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

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

Even in a city full of talented artists with their fingers in a half dozen projects at once, Marvin Tate stands out as a Renaissance man. The west-side native is extraordinarily industrious as a singer-songwriter, poet, visual artist, playwright, and activist, with a richly diverse body of work, and he’s been a local legend for decades. This month, Tate seems to have kicked his activity into an even higher gear! 

On Friday, July 15, Tate’s new visual-art exhibit, The Musicality of Poetry, opens at Experimental Sound Studio’s Audible Gallery. It’ll be on view by appointment till October 2, and it includes a collaborative sound installation with saxophonist Hunter Diamond and cellist olula negre. On Saturday, July 23, he’ll perform a literary tribute to recently departed cultural critic and musician Greg Tate as part of HotHouse’s 35th anniversary festival. And on Saturday, July 30, Tate will debut a four-hour peripatetic performance in collaboration with Theatre Y. Laughing Song: A Walking Dream begins and ends at the YMEN Center (1241 S. Pulaski), but in between it will traverse North Lawndale, along the way involving comedy, happenings, humor rituals, poetry, dance, and a meal. According to Theatre Y, Tate will mix stories from his own childhood with the “dreamlike presence” of the world’s first Black recording artist, George W. Johnson, as “he leads us through his home streets in search of true laughter.” Johnson cut a famous novelty number called “The Laughing Song” in the 1890s, but ended up in an unmarked grave. Tickets for the production, which runs Saturdays and Sundays through August 28, are available at theatre-y.com. 

If you’re still kicking yourself for never visiting iconic Chicago nightclub Neo before it closed in summer 2015, you’re in luck! On Friday, July 16, Metro hosts its annual Neo reunion, which highlights the DJs who made the club a destination in five different decades. This year’s event includes Nocturna cofounder Scary Lady Sarah and Neo’s very first DJ, Suzanne Shelton—whose vision and ingenuity helped transform a failing Lincoln Park disco into a new-wave hot spot. Glenn Russell, Rob Kokot, Bill Saveley, and Jeff Moyer also spin. The night kicks off at 8 PM; tickets are $25, or $22 in advance.

In February, Chicago band Blinker dropped their debut album, the rootsy indie-rock romp Adult Hits. Its tunes are earnest and occasionally wry—you might even get a laugh out of the languorous “Festival Season,” especially if you’ve ever gone to a music fest and started hating everybody as soon as it tops 90 degrees. You can see Blinker play in the cool indoor climes of Golden Dagger on Wednesday, July 20, with openers Porch Music and Fruit Leather. Admission is $10, and the show starts at 8 PM.

The pandemic prevented Blinker from playing the songs on Adult Hits live before recording them.

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Even in a city full of talented artists with their fingers in a half dozen projects at once, Marvin Tate stands out as a Renaissance man. The west-side native is extraordinarily industrious as a singer-songwriter, poet, visual artist, playwright, and activist, with a richly diverse body of work, and he’s been a local legend for decades. This month, Tate seems to have kicked his activity into an even higher gear! 

On Friday, July 15, Tate’s new visual-art exhibit, The Musicality of Poetry, opens at Experimental Sound Studio’s Audible Gallery. It’ll be on view by appointment till October 2, and it includes a collaborative sound installation with saxophonist Hunter Diamond and cellist olula negre. On Saturday, July 23, he’ll perform a literary tribute to recently departed cultural critic and musician Greg Tate as part of HotHouse’s 35th anniversary festival. And on Saturday, July 30, Tate will debut a four-hour peripatetic performance in collaboration with Theatre Y. Laughing Song: A Walking Dream begins and ends at the YMEN Center (1241 S. Pulaski), but in between it will traverse North Lawndale, along the way involving comedy, happenings, humor rituals, poetry, dance, and a meal. According to Theatre Y, Tate will mix stories from his own childhood with the “dreamlike presence” of the world’s first Black recording artist, George W. Johnson, as “he leads us through his home streets in search of true laughter.” Johnson cut a famous novelty number called “The Laughing Song” in the 1890s, but ended up in an unmarked grave. Tickets for the production, which runs Saturdays and Sundays through August 28, are available at theatre-y.com. 

