If Elon Musk’s Pandemic Leadership Didn’t Cancel Him, What Will?cinnatwistson June 27, 2020 at 10:11 pm

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If Elon Musk’s Pandemic Leadership Didn’t Cancel Him, What Will?

If Elon Musk’s Pandemic Leadership Didn’t Cancel Him, What Will?cinnatwistson June 27, 2020 at 10:11 pm Read More »

sweet summer daysWeather Girlon June 26, 2020 at 11:20 pm

Chicago Weather Watch

sweet summer days

sweet summer daysWeather Girlon June 26, 2020 at 11:20 pm Read More »

The most interesting man in Japanese jazz leads an international quartetBill Meyeron June 26, 2020 at 9:22 pm

If you ask Google to translate “Bonjintan” from Japanese into English, it will tell you the word means “ordinary person”–but there’s nothing ordinary about the leader of this international quartet. Akira Sakata, born in Hiroshima early in 1945, has had a dazzlingly varied career: he’s a marine biologist who lectures on water fleas and biodiversity; a former television comedian and media personality who once appeared in a Seiko watch commercial with Grace Jones; and a jazz saxophonist whose work encompasses smooth adaptations of Japanese folk and toe-to-toe slugfests with the likes of Peter Brotzmann. At age 75, he no longer has to prove a thing, but he isn’t letting himself coast: he sounds engaged and exploratory throughout Bonjintan’s latest release, Dental Kafka. Sakata’s bandmates in Bonjintan include his compatriot Tatsuhisa Yamamoto on drums, former Chicagoan Jim O’Rourke on double bass, and Roman-born Giovanni Di Domenico on keyboards, but their collective acumen enables him to move fluidly among approaches. The album opens with an eerie exploration of high string frequencies and drifting piano figures, which sets the stage for a growling vocal entrance by Sakata that sounds like a cross between a soliloquy in a Noh play and a voice-over in a noir film. On the title track, Sakata’s keening alto sax hovers over the combo’s roiling free-jazz accompaniment, but a more intimate tone emerges when the bandleader switches to clarinet for the last half of this nearly hour-long set. v

The most interesting man in Japanese jazz leads an international quartetBill Meyeron June 26, 2020 at 9:22 pm Read More »

Eye of Nix explore weird places and ethereal vibes on LigeiaMonica Kendrickon June 26, 2020 at 10:00 pm

The new third full-length from Seattle five-piece Eye of Nix, Ligeia (Prophecy), is a gloriously self-possessed howl and wail that floats through the walls between genres like a vengeful ghost. In a 2015 interview with Vice, front woman Joy Von Spain eloquently described the band’s process: “A piece or song that begins in silence and climbs to these weird places, pushing icy noise into blast beats and screams or aria high notes, takes a lot of structural choices. You have to build bridges to find a way there.” To that end, the band members draw on their individual strengths to collectively forge those paths. Drummer Luke LaPlante is an MVP here, his forceful versatility giving a muscular underpinning to the band’s flights of fancy: when “Stranded” breaks from its dreamy intro into its roaring metallic phase, it’s like getting curb-stomped by the Cocteau Twins. Eye of Nix’s songwriting palette includes tones of brown and gold as well as black: they’ve cited Swans and Wovenhand as influences, and those bands’ organic apocalyptic sensibility can be heard in Eye of Nix’s more romantic moments. The album is named after an Edgar Allan Poe character who could be described as his ideal woman: beautiful, brilliant, and doomed. The title track–one of my favorite songs so far this year–evokes Ligeia’s femininity, using layers of clean, eerie vocals and watery guitar jangle to ethereal effect. A similar spirit pervades the video for the heavy, surging “Concealing Waters,” directed by Joseph Seuferling, who’s also designed visuals for the band’s concerts–I hope that someday soon we’ll have a chance to safely experience Eye of Nix bring it all together onstage. v

Eye of Nix explore weird places and ethereal vibes on LigeiaMonica Kendrickon June 26, 2020 at 10:00 pm Read More »

Coming out over and over againSalem Collo-Julinon June 26, 2020 at 6:30 pm

I’m a late adopter of celebrating the annual National Coming Out Day in October, but two years ago, after moving back to Chicago and ending a relationship, it seemed like a good time to “wave at the people.”

