Babes, Blood, and Booze

Laura Lodewyck, NBC5 Street Team

The Chicago Horror Film Festival runs this weekend (9/25-9/27), prepping you for all the gory, slutty fun of the Halloween season with such features as a horror fashion show, “I Want to Hear You Scream” and “Zombie Pinup” contests, and of course, some deliciously disgusting horror films. Hosted by Mr. Willy and his beautiful minions, the festival promises to make good on its promise for “babes…blood…booze”.

But wait, you say, it’s not even October yet! St. Alphonsus’ famed Oktoberfest has got that covered. Their traditional celebration continues the heritage of the original German immigrants who founded St. Alphonus in 1882, updated with top local bands, activities for kids, and beer, beer, beer.

If that sounds a little too traditional for you, there’s always the No Pants Party at Crobar on Saturday… which is exactly what it sounds like. No pants (or skirts!) allowed. Attending in your  undies gets you in for free, no cover all night long.

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com with your favorite under-discovered events, and check out my reports with Nude Hippo  at NudeHippo.com and NBCChicago.com

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Bike Munchies

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

Inspired by their love affair with their two favorite things–food and biking–Chicagoans Dimitra Tasiouras and Sharon Bautista founded Fork and the Road bike tours. Now they hope to pass on this perfect combination to you through this summer’s tours: Asian, Latin American, International BBQ, Vegetarian and “Unsung Chicago Classics” (teaser: Mexican street treats to “heroic sandwiches” to Greektown…hm). Hailed as an “eating adventure”, the tours are aimed at trying new foods in undiscovered places, while navigating the city powered by your own wheels (or rented, whatever). The total tour ranges from about 14-22 miles, reportedly at a fairly “leisurely” pace — which sounds like a good thing, given all the food that will be in your belly. From artisan cheeses and sustainable markets to Little Vietnam and”secret” Thailand cuisine, this is no typical Chicago deep-dish tour. Check them out at http://www.forkandtheroad.com.

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com to report your favorite under-discovered Chicago events and check out my past blogs and entertainment reports with Nude Hippo at Nudehippo.tv and NBCchicago.com.

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Summer Lovin’

Ashley Lobo, NBC Chicago Street Team

Summer may not feel like it’s here, but don’t let your summer dreams rip at the seams. The single scene is heating up this Friday with the 9th annual “Summer Lovin ” event held at the Museum of Contemporary Art.  Chicago Magazine and The Auxiliary Board of Northwestern Hospital partnered to host this summer’s coolest party.  You can dance the night away to celebrity DJ; White Shadow, while sipping drinks and tasting treats from 15 of Chicago’s best restaurants.  Not to mention, you can meet and mingle with Chicago Magazine’s “top 20 singles” of Chicago. Did someone say Chicago Blackhawks Adam Burish and  Luvabull Shannon Lersch? The best part is that all of the proceeds will benefit brain tumor research at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Who says you can’t find love and help find a cure all at the same time?

WHEN: 7pm on Friday, June 19, 2009
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art.  (220 East Chicago Ave.)
TICKETS: $75 in advance $85 at the door
MORE INFO: http://www.summerlovin.net

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US Air Guitar Championships

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team
Think you’ve got the stuff to join the leagues of such heros as Craig “Hot Lixx Hulahan” Billmeier, Andrew “William Ocean” Litz, and Fatima “Rockness Monster” Hoang? Come prove it at the US Air Guitar Championships at the Metro this Saturday. All are welcome to enter. The winner from each city will go on to the national championships, and the national champ will represent the USA at the international competition in Finland.

A stage name is (of course) required, and costumes or props are highly encouraged. No equipment or real instruments are allowed, and although you can bring your groupies and roadies, you must rock it alone onstage for the competition. Doors open at 8pm, with the competition starting at 9. Tickets to see the show are $15, and just $20 to enter the competition. Bring it!

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com with your under-discovered events, and check out my reports with Nude Hippo at NudeHippo.tv and NBCChicago.com.

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Chicago Turkish Festival

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

Experience the best of Turkey, brought to your own backyard (that is, if your backdoor is across from City Hall, on Washington Street between Clark and Dearborn). The Chicago Turkish Festival continues through this Saturday, followed by the ai Lounge‘s Turkish Festival “After-party“.

This FREE Festival, which runs 10a-6p, includes live performances every afternoon between 12-2p at the Daley Plaza stage (featuring fashion shows of Turkish couture and traditional garb, the Ottoman Military Marching Band, the aptly named “Whirling Dervishes”…). Sample everything from art to music to food at the Festival’s 40 booths, which feature a range of products and demonstrations — so you can watch silk carpet-weaving technique while munching on Orchid ice cream, taking home your own authentic souvenirs and travel info.

Check out Chicago’s 7th annual Turkish Festival before they bring down the tents after close on May 30th. Booths are open until 6pm, and the after-party relocates to 358 W. Ontario til 3am, so load up on that Turkish coffee and celebrate the best of Turkey here in Chicago.

