It's now (beyond) time for my annual listing of favorite music from the previous year. Though countless others have taken on the task of somewhat arbitrarily ranking their favorite songs from the previous year, I still deeply enjoy the challenge of acknowledging full albums worth of work that were truly excellent (in my mind). Sure, it's a probably dying art, but to me, it's more difficult to achieve. Especially now. And I also enjoy the diary-like aspect of the annual challenge, cataloging each year some of my favorite jams. This will mark the fourth year I've ranked my [...]
I love November. First, there's the change of season - often as harsh as it is lovely and unpredictable. And there's also my birthday, which arrives on the 3rd of the month. But, in recent years I've also come to love the trend of "No Shave November" mustache and/or beard campaigns. As a not-particularly-athletic person who admires the many individuals who run marathons to raise money for various organizations and groups, I think it's important to have another sort of venture that individuals can coalesce around for a good cause. And frankly, there are [...]
Every December, a personal dilemma arrives: The "best of 20103 music list. To make one or not? Such lists often feel stifling, sometimes bullying, and I don't particularly feel justified in claiming the decidedly dubious title of "tastemaker." Last year, I chose to, instead, create a mix honoring some of my favorite musical discoveries of 2009 and did not make my personal list public. This year, instead, I created a series of 8tracks mixes to accompany a brief essay here on the blog (while I still reserve the right to devote a blog to my favorite discoveries of [...]
It's undeniable that many of the developments from this Tuesday's election were disappointing to Democrats and progressive folk around the country. But I must admit that I had to pause this time before announcing another (mostly empty) threat to leave the country entirely, now that I - once again - live in one dark blue county surrounded by a sea of red . * That's right - put the whiskey down, my friend: Contrary to the mainstream media narrative comparing the GOP takeover of the House and theoretical shutting down of political productivity in Washington to a tsunami, [...]
Friday, the twenty-ninth annual Reeling Film Festival opens here in Chicago with a lineup of extraordinary queer-centric features, documentaries and shorts. As the second longest-running LGBT film festival in the nation, Reeling has earned a unique status not only as a cultural institution among Chicago's queer communities, but also among LGBT film festivals worldwide. I wrote a feature for EDGE last week profiling Andy Blubaugh, the director of just one of the films playing the festival this year, The Adults in the Room . [...]
It's been said that the only constant in life is that it is ever-changing.. And in that vein, comes an exciting announcement from My Writings and Me, Inc. As of this Friday, I'll be taking a leave from the fantastical Chicagoist . In the year-ish since I came on board the site, I've written 101 posts and enjoyed an incredible opportunity to reach a new audience with my writings on Chicago's queer communities while dabbling in a bit of witchcraft - er, music coverage - too. (What, you haven't !?) Dreams came true when [...]
I must say, it was a puzzling honor to realize my article - " The 'Ick' Factor: How Gay Sex Plays in the Equality Debate " - hit your radar following the backlash ignited by your comments in your Ariel Levy-penned New Yorker profile. In fact, my sense of flattery left me feeling like you deserved the benefit of the doubt. Maybe all us sinful gay folk were being a tad harsh on you with their "icky" accusation. I read the New Yorker article , your statement [...]
When I was preparing to interview Cody Critcheloe, brainchild of the band SSION and the film BOY , I didn't exactly know what to expect from the unpredictable, sex-charged performer. SSION's BOY is currently being screened in LA. That's actually a complete lie. I went into my phone interview with Critcheloe, meant to preview his band's New Year's Eve appearance at Berlin Nightclub, feeling prepared for pretty much anything. I'd seen all the videos, read other reviews and caught up on the performer's blog and [...]
Though originally tempted to join the club of "best-music-of-20093 blog writers, I decided, given the fact this post is arriving already two weeks into '10, to instead take the opportunity to give a shout-out to some of my favorite artist discoveries of the year. These are musicians who have graced many-a mix CD of mine and gotten me through a number of stressful deadline-meeting sessions. Here are 10(ish) of my new-ish-found favorites to given a listen to in '10. If you like what you hear of these musicians, Google them, go to their show, buy their tunes. And [...]
Though originally tempted to join the club of "best-music-of-20093 blog writers, I decided, given the fact this post is arriving already two weeks into '10, to instead take the opportunity to give a shout-out to some of my favorite artist discoveries of the year. These are musicians who have graced many-a mix CD of mine and gotten me through a number of stressful deadline-meeting sessions. Here are 10(ish) of my new-ish-found favorites to given a listen to in '10. If you like what you hear of these musicians, Google them, go to their show, buy their tunes. And [...]
Though I am relatively new to the world of writing about musical theater, there are a few patterns I've noticed during the past year of previewing and reviewing shows whilst referencing names like Sondheim and Fosse with ever-increasing ease: First and foremost, when I get in touch with a show's PR team, they usually hook me up with one of the show's lead names. And when interviewing actors of such prominence, a certain degree of prudishness can be expected. When I previewed Legally Blonde , I interviewed Elle Woods, played by Becky Gulsvig, a very wholesome Minnesotan-at-heart [...]
I'm a big fan of inter-artist dialogue. Whether it be between a painter and a photographer, a sculptor and a dancer or an author and a cartoonist. Even when working in the same medium, our processes are all different, but despite this, the foundations of creative response share one key commonality: Audacious curiosity. And it's interesting, of course, to see different artists' take on the same words and ideas. The idea of exploring curiosities is fundamental to why I enjoy speaking with and learning from artists. Though my field is technically scientific in nature, expressions of artistry have [...]
OK, I get it. I'm lousy at regularly updating this blog. And even worse at consistently providing ongoing "series" (Remember "This one time I.."). But this time it will be different, I (sort of) promise. As you may know, I do a lot of interviews with a lot of different people for the stories that I write. And quite often, due to space constraints, word limits or a piece's thematic arch, terribly interesting bits of info are left out from the final product. And, also missing from that end product, are [...]
It is no secret that I love, love, love reading Craigslist's treasure trove of awkwardness, the Missed Connections section. So, of course, as we all continue from a weekend filled with makeup, witches' brew and masked make-out sessions, I couldn't resist an opportunity to round-up some of my favorite Chicago MC's to tell a little tale of Halloween lure (in addition to sharing some tunes). Personally, Halloween has never been a holiday I associate with wild hook-ups, but maybe that's because my costumes are usually not of the "Sexy (Fill-in-the-Blank)" variety. I'm usually in drag, covered in grotesque [...]
Ever since I first viewed the phrase on a souvenir t-shirt in the Wisconsin Dells at a young age, one personal mantra - that I'd "try anything once" - has stuck with me. The mantra has resulted in experiences of varying degrees of success. [ On a scale of 1-10: a night out at the race track (1) , dating a woman (1.5) , working as a magician's assistant for a week (5) , eating a fried cheese curd (10) .] But no matter what the rating, each experience certainly taught me something [...]
[Below is another tiny excerpt from my novel project - Wonderland . This post serves as a tribute to the modern, post-recession job hunt. For those job seekers out there, find a handy, middle school-esque career quiz at the end of the post. It's simple: Download each of the songs loosely based on an occupation. If you like the song, that means that you should pursue that career. Yes, it's that easy! Enjoy, and hang in there, job hunters.] Pen against [...]
"Trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop" goes the lyric from the Los Campesinos! song " It Started with a Mixx " - clearly a sentiment understandable to those of you who have ever taken to the task of creating a mix tape, CD (or flash drive?) or a friend, loved one or potential boot-knockin' buddy. But is it really worth all the fuss? Does a carefully, artfully and intuitively compiled mix truly create something larger than the sum of its parts? After a recent glut of mix CD creations, with many more on the way, [...]
This past week has been crazy busy to say the least for this freelancer. I completed five articles, with a sixth on the way, and I must say they form a fun little cornucopia of queer culture, including incredible interviews with gay rights legend Rita Mae Brown and Nick Garrison, the actor portraying Hedwig in the American Theater Company's current production of The Angry Inch . I had a chance to review Hedwig , in addition to the national touring production of A Chorus Line . And I had a chance to speak with some folks on [...]
How do you deal with a rough day/week/month? Sure, I mean there's the obvious: A bottle (or other container) of your substance of choice. Distraction. Intoxication. Trying to forget. But what if that doesn't work? If you're at all like me, you launch into a cleaning/reorganizing frenzy. Out come the creme-coloured filing folders, cue the mock-up drafts of new bedroom furniture arrangements and make some coffee - this is going to be a big project. As you dig through the piles of papers and envelopes to cards you'd sooner forget receiving, nostalgia [...]
Wow, marriage. Eee, gay marriage. Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that Iowa just legalized it , Friday, becoming the third state to do so. And there's a tiny chance that Vermont might soon follow (though the state's House vote fell just four votes short of the majority approval needed to squelch the governor's intended "veto" - but we'll just have to wait and see on that one..). As expected, the social conservatives are outraged - perhaps with even more fervor than usual given that Iowa is far from a hotbed [...]
Reality TV Makes Me Cry
Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
James Blake – Live Album
Mux Mool
Circo Voador anuncia shows de The Kooks, Foster The People, Friendly Fires, Gogol Bordello e mais
