Cheeky Chicago

Comedy at the Bronzeville Coffee House

Erica — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:48 +0000

Like all good things, the summer of 2010 is coming to an end. Say farewell with a night full of side splitting jokes as the Bronzeville Coffee House concludes their outdoor comedy showcase on September 8. The bi-weekly laugh fest fills the back patio of this quaint South Side cafe with lots of local talent and the occasional celebrity comedian. Notables such as Saturday Night Live writer Hannibal Burress and stand up comedian of Get Him to the Greek fame TJ Miller have recently graced the stage.

Host Brian Babylon explains that he started the show four years ago when he was looking for a way to get more stage time as an up-and-coming comedian. Babylon, a resident of Bronzeville says, “I thought hosting a show in my neighborhood would be a great way to bring arts and entertainment close to home.” And four years later, the seasonal event has become a popular stop on the Chicago comedy club circuit.

The coffee house has served as a place for not only Babylon to work out his jokes before hitting bigger stages, but it brought comedians from all over the city out to try their set on an audience eager for a laugh. Comedian Clark Jones, a regular at the Bronzeville comedy night, says that, “the Coffee House’s show has helped to bridge the gap amongst comics from different parts of the city because of the diversity in the talent. There are North Side comics… Latino comics, it also bridges the gap amongst audiences too.” The diversity on stage and in the crowd is certainly part of the show’s charm. Most nights you’ll find a mixed bag of young city dwellers looking for a good time that’s not too hard on the wallet.

Entry to this event is free and the location is BYOB. Wednesday’s show begins promptly at 7:30 pm, but folks start trickling in as early as 6 pm to get a choice seat since the patio tends to fill up pretty quickly. For more information on the comedy night, visit Brian’s facebook page.

Nine Ways to Party

Erica — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:28 +0000

Stop crying and dry your eyes, Cheekistas (yeah, so, I make up words). Summer’s end is looming in the near distance and I couldn’t be more excited, if only for the fashion. Hello, riding boots. Oh, hi there, vintage fur vest. Is that you, my dear leather pants? How I’ve missed you. Okay, okay, this is not the Cheeky ‘Pretty’ page, it’s the ‘Scene’ section. I get it. But what follows is a little homage to the cool months ahead and an introduction to Cruzan 9 and a bevy of fall-inspired spiced rum cocktails to get you ready for post-Labor Day plans.

In order to celebrate the launch of Cruzan Rum’s first spiced rum, Cruzan 9, the brand is hosting nine parties happening simultaneously at nine venues across Chicago next Thursday, September 9 at 9 pm.

Phew. That’s a lot of nines.

There will be Cruzan 9 cocktails, drink specials and various brand promotions at each bar.

The nine venues are:

· Kit Kat Lounge, 3700 N. Halsted St.

· Halsted’s, 3441 N. Halsted St.

· Hamburger Mary’s, 5400 N. Clark St.

· Crossroads, 1120 W. Madison Ave.

· Racine Plumbing Co., 2642 N. Lincoln Ave.

· Mickey’s, 2450 N. Clark St.

· Joe’s on Weed, 940 N. Weed St.

· Theory, 9 W. Hubbard St.

· Uncle Fatty’s, 2833 N. Sheffield Ave.

And for you imbibers eager to whip up your own fall cocktails, try our faves below.

NINE CIDER

1 ½ parts Cruzan 9

1 part simple syrup

¾ parts fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 part fresh cider

Fresh-grated cinnamon (on top)

Build all ingredients in a highball glass over ice.

NINE APPLES

1 ½ parts Cruzan 9

½ part DeKuyper Cinnamon Blast

1 part spiced apple cider

Place all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with orange zest, wrapped around an apple melon ball, which has been studded with cloves.

ST. CROIX ZEN TEA

1 ½ parts Cruzan 9

1 tea bag Vanilla Ginger Green Tea Chai

hot water

Pour rum in a pre-heated coffee mug add tea bag and fill with steaming hot water.

Garnish with an orange twist.

Cheeky Invites You to Complimentary Drinks, Goody Bags and Shopping

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:45:55 +0000

Cheekily,

Mark Your Calendars!

Jessica — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:46 +0000

Can you believe fall is almost upon us? Chicago’s got some fabulous fashion and beauty events coming up that are sure to get you in the mood for the new season!

Urban Oasis Partners with the American Heart Association for Heart Walk

During the months of September and October, Urban Oasis, Chicago’s premier massage spa, offers participants $20-off massages and donates $20 for each walker’s massage to the American Heart Association.

With over 85 massage therapists on staff and more than 10 different types of massages, Urban Oasis is the perfect destination to rest your tootsies after the walk!

Gold Coast location: 12 W. Maple St. 312.587.3500; Lincoln Park location: 939 W. North Ave. 312.640.0001. For more information about Heart Walk visit www.metrochicagoheartwalk.org.

Lessons in Luxe: Rescue Summer Skin at Luxe a Salon & Spa

Thursday, September 9: 6:30 pm-8 pm

Join the ladies at Luxe and the experts at SkinCeuticals to restore and repair sun-damaged skin. After a summer of being out in the sun, the experts at Luxe and SkinCeuticals will offer you personal tips to get your skin glowing again.

$10 to reserve a spot in advance, $12 at the door.

Includes cocktails and light refreshments.

Complimentary skin scanner session, skincare products, and tips pamphlet.

15%-off any salon purchase and 20% if you bring a friend.

Advance reservation fee counts towards your next service at Luxe.

Luxe a Salon & Spa, 2109 W. Belmont Ave. 773.665.2049.

The Great Shoe Show Extravaganza and First Class Breakfast

Tuesday, September 21, 7 am-9:30 am

Celebrate the Fifth Annual Woman Road Warrior Day and enjoy breakfast and a shoe fashion show. Bridge to Success, a Chicago based non-profit, will be accepting donations of gently worn shoes at the event. $15 per ticket.

The Standard Club of Chicago, 320 S. Plymouth Ct. 312.427.9100

For more information, visit www.womanroadwarrior.com.

Bright Pink and Hard Rock Hotel Chicago Host “The Power of Pink” Event

Thursday, October 7, 8 pm-11 pm, with an after-party at Hub 51.

The event will raise funds for the national distribution of Bright Pink’s educational literature to enlighten and empower underserved young women to be proactive with their breast and ovarian health.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, Fender Ballroomm 230 N. Michigan Ave.

A Marvelous Example Of More Than Temporary Talent

Jessica — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:22 +0000

Local Chicago rockers Makeshift Prodigy have come a long way since playing the Abbey Pub two years ago. What I witnessed this summer was a new and improved alternative rock band whose live show will blow your mind. Makeshift Prodigy dominated the tiny nightclub stage found within Enclave.

Goosebumps appeared and chills ran through my body when listening to “Blinding Lights.” If ever there was a radio single from MP’s repertoire, “Blinding Lights” is the obvious hit. The tune is reminiscent of a Goo Goo Dolls melody, matching up a descending three-chord guitar and piano progression with enough reverberation to match anything U2 has ever recorded.

Hidden back in the dimly lit corner, Joe Bauer played quarterback and kept his teammates marching in time to the beat of his drum kit (and Pro Tools rig). Bauer serves as MP’s producer and engineer in the studio in addition to taking responsibility for the band’s live light show and website design.

Set List

Mathematica

Let Go

Alive

Blinding Lights

Sentimentalist

Blame

Sirens

Great Machine

Clockwork

This Is The End

Pianist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter Anthony Bagnara’s vocal delivery is exceptional when performing live. However, upon listening to “Mathematica” on the band’s album of the same title, it is evident to my classically trained ears (thank you, 12 years of aural awareness testing) that Bagnara is not quite hitting the falsetto notes that encompass the song’s hook. Whether flat or sharp, the pre-chorus and subsequent chorus can be somewhat painful to listen to.

What emanated from Bagnara’s vocal chords while kicking off the ten-song Enclave set was drastically different from the track’s original recording. Perfectly on pitch and belting like there was no tomorrow, Bagnara hit the nail on the head with every note. I could not have been more satisfied; nor more impressed with the singer’s blatant improvement.

With a foundation based on solid songwriting and catchy compositions, Makeshift Prodigy has what it takes to make a career out of their passion. Comprised of five guys from Chicago’s suburbs, each member brings their own skill set and personality to the table and when placed together on one stage, have so much energy it appears the audience will combust with an overabundance of excitement and pure exhilaration.

Jake Foy’s guitar playing is fierce and forceful. If something were to happen to The Edge, Foy could effortlessly fill in for the U2 guitarist, adroitly pulling off that unmistakeable reverberated electric guitar tone. Watching Foy’s dextrous fingers effortlessly glide over the strings is something of a wonder.

Makeshift Prodigy’s anthemic tunes are bursting to be released to the mass public. Nightclub gigs are not capable of capturing the essence and atmosphere that is found in the band’s music. With their futuristic epic rock sound, only outdoor stadiums illuminated by a star-studded night sky can serve as the ideal setting for a Makeshift Prodigy performance. It may take years, but this band will play Soldier Field. Mark my words.

Arcade Fire

Jessica — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:17 +0000

A sprawling mix of change, heartache, and nostalgia … Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs is actually The Wonder Years sans Fred Savage. Buoyed by synthesizers, guitars, frantic strings and rich, layered harmonies, Suburbs takes on a life of its own – each song a new narrator, describing the same scene with a different point of view (with amazingly clean production, to boot).

Take, for example, the nonsensical yet pointed lyrics of Rococo: “Let’s go downtown and talk to the modern kids /… Using big words that they don’t understand… They seem wild but they are so tame” compared with the serious undertone of City With No Children: “I feel like I’ve been living in / A city with no children in it / A garden left for ruin by a billionaire inside a private prison.”

With so many contrasting and interwoven stories (there are 16 tracks), it’s hard to tell if the ‘burbs are winning favor, or losing the fight. Lead vocalist Win Butler’s steady voice never wavers no matter what subject he’s tackling. What is present, however, is an overwhelming sense of leaving the past behind – and in the suburbs, that’s a relatively easy task (apparently, you just get in your car and go).

