What’s New

Classless Act Gear Up For Mötley Crüe Opening Slot Friday At Wrigley Field

Classless Act Gear Up For Mötley Crüe Opening Slot Friday At Wrigley Field

By Jim Ryan,
today at 1:08 pm
(Left to right) Griffin Tucker, Franco Gravante, Derek Day, Dane Pieper and Chuck McKissock of L.A. rock quintet Classless Act pose backstage prior to an opening set for Dorothy. Saturday, April 30, 2022 at House of Blues in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

Two weeks removed from the release of their debut album Welcome to the Show, following a spring tour with blues rockers Dorothy, Los Angeles rock quintet Classless Act are back on the road alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett as opening act on “The Stadium Tour,” one of the summer’s most anticipated outings.

It’s the culmination of a whirlwind year for the group, helping to usher in a new era of rock alongside young acts like Dirty Honey, Greta Van Fleet and Mammoth WVH.

Classless Act formed in 2018 and the run in support of Dorothy, which stopped at Chicago’s House of Blues in April, marked the group’s first major tour following two years forced off the road amidst pandemic.

While the extra time allowed them to fine tune Welcome To The Show – an album produced by legendary producer Bob Rock (Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Bon Jovi) in Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s home studio which features guest appearances by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness as well as Mötley vocalist Vince Neil) – 2022 has allowed them to hone their live act, tweaking a performance that needs to resonate in massive outdoor stadiums as well as it does within the intimate confines of a small club.

I spoke with Classless Act about working with Rock on their first album, the importance of social media for a young band and performing Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field (an early set scheduled to begin about 3:45 PM). Highlights from two conversations recorded backstage at House of Blues in April and last week over the phone prior to a ‘Stadium Tour’ appearance in Charlotte, North Carolina follow below.

So you guys formed in 2018, right? How far along were you by the time the pandemic hit in early 2020?

FRANCO GRAVANTE: We had just finished the first half of the album right before the pandemic hit. We were scheduled to finish it and then that happened and we wound up on standby for like a year.

(Left to right) Griffin Tucker, Derek Day and Dane Pieper of Classless Act perform on stage at House of Blues. Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

The cliche phrase these days is that “rock is dead.” I don’t subscribe to it. But what’s it like being part of this new, younger generation of rock groups helping to usher in a new era of rock? 

DEREK DAY: What Zappa said about jazz: “Jazz isn’t dead. It just smells really funny.” It’s funny when people say rock is dead. That’s the name of Dorothy’s first album: ROCKISDEAD. That’s her first album but she rocks so hard. 

How did you guys wind up on the Mötley Crüe radar? 

FRANCO: We recorded the first half of the album in Tommy Lee’s studio actually – it was produced by Bob Rock. He used to come down in the middle of the sessions and just listen to it and have fun. He’s a pretty cool dude. Bob Rock and Tommy were friends. We’d spend a lot of time in the studio with Bob. We did like eight songs or something. 

Derek Day of Classless Act performs on stage at House of Blues. Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

What was it like working with and learning from Bob? 

DANE PIEPER: Even though Bob has produced bands dating back to the 80s and earlier, he was always willing to experiment with us, which was amazing. Because sometimes rock can be kind of put in like a bubble. But with all of our songs, he’d be like, “Why not try something out like this?” That was kind of his catchphrase: “Why not this?” So, a lot of experimenting. And, at the end of the day, we had a lot to learn from him. So, we really didn’t take a moment for granted. 

Did you guys grow up as Mötley Crüe fans?

DANE: Yeah! 

DEREK: Absolutely. My first band was like a Mötley Crüe, Skid Row cover band. We’d cover all of that stuff.

Dane Pieper (right) and Derek Day (left) of Classless Act perform on stage at House of Blues. Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

Growing up at a young age, where were you discovering acts like that? Who was exposing you to that stuff? 

GRIFFIN TUCKER: Personally, for me, my parents are a huge factor in the music that I grew up with. Especially going to school, my mom would always play the radio. She always knew that The Beatles would be a safe thing to listen to when I was young. But I would always listen to all of their CDs. You’d get the classics like Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses and Queen and all of those great bands.

DEREK: Siblings, yeah. 

I was listening to “Time To Bleed” this morning. And I love the message that’s in there about taking action. It’s a very nonpartisan message. How important was it to strike that chord and make sure that was part of the album?

CHUCK MCKISSOCK: I feel like it was very important. 

FRANCO: I’m responsible for the music. Derek and Justin Hawkins gave me a hand with those lyrics and melodies. The message is pretty cool. One of my favorite lines is, “Woke ain’t a word, I think you mean awakened.” That always cracks me up. Shout out to Keith Nelson for producing and mixing that song by the way.

Franco Gravante (center) performs on stage with Classless Act. Saturday, April 30, 2022 at House of Blues in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

How did you guys get linked up with Justin Hawkins and what was it like having him on a few tracks? 

FRANCO: It was amazing actually. Our manager introduced us to him. Really, really cool dude. He’s the best. He writes songs like on the spot. It’s amazing. 

How important has social media been for you guys in terms of both creating and maintaining a bond with fans? 

