After the news of Danny Masterson facing rape charges broke last month, stories citing his wife, actress Bijou Phillips, and her alleged history of harassment on set have come back into the spotlight. Most notable was an account from Daniel Franzese (best known for playing Damien in Mean Girls) who told Out Magazine in 2017 that the actress verbally…
Category: music
Tidbits of Recommendations: June 26, 2020
It’s our fifth week of Tidbits of Recommendations! ToR is a weekly series where we bring you our favorites in entertainment, lifestyle, and Chicago. This is the last Friday of June and the whole month flew by in a blink of an eye. Let’s see what stood out… ENTERTAINMENT One of my favorite stores, Half…
Tidbits of Recommendations: June 19, 2020
It’s our fourth week of Tidbits of Recommendations! ToR is a weekly series where we bring you our favorites in entertainment, lifestyle, and Chicago. Let’s see what we’ve gotten ourselves into this week! (How are we already halfway through June?…) ENTERTAINMENT One of my favorite shows currently on TV, The Bold Type, has returned for…
A Fun Way to Stay Connected Through Music While Staying At Home
A few days ago, a couple of my best friends and I were rapidly texting in our group chat about our favorite vocalists, guitarists, drummers, and so on and so forth. The particular group I was talking to has a love of the past with an embrace of the present, so the names of the…
Bob Dylan’s Latest Track Reminds Us of Another Era-Changing Moment
Every day I’ve gotten up over the past few weeks, I roll over and reach for my phone and am inundated with coronavirus this and COVID-19 that. Which made for a particularly great surprise when I reached for my phone Friday morning and I saw a unique headline: “Bob Dylan releases 17-minute song about JFK…
My Saturday Night Fever Dreams Came True with DISCO Chicago
Just above Celeste in River North sits a small space that brings you back to a simpler time. DISCO Chicago brings back the glitz and galore of the Studio 54 days in the 1970’s. The disco ball hangs, the floor lights up, Kool & the Gang beats from the DJ – and you half expect…
Soundtrack of the Week: The Anniversary Party
When I was in high school, I went through a phase where I thought that Fast Times At Ridgemont High was the greatest film ever made. As such, I dug deep and found every factoid I could about the film (including the fact that it’s based on a true story: then-Rolling Stone writer, Cameron Crowe,…
Soundtrack of the Week: Bobby (2006)
After re-watching this incredibly underrated flick by equally underrated writer/director Emilio Estevez, I was reminded of the sheer beauty of its soundtrack. Taking place on June 4, 1968, Bobby follows the (fictional) stories of a number of different people affiliated with the Ambassador Hotel the day of presidential-hopeful Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination. In addition to…
O.A.R.’s MikelParis Blazes An Innovative Trail with “TuneTrek”
We know the stories of The White House and the Hollywood sign, but what about the landmarks that aren’t on an everyday radar? This is something that O.A.R. keyboardist, MikelParis, is exploring in his innovative documentary series, TuneTrek. Paris has been traveling the country and exploring the historical gems that aren’t as widely recognized. In…
Chicago’s Hidden Music Gems are at Bill’s Bar and Burger’s Open Mic Night
Every Saturday night, while people dress up and go dancing in River North, the real entertainment is found at the corner of Hubbard and State at Bill’s Bar and Burger. The open mic night that runs from 9pm to midnight broadcasts some of Chicago’s amazing musical talent, featuring all genres of music. Each Saturday crowns…
American Idiot: Fifteen Years Later
The following is a guest post from Alex Matkovic Sometimes I forget that the guitar solo from “American Idiot” isn’t our national anthem. September 20th will mark fifteen years since the release of the Grammy-winning rock-opera album, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that we live in a very different world today than we…
Soundtrack of the Week: Wild Things
I know what you’re thinking – Wild Things has a soundtrack? Well, it does and it’s awesome. It’s full of 90s goodness that fits the tropical vibe of the film’s Evergladian setting (ala “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind). It even checks a few 70s tunes off the list, including “Love Machine” by The Miracles….