#Chicago blog
The ultimate Chicago events, restaurants, bars and nightlife blog
Drink beer to support the cutest animal at the zoo: the red panda. Photograph: Abby Wood, Smithsonian's National Zoo
DryHop's new beer benefits the adorable red panda
Posted by Herel Hughes on Apr 24, 2014 at 1:55pm
The latest beer from DryHop Brewers has one of our new favorite beer names: I Am Not a Raccoon. Sales of the beer will benefit the Lincoln Park Zoo red pandas, which look like bigger, cuter raccoons: $1 from each pint sold will go toward the Red Panda Wish List Fund, which helps buy bamboo to feed the cuddly furballs. The red saison is a traditional Belgian farmhouse ale and it's made with ingredients that red pandas eat, including mulberry leaves and bamboo.
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Great Expectations at Strawdog Theatre Company Photograph: Chris Ocken
Strawdog Theatre Company announces expanded 2014–15 season
Posted by Kris Vire on Apr 24, 2014 at 12:45pm
Strawdog Theatre Company will produce eight shows in its 2014–15 season, the Lakeview theater announced this morning, including a remount of this season's acclaimed adaptation of Great Expectations. The Dickens show will be one of four in Strawdog's mainstage space, while the company's second-stage Hugen Hall programming will get leveled up, comprising four full productions and achieving Jeff Awards eligibility for the first time.
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The cheapest and most expensive apartments in Wicker Park
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 24, 2014 at 1:14pm
Last week, we showed you the rental disparities in hipper-than-thou 'hood Logan Square. This week, we turn our attention to what Logan Square will probably look like in 10 years, Wicker Park. While you can still find cheap places to live in Logan, it says a lot about how the neighborhood has changed that one of the cheapest apartments real estate site Zumper could find in Wicker Park is $1,500/month.
Fred Armisen fights for bicycle rights on IFC's 'Portlandia'.
Green Music Fest announces initial lineup and bike powered stage
Posted by Zach Long on Apr 22, 2014 at 1:35pm
Wicker Park's Green Music Fest announced its first wave of bands this morning, confirming groups like Guided By Voices, the Features and the Soil & The Sun for the annual street festival on June 21 and 22. This year's fest will mark the debut of the Bicycle Powered Music Stage, where eight stationary bikes will provide the energy for amps, microphones and monitors. Does anyone else think that this sounds like a Portlandia sketch?
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Four Kings whiskey is a blend of four Midwest bourbons.
4 Midwest distilleries team up to make a new whiskey
Posted by Amy Cavanaugh on Apr 21, 2014 at 7:24pm
Whisky Fest is already sold out, but there are plenty of other whiskey tastings, dinners and events happening this week that you can still get in on. One of those is the release of Four Kings whiskey, a 600-bottle collaboration between Illinois's FEW Spirits, Michigan's Journeyman Distillery, Tennessee's Corsair Distillery and Iowa's Mississippi River Distilling Company.
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Curt Bouril, Kevin Earley and Jennie Sophia
Casting announced for Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre
Posted by Kris Vire on Apr 21, 2014 at 12:45pm
The Goodman Theatre has announced the complete cast for Rachel Rockwell's summer production of Lerner & Loewe's Brigadoon. Kevin Earley and Curt Bouril will star as Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas, the tourists who discover the elusive village that appears only once every 100 years. Jennie Sophia will play Fiona MacLaren, the Brigadoon girl with whom Tommy falls in love. Brigadoon runs June 27–August 3; tickets are on sale now.
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This shot is Time Out Chicago's photo of the week, April 18, 2014. Photograph: @old_school_artist
Photo of the week for Apr 18, 2014
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 18, 2014 at 12:27pm
Last week, we shared a photo of the skyline at sunset; this week, we see dawn reflected in the Trump Tower for our reader photo of the week. Taken yesterday at 7:18am from the Riverwalk, this shot by @old_school_artist convinces us we should get out and watch the sun rise more often.
Kurt Chiang in Analog at the Neo-Futurists Photograph: Maggie Fullilove-Nugent
Neo-Futurists announce new season, new co-artistic director
Posted by Kris Vire on Apr 18, 2014 at 12:05pm
The Neo-Futurists have set the lineup for their 2014–15 primetime season. The company also revealed that ensemble member Kurt Chiang will join Bilal Dardai in the joint role of artistic director. Chiang replaces the departing Megan Mercier. The Neos' season begins with INFILTRATION, a preshow performance event ahead of Friday night's Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (August 8–September 24). Pseudo-Chum (October 16–November 22), Redletter (February 19–March 28) and Trust Us/Screw You (May 7–June 13) follow.
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The cheapest and most expensive rentals in Logan Square
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 18, 2014 at 10:14am
There's no doubt gentrification has a firm grasp on Logan Square, but there's still quite a disparity between the haves and the have-nots. These two examples of Logan's most expensive and cheapest rentals, provided by real estate site Zumper, illustrate that gap quite nicely.