GRIFFIN: One of the big connections that I’ve really realized the more that we’ve played shows on [the Dorothy] tour is just putting so many faces to the profiles that we see on social media. We have so many wonderful fans that interact with us on our posts on Instagram or Twitter or any of these social media platforms. And we play these shows with Dorothy and afterwards we hang out at our merch table. And fans come up and say, “Hey, I’m so and so on Instagram!” And we’re like, “Oh my gosh! I almost forgot that you are a real person!” It’s unbelievable to think that someone outside like a five mile radius knows who we are, you know? And it’s just humbling. It’s an honor to get to see those people face to face. 

DANE: I think it’s really important to put a face to the music. I think why some people have the conception that rock is dead is that that kind of icon status really isn’t there that much anymore. When you hear of all of these bands like Guns N’ Roses or the Rolling Stones, you associate all of these things: Slash and Axl Rose with Guns N’ Roses, Mick Jagger with the Stones. With a lot of bands coming out, you don’t really know too many of the names or faces. So I think hanging out by the merch table is great to really let our personalities shine, so that whenever someone sees the name Classless Act, they imagine a face with it and a personality and energy with it.

Griffin Tucker performs on stage with Classless Act. Saturday, April 30, 2022 at House of Blues in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

So how have the stadium shows gone for you guys so far? How many has it been now? 

FRANCO: Five? Six? I think five. It’s been going great. People really like it. Everyone is being so nice to us. All of the crew, the production team, the guys from Poison and Mötley, Joan Jett. Everyone has been so kind and generous. They always say, “Whatever you need, just let us know.” But besides that the shows are going great thank god. People are liking it. I’m really having a good time.

Any baseball fans here as we look ahead to Wrigley Field?

DANE: Chuck and I grew up playing baseball and watching baseball. So even performing at these venues, hearing that it’s sold out…

CHUCK: There’s two for sure at Fenway Park which is outrageous. There’s one at Wrigley. So that’s another crazy thing to think about. Baseball, man!

Chuck McKissock performs on stage with Classless Act. Saturday, April 30, 2022 at House of Blues in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

DEREK: I love baseball too. I grew up with it too. I played some tee ball and some other stuff. 

DANE: Aside from the hometown shows, there are a lot of new facilities too like SoFi Stadium. Derek, me and Franco saw the Rolling Stones play there last summer. What I’m also looking forward to is the stadium in Las Vegas. It’s brand spanking new. That’s where the Raiders play. So it’s crazy to think that we have the opportunity to play these top notch facilities. 

DEREK: To me, it’s become super clear why Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Joan Jett and Poison need a stadium to perform: Because they can just fill those seats up. It makes sense why they can still fill those seats up. They just have the whole audience in the palm of their hands. So one thing I’ve learned about performance is that there’s a certain epicness you need to have to play this kind of music – not just in your presence but in your songwriting. And I felt like, “OK. These are really great songs. And there’s a reason why they have stadiums.” So that’s one thing I learned from an artist perspective.

Griffin Tucker (left) and Franco Gravante (right) perform on stage with Classless Act. Saturday, April 30, 2022 at House of Blues in Chicago, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)

Being together each night on stage during soundcheck and during the shows, off stage in the bubble, has that given you an opportunity to play around a bit, see how things evolve and see how you can push it? 

DEREK: Absolutely. For me, vocally, I’m figuring out I can do funny things and fun things. But we always tend to have a lot of little band meetings sometimes before or after a show or the next day – “Hey, this was cool…” “Hey, let’s fix this…” “Let’s try that…” Mainly those meetings are about performance but every now and then we tweak some things. 

GRIFFIN: For us, some of our favorite bands – for me, Zeppelin, I’m sure for Chuck it’d be like the Dead – but one of my favorite things to do when performing songs is like knowing where the line is, know where you can’t go too far but can push it just far enough so that you don’t go too far past. So we play the songs as they’re supposed to be played but maybe we try just like a few different licks maybe – throw it in and put it under the radar. So there’s always a little bit of spontaneity that keeps it fresh every night.
______________________________________________________________________________

CLASSLESS ACT
______________________________________________________________________________

Friday, July 8, 2022

Wrigley Field

Gates open at 3:30 PM

Tickets: $139.50 – $224.50
(VIP packages also available)

Also performing: Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, Joan Jett

To purchase tickets CLICK HERE
______________________________________________________________________________

Filed under:
Interviews

Tags:
Bob Rock, Chuck McKissock, Classless Act, Dane Pieper, Def Leppard, Derek Day, Dorothy, Franco Gravante, Griffin Tucker, Joan Jett, Motley Crue, Poison, The Stadium Tour, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Wrigley Field

Advertisement:
Advertisement:

Welcome to ChicagoNow.

Meet
our bloggers,

post comments, or

pitch your blog idea.

Sign in
Pitch your idea
Play games

Subscribe to Chicago At Night

Completely spam free, opt out any time.

Meet The Blogger

Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan has written about music in print and online for a variety of Chicagoland publications for over fifteen years. In addition to duties filling in as Traffic Anchor on CLTV or in the helicopter on NBC 5, you can also catch him Sunday afternoons at 3PM central as host of “The Rock N’ Roll Radio Program” on AM 1420 WIMS (streaming at wimsradio.com and via the free TuneIn Radio app on any computer, phone or device).
Jim has also worked locally for WXRT-FM, lives within walking distance of the Metro and is an avid White Sox and Blackhawks fan whose first live concert experience came at Comiskey Park in 1984 during the Jacksons’ “Victory” tour.

