Hermosa Cultural Center to Bring Virtual Events to ChicagoNishat Ahmedon August 11, 2020 at 4:16 pm

As an unfortunate rise in case numbers push more events to be canceled or adapted to adhere to social distancing guidelines, virtual events are seeing a rise throughout the country. Chicago is no exception from these new standards. The Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, located in Hermosa, plans to bring a host of virtual events to Chicago.

Located at 4048 W. Armitage Ave., the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center was founded in 1971 with the mission to “preserve and promote appreciation of the culture and arts of Puerto Rico and Latin America, with a unique emphasis on its African heritage.” The center was named after Segundo Ruiz Belvis, a Puerto Rican abolitionist who also fought for Puerto Rico’s independence.

Photo Credit: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center Facebook Page

The cultural center has lined up workshops and events to cover the rest of this month and the next. Starting with a performance this Sunday, August 16th, percussionist Joe Rendón, along with his band, will perform in the third event in a series of performances highlighting Chicago’s Latin jazz scene.

Photo Credit: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center Facebook Page

In a partnership with the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the cultural center is setting up and hosting a line up of virtual performances and art workshops for teens, with the first Teen Art Tuesday being a drumming class on 6 pm, August 18th. Michael Rodríguez and youths from the cultural center’s Afro-Latin percussion program will be featured for the class. The students involved with the cultural center’s youth programs will perform with Humboldt Park-based group, Los Pleneros de Don Segundo, on August 25th.

September’s programming has an Afro-Latin performance featuring musicians from both past and present programs under the musical direction of Michael Rodríguez and Adrian Ruiz slated for the first of the month. In a team up with the Museum of Contemporary Art, founder and leader of Chicago-based classic salsa band Conjunto Borikén, Nathan Rodriguez, will have a show on September 22nd.

Photo Credit: Lonesome Rose Facebook Page

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As aforementioned, all these shows and events will be virtual given that the center is closed to the public for now but Omar Torres-Kortright, Executive Director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, hopes to include some outdoor programming in the fall to bring more in person experiences to the city. When the pandemic hit, the center closed and lost its primary source of revenue but thanks to the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, funding from foundations, and an influx of donations, the cultural center was able to stay afloat. To keep up with the events and to watch them, follow the cultural center’s social media pages to catch the live broadcasts!

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Featured Image Credit: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Here’s Our Dream Riot Fest HeadlinersAlicia Likenon August 11, 2020 at 7:57 pm

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2020 has been wild, y’all. Pretty much every major event has been canceled including our beloved Riot Fest. The 3-day September festival is something every former punk rock and emo kid looks forward to. While we won’t be crowd surfing or throwing punches in a mosh pit like it’s 2003 (so many germs), at least we can look forward to next year’s lineup. BUT if we had our way, here’s who’d be on our Riot Fest roster this year.

Riot Fest Headliner — Photo Credit: blink-182 Instagram Pagb

blink-182

As long as the grass is green and the sky is blue, blink-182 will be at our faux Riot Fest. They’re the dudes who wrote a little song called, “Family Reunion” with lyrics so raunchy, they’d make your grandma blush. They’re also just hella fun on stage. It’s like you’re watching a couple of guys jam out in a friend’s basement. Plus, Travis Barker absolutely crushes it on the drums. So there’s that.

Coheed and Cambria

This progressive rock band gets our vote, mainly because of lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s incredible storytelling and haunting voice. Most of the band’s releases are concept albums based on a sci-fi storyline called, “The Amory Wars,” a graphic novel series created by Sanchez. Many fans have dissected each song and re-read every book to fully grasp the terror and wonder of this captivating tale.

GWAR

We might get hate for this but GWAR is the epitome of entertainment. From the intricate costumes to the insane theatrics, this heavy metal crew does NOT shy away from some of the grossest, most vile stuff you can imagine. It’s all part of their act and unless you have an open mind, you might want to skip this one. Or if you’re intrigued, check out the Scumdogs of the Universe.

Beastie Boys

No! Sleep! Til Brooklyn! …and… You gotta fight! For your right! To paaaarty! If you just sang that out loud, then you already know why they made this list. Considered alternative-hip hop royalty, the Beastie Boys toured with Madonna and clocked seven platinum albums during their reign. Here’s another crazy fact: they actually coined the term “mullet” in 1994 with their song Mullet Head. The more you know!

