"2nd Fridays" 2nd to none

Erik Sorensen (Video)

If you thought just because you didn’t own a turtleneck sweater, a wrist built for wine swilling and an uncanny appetite for cheese cubes, that you couldn’t enjoy some of Chicago’s most cutting edge art and galleries – think again.

The Pilsen East Neighborhood makes for a great night on the town without a big trip to the bank. I recently explored the now more than 6 blocks of gallery and work spaces that make up the artist’s haven known as The Chicago Arts District.

Their monthly “2nd Fridays” gallery openings are one of the best reasons to grab a friend, date, or family member and head over to the 18th streets of S. Halsted for a one-of-a-kind event.

With dozens of galleries literally footsteps away from each other, this strip creates a fun and unique experience similar to “bar-hopping” (without the hang-over or next-day apologies). The area boasts refreshingly unique architecture, lush gardens (which have won several of Mayor Daley’s garden awards) and frequent show openings. There are more than 20 participating galleries who open their door to the public for this very special monthly event.

Whether you have the latest Macintosh accessory fastened to your hip or you can recite the theme song to “Bonanza” from memory, Pilsen East has something for every age. Their events draw a youthful crowd as well as veteran art enthusiasts.

“2nd Fridays” is held on the second Friday of every month from 6pm – 10pm at the 18th streets of S. Halsted and costs a grand total of nothing. That’s not a typo, folks.

Sometimes, the finer things in life are free.

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February Flapjack Food Fight!

Justin Chen, NBC5 Street Team (video)

If you like pancakes, then this is your month. In a month-long tribute to National Pancake Week Feb. 18-24, Menuism.com is holding a Pancake Food Fight. Worried that your mom is going to nag you for playing with your food? Don’t. It’s a food fight of the online variety to find “The Best Pancakes in Chicago”.

All you have to do is go eat pancakes, and then write a review on Menuism. Make sure your review includes a rating of the pancake you had and you’re automatically in the running. The top pancake reviewer will win $50 to any restaurant along with other prizes. If you want to increase your odds of winning, write a pancake review that others will find entertaining or useful and write more of them – the top reviewer is whoever gets the most community appreciation for his pancake reviews.

Not great with words or a fan of pancakes? If you join and invite a friend that wins, you win too! So what are you waiting for? Pancakes are good for any meal

Happy eating!
Justin
Co-Founder, Menuism

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SURPRISE WITHOUT STRIKING OUT!

Tony Lossano & Amy Zanglin, NBC5 Street Team (Video)

Amy from NUDE HIPPO here! Hey Chicago – It’s bitter….biting…COLD outside…

WHAT in the world is there to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon during this drab and dreary season?? (No, I’m not going to start rapping about going to see The Chronicles of Narnia…although I will if you want, ‘cuz it’s a really fun song…)

What there IS to DO my friend is go to half price bowling at Seven Ten Lounge in Lincoln Park!! You can eat, have fun AND actually feel like you’re doing something productive without emptying your pocket book all while laughing and creating memories with your friends. Every Sunday you can rent lanes for $10 per hour and shoes for $3.

Two Sundays ago, we over the Nude Hippo show, planned a little surprise for our beloved and fearless leader Tony. It was his birthday on the following Monday, so Mariana, our clever little director came up with a brilliant scheme to get Tony over to Seven Ten Lounge where, unbeknownst to him, we were all waiting to celebrate his birthday, eat, have fun and do a little bowling. Aside from fact that it has bowling lanes, 8 in all I think, it is a cute lounge-y type bar with big, cozy booths, pool tables and really good comfort food. All the more reason to spend a chilly day inside there. Pool is also half price on Sundays; $6 per hour for a table.

