Five best live albums recorded in Chicago
Ahmad Jamal, But Not For Me (Chess) Recorded live on January 16, 1958, at the South Side’s legendary—and long defunct—Pershing Lounge, this live album was pianist Jamal’s commercial breakthrough, remaining in the Billboard Top 100 for months. His ability to generate such tremendous swing with so few notes never sounded better on record.—Matthew Lurie

Wilco,Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

Wilco, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago (Nonesuch)
Recorded over four nights at the Vic Theatre in 2005, this disc finds Jeff Tweedy and company in top form, whether they’re tinkering dreamily on the piano or wrapping themselves in a swirl of guitar noise.—Antonia Simigis

Southern Culture on the Skids, Peckin’ Party (Feedbag)
This 1993 EP features the Chapel Hill swamp-rock trio tearing it up in front of a sweaty Lincoln Park audience. It was recorded at the late, lamented Lounge Ax.—James Porter

Gene Chandler, Live on Stage in ’65 (Constellation). Reissued as Live at the Regal (Collectables)
As soon as WVON blues DJ Pervis Spann finishes his intro (“All right, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Startime at the Regal!”), it’s on. The minute this Chicago soul singer kicks off with “Rainbow ’65,” the women’s screams are so deafening it feels like all of 47th Street is going to explode right there.—JP

Various artists, And This Is Maxwell Street (Rooster Blues)
It’s now a row of condos on Halsted Street between Greektown and Pilsen, but 43 years ago (when this album was recorded) Maxwell Street was an outdoor flea market where deals were made, Polish sausages were grilled, and legends of blues and gospel like Robert Nighthawk, Carey Bell and Jim Brewer brought their music to the streets.—JP

Five things you should know about our flag
1. The three white stripes represent the North, West and South Sides of the city (going from top to bottom).
2. The top blue stripe stands for Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River. The bottom blue stripe symbolizes the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Great Canal.
3. The four stars signify major events in Chicago’s history: the Fort Dearborn Massacre of 1812, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the World’s Fairs of 1893 and 1933.
4. The flag is aesthetically popular across the nation—in a review by the North American Vexillological (that is, related to the study of flags) Association of American city flags, Chicago’s ranks second with a rating of 9.03 out of 10 (Washington, D.C., got top honors).
5. The six points of each star symbolize community ideals, city achievements or regional industries. For example, the second star’s points stand for religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence and civic pride.—Liz Baker Plosser

The Rolling Stones, Double Door, September 18, 1997.

Ten legendary Chicago concerts
1. The Rolling Stones, Double Door, September 18, 1997
Mick flounced around the stage, Keith wore a pink jacket and shades, and 400 fans saw the Glimmer Twins up close and personal. Ticket price? Seven dollars.—AS
2. The Grateful Dead, Soldier Field, July 9, 1995
The band ended its 2,314th show with a “Black Muddy River”/“Box of Rain” medley; a month later, Jerry went truckin’ on to heaven.—AS
3. Sonic Youth and Public Enemy, Aragon Ballroom, December 29, 1990
This fantastic double bill sadly became best known for what happened afterward: An impromptu anti–Gulf War protest exploded into a riot.—AS
4. Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Chicago Jazz Festival, Grant Park, September 1981
The avant-garde jazz iconoclast’s set featured the gold lamé–clad Arkestra whipping out ecstatic improvisations. The masses at the fest probably never heard a better intro than, “Some call me Mr. Ra; others call me Mr. Ree. You can call me Mr. Mr. Ree.”—ML
5. Bringing the Blues Back Home: The Original Chicago Blues Festival, Grant Park, August 30, 1969
Fifteen years before the first Bluesfest, an unrelated concert featured a lineup that reads like a Blues Hall of Fame: Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells and more.—JP
6. MC5, Grant Park, August 25, 1968
During the ’68 Democratic Convention, these Detroiters made the best of a bad situation with an eight-hour set.—AS
7. The Beatles, Comiskey Park, August 20, 1965
Back when the Cell had a normal name, the Fab Four played to 50,000, then hit Margie’s Candies (1960 N Western Ave) for sundaes.—AS
8. WVON Blues Revue, Comiskey Park, 1964
Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye and several others—for free. Way too much sugar for a dime.—JP
9. Jerry Lee Lewis, Chicago Opera House, 1957
The thought of a raging Jerry Lee Lewis kicking over a piano stool where an opera singer once stood is a colossal mindfuck.—JP
10. Maria Callas debut, Lyric Opera Civic Opera House, November 3, 1954
The Greek diva opened a new chapter in American opera history with her performance of Bellini’s “Norma,” which kicked off the Lyric’s inaugural season.—Marc Geelhoed

Favorite animal names at the Lincoln Park Zoo
Paris and Nicole domestic chickens
Richie, Fonzie, Mr. C and Chachi goats
Lurch cinereous vulture
Hash Brown, O’Brien and Tater-tot Hottentot teals (African ducks)
Guido and Vinnie rock hyraxes (rodentlike mammals)—Jason A. Heidemann

Five top-selling postcards at the Art Institute’s museum shop
1. American Gothic, Grant Wood
2. Water Lilies, Claude Monet
3. A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Georges Seurat
4. Nighthawks, Edward Hopper
5. Paris Street; Rainy Day, Gustave Caillebotte —Madeline Nusser

Ten best songs about Chicago
1. “Sweet Home Chicago,” Robert Johnson
2. “Born in Chicago,” Paul Butterfield Blues Band
3. “Lake Shore Drive,” Aliotta-Haynes-Jeremiah
4. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” Jim Croce
5. “Windy City Soul,” Jerry Butler
6. “Sidewalks of Chicago,” Merle Haggard
7. “Chicago-Rillas,” Rhymefest
8. “Via Chicago,” Wilco
9. “Chicago,” Frank Sinatra
10. “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” ZZ Top.—JP

10 unexplained phenomena*
1. Resurrection Mary (Justice) A blond hitchhikes on Archer Avenue, then vanishes into her namesake cemetery.
2. Jane Addams Hull-House (800 S Halsted St) A devil baby leers from a window.
3. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery (Midlothian) Some see a phantom Victorian manse, orbs and apparitions.
4. Red Lion Pub (2446 N Lincoln Ave) The owner’s dead father lingers in the stairwell, giving boozers the spins.
5. St. James Sag Church & Cemetery (Lemont) Phantom monks chant in Latin, and ghost horses pull a phantom carriage.
6. Excalibur Nightclub (632 N Dearborn St) Glasses break; liquor bottles shatter. The owners blame spirits.
7. Harpo Studios (1058 W Washington Blvd) Oprah’s HQ is home to specters from the 1915 Eastland disaster.
8. Rico D’s (Willow Springs) A hooker and gangster haunt a former brothel and speakeasy.
9. Oriental Theater (24 W Randolph St) Glowing orbs float in the alley behind the site of the 1903 Iroquois Theater fire.
10. O’Hare UFO United employees see a flying disc on November 7, 2006; the FAA calls it a “weather phenomenon.”
—Steve Heisler
*Source: Dale Kaczmarek, author of Windy City Ghosts and president of the Ghost Research Society