In March 2021, Gossip Wolf was bowled over by the debut demo from local grindcore crew Organ Failure. The band packed four merciless rippers into three thoroughly unwholesome minutes, whetting this wolf’s appetite for even more disgusting noise to come! Late last month, Organ Failure followed up with the delightfully putrid Neurologic Determination of Death, whose 17 tracks fulfill that promise and then some. On “Recycling Gangrenous Tissue” and “Rampant Organ Theft,” drummer Max Rivera, bassist Ryan Reynolds, guitarist Sean Scott, and singer Ted Soukup wield an impressive command of nail-gun blastbeats, unsavory guitar murk, and execrating vocals. The album is available on Bandcamp (name your price) and on cassette and CD from Headsplit Records; on Friday, September 9, Organ Failure play Live Wire Lounge with Vulnificus, Deterioration, HanzXGruber, and Brilliant Behemoth.

Organ Failure’s new album is out on Headsplit Records from Portland, Oregon.

On Thursday, August 18, Chicago musician Ava Cherry visits Gman Tavern to celebrate her recent book, All That Glitters. In the 1970s, Cherry collaborated with her paramour at the time, David Bowie, and sang backup for the likes of Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan; she also followed her own dreams of stardom. Curtis Mayfield coproduced her 1980 solo debut, the disco-inflected Ripe!!!, and she issued two more LPs for Capitol that decade. She’s still making music too! Cherry will read from All That Glitters and talk with critic and Reader contributor Aaron Cohen. Tickets are $30 and include a signed book; the talk begins at 7:30 PM.

Ava Cherry’s 1980 solo debut, produced by Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Eli, and Gil Askey

On Sunday, imaginative multidisciplinary Chicago rapper Sol Patches dropped her first album in a year and a half, Ordinary Circles. She threads gentle house production, relaxed rapping, and audio collage into heartfelt experiments such as the tender, hiccuping “Distant Solstice”—she’s one of the boldest voices to emerge from Chicago hip-hop the past decade.

The credits for Ordinary Circles say it was made in New York, Chicago, Berlin, Reykjavík, and Venice.

Read More

If there’s one thing artsy homos love, it’s Letterboxd. It’s probably the most popular social networking site for culture gays—well, maybe after Twitter. The site expedites answers to important questions like: “What kinds of culture interests you?” “Which streaming services can you access?” “Do you know how to torrent?” and “If you ran a meme account, what would your general vibe be?” Goodreads is for straight people and YA tenderqueers; gays who fuck use Letterboxd. That’s what makes the Pioneers of Queer Cinema series at Gene Siskel Film Center this month a true event “for the culture”: it’s a broad survey of movies made by queers, for queers that offers at least one tasty morsel for every kind of Letterboxd gay. (People who don’t fit that description might enjoy stuff, too—I just don’t know any.)

All the headliners are treasure map films—which is to say, it’s easy to follow directions to find them, or they take you to a familiar point about queerness. Many are currently streaming—or have, in some recent past: The Watermelon Woman (Showtime); The Living End (Criterion); Parting Glances (Tubi); Blackstar: An Autobiography of a Close Friend (Vimeo); and Paris Is Burning (HBO). There are films to remind you of the ways queerness is Complicated™ (Coming Out Under Fire, Nitrate Kisses, Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives), Harvey Milk died for our sins (The Times of Harvey Milk), and women can be homos, too (Desert Hearts, also streaming on HBO). Whatever curiosity or affirmation you need from a feature film, the Film Center has it programmed, and it’s always a treat to see gay movies in a room full of people who share some common language of experience.

But where this programming really shines is the openers. The Pioneers of Queer Cinema series is presented in partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, which holds the largest public collection of moving images by LGBTQ+ makers in the world. Almost every film opens with a short or two by landmark filmmakers selected from the vaults—many of which have never been digitized. So if, say, you needed another excuse to see Gregg Araki’s AIDs-era road crime romance The Living End (big “if”—everyone should experience the director’s acid-candy storytelling on the big screen!), you should jump at the chance to experience it in tandem with If Every Girl Had a Diary and Oblivion. 

