If you really want to be the most awesome person ever, you should think about volunteering to dog walk at the City of Chicago’s one and only Dog Pound.
Not only are the people there very nice, but they need lots of help, and it will make you feel like a million bucks. They even have a cat room, if you like cats.
The city of Chicago is hosting a new unique event called LOOPTOPIA, which will take place starting at dusk on Friday May 11th and will run until dawn on Saturday May 12th. As the name would suggest, the event will be taking place all throughout the Chicago Loop area in downtown Chicago. Specifically, the over 75 scheduled events will occur between the boundaries of Wacker Drive to Congress Parkway and from Dearborn Street to Lake Michigan. According to the official website:
LOOPTOPIA will be America’s first dusk-to-dawn cultural and artistic spectacle showcasing the vibrancy and excitement of Chicago’s historic Loop neighborhood through musical and theatrical performances, unique shopping and dining opportunities, indoor programs, outdoor exhibitions, architectural tours, artistic installations and mesmerizing light displays.
Events will take place at a wide variety of locales throughout the night, including the Chicago Cultural Center, Daley Plaza, and the Art Institute. There will be a closing breakfast at Millennium Park at 6:15 a.m. Click here for a full list of events.
So, for those of you who missed the Upright Citizens Brigade show at Park West on Saturday, it was glorious. Before the show, I met some friends at Stanley’s Kitchen and Tap on Lincoln and Armitage for some food and drinks. The bar is pretty awesome. It’s a great location for any pre-show fun, and it wasn’t too crowded, which surprised me. The pulled-pork sandwich was amazing, and the waitress was surly enough to be interesting. Well, after awhile, guess who walks in? That’s right - AMY POEHLER. Rock on. We did our best to pretend not to notice her, but I will admit that I followed her into the bathroom at one point, and peed in the stall next to her. AH! Joyous.
The show itself was great. The opening act was *possibly* the worst comedy act of all time, but then UCB came on and rocked the house. As a special bonus, Seth Meyers - Amy’s SNL co-star - joined the cast. That was kind of exciting, except that he seemed eally hesitant to me. Regardless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show.
For monday…I’m thinking I might check out Pete and J. They’re playing at the Elbo Room - that’s at 2871 N Lincoln. $5 cover, and there are some other bands playing as well.
Upright Citizens Brigade, Park West, AMY POEHLER, Seth Meyers, SNL, Pete and J, Elbo Room
TGIF! Do you know what my favorite thing about Friday is? Going to see the Improvised Shakespeare Company at iO in Wrigleyville. Seriously.
If you haven’t seen them, you owe it to yourself. Just about every reviewer in Chicago agrees that they are THE show to see. Based on an audience suggestion, they improvise a full hour and a half of iambic pentameter and silliness.
I have been sort of an improvised shakespeare junkie for the last few months, and I can’t wait to get my next hit. You can stalk them on their myspace page HERE.
The cool thing about iO is that after the show you can hang around in the bar with all the performers. It has a very low-key family sort of feel to it, and even though many of the comedians that perform there are world-class, they are all surprisingly down-to-earth.
The 2007 Blogher conference will be held in Chicago on July 27th-29th. Here is information about theme and goals of the conference from the official website:
The Theme: A World of Difference
As you can see by our beautiful conference button, our theme this year is A World of Difference. BlogHer’s annual event continues to be dedicated to bringing bloggers together, and to celebrate the fact that although there are, in fact, many blogospheres, we can find common ground. Programming and activities will be designed not only to help birds of a feather flock together, but also to help bloggers learn from those outside their own flock.
By celebrating A World of Difference we hope to make BlogHer ‘07 a place where you can both meet your virtual friends face-to-face, and a place to broaden your blogging horizons and learn from the collective wisdom of the entire BlogHer community.
The event will feature a wide variety of panels and speakers that should appeal to almost every blogger. For more information or to register, visit the Blogher website.
Hey, I’m Peggy, and I will be your guide to comedy, live theater, music, and other odd things that happen mostly at night here in Chicago. Hopefully I can hook up people looking for a fun time with smaller mostly independant groups looking for audiences!
If you are looking for something to do this weekend - The Chicago Improv Festival is in full swing. There are going to be quite a few super-exciting shows. Because it’s a “festival” and the headliners are TV stars coming back to town from New York and L.A., the tickets are steeper than most improv shows around town. However, I, for one, am totally willing to pay $25 to see Amy Poehler. I’m actually writing a song about how excited I am to be seeing her on stage with the rest of the Upright Citizens Brigade on Saturday night. It goes something like, “AMY! I love you! You are SO FUNNY! Can I steal your wallet? AMY!” It’s mostly just me shouting.
Anyway, check out the CIF website HERE and go see some improv.
Amy Poehler, Upright Citizens Brigade, improv, comedy, chicago
The Museum of Science and Industry, which is known for its creative exhibits to get people interested in science, will be joining forces with one of the most popular television shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Starting on May 25th, 2007 and running through September 3, 2007, the museum will have an exhibit called “CSI: The Experience.”
The premise of the exhibit is that visitors will have a chance to play the role of crime scene investigator. According to the museum’s website, there are three crime scenes that you can visit and investigate. Some of your task will be:
* Match shell casings in a firearms lab
* Hear from a forensic pathologist in a realistic autopsy room
* See a victim’s blood tested in the toxicology lab
* Learn about the advances in DNA profiling
* Examine the role human judgment plays with the advancement in technology
You will be given your own “CSI file” to keep track of your findings and results.
This exhibition price is in addition to the museum’s general admission and requires a specified entry time. Advance tickets are now available at the museum box office and online.
Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, museums, CSI: The Experience, CSI
If you are looking for a funny, non-traditional theater experience, this show would be perfect.
Below, courtesy of You Tube is the original cast performance at the 59th Tony Awards, featuring a special appearance by Al Sharpton.
As part of its campaign to host the 2016 summer Olympics, the city of Chicago created this video called “Stir the Soul.” It is not just a convincing look at why Chicago should host the Olympics, but also a great advertisement for why people should visit the city.
Video below courtesy of you tube.
Chicago, 2016 Olympics, Olympics, summer Olympics, athletics
Although the Chicago Transit Authority (”CTA”) receives a lot of criticism from daily commuters, an examination of the Chicago transit of the past should make Chicagoans grateful for the conditions (like air conditioning) that they have today.
In 1859, Chicago residents would have ridden in a horse drawn vehicle like the one below. It held 18 passengers and traveled the length of State Street from Randolph Avenue to 12th street. This vehicle, which is on exhibit at the Illinois Railway Museum, is believed to be the oldest intact example of the “animal railway” in North America.
From 1936 to 1958, Chicagoans traveled through downtown in streetcars, like the “green hornet” shown below from 1948. It had 57 seats and there were nearly 700 streetcars like this in use in Chicago.
In addition to the streetcars, the elevated trains (”el”) also served as an effective mode of transportation throughout the city, as they do today. The photos below shows few different trains through the years.
Elevated train 1922
Chicago, illinois railway museum, trains, railway, elevated train
Chicago, architecture, Illinois
Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.
To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.
The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:
If you plan to give, please click the link below:
Known for its Midwest charm, despite its big city persona, Chicago just may be your kind of town! This is the place to learn all about Chicago including its history, attractions, events, and the best place to get deep dish pizza.
Chicago, IL Author(s)
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