Westley Heine never dreamed of singing for change on the streets of Chicago but life sometimes offers only stark choices. Getting by as a musician, artist, or writer is uphill barefoot through snowdrifts on a good day. Add a recession, a relationship going sour, some substance abuse, and a generous helping of self-doubt and few […]
Tag: Vol. 51 No. 25
Issue of September 15, 2022
Fall Theater & Arts Preview
On the cover: Illustration by Frank Okay. For more of Okay’s work, go to frankokay.com.
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Posted inConcert Preview
Mayorkun has grown swiftly into one of Nigeria’s most reliable pop stars
In early 2016, Nigerian songwriter Mayorkun posted a video of himself covering “The Money,” a 2015 single by Nigerian American pop star Davido. At the time, Mayorkun was dissatisfied with his banking job, and when he submitted his resignation letter, he fortuitously received a DM the same day from Davido, who had seen the clip […]
Posted inFeature
The moon—it’s for the birds
On the moon, there are no humans. The birds that populate the lunar planet don’t get caught up in ideas like weekends or “the economy.” They stay connected via a vast fungal network, and there is plenty of universal worm (there’s one big worm that they all eat) to keep everyone fed. Michael DeForge’s latest […]
Posted inMusic
Tink finds her sweet spot again with Pillow Talk
Singer, rapper, and songwriter Tink broke out of Chicago’s hip-hop scene about a decade ago, becoming one of the constellation of new stars lighting up the city. Like many local artists who emerged around the time of drill’s first wave in 2012, she signed to a big label—in 2014 she closed a deal with Mosley […]
Posted inFilm
The Woman King
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood films through the lens of Blackness, highlighting the beauty, strength, and fierceness of Black people, unlike most stories about the slave trade that wallow in Black trauma and are filmed as education for white audiences.
Posted inFilm
See How They Run
I have no idea how an A-list cast like this was hoodwinked into participating in this wink-wink nudge-nudge snooze fest.
Posted inFilm
The Silent Twins
Smoczyńska’s idiosyncratic vision distinguishes what otherwise might have been an overly literal telling of their story, and of their own stories.
Posted inMusic
Stranded Civilians have made one of the best Chicago hip-hop releases of 2022
Chicago rappers Tony Santana and Aubry know that all the talent in the world can’t make a hip-hop duo work if the MCs don’t click. As Stranded Civilians, Aubry and Tony rap off each other like they just hang out and vibe 24-7—and their second mixtape, February’s self-released Obsidian, will make you wish you could […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Guaranteed income offers stability to formerly incarcerated people
Many struggle to find employment because of the stigma of a criminal record. To help, one organization is offering cash.
Posted inArt Feature
A new home, a new energy
When I first set out to profile gallerist and art dealer Mariane Ibrahim, she didn’t exactly decline, but she didn’t immediately say yes, either. After being heavily profiled over the past couple of years—both for her curatorial style as well as her unconventional path to Chicago’s gallery scene via Seattle—the gallery’s focus was understandably on […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Northlight plans its Evanston homecoming
It’s a fool’s exercise, listing the Chicago theaters that have come and gone over the past quarter century. I tried but gave up when I hit 24 at 17 years in. From Angel Island to Zebra Crossing, it’s a list that speaks to the ephemeral nature of both the art form and the waves of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Chris Gethard tiptoes into uncharted territory
Comedian, author, and volunteer ambulance driver Chris Gethard may be a fully Boylan-blooded New Jerseyan, but he’s not shy about the extent to which his improv and stand-up DNA has been imprinted by the comedy scene here in Chicago. “Years ago, I was booked to host a stage at Lollapalooza,” remembers Gethard as we talk, […]