If you’re still kicking yourself for never visiting iconic Chicago nightclub Neo before it closed in summer 2015, you’re in luck! On Friday, July 16, Metro hosts its annual Neo reunion, which highlights the DJs who made the club a destination in five different decades. This year’s event includes Nocturna cofounder Scary Lady Sarah and Neo’s very first DJ, Suzanne Shelton—whose vision and ingenuity helped transform a failing Lincoln Park disco into a new-wave hot spot. Glenn Russell, Rob Kokot, Bill Saveley, and Jeff Moyer also spin. The night kicks off at 8 PM; tickets are $25, or $22 in advance.

In February, Chicago band Blinker dropped their debut album, the rootsy indie-rock romp Adult Hits. Its tunes are earnest and occasionally wry—you might even get a laugh out of the languorous “Festival Season,” especially if you’ve ever gone to a music fest and started hating everybody as soon as it tops 90 degrees. You can see Blinker play in the cool indoor climes of Golden Dagger on Wednesday, July 20, with openers Porch Music and Fruit Leather. Admission is $10, and the show starts at 8 PM.

The pandemic prevented Blinker from playing the songs on Adult Hits live before recording them.

Read More

In celebration of National Ice Cream Day, Museum of Ice Cream Chicago at The Shops at Tribune Tower is throwing the coolest party of the summer! To honor their favorite holiday, MOIC is building the world’s sweetest outdoor swimming pool – filled with sprinkles and a side of free ice cream and frozen novelties compliments of Popsicle, Klondike, and Breyers.

This first-ever outdoor Sprinkle Pool will be 56 feet long and open to the public from 12pm to 6pm on Sunday, July 17 in Pioneer Court, adjacent to The Shops at Tribune Tower. Ice cream and frozen novelty fans can choose from a variety of free sweet treats as they float on a bed of sprinkles along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at the i-cone-ic Chicago Tribune Tower!

Image Credit: MOIC

Celebrating National Ice Cream Day

Since 2018, Museum of Ice Cream has celebrated National Ice Cream Day with legen-dairy activations and partnerships, and one year even broke a world record in Los Angeles for the largest ice cream social ever held! They partnered with the city of New York as part of the “ice cream truck of rights” initiative to educate residents about their rights with topics focusing on housing, immigrant issues, the environment, healthcare, voting rights, and more — and gave out free treats for all ice cream lovers.

In 2020, they also partnered with local BIPOC-owned ice cream powerhouses to serve up a variety of incredible innovations and cool confections. Last year, MOIC debuted exclusive NICD flavors in collaborations with Topo Chico, Bailey’s and local businesses, cementing its parties as the perfect place for the ice cream-obsessed and the young at heart!

Free Admission

The party will be scooping from 12 pm to 6 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2022. Admission to the celebration grounds and outdoor Sprinkle Pool is free and open to the public at 401 North Michigan Avenue, along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Meanwhile, you can reserve GA tickets for MOIC on their website at $36 per person — a darn good deal, if you ask us!

Image Credit: MOIC

About MOIC

Museum of Ice Cream transforms concepts and dreams into spaces that provoke imagination and creativity. MOIC is designed to be a culturally inclusive environment and community, inspiring human connection and imagination through the universal power of ice cream. Museum of Ice Cream is a Figure8 brand.

For the National Ice Cream Day celebration, our corporate sponsors are The Shops at Tribune Tower, in partnership with Block 37 State Street’s shopping dining and entertainment venue, as well as Popsicle, Klondike, and Breyers.

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Touted as a “mecca of cool,” the iconic Randolph Street Market Festival will make its highly-anticipated return to the bustling West Loop where the world-famous event first began at 1341 W. Randolph for its 19th season Saturday, July 30 – Sunday, July 31 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The premier destination for one-of-a-kind finds, the Randolph Street Market Festival offers an ultra-curated, high-quality selection of antiques, and vintage and modern goods ranging from fashion to art, jewelry, décor, retro home furnishings, global goods, and more. Treasure hunters and entertainment-seekers alike will be delighted by the continuous lineup of live musical acts, unique food vendors, fun cocktails, and more to enjoy throughout the weekend.