So while it may be a place where people run in the yards, wait in lines and wish on city lights instead of stars, one thing is certain: The Suburbs never sounded so good.

Mia Moretti: More Than Just Your Typical DJ

Jessica — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:14 +0000

I am more than willing to come clean and honestly admit that the only piece of information my mind retained regarding the name Mia Moretti was that she is a disc jockey who is close friends with Katy Perry. The latter happens to be one of my favorite artists. Therefore, whomever is a friend of Katy’s is a friend of mine by default; I simply cannot help it. Whatever connection or chunk of knowledge brings me closer to my favorite writers, producers, idols, etc. is what is on my radar.

Upon discovering that DJ Mia Moretti was spinning at the Hard Rock Hotel during Lollapalooza’s Belvedere Nights after-party, I pretty much freaked out. My freak-out was due to a fantasy that by being in the presence of one of Katy Perry’s best friends, I was somehow a degree closer to being acquaintances with Perry herself. Wishful thinking, I know. But one can dream, right?

I follow Katy Perry on Twitter. Guilty as charged. So sue me. Hence, I learned of the existence of Moretti, whose remix of a new Katy Perry tune is going to be featured on the deluxe edition of the singer’s Teenage Dream album, which is to be released on August 24. How pumped am I? Super pumped!

Sick and tired of music geeks and snobs who call themselves a “DJ” when all they do is play tracks from an iTunes playlist they created on their MacBrook Pros, I was seriously doubting the skills and “talent” (if any) that Moretti could bring to the table. How guilty and ashamed did I feel when Moretti completely blew my mind with her jack of all trades spectacle of a DJset? Pretty guilty and ashamed. I had wrongly assumed that Moretti would just pick and choose which songs she wanted to hear out of her music library.

What I was presented with instead was a woman who has impeccable taste in music (MGMT’s “Kids,” Sia’s “Clap Your Hands”) and spins with both a MacBook Pro and a classic turntable. But wait, there’s more! Moretti has a partner in crime: electric violinist Caitlin Moe. Fresh off the 2009/2010 West Coast tour with multi-plantinum selling rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Moe has been touring with Moretti, exploding out of the ordinary classical violin and electrifying audiences in hotspots across the country.

Moretti may have the superstar friendship with Perry to keep her career on the rise, but Moe has the jaw-dropping, classically-trained improvisational talent to steal the show every night that the pair do their thing. I could watch Moe play the hell out of her violin anytime, anywhere. Now if only I had kept up the viola lessons back in fifth grade…

Cheeky Invites You to Fashion’s Night Out at BCBG

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:55:22 +0000

Cheekily,

The Master Plan

Erica — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:55 +0000

Two weeks ago we saw that awareness is the key to keeping your head straight amidst a series of disappointments. This week we’ll look at simple practices that will minimize the negative impact of events.

Create a short term plan – one month or so that inspires you. Keep it simple and doable.
Set your supplements out on the counter where you are more likely to take them, or set them up for the next day before bed…make it easy to take care of yourself.
Take control of the flow of information you allow in your mental space. Check emails at certain, specific times. Be uninterruptable. Limit television and news. Time yourself on Facebook…don’t allow yourself to get lost. Use a kitchen timer.
Rally the troops! Have scheduled conversations with the nurturing, supportive people in your life. Keep those appointments. Nurture the ones that make you feel supported and cared for, while powerfully managing neccessary relationships that don’t always support you – minimize your time with these people.
Focus on what is working. Plan inspiring events, vacations, day trips in the future to support your mind set. Set yourself up to be inspired.
Volunteer for an afternoon – step out of your own life and into caring for others. Your concerns will still be there when you are done. Do this at least once a month.
Manage your rest. Sleep. Nap. Trying to bounce back from a failure or a disappointment or a bad break without enough rest is stupid.
Keep inspiring texts at hand: I am currently reading The Purpose Driven Life by Wallace Wattles; The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn is delightful and I just picked up The JOY Diet by Martha Beck.
Journal. For over 15 years, I have done what’s called the ‘Morning Pages’ from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Each morning I sit for 15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind without judgment or assessment. Put words on a page…from time to time this practice yields something useful…like this list!

Awareness may be the key, but practices are the lock. The lock on sustaining a clear, focused, positive mental space. Any time I catch myself slipping, I can guarantee you that I have let my practices go out of existence or have slacked in my discipline. It takes something to keep your head out of the miasma of fear and uncertainty that seems to coat the world today, especially when one is dealing with a chronic illness. But just because something takes work does not mean it’s not worth the effort!

A Perfect Event

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:55 +0000

Welcome to all the new wedding trends for the season…

From hot jewel tone combinations including fuscia and emerald green, to soft sorbet tones of oyster grey and buttercream yellow, we have designed gorgeous, fresh and fun wedding and party tabletops for your own celebrations, and inspirations.

Now, let us know how we can make your next special occasion…A Perfect Event!