Toronzo Cannon’s 2016 breakout debut album for Alligator is titled The Chicago Way, but it doesn’t include a song of the same name. Since that release, the homegrown bluesman has become so enamored with the phrase that he wrote a song around it in time for his next album, The Preacher, the Politician or the Pimp (2019). “The Chicago Way” is a fast-paced boogie in the John Lee Hooker tradition, but it only hints at the depths of Cannon’s vast repertoire. He’s a highly emotive singer and a fantastic guitarist, but what makes him stand out in the contemporary blues scene is his talent for songwriting. Though he dishes out plenty of hot licks, he never rushes through the story that he’s telling in order to get to the guitar solo. Much of Cannon’s music stays within the realm of blues rock, but he varies his grooves and approaches. He drives the cryptic “First 24” with a slide guitar; the soul feel of “The Silence of My Friends” complements its social commentary about people who look the other way in the face of discrimination or injustice; “Insurance” is a nice little acoustic shuffle, helped along by Billy Branch’s harmonica; and the title track recalls Curtis Mayfield’s 1970s epics. Cannon packs so much substance into every song that it’s not hard to hear why he’s doing so well in the blues-rock scene. v
Is there any pop star with a career like Steve Aoki’s? How many other sons of business magnates got into hardcore in the 90s, wrote for radical punk zine Heartattack, led a screamo band that released a split with Japanese posthardcore legends Envy, and ran a DIY space that hosted the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Planes Mistaken for Stars, and Atom & His Package? How many launched a punk label in the 2000s that went on to release music by some of indie rock’s finest (the Dim Mak catalog includes Bloc Party and the Gossip) while carving out a niche as one of the most beloved DJs in the Los Angeles nightlife scene? How many crowd surfed on inflatable rafts during DJ sets and threw sheet cakes at eager fans–and still managed to transcend electroclash to become one of the dominant faces of EDM? How many then outlived EDM’s bust to become one of the ten wealthiest DJs in the world, or in 2019 collaborated with the Backstreet Boys and released a dance cover of the Dave Matthews Band? None but Steve Aoki. The arc of his life story so far (he’s 42) makes his September memoir, Blue: The Color of Noise (St. Martin’s Press), an enthralling read, despite his unimaginative prose and odd writing tics. He infuses his book with the same unrelenting optimism that comes through in his every sparkling synth note and quavering bass drop. In his recordings, Aoki massages mainstream electronic music for sensitive pop ears, which often means his presence fades into the background when he teams up with better-known personalities. On that Backstreet Boys collaboration, “Let It Be Me” (which should also appear on Aoki’s forthcoming album, Neon Future IV), he seems as superfluous as DJ Khaled. v
Carcosa is a mysterious fictional city first named by author Ambrose Bierce in 1886 and later alluded to in Robert W. Chambers’s influential and evocative King in Yellow stories. As the ancient and possibly cursed capital of an alien place that’s impossible to pinpoint on earthly maps, it’s been incorporated into the works of H.P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, and other writers of weird fiction–the name even appeared in season one of True Detective. This cosmic-horror tradition is a rich vein to mine, and Chicago band Plague of Carcosa cling to it loyally. Currently an instrumental duo of drummer Alexander Adams and guitarist and bassist Eric Zann (a pseudonym from a Lovecraft story), the band debuted in 2016 with The Color Out of Space, two long tracks of harrowingly dense drone-doom plus (because why not?) a gnarly “bonus track” that disembowels “The Rains of Castamere” from Game of Thrones. They followed it up later that year with Ritual I, consisting of one live-recorded track nearly an hour long, and then with two singles, 2017’s “Hastur” and 2018’s “Rats in the Walls.” Plague of Carcosa’s latest release, Ocean Is More Ancient Than the Mountains (Sludgelord), is divided into two long cuts, “The Crawling Chaos” and “Madness at Sea,” that recall the overboiling heaviness of Sunn O))), Khanate, and Chicago’s Bongripper (whose guitarist Dennis Pleckham mastered the two latest Plague outings). It has to be acknowledged that Lovecraft’s racism was a horror in its own right, but thankfully Plague of Carcosa don’t share his views on that front. In October the band were added to an up-and-coming website of “Hatred-Free Music Lists” called FashFree–and they posted to Facebook that they’re pleased to be included. v