A rendering of the updated, wider bridge at Western Ave. Photograph courtesy of The 606
606 Update: Ashland bridge moves to Western
Posted by Zach Long on Apr 17, 2014 at 1:45pm
A few weeks ago, crews removed a bride that ran over Ashland Avenue and carted it away to clean, repair and paint it (not with tags). That overpass will be finding a new home this weekend, replacing a bridge at Western Avenue and Bloomingdale Avenue that was demolished in early March. The bridge will be moved from Ashland to Western by way of North Avenue, beginning at 5am on Saturday.
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ACTIVATE transforms Couch Place into a party. Photograph: Chicago Loop Alliance
ACTIVATE turns Chicago alleys into galleries
Posted by Lydia DeCoud on Apr 17, 2014 at 1:25pm
This past winter (it's past, right?) forced many of us into dull environments as we avoided the outside. Summer is a saving grace leading to the revitalization of the explorer within, and ACTIVATE is prepared to get the party started as they transform alleys in downtown Chicago to an arts festival. For only five nights throughout summer, experience artwork, DJs and interactive light shows for an immersive, pop-up party.
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Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel festival comes to University of Chicago
Posted by Herel Hughes on Apr 17, 2014 at 1:15pm
There are several names every Chicagoan should be familiar with: Al Capone, Harry Caray, Michael Jordan, Oprah and Studs Terkel. University of Chicago will host a three-day Studs Terkel fest, beginning May 9, in honor of the Pulitzer Prize winner. "Let's Get Working" will display the amazing work of Terkel, focusing on labor, faith, race and community; while showcasing modern writers and journalists who have been inspired through his work.
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Montrose Beach, we cannot wait to hang out on you.
The 31 things we're looking forward to this summer
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 17, 2014 at 10:42am
Chicagoans, we have suffered the worst winter in history. And, save for a handful of above-60-degree days, spring has been fairly rude as well. The only remedy: making this the best summer ever. Start filling out your summer to-do list using our picks as a guide.
Lee Stark, Usman Ally in American Theater Company's "Disgraced" Photograph: Michael Brosilow
American Theater Company establishes formal partnership with Araca Group
Posted by Kris Vire on Apr 17, 2014 at 9:48am
Seymour and Audrey are getting traded in for someone with green. Two weeks after announcing a 2014–15 season that would conclude with a production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (albeit rights remained "pending" at the time of the announcement), American Theater Company has pulled the title as part of a newly disclosed formal partnership with commercial producers the Araca Group.
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Taste Test: Domino's Specialty Chicken
Posted by Amy Cavanaugh on Apr 16, 2014 at 2:56pm
Specialty Chicken consists of 12 little chicken nuggets topped with cheese and a variety of ingredients. It’s supposedly pizza with a chicken crust, but that seems like a stretch—we've had Domino's pizza and it's nowhere near this bad. There are four varieties—Crispy Bacon & Tomato, Classic Hot Buffalo, Spicy Jalapeño-Pineapple, and Sweet BBQ Bacon—and because they all sounded equally awful, we ordered one of each to try.
No. 12: The semen trees are blooming!
The 27 ways you know it's finally spring in Chicago
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 16, 2014 at 2:33pm
1. Starry-eyed Bears fans are fantasizing about their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
2. People are drinking margaritas on the patio at Big Star—in winter coats.
This is the photo of the week for April 11, 2014. Photograph: @chicagopics_ig
Photo of the week for Apr 11, 2014
Posted by Laura Baginski on Apr 11, 2014 at 9:43am
A nice way to close the week: a stunning shot of our skyline at sunset by @chicagopics_ig.
Want to be featured as Time Out Chicago's photo of the week? Tag your Instagram photos with #chigram and you may just become Internet famous. The photo of the week will be posted on the Time Out Chicago blog every Friday.
Carrie Fisher's cocaine nail as seen in Return of the Jedi
The 10 things we don't want to see at the George Lucas Museum
Posted by Brent DiCrescenzo on Apr 10, 2014 at 4:22pm
Our city might be the future home of the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum. As in George Lucas. As in the billionaire that ruined your memories of childhood. In addition to Star Wars props and ephemera, such as the scale model of the Millennium Falcon, this "world class museum of the digital arts" would also house the blockbuster filmmaker's collection of wholesome Normal Rockwell paintings—because of course he has that.
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Divvy announces Divvy Week, puts more bikes on the streets
Posted by Zach Long on Apr 10, 2014 at 2:04pm
Divvy stations have been looking a little empty as of late, but they'll be fully stocked by the end of the week. Today, Chicago's bike-share program announced that it is getting ready for spring by releasing 700 bikes that were in storage during the winter back into its system. Divvy has been operating for nine months, but riders have already logged an estimated two million miles on the bright blue bikes.
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The Alley Stage, Profiles Theater Photograph: Courtesy of Profiles Theater
Profiles Theatre to mount Sharr White's 'Annapurna'
Posted by Kris Vire on Apr 9, 2014 at 1:25pm
Profiles Theatre has announced a new entry to close out its 2013–14 season. Sharr White'sAnnapurna will replace the previously announced Hunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. Profiles's Chicago premiere of White's two-hander about an estranged married couple will run June 6–July 20 at the company's Alley Stage. It comes close on the heels of the play's New York premiere, which begins performances next week starring Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman.
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