The Wonder Years

This pop-punk sextet from Philly were once newcomers to the Riot Fest scene but after some explosive sets filled with flinging arms and legs in the pit, The Wonder Years have cemented their name as a band with one of the most energetic performances a person can experience. Led by the powerhouse persona of Dan “Soupy” Campbell, The Wonder Years are a band that tackles grief, loneliness, and all the tell-tale perils of growing old to the tune of thrashing drums, raging guitars, and heartwrenching lyrics.

Paramore

Who remembers the iconic orange-yellow hair? Or the revengeful lyrics of Misery Business, that went something like “Whoa, I never meant to brag but I got him where I want him now.” Lead singer and rocker queen, Hayley Williams, certainly knows how to hold her own on the Riot Fest stage and that’s why she (and the other band members) deserve a spot in this lineup.

Fall Out Boy

Of course, we need some Illinois love on this list! Our very own local legends got their start in Wilmette around 2001. They rose to emo-pop stardom with catchy hits like Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down, and Dance, Dance. FOB was a TRL favorite and has toured all over the world for almost two decades. And they show no signs of slowing down—they released their seventh album titled “Mania” in 2018.

Best Pizza Places in Chicago — Photo Credit: Uno Instagram

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New Found Glory

This pop-punk band has some epic hits but My Friends Over You certainly takes the cake. The upbeat anthem propelled NFG to stardom many moons ago. Since then, they’ve released 10 albums, toured the globe, and continue to bring the nostalgia with every performance.

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Featured Image Credit: The Wonder Years Facebook Page

Chicago Blackhawks: Looking at Vegas Golden Knights rosterVincent Pariseon August 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm

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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Golden Knights have a fantastic roster that the Chicago Blackhawks need to be ready for.

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be playing the Vegas Golden Knights in round number one. They surprised the hockey world when they upset the Edmonton Oilers in the play-in qualifying round. It was a brilliant series for them as they defeated the team with the NHL’s two leading scorers. Now, they move on and have to play a very good Vegas team. This is a team that rolls out four good forwards lines, three good defensive pairs, and has two elite goalies.

The Golden Knights have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League since joining. They went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season where they were defeated by the Washington Capitals. This year, they made it to the playoffs to extend their streak of making the playoffs to start their history. They have Stanley Cup aspirations once again.

They won every single game they played in the round-robin which is why they were able to draw the 12th seed Blackhawks in the first round. They looked very good at doing it too because they are a deep team that is well-coached.

If the Golden Knights are going to go to the Stanley Cup Final this year, they need their lineup to play to their potential from top to bottom. They have good players all over the place and that is what is going to be the biggest issue for the Blackhawks. This is a very different animal compared to the Edmonton Oilers because Vegas is a much deeper team. This is a look at the positions for them:

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Chicago Blackhawks: Looking at Vegas Golden Knights rosterVincent Pariseon August 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears could benefit from canceled college football seasonPatrick Sheldonon August 11, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears might benefit from a canceled college football season.

We are now within five weeks of the Chicago Bears playing a meaningful football game again. As we inch closer to the start of the NFL season, we have grown accustomed to Week 1 being precipitated by a slate of college football games to wet our collective whistles.

Unfortunately, the news out of the NCAA world seems to strongly suggest that there will not be a college football season, as the Big Ten has, at least according to one contested report, voted to cancel its season. If true, presumably, other conferences would quickly follow suit.

However, while it would be incredibly disappointing, it could also be a benefit to the Bears, so perhaps there is a silver lining to the bad news.

So how could the Bears benefit? I’m glad you asked. Like everything in football, it comes down to the quarterback position.

While fans are getting revved up for the battle between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, the reality is the Bears will most likely be in the market for a quarterback in next year’s draft. Unless Trubisky becomes who Pace thought he was, the Bears absolutely must draft a quarterback.

While we don’t know where they will be drafting, the fact that there won’t be a college football season could give them additional options.

Of course, this is all predicated on a giant condition — and that is that the Bears competently scout the position. But if they can, and with Matt Nagy involved in the process, there is reason to believe they will be better, they should be in a pretty good spot.

