I’ll be spinning a very special set on Wednesday, September 24th in Chicago’s Bronzeville Community. All 1920s through 1950s music (with a few copacetic newer tracks sprinkled in). All vinyl. Actually, I’m trying to figure out if I’m bringing my Victrola. Then it’d be vinyl and shellac.
The event is titled “An Evening at the Forum”, and I am very excited that this building, and all the culture it represents, will be celebrated. That’s especially true because, not long ago, The Forum building nearly perished.
The Forum was built around 1900, and was slated for demolition in 2011. That’s when Bernard Loyd’s final bid for the property was accepted. That’s also when the work to restore the building (that’s suffered from decades of neglect) really began. Chicagopatterns.com did a really though job documenting some of the history, imagery, and narratives surrounding the space. I highly recommend that you check out their work here.
from the organizers of the event:
“On September 24, The Forum will pay homage to the Golden Age of Bronzeville with An Evening at The Forum, a retro-themed block party. The evening will revive key elements of the era – notably music and dance – while drawing the attention of locals and visitors to major redevelopment projects slated for historic 43rd Street.
The event will feature sounds from the 20’s through the 50’s by DJ Ayana Contreras, dance lessons by Big City Blues, historical tours by Chicago Patterns, classic children’s tales by Jason Driver, old fashioned games for children & adults, prohibition-era “mocktails” and hors d’oeuvres, and a preview of CRib Productions‘ “Juke Joint” a short which was recently filmed at Forum Hall, the iconic centerpiece of The Forum. ”
the particulars:
An Evening at the Forum
Wednesday, September 24th
6-9pm
The Forum
318-328 E 43rd St, Chicago, Illinois 60653
UPDATE! Here’s a couple of images from the event, courtesy of Urban Juncture.
darkjive.com 
Coffee and Cigarettes
Café Jumping Bean on 18th Street (near Laflin) in Pilsen has a lock on deliciousness. Both of these thumbs are up. Last time I was there, I had a scrumptious sandwich and (my joint) cafe con leche. Sigh.
The only other café I feel at home at is Istria café (at Hyde Park Art Center, 50th & Cornell). They make a Latte…..Double Sigh. Not to mention the gelato. Got hooked on both while taking a Screenprinting class at HPAC.
I lied. I really dig Little Black Pearl and Bronzeville Coffee House (528 E. 43rd St.), too [ Especially Bronzeville’s book exchange, and those muffins…].
There’s a song by Otis Redding called “Cigarettes and Coffee”:
It’s early in the morning
About a quarter til Three
I’m sittin’ here talkin’ with my baby
over cigarettes and coffee….
I’ve never smoked, but that song made me believe in the common luxury of both. Remember when, if visiting someone’s house, the cupboards may have been bare…but they’d still offer you some coffee (even instant). That’s why Starbucks bugs me. It’s not just the “corporate cog” issue. It’s the “make something as basic as coffee into a status symbol” issue. Not cool.
“Coffee and Cigarettes” is also a film directed by Jim Jarmusch. Here’s a clip, featuring GZA, RZA, and Bill Murray:
I’ll leave you with some (disjointed) words I inadvertently memorized in high school:
It is with the bitter lives
Of bitter people
that I sweeten my coffee
on this beautiful morning
in Ipanema
–Fierreira Gullar
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