The former is an early short by multimedia artist and Le Tigre cofounder Sadie Benning, who uses a lo-fi, confessional style to capture the anger and frustration of being a twentysomething subject to sexism and homophobia in 1990. And the latter is a late-60s silent movie that makes poetry of an erotic experience by splicing and collaging moments: figure studies, lights, gardens, and things. Presented before The Living End, the films lay out some of the emotional stakes for Araki’s characters, drawing not only on a collective sense of queer outrage but also connecting the characters’ desires to a lineage of the beautiful and sublime that’s queer right down to the storytelling approach.

All of the shorts are chosen to accent themes in the feature while emphasizing that much of what makes queer filmmaking “queer” isn’t just the subject matter—it’s approach. The series is a who’s who of the biggest dykes and faggots subverting cinematic expectations, with selections from luminaries such as Kenneth Anger (of Lucifer Rising and Hollywood Babylon fame); Mike Kuchar (an acclaimed schlock master who they’ve selected a most not schlock-y short by); and Todd Haynes (perhaps best known for Carol, but real heads know him for Velvet Goldmine or even Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story—which, by the way, has been restored but is still being strangled by rights issues. Tragic!). But there’s some real hidden treasure, too, like Always On Sunday, a 1962 film by the Gay Girls Riding Club, a drag troop who would make elaborate spoofs of camp favorites like All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. In fact, the programming includes a number of shorts across eras that explore gender subversion and transness, which is refreshing at a cultural moment when trans people are being systematically threatened. The selections underscore how much trans history is out there—and how effectively it’s already been hidden or denied.

Pioneers of Queer CinemaGene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State; through 9/4General admission $12; students and youth $7; Film Center members $6; current students and faculty of the School of the Art Institute, and staff of the Art Institute $5

If there are any criticisms to be made of the Pioneers of Queer Cinema series, it’s that the programming is a bit polite. John Waters may be so well known as to be passé, but there’s a notable lack of him—or anything that rivals his talent for dada debauchery. Rape isn’t funny, they say, and as a rape survivor, I know this to be true. And yet? Divine being raped by a lobster in Multiple Maniacs is downright hilarious, and I do not want to have to pretend otherwise, for reasons that should be obvious. To me, this kind of tension—and eschewing respectability in a world that does not respect us—is the crux of queerness. To that end, where’s the BDSM? The absolute schlock? The trans men? Their absence is notable—though maybe that’s not the Film Center’s problem to fix. To me, this oversight only begs for more frequent and robust queer film programming.

The Pioneers of Queer cinema lineup is great for queer culture newbies as much as seasoned snobs practically running micro cinemas. Oh, the furtive debates and robust Letterboxd updates I anticipate! Now tell me: Do you hate movies, or do you like to fuck?

Read More

Patrixia reigns supreme in digital clubspace. It’s where the 29-year-old DJ feels empowered to be her spookiest, silliest Latinx self. Locally, she’s known for DJing goth and industrial parties at venues such as Berlin and House of Vans, but online she has a rabid Twitch following who tune in three days a week to hear her blend reggaeton and cumbia with industrial and techno. What started as an eleventh-hour attempt to make extra money during the pandemic has become Patrixia’s full-time job, and she expects digital performances to become the future of clubbing. 

Patrixia was born in Chicago, and her DJing draws on her emotional journey growing up in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood—which led to a love affair with all things danceably macabre. Now she shares that passion with people across the world, performing in games like Final Fantasy and Animal Crossing. She also has a less formal music project, Choke, with her partner, Garrett Vernon of Replicant.

As told to Micco Caporale

I was always fascinated with synthesizers. When I was little, I fell in love with Selena. She was my idol. To this day, I love Selena. A lot of her music has synthesizers. My dad’s side of the family were Tejano musicians, which is that same genre of music. So synthesizer music was always around me. I’ve always loved Depeche Mode, and by high school, I was really into bands like Ladytron, CSS, and the Faint. And that set me on a path for minimal wave and goth. I didn’t find Wax Trax! until I was 25—which I hate admitting, but it’s true!

When I was about ten, I got into emo, and I was in an emo band in middle school. I played bass and sang. It was hard to keep a band going that young, though. Our guitarist moved to the suburbs. We couldn’t find a drummer. As much as I wanted to keep being in a group, I really couldn’t. 

Growing up, it was just me and my mom. My older brother and sister had moved out. We didn’t have a lot of money. I started experiencing depression around 12, and when I got to high school, that was hitting really hard. I was in AP courses, so I was swamped with homework all the time. I tried to keep my schedule full so I wouldn’t have any time to think.

Patrixia x DJ Baby BerlinThu 8/18, 8 PM, Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont, free, 21+

PatrixiaOther acts and cover charge TBD. Thu 8/25, 10 PM, Berlin, 954 W. Belmont, 21+

I think my mental health was so bad from living in poverty. Belmont Cragin is a predominantly Latinx neighborhood. It’s poor and working-class. A lot of us grew up very fast. We saw friends get hurt or die from being in gangs. I didn’t have a good relationship with my dad. . . . I had a lot clouding my mind. I also didn’t have the means to find new bandmates. I couldn’t just go out looking for people or jump across town to practice. If I couldn’t access it through my school or neighborhood, it wasn’t going to happen for me.

I went to a vocational high school, and me and my friends would sit in our graphic-design class listening to Pandora. That led me to this whole world of electroclash. I found Peaches—Peaches was so influential on me! Like, I was a virgin listening to “Fuck the Pain Away,” but it was just such a jam!

This was around 2007. The only dance music I had heard was house, footwork, and Detroit techno. This was such a different sound. It just exploded my brain. I’d sit there trying to pick stuff apart, like, “OK, what’s making this sound?” And then, “Ooh, this sounds like this.” Those were some of my best days as a kid.

When I was 22, I graduated from UIC and got a social media internship at JBTV. I learned how the music industry works and met my mentor, Greg Corner. He was the music director and programmer at JBTV, and he was DJing an indie night at Beauty Bar at the time. I remember dancing there one night, and I was already imagining mixing what I was hearing into other songs. I approached Greg and was like, “I want to be a DJ.” And he was like, “Yes!” In 2017, he got me a Wednesday-night spot at Debonair, and I learned as I went. 

It’s funny. I was never super confident in my DJing and never expected to support myself with it. I thought I’d always be a behind-the-scenes music worker. After my time at JBTV, I started working in music, doing pretty much anything that’s part of concerts. When COVID-19 hit, I was set to go on tour doing merch for a band. Five days before shutdown, our tour gets canceled, and I lose all my DJ gigs. I was like, “What am I going to do?”

I got a couple grants for music workers, but by August 2020, I was burning through my savings quickly. I was horrified. I knew a lot of DJs had gone on Twitch, and some of them were getting paid for it. I was like, “Well, I know how to DJ. . . . ” 

Patrixia focuses on EBM and industrial music in this 2021 mix.

Before Twitch, I wasn’t a very interactive DJ. I figured I’d spin while people worked from home, then get on the mike and be like, “Drink your water,” “Get up and stretch”—stuff like that. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get one free Twitch subscription per month, but it still puts money in the streamer’s pocket. So I advertised that on Instagram, and immediately I got $50 worth of subscriptions. Then a month later I got to $100 in subscriptions. People would Venmo tips during my sets too, so I made about $200 that September.

In October, a friend hooked me up with a warehouse job. It was part-time, so it wasn’t enough for rent. I’d work at the warehouse, then come home and stream. One day this girl emails me like, “Hey, I saw you on Twitch. I play this game called Final Fantasy, and I was thinking of opening a nightclub in the game and having a DJ. Would you be interested?” 

I don’t want to say I was weirded out, but I definitely was suspicious. She was like, “We get together virtually. We’re happy to pay you.” And I was like, “Logistically, I don’t know what you mean, but if you’re willing to pay me, yes, absolutely!” She paid me $150 to DJ for a couple hours on Twitch while her and her friends hung out in the game. I didn’t even have the game.

Patrixia (facing forward at center, with wings and horns) livestreams a DJ set in Final Fantasy. Credit: Courtesy the artist

Fifty or 60 people showed up to my stream, and I was like, “Whoa, this girl brought me a lot of viewers and she’s paying me!” I was playing darkwave and just . . . goth music, and these people were like, “Oh my god, what is this? It’s so cool.” They started throwing down money on my channel. That first night, I made about $400. I was sobbing on camera—just mascara running. And they were like, “This is awesome, do you want to do it again next week?” About a month later, I was making more money online than I was making at the warehouse, so I quit.

Playing for that girl and her club didn’t last very long, but she kept encouraging people to come to my channel and book me for their clubs. Then people who’d seen me play for her would reach out. I’m on a break from playing virtual clubs right now, but gamers have always brought me a lot of viewers, and then some of those become subscribers. 

This Patrixia mix begins with a remix of Selena’s “Techno Cumbia.”

We have a whole community with inside jokes. I’m really interactive on Twitch, like dressing up in different outfits and using props and Snapchat filters. Just being silly. I’ll say, “It’s techno cumbia time,” and that means I’m going to mix Selena’s “Techno Cumbia” with Nine Inch Nails and play this video that mixes Selena clips with Nine Inch Nails clips. I have specific emojis for it and everything. People get really excited. I love mixing Latinx music with darkwave and industrial. 

Ruido FestPatrixia plays Sat 8/20 at 4:30 PM on the Fiesta Stage. The festival runs Fri 8/19 through Sun 8/21. Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph, single-day passes $105.74-$260.24, three-day passes $208.74-$620.74, all ages

ARC Music FestivalPatrixia plays b2b with Greg Corner on a day and time to be announced. The festival runs Fri 9/2 through Sun 9/4. Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph, single-day passes $129-$179, three-day passes $279-$1119, 18+

Twitch is my bread and butter now. I’ve had nights where I’ve made $1,000. One time in January, I made $8,000. It still freaks me out thinking about it, because I grew up with no money. Seeing that amount . . . it was surreal. A lot of times I’m only making $120 a stream, especially in the summer. I get more money from streaming during the winter, but this has opened up a lot more in-person opportunities. I’m playing festivals for the first time. A lot of that has come from showing I have over 4,000 followers on Twitch. Actually, I just hit 4.5k, and I have over 500 subscribers.

I feel much safer online. If someone’s acting up, I can just ban them. When I was DJing in person, people would grab me. They’d linger around the DJ booth or try to get my number or refuse to leave. People you don’t know bring you drinks and try to pressure you to drink them. It makes me nervous. Are they gonna be waiting for me outside the club at five in the morning? Will this person follow me home? A lot of shitty things have happened DJing in person, and you can’t always count on the club to support you.

DJing online has opened my eyes a bit. There’s a lot of people who club online for different reasons. I have parents who put their kids down and online clubbing is their night out. Some people have been like, “I have autism, so I don’t feel comfortable at clubs. I club in Final Fantasy.” A ton of people tuning in are immunocompromised, or they live in the middle of nowhere. I’m like, man . . . we should’ve had these options a long time ago.

I think in-person clubs should be aiming for hybrid scenarios, because I think this could be the future of clubbing. Of course, clubs would have to change their infrastructure. There’s a lot of technical aspects and showmanship involved. But places like Lollapalooza and Tomorrowland do big livestreams. It’d be cool to see them utilize that to its full capacity.

Read More

The city’s SummerDance series is well under way, and today’s fusion of live music, dance instruction, and outdoor activities takes place in Englewood’s Ogden Park (6500 S. Racine). The fun starts at 4:30 PM with a free poster and printmaking station run by the Hyde Park Art Center’s Youth Board 0f Artists (a group of teens well-versed in art making who will show you how to make your own prints), and a short dance performance by Quimaya “Maya Unique” Sewell (a recent grant recipient from the Englewood Arts Collective, who helped to coordinate today’s activities). At 5:30 PM, the Majestic Gents offer a workshop in Chicago-style stepping, followed by open dancing at 6, with music provided by DJ Myron. The entire day is hosted by Englewood Arts Collective cofounder Rob Smooth. It’s free to attend and open to all ages. (SCJ)

Dancers at an event hosted by Majestic Gents

There’s only a few more sessions of Veggie Bingo left for this summer: the popular weekly event at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia) starts at 6 PM each Wednesday night through 8/31. Veggie Bingo benefits a variety of Chicago community gardens under the umbrella of the local nonprofit NeighborSpace, and that benefits a variety of Chicago community gardens under the umbrella of the local nonprofit NeighborSpace, and bingo winners have a chance to receive a bounty fresh produce and locally made food products. Advance tickets are $10, and guarantee you entry to the event plus one bingo card; additional cards are available for purchase, and the bar is open for libations. More information is available at the Hideout’s website, and doors open at 5:30 PM. (SCJ)

If you’re looking to take advantage of the nice weather and get your motor running, ride over to Montrose Saloon (2933 W. Montrose) tonight as they host Pints and Pistons, a sidewalk motorcycle show and gathering, happening from 6-10 PM. Compare notes with fellow bike enthusiasts and enjoy food trucks, beverages from the bar, and live music in this get together co-organized by Motoblot. Go to Motoblot’s Facebook page for more information. (SCJ)

Access Living, Women’s Justice Institute, and the Chicago Community Bond Fund have partnered to present a screening of the film Any Given Day tonight at 6:30 PM at Lacuna Lofts (2150 S. Canalport). The documentary looks at the criminalization of mental illness by following three incarcerated people navigating Cook County’s Mental Health Court. How do they rebuild their lives after prison? After the screening, a panel discussion featuring members from each organization will talk about the harm that can happen when punishment is used as a substitute for mental health care. The venue is wheelchair accessible, and light refreshments will be provided. Masks are required. This is a free event, and registration is encouraged at Eventbrite. (MC)

Read More

Chicago’s Central Camera is a great example of a small business that has persevered through multiple challenges–check out contributor Zinya Salfiti’s cover story in our latest issue to read more. And if you’re inspired to seek out more local legacy businesses, go no further than roughly a mile north to Atlas Stationers, who celebrate their 83rd year in business this year. A stationery store is a rarity these days, and Atlas keeps their inventory stocked with fountain pens, fancy journals, and other items that make the writing life more luxurious. Atlas Stationers is hosting their 35th annual sidewalk sale today and tomorrow from 9 AM-4 PM, with plenty of specials on pens and inks that you can’t find at big box office supply stores. It’s all at 227 W. Lake (near Franklin), so stop by and stock up.

Grown Folks Stories hosts a special edition of their two hour “gathering of nonprofessional, unrehearsed storytellers” tonight at the Smart Home, a new private event space located within the Museum of Science and Industry campus (5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive). Expect real stories from real adults–the sad, the hilarious, the slightly uncomfortable, and the ridiculous—all can be heard on a Grown Folks Stories night. Food and drink will be available for purchase from the museum’s cafe, and complimentary beer samples from Funkytown Brewery will be on tap, so this evening is for those 21 and over only (natch). Doors open and sign-up starts at 6 PM, with the show following at 7.

Reader contributor Ayana Contreras writes about the legendary Chicago arranger and composer Charles Stepney for our latest issue; read all about him here and check out tonight’s event at Pritzker Pavilion (201 E. Randolph) for more. Charles Stepney: Out of the Shadows will feature Rotary Connection 222, a large ensemble led bassist Junius Paul, who will perform songs from Stepney’s vast catalog. Damon Locks and Black Monument Ensemble open. The music starts at 6:30 PM, and the event is free and open to all ages.

