Laughter’s back at Zanies! Talking with headliner Adam Burkeon July 15, 2020 at 3:06 am

Comedians Defying Gravity

Laughter’s back at Zanies! Talking with headliner Adam Burke

Laughter’s back at Zanies! Talking with headliner Adam Burkeon July 15, 2020 at 3:06 am Read More »

Dehd focus their sound and their hearts on the new Flower of Devotionon July 14, 2020 at 6:40 pm

Dehd, from left to right: Emily Kempf, Jason Balla, and Eric McGrady - ALEXA VISCIUS

Like any band worth a damn, Dehd are greater than the sum of their parts.

The Chicago trio–bassist-vocalist Emily Kempf, guitarist-vocalist Jason Balla, and drummer Eric McGrady–have been releasing their lo-fi fusion of postpunk and garage folk since 2016. On the new album Flower of Devotion (Fire Talk), they’ve perfected that approach.

Dehd were defined early on by their fuzzed-out love songs–when the band formed in summer 2015, Kempf and Balla were already a couple. Though the two of them broke up in summer 2017, shortly after they began writing their breakout debut full-length, Water, the album wasn’t released until May 2019–which meant Kempf and Balla had to keep rehashing the writing and recording process and the terms of their split in interviews.

“The funny thing about writing Water, and then it coming out a billion years later, was being like ‘We’ve been over this!'” Kempf says, laughing. She’s on a call from Humboldt Park’s Time Being Tattoo, where she’s one of four resident artists when not touring.

Despite the usual postbreakup reeling, which included tears, intense talks, and uncomfortable tensions, Dehd persevered. At band practices between tour dates promoting Water, tracks for Flower of Devotion began taking shape.

The trio sound tightened up and reinvigorated on their sophomore full-length, though they haven’t sacrificed any of what Balla calls their “sloppy charm.” They’re all eager to start the next chapter–one where they can finally just be a band.

“We moved on a long time ago, but the public was late. Our relationship, in all of the many forms it’s been in, is so public through our music that we obviously have to talk about it,” Kempf says. “But it’s nice with this album–we’re excited because now the public might start catching up a little bit more. Yes, Emily and Jason are broken up, but everything is still chill and they still make art, so let’s look at the art!”

Love remains at the center of Dehd’s musical union: they negotiate its complexities through catchy tracks that capture the band’s growth in and out of the studio. Sometimes conversational and sometimes tongue-in-cheek, their songs address closing the door on the past (“Haha”), the embrace of intimate but platonic connections (“Desire,” “Flying”), romance and the absence of it (“No Time”), and how it feels to direct that energy toward yourself (“Loner”). Dehd have found their balance: a little bit of heaven in hell, and vice versa.

“We’ve dealt with a lot of grief and a lot of trauma this past year, and this is what we’re writing about. This feeling you can laugh at your indescribable heartache,” Kempf jokes. “We have new relationships, and Eric has a song. That’s new and exciting and crazy!”

McGrady had never played drums before joining Dehd, and he still keeps his set simple–just a snare and floor tom. He’s a man of few words and declined to participate directly in this story. (He explained through the band’s publicist that he really doesn’t care for interviews.) The Flower of Devotion track “Apart” is the first he’s written for the band as well as the first he’s sung–his baritone voice, offset by Kempf’s honeyed coo, recounts the pains of growing older.

“It’s one of our favorites,” Balla says, upon joining the call. “We planted the seed six months prior. Then when we were in the studio, he was like, ‘Let’s lay it down.'”

The seeds for Dehd were planted when Balla, Kempf, and McGrady all went to the same show at beloved DIY venue Animal Kingdom in summer 2014. At the time, Balla was part of buzzworthy four-piece Ne-Hi and Kempf was making music as Vail (she was also playing on and off with singer-songwriter Lillie West in Lala Lala, and appears on that act’s 2018 album The Lamb). For a few years, Dehd was more or less a side project–an excuse for the couple to tour together, with McGrady and his no-frills style providing a steady pulse.