I wrote this as a Facebook post in October of 2018: “Hi, I’m bi. Happy National Coming Out Day. Oh and if this is the first you’re hearing about it, I thought you knew already but oh well, welcome to my world.” It resulted in a group of the “thumbs up”-style likes, and a few friends saying, “Hey, me too!” Cheers all around, handshakes, whoop de doo. I continued posting my pithy and sometimes cranky comments on other people’s memes, and the world continued to turn.

Last year, for 2019’s National Coming Out Day, I did it again:

“Oh hey there! I forgot to chime in for #NationalComingOutDay. Hi, as many of you already know, I’m bi. If you didn’t know, it’s probably because you never asked ?Yep, pretty sure I’ve always been this way. Have a great weekend!”

I was careful to use a smiley face emoji when letting people know “Yep, pretty sure I’ve always been this way,” because I wanted to convey positivity. It’s great. It’s a positive thing. Being bisexual is great. I can date anyone, regardless (or perhaps in spite of) gender. Being middle-aged and single means that I’ve learned to hate all people, regardless (or perhaps in spite of) gender, but that’s my upcoming post for National Bitter Old Hag Day.

Coming out online or in person doesn’t make me as nervous as it once did, because I’ve done it hundreds of times at this point. My first time coming out to a family member wasn’t even my idea: my friends and I were dancing at Berlin nightclub one night in 1994 when suddenly the DJ announced, “Hey, if you don’t want to be videotaped, get off the dance floor in the next few minutes. There’s an Oprah Show crew that is going to film us dancing.” I was just slightly underage with a fake ID (sorry Berlin bouncers!) but I stayed on the floor bopping around.

I didn’t think anything about it until about six months later, when I was visiting my grandparents and my grandma and I spotted me, doing a terrible Running Man, in a video montage accompanying an Oprah episode on “Men on the Down Low.” I had just pretty much figured out what bisexuality was and that it probably applied to me–I had just slowly started dating women and trans people. My grandmother basically looked over and said, “Men–don’t let them touch you,” as sort of a safety precaution against rape, I guessed. I thought she was more concerned about the nightclubbing in general than the idea of me being in a gay nightclub, and she didn’t even understand the possibility that I was gay or bi. I understood her more, years later, when I finally had come out to a variety of other family members. One of my aunts told me that my grandmother was already in the know and didn’t seem to care.

Coming out isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a gradual process without a timeline. And it’s something that one does over and over again. I’ve been employed at places where coming out could have had serious repercussions for my employment (and by the way, the Supreme Court just ruled on this: they agree that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bars discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Take that, Cracker Barrel!). But we come out at work, to family, and in other situations so we can be authentically ourselves. Countless people have had the physical manifestations of illness that can happen as a result of the stress of a double life: your body can literally break down when it experiences fear, PTSD, rage, and anxiety for too long. Coming out can be a tool to save our inner and outer selves.

I’m 45 years old as I write this and while I like the sentiment of writer Dan Savage’s It Gets Better project, I would be remiss in my duties as a middle-aged person if I didn’t qualify that sometimes it doesn’t. Even when you do come out, sometimes people just don’t get it. Their own judgement and preconceptions about what it means to be an LGBTQ person might get in your way. And for bisexual, pansexual, and some queer people, you might have to deal with everyone’s preconceived notions, including lesbians, gays, and other queer people.

Some of the input I received from people I know after my Facebook statement last year (which I considered pretty innocuous–as I said before, I’ve been out and think of myself as pretty out to anyone who’s wondering):

“I didn’t know you liked boys at all until you said something.” –Straight friend who met me and my then-boyfriend at the same time.

“Is that why you broke up?” –The mom of an ex, to the ex . . . who is still my friend and reassured his mom that there were so many other reasons, mostly my fault (gee thanks) but not related to my sexuality.

“Are you ever going to date women again?” –A lesbian friend, after I started seeing a straight guy.

I still responded with love, even though I’ve answered some of this before, and even though I feel like some of these people have surely heard the answers before. It’s certainly not my job to be their only teacher, even if I’m their only bisexual friend. But they are people I know, and it’s important to me that they gain understanding so we can continue to love and respect each other.