The staff could not have been nicer, we didn’t have a reservation, but they were incredibly accommodating and helpful to us…which, on a side note, I should point out that if you do have a group of 6 or more, you might want to look into making a reservation for lanes. It ended up working out just fine for us, but just to be on the safe side you might want to at least call ahead to check because they do host large corporate parties from time to time. All in all, it as a very fun way to spend time with friends and I highly recommend it for everyone…

Excuse me?? What’s that you’re whining about?? You’re feeling a little slow moving from the night before and don’t feel well enough to bowl?? No problem, Sundays are also $3.50 Bloody Marys…there; you’re cured…e-mail us at NudeHippo@nbc5.com.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH TONY’S SURPRISE PARTY!

Watch more videos and read the NUDE HIPPO Blog at NBC5.com/nudehippo

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TechCocktail 3: Bigger, Better, Greener

Justin Chen, NBC5 Street Team (video)

Anyone who says the Mid-West tech scene doesn’t exist needs to check out the next TechCocktail. Organized by Frank Gruber and Eric Olson, the networking event is quickly becoming a quarterly staple where people who love and live tech can get together and chat it up in stylish settings and attire.

Each time around, TechCocktail grows by leaps and bounds with the last one on Jan 25th hitting over 600 RSVPs! Luckily, TC3 was held at the base of the NBC Tower in the spacious Amira, where rooms were packed to the point that people were being turned away at the door.

The fun-loving techies over at SingleHop lubricated the discussions with green apple martinis that poured through ice frogs, and law firm Handler, Thayer & Duggan gave away a trip to Vegas. In addition to open socializing, local startups looking to gain exposure set up plenty of demos for audience interaction. To learn more about the demos you can read Eric’s recap and see videos on BusinessPOV.

Before we knew it, the Thursday night outing was over and Amira soon converted back into a restaurant. Remember to keep your eyes and ears open for the next TechCocktail soiree in 3 months!

For more info, check out the NBC5 slideshow and other follow-up recaps by Windy Bits and Two-Bit Operation.

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One Last Night Of Hedonism!

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

I had two choices of parties to attend tonight… the Playboy party or the Penthouse party. Actually, I guess there’s any number of parties I could have went to, but these were the two I was credentialed for. Most of the A-list celebrities types were going to be at the Playboy party, but it was held at American Airlines arena, outside of South Beach. Traffic is making it nearly impossible to get around the city right now, so I decided to hit the easiest location — the Penthouse party.

The Penthouse Party was held at Mansion Nightclub, and hundreds of people — mostly men — came out to check out the eye candy. CEO Marc Bell brought in the Penthouse Pet for each month of 2006, and officially announced the 2007 Penthouse of the Year, Heather VanDeven.

Things started off kind of slow, but it didn’t take long for the energy level to pick up, as often happens when the open bar starts to take effect. And the regular girls seem to get a little friskier when they start taking cues from the pros.Then Snoop Dogg took the stage and things started to really take off. Perhaps it had something to do with what Snoop and his entourage were openly smoking, but pretty soon, a purple haze started to envelop the club.

Many of the things that happened after that point are unfit to print here. Celebrities, like singer Kelis, Kevin Federline, actor Larenz Tate and rapper Ludacris started rolling into the club, and the party was still going strong when I left at about 4 a.m. After all — wasn’t there a football game on in a few hours?

Slideshows: Penthouse Party | Snoop Concert

Personal Reflection: If you’ve been reading my blogs, it’s probably clear that I hang out a lot — for job reasons, of course. A couple of things happened to me this week that made me stop, pause and think. I ran into the Bishop Magic Don Juan, one of Snoop’s entourage, on a South Beach Street on Thursday. It was odd, because just a few weeks ago, we met at the New Year’s Eve bash at the W Hotel. Also, I had met and blogged about one of the Penthouse Pets several months ago, and I ran into her at the Penthouse Party. It later struck me that two of the people that I ran into in Miami that I had a previous history with, were a pimp and a ho. Strange times indeed.