Dev Hynes, who makes pop and R&B as Blood Orange, has a gift for synthesis that’s made him a favorite collaborator of many cross-genre stars in the past decade, including Mac Miller, Solange, and FKA Twigs. The London-born, New York-based auteur has visited Chicago multiple times in recent years, notably appearing at the Pitchfork festival in 2018 and opening for Florence & the Machine at Northerly Island the following summer, but while Hynes and his ensemble sound great in sunlit venues, a theater might suit the intimacy of his music better. Blood Orange unites decades of Black pop styles with airy vocals and lyrics about longing and identity, with both the house-adjacent dance beat of “Baby Florence (Figure)” and the dark, Three 6 Mafia-indebted thump of “Gold Teeth.” If the most recent Blood Orange release, 2019’s Angel’s Pulse (Domino), feels slight compared to its predecessors, it’s by design: Hynes described it as a “mixtape” composed as an epilogue to 2018’s lushly arranged Negro Swan, named one of the best albums of that year by Pitchfork, Spin, Complex, and others. The songs on Angel’s Pulse sometimes stop abruptly or build around a single instrumental loop–they’re closer to sketches, unlike previous fully realized opuses, but the image is still clear and ready to be colored in by the live band. On “Dark & Handsome” Hynes sings over warm keys and snapping drums: “Nothing lasts forever and I told you / Everything you need to know that’s not true.” Even when he’s trying to end a relationship, Hynes can’t hide his yearning for more connection. It’s music for dancing in the dark, in a loved one’s bedroom, or in the timeless space of a century-old theater. v
When Excelle McFly and King Art appear on City of Wind, it usually happens when they are working together. These two have a degree of musical synchronicity that few can match and they constantly bring out the best in each other. On their new single, “Ice Cold,” that trend continues.
King Art’s production is ferocious and teeming with urgency. The piano loop creates an uneasy vibe and the trap instrumentation kicks the pace into overdrive. This is definitely one of King Art’s meaner instrumentals.
If the production wasn’t frenetic enough, Excelle McFly brings a whole new level of tenacity. With a staccato flow that strikes like lightning, McFly addresses gun violence and the harsh realities he faced growing up in the inner-city with stunning focus. The passion exuded in his voice is every bit as urgent as the issues he covers. His wordplay has gotten sharper as well.
Excelle McFly and King Art have dropped their fair share of gems in the past. However, with “Ice Cold,” they have reached a whole new level. With King Art sounding harder than ever behind the boards and and Excelle McFly stepping up his pen game in a major way, “Ice Cold” sees these dudes not only continuing to bring out the best in each other, but bring out the best of themselves as well.
Show Me Chicago previews, reviews and expresses opinions on what’s happening in Chicago from Blockbuster Theater, to what’s new in dining, arts, and the neighborhoods.
Doc Films screens a 35mm print of CANDYMAN (1992) on Monday, March 9th, as part of their “Lost Chicago” film series.
Image Source: IMDb.com
“Don’t walk to the theater–RUN!”
MOVIES:
CANDYMAN [35mm] – (March 9th at 7pm) One of the few films that brilliantly nails down the notion of beauty in horror. Director Bernard Rose created a perfect execution of marrying horror with romance in Candyman. Based on Clive Barker’s short story, “The Forbidden,” the 1992 film follows a grad student (Virginia Madsen) working on her thesis studying urban legends. She finds herself investigating stories about “Candyman” (played by Tony Todd, whose performance quickly cemented himself into legendary horror icon status) appearing in the notoriously dangerous (now demolished) Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago. Screening as part of their “Lost Chicago” series, which previously screened Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Blues Brothers, Thief, and more. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, Ida Noyes Hall, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
2001: A Space Odyssey [70mm] – (March 6th-8th; 10th, & 12th) The annual 70mm Film Festival returns to the Music Box, running March 5th-19th. Be sure to catch space horror LIFEFORCE March 12th, 14th, & 16th! The March 14th screening event will be presented by Metal Movie Nights. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613.
