Arts & Culture
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The Five Stairsteps… in a World of Fantasy
Produced by Curtis Mayfield, the Burke brood had a number of hits years before the Jacksons hit the scene. Have a listen to an early television appearance… Chicago’s own….I dare you to step to this underage smoothness… more about “The Five Stairsteps“, posted with vodpod
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Art Comes Alive Tonight in Chicago
First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Tonight, Fri. May 1st) Happy hour takes on a new meaning with First Fridays at the MCA. Cash bar featuring specialty drinks and free Wolfgang Puck appetizers. Enjoy live music from local DJs, the world’s only iMac G5 digital dating bar, creation stations, and more. Each month features…
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Portraits of Black Chicago: The Beat Goes On
Black bongo player performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago as part of the annual PUSH [People United to Save Humanity] ‘Black Expo’ in the fall of 1973. October 1973 Chicago’s PUSH Black Expo was a powerful tour de force for Black Businesses nationwide at the time this photo was shot. Time magazine stated in…
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i miss van hunt… THE UPDATE!
So, Van Hunt’s folks have graciously passed me this note with the following EXCELLENT news…“I’m thankful for your patience during the wait for new music. I’ve been working on a brand new collection. It’s close, but not quite ready. In the meantime, I’m offering a salve, a few rare items from the vault. I picked…
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Daykeeper by Foreign Exchange: Black and Blue
A couple of color-coordinated music videos for you… enjoy. First up, out of North Carolina, it’s Foreign Exchange. You just don’t see such beautiful videos on the tube anymore (great track, as well)… When I saw the above lusciousness, I was reminded of this one. Black and blue, Black and Blue. Still a visual stunner,…
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Hi-Fi White: Foodstamps, Bulldogs, and Hollywood
Wilbur White was a nightclub singer on the South Side of Chicago whose bluesy growl wielded so much power that he was nicknamed Hi-Fi. He’d been in the clubs since the 1950s, and although I hear he put on a knockout of a show, that never translated into record sales. Speaking of knockouts, he…
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Peter Hadar Invades Chicago….
Peter Hadar is in town, folk. His dusky voice oozes soul and charisma. The edginess of his productions promises freshness in an oft stale musical landscape. Catch the Jersey native at Lava Wednesday Nite with The Twilite Tone (whom I love and have missed in the Chi) and the Primeridian. He’s doing an in-store…
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Tofu Chitlin Circuit presents The A La Carte: Carrot Cake Edition
From The Tofu Chitlin Circuit (a theater conservatory located in the Bronzeville District of Chicago): TONIGHT’s A La Carte (panel discussion) is sure to ruffle some feathers! We’re talking about the newest trend to hit the stage: White directors staging Black plays. Is this valid? Is this fair? Who cares? Let’s talk about it! Featuring…
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Jive on Icon: Daphne Maxwell-Reid
Here’s the original caption that accompanied the above shot: 25 Oct 1967, Evanston, Illinois, USA — Northwestern Homecoming Queen…Daphne Maxwell, 19, of New York, has good reason to flash that bright smile; she was named Northwestern University’s Homecoming Queen October 20th. Daphne, a sophomore who is studying design, is the first Negro ever to be…
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Festival of Colors: Photography by Poras Chaudhary
I found these photos on a blog called desinuts.com. Very cool site focusing on pop culture and graphic design with a lot of Indian culture peppered in, as well. I think these colors are so dope. NOTE: the pictures are of a Hindu celebration called Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated as a…


