Chicago Reader

Comedy

How I Made It in Comedy

Five success stories that start in Chicago
By Mike Sacks

Music

History vs. Hollywood

Though adapted from a zealously factual book, Public Enemies takes the usual liberties.
By J.R. Jones

Politics

On the Hook

Did Mayor Daley ever really believe the public wouldn't have to pay for the Olympics?
The Works by Ben Joravsky

Music

Learning to Mourn Michael

A trip to his boyhood home makes the world's most alien superstar seem human again.
Sharp Darts by Miles Raymer

Food &
Drink

Indonesian Tonight?

Anjin Mamiri, the latest addition to Chicago's ethnic dining pool.
Omnivorous by Mike Sula

Media

Lost in Cyberspace

The peculiar challenges of archiving newspapers in the Information Age
Hot Type by Michael Miner

The Arts

A Museum in Sleep Mode

Pending better financial times, the Spertus cuts its hours to two and a half days a month.
The Business by Deanna Isaacs

Theater

High Raunch

The accomplished vulgarity of 500 Clown's latest, 500 Clown and the Elephant Deal, at Steppenwolf.
By Tony Adler

Theater

Off the Island

In Boleros For the Disenchanted, now at the Goodman, José Rivera asks: can love survive the loss of enchantment?
By Albert Williams

Lit

Wandering Jews

A short-story collection follows Iraq's former Jewish population across borders and oceans.
By Rayyan Al-Shawafl

Blogs

Film

Chi(a)nimation All-Stars

Ed M. Koziarski - Friday at 11:37 am

"Mustachioed perverts in a spaceship fire upon a deformed, nude woman daily" in Lale Westvind's "Flesh Gun," screening in Chi(a)nimation All-Stars Sunday at Nightingale.


Politics

Better late than never

Mick Dumke - Thursday at 7:49 pm

Aldermen hold another hearing on the parking meter lease deal. Their conclusion: it still stinks.


Performance

WildClaw Theatre extends Deathscribe deadline

Albert Williams - Thursday at 6:41 pm

Festival of radio plays seeks "scary, chilling, intelligent, suspenseful, horrific, imaginative or downright grotesque" scripts.


Chicagoland

Indicators to watch out for

Whet Moser - Thursday at 5:31 pm

The FDIC closed down five Illinois banks today.


Chicagoland

Good news on the Web

Whet Moser - Thursday at 4:36 pm

Awesome local Web-based projects from locals Daniel Sinker, Daniel X. O'Neil, and Harper Reed.


Film

Quiet time

J.R. Jones - Thursday at 4:23 pm

The Silent Summer Film Festival releases its 2009 schedule.


Music

"All Together Now" on the el

Miles Raymer - Thursday at 3:42 pm

An excellent music video takes the improbable form of a Budweiser commercial.


Straight Dope Chicago

Is early summer in Chicago getting cooler?

By Cecil Adams


The Straight Dope

Did astronauts train in ecological wastelands on earth to get used to the barren moon?

By Cecil Adams


Savage Love

At the bottom of all these sex scandals—Sanford, Ensign, Spitzer, et al—is our unnatural fixation on monogamy.

By Dan Savage


Letters

I am quite partial to Star Lounge; however, I don’t think it was given a fair shot in the article.
>> Send a letter to the editor

Ink Well

This week's crossword: Special K (PDF)

By Ben Tausig


City Council Guide

Your City Council Now more than ever, it's important to follow what our 50 aldermen are up to. Are our representatives up to the task of telling the mayor "no" once in a while, or, better yet, of coming up with an alternative vision of Chicago government? Read our guide and decide for yourself what their prospects are.
By Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke


You Shoot

>> Submit Your Photos

Chicago 2016: the Olympics

An archive of Ben Joravsky's reporting on Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics, plus his open letter to the IOC.


Neighborhood Guides

Rogers Park & West Ridge

Ukrainian Village & East Village

South Loop

Logan Square

Uptown


From the Archive

The Whole Hog Project The best way to save the endangered mulefoot pig is to eat it, so the Reader bought a pig. Here's the whole story, from beginning to dinner and beyond.

TIFs Reader columnist Ben Joravsky has written extensively on the issue of TIFs, or tax increment financing districts, their virtual lack of oversight, and their devastating effects on city services. A free archive of his TIF stories is here.

Barack Obama The Reader goes way back with Barack. Here's an archive of stories about or concerning him, including Hank De Zutter's 1995 profile.

Police Torture Reader staff writer John Conroy was the first journalist to report that there was a pattern of police torture at Chicago's Area Two headquarters. A free archive of his stories on the subject is here.


Do It Today: 7.4.09

[image: The Girl From Monaco]
Music
Terry Adams with his Crazy Trio @ FitzGerald's American Music Festival NRBQ keyboardist Terry Adams plays at FitzGerald's annual American Music Festival in support of the poppy new Holy Tweet. "You can hear plenty of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, twang, and more, but this is no retro trip; the shit is in Adams's blood," writes Peter Margasak.
[image: Gamma Player]
Style
Holiday fashion sales A roundup of holiday weekend and ongoing sales, including deep discounts at Ikram and Gamma Player.
More recommended events
Today's listings,
tomorrow,
this weekend,
next week.

What the Reader's Reading

Dick Morris on Sarah Palin Former Clinton adviser analyzes Palin's surprise resignation. newsmax.com

She's goin' rogue Washingtonpost.com's Dan Balz on Sarah Palin's resignation as governor of Alaska: "Palin demonstrated once again yesterday that she is one of America's most unconventional politicians." msnbc.msn.com

Federal judge expects California gay marriage issue to go to Supreme Court "I am reasonably sure that . . . this case is only touching down in this court and it will have a life after this court," says judge about lawsuit to overturn Prop 8. "What happens here is in many ways a prelude to what happens later." 365gay.com

Who pays for Chicago's fireworks? blog.thisyoungeconomist.com

WFMT veteran Norm Pellegrini dead at 79 Service planned for July 18, which would have been his 80th birthday. wfmt.com

Oil execs and foreign policy advisers recommended Iraq invasion before 9/11 April 2001 report prepared at the request of Vice President Dick Cheney. truthout.org

The summer of '69--Stonewall and the moon walk Lisa Neff looks back 365gay.com

more … 

Movies

[Johnny Depp in Public Enemies]

History vs. Hollywood
Though adapted from a zealously factual book, Public Enemies takes the usual liberties.

By J.R. Jones

Search movie showtimes

Music

[Michael Jackson Vigil]

Learning to Mourn Michael
A trip to his boyhood home makes the world's most alien superstar seem human again.

Sharp Darts by Miles Raymer

The List
This week's best live bets, including Explosions in the Sky, Sunn 0))), Richie Hawtin, Jay-Z, and more

Secret History of Chicago Music J.B. Hutto

By Plastic Crimewave

Find a music event/concert

Comedy

[Chicago Comedy]

How I Made It in Comedy
Five success stories that start in Chicago

By Mike Sacks


Food & Drink

[photo: making cheese]

Indonesian Tonight?
Anjin Mamiri, the latest addition to Chicago's ethnic dining pool

Omnivorous by Mike Sula

One-of-a-Kind Asian
Rare cuisines and specialties

Alfresco
The Reader's guide to outdoor dining in Chicago

Our 2009 guide to subscription farms and Chicagoland farmers markets.

Plus: Ten more recent openings

Visit our Reader Restaurant Roundups for our recent neighborhood and cuisine guides.

Find a restaurant

Theater & Performance

[500 Clown Theater]

High Raunch The accomplished vulgarity of 500 Clown's latest, 500 Clown and the Elephant Deal, at Steppenwolf

By Tony Adler

Off the Island In Boleros For the Disenchanted, now at the Goodman, José Rivera asks: can love survive the loss of enchantment?

By Albert Williams

The Short List Now searchable by date, neighborhood, and more: recommendations, openings, and closing

Search performing arts listings

Lit

[image: Farewell to Dejla]

Wandering Jews
A short-story collection follows Iraq's former Jewish population across borders and oceans.

By Rayyan Al-Shawaf

Search readings and lectures

Art

[image: Lucinda Alston Chapman's River Grasses III] mixed media on canvas]

Galleries and Museums
Featuring works by Ginny Sykes, Jennifer Ray, and Alex O'Neal

A Museum in Sleep Mode
Pending better financial times, the Spertus cuts its hours to two and a half days a month.

The Business by Deanna Isaacs

Search galleries and museums

The Reader's Guides

Obamarama

On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, we pulled together a commemorative package of the best of the Reader's coverage of the president-elect, plus a couple of prescient stories about two of his key advisers and some new reflections on his rise.

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