When Ne-Hi split in May 2019, a few weeks before Water finally came out, Dehd were ready to take center stage.

Ne-Hi’s demise surprised the Chicago rock community, because they were so widely assumed to be the city’s next breakout band. But it had an upside, as Balla sees it. “You’re scattered all over the place. It’s wearing you thin,” he says. “Touring so much and grinding for a while, you’re just like, Why am I doing all of these different things? I guess, at a certain point, I wanted to focus on something and get really good at that.”

Dehd have concentrated their attention and honed their sound while staying true to their signature simplicity and their democratic approach to songwriting and decision making, which is rooted in the lessons all three members learned over the years in Chicago’s DIY scene. While McGrady hasn’t written much, for instance, his input into the band’s aesthetic is integral as tracks come together. And no one is required to do interviews.

Balla handles production, but Dehd make choices as a group to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. He compares writing lyrics to “free word association” (sprinkled with luck, Kempf confesses), and he says the band’s melodies are often influenced by spontaneous discoveries they make while tinkering with their instruments and effects pedals or messing around on the mikes during jam sessions.

“There’s a lot of freedom. I’ve never really been in a project where we can record ourselves, do the art. It feels nice to have your hands on stuff rather than fall victim to other things,” Balla says. “It’s cool to be able to do it your way and incorporate that DIY ethos into something that’s more polished, that you take more seriously.”

Where Dehd’s past releases–including the menacing 2017 EP Fire of Love and their 2016 self-titled debut–muddled Kempf’s vocal acrobatics with layers of swirling psychedelia and rumbling reverb, Flower of Devotion showcases them with intention.

With its full-throated howls, playful yelps, and rasping whispers, Kempf’s voice is her main instrument, she says–the bass comes in a close second. At times her vibrato makes her sound a bit like PJ Harvey, Wanda Jackson, or even Roy Orbison, and her wild-eyed delivery captures the energy of Dehd’s live show. Listening to the new album, you can envision her jumping around onstage or dancing in the studio, wielding her bass like a scepter.

Kempf compares exploring different vocal inflections to trying on outfits as a form of expression. When she decides how to perform a song, she relies on visualization–by drawing on the track’s themes and sound, she can imagine a physical space it inhabits and let that guide her mood.

Visualization saved one of the standout tracks on Flower of Devotion–the climactic “Flood,” Dehd’s latest single–from the trash can.

The mega life-after-love ballad, which Kempf started writing at the beginning of a new relationship and finished after it ended, was ditched early in the recording sessions, but Balla suggested they try to revive it. He picked up his guitar and worked out a new part.

“Jason’s guitar line is so beautiful,” Kempf says of the thread that ties “Flood” together. “It reminds me of the beach–not a fun beach, but a dark, sad beach. Which I just realized the video is exactly that, but this is the first time I’ve vocalized that that’s what your guitar line made me feel like.

“So I thought, How can I make myself sound like I’m underwater on a foggy beach?” she continues. “What does that sound like, and how can I achieve that? Not even consciously deciding that, but intuitively knowing this is what the song needs for the idea of it to come across in the best possible way.”

Balla’s voice, usually thinner on the band’s past recordings, sounds more confident on Flower of Devotion. On tracks such as the subtly devastating “Month” and “Disappear,” his singing picks up elements from his beefed-up guitar rhythms. He’s also learned more about tracking and developed an increasingly adventurous approach to setting up a recording space, so that his production work can amplify a myriad of textures. To capture more clarity and variety, the band also had to set what he calls a “higher standard” for their playing. Typically one-and-done in the studio, they pushed themselves a bit further this time.

“We’d try it a couple times if we didn’t get it on the first try, which wasn’t always our philosophy,” Balla admits. “We took the time to really focus. We wanted the drums to sound great and big, and the rhythms–make them heard in the way they deserve to be heard. Eric has this understated brilliance to the way he plays. You don’t think about it, but it’s so essential to how the songs work. If anything, in our band, we’ve gotten better at listening to what everyone’s actually doing.”

Flower of Devotion feels like the work of a band tuned into one another’s strengths, with a shared dedication to turning sadness, grief, and loneliness into something that at least sounds like it was all worth it. Something not to fear, but to dive into.

If the pandemic had never happened, Dehd would’ve released the album this spring, after a five-city tour that would’ve taken them to Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest. At the time COVID-19 hit, they’d also been announced as part of the lineup for this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival–which would’ve been their biggest show to date.

The band guess that they’ll remain unable to tour until at least February or March of 2021, so they’re turning out music videos (a passion of Kempf’s). So far they’ve released three from the new album: “Loner” in May, “Flood” in June, and “Month” in July. (The “Loner” video is a literal exploration of the band’s heaven-and-hell themes, codirected by Kempf and starring local actor Alex Grelle.) They’ve also negotiated for some space within their label’s usual promotional schedule, pushing back on posting about their projects every two days–as Black Lives Matter protests continue across the city, Dehd have used this space to provide resources and center other voices where they can.

Last month, Kempf turned Dehd’s tour van into a delivery vehicle for organizations collecting food, baby supplies, and other necessities. The band directed proceeds from a recent Bandcamp Friday to the ACLU, and their website includes a page dedicated to community resources and information about national campaigns on climate change, environmentalism, food waste, and more. Dehd’s Instagram story is more likely to contain petitions from Save Our Stages, links to donate to Assata’s Daughters, and demands for justice for Breonna Taylor and her family than it is promotional posts about current singles and album preorders.

Dehd hope to organize a virtual album-release show for August or early September, featuring prerecorded performances of the trio all in the same space as well as to-be-determined live interactive elements. Even though the band can’t tour, they’re not worried about whether people will find the new album. When faced with uncertainty, many folks look to find deep comfort in music or in the kindred souls they discover through it. Dehd are no exception.

“In all the bands I’ve been in, I’ve never been in one where we’re all so equal. I don’t know if that’s something you can decide or if that’s something fateful,” Kempf says. “Being in this band has taught me more about love, in all its forms, than a lot of things in my life.

“Going through all the pain and emotional labor of the breakup in the early years was worth it because of that aspect,” she continues. “We’ve been through so much together. The Flower of Devotion vibe is–I’m fully devoted to Eric and Jason. Being devoted to your friends, your community. It’s worth doing. It’s really hard, but it’s worth it. We have the values of how we want to exist, and they are fully realized in this band.” v

Dehd focus their sound and their hearts on the new Flower of Devotionon July 14, 2020 at 6:40 pm Read More »

Streaming theater goes beyond Hamiltonon July 14, 2020 at 3:20 pm

In the first days of the COVID-19 shutdown, many theaters scrambled to find archival production videos of high enough quality to warrant public streaming–either for free or for a (relatively) low suggested donation. As the months have dragged on with stages remaining dark, more companies are creating brand-new content for the online stage. Some of it speaks directly to the weird-and-scary-as-hell moment in which we’re living. And some of it provides a little respite from that hell–or at least gives us a theatrical handbag to enjoy on the ride down.

A recent New York Times piece on digital theater by Laura Collins-Hughes posited, “theater’s primary public face wears a show-must-go-on smile, so there’s a weird and self-defeating disconnect, as if being supportive means pretending that these works are just as exciting as live stuff would be.” The digital realm obviously cannot give us the in-person communal experience of theater at its live and immediate best. But to paraphrase Hedwig, “it’s what we’ve got to work with.” And in the hands (and faces) of the right artists, original online work can still be absorbing, enraging, or just plain fun. Even if it’s not Hamilton.