You see, heading into this year, there were a number of quarterbacks who were incredibly intriguing. In fact, we highlighted a number of them a while back. However, players like Trey Lance, Jamie Newman, Brock Purdy, and KJ Costello are all quarterbacks who had a lot of hype coming into this year.

However, teams were likely looking for each of them to validate their 2019 seasons with as good or better 2020 seasons. Without that ability, some teams may be scared off from drafting these quarterbacks too high (though Lance is the exception). That could allow one or more of them to drop to the second round when a solid 2020 season would assuredly have put them squarely in the first round.

Next: Super Bowl safety still on the market for Bears

This would be huge, especially if the Bears put together a decent season and end up drafting outside the top 15. Again, if the Bears can competently scout the position — and that is a big if — they may stumble into a franchise quarterback when they otherwise may not have had that chance.

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Chicago Bears could benefit from canceled college football seasonPatrick Sheldonon August 11, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Why Jimmy Graham, Cole Kmet change everythingRyan Heckmanon August 11, 2020 at 11:00 am

Chicago Bears (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

While many Chicago Bears fans question the signing and drafting of Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet, respectively, these two will change everything.

This past free agency period began with man fans laughing at the Chicago Bears for signing Jimmy Graham to a 2-year, $16 million deal. Graham, formerly an All Pro, is often labeled “washed up” at this stage in his career.

The Bears then drafted Cole Kmet out of Notre Dame at no. 42 overall, which many thought was a bit of a reach. It didn’t matter. Ryan Pace was going to address the tight end position, one way or another. Whether or not people agreed with his moves was irrelevant. The Bears were coming off arguably their most miserable season in franchise history at the tight end position.

Going into the 2020 season, the Bears have totally revamped this spot, also adding veteran Demetrius Harris who will primarily be a blocking tight end. As for Graham and Kmet, though, these two will change things in a big way for the offense. One specific stat proves this point.

Per JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago, speaking on a recent Bears Barroom podcast, the Bears ran the ball nearly 76 percent of the time when lined up in “12 personnel” last season.

For those who may not know, “12 personnel” is when the offense rolls out two tight ends. This type of grouping features more blocking, thus many teams will use it to run the ball more often than not.

The Bears have completely revamped the TE corps for 2020. Expect much more 12 personnel sets as the TE position is very important in the success of this offense. Just look at TE production in KC/Philly

— Greg Gabriel (@greggabe) July 28, 2020

However, the Bears didn’t have much of a pass-catching threat at tight end last year. So, when they decided to line up in “12 personnel,” defenses had to know they were going to run it. Again, they ran it three quarters of the time when lined up in this fashion. How could defenses not expect a run?

Now, when looking at Graham and Kmet, the Bears actually do have guys who can catch the football. Is Graham going to stretch the field? Absolutely not. Is Kmet expected to come in and be Travis Kelce? Not quite.

But, what we do know about these two is their strong ability to catch the football. They both give the Bears quarterbacks options to throw to when in this personnel grouping. By now, everybody knows not a single Bears tight end eclipsed 100 yards receiving all season in 2019. Graham’s 447 receiving yards last year look pretty tasty by comparison.

We also know that Matt Nagy is committed to establishing the run and (hopefully) not abandoning it. If he is seriously committed to this aspect (which he should be) then he will likely use “12 personnel” quite often.

The only difference, now, is that he has guys who can disguise as blockers initially off the snap and then head into their routes once the play is in development. The Bears now have the ability to commit to the run while also putting guys out on the field who pose a receiving threat at tight end.

In 2020, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears ran the ball closer to 55-60 percent of the time in “12 personnel.” This small tweak will allow either Nick Foles or Mitchell Trubisky to open up the offense much more than it was a year ago.

We can talk all day long about how poor the offensive line played or even how bad Trubisky looked at times, but the one thing that both didn’t have working in their favor was even an average threat at tight end, in terms of catching the ball.

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Graham and Kmet will allow the Bears to line up like this with much more success this year. Hopefully it not only keeps defenses honest and allows the run game to improve, but also for the tight ends to contribute to this offense in a big way.

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Chicago Bears: Why Jimmy Graham, Cole Kmet change everythingRyan Heckmanon August 11, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »