who performs under the moniker “Paint.” The show starts at 8:30 PM and is open to those 21 and older. Tickets are currently sold out, but contact the venue to see if any will be released at the box office. (MC)

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First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and moreMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 4, 2022 at 10:43 pm Read More »

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

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.

With support from our sponsors

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


Just like we told you

The Bears finally make their play for public money to build their private stadium.


The choice is yours, voters

MAGA’s Illinois Supreme Court nominees are poised to outlaw abortion in Illinois—if, gulp, they win.


Hocus-pocus

All the usual TIF lies come out on both sides in the debate for and against the Red Line extension.

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show Read More »

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon October 4, 2022 at 7:59 pm

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.

With support from our sponsors

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


Just like we told you

The Bears finally make their play for public money to build their private stadium.


The choice is yours, voters

MAGA’s Illinois Supreme Court nominees are poised to outlaw abortion in Illinois—if, gulp, they win.


Hocus-pocus

All the usual TIF lies come out on both sides in the debate for and against the Red Line extension.

Read More

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon October 4, 2022 at 7:59 pm Read More »

Suns likely to fetch record sale price, bankers sayon October 4, 2022 at 10:32 pm

As Robert Sarver prepares to sell the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, investment bank officials who have managed the sales of professional sports franchises told ESPN that they expect the transaction’s final price to set a record.

“It’ll be the highest price ever paid for an NBA team,” one investment bank official said.

Joe Tsai bought the Brooklyn Nets for an NBA-record $2.35 billion in 2019. Prior to that sale, Tilman Fertitta purchased the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion in 2017, with Steve Ballmer buying the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014.

Factors playing into a potential record bid could be the Suns’ warm-weather climate, the team’s proximity to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Bay Area, as well as a new practice facility and renovated arena. Additional factors include a new television rights deal and CBA on the horizon, plus the NBA’s young and growing global audience and the potential for new expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.

“There’s going to be a tremendous amount of interest,” an investment bank official said.

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Sarver has chosen the investment bank Moelis and Co. to oversee the sale, a source close to the situation confirmed to ESPN. Sportico reported Monday that Sarver had chosen the bank. A spokesperson for Moelis and Co. declined to comment.

Moelis served as a financial adviser in the May 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, which bought the team for $5.3 billion. Moelis also acted as a financial adviser in the 2015 sale of the Atlanta Hawks to a group led by Tony Ressler for $850 million.

In recent days, Suns executive vice president and CFO Jim Pitman relayed to team employees that a fully executed sale of the team could take six to nine months, team sources said. That timeline would stretch through the 2022-23 season.

The Suns did not respond to a request for comment. The NBA declined comment.

Investment bank officials have been in contact with Sarver on behalf of potential bidders, team sources said, including reaching out on the day that Sarver announced his intent to sell.

Once a final bidder is chosen, that person — or group — must be approved by the NBA, which will conduct financial, personal and criminal background checks. For any transfer of ownership to be complete, the NBA Board of Governors will vote, with approval requiring a three-fourths majority.

Sarver, the majority owner of both the Suns and Mercury, announced Sept. 21 that he was seeking buyers for both franchises. That came in the wake of an NBA investigation into allegations of misconduct by Sarver, who had been suspended one year and fined $10 million.

The NBA commissioned that investigation in the wake of an ESPN story in November 2021 detailing allegations of racism and misogyny during Sarver’s 17 years as owner.

Suns vice chairman and minority owner Sam Garvin is the team’s interim governor. Sarver owns about a third of the franchise, but he has the authority as the team’s managing partner to sell the team in full.

Jerry Colangelo, who sold the team to a group led by Sarver in 2004 for a then-record $401 million, told ESPN that he’s optimistic about the franchise’s path ahead.

“I believe this — it’s one of the great markets in the country as it relates to the future,” Colangelo said. “It was a great free agent destination at one time. There’s no reason why it can’t be going forward.”

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Suns likely to fetch record sale price, bankers sayon October 4, 2022 at 10:32 pm Read More »

Divino Niño rebuild their sound for maximum danceabilityMary Rettaon October 4, 2022 at 7:36 pm

It starts with the hips—that’s the first thing you’ll notice when you watch Divino Niño play live. The Chicago-based five-piece can’t seem to stand still onstage. First their swaggering hips get loose, then their long arms flail, and soon the musicians are completely unbound, the picture of freedom. To watch Divino Niño is to experience that freedom yourself: to move your body not because you came out ready to dance to anything, but because the group’s pulsing, hypnotic music reminded you how good it could feel. 

The band’s 2019 debut album, Foam, is ethereal and psychedelic, gliding seamlessly through beach rock, dream pop, and indie rock, its pastiche held together by the mellow, breathy vocals of guitarist-singer Camilo Medina and bassist-singer Javier Forero. When Medina, Forero, guitarist Guillermo Rodriguez, and drummer Pierce Codina toured to support Foam in 2019—adding keyboardist Justin “JV” Vittori for the road—they danced through set after set. They were surprised when audiences didn’t do the same. So when Divino Niño set out to make their next album, the new Last Spa on Earth, they were determined to try something different. 

“We kind of realized that music is at a certain BPM for a reason,” Codina says, laughing. “There’s certain sounds that just make people move. We started experimenting during our last tour right before the pandemic, playing our songs a bit faster or improvising jams that were a bit more dancey. It was a good start, but we wanted our next album to do that more intentionally.” 

Divino Niño, Little Jesus, PieriThis show is a release party for Last Spa on Earth. Sun 10/9, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $25, 18+

Last Spa on Earth is more vivid and energized than Foam, with grooves that are almost frenetic. The tracks span various sounds and genres: “Miami” cleverly mixes electronic sounds and beach pop; the effortlessly cool “XO” blends surreal psychedelic instrumentation and a refreshingly languid rap; the slow-building, disco-inspired “Ecstasy” feels playful and ecstatic. What connects the 12 songs is not genre, style, or instrumentation but rather the sensation they evoke: if Foam’s danceability simmers under the surface, then on Last Spa on Earth it leaps to the forefront. 

Foam was written and recorded with all the band members in one room, but COVID pushed them to make Last Spa on Earth in what they call a “collage” style. Because they couldn’t make music together in person during the early stages of the pandemic, they began writing and recording instrumental parts remotely and sending them to one another, then using a computer to assemble everything into a song. “You make one part, and then add another part, and then you find yourself moving the Lego pieces endlessly until you find harmony,” Medina explains. “And that’s a whole different puzzle than before.” 

Guitarist-singer Camilo Medina created the artwork for Last Spa on Earth.

Medina and Forero met in their mutual hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, when they were small children, and later reconnected in Miami—Medina’s family moved there when he was a teenager, and he had no idea Forero had already been in the city for several years. They first played music together in middle school, while entangled in what Medina calls a “bad Christian cult.” 

They both moved to Chicago for college, where Medina met Rodriguez at the School of the Art Institute. In the early 2010s, when Divino Niño began to play shows around Chicago, they felt their sound wasn’t full enough—instead of a drummer, they’d been relying on electronic percussion loops. In 2014 they invited Codina into the group to help carry the delicious arrangements they’re now known for. When Vittori toured as a support player with Divino Niño in 2019, he liked it enough to become a full-fledged member the following year.

Watching Divino Niño perform or even just sitting with them as a group, you can pick up on the special chemistry among the musicians. You’ll frequently see them share knowing grins from across the stage or even a hug between songs. The band members clearly know that together they’re greater than the sum of their parts. 

“There’s this genius mentality that’s kind of American,” Medina says. “But honestly, this pandemic has got us all on level zero—we’re all on an equal playing field. I sort of realized, damn, I wanted to be that individual hero and genius, but now it’s so clear we need to collaborate with everyone to survive. I used to think I could just do my own thing, but no, we’re all connected in this central web. Being in this band has been a spiritual way of exploring the importance of collaboration, and at the end of the day, our sound is more colorful than something I could have done by myself.” 

“A lot of people are probably feeling like me, like they need to live a little bit,” says Camilo Medina. “There’s too much darkness in the world, and I think we’re all looking for a release.” Credit: Matt Allen

This dedication to collaboration is part of what drew the band to Chicago. When they first arrived in the city and didn’t yet know many people, they felt confused as to where they fit in Chicago’s music scene. Nowadays they have a better grasp of the different artistic communities around town, and they still enjoy checking out the local talent at occasional late-night shows—they’re especially fond of the Empty Bottle.  

“Lately, I feel like another door has opened up to Chicago’s music scene,” Forero says. “There’s a crazy house scene, there’s a techno scene. I think the city is very colorful in that perspective—you just got to know where to look.”  

Last Spa on Earth feels more personal than Divino Niño’s previous music: its themes include embracing loneliness, seeking catharsis after a period of desolation, and releasing guilt from a strict religious upbringing. While writing Last Spa on Earth, Divino Niño became fascinated with neoperreo, a wild subgenre of reggaeton pioneered in many cases by women. Though the scene’s epicenter is online rather than in a particular city or region, major figures are based in Mexico, Chile, Spain, and elsewhere. Divino Niño took inspiration from the likes of Ms Nina, Bad Gyal, and Argentinian group Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso, and the band got excited to put their own twist on the sound—which included writing more lyrics in Spanish. 

When he was developing material for Foam, Forero didn’t feel confident using his native language. “I think at the time, for me, I didn’t think that Spanish could be cool when you’re singing,” he reflects. “I hadn’t found my voice. These people opened up a door of, ‘Actually, you can do it like this, and it’ll be really sick.’ That freed me up a lot.” The lyrics are almost all in Spanish throughout Last Spa on Earth.

Divino Niño have also provided a more transparent window into their inner world with their recent music videos. The clip for “XO,” for example, begins in what looks like a fairly typical Catholic church but quickly devolves into a scene of debauchery, with the congregants stripping, dancing wildly, and even smoking out of a bong in the shape of the baby Jesus. It’s a personal statement for Medina and Forero—a reaction to their painful, stifling experiences with Christianity as children. “We’re not saying, ‘Fuck you, Catholic shit,’ but it’s more like, ‘Yo, question everything,’ you know,” Medina says.  

The “XO” video, directed by Ambar Navarro 

The new album is out—the end of a complicated process, complicated further by the pandemic—but Divino Niño still have a long road ahead of them. They’re currently on a North American tour with Mexico City group Little Jesus, and they’ll arrive at Lincoln Hall for a release party on Sunday, October 9. They’ve already started to play their new music at shows, and little by little, they say, listeners are starting to move and groove.

“We played at this festival in Wisconsin, and it was at a farm, but yo, it was kind of like a party,” Medina says. “We lit that shit on fire. During the pandemic, I just accumulated too much pent-up energy, because I’m a social person. And then I went dancing once and I was like, whoa! I get the feeling that a lot of people are probably feeling like me, like they need to live a little bit. There’s too much darkness in the world, and I think we’re all looking for a release.”

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