Gossip Wolf reminded us this week that musician and memoirist Ava Cherry will visit Gman Tavern (3740 N. Clark) tonight to celebrate the release of her new book All That Glitters, which tells the story of her journey from collaborating with David Bowie, singing backup for Luther Vandross, and making music of her own all along the way. Reader contributor Aaron Cohen will discuss the book with Cherry. Entry is $10 at the door and the venue is open to those 21 and older. The talk starts at 7:30 PM.

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

Last year Chicagoland multi-instrumentalist Eric Reyes broke out in emo and pop-punk circles with his debut as Snow Ellet, the EP Suburban Indie Rock Star. It injects the sugar rush of pop punk and emo into crisp, straightforward power-pop hooks, a balanced approach that lets fans indulge their sweet tooth without getting cavities. After the release of Suburban Indie Rock Star, Reyes mixed Kirby Grip’s November 2021 album, Portrait of Bliss, where the local four-piece shifted gears into rocket-engine ambience. That sound has bled into Reyes’s work, judging from Snow Ellet’s June EP, Glory Days (self-released under license to Wax Bodega): though its sounds stay grounded in intimate, earthly concerns, they also sparkle with space rock’s larger-than-life euphoria. Reyes’s blastoff guitars supersize the quotidian emotions around romantic missed connections and twentysomething nostalgia for teenhood until they feel as big as a starlit sky. On “Can’t Hear the Phone,” Reyes’s cross-stitched guitars and sharp, plaintive vocals convey an itchy, queasy lovesickness that’s amped up by dreamy synth melodies and brittle electronic percussion—this sleek song can trigger Proustian recollections of that particular teenage feeling where you’re convinced you’re not from the same planet as all these other people.

Snow Ellet Ogbert the Nerd headlines; Arcadia Grey, Snow Ellet, and Superkick open. Thu 8/25, 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, $12, 17+

Read More

Brooklyn is so closely associated with the American cultural zeitgeist of the early 2000s that it’s easy to forget how newly “cool” the borough was at the time. During Oneida’s late-90s infancy, the freak rockers would be met with bemusement when they told music journalists they were from Brooklyn. “People would laugh—Brooklyn was not hip,” says Oneida drummer Kid Millions. Fast forward a couple decades, and the bandmates have largely been priced out of the neighborhood, just like fellow longtime residents and starving-artist types in similarly hip locales around the country. The cost-of-living problem is exacerbated because some have started families: Millions is raising his kiddos in the Woodhaven area of the Bronx (“near a park with trees!”), while keyboardist Fat Bobby has relocated to Boston. For several years now, any time the band has reconvened has been an event worth celebrating. The current lineup consists of Millions (who also leads Man Forever and has played with Royal Trux, Spiritualized, and the Boredoms) and Fat Bobby (also of Oneida side project People of the North) as well as guitarists Hanoi Jane (of postpunkers New Pope) and Shahin Motia (formerly of Ex Models, currently of Knyfe Hyts) and synth player Barry London (you must hear his old project Jäh Division).

Millions describes Oneida’s brand-new album, Success (Joyful Noise), as having a bit more “straight-ahead” rock sound than previous material, name-checking Jonathan Richman, the Velvet Underground, and the guitar pop associated with New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. All those influences can be heard on lead cut “Beat Me to the Punch,” but in true Oneida fashion, it turns a simple, shambly riff reminiscent of the Clean or the Chills into something sinister—the tune erupts into blasted-and-wasted howls of feedback, a la the Velvets’ “I Heard Her Call My Name.” I also hear traces of New Zealand in the catchy “I Want to Hold Your Electric Hand,” the abrasive, churning “Rotten,” and the fuzzed-out “Opportunities.” The long-form “Low Tide” grows more manic and cacophonous as it unfolds (with a touch of Joy Division and maybe some Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth), then gives way to Fat Bobby’s signature key pulses. “Paralysed” and “Solid” conjure the Oneida of yore, channeling the metronomic Krautrock pulse pioneered by Faust and Can; they add expansive synth textures and guitar squeals, and the latter ramps up the aggression with snarly multitracked vocals and pure rockist triumph.