Facebook

Blogroll

Chicago At Night’s favorite blogs

Eye Tunes
Greg Kot’s Trib Blog, “Turn It Up”
Jim DeRo’s WBEZ Blog
Lefsetz Letter

Categories

Concert Reviews (193)
Interviews (169)
Weekend Music Spotlight (105)
Local Music Spotlight (86)
Festival Forecast (46)
Midweek Music Spotlight (29)
Setlists (17)
Uncategorized (10)
Friday “On Shuffle” (7)
The Rock n’ Roll Roadtrip… (6)

Tags

Lollapalooza (39)
rock and roll hall of fame (33)
City Winery (30)
Metro (29)
Philamonjaro Studio (23)
Philamonjaro (19)
House of Blues (17)
Lincoln Hall (16)
Riot Fest (16)
Taste of Chicago (14)

Monthly Archives

July 2022
December 2021
October 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
November 2020
August 2020
January 2020
December 2019
September 2019
July 2019
June 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
April 2016
March 2016
January 2016
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
February 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011

Read these ChicagoNow blogs

Cubs Den

Chicago Cubs news and comprehensive blog, featuring old school baseball writing combined with the latest statistical trends
Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Pitching rules the day as Wicks and Thompson lead South Bend and Tennessee to shutout wins; Big days at the plate for Vazquez, Piñango, Verdugo, and Pagan; Mervis mashes 20th HR

Pets in need of homes

Pets available for adoption in the Chicago area
Amelia – Hyde Park Cats

Hammervision

It’s like the couch potato version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Top 10 Movies of 2021
Advertisement:

About ChicagoNow
•
FAQs
•
Advertise
•
Recent posts RSS
•
Privacy policy (Updated)
•
Comment policy
•
Terms of service
•
Chicago Tribune Archives
•
Do not sell my personal info

©2022 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team

Read More

Classless Act Gear Up For Mötley Crüe Opening Slot Friday At Wrigley Field Read More »

Classifieds

JOBS

Regulatory & Quality Assurance Specialist – (Chicago, IL) Swift Beef Company, a JBS USA Subsidiary: Mngmnt of Import Permits, Labeling development, apprv’ls. Coordination of client visits, audits, supervisions, qualifications, int’l missions, & certifications. Req.s: Bach in chemistry, engineering, or rel’d & 2 yrs exp as regulatory/compliance specialist, quality coordinator, or rel’d. * Travel 20% (domestic & int’l). Send resumes to: Danielle Younkin, [email protected] Ref #: 1731

Software Developer (Evanston, IL): design components of blockchain distribution network & rltd services & apps. Reqs. bachelor’s in comp. engg., comp. sci., or rltd & knowledge of C++, Python, & Linux based on educ., training or exp. Ability to telecommute from Chicago area. Mail CV to Y. Lavi, HR, bloXroute Labs, Inc., 909 Davis St, Suite 500, Evanston, IL 60201.

Operations Manager: Plainfield IL. Direct, coord activities of transp comp to max profits. Plan & develop policies and goals. Coord activities. Coord marketing, sales, advertising. Comm w/clients, employees. Responsible for marketing. Plan, manage business budget. Analyze financials. Prep docs for accountant, 1 yr exp in any managerial position. HS. 12 months in any managerial position. Res: Fulger LLC, [email protected]

SW Auto Tst Eng 3 – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Chicago, IL. Contr. to tms resp for ensring prdt qlty by analyzing & tsting app cde Reqs: Bach in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp tst PC SW in Agile envmt; utlz any of the flwing tools to prfm FE, BE, & APT tsting: Cucumber, Cypress, JMeter, LoadUI, SoapUI, TestComplete, TestProject, Selenium, UFT/QTP, Visual Studio Test Professional, or Watir; & utlz any of the flwing scpt lngs: Bash, C#, Groovy, JavaScript, JScript, Perl, PHP, PowerShell, Python, Ruby, VBA, or VBScript. Apply to: [email protected] Ref Job ID# 4126

dbHMS seeks Technology Engineer, responsible for executing the design of technology systems involved in building construction projects and assisting Senior Engineers on project related tasks. Duties include: Provide design support for technology systems such as telecommunications/structured cabling, security and audiovisual systems, Product research and review, Develop construction phase drawings, Manage drawing changes and coordinate technology systems components, Perform AutoCAD/Revit systems design and documentation. Candidate must have Bachelor’s in Information Technology and Management or related, and at least six months experience using Autodesk. Job based in Chicago, IL. Send resume & references to Karen Jackson, 303 W Erie St, Suite 510, Chicago, IL 60654.

Technical Project Manager: Mnage complex proj’ts involving all areas of technology & trade. Initiate, plan, schedule, cntrl, & execute info technology proj’ts. Direct & oversee the wrk of proj’t engg team, incl Comp Sw Engrs & Web Applicat’n Dvlprs. Maintain & upgrade both the security of the netwrks as well as informat’n security of clients. Reqd: Masters Deg in Comp Engg, Comp Sci, or rel fld. Resumes to: Americaneagle.com, Attn: HR, 2600 S. River Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60018.

