Chicago, IL

Normally, when I ride the train, I wear headphones. To be perfectly honest, sometimes there’s no music playing, but I still wear the headphones to discourage people from talking to me. You would think that I do this because I’m a mean person, but it’s actually the opposite - I’m too nice. Being nice can take up a lot of your time.
Take Saturday night for instance.
I ran out to a show, and I didn’t take my purse with me, so I didn’t have my headphones! So, I’m riding the red line at about 1am, and there are about 12 billion drunk Sox fans riding back to their homes on the southside after the crosstown classic. First-Drunk-Guy starts talking to me. I gave him a fake name - Mandy, I think. Anyway, he kept talking to me, and I just wanted him to go away. He was perfectly fine, but he kept asking me why I ride home by myself in the middle of the night. Right. What else am I supposed to do? Sleep at the Annoyance Theater?
So, I finally dodged First-Drunk-Guy, only to meet up with Three-Drunk-Guys. Three-Drunk-Guys were all looking for the Blue Line transfer at Jackson. Being the nice person that I am - I walked them there. This actually worked out pretty well for me, because having Three-Drunk-Guys with me helped me to avoid Super-Crazy-Homeless-Guy. Smooth.
So, then after getting Three-Drunk-Guys safely to the Blue Line station, we met up with Lost-Russian-Lady. And, somehow I ended up helping her get from the Blue Line back to the Red Line. Then we (me and Three-Drunk-Guys) headed back to the Blue Line where we encountered Guy-Asking-For-Weed. He was, perhaps, the most entertaining new friend of the evening. While we were talking to Guy-Asking-For-Weed, Guitar-Guy came up and started playing. Then Guy-Asking-For-Weed’s friends started dancing - VERY entertaining.
So, finally we got on the Blue line at about 2:30am where we met Drunk-Guy-With-Ripped-Pants. For some reason, Drunk-Guy-With-Ripped-Pants started fighting with Three-Drunk-Guys, and just in the nick of time, we reached my stop. Whew.
The way I figure it, not bringing my headphones cost me about an hour of my life. At least it was entertaining!

Chicago, CTA, Annoyance Theater

In April of 2005, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened for business in Springfield, Illinois. Although Springfield is technically not a suburb of Chicago, at 200 miles away it is too far to earn that title, I love the museum so much I thought I would include it in my weekly feature.

The museum is part history lesson, part mini theme park, complete with replicas of Abe and his family and interactive shows. I had the honor of being one of the first guests at the museum on opening day back in 2005, which was a fun day complete with several Abe Lincoln impersonators milling around in the town.

One of the sculptures in the museum

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The Chicago Antique Market, called an “urban treasure hunt,” opens business for this season starting this weekend. The market, located in the 1300 block of West Randolph will be held the last Saturday of the every month, through October 27. In honor of its season opener, the market will be open both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

The event is part open-air market, part indoor antique shop, which makes it a great stop no matter the weather. According to the official website:

An indoor and outdoor European-style urban antique market located in the historic and distinctive Randolph Street Market District at the beautiful Beaux Arts Plumbers Hall complex on West Randolph Street.

Collectors, dealers, retail buyers, designers, domestic and international visitors, families and friends come together to celebrate, preserve, swap and shop treasures from the past.

Fun and fabulous food and drink specialties abound! Come and dine al fresco against the backdrop of the beautiful Chicago skyline.

Also at the same location is the Indie Designer Fashion Market, where you can buy clothing and jewelry right from the designers who created them.

New this year is a special event for children, called the “Junior’s Collectors Club,” which teaches kids about how to start collections and how to find treasures.

A visit to the Chicago Antique Market is $8, with children under 12 getting in for free. Early admission, to get a jump on all the great finds, will run you $20. A season pass is also available for $75. For more information on the Chicago Antique Market, visit their official website.

So, normally, on a Monday night, I would head over to iO for The Armando Diaz Experience . . . buuuuuut . . . I was thinking that maybe instead, I would go to Myopic Books to see a performance by Karl Seigfried & Fred Lonberg-Holm.
Myopic Books claims to be “Chicago’s longest running experimental music venue.”
I think that is pretty awesome.
I have no idea who Karl Seigfried & Fred Lonberg-Holm are. In fact, Google thinks that I misspelled something and turns up nothing useful. Intriguing.
Obscurity + bookstore venue = guaranteed awesome experience.
Trust me. Go. If nothing else, you’ll meet someone really bizarre and have a cool conversation. Maybe you’ll meet me. Who knows.
Did I mention the music is free? The books cost money, though.