Email me with your favorite local events at llodewyck@nudehippo.com and check out my reports with Nude Hippo at NBCChicago.com and NudeHippo.tv.

 

 

 

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“Ghost Pepper” eating contest

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

The hottest pepper in the world has a challenge for you tonight: “eat me and win a plasma tv”. Contestants at Lion Head Pub will start off easy with a mild bell pepper, eating their way through progressively hotter peppers (jalapeño, ancho, cayenne and habanero…) until the grand finale, the famed “Ghost Pepper”, the Naga Jolokia. The Naga Jolokia is the world’s hottest chili pepper, with a heat index of nearly 1,000,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale. (To give you an idea, your average bell pepper is only about 100-500 units.) Whoever can stomach the most Naga Jolokias will stumble away from the table with their own brand new 32” plasma TV. Bottles of Corona will be on special for $2.50. The contest is free, with free cover all night. The contest begins at 9 pm, if you can take the heat.

Email me a llodewyck@nudehippo.com with your favorite under-discovered Chicago events, and check out my reports with Nude Hippo at NBCChicago.com and NudeHippo.tv.

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Randolph Street Market Festival’s Grand Opening

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

Be among the first to visit the return of the Randolph Street Market Festival in this weekend’s Grand Opening event. Featuring an eclectic array of vendors such as the Chicago Antique Market, Indie Designer Market, Fancy Food Market, Vinyl Swap Meet, and Global Good Bazaar, the market attracts shoppers hip to items both ultra-unique and fashion-savvy. Even Oprah’s getting into the action for the first time this year, bringing The Oprah Store’s specialty items into the mix.  Add to your antique collection, get an heirloom sized up by a professional appraiser, hit the bar for a bloody mary, and even make some extra cash yourself by bringing in your unwanted gold jewelery to be sold onsite.

Courtesy trolleys will take you to the Festival from Water Tower Place at the top of the hour from 11am to 3pm (and cart you back with your loot every half hour 11:30 to 4:00). Check out the legendary extravangza for $10 general admission (which earns you a shopping refund voucher with your admisison), or “see for free” the final two hours of the market.

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com and check out my reports with Nude Hippo at NBCChicago.com.

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Theatre for Weirdos

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

Collaboraction upturns Theatre-with-a-Capital-T in their 9th Annual Sketchbook Festival, closing this weekend at The Building Stage. Formerly held at the Steppenwolf Garage, Sketchbook feels at home here with the casual party vibe provided by the space at The Building Stage — with tiers of open seating, live bands or DJs to accompany seat-shifting and meandering between pieces, and a byob policy (highly recommended) — Sketchbook careens through a weirdly haunting, high energy program of short, strange performance pieces. The visual elements, supported by performance-inspired artwork decorating the space, add striking images to the pieces: a forgotten Nazi hangs suspended from his “zeppelin” in the ceiling; a giant parachute descends to consume the stage; an enormous paper-mache head is worn by an actor in skin-tight, skin-colored leggings (with a lumpy-stuffed crotch). Sketchbook is indeed a show you have to see to believe. Even better is that the mixed program provides for entertainment that satiates the short attention span — each piece runs less than 10 minutes. Check it out this final weekend, tonight through Sunday. 

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com with any wacky, under-discovered events in Chicago, and check out my reports with Nude Hippo.

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FALL into Angels & Kings TONIGHT…

Ashley Lobo, NBC Chicago Street Team

Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman and New Trier Brotally buddy Alex Beh present their pair of fun flicks tonight! Not only can you meet two famous Chicago boys, but you can support a charitable cause. “The Laundry” is executive produced by Trohman and written/directed/performed by Beh. Some familiar faces are: Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Colleen Camp (Clue, Election) and Joe Nunez (Seven Pounds, Superbad). The evening will also feature Beh’s awarding winning film, “Sugar.” In between the big party you can catch the cool sounds of DJ Matt Roan, Yuir Lane and Andy Davis. All of the cash raised will benefit; Falling Whistles, a new non-profit for child soldiers in DR Congo.

When:
February 5 : 9 p.m.
Price:
No cover (Suggested $10 donation)

Angels & Kings
Neighborhood: River North
710 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
312-482-8600

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Viva Chicago! Elvis Fest Shakes it Up

 Raminder, NBC Chicago Street Team

Seventy-four years ago last week a baby was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Who knew that baby would grow up to be known as The King?

Despite his death 32 years ago, Elvis Presley still has a large following. He’s the top earning dead celebrity. And even Thursday’s Elvis Fest birthday bash at The Original Mother’s (26 West Division St.) was reason enough for his fans to pack the joint.

Click here to read the rest of this article, video and pictures on nbcchicago.com.

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Searching for a Chicago Idol in “ROAD TO FAME”

Ashley Lobo, NBC Chicago Street Team

On American Idol, one of Simon Cowell favorite lines is “Did you really believe you could become the American Idol? Well, then, you’re deaf.” Whether they can sing or they sound likes nails on a chalk board, “talent” shows never fail to entertain.