DARK RED – (March 6th & 7th at Midnight) Psychological horror thriller about a young woman (admitted to a psychiatric hospital) who insists her baby was kidnapped by a secret society called The Dark Red. She believes this ancient cult wants to harvest the infant’s blood for the special powers it contains. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613.
Chicago European Union Film Festival – (March 6th-April 2nd) It’s time for the 23rd Annual Chicago European Union Film Festival, a month-long celebration of Chicago premieres of films from 28 EU member nations. Read all about the films HERE! Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago 60601.
THE INVISIBLE MAN – (through March 11th) An unstable scientist uses his invention to become invisible against his ex, stalking her to the point of madness. Without much help from others, she fights back on her own. Parasite also continues running through March 11th. ArcLight Cinema, 1500 N. Clybourn, Chicago, IL 60610.
PARASITE – (through March 12th) Director Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer) is a master at his craft and it’s worth seeking out his entire body of work. Don’t miss this film that won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture! Times vary. Landmark Century Cinema, 2828 N. Clark, Chicago, IL 60657.
THE INVISIBLE MAN – (through March 12th) A woman’s disturbed ex (a scientist) experiments with his invisibility potions by stalking her after staging his death. Without much help from the disbelieving police, she takes matters into her own hands to try and stop him. Also, PARASITE continues through March 11th. Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60647.
KNIVES OUT – (through March 12th) Smartly written whodunit. Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
THE INVISIBLE MAN – (through March 11th) Leigh Whannell’s 2020 reimagining starring Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as a woman fighting back against an ex, whose scientific discovery of invisibility has brought stalking one’s ex to a whole new level of terror. Hollywood Palms Cinema, 352 South Route 59, Naperville, IL 60540.
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – (Saturdays at 11:55pm) Full cast performance each Saturday at midnight. Hollywood Boulevard Cinema, 1001 W. 75th St., Woodridge, IL 60517.
Movie Trivia Night – (Tuesdays at 8pm) Every Tuesday in their swanky lounge! Team limit 5 people. Winning team members receive a Logan Theatre gift card! Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60647.
THE THING – (March 12th at 7pm) Ghoulish Mortals hosts free movie nights each Thursday at 7pm. 228 W. Main Street, St. Charles, IL 60174.
Sinema Obscura TV Party – (Feb. 19th-July 15th) Sinema Obscura and Trust This Ghost present monthly independent entertainment in the lounge each Wednesday. Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60647.
KING KONG – (March 15th) TCM Big Screen Classics presents limited theatrical screenings via Fathom Events, with exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies. Check your local listings!
REEFER MADNESS – (March 19th at 8pm) Live organ accompaniment by Jay Warren! Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60625.
SCI-FI SPECTACULAR Film Festival – (Mar. 21st – 14 hours!) The annual sci-fi/horror fest is back, with special guest, director Douglas Trumbull (Brainstorm, Silent Running), who is also known for his FX work in films such as Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The festival includes screenings of: SILENT RUNNING, TREMORS, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, THE ’BURBS, and more! All ages. Films begin at noon. Special perks: FREE refills on ANY size of popcorn and soda. Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60625.
STAGE:
BUG -(Jan. 23rd-March 15th) The intense tale of a mismatched pair in Oklahoma whose relationship goes terribly, terribly wrong. When paranoia, bugs, and government conspiracies destroy any semblance of sanity! Written by Tracy Letts (The Sinner, Homeland, Lady Bird) and directed by David Cromer (The Newsroom). Starring Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, The Sinner, Fargo TV series), Namir Smallwood (Chicago Fire), Gary Cole (Office Space), and Randall Arney (Chain Reaction). Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, Chicago, IL.
THE PILLOWMAN – (through March 29th) A writer who loves composing gruesome stories lives with his brother during the time of an authoritarian regime. One day, he finds himself under intense investigation after a series of ghastly child murders closely resembles those in his written tales. The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60630.
POISON – (Feb. 20th – March 14th) The plight of poison-makers among rich society in 17th century Paris. Presented by The Plagiarists (Previews Feb. 14th, 15th, 19th) Berger Park Coach House, 6205 N. Sheridan, Chicago, IL.
Comic Book Launch Party – (March 7th from 4pm-7pm) Launch party for two comics, NUNS IN SPACE FIGHTING CRIME and JESUS AND THOR. Meet the artists, Corinne Halbert and Shane Swinnea, and writer Mark Peters. Play some pinball! (21+) Logan Arcade, 2410 W. Fullerton, Chicago, IL 60647.
Troll Hunt! – (through June 2020) Search across 1700 acres of The Morton Arboretum for troll sculptures ranging from 15ft. to 30ft. tall! Tips: Check the site for info, maps, and locations so you do not get lost and please do not go without wearing some form of strong bug spray. Extra tips HERE. Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532. Troll Cheat Sheet!
Space Golf – (Daily) Alien-themed outer space fun with blacklight mini golf, 3D golfing, holograms, a Sci-Fi Cafe, and more. 15611 S. 94th Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462.
Bad Axe Throwing – (Days/times vary) Group rates apply or do a walk-in for $20 for one hour. Bad Axe Chicago, 2828 N. Clark (Atrium Level), Chicago, IL. (888) 435-0001.
Fox in a Box Escape Room– Visit their newest room, Zodiac, which is themed on the successor to the Zodiac Killer. The room was scenically designed by a designer from the Field Museum. 47 W. Polk, Suite L5, Chicago, IL 60605. (Recently ranked #1 escape room in the USA and #2 in the world for the month of March 2019.)
Chicago Rage Room – Got rage? Get rid of it pronto with the sweetest release (without hurting anyone!). Pay for items to break or bring your own! Room prices begin at $15. (Reservations required.) 153 W. Ohio, Chicago, IL 60654.
Chicago Ghost Tours App – A free app for enjoying audio and photo tours of Chicago’s Haunted Archer Avenue is available, courtesy of Edward Shanahan, a fellow ChicagoNOW blogger (check out his blog, Chicago Paranormal & Spiritual). He is also a psychic and paranormal host who has worked on making his app a great addition to fans of Haunted Archer. The app includes 16 locations and 6 cemeteries. Free download! Shanahan also has a free online magazine.
Mind Trap Escape Rooms – Solve the clues to get out within 60 minutes! 299 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, IL 60538. (630) 216-9609.
Chicago Hauntings Bus Tours – One of the longest-running ghost tours in Chicago, each 2.5 hour tour is led by founder, paranormal investigator, and author Ursula Bielski and her partner, author David Cowan. Routine stops include locations of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Death Alley, gangland sites, murder sites, and more. Departs at the Congress Hotel. For schedules, all tours, and background information, please see ChicagoHauntings.com.
Please check websites for updates, cancellations, and ticket pricing information before attending.
Please join The Chicago Creepout for current updates on Facebook HERE!
Horror movie fanatic. Sculptor of oddities. Owner of Chicago Creepster Yahoo!, festival volunteer, writer, artist, social media freelance. Officially a biomechanical Frankenlady. Doing what I can to support our spooky community.
Show Me Chicago previews, reviews and expresses opinions on what’s happening in Chicago from Blockbuster Theater, to what’s new in dining, arts, and the neighborhoods.
The rear camera mirror in the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque gives a clearer and wider view out the rear window than you would get from just using a mirror. (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)
Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with tall passengers or a cargo-laden trunk knows the frustration of not being able to see out your rearview mirror. It can be scary backing out of parking space — even with the back-up camera — and trying to see what’s behind you so you can change lanes is near impossible.
That’s why the rear camera mirror is one of those brilliant features I’d love to see on more vehicles. Quite simply, this feature allows you to flip a switch and turn your rearview mirror into a camera display that shows a clear view out the rear of the vehicle via a well-placed camera.
We first encountered prototypes of this feature way back in 2014, but we didn’t start seeing production versions of this feature until the last couple years. First in GM products and now scattering throughout other manufacturers.
The rear camera mirror is also helpful when a rear window might be narrow — such as in the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque — or if there is another visibility issue — such as the split rear window in the Toyota Prius.
We’ve seen this pop up a few times now in test vehicles, and while I don’t have a comprehensive list of vehicles with this feature, I have seen them on Cadillac, Chevrolet, Toyota and Land Rover vehicles. So, if this feature is important to you, start there.
Show Me Chicago previews, reviews and expresses opinions on what’s happening in Chicago from Blockbuster Theater, to what’s new in dining, arts, and the neighborhoods.
