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CinemaScopes: April 2021
New film releases are finally starting to pick up, with more cinemas opening around the country (specifically on the West Coast). The backlog of film debuts begins this month as we lead up to the summer season. Here are some top picks for April. Concrete CowboyDirected by Ricky StaubRated RApril 2nd on Netflix Inspired by […]
Media: March 2021
Bob Sirott has been part of the Chicago media landscape now for a half-century. āGeez, donāt remind me,ā he says. āYeah, thatās true. 1971 was the first year on the air at WBBM-FM. First, it was just doing weekends, and fill-ins, and summer stuff, and at the end of the summer, they either rewarded […]
CinemaScopes: February 2021
CinemaScopes – Dinner & A Movie Month! February is traditionally the month for relationship movies, given Valentineās Day is on the 14th and dinner and a movie is a perfect date night for many couples. Theaters in the Chicago area are open, but with most of us still avoiding public places, streaming and VOD releases […]
Media: February 2021
Former Partridge FamilyĀ star Danny Bonaduce had an extremely memorable run on Chicago radio during the mid-90s. Still, since his time here, Danny has done radio in Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and now for the last decade, heās been the morning man in Seattle at KZOK (102.5FM). āI think this is my longest run […]
Media: January 2021
After twenty-plus high-profile years in radio and television, Melissa Forman is an important part of the Chicago media landscape. āTwenty-plus years?ā she responds. āYikes. Itās going fast. My Dad always said to me: āLife is like a roll of toilet paper. In the beginning, it moves slowly, and in the end, it moves very […]
CinemaScopes: January 2021
2020 has changed our lives forever, and it has altered the way we now view and regard cinematic excellence. While we may not be watching films on the big screen, we devour them at home via streaming and VOD. Ironically, none of the films on this list would be considered big blockbusters or similarly noted […]
Hello My Name is…Exene
Itās not like Exene Cervenka, and her bandmates in the Los Angeles proto-punk quartet X are just sitting around their respective houses, idly twiddling their thumbs this enforced-lockdown December. But they are coming to surreal grips with the fact that for this Yuletide season, at least, they will not be the hardest-working band on the […]
Spins: U2 – “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” ā¢ Super Deluxe Vinyl Box Set
U2 All That You Canāt Leave Behind Super Deluxe vinyl box set (Island/Interscope/UMe) During the year 2000, U2 was a band on a mission. After the perceived disappointment of 1997ās experimental and techno-friendly PopĀ (an album that went āmerelyā platinum in the United States), the Irish quartet were determined to reclaim their signature soundāand with […]
Media: December 2020
2020 was a rough year everywhere, but we lost some of our all-time greatest broadcasters in Chicago. Television greats like Sheldon Cooper (WGN-TV general manager), Lee Phillip Bell (The Lee Phillip Show), Bob Petty (Channel 7/ABC anchor/reporter), Dick Johnson (anchor at Channel 5/NBC), Jerry Taft (longtime Channel 7/ABC weatherman), and Joel Daly (iconic Channel 7/ABC […]
CinemaScopes – November 2020
With many films officially postponed or rescheduled until 2021/2022, the slate for what would normally be the biggest release window of the year has definitely changed due to COVID. Theaters are still open, but many films have now made the jump to VOD and streaming services to get their product out while still trying to […]
Media: November 2020
When you have already been inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, and you are featured in the radio wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you might think that there isnāt really anything left to accomplish. But when John Records Landecker recently got […]
Stage Buzz: Pegboy 30th Anniversary Show with Local H at SeatGeek Stadium on October 17th
Originally scheduled as a 30th Anniversary bash with two indoor shows in May, Chicago stalwart punk rockers Pegboy have recalibrated due to COVID and teamed up with Chicago Drive-in to offer a safe, socially distant drive-in concert at Seat Geek Stadium in Bridgeview on October 17. Powered by the Haggerty brothers – John (on guitar), […]
Media: October 2020
When Richard Milne was told he was replacing Lin Brehmer as the WXRT morning host in February, he knew the implications. āIām the 5th ever XRT morning man in 48 years,ā he says, ticking off the others: Scott McConnell, Garry Lee Wright, Terri Hemmert, and Lin Brehmer. āIāve admired all of those people, but I […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz September 30th – October 2nd
Emmylou Harris and Friends host an intimate performance benefiting Bonaparteās Retreat and Crossroads Campus on September 29th and 30th. Joining Harris are Sam Bush, John Randall, and Byron House. Grab tickets here. AWOLNATION performs live from The Wiltern in Los Angeles on September 30th at 8 PM. Get tickets and merch bundles here. Nathaniel Rateliff […]
File: Chicago’s Varaha Raises Awareness for Local Music Venues and #SaveOurStages
The waiting is the hardest part. Independent music venues in Chicago and across the country are fighting for their survival during the pandemic. Most music clubs are closed until a COVID-19 vaccine can be delivered to the masses, estimated by doctors to be sometime in 2021. In the meantime – rent, insurance, and other bills […]
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