Oneida’s Success is available through Bandcamp.

Read More

As the national conversation around police reform has gained momentum, the general public is slowly being introduced to the massive shortcomings of the criminal justice system. The intent of the system has never truly been to rehabilitate, and that is no more acutely apparent than when incarceration intersects with folks struggling with mental illness. Filmmaker Margaret Byrne’s new documentary Any Given Day aims to shine a spotlight on this overlooked and vulnerable population. 

Produced by Beti Films, Any Given Day follows the story of three Chicagoans struggling to succeed despite mental health challenges. As the blunt instrument of the carceral system is used as an ineffective proxy for mental health care, their troubles are compounded. 

Byrne gives a short overview of the people at the center of the film—Angela, Daniel, and Dimitar, whom she observed over eight months—and shares a little bit about each of their journeys.

“Angela is a single mother of four children, two adult children and two minor children . . . Her journey is about getting custody of her son back while trying to manage life after being incarcerated.” Byrne muses, “I think that’s something me and Angela very much have in common as single moms—when you fall apart, everything else falls apart. You are essential to the well-being of other people. I think we learned that we have to take care of ourselves. And it’s a simple lesson, but it’s also a very difficult lesson, I think, for a lot of people.”

She continues, “Daniel was homeless for years. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in Cook County. He’s in his early 30s. And it was through the mental health court program that he got into a program that NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) runs called the Moving On Program, where you can move from a residential home into an independent apartment. And then the question is, are you getting the right services to be able to maintain your first apartment?”

She goes on to describe the third person in the film. “Dimitar immigrated here from Bulgaria as a child. He also went to UIC and graduated with a degree from UIC in anthropology. It was the summer after his graduation that he had his first manic episode. He didn’t end up getting arrested until a couple years later, and that’s what led him to the mental health court. His mom, Gina, is really central to his stability, because she’s his caregiver. And so it’s also about the toll this takes on people that care for those that are struggling with their mental illness and are in crisis.”

Filming the story of any vulnerable population requires a level of sensitivity, and Byrne took care to try to respect their stories. Byrne reflects, “You know, there are definitely times where I’d show up with the camera and not film, because it just wasn’t a good time.” Garnering that level of intimate access took time and trust, leading Byrne closer; it blurred the traditional sharply defined line between filmmaker and subject. Byrne says, “I mean, I think, for me, personally, documentary filmmaking is all about building strong relationships, particularly if you are setting out to tell somebody’s story, and they’re in a vulnerable position. And, you know, we had a lot of conversations, we spent a lot of time together, in so many ways I became their advocate.”

That necessary closeness meant that Byrne was also forced to look inward at her own personal mental health struggles. During the course of the film, the subject matter triggered her own mental health crisis, and she had to decide whether or not to include herself in the story or not. Byrne shares, “It became relevant, you know. It really became about all of us, and my intention in telling their stories was to help destigmatize mental illness. And so I felt that if I didn’t include something of myself, and my own history of mental illness, that it wouldn’t be honest, and it wouldn’t be doing the work. I worked with a wonderful editor, Liz Kaar, who really helped to direct those parts of the film and make all that make sense.”

When asked how anyone can support those struggling with mental health, and how we can strengthen the fabric of our communities, Byrne says, “I think the film shows that little things make a huge difference, you know, just to pick up the phone for somebody, even though you’re tired—I’m going to show up for this person. And that’s a decision you have to make for yourself, but I think you just can’t look away from the things that are difficult and challenging, because that’s how people slip into crises. I think when you isolate, when you’re not in contact with other people—and I think that’s another lesson in the film is that being connected to other people really is important for everybody’s mental health.”

Though the film highlights the lack of resources for mental health, there are also some lifelines for those in crisis. In July the 988 health crisis number launched nationwide, a connection to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. When the number is dialed, instead of dialing the police, callers will be connected to trained mental health counselors at the NAMI chapter in Chicago. Additionally, NAMI offers a helpline for those seeking support and resources, including housing and legal help. NAMI can be reached at 833-626-4244.