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Hotel de Maxim

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

Whenever I’ve heard people talk about the Super Bowl party experience, invariably they mention the Maxim party. From what I’ve been told, Super Bowl week parties used to be corporate buttoned-up types of affairs, but Maxim shook that up a few years ago and the culture hasn’t been the same since.

The party, an invite-only affair with a $4,000 ticket price, attracted throngs of people to the Sagamoore Hotel — which was a secret location up until a few days ago.

I camped out on the red carpet to take pictures and talk to whoever came through. Here’s some of my quick observations.

The Hottest: Any red-blooded male can’t help but notice that some of the prettiest women around roam the streets and beaches of Miami, particularly South Beach, so even the celebrities have to step up their respective games in order to be noticed. But topping my hot list for the ladies was two women who up until today, I hadn’t even heard of. Stacy Keebler worked the red carpet like a natural, and an unknown R&B singer named Stefani Varra — girlfriend of NFL player Michael Strahan — a sweet aura about her, and looked genuinely happy to be there. Also, special shout out to this young lady whose name I do not know. As for the dudes, Shemar Moore seemed to garner the most oohs and ahhs from the ladies.

Most Down To Earth: Fergie. She’s a big star, yet she stopped and talked to every media outlet, without a trace of prima donna attitude. Also, Brooke Hogan, who I didn’t expect much out of — is a real sweetheart. Ditto for Kelis.

The Coolest: Security was tight all night. But when Jamie Foxx arrived at about 1:30 a.m. with a huge entourage, the Red Sea parted. Right now, he is undoubtably, unquestionably, The Man.

What’s Up With That? Pauly Shore was dismissive with the media crew, blowing by the photographers and refusing any questions. Don’t you have a movie to promote? Kevin Federline also brushed through with a quickness, but then again, it’s pretty understandable why he’d want to avoid the media. Perez Hilton probably had the most astute comment when told me that Kevin’s probably having a better year than Brittney.

Gotta go and get some sleep. Penthouse party is tonight. Stay tuned.

Video | Images

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Check Your Ego At The Door

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

There’s a lot of nightspots in Chicago that can be difficult to get into. If you’re not as connected as you’d like, or, if you’re rolling with a pack of dudes, spots like Rino, Bella Lounge or the Underground will likely keep you cooling your heels on the outside.

Yes, Chicago can be tough, but it’s got nothing on Miami. Thursday night, Shaq threw a bash at the old Versace mansion along Ocean Drive. Only 60 of his friends — and their friends — were invited. I managed to finagle my way onto the list through my media contacts, but as I was soon to learn — NBC5 Chicago has no pull in SoBe. Not a terrible thing, because as I found out, the real story was outside. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

It was one of the most chaotic scenes I have ever witnessed behind a velvet rope, and the ultimate test of not only how important you are — but how important you THINK you are.

As usual, there were plenty of girls with a plenty of cleavage trying to work their way past the ropes. Not tonight honey.

But my first clue that this was a different kind of scene, was when Colorado Rockies baseball player
LaTroy Hawkins pushed his way to the front and flashed his MLB players card to the bouncer, who dismissively replied, “And?”

Things went straight into the Bizarro world was when Barry Sanders — unquestionably one of the greatest running backs of all time — was left at the back of the line for at least 10 minutes before getting in. He tried to hide as I took his picture. Sorry Barry.

It wasn’t as bad for everyone. Rapper Ludacris and footballers Terrell Owens and Michael Strahan slid through with minimal problems.

Perhaps ESPN X Games host and L.A. resident, Sal Masekela — who also couldn’t get in — said it best when he told me that it’s just not his town.

Couldn’t have said it better myself dude.

Images: Shaq’s Party

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Long Live The Prince!

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

Back in the early to mid-80s — I’m not sure exactly when — I was watching some music video show and this adrogynous-looking dude rose out a bathtub and raised his arm toward the camera over a growling guitar riff. Ever since that moment, I’ve been a Prince fan.

Admittedly, I haven’t cared for much of his material since his double-disc “Sign of the Times” in the late 80s — but how can you not like and respect Prince’s musicianship.

That’s why I was looking forward to Thursday’s press conference where Prince was scheduled to talk about his Super Bowl halftime, perhaps even throw in a question or two.

When I got there, I immediately determined that something was up, because there were microphones set up on the stage. Sure enough, Prince played a three-song set in the media room, without question, the most intimate room I’ll ever hear a Prince concert. And certainly as close as I’ll ever get to take pics.

He did a cover of Johnny B. Good, You Need Another Lover (pleasant surprise) and another song I didn’t recognize (probably new).

I must say I’ve never actually seen people dance at a press conference — nor, do I necessarily care to again. If this performance was any indication, you might want to put off that bathroom break during halftime on Sunday.

Prince Performance: Images |
Video

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Calm Before The SoBe Storm

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

It was eerily quiet on South Beach tonight. For some reason I thought the hedonistic party associated with the Super Bowl would have kicked off by now.

Granted, you can find plenty to do in Miami on any given night, but folks seem to be saving money, energy, or both for the next few days.

From what I’ve gathered by listening to the radio, there’s more parties going on this weekend than there’s time to cover it all. But I’ll do my best.

I did got to Mango Tropicale on Ocean Drive, which is one of my favorite spots in South Beach. Extremely touristy, but fun nonetheless, with the workers taking turns dancing on the bar. Trust me, this is not Bar Louie.

Next door, is The Clevelander, an outdoor hotel bar that faces the beach, and another popular spot for tourists in South Beach. I ran into a few Bears fans here, and some of the behind-the-scenes staff with the team who were out having a look around before things got really crazy.

I’m told Ocean Drive will be completely shut down to traffic between 5th and 15th Street starting Thursday. Let the games begin.

Images: Wednesday Night In SoBe

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Rodrigo Y Gabriela @ The Hideout

Brian Battle NBC5 Street Team (video)

A random weekend night landed me in a hilariously long line outside one of my favorite spots: The Hideout. The bar is aptly named; hidden in an industrial area of town near North Ave and Elston. With a stellar entertainment reputation (comedy, poetry, music, etc), great low-key vibe, (and on this night in particular) a ridiculous line that stretched out the door and down the block — I guess it’s not that hard to find.

(Images taken From http://www.RodGab.com)

My pal Kate had tipped me off to a free early show hosted by WXRT — Mexico-via-Dublin’s Rodrigo y Gabriela. Hell, before I even saw them I relished saying their names in a thick, fake, Latin accent: “Rrrrrrrrrrodereeego EEEEEE Gabreyyyayla.”

Within 15min or so, the crowd thinned out and we were about to do the same ’till the kindly Hideout staff let us in, so long as we promised to stay at the front bar. All of us promised and about half of us complied.

Being a good kid I took a seat at the front bar, ordered a nice round of Old Styles, and took it all in: The bar aglow with homemade paper snowflakes and Christmas lights, the mixed-bag crowd, and the gorgeous acoustic onslaught that was filtering in from the crowded room behind us.

Rodrigo Sanchez would occasionally drop into complicated fretwork while the capacity crowd remained absolutely silent. At other times the sound assault was so dynamic you’d think there was more than just two acoustic guitars on stage. Part of that sound is Gabriela Quintero’s percussive style — occasionally punishing her guitar strings, creating rhythms strums and using the hollow body of her guitar as a substitute drum.

The combined effect of the duo was overwhelming–a full sound that belied the two dexterous and mild-mannered performers on stage. The show ended (after a superb rendition of Stairway… NOT kidding), and Gabriela graciously thanked the crowd. A few minutes later, (after a much-appreciated appearance by that Nomadic Tamale Guy) the pair waived goodbye to a handful of onlookers and hopped into a waiting cab.

*Unabridged Rambling, Pictures, Grammatical Errors & Previous Blogs Here*

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