Myopic Books
1564 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773.862.4882

Music Series:
Monday, May 21- 7:30
Karl Seigfried & Fred Lonberg-Holm

Myopic Books, Experimental Music, Live Music, Chicago, Karl Seigfried & Fred Lonberg-Holm

This weekend marks the 10th Anniversary of the Playground Theater, one of Chicago’s very best places to see Improvisational Comedy. To celebrate, they have Big Yellow Bus headlining back-to-back improv shows on Sunday, featuring some pretty sweet players.
For $12 at 5pm on Sunday, you can see Big Yellow Bus performing with the cast of the Mainstage Second City show.

Then, at 6:30, improvisers from Annoyance Theater will be teaming up with…you guessed it…Big Yellow Bus for another show! This show is also $12.
Last, but certainly not least, is the 8pm show ($12) featuring Big Yellow Bus with the iO All-Stars. WOOT! If you don’t know anything about iO, you haven’t been reading my blog. There are some truly great performers in this bunch. Seriously. I can’t get enough of Noah Gregoropolous. He cracks me up. I saw him do a scene once where he was the guy holding the microphone on a movie set. All he did was just stand there, and it was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
So, do yourself a favor, and get out to The Playground this Sunday to see many of the area’s best improvisers - all under one roof. WOH. That’s crazy. I’m not sure, but the world may actually end on Sunday.
For tickets to the apocalypse, visit this website: CRACKO!

The Playground Theater
3209 Halsted
Chicago, IL
773-871-3793

Improv, Comedy, Chicago, iO, Annoyance, The Playground, Second City, Noah Gregoropolous, Big Yellow Bus

The city of Chicago is being forced by the International Olympic Committee to change its official bid logo because it presently looks too much like the Olympic torch. Apparently the IOC prohibits the use of any Olympic imagery in logos by cities attempting to receive an Olympic bid.

This is disappointing because I liked the clever way in which the flame looked like the Chicago skyline. Hopefully they will come up with something just as good, but IOC-legal. Do any of our readers have any suggestions for new ideas? For all of your Chicago Olympic bid information, head over to Chicago 2016.

Chicago, Olympics, 2016

Over the years, Chicago has served as the backdrop for a tremendous amount of movies, as well as several successful television shows. Although in many cases only the outdoor shots are actually done in Chicago, the city is often affected by these shoots.

According to Chicagoist, film crews are in town shooting for Wanted, a new film starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. As a result, many streets are closed in the overnight hours this week. There is no word whether there are any actors in town or if this is just all for exterior background shots.

Also filming in the area is The Return, about soldiers returning from Iraq, which starring Tim Robbins. Portions of the film are being filmed in the Naperville/Bolingbrook area.

If you want to keep on top of what movies and television shows are filming in the area, check out the city of Chicago website on the topic. It even has information on how you can be an extra in a film!

Chicago, movies in chicago, extras, filming, angelina jolie, wanted, tim robbins, the return, morgan freeman

Want to support a great cause? Why not sponsor a rider in the Ride for AIDS Chicago bicycling event.
This is no cake walk, people.
These riders are committed to not only raising $1,000 each for local AIDS charities, but they are riding 180 MILES!! It’s madness.
I, for one, applaud them, and instantly feel inferior.
To read more about the ride, or to sponsor a rider, visit their website: HERE

Chicago, AIDS, Fundraiser, Ride for AIDS Chicago, Charity

If you are ever driving in Chicago and wishing that you could be somewhere where your fellow drivers are friendlier, don’t pay a visit to Miami. In a survey conducted by the Prince Market Research group, Miami tops the list of the cities with the rudest drivers and the most incidents of road rage. Chicago came in 7th on the list.

I know that people talking on their cell phones while driving in Chicago is still a problem, despite the city-wide ban on the practice. Drivers in Chicago also like to honk and tailgate, although I don’t know if they do it at a level greater than most cities. What do the readers think? Is 7th a fair placement? Do you have any stories about incidents of rude driving that you have experienced in Chicago?

Here is the rest of the top 10:

1. Miami

2. New York

3. Boston

4. Los Angeles

5. Washington, D.C.

6. Phoenix

7. Chicago

8. Sacramento, Calif.

9. Philadelphia

10. San Francisco

Thanks to Victoria at the San Diego, CA blog for the tip!

Chicago, rudest drivers, driving, traffic, road rage

Where were you last night? I was watching Topaz at the iO theater in Wrigelyville. Topaz is an improv troupe of 3 individuals wearing denim jumpsuits and doing long-form improv interspersed with various feats of strength. I have to say that I was impressed. I will say, though, that the denim jumpsuits left little to the imagination. I think it’s time to buy a bigger size, boys. I saw a little too much nard outline for a Tuesday night.
Feel bad you missed it? You should! To make up for it, tonight is Wednesday, and one of my favorite improv teams is playing at iO…. Carl and the Passions! YAY!!!