The Line

On Sunday, July 12, New York City health officials reported that, for the first time since March, there were zero deaths from COVID reported. That glimmer of light was in the background as I watched the Public Theater’s original digital documentary play, The Line, created by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen (directed by Blank) and featuring a cast of heavy hitters: Santino Fontana, Arjun Gupta, John Ortiz, Alison Pill, Nicholas Pinnock, Jamey Sheridan, and Lorraine Toussaint.

Blank and Jensen first got national attention with The Exonerated, their 2000 docu-play about six wrongfully convicted inmates released after new evidence cleared them. For The Line, they interviewed several health-care workers on the front lines in New York City: EMTs, nurses, and doctors. The actors deliver their stories in character through a series of interwoven monologues from their own homes. (The streaming production is free, though the Public suggests donations to the Physician Affiliate Group of New York and Public Health Solutions.)

The arc of the narrative traces the characters’ early interest in health care as a profession, to the earliest inklings of what COVID might mean, to the hellscape that New York’s hospitals became in a matter of weeks. It’s raw, immediate, and personal–a first draft of history from the people who barely had a chance to catch their breath before getting another call for an ambulance or an intubation.

Woven throughout is anger and despair about whose lives are valued and whose are not. Gupta’s Vikram, an ER doc who fights his own battle with COVID and then offers to work at a hospital in the Bronx on the assumption that he now has immunity, focuses on the racial and class disparities of the disease, not just with patients, but with the food delivery workers and the people he sees riding the subway every day. “This whole thing exposed systems,” he says. “And the system is flawed from its root.”

That system includes woefully inadequate infrastructure and equipment. Pill’s Jennifer, a first-year intern whose face carries the discolored indentations created by her PPE, describes improvising when they run out of ventilators by connecting mismatched masks and oxygen lines. “Patients are crashing in front of you, you’re just trying to tape this shit to the wall.” Ortiz’s Oscar, an EMT, recalls bringing one patient back from the brink in his ambulance with CPR, only to see him die waiting for a bed in the hospital ER.

Watching each of these characters deliver their stories in isolation on camera (to an audience that is also isolated) underscores the alienation of the pandemic in a way that putting them together on a stage in front of an audience would not. Pinnock’s Dwight, who works in a cancer hospital, recounts the loneliness of both his patients who die alone and their families, while Fontana’s actor turned nurse, David, talks about a Zoom shiva for a beloved uncle. And Toussaint’s Sharon, a nurse manager at an assisted living facility, comes back after her own bout with COVID to find that half of the residents in her care have died while she was out.

And just as the Disney Plus streaming version of Hamilton lets us see close-ups not possible from the balcony, the intimacy of the camera here captures the shifting and competing emotions running through all the characters as they fight both a viral enemy and bumbling bureaucracy.

The Line is neither pure polemic nor poetry. Instead, it asks us to look at the heart of darkness around COVID and reevaluate the everyday heroism of all essential workers. Though Sheridan’s Ed, a paramedic, maintains that “‘Hero’ is a word we use in the face of fear and it separates us from each other,” it’s hard to find any other way to describe the characters Jensen and Blank present to us. And it’s hard not to feel rage and sorrow at the unnecessary loss of life these workers have dealt with for 16-hour shifts every day for months.

Plays for the People

The Black Lives, Black Words International Project kicked off its virtual season (which goes into November) this past weekend with a four-day run of founder Reginald Edmund’s Ride Share, directed by cofounder Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway and starring Kamal Angelo Bolden in a live solo Zoom performance. Followers of Edmund’s Facebook page might recognize some of the stories of Bolden’s Uber driver from Edmund’s own tales of his time in the ride-share industry. But Edmund adds increasingly dark elements. These include a spectral “Dark Rider,” born out of “ten generations of rage,” who reminds Bolden’s on-edge Marcus (a newlywed newly laid off from his job of over ten years and with a hefty debt load) that “America always finds a way to kill Black men.” It’s an auspicious beginning to this series, and one hopes that this piece can be reconfigured or remounted at some point in the future for a longer run, especially if the charismatic Bolden is available to revisit the role. Meantime, future offerings in the festival include Chisa Hutchinson’s Proof of Love (July 22-26) and onetime Chicago playwright Idris Goodwin’s The Immortal Goats (September 16-20).