Any Given Day will air on Thursday, September 8, at 7 PM on America Reframed on the WORLD channel. A free streaming window will be activated September 8-22 at worldchannel.org/episode/america-reframed-any-given-day/

Read More

Chicago restaurateur and nationally recognized wine expert Aldo Zaninotto is ushering in a new era for his beloved neighborhood hospitality programs, bringing together his three wine-focused concepts — Osteria Langhe, Testaccio and Soif Wine Lounge — under one overarching group with potential for further expansion with the creation of A to Z Hospitality.

The group’s current restaurants reflect Aldo’s two decades plus of experience in the international wine business. His first restaurant, Piemonte-focused Osteria Langhe (15 Best Italian Restaurants in the US 2021, Fodor’s Travel; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2016 – 2022), opened in the buzzing Logan Square neighborhood in 2014. Following its success, Aldo set his sights on his next restaurant right as the pandemic began to surge across the country. Undeterred, he was able to launch Roman-style Testaccio (2021 MICHELIN Plates Recipient; Best New Restaurants 2022, Chicago Magazine) in the summer of 2020 and later the subterranean Parisian-inspired Soif Wine Lounge located below Testaccio in 2021.

Image Credit: Rachel Bires

About Aldo

As Aldo continued to grow his portfolio of restaurants in the Chicago market, the group became a family affair with both of his children stepping into primary roles within the business. His daughter Ariana Zaninotto, 25, worked as general manager of Testaccio before working her way up to restaurant director overseeing all three concepts while his son Alec Zaninotto, 23, is capitalizing on his love of music and experience as a local DJ (Ace Hotel, Blind Barber, Fox Bar at Soho House) to become the Booking Coordinator for the DJ program at Soif along with working the floor and engaging with guests throughout the night.

Now in 2022, Aldo and the team are excited to announce the appointment of Culinary Director Michael Lanzerotte, who will be overseeing all three A to Z Hospitality concepts for this exciting new chapter of the family-owned and operated collective. Keep scrolling to learn more about Chef Michael and the new culinary direction for the group.

Image Credit: A to Z Hospitality

About Michael

A Midwest native, Michael cut his teeth at local Chicago spots like the Mediterranean shared plates concept Bistro 750 in Lakeview, Lincoln Park’s chef-driven gastropub White Oak Tavern, and West Loop’s comfort food spot Saint Lou’s Assembly and adjacent cocktail bar MONEYGUN. Now, Michael is taking the reins at these three beloved Logan Square spots, pulling from his years of experience to develop seasonal dishes rooted in Italian pasta culture and European culinary traditions.

Michael’s new menu at Testaccio has already rolled out, highlighting the emphasis on fresh pasta creation with dishes like the Sfoglia Lorda all Campidanese, a mini ravioli with house-made sausage, Parmigiano Reggiano and fennel pollen, and the summer ingredient driven Cappelletti di Mais Dolce with local sweet corn, creamy crescenza cheese, fresh basil, and Calabrian chili oil. Refreshed menus at Osteria Langhe and Soif are also in progress, with new specials, activations, and events on the horizon as we enter the harvest season.

“I’m incredibly excited for what fall will bring this year,” says Michael. “I have some ideas up my sleeve for truffle and mushroom seasons at Osteria Langhe, which are some of the most celebrated ingredients in Piemonte. It’s such a community affair there, and I’m looking forward to bringing that energy to Logan Square.”

As for the future of A to Z Hospitality, Aldo is always thinking about the next project. “There are other amazing food and wine regions in Italy I have not yet had a chance to showcase to Chicago that I would love to bring to life down the line,” says Aldo. “For example, Tre Venezie in Northeast Italy is an amazing area that pulls influence from surrounding countries like Slovenia and Austria in its wine culture and cuisine. I think a concept based on that could be a great addition to the regional restaurants we have chose to specialize in.”

Featured Image: Testaccio

Read More