BA ServiceNow Manager – (Chicago, IL) RSM US LLP: Prov analysis, devel & documentation of improvement opps. May work remotely from anywhere in the US. Reqs: Bachelor’s (or frgn equivt) in Comp Sci, S/ware Engng, Comp Infor Systems, or rel; 5 yrs exp as a Full stack developer, tech consultant or a related position. Email resumes to: Attn: C Volkening – Ref # 2467, [email protected]

PROFESSIONALS & SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES 
CHESTNUT ORGANIZING AND CLEANING SERVICES: especially for people who need an organizing service because of depression, elderly, physical or mental challenges or other causes for your home’s clutter, disorganization, dysfunction, etc. We can organize for the downsizing of your current possessions to more easily move into a smaller home. With your help, we can help to organize your move. We can organize and clean for the deceased in lieu of having the bereaved needing to do the preparation to sell or rent the deceased’s home. We are absolutely not judgmental; we’ve seen and done “worse” than your job assignment. With your help, can we please help you? Chestnut Cleaning Service: 312-332-5575. www.ChestnutCleaning.com

RESEARCH

Have you had an unwanted sexual experience since age 18?
Did you tell someone in your life about it who is also willing to participate? Women ages 18+ who have someone else in their life they told about their experience also willing to participate will be paid to complete a confidential online research survey for the Women’s Dyadic Support Study. Contact Dr. Sarah Ullman of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Criminology, Law, & Justice Department at [email protected], 312-996-5508. Protocol #2021-0019.

Want to add a listing to our classifieds?

See classified advertising information at chicagoreader.com/ads.

Read More

Classifieds Read More »

Matches

Incarcerated man, 18, seeking female penpal
Intelligent, incarcerated man, 18, seeking female penpal. Age, race unimportant but being a sincere person is. Obie Glover #117401. Racine county jail. 717 Wisconsin Ave. Racine, Wi. 53403. Contact by mail.

Seeking Attractive Female For Summer Fun & LTR!
Successful 55 youthful Silver Fox, fit physique, Tall (6’) Dark and Handsome Male ISO Beautiful Woman. I’m intelligent, honest, athletic, enjoy lakefront sailing/eBiking/walking/working out, cooking and open-minded. Enjoy meeting a woman with the same interests. I’m Intrigued! [email protected]

SeekingCompanion
Young 69 year old Queer Femme. Tall and fit. Looking for same to enjoy performing arts and walks. [email protected]

Permission granted
MWM, 60, wife has lost all sexual desire. gave permission to find someone. as I am bisexual, I seek either sex. Prefer those also interested in nudism but not required. [email protected]

MJM DOM SEEKS MATURE SUB FEMALE
married jewish male dom 52 seeks submissive mature white female 40-60 who needs on going pleasure & punishment bare bottom spanking bondage oral pleasure hair pulling & will train can host-call/text-224-292-9899 em [email protected]

Submit your Reader Matches ad today for FREE. Matches ads are not guaranteed and will run in print and online on a space-available basis.

Did you know? The Reader is nonprofit. The Reader is member supported. You can help keep the Reader free for everyone—and get exclusive rewards—when you become a member. The Reader Revolution membership program is a sustainable way for you to support local, independent media.

Become a member
Donate

Read More

Matches Read More »

MatchesChicago Readeron July 7, 2022 at 2:00 pm

Incarcerated man, 18, seeking female penpal
Intelligent, incarcerated man, 18, seeking female penpal. Age, race unimportant but being a sincere person is. Obie Glover #117401. Racine county jail. 717 Wisconsin Ave. Racine, Wi. 53403. Contact by mail.

Seeking Attractive Female For Summer Fun & LTR!
Successful 55 youthful Silver Fox, fit physique, Tall (6’) Dark and Handsome Male ISO Beautiful Woman. I’m intelligent, honest, athletic, enjoy lakefront sailing/eBiking/walking/working out, cooking and open-minded. Enjoy meeting a woman with the same interests. I’m Intrigued! [email protected]

SeekingCompanion
Young 69 year old Queer Femme. Tall and fit. Looking for same to enjoy performing arts and walks. [email protected]

Permission granted
MWM, 60, wife has lost all sexual desire. gave permission to find someone. as I am bisexual, I seek either sex. Prefer those also interested in nudism but not required. [email protected]

MJM DOM SEEKS MATURE SUB FEMALE
married jewish male dom 52 seeks submissive mature white female 40-60 who needs on going pleasure & punishment bare bottom spanking bondage oral pleasure hair pulling & will train can host-call/text-224-292-9899 em [email protected]

Submit your Reader Matches ad today for FREE. Matches ads are not guaranteed and will run in print and online on a space-available basis.

Did you know? The Reader is nonprofit. The Reader is member supported. You can help keep the Reader free for everyone—and get exclusive rewards—when you become a member. The Reader Revolution membership program is a sustainable way for you to support local, independent media.

Become a member
Donate

Read More

MatchesChicago Readeron July 7, 2022 at 2:00 pm Read More »

ClassifiedsChicago Readeron July 7, 2022 at 3:00 pm

JOBS

Regulatory & Quality Assurance Specialist – (Chicago, IL) Swift Beef Company, a JBS USA Subsidiary: Mngmnt of Import Permits, Labeling development, apprv’ls. Coordination of client visits, audits, supervisions, qualifications, int’l missions, & certifications. Req.s: Bach in chemistry, engineering, or rel’d & 2 yrs exp as regulatory/compliance specialist, quality coordinator, or rel’d. * Travel 20% (domestic & int’l). Send resumes to: Danielle Younkin, [email protected] Ref #: 1731

Software Developer (Evanston, IL): design components of blockchain distribution network & rltd services & apps. Reqs. bachelor’s in comp. engg., comp. sci., or rltd & knowledge of C++, Python, & Linux based on educ., training or exp. Ability to telecommute from Chicago area. Mail CV to Y. Lavi, HR, bloXroute Labs, Inc., 909 Davis St, Suite 500, Evanston, IL 60201.

