Chicago Light Brigade chicagolightbrigade.org, @ChiLightBrigade The Chicago Light Brigade performs creative protests the group has dubbed “light actions”—using projectors, battery-powered LEDs, paper lanterns, and the like—to make literally brilliant political statements. Inspired by a similar Milwaukee-based project called the Overpass Light Brigade, CLB supports grassroots activism by appearing at various events and helping other organizations […]
Category: City Life 2015 Critics’ Picks
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best youth delegation to the United Nations
We Charge Genocide wechargegenocide.org When the United Nations Committee Against Torture convened for its quadrennial hearings last November, the voices of Chicago activists were loud and clear. Several groups with local connections traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to present evidence on police torture to UNCAT. Among them was We Charge Genocide, a volunteer-run grassroots organization that […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best place to bone up on Chicago’s legal history
Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court archives In the viewing room of the archives, visitors can peruse files of famous court cases, like the 1886 trial of the accused Haymarket bombers, the 1920 trial of the White Sox who were charged with throwing the previous year’s World Series, and the lawsuits against the builder […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best show of architectural chutzpah
Chicago Architecture Biennial chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org, @chicagobiennial Who would have the nerve to knock down a unique landmark building over the horrified protests of an international roster of top architects one year, then launch a global architectural forum courting the respect and participation of the same architects the very next year? Why, Chicago would! Ergo, the first-ever […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best soul-singing sensei
Doug Shorts Upon my arrival in Chicago in 2012, Doug Shorts was in the midst of a renaissance. While the baritone and fourth-degree black belt was issuing vintage recordings on Jazzman and Numero Group (now my employer), pressing new 45s on Cherries, and tracking with the Dap-Kings, my quest for self-improvement was taking me to […]