By coming out, we are visible. Our visibility as LGBTQ people is incredibly important as the world deals with public space that is increasingly contested, with movement that is increasingly policed, with the reality of what being in a pandemic and having limitations on gathering can mean. This is especially important in a world where bars that cater to mostly bisexual women and lesbians are few and far between. Of course, the community doesn’t necessarily require a bar to meet and gather–we always have great social and advocacy groups (like Affinity and Brave Space Alliance) and party nights and clubs. But when I was first checking things out as a teenager in the late 80s and early 90s, lesbian bars and other women’s spaces that existed at the time were places that I knew I could go to just talk with like-minded people, and feel like myself. And again, sorry for fooling you, bouncers and bar staff! That was a great fake ID.

We all know that regardless of the “re-opening phase” we’re in, it’s going to be hard to gather together in a world without a COVID-19 vaccine. So for those of us who have the privilege of being out and open, it’s imperative that we remind others and ourselves of who and what we are. LGBTQ visibility is going to mean a lot more without gathering spaces. It’s up to us to be as open as possible, to answer our friends’ sometimes misguided questions, to put that photo of our spouse or lover on our lock screen, to show people who aren’t ready to come out yet that there’s a whole world of us out there, just on the other side of this video conference or mask. We need to assert ourselves so we don’t lose ourselves or our rights in the midst of this world that is rapidly changing. v

Coming out over and over againSalem Collo-Julinon June 26, 2020 at 6:30 pm Read More »

Alicia Keys Headlines 2020 Virtual Chicago Ideas WeekNishat Ahmedon June 26, 2020 at 6:57 pm

While usually a fall event, Chicago Ideas is following in the footsteps of many summer Chicago events and festivals and moving Chicago Ideas Week into a virtual space for 2020. Best of all? The festival will be free and accessible to anyone with a working internet connection. The festival will run in its virtual space from October 26th to October 30th later this fall.

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2020 chicago ideas week — Photo Credit: Chicago Ideas Twitter Page

Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform engineered to inspire and motivate people to action through entertainment, accessible events, grassroots initiatives, and content that opens up the mind to curiosity. The idea is that cross-industry connectivity and collaboration across social boundaries will be the spark to ignite ideas into true action.

2020 marks the 10-year anniversary for the flagship festival and despite the change of going virtual, Brad Keywell, CEO of Uptake and founder of Chicago Ideas, said the following in regards to the virtual pivot: “We’re excited to evolve our format this year to meet our current needs, but also achieve a goal we’ve been working towards these past 10 years of expanding our reach to truly be an ideas platform for everyone.”

In addition to that, Keywell finds the switch to a virtual festival more in line with the overall goal of Chicago Ideas. “Ideas are meant to travel. By going virtual, we’re propelling the innovative thinking, empowering conversations, and personal connections well beyond our city to reach more curious people than we ever have before.”

The list of speakers for 2020 is available on their website, with some notable names being Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys, best-selling authors Paris Rosenthal and Sam Irby, and Val Warner, the Emmy Award-winning host of Windy City LIVE. The stacked list comes as no surprise, given that past speakers have included Jonathan Van Ness, Alec Baldwin, George Lucas, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Lene Waithe, Taraji P. Henson, and a whole host of other amazing speakers.

Photo Credit: Chicago Ideas Twitter Page

While the official schedule and further details on how the mode of access to the festival will be released in the fall, Chicago Ideas has a free virtual event coming up on Wednesday, July 1st titled “The New Normal—Be Our Guest: Reviving Tourism in Chicago,” which will feature a conversation from “Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industries to examine how COVID-19 will impact the stream of visitors into the city.” This event will hopefully give newcomers and veterans alike a chance to feel out what a whole virtual Chicago Ideas Week could feel like.

Have you attended Chicago Ideas Week before? Do you prefer it going virtual? We’d love to know about your experience; let us know in the comments below!

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

Featured Image Credit: Chicago Ideas Twitter Page

Chicago Bears: 3 players to trade for within the NFC WestRyan Heckmanon June 26, 2020 at 11:00 am

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Before the Chicago Bears kick off the 2020 season, they could still fill a few holes.

This upcoming season will be a different one for the Chicago Bears, It’s going to be different for the entire NFL, for that matter. This offseason has already been more widely different than any offseason in league history.

But, if the season does indeed go on as scheduled, at least we have football — and the Chicago Bears should be in better shape than they were a year ago. But, can they follow in the footsteps of some elite NFC competition?

The NFC West has been home to three Super Bowl representatives in the last five seasons.

