On a bone-chilling night in 1993, Elizabeth Augustine stands in a cramped Ukrainian Village venue sipping cheap beer, counting down the seconds until her date with a boy she has a razor-thin connection with can finally end. As the aforementioned man, with middle-parted hair and John Lennon glasses drones on—because she may like music, but […]
Tag: Wicker Park
Posted inArts & Culture
Who gets to stay in Wicker Park?
Alma Wieser has long had a dream. It involves saving Heaven Gallery, the Wicker Park vintage shop and arts space founded by David Dobie in 1997. Dobie is now president of Heaven’s board of directors; Wieser has spearheaded the gallery for the past several years. When Wieser speaks of what the gallery means to her, […]
Posted inMusic
Wicker Park arts spaces TriTriangle and No Nation face the ax
On Saturday, October 22, Wicker Park experimental arts space TriTriangle hosts a tenth-anniversary show featuring Chicago electronicist Rush Falknor, local free-jazz and new-music multi-instrumentalist Kyle Gregory Price, and media and performance artist Ryan Dunn, among others. Dunn lives at TriTriangle with his family and curates its performances, but the future of the space is in […]
Posted inBook Review
Mount Chicago tries hard, but fails
A novelist, writing professor, and covert comedian named Solomon Gladman wakes up one morning in Chicago, sometime in 2022. He and his French-born wife, Daphne Bourbon (would she be named Siobhan Single-Malt were she Scots-Irish?), plan to meet Gladman’s parents and sisters downtown for brunch. But Gladman begs off because of a hemorrhoid flare-up and […]
Posted inCity Life
Seeing red
I was sitting at the window table at the Bongo Room in Wicker Park, having a lazy Valentine’s Day brunch with my husband, when I saw a pop of red walk by on the other side of the street. Even though it was a bit of a sacrifice to abandon my pear and dried cherry […]
Posted inMusic
Azita has more to say and more ways to say it
For Glen Echo, Azita Youssefi’s first album in more than eight years, she played and recorded every instrument herself.
Posted inMusic
Chicago rapper Judy infuses austere beats with bursts of color on Ard Bet
Wicker Park rapper Judy knows that with the right delivery, his subtle groans can be just as compelling as his lyrics. On “Inside Grey,” from his new Ard Bet (Wing Hoe), his words slide out of his mouth with the battered weariness of a twentysomething who’s lost count of the number of late nights he’s […]
Posted inCity Life
Readings, livestreams, and drunk farmers
Upcoming events and distractions from our listings coordinator
Posted inMusic
Building on the pillars of Blue Groove Lounge
An oral history of DJ Jesse de la Peña’s foundational Blue Groove Lounge hip-hop night, on the occasion of its belated 25th birthday parties
Posted inMusic
Longtime Reckless Records buyer Jim Magas quits to spend more time with his music
Longtime Reckless Records buyer Jim Magas quits to spend more time with his music, emo four-piece Kittyhawk play their first show in more than three years, and more.
Posted inMusic
Ian’s Party starts the year off right with three days of local bands
Since debuting in 2008, Ian’s Party has evolved from its humble suburban punk origins into an annual Wicker Park-based mini fest showcasing underground Chicago artists (though there are always a few acts from the greater midwest thrown in for good measure). Over the years it’s grown in ambition and in its commitment to inclusivity and […]
Posted inMusic
Not Normal Tapes gives itself a year to live
Not Normal Tapes gives itself a year to live, Rabble Rabble reunite to benefit Resilience, and more.
Posted inArts & Culture
Gentrification pains
Everything Must Go pays tribute to the displaced working-class of Wicker Park.
Posted inFood & Drink
What really goes on at the Hollywood Grill at 3 AM?
The longtime night manager tells all. Well, some.