When the Government Paid Writers to Travel Illinoison August 18, 2020 at 5:59 pm

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When the Government Paid Writers to Travel Illinoison August 18, 2020 at 5:59 pm Read More »

Eiko Ishibashi’s Hyakki Yagyo is a dazzling and dizzying musical ghost storyJoshua Minsoo Kimon August 18, 2020 at 5:00 pm

Japanese multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Eiko Ishibashi has spent the past couple decades working in a multitude of idioms, including art-pop, jazz, postpunk, and free improvisation. It’s been thrilling to hear her move among styles and ideas from album to album, and her latest, Hyakki Yagyo (“Night Parade of One Hundred Demons”), is one of her most arresting to date, replete with tantalizing, haunting atmospheres conjured by electronics, acoustic instrumentation, and field recordings. Made with two of Ishibashi’s frequent collaborators, Joe Talia (percussion) and former Chicagoan Jim O’Rourke (double bass, mixing), Hyakki Yagyo feels uneasy right from the get-go: synth tones flicker patiently and ominously, a faint clanging arises in the distance, and soon we hear dancer and choreographer Ryuichi Fujimura energetically whispering a tanka by 15th-century poet Ikkyu Sojun, adding to the alluring mystique and horror suggested by the album’s title. The image of otherworldly spirits in an uproarious gathering is apt, given that Hyakki Yagyo presents a dizzying assortment of noises: chiming bells and rattling metal, wheezing flutes and rushing water, screeching strings and warbling electronics. Ishibashi has always used extreme dynamics for dramatic effect in her experimental works, and here they’re at their most theatrical and breathtaking–the quietest and loudest moments feel equally important in keeping you on your toes. Despite how cacophonous the album can sound, it’s clearly constructed with meticulous care–every note and sound and texture has a purpose. Once you pick up on that, each new development makes you curious about what will come next and how the piece’s narrative will unravel. Ishibashi has accomplished a marvel with Hyakki Yagyo: it combines the intimacy of a ghost story told at a campfire with the grandiosity of one presented onstage. v

Eiko Ishibashi’s Hyakki Yagyo is a dazzling and dizzying musical ghost storyJoshua Minsoo Kimon August 18, 2020 at 5:00 pm Read More »

Imperial Triumphant’s Alphaville soundtracks our civilizational suicide by capitalismPhilip Montoroon August 18, 2020 at 1:00 pm

The overlap between extreme metal and avant-garde improvised music is admittedly slight, but that tiny patch of ground produces some extravagantly bizarre fruits–among them New York City trio Imperial Triumphant. Drummer Kenny Grohowski frequently collaborates with downtown-scene daddy John Zorn, most notably performing his music in Simulacrum with guitarist Matt Hollenberg of Cleric and organist John Medeski. And bassist Steven Blanco not only has a history as a jazz pianist but also plays bass in PAK with guitarist Ron Anderson of Molecules and Rat at Rat R fame, alongside Cleric drummer Larry Kwartowitz. The dissonant, shape-shifting tangle of black and death metal on Imperial Triumphant’s new fourth full-length, Alphaville, uses improvisation only in its details–these are unmistakably composed pieces–but it does adopt the avant-garde stance of insisting that you come to it. Frenzied, decadent, and spring-loaded with unpredictable shifts in mood and intensity, this chaotic but tightly controlled music has no special interest in catchy riffs, and it doesn’t care if you’re tired of waiting for a chorus–it’s not going to meet you on your terms. Grohowski, Blanco, and guitarist and front man Zachary Ilya Ezrin used a producer for the first time on Alphaville, working with Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle (who’s also enlisted Grohowski for his band Secret Chiefs 3). The resulting arrangements are the most jarring and florid of the band’s career, incorporating an elegant unaccompanied piano-and-trombone duet, delirious choral vocals, an interlude of nonidiomatic taiko drumming, corny silent-film organ, and even a barbershop quartet that’s draped in static like a dusty old 78. Blanco’s bass takes the stairs three at a time, indulging in gymnastics and convolutions that might read as “jazzy” if it weren’t for his weird harmonic choices; he constantly changes his angle of approach to Ezrin’s spindly, laddering riffs, whose high-wire act is broken up by nerve-wracking wobbles of tremolo and tense, queasy intervallic leaps. Grohowski’s formidable drumming almost makes the music’s metrical oddities comprehensible, even as he shifts between light-footed, impossibly fast blastbeats, snarled tech-death, and loose, splattery fills. Even in black and death metal as bastardized as this, misanthropy is de rigueur, and Imperial Triumphant give theirs a special New York flavor. Their lyrics, which Ezrin delivers in a clotted howl, convey a bilious contempt for the city’s wealthy parasites–and the cover of Alphaville, with its sinister art deco imagery, links their amoral excess to America’s civilizational suicide by capitalism in the 1920s. Our own self-immolation is well under way–U.S. billionaires have grown more than $600 billion richer during the pandemic, while almost 40 million Americans have applied for unemployment–and it promises to leave the country uninhabitable for everyone but the white-collar criminals who’ve persuaded the world they’re its elite. To indict this towering corruption, Imperial Triumphant enact a furious boiling over of the human energies it exploits. v