Well, you don’t need to wait for next season of American Idol to get in on the fun. Head over to Mahoney’s Pub & Grille (551 North Ogden Avenue) to witness and vote for your favorite contestant in the “Road to Fame” contest.

Click here to read the full story and see the video on www.nbcchicago.com.

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Don’t be afraid step right up!

Ashley Lobo, NBC Chicago Street Team

Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, the circus is about to begin!

Those are the words that greet you at the All-New Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The world famous entertainers are in Chicagoland this month, taking their high-flying acrobatics to the Allstate Arena (Rosemont) until Nov. 16, and then moving to the United Center from Nov. 18-30. (Schedule, tickets)

Click here to read the rest of this story and to watch the video on nbcchicago.com.

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Jesse McCartney ate salmonella-laced tomatoes and DIED!!

Laura Lodewyck, NBC5 Street Team

…No, he didn’t. Sorry for the false alarm, I just wanted to get your attention. If you’re a Jesse McCartney fan, though, you’re in luck: not only is he not-dead, but you can see him play at Park West on August 16! …ok, actually, you probably can’t, as it’s sold out. I’m such a tease!

Meanwhile, speaking of tomatoes: the falsely accused and anticlimactically vindicated fruits are back with a vengeance, screaming, “EAT ME!” at the Slow Food Chicago Tomato Festival and Potluck Supper this Thursday. Tickets are only 20 bucks for nonmembers! yum!

Meanwhile, speaking of the walking undead: dinosaurs live and growl (or whatever dinosaurs did) at United Center August 14-17. Billed as a “20 million dollar spectacle”, it features 15 life-size dinosaur reproductions, and portrays a dramatic explanation of the beasts’ evolution and demise.

Meanwhile, speaking of bestial evolution and decline: it’s Madonna’s birthday AGAIN! (Didn’t we just celebrate that last year?) Celebrated at Boystown’s Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club, Kit Kat Diva Katherine will perform as Madonna, depicting her evolution throughout the decades.

Meanwhile, speaking of the wrong decade: can someone explain to me who Jesse McCartney is?? Seriously, I thought he was that guy from High School Musical who’s dating the nude-poser, but I looked him up on wikipedia and now I’m totally confused. Oh, well.

If you’ve got anything I’ve missed for this weekend, write me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com. Be sure to type “Lodewyck” into the Search bar in the upper right hand corner to see my previous blogs, and to watch my segments with Nude Hippo.

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My moustache made me do it.

Laura Lodewyck, NBC5 Street Team

Proving once again that you can put “Fest” after just about any word and succeed in making it an official event, Sausagefest, Pizza Fest and Mustache Fest 2008 are on this weekend. Held by artists Lauren Anderson, Oli Watt, and Ingrid Watt, Sausagefest features sausages, sauerkraut, and beer at an improvised German brauhaus, Logan Square’s Old Gold art gallery in disguise. Bring home an official Sausagefest stein to prove that you were there. 

The second annual Pizza Fest takes over Lincoln Park this Saturday and Sunday with bands, contests (“Best Pizza” for local establishments, and “Pizza Eating” for locals), and lots and lots of neopolitan, deep dish, and stuffed pizza slices. As their website points out, it is pretty incredible that such a pizza-boasting city as Chicago hasn’t held an official pizza-centered event before 2007. Celebrate your Chicago pizza pride and check it out (just avoid the ominious-sounding “Pizza Eating Competition Stage” from 2:00-2:08 pm if that kind of thing grosses you out as much as it does me.)

Sponsored by — who else? —  the American Mustache Institute, Mustache Fest 2008 kicks off in the Chicago area at two locations in Joliet, the Chicago Street Pub and McBrody’s. “Protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care, and culture of the mustache,” the American Mustache Institute promises to celebrate music and mustaches in Chicagoland with some terrific indie rock and some (probably terrifying) mustache contests. If you can start growing now, it may not be too late to enter! Good luck…

Type “Lodewyck” into the Search bar to check out my past blogs and pieces with Nude Hippo. Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com with any other wacky weekend ideas!

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Looptopia: Virtual Gestures

Laura Lodewyck, NBC5 Street Team

I just flew through the city of Chicago. Well, virtually. “Visible Gestures” appears at DePaul Center until midnight, and you should check it out — or at least participate remotely by text. Basically, the project is a virtual reality visual project, where a pair of glasses powered by a wii remote inputs your movement, allowing you to navigate the city with a turn of your head. Text messages received at VISIBLETXT@gmail.com (ideally, your answer to the question, “What do Chicago’s buildings symbolize to you?”) become your avatar as you move virtually through the city. The server then collects all the messages, where they remain in the text “graveyard”, where they can all be read later. I was told that somebody actually sent a book, so one text is close to 10,000 words.

True to my navigational ineptitude, I got stuck in virtual Lake Michigan. Nice. Let’s hope I can scare up some better directional skills in the real word so that I can make the most of the rest of the night!

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