The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 4–LOCKDOWN!

The Line and Ride Share offered a glimpse of hell, but leave it to Hell in a Handbag to find the campy side of quarantine. Artistic director David Cerda reimagines the company’s long-running (and cheerfully dirty-minded) homage to Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose as a Zoom sitcom, directed by Spenser Davis. (Cerda also plays Dorothy.)

It’s 1992 and the Girls are in quarantine because “viral vamp” Blanche (Grant Drager) came in contact with Legionnaires Disease at SantaCon. (Her fetish for the Jolly Old Elf was previously examined in one of the holiday-themed Hell in a Handbag Golden Girls pieces.) If you’re wondering how they’re able to use 21st-century videoconferencing technology, never fear: ditzy Rose (Ed Jones) has a long and exasperating explanation involving her oft-referenced hometown of Saint Olaf and a cow. Jones’s Rose also creates a disturbing puppet show featuring her roommates in a “Punch-and-Judy” style scenario (props by Pamela Parker).

Fans of past Handbag GG outings will be happy to see return appearances from Cerda’s alternate-universe Miami, such as Danne W. Taylor’s Nancy Drew (dissipated partner in geriatric crime to Ryan Oates’s dyspeptic Sophia) and Michael Rashid’s Esther, the goodhearted Jewish matron. Commercials for “Depend” adult garments (featuring Terry McCarthy as an increasingly snappish June Allyson) and Colonial Pencil life insurance (featuring Robert Williams as a senior-citizen mark and Chazie Bly as the scheming announcer) add Hallmark Channel verisimilitude.

The presentation isn’t flashy, though the Zoom backgrounds for each of the characters is cunning. Instead, Davis’s direction just lets each of the actors metaphorically go to town, even as they’re in lockdown mode. If you need 70 minutes of good-natured fun (and who doesn’t these days?), you can thank Hell in a Handbag for being a virtual friend. v

Streaming theater goes beyond Hamiltonon July 14, 2020 at 3:20 pm Read More »

Everything You Need to Know About 2020 Virtual West Feston July 14, 2020 at 7:29 pm

West Fest Chicago is one of a number of events organized by the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce each year. Usually taking place on Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood, this year’s festival (happening July 15 – 22) is moving online in the interest of public health and safety, like many of our favorite summertime Chicago festivals. Though you physically won’t be able to drift from tent to tent, perusing the wares of local merchants as you might ordinarily be inclined to do, you can still support vendors, musical acts, and even animals in need as part of the Virtual West Fest.

Photo Credit: West Fest Chicago Facebook Page

If you’re looking to hear some exciting musical acts from Chicago, L.A., and elsewhere, be sure to tune into the livestream facilitated by Empty Bottle Presents on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18. Friday’s lineup includes Mother Nature, Choir Boy, Automatic, and Ric Wilson; Saturday’s lineup of all-DJ sets starts with Chicago-based DJ John Simmons, followed by DJ Heather, Diz, and Mark Farina.

Photo Credit: Pizzeria Portofino Facebook page

View the Best Waterfront Restaurants in Chicago

Need to take a breather by the water? View our list of the best waterfront restaurants in the city.

View the Best Waterfront Restaurants in Chicago

Pet Fest, which takes place as part of every West Fest Chicago, is undergoing its own virtual reformatting this summer, in keeping with the rest of the Fest. As part of the virtual festivities taking place, those interested can take advantage of pet adoption opportunities through ALIVE Rescue and One Tail at a Time. Between live-streamed musical acts, Virtual Pet Fest is also providing only the best dog video content, which is sure to win over even the most devoted of cat people.

virtual west fest — Photo Credit: West Fest Chicago Facebook Page

West Town businesses won’t be able to benefit from in-person purchases this year, so West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce encourages Chicagoans to support these businesses virtually. You can find these “Virtual Vendors” and learn more about their crafts, services, and products using the WTCCC Business & Community Directory; many of these vendors will be offering specials and promotions throughout the festival, and include purveyors of artwork, pet supplies, foods, beverages, and more.

In the past at West Fest Chicago, those attending are encouraged to make a donation upon entering the festival gates — the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce is asking that viewers of this year’s virtual festivities consider making the same suggested $10 donation as they might under ordinary circumstances. According to the WTCCC website, 80 percent of the proceeds are going to WTCCC, 10 percent goes to Empty Bottle Presents, and the remaining 10 percent will go to nonprofit community organization My Block My Hood My City. My Block My Hood My City is a local organization that, as part of its mission statement, “provides underprivileged youth with an awareness of the world and opportunities beyond their neighborhood.”

All live-streaming events during Virtual West Fest Chicago 2020 will be accessible July 15-22 on the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce website. Updates on the impending festivities can also be found on West Fest Chicago’s Facebook page. Don’t forget to donate and support local businesses, music, and fuzzy friends!

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: West Fest Chicago Facebook Page

12 Restaurants With the Best French Fries in Chicagoon July 14, 2020 at 8:06 pm

Table of Contents

Crispy, wedge, curly, sweet potato, waffle, steak, standard, shoestring, crinkle cut… there are endless types of French fries and we love ’em all. This list is for the people who can’t resist saying ‘yes’ to, “Would you like fries with that?” From fast food to high-end restaurants, here are our picks for the best place in Chicago to get french fries.

french fries chicago — Photo Credit: French Market

Frietkoten Belgian Fries & Beer

131 N Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60661

If you want good fries, one of the countries that truly gets it right is Belgium. Stop by the French Market to get Belgian-style fries and a cold mug of beer. Hand cut and salty, these fries are unforgettable, especially if you take advantage of one of the 12 dipping sauces like truffle aioli or harissa aioli.

Au Cheval

800 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

Au Cheval does many things well, and their fries are no exception. You can get the crispy fries with an egg on top for a deliciously tasty meal.

Pleasant House Bakery

2119 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60608

Thicker than normal, the fries at Pleasant House Bakery are crispy on the outside but cooked to perfection on the inside.

fried chicken chicago — Photo Credit: Chef Luciano’s

View the Best Fried Chicken In Chicago

Carbs not enough? View our list of the best fried chicken in the city.

View the Best Fried Chicken In Chicago

BIG & little

860 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60610

They serve regular, truffle, and cajun fries, but the real treat is the foie gras & fries. With the delicious duck on top of the crispy fries, it is decadent and a creamy treat.

Hopleaf

5148 N Clark St. Chicago, Illinois 60640

You can get the fries on their own, or you can get them loaded with smoke brisket, beer cheese, pickled red onions, and chives.

Susie’s Drive-Thru

4126 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

Open 24 hours, this tiny counter-serve diner delivers crispy fries that are some of the best in the city. Pair it with a milkshake to complete the dining experience. Their online presence might be small, but their fries pack a big punch!

Friistyle

5059 S Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL 60615

Friistyle does fries like no one else in the city. On their menu is a Wing Frite, with smoked chicken wings on top of a bed of fries, or an Italian Beef Frite that comes on top of fries.

RAISED

1 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601

It takes Raised one full day to make these delicious crispy fries. They have three different flavors: salt & pepper, truffle, and parmesan rosemary frites. Get it with a side of homemade black garlic aioli, chili ketchup, or mushroom aioli dipping sauce.

Edzo’s Burger Shop

1571 Sherman Ave Evanston, IL 60201

Nothing is better than a burger and fries, and Edzo’s is one of the best places to get it. While you can get the fries solo, you can also get them loaded or in a variety of flavors, including garlic and Cajun. Keep an eye out for specials like lobster fries, which are as delicious as they sound.