We have seen the Seattle Seahawks make it twice in the last decade, with one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Russell Wilson — a future Hall of Fame inductee. The Los Angeles Rams made a quick turnaround and burst onto the scene with a high-flying offense under Sean McVay just two years ago.

Then, last year, the San Francisco 49ers became one of the most feared front sevens in all of football while boasting a top-tier rushing attack.

This division is host to some tremendous talent, and the majority of the teams within would be intriguing trade partners for the Bears. At this stage, the free agent pool is limited. But, if Ryan Pace wanted to strike a deal to add some depth in certain areas, he could look to this recently-powerful division to do so.

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There are three specific players from the NFC West I would be thrilled to see the Bears add, if the opportunity ever presented itself.

Next: Trade No. 1

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Chicago Bears: 5 keys to the offense having success in 2020Dominique Blantonon June 26, 2020 at 12:19 pm

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The Chicago Bears are in the middle of no man’s land after going 12-4 in 2018, making the playoffs, going 8-8 last year and missing out.

The Chicago Bears currently sit in no man land. They can fall off the deep end or return to a contender. A lot is pending on what the team gets offensively to match a Super Bowl-caliber defense. It is not liked the offense need to be top five or even 10 (Although would be nice).

A middle of the pack offense (matched with the talent on defense) would give the team a strong fighting chance to make a deep playoff run. What the Bears cannot do is bottom out offensively if they wish to have success in 2020. The Bears made quite a few additions on the offensive side of the ball.

The acquisition of former super bowl MVP Nick Foles headlines the Bears free agency offensive additions. General Manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy knew they had to get more production out of the quarterback position.

Adding Foles who have familiarity with the system should be a benefit to that quarterback room. They bolster the Tight end position with free-agent acquisition Jimmy Graham and second-round draft pick Cole Kmet.

They also attacked the wide receiver position in the draft in free agency with the signing of Ted Ginn and drafting Darnell Mooney in the 5th round. Along with some minor additions on the offensive line and a revamped offensive coaching staff, the hope is that it is enough for them to turn it around on that side of the ball.

With that said, here are the five keys to the Bears having success on the offensive side of the ball in 2020.

Next: #2 Wide Receiver needs to take a huge leap

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Chicago Bears: 5 keys to the offense having success in 2020Dominique Blantonon June 26, 2020 at 12:19 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: Watch the 2020 draft lottery, just in caseVincent Pariseon June 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm

The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t in the first wave of the Draft Lottery but there is still a big reason to watch it tonight.

The 2020 National Hockey League Draft Lottery is taking place tonight. The seven teams that are not participating in the 2020 Return to Play tournament are going to be involved in the first wave of the lottery. There are also placeholders set for the potential losers of the “play-in round” of this tournament that have a chance to win if a second wave of the lottery is needed. The Chicago Blackhawks, as a result, should be paying attention to what happens.

The seven teams that aren’t playing any more hockey in 2019-20 are the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres. The Ottawa Senators have the San Jose Sharks pick unprotected as a result of the Erik Karlsson trade so they have two chances along with every other team that missed the 24 team cut.

The top three picks in the draft are selected via the lottery and then the remaining teams go in reverse order from 4-31. The Hawks have a chance to win the lottery if one of the “play-in team” placeholders wins one of the spots and then they lose to the Edmonton Oilers. Those have a small chance to win but it is certainly possible.

What is at stake with the lottery picks? Well, first overall is going to be Alexis Lafreniere. He is an exceptional left-wing that plays for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. He is going to come in and make an impact right away. If he got to play in the top-six with guys like Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews, that would go a long way in getting him to superstar level.

If they were lucky enough to get the second or third pick, they would also be adding a really great player. Whoever has the second pick will have to choose between Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle. Whoever has the third pick will get whoever is left of the two. There is no doubt that winning one of the three spots will have significant impacts on the lucky organizations.

The odds of all the dice rolling the way of the Blackhawks are extremely small. They would need a placeholder to win tonight, they would need to lose to Edmonton, and then win the second lottery against the other “play in” losers. It is a tall task but you just never know how ping pong balls will bounce. It is also true that this could start to shift some things for the National Hockey League which is important for fans of all 31 teams to follow.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Watch the 2020 draft lottery, just in caseVincent Pariseon June 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »