Cameron Esposito, stand-up comic of Side Mullet Nation, El Circo Cheapo Cabaret, and Grab Them Aghast, is tearing up over:
Weepin’ Willows I’ve lived in Logan Square for most of what I consider my adult life. While the character of the neighborhood is ever changing—we’ve got fancier pancakes now—unreal Patsy Cline cover band Weepin’ Willows remains one of my favorite Logan Square perks. Lead singer Natalie Jose is a friend of mine, and thank goodness for it, because I work nights and don’t see much live music. It was our friendship that brought me out to my first Weepin’ Willows show at the Whistler, but it’s the raw honesty of Natalie’s voice and the stellar musicianship of her ensemble that has turned me to a die-hard fan. For those of us that missed Patsy Cline in her day, Weepin’ Willows offers a second chance to connect with her heart-opening (and heart-crushing) tunes. Right now folks can catch the band at intimate venues, mostly within the Logan Square/Humboldt Park confines, so tie a kerchief round that neck of yours and get ready to dance cheek to tear-stained cheek.
Andy Keil, popstache.com founder, is surfing over to:
Comjourn.com With my job, I spend a lot of time keeping tabs on the best new music, trending Web start-ups, and painfully cute cat videos. In my never-ending search for the best of the Web, I stumbled onto ComJourn.com, a refreshing new project from two talented Columbia College students. Erik Rodriguez illustrates the unique journalism of Darryl Holliday in a rather perfect mashup of comic journalism.
As it turns out, the duo was awarded an Albert P. Weisman Award that will allow them to print a compilation of stories later in the year. While the stories look great on the Web (the site provides a number of different views), I can’t wait to get my hands on a printed copy, which is how these pieces deserve to be read. Here’s to hoping this genre catches on beyond the Chicago skyline.
Ever Mainard, Chicago Underground Comedy comedian, is captivated by:
Destruction Myth You know how in your group of friends there’s always the zeitgeisty one with the impressive coffee table? Mine’s named Melody Kamali and this collection of poems has been on her coffee table for almost two years now, surviving many rearrangements. I finally ran out of ways to comment on the cover art (it really is interesting!) and asked to borrow it. I read it all in one night. Mathias Svalina, a Chicago native, ironically opens Destruction Myth with a series of absurd creation myths. In the first one, the universe is created when Larry Bird retires to his basement to build tiny watches. In another, the universe came out of a tuba that just wanted to play polka music. This imaginative series of poems, all titled “Creation Myth,” leads up to 13-part destruction myth. I don’t want to give out any spoilers but just know that in the end, there will be taffy, “a knotted strand of bleach-blonde hair,” and an episode of Cheers.