Imperial Triumphant’s Alphaville soundtracks our civilizational suicide by capitalismPhilip Montoroon August 18, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Gunmen open fire at large group in Austin, killing 1 and wounding anotherSun-Times Wireon August 18, 2020 at 9:15 pm

Two 18-year-old men were shot Monday — one fatally — in Austin on the West Side.

They were standing in a large group in the 1700 block of North Luna Avenue when multiple gunmen exited a white sedan and opened fire, Chicago police said.

Trayvon McMorris took off down an alley about 11:45 p.m and was shot in his back, officials said.

Officers were flagged down by bystanders and found him in an alley, police said. He was taken to the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Autopsy results Tuesday found McMorris died from his gunshot wound and ruled his death a homicide.

Another man brought himself to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park with a gunshot wound to the foot, police said. He was listed in good condition.

No one is in custody as Area Five detectives conduct a homicide investigation.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

Gunmen open fire at large group in Austin, killing 1 and wounding anotherSun-Times Wireon August 18, 2020 at 9:15 pm Read More »

10 Best Chinese Restaurants in ChicagoAlicia Likenon August 18, 2020 at 8:09 pm

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Chicago might be known for deep-dish pizza and Italian beef. But did you know we have some of the best Chinese food in the midwest? Yep, it’s true. And with so many incredible options to choose from, it can be tough to choose. But we got you! From plump soup dumplings to melt-your-face-off spicy noodles, here are some of the best Chinese restaurants in Chicago.

Chinese Restaurants in Chicago — Photo Credit: Imperial Lamian Instagram

6 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654

Stop into this River North restaurant for refined and real Chinese cuisine. Imperial specializes in freshly made dim sum, hand-pulled Lamian noodles, and wok-fired entrées. Plus, they offer monthly cooking classes where you can learn how to noodle or make dumplings!

605 W 31st St., Chicago, IL 60616

Since 2009, Han 202 has been blending traditional flavors with thoughtful plating that compliments each dish. Their open kitchen concept allows diners to see the chef hard at work preparing your meal. Fill up on their dumplings, hearty entrees, and delectable desserts, and you’ll leave feeling satisfied.

3253 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Hey chicken wing lovers, here’s one for you. This long-standing, cash-only spot serves up Chinese and Koren favorites but is known for their lollipop chicken wings. Each wing is deep-fried to perfection and doused in a sweet and tangy sauce. Complement your order with one of their pork, beef, or chicken dishes and you’ll be golden.

5039 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60640

Craving Hong Kong-style Chinese barbecue? Check out this destination with an open, barrel-vaulted ceiling and a lively atmosphere. Sun Wah’s continuously growing numbers prove Chicago has an insatiable appetite for the finest Hong Kong fare with their most famous off-menu feature, the Beijing Duck Dinner.

2002 S Wentworth Ave #103, Chicago, IL 60616

Looking for a dumpling that absolutely slaps? Here you go. QXY specializes in handmade dumplings stuffed with everything from lamb and beef to sea urchin and mackerel. BBQ skewers are also a hot item. Or if you’re in the mood for something different, learn how to make dumplings (they offer free classes).

2222 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

As Chinatown’s newest restaurant, Dolo is one of the only restaurants offering a full bar with beer, wine, and cocktails. They also have a gorgeous outdoor patio that’s a perfect spot to enjoy gourmet Dim Sum, bento boxes, dumplings, steamed buns, and more.

Chinese Food Chicago — Photo Credit: Go 4 Food Facebook

212 W 23rd St, Chicago, IL 60616

Check out this Michelin-star restaurant to experience Chinese fusion in the heart of Chinatown. Explore the usual suspects like Mapo Tofu and Beef Chow Fun, or go something more contemporary like Baby Geoduck, Fusion Chili Crab, and Millionaire Style Fried Rice. Or try one of the various Prix-Fixe menus for a comprehensive experience.

4936 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60640

Two words: dim sum. Sure, you can get this wonderful Chinese dish at a lot of places around Chicago but no one does it quite like Furama. Browse their extensive menu for all sorts of dishes, a variety of dumplings, egg tarts, pork buns, and more. Order online to get a free crab rangoon with $15 purchase or free potstickers with a $20 purchase!

2545 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Prepare your taste buds for something amazing. This Lincoln Park favorite checks all the boxes for authentic eats. Step out of your comfort zone with interesting dishes like Diced Rabbit and Dry Chili Pork Intestine. Or if you’re feeling less adventurous, you can’t go wrong with their Broccoli Beef or Kong Pao Chicken.

Photo Credit: Tufanos (Vernon Park Tap) Facebook Page

View the Best Italian Restaurants in Chicago, Ranked

Are you trying to find the best Italian joints in Chicago to visit? View our list of the top 50 pizza restaurants in the city.

View the Best Italian Places in Chicago

Photo Credit: BBQ King Website
2148 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
Serving a crowd of hearty eaters? BBQ King House might be your perfect option. Consider scooping up a Dinner for Ten which comes with everything from beef ribs and salted chicken to fish maw soup and lobster. With their never-ending menu, you’re sure to please every palate.

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Featured Image Credit: Photo Credit: Chengdu Impression Yelp!

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10 Best Chinese Restaurants in ChicagoAlicia Likenon August 18, 2020 at 8:09 pm Read More »

City Shuts Down 5 Restaurants Monday Night For COVID-19 Guideline ViolationsBrian Lendinoon August 18, 2020 at 4:17 pm

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In our continued coverage of the increasingly fractured relationship between the City of Chicago and small businesses, the city has issued citations and shut down 5 more restaurants and nightclubs for the evening after a series of COVID-19 guideline violations.

The establishments: Barba Yianni in Lincoln Square, Juanita’s Restaurant #2 in Clearing, Retro Cafe and Restaurant in Belmont Cragin, La Estrella Blanca Nightclub near Old Irving, and Second Time Around in Irving Woods, were cited and shut down for a variety of violations. You can see the individual citations below, however, it’s pertinent to note that each citation comes with a $10,000 fine.

Here are the five establishments that were closed after COVID-19 guidelines last evening (per WTTW News):

Restaurant Closures — Photo Credit: Barba Yianni Facebook Page

4761 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

The Lincoln Square restaurant known for having the best Greek food outside of Greektown was issued two citations for having more than 80 people inside, operating after midnight, and violating social distancing and face-covering guidelines.

COVID-19 Guideline Violations — Photo Credit: Juanita’s #2

6539-6541, W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60638

In Clearing, Juanita’s was closed and issued two citations for having more than 70 people inside, operating after midnight, and violating social distancing and masking guidelines. Juanita’s Google page claims they are currently closed for dine-in options at their establishment.

3246 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60634

In a sports bar meets a Polish dive bar, Retro Cafe and Restaurant was closed and issued two citations for operating after midnight and violating social distancing and masking guidelines.