Operations Manager: Plainfield IL. Direct, coord activities of transp comp to max profits. Plan & develop policies and goals. Coord activities. Coord marketing, sales, advertising. Comm w/clients, employees. Responsible for marketing. Plan, manage business budget. Analyze financials. Prep docs for accountant, 1 yr exp in any managerial position. HS. 12 months in any managerial position. Res: Fulger LLC, [email protected]

SW Auto Tst Eng 3 – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Chicago, IL. Contr. to tms resp for ensring prdt qlty by analyzing & tsting app cde Reqs: Bach in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp tst PC SW in Agile envmt; utlz any of the flwing tools to prfm FE, BE, & APT tsting: Cucumber, Cypress, JMeter, LoadUI, SoapUI, TestComplete, TestProject, Selenium, UFT/QTP, Visual Studio Test Professional, or Watir; & utlz any of the flwing scpt lngs: Bash, C#, Groovy, JavaScript, JScript, Perl, PHP, PowerShell, Python, Ruby, VBA, or VBScript. Apply to: [email protected] Ref Job ID# 4126

dbHMS seeks Technology Engineer, responsible for executing the design of technology systems involved in building construction projects and assisting Senior Engineers on project related tasks. Duties include: Provide design support for technology systems such as telecommunications/structured cabling, security and audiovisual systems, Product research and review, Develop construction phase drawings, Manage drawing changes and coordinate technology systems components, Perform AutoCAD/Revit systems design and documentation. Candidate must have Bachelor’s in Information Technology and Management or related, and at least six months experience using Autodesk. Job based in Chicago, IL. Send resume & references to Karen Jackson, 303 W Erie St, Suite 510, Chicago, IL 60654.

Technical Project Manager: Mnage complex proj’ts involving all areas of technology & trade. Initiate, plan, schedule, cntrl, & execute info technology proj’ts. Direct & oversee the wrk of proj’t engg team, incl Comp Sw Engrs & Web Applicat’n Dvlprs. Maintain & upgrade both the security of the netwrks as well as informat’n security of clients. Reqd: Masters Deg in Comp Engg, Comp Sci, or rel fld. Resumes to: Americaneagle.com, Attn: HR, 2600 S. River Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60018.

BA ServiceNow Manager – (Chicago, IL) RSM US LLP: Prov analysis, devel & documentation of improvement opps. May work remotely from anywhere in the US. Reqs: Bachelor’s (or frgn equivt) in Comp Sci, S/ware Engng, Comp Infor Systems, or rel; 5 yrs exp as a Full stack developer, tech consultant or a related position. Email resumes to: Attn: C Volkening – Ref # 2467, [email protected]

PROFESSIONALS & SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES 
CHESTNUT ORGANIZING AND CLEANING SERVICES: especially for people who need an organizing service because of depression, elderly, physical or mental challenges or other causes for your home’s clutter, disorganization, dysfunction, etc. We can organize for the downsizing of your current possessions to more easily move into a smaller home. With your help, we can help to organize your move. We can organize and clean for the deceased in lieu of having the bereaved needing to do the preparation to sell or rent the deceased’s home. We are absolutely not judgmental; we’ve seen and done “worse” than your job assignment. With your help, can we please help you? Chestnut Cleaning Service: 312-332-5575. www.ChestnutCleaning.com

RESEARCH

Have you had an unwanted sexual experience since age 18?
Did you tell someone in your life about it who is also willing to participate? Women ages 18+ who have someone else in their life they told about their experience also willing to participate will be paid to complete a confidential online research survey for the Women’s Dyadic Support Study. Contact Dr. Sarah Ullman of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Criminology, Law, & Justice Department at [email protected], 312-996-5508. Protocol #2021-0019.

Want to add a listing to our classifieds?

See classified advertising information at chicagoreader.com/ads.

Read More

ClassifiedsChicago Readeron July 7, 2022 at 3:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks should continue their tear down during the 2022 NHL DraftTodd Welteron July 7, 2022 at 5:19 pm

Mar 23, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Alex DeBrincat (12) moves in for a shot against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Next1 of 3Prev post
Use your (arrows) to browse

The Chicago Blackhawks head into the 2022 NHL Entry Draft with no first-round pick. That could change by trading a star player.

The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that Alex DeBrincat days as a Blackhawk are numbered.

DeBrincat is a 40-goal scorer and only 24 years old. The Chicago Blackhawks only have him under contract through next season. While it would be nice to have a young star on the ice to get fans through this rebuild, DeBrincat is going to cost a good chunk of change to keep around long term.

It might be worth it in the long run to get a high first-round pick and some prospects instead of having DeBrincat take up a portion of the salary cap.

A rebuild the Chicago Blackhawks are undertaking can take at least a minimum of three years before you can mention being a possible Stanley Cup contender. The maximum time frame is “who knows when” depending on if the wrong decisions are made.

