Arts & Culture
-
Operation Breadbasket, the seed of PUSH
I have dedicated a number of posts here at Darkjive to the PUSH Expo, a 1970s exercise in Black Economic Empowerment (or Black Power as it was then known). The PUSH Expo phenomenon was borne from the seed of Operation Breadbasket (a department of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference), but the roots…
-
And now, a word from Chicago’s own Lady Terror
Lady Terror (aka Tricia Hersey-Patrick) says she’s a menace on a mission. Terrorizing for a cause. Be it staging a soapbox rant in front of Rothschild’s Liquors (clamouring for more grocery stores) or engaging in impromptu yoga at a Harold’s Chicken Shack (calling for inner city yoga centers for the sake of public health), her…
-
Tofu Chitlin Circuit Presents: A La Carte, Watermelon Edition (What’s the Funny)
This installment explores comedy through the lens of Stand-up comics & Improv/Sketch groups. Join Tofu Chitlin Circuit at their monthly forum discussion on performance arts issues and controversies. The Bronzeville-based Theatre Conservatory has put together a panel featuring Chicago Improv Festival producer Jonathan Pitts, comedian Meechie Hall, female Asian comic Leah Eva, ‘King of Bronzeville’ Brian Babylon, Cameron…
-
Dancing Lesson: Jamaican Import circa 1964
thanks to Mr. Catano for the headsup on this video…. At the bottom of this post, Tony Verity breaks down ska dancing (quite anthropologically, I might add). Byron Lee and the Dragonaires play backup. Plays out a bit like the movie Hairspray, only with a Jamaican twist (the original, of course…John Waters kept it gritty, yet sufficiently…
-
Esser says: She’s Never Satisfied
I caught the video for “Satisfied” by Esser on cable access recently, and consequently can’t get the tango-inflected song out of my head. British artist Esser is a young chap with a notable ear and notable hair. The level of camp in this clip is high. Sort of makes me crave some Kid Creole &…
-
Mos Def Performs Billie Jean in Chicago
Recorded at the House of Blues here in Chicago a few days back. It’s Mos Def, and his homage to the gloved one: a fresh interpretation of “Billie Jean”. Somehow, it works. Invention isn’t dead, after all. Jive on!
-
Hebru’s Flyboys: ready to play?
Below is the studio work for the upcoming Fly Boy toy line by local visual artist Hebru Brantley (pictured above). A resident artist at Bronzeville’s Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center, illustrator Hebru has created everything from T-shirts and custom Adidas to wall-bound glory. Now comes his first toy line, as much for grown-ups as for…
-
What Happens to Words in the Sun?
Quraysh Ali Lansana From Public Square, a project of Illinois Humanities Council, news of a Saturday Afternoon session at Englewood’s Perry Mansion Cultural Center. Mix poetry and conversation across generations, color, and neighborhood lines. Add sunshine and grow… “Join us for an afternoon of poetry, conversation, and sunshine as some of the most prolific and…
-
Movies in The Park: Fireflies and Stars
(“To Sir with Love, 1967) According to the Chicago Park District, 170 current and classic movies will be shown in neighborhood parks throughout the city, through September. I know many of us have missed the first program offerings, but here’s a list of recommendations for the final month of movies. Lots to choose from… Bring popcorn,…
-
Fame: Cult Movie of the Week
Fame (1980) is one of those movies that makes you wish you lived in a world so filled with youthful fervor that at anytime a group of kids might break into interpretive dance and jump on a cab. We don’t. But that didn’t keep us from cheering for the characters in the film (especially Coco…
darkjive.com 