BopNgrill

6604 N Sheridan Rd Chicago, IL 60626

For a unique type of spuds, check out bopNgrill, which adds a healthy portion of kimchi, bacon, cheese, fries, and truffle on top of their fries for a salty and spicy meal.

Superkhana International

3059 W Diversey Ave Chicago, IL 60647

You wouldn’t expect an Indian-inspired restaurant would serve perfect fries, but Superkhana International delivers. The French Fry Manchurian comes with sesame, scallions, and an aioli dipping sauce.

Chiya Chai Cafe

2770 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60647 | 66 E Wacker Dr, Community Market Chicago, IL 60601

Located in Logan Square, this Nepalese cafe has on the menu thick fries served with a delicious curry sauce.

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Bopngrill

10 Best Water Parks Near Chicagoon July 14, 2020 at 8:25 pm

Table of Contents

Chicago is starting to heat up this the summer, which has many people dreaming of hitting the pool or escaping to a water park. If you want to find a fun day outside with your family or friends, here are 10 of the best water parks near Chicago.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee, IL 60031

Visiting Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a great deal; you can spend the day going on the water slides, splash pads, wave pools, and then you can switch over to Six Flags Great America when you are tired of the water to ride some roller coasters.

water parks chicago — Photo Credit: Deep River Waterpark

Deep River Waterpark

9001 E Lincoln Hwy, Crown Point, IN 46307

Located in Indiana, Deep River Waterpark is the perfect place to spend the day. With body slides, tube slides, lazy rivers, wave pools, and splash pads, you’ll be able to find something fun to do.

Mystic Waters

2025 Miner St, Des Plaines, IL 60016

Close to home, Mystic Waters has a 37-foot slide, leisure pool, and hot top. There is also a zone that is ideal for small toddlers to run around and play in the fountains. It’s smaller than other parks but still has enough attractions to make the short drive worth it.

Raging Waves

4000 N Bridge St, Yorkville, IL 60560

Advertised as the “largest water park in Illinois,” you’ll be able to spend a full day here without running out of things to do. With rafting slides, wave pools, interactive kid’s areas, and body surfing, the Raging Waves is a great place to cool off and spend the day.

Noah’s Ark

1410 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy, Wisconsin Dells, WI 54965

While it is farther from Chicago, Noah’s Ark is so full of rides and activities that it is worth the trip. There, you can learn how to surf, ride through more than 300 feet of slides before dropping near 40 feet into the water, or relax in the toddler zone.

Magic Waters

7820 Cherryvale N Blvd, Cherry Valley, IL 61016

Magic Waves — now owned by Six Flags — is filled with rides, perfect for both the young and the old. Tiki Island is perfect for children, with 12,000 square feet of waterfalls, slides, and splash pads. Older kids and adults can check out the big Double Dare Drop — two body slides that drop you 75 feet. Or you spend an afternoon relaxing in the lazy river.

Bensenville Water Park and Splash Pad

1100 W Wood St, Bensenville, IL 60106

With a water slide that is more than 150 feet tall, the water park is sure to thrill even older children and adults. Bensenville Water Park is filled with grassy areas, making it the perfect place for families to relax or picnic together.

Itasca Caribbean Water Park

100 Catalpa Ave. Itasca, IL 60143

With swimming pools, slides, and splash pads, you and your family can have a fun getaway and feel like you are on a beach vacation without having to leave Illinois.

mac and cheese fest — Photo Credit: Dish Maps

View the Best Mac & Cheese in Chicago

Kids all tired out and need some grub? View our list of the best mac & cheese in the city.

View the Best Mac & Cheese in Chicago

Skokie Water Playground

4715 Oakton St, Skokie, IL 60076

This is a smaller park, but it still has a lot of fun things to do. The park features a giant bucket that dumps gallons of water on happy children, slides, water playgrounds, and pools.

WhoaZone at Whihala Beach

1561 Park Rd, Whiting, IN 46394

This isn’t your typical water park. Instead, it is more like an obstacle course on the water. With great views of the city, your family can have hours of fun running, bouncing, and swimming at this water attraction.