The Blackhawks could keep DeBrincat for life and possibly never come close to the Stanley Cup. To pay what DeBrincat will probably get in the open market, it is probably best to move the Hawks most valuable trade asset and replenish the prospect system.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson is interested in getting into the first round. The Chicago Blackhawks traded away their first-round pick, which turned out to be the sixth pick, to the Columbus Blue Jackets the last offseason as part of the Seth Jones deal.

The only way he is getting into the first round is by trading his young star.

There are rumors the Philadelphia Flyers are interested in sending the fifth pick in the first round to the Blackhawks for DeBrincat. The New Jersey Devils are also rumored to be dangling the second pick in the draft for DeBrincat.

On his 32 Thoughts podcast this morning, @FriedgeHNIC wonders if 2 years of control of Alex DeBrincat is enough for the NJ Devils to give up the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday night. #Blackhawks

Here’s the podcast:https://t.co/x0V9iZWFSH

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 5, 2022

While the top of the year’s draft is not like next year’s class, the Chicago Blackhawks would still have a chance to add a talented player to their prospect pool. Plus, Davidson could come away with more picks and prospects from the Flyers or Devils.

Next: The need to trade all available assets

<!–pageview_candidate–>

Next1 of 3Prev post
Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More

Chicago Blackhawks should continue their tear down during the 2022 NHL DraftTodd Welteron July 7, 2022 at 5:19 pm Read More »

Thursday might be the day that Alex DeBrincat is tradedVincent Pariseon July 7, 2022 at 4:50 pm

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The 2022 NHL Draft is upon us and the rumor mill is swirling. There are plenty of people out there that believe that Alex DeBrincat is going to be traded. This is something that would shake up the Chicago Blackhawks organization and the National Hockey League in general.

DeBrincat has been amazing for the Hawks since coming to the NHL. He came in with a big shot and an ability to score big goals which helped him grow his game as a playmaker as well. Now, he is a player that every team in the league will want.

In 2021-22, the Blackhawks saw him have a career year. He was an All-Star because he was so good in the first half. He finished the year with 41 goals and 37 assists for 78 points in 82 games. He has proven that he can be a difference make in multiple different ways.

The problem for DeBrincat is that he is the right player at the wrong time. He joined the Chicago Blackhawks organization right as they were coming down from being one of the best teams in the NHL. Now, he is one of the only bright spots on a rebuilding team.

One of the teams I expect to be active today is the New Jersey Devils. I’ve been told they have a lot of wheels in motion, including potentially acquiring a goalie.

I also believe there is a good chance the Chicago Blackhawks trade Alex DeBrincat today. https://t.co/LrABzQsbuu

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) July 7, 2022

The Chicago Blackhawks could move on from Alex DeBrincat at the draft.

He has one year left on his rather team-friendly deal. His next contract is probably going to be rather lucrative with a lot of term on it. The Hawks aren’t really in a position to be adding another high-value contract to their cap while they try to rebuild.

If they weren’t rebuilding, he would be a no-brainer to re-sign. They have Seth Jones’ big contract kicking in next year which makes things tough on them in the long term. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each have one year left at 10.5 million as well which complicates a lot of things.

With the 2022 NHL Draft on Thursday night, trading DeBrincat might get them out of this problem. There are plenty of teams in the top five that could make this trade. The Hawks could certainly get a lot for him which has to make the idea of trading him appealing for Kyle Davidson.

Letting him go isn’t a fun decision but it is probably going to end up being the right decision. As long as the Blackhawks do well with the draft picks they get or prospects in return, they could use this to accelerate their rebuild. It isn’t a guarantee to happen but it very well could.

Related Story: The Blackhawks should draft Jack Hughes

Read More

Thursday might be the day that Alex DeBrincat is tradedVincent Pariseon July 7, 2022 at 4:50 pm Read More »

Summer every day

Summer every day

By Weather Girl,
today at 12:02 pm
Summer Tomatoes

Yes, there is beauty and we need to remember it now, like freedom, like peace.

Days of blue sky above clouds.

Nights of summer stars, the waxing moon and fireflies!

Days of bees in milkweed flowers,

Days of day lilies blooming in the alleys.

Days of ripening tomatoes.

Afternoons of summer chairs, the light through green leaves

the smell of grass, the smell of rain

Filed under:
astronomy, nature, seasons, weather

Advertisement:
Advertisement:

Welcome to ChicagoNow.

Meet
our bloggers,

post comments, or

pitch your blog idea.

Sign in
Pitch your idea
Play games

Subscribe by Email

Completely spam free, opt out any time.

Facebook

Monthly Archives

July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013

Meet The Blogger

Weather Girl

I am originally a country girl from downstate Illinois. I was a Chicago girl in Rogers Park by the Lake. Now I live in Oak Park, by the Blue Line and the Congress Expressway. I write about the weather and other things.
I hope you enjoy and join in these observations. Welcome to Chicago Weather Watch!

Read these ChicagoNow blogs

Cubs Den

Chicago Cubs news and comprehensive blog, featuring old school baseball writing combined with the latest statistical trends
Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Pitching rules the day as Wicks and Thompson lead South Bend and Tennessee to shutout wins; Big days at the plate for Vazquez, Piñango, Verdugo, and Pagan; Mervis mashes 20th HR

Pets in need of homes

Pets available for adoption in the Chicago area
Amelia – Hyde Park Cats

Hammervision

It’s like the couch potato version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Top 10 Movies of 2021
Advertisement:

About ChicagoNow
•
FAQs
•
Advertise
•
Recent posts RSS
•
Privacy policy (Updated)
•
Comment policy
•
Terms of service
•
Chicago Tribune Archives
•
Do not sell my personal info

©2022 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team

Read More

Summer every day Read More »

‘All I feel is loss’

This interview is being co-published with The TRiiBE, a digital media platform that is reshaping the narrative of Black Chicago. 