Not only are they a totally brilliant team, but they have the hottest babe in improv - TJ Jagodowski. OH, TJ!! I LOVE YOU!! I guarantee after watching one of their shows, you will become an instant fan. If you are a night-owl, you can stick around for the *LEGENDARY* TJ & Dave, but you should call ahead for tickets to that show, because they sell out a lot.

Wednesday night at iO:
Carl & The Passions - 8pm (FREE!!)
TJ & Dave - 11pm ($5)

iO, Wrigleyville, Comedy, Improv, Carl & The Passions, TJ & Dave, TJ Jagodowski

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a lush oasis located in Glencoe, Illinois. The 385 acre Garden is home to 23 display gardens spread out over nine islands, which are separated by lakes. They also host educational programs and cooking demonstrations. The beautiful plants and flowers also serve as a background for many wedding photographers on the weekends, and the Garden is available as a reception location.
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It’s Tuesday again, which means that it is free admission day at the Museum of Contemporary Art! Now, I should start this by saying that I’m not a really chic art person. Like, one time, I was at the Louvre (you know…in PARIS…the most famous and largest museum in the world). Yeah. Well, my friend Cheryl and I jogged through the entire museum in one hour, took a picture of the Mona Lisa, and then took the train to Euro-Disney where we spent the next 6 hours riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
That having been said, the MCA is pretty awesome. It’s small-ish, so you don’t have to feel like you have to spend the whole day there, and the art is pretty crazy, so you don’t have to feel like you have to appreciate it too much.
The Rudolph Stingel exhibit is up right now, and one of his “pieces” is a giant white room with an orange carpet. Awesome. There was some mention of how the point of it was that the viewers are creating the art, or something. I don’t know. It was a giant orange carpet. However, his enormous photo-realistic black and white oil self-portraits are gorgeous and amazing. So, really, it is definitely worth a visit. I even liked his Styrofoam work. So, there you go.
If you do go, visit the second floor video display. They are showing a video of a group of deaf students singing opera music, and it’s really bizarre and amazing to watch.

MCA Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

Tuesday Admission: FREE!!
Tuesday Hours: 10am - 8pm

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, MCA, Rudolph Stingel, Modern Art

Recently, I decided that I wanted to take a modern dance class. I googled “Adult Beginning Modern Dance Class Chicago” and found a studio with classes exactly like what I was looking for. I could start dancing! People might think I was an unlikely dancer, but I would have fun and get some exercise.
Then I read the “Adult Dress Code” section, which reads as follows: “Women: Black Leotard, Flesh Tights, Ballet or Jazz Shoes.” After having a ten-minute laugh at picturing myself in a leotard and tights, I moved on to the next studio.
I continued my search and found that there are many more options than I imagined! There were ballroom studios and a whole studio dedicated to dance as exercise. I ended up at the Tuesday evening Basic Modern Dance Class at Lou Conte Dance Studio of the Hubbard Street School of Dance on Jackson and Racine – wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt like a normal person. The class was taught by the spunky and talented Winifred Haun and accompanied by a man that played live new-age music on his djembe. Modern Ballet is a a little bit strange, especially for a person that has only had a few dance classes in their life, but this class really made the dancing accessible, and FUN! Overall, it was much less intimidating than I originally thought it would be. I highly reccommend it. (They even let you jump into just one session, if you aren’t ready to committ to a whole 8-week course, or if you just want to give it a try!)
Here’s a link to their class schedule: Shazam!

ballet, modern dance, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Winifred Haun, Chicago

The city of Chicago is preparing itself for the arrival of cicadas, often called 17-year locusts because they only return to the area once every 17 years. Although the exact date of their emergence from the soil is unknown, they begin to come out when the soil reaches 63 degrees, it is expected to be in the next couple of weeks. Experts say that the cicadas will remain in the area until late June.

The city has warned that although the insects are harmless to humans, large clusters of them can be as loud as an airplane engine. Also, because they may be eaten by birds or other animals, the city is also discouraging residents from spraying insecticides to kill the cicadas.

Chicago, chicagoland, cicada, cicadas, insects

The much loved children’s book Go Dog. Go! is currently being perfomed theatrically by the Chicago Children’s Theatre. Performances take place under the Big Top tent at Grant Park, now through May 20.

According to the official website:

Go, Dog. Go! is a chaotic carnival of music and physical comedy that celebrates the brilliant simplicity of life. Dogs of all colors, shapes, and sizes, dance, sing, work, play, skate, and climb through a magical world where dogs are king, all under a 50-foot-tall circus tent.

Shows are held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with multiple showings on Saturday and Sunday. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit the official page.

children’s books, go dog go, children’s theater, theater, chicago theater, chicago