Chicago Cultural History
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Dorchester Projects: presenting a home movie film festival for the south side.
(above, taken by me during Dorchester Projects’ Summer Daycamp, 2011) The last installment of The Dorchester Projects’ Outdoor Home Movie Film Festival is this Thursday, August 11th at 9pm and will feature Live Musical Accompaniment… Sounds like a fantastic way to spend the last little chump change of summer. Organizers request you RSVP to dorchester.projects@gmail.com.…
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Eight Minutes: straight outta chicago’s soul cradle
The Eight Minutes were yet another family based kiddie soul group out of Chicago. Oh yes, there were a bunch. For those just joining us, let’s recap: There’s The Five Stairsteps: The Burke Family is of course best known for “Oooh Ooh Child”, but recorded a number of classy Chicago cuts on Curtis Mayfield‘s stable…
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Darkjive’s May 2011 Dance Card
Calendar of Events that Darkjive’s Ayana Contreras will be featured at. All are free and open to the public. Brown Sugar Marketplace @ Brown Sugar Bakery Friday May 6th, 5-8pm 328 East 75th Street, Chicago Featuring deep old school cuts by Ayana Contreras, The Marketplace has handmade jewelry, leatherwares, clothes, and more. Come for the caramel cake……
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Bridgeport Neighborhood Sees Identity Shift
Detail of a larger mural created by Juan Chavez and located at Fellowship House, 32nd and Lituanica, Bridgeport. Image from Mad About The Mural. Below is an interesting piece from WBEZ by reporter Natalie Moore that sheds light on changes that the Bridgeport neighborhood (home base for the Version Fest [see below]… and the Daleys) has been going through…
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Theaster Gates’ Dorchester Projects
What do you get when you mix a maverick artist with strong community ties and an Urban Planner? For one thing, Theaster Gates. For another, the Dorchester Projects, pictured above. Theaster has been purchasing properties in the Woodlawn/Grand Crossing neighborhood for a few years now, and has quietly acquired the stock of the former Dr. Wax record…
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Army and Lou’s: obituary of an icon.
(above, Common pictured at Army and Lou’s) How does a person write an obituary for a restaurant? Not just a restaurant, but a place with historical significance. The Sun-Times did a pretty good job: It was the late Mayor Harold Washington’s favorite restaurant — the booth where he always sat still bears his name. And…
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Gouster or Ivy Leaguer?
Today, it’s a question of whether your pants are sagging or not (as far as I’m concerned). In the Sixties, on the South and West Sides of Chicago, the male clothing signifier was whether you were a Gouster or an Ivy Leaguer. A former co-worker who I guess would be classified as a Gouster now, but was an…
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Minor Moods: ahmad jamal have i loved.
“Minor Moods” by Ahmad Jamal (1967) makes me happy, and yes I will play this at next week’s “groove conspiracy”. Ahmad Jamal is from Pennsylvania, but a lot of his Golden Age material (including this hipper-than-thou number) is straight outta Chicago. The Ahmad Jamal Trio was the house band of the Pershing Hotel (on the South Side) in the…
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Tour Guides: Take a Tour of the Real Chicago
For six nights only, poetry meets the stage meets Chicago in this theatrical exploration of urban life. Collaboratively written by members of the Poetry Performance Incubator, this ensemble piece offers a lyrical tour of the Chicago tourists never see. According to the Guild’s Coya Paz: “This is a collaboration between 10 spoken word poets, 7 of whom perform. The piece…
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You’re Tuff Enough: junior wells’ new breed blues
The title cut off this 1968 album is a bluesy monster produced by Charles Stepney with more than enough groove to stay squarely in the pocket. Also on this album is the local hit “Up in Heah”, another blues-infused party track. Both of the records will make sceptics rethink the blues. According to the back…
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