After enduring pretrial electronic monitoring (EM) for more than 22 months, Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson is no longer on house arrest. A Cook County judge released him from EM on Tuesday, June 28. Johnson is still awaiting trial. 

I first interviewed Johnson in January 2021, five months after he was arrested at a defund CPD and anti-ICE protest in the Loop. I’ve spoken to him off and on in the ensuing months as he waited for his case to go to trial and struggled with a plethora of EM problems that had the potential to put him in prison—including a faulty GPS system that frequently lost track of him as he slept in bed and sent hundreds of false alarms.  

Even as Johnson faced the possibility of prison time because of a faulty ankle monitor, I could always count on him to talk about his EM experience—or his life, or Pokémon, or whatever else was on his mind—in great detail. I’d never heard him as quiet and disconsolate as I did when I spoke with him Friday, July 1, three days after he got off EM. I interviewed him briefly for this story, and our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

You had court the other day and got off EM. Why did the judge let you off?

He said that he was working with limited information when he put me on house arrest.

How are you feeling now?

I don’t feel good. It feels like I’m supposed to be happy, but I’m not.

How’s it been the past few days?

I’ve been deeply overwhelmed. 

It feels like . . . the world kind of moved on without me, which it’s gonna do, regardless—like this shit’s gonna keep spinning whether I die or not. So many people have just moved on. I feel very left behind, about a lot. 

What’s next for you?

I don’t know. I lost two years, and all they had to say was, “We were working with limited information. Oops.” They took two years from me off of an “Oops.”

Is your monitor gone? 

Oh, it’s just gone. I paid my bail at the beginning of this, so the monitor is just gone. I still feel it sometimes—like, I check my leg all the time, still. 

What other lingering effects of being on EM are you dealing with right now?

I’m still afraid of my phone vibrating, because my monitor would beep and do other stuff, and sometimes make noises I had never heard it make before while I was at the house or at work. Whenever I hear a new noise, like a new alarm or something, I assume it’s them, and I don’t do well in those moments. I still don’t know how to sleep comfortably, fully, because I’m used to having to sleep half-upright with my leg hanging down from the bed, that way it doesn’t get covered with anything, or no part of the bed. Even, like, accidentally rolling over and laying on it would block the signal, and then you get a violation or it’d go off, because it’d lose you when you were asleep, and I’d toss and turn. So I’ve gotten used to sleeping very still and keeping my leg off of the bed. I don’t really know how to sleep comfortably, again.

Your case is still ongoing, what’s going on with it?

I don’t really have much to say about that, it’s just still going.

Two years of your life gone to house arrest—what do you want people to know about what you’ve been through?

It’s not any of the stuff that they say it is. 

They tell us that the GPS works, and it doesn’t. It just doesn’t. I’ve had phone conversations with people at the call center—and even with sheriffs—and they said that if I have the proof I should just bring up the proof that my monitor doesn’t work, because they’ve said personally that my monitor doesn’t work. 

The day that I got released from house arrest, the prosecutor again tried to argue violations from 2021 that got cleared up the day they happened. She mentioned dates that I specifically have videos of—of people at the call center saying, “That cleared up,” or “We’ll let the sheriff know that you didn’t leave and that you were indeed inside.” 

She said that I only had nine alerts, and we know that I have hundreds. We know that I had at least 20 in the last week and a half. So when we got into court, she was like, “Yeah, you had nine alerts.” And I was like, “Nah, it’s way more than that, so something about that information is off, because my monitor went off more than nine times.” 

I got called more than nine times—there’s a week period where they were giving me, like, two or three in a day. I had at least, like, 15 in the last week. She was like, “Yeah, he has nine,” and I’m like, “Nah, I’ve got way more than nine, I’ve got damn near 20 for the last week, and I’ve got video of all of those—I’m in the house.”

This is the second prosecutor that tried to use false violations to keep me on house arrest, so that’s just something they do. That’s just something they do to people. The sheriff will look you in the eye and tell you, “We know the monitor isn’t working,” and a prosecutor will go into court and tell a judge, “This guy snuck out” anyway. Because they can, and because it’s easy.

Anything you want to add?

Everyone kind of expects me to be happy, and all I feel is loss.

Ankle-monitor alerts garner phone calls and visits from sheriffs officers—­but more than 80 percent are bogus, according to a University of Chicago analysis.

by Matt Chapman, Natalie Frazier and The TRiiBE
June 9, 2022June 17, 2022


Jeremey Johnson has chronicled nearly two years of pretrial house arrest.

by Leor Galil
June 9, 2022June 17, 2022


CPD has tried to turn rapper and comedian Mohawk Johnson into a cautionary example to social justice protesters. He has other plans.

by Leor Galil
March 31, 2021August 18, 2021

Did you know? The Reader is nonprofit. The Reader is member supported. You can help keep the Reader free for everyone—and get exclusive rewards—when you become a member. The Reader Revolution membership program is a sustainable way for you to support local, independent media.

Become a member
Donate

Read More

‘All I feel is loss’ Read More »

‘All I feel is loss’Leor Galilon July 7, 2022 at 4:00 pm

This interview is being co-published with The TRiiBE, a digital media platform that is reshaping the narrative of Black Chicago. 

After enduring pretrial electronic monitoring (EM) for more than 22 months, Jeremey “Mohawk” Johnson is no longer on house arrest. A Cook County judge released him from EM on Tuesday, June 28. Johnson is still awaiting trial. 

I first interviewed Johnson in January 2021, five months after he was arrested at a defund CPD and anti-ICE protest in the Loop. I’ve spoken to him off and on in the ensuing months as he waited for his case to go to trial and struggled with a plethora of EM problems that had the potential to put him in prison—including a faulty GPS system that frequently lost track of him as he slept in bed and sent hundreds of false alarms.  

Even as Johnson faced the possibility of prison time because of a faulty ankle monitor, I could always count on him to talk about his EM experience—or his life, or Pokémon, or whatever else was on his mind—in great detail. I’d never heard him as quiet and disconsolate as I did when I spoke with him Friday, July 1, three days after he got off EM. I interviewed him briefly for this story, and our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

You had court the other day and got off EM. Why did the judge let you off?

He said that he was working with limited information when he put me on house arrest.

How are you feeling now?

I don’t feel good. It feels like I’m supposed to be happy, but I’m not.

How’s it been the past few days?

I’ve been deeply overwhelmed. 

It feels like . . . the world kind of moved on without me, which it’s gonna do, regardless—like this shit’s gonna keep spinning whether I die or not. So many people have just moved on. I feel very left behind, about a lot. 

What’s next for you?

I don’t know. I lost two years, and all they had to say was, “We were working with limited information. Oops.” They took two years from me off of an “Oops.”

Is your monitor gone? 

Oh, it’s just gone. I paid my bail at the beginning of this, so the monitor is just gone. I still feel it sometimes—like, I check my leg all the time, still. 

What other lingering effects of being on EM are you dealing with right now?

I’m still afraid of my phone vibrating, because my monitor would beep and do other stuff, and sometimes make noises I had never heard it make before while I was at the house or at work. Whenever I hear a new noise, like a new alarm or something, I assume it’s them, and I don’t do well in those moments. I still don’t know how to sleep comfortably, fully, because I’m used to having to sleep half-upright with my leg hanging down from the bed, that way it doesn’t get covered with anything, or no part of the bed. Even, like, accidentally rolling over and laying on it would block the signal, and then you get a violation or it’d go off, because it’d lose you when you were asleep, and I’d toss and turn. So I’ve gotten used to sleeping very still and keeping my leg off of the bed. I don’t really know how to sleep comfortably, again.

Your case is still ongoing, what’s going on with it?

I don’t really have much to say about that, it’s just still going.

Two years of your life gone to house arrest—what do you want people to know about what you’ve been through?

It’s not any of the stuff that they say it is. 

They tell us that the GPS works, and it doesn’t. It just doesn’t. I’ve had phone conversations with people at the call center—and even with sheriffs—and they said that if I have the proof I should just bring up the proof that my monitor doesn’t work, because they’ve said personally that my monitor doesn’t work. 

The day that I got released from house arrest, the prosecutor again tried to argue violations from 2021 that got cleared up the day they happened. She mentioned dates that I specifically have videos of—of people at the call center saying, “That cleared up,” or “We’ll let the sheriff know that you didn’t leave and that you were indeed inside.” 

She said that I only had nine alerts, and we know that I have hundreds. We know that I had at least 20 in the last week and a half. So when we got into court, she was like, “Yeah, you had nine alerts.” And I was like, “Nah, it’s way more than that, so something about that information is off, because my monitor went off more than nine times.” 

I got called more than nine times—there’s a week period where they were giving me, like, two or three in a day. I had at least, like, 15 in the last week. She was like, “Yeah, he has nine,” and I’m like, “Nah, I’ve got way more than nine, I’ve got damn near 20 for the last week, and I’ve got video of all of those—I’m in the house.”

This is the second prosecutor that tried to use false violations to keep me on house arrest, so that’s just something they do. That’s just something they do to people. The sheriff will look you in the eye and tell you, “We know the monitor isn’t working,” and a prosecutor will go into court and tell a judge, “This guy snuck out” anyway. Because they can, and because it’s easy.

Anything you want to add?

Everyone kind of expects me to be happy, and all I feel is loss.

Ankle-monitor alerts garner phone calls and visits from sheriffs officers—­but more than 80 percent are bogus, according to a University of Chicago analysis.

by Matt Chapman, Natalie Frazier and The TRiiBE
June 9, 2022June 17, 2022


Jeremey Johnson has chronicled nearly two years of pretrial house arrest.

by Leor Galil
June 9, 2022June 17, 2022


CPD has tried to turn rapper and comedian Mohawk Johnson into a cautionary example to social justice protesters. He has other plans.

by Leor Galil
March 31, 2021August 18, 2021

Did you know? The Reader is nonprofit. The Reader is member supported. You can help keep the Reader free for everyone—and get exclusive rewards—when you become a member. The Reader Revolution membership program is a sustainable way for you to support local, independent media.

Become a member
Donate

Read More

‘All I feel is loss’Leor Galilon July 7, 2022 at 4:00 pm Read More »