“Rage–Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,” begins Robert Fagles’s 1990 translation of Homer’s The Iliad. A rage-goddess indeed might be the appropriate muse for our unsettled times; goddess knows quite a few women I know are looking at the electoral options facing them this cycle with anger and sorrow and probably more than a little bit of desire for some kind of divine retribution (though not necessarily of the blood-and-guts variety).
But as Court Theatre’s one-man version of the Homeric epic, An Iliad, mournfully demonstrates, the story told by the Poet (Timothy Edward Kane, returning for the third time to the role with Court) both transcends the Trojan War narrative confines of Homer’s original and the specific calamitous circumstances of our own time. Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s adaptation (based on the Fagles translation), deftly weaves together the ancient tale with anachronistic punch: the everyday soldiers pressed into combat in the war between the Trojans and the Greeks could be, as Kane’s Poet notes, from Ohio or Nebraska.
And though this is a story rife with twists dictated by the caprices of ancient gods, the Poet reminds us “Gods never die. They change. They burrow inside us. They become us, they become our impulses.” Are the bloody actions of Achilles and Hector noble or nasty? Are they killing in the name of patriotism or personal vendetta? Hard to tell the difference once the fog of war covers the land.
I saw the 2013 production of this show at Court, where the set felt like an ancient subterranean bathhouse-bomb shelter, with Kane’s vagabond Poet delivering his notes from underground. This time, Court has partnered with their Hyde Park neighbor, the Oriental Institute, and artistic director Charles Newell’s staging takes us through several rooms filled with artifacts–including a fragment of part of The Iliad written down in the first century AD.
Kane’s fever-bright intensity, even in Rachel Anne Healy’s hobo suit, is reflected in the harsh ghost lights–exposed bulbs encased in metal cages on top of beat-up stands, supplemented by spotlights shining up from the floor around the playing areas. (Keith Parham’s lighting creates its own cunning parallel play of shadows to accompany Kane’s corporeal presence.) We begin in front of the massive winged bull sculpture from the throne room of Assyrian King Sargon II. Designed (as are so many artifacts in the Oriental’s collection) as a protective figure, we see it here as both ominous and impotent. It’s massive, impressive–and completely removed from its original purpose, far from its homeland.
That’s Kane’s Poet too, who tells us that he sang this tale differently in Babylon, as if offering a preemptive apology for the direct (though still evocative) vernacular he now uses. Has the constant and never-ending human need for dominance and score settling removed every vestige of high-flown poetry from our chronicles of war? Or is trying to make poetry out of such pain and pointless loss its own form of folly and sacrilege? These questions come up over and over as we watch Kane in action.
The last section of the show takes place in a small room with wooden packing boxes marked FRAGILE (artfully arranged by scenic designer Todd Rosenthal). Kane jumps from box to floor and back again, and delivers the section most people who’ve seen it probably remember best from this show: a litany of all the recorded wars humans have fought from Homer’s time to our own. (The last time I saw this, it ended with Syria. Now it’s Ukraine. Give it a few months and it will be something else.)
And though I’m not sure this was the central intent, those boxes and the statues and artifacts around us–horses, bulls, gods, fertility amulets, pots and vessels used for both everyday life and holy ritual, the mundane and the sacred–remind us that we are in a place built in part on imperial imperatives. We in the west continue to display other people’s stories and works of art in our museums. Do we provide safe harbor? Or are we quietly saying that the best we can do is preserve these vestiges, and the people are, as always, left on their own? You can ask the goddess for an answer, but the rage of the times makes it hard to hear. v
This weekend we spring forward, so the days are about to get a whole lot brighter. Celebrate the daylight with something from our list of recommended things to do.
Through 4/11: Artist Tony Tasset’s solo exhibition “The Weight” features new sculptures that look at the innermost human psyche through assemblage and assortment. Tue-Fri 10 AM-6 PM, Sat 11 AM-5 PM, Kavi Gupta, 219 N. Elizabeth, kavigupta.com, free.
Fri 3/6: Singer-songwriter and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello talks with poet, actor, and performing artist Staceyann Chin. ASL interpretation will be available. 7 PM, Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago, mcachicago.org, walk up tickets only on a first come, first served basis.