After a hiatus due to restrictions on large gatherings, the European flea-market style experience, and mid-Summer extravaganza returns home to bring together 175 of the top independent vendors, makers, and designers from across North America. Tickets are on sale now with early bird pricing and a variety of packages and specials at randolphstreetmarket.com.

Image Credit: Randolph Street Market

2022 Venders

Attendees of all ages will have the chance to shop Vintage Chanel, scout the perfect add to their art collection, hunt for a 1930s antique bar set, discover handmade fair-trade treasures from around the globe, score mint-condition albums from icons of centuries past, and more all weekend long. Some of the 175 featured vendors this season are:

Sugar Sequin Vintage – Vintage Juicy Couture, Chanel, and Moschino Couture
Global Attic & Naperville African Village – African Art, Artifacts & Textiles 
Atlantic Poster – Rock N’ Roll & Movie Star Glossy’s and Posters 
Krava Galleries – Vintage Cowboy Hats & Paintings 
Bartholomew’s Brilliant Boxes – Steampunk & Robot Lighting 
This Old Book – Rare Novels and Coffee Table Books 
The Piggy Kitchen (as featured on the Food Network’s Julia Child Challenge – Winner 2022) – Vintage French Copper Cookware
Conservatory Vintage + Vinyl: Vintage Vinyl 
Poems While You Wait – Bespoke Poetry on Vintage Typewriter 
Tarkington Antiques – Mid-Century Modern Home Goods 
Spotted Horse Collectibles – Vintage Quilts 
Gin-For’s Oddities – Rookwood Pottery 
Hija di Nada – One of a Kind Hand Blocked Hats, Knitwear & Accessories 

The festival will feature a variety of savory and sweet treats as well as unique cocktails to enjoy including everything from Lobster Rolls provided by The Happy Lobster to Gourmet Chicago Cheesecake courtesy of Chicago Schweet Cheesecake. The Market Bar will be buzzing with Candi’s Bloody Mary’s for shoppers to enjoy.

Image Credit: Randolph Street Market Festival

Music Lineup

A haven for entertainment lovers, the Randolph Street Market Festival will also feature a range of top musical acts from Jazz, Rockabilly, and Salsa, to 80’s Hits, Country Western and the sweet sounds of everyone’s favorite in-house tune spinners, DJ D. Jones all weekend long.

The full musical lineup is as follows:

Saturday, July 30

10:00 am – 5:00 pm: DJ D. Jones (Building Ballroom)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: DJ Crate Digga HasH (Building Lower Hall)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Poems While You Wait (Sally’s Cabana)
10 am – 11:30 am: Jenny James & The Flames (Outside Mainstage)
11:30 am – 1:30 pm: The 80’s Babies (Outside Mainstage)
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Contrabanda (Outside Mainstage)
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: The Corsairs (Outside Mainstage)

Sunday, July 31

10:00 am – 5:00 pm: DJ D. Jones and Crew (Building Ballroom)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: DJ Crate Digga HasH (Building Lower Hall)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Tony Morrison Jazz Quintet (Outside Mainstage)
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Joe Wortell & The Natural Law (Outside Mainstage)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Low Reen and Maxwell Street Blues Band (Outside Mainstage)

A rain or shine event, the festival will take place both out and indoors, offering visitors a chance to beat the heat and continue the fun with a massive air-conditioned indoor portion featuring market vendors, Andi’s Sunflower Café for delectable signature drinks including their Bananas Foster Latte and more.

Image Credit: Randolph Street Market

Get Your Tickets Now

The Randolph Street Market Festival will be open Saturday, July 30 from 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday, July 31 from 10 am – 5 pm. Tickets are on sale now on their website with an early bird pricing of $10 ($15 at the gate), plus a range of exclusive packages perfect for groups and families featuring merch, food, and beverage offerings as well as special entry rates for seniors, military personnel, students and first responders. Children under the age of 12 are free.

The Market will also be offering an “Early Buy” ticket this year for $25, which allows entry an hour before open at 9 am, with all proceeds benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago. New this year, festival-goers will have access to a huge on-site parking garage within the secure, fully-enclosed market for added convenience. For easy access to public transit, a West Loop Trolley will run continuously from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday from Randolph Street Market Festival to both Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Featured Image: Randolph Street Market Festival

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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.

Read More

Read More