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Skokie Water Park

What I Learned at the Revolutionon July 14, 2020 at 3:51 pm

What I Learned at the Revolutionon July 14, 2020 at 3:51 pm Read More »

Completely True Tales from an Alderman’s Officeon July 14, 2020 at 6:26 pm

Completely True Tales from an Alderman’s Officeon July 14, 2020 at 6:26 pm Read More »

Chicago Cubs should stand pat at trade deadlineon July 14, 2020 at 11:00 am

Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs should refrain from making moves at the deadline.

Rejoice Chicago Cubs fans! You are only nine days away from the official start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season and 10 days from the Cubs’ first game against division rival Milwaukee Brewers.

Though, in reality, I probably should have written “tentative start” as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the country as states attempt to handle a record number of new cases each day. So while baseball fans look forward to the start of the year with great anticipation, it must be tempered slightly, as we don’t know what will happen or how the season will ultimately unfold.

This is why the Cubs, and specifically general manager Theo Epstein must stand-fast at the August 31st trade deadline.

Recently, Epstein spoke about some of the moral and ethical implications associated with trading a player in the midst of a global pandemic. He recognized the challenges it would place on a family but also conceded the team will still have to make tough decisions and wouldn’t rule out a possible trade by the deadline.

However, Epstein should think long and hard about making a deal before the deadline.

First, there is the asterisk that will likely come with whoever wins this year’s World Series. Granted the playing field is the same for all teams, but the reality is it’s tough to get jazzed up about a championship after playing just over one-third of the season. Every conversation about the 2020 World Series champion will always be followed by a “but.”

Second, and more importantly, is the uncertainty around the season, making it difficult to make a move with any confidence. Let’s say the season goes off as scheduled. There is no guarantee MLB will actually finish the season. That will depend on the state of the pandemic and how well MLB is insulating testing, and caring for its players.

Consequently, there is a real chance that MLB never finishes the season and is forced to cancel early. It would be a complete waste to have made a move — especially an aggressive one — at the deadline, only to never be able to take advantage of it. It would not be wise to potentially mortgage the future, and go “all-in” on a deadline move that could be rendered irrelevant.

Next: Cubs’ Kimbrel deal looks worse by the day

Theo is a smart general manager and obviously knows these risks exist. The question is whether he thinks the risks are worth taking.

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Chicago Cubs should stand pat at trade deadlineon July 14, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: The Summer Camp roster feels goodon July 14, 2020 at 12:00 pm

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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks have released their Summer Camp roster for the playoffs.

The Chicago Blackhawks are going into Summer Camp feeling good. The roster that is going to be available to them at this camp came out yesterday morning ahead of their first practice back as a full team. With proper mask wear, social distancing, and protocols in place to keep everyone safe, they are going to really attempt to pull this modified version of the Stanley Cup Playoffs off. The Blackhawks are going to face the Edmonton Oilers in a best of five “play-in” round.

You have to feel good about this roster and how it looks going into things. This team wasn’t very good in 2019-20 but they were good enough to squeak into this 24 team tournament. There is enough star power on this team to at least think that they have what it takes to make it a little bit difficult on the Oilers.

The Oilers are a team that is also loaded with star power. Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world and he is already emerging as one of the greatest ever. There is also Leon Draisaitl who is another top-ten player in the league. They happened to be the league’s two leading scorers for this season as well so you know they are dangerous.

The Hawks put out a roster that is what you would expect. It is similar to the Oilers in a way as they both have a lot of top-heavy talent but don’t have as much depth as they would like. The Oilers were a much better team than the Hawks this year but that doesn’t mean they are even close to being complete. They do have a bright future with their stars leading the way but for now, this Hawks team might be able to slow them down. This is what the roster looks like:

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The Chicago Cubs should refrain from making moves at the deadline.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have released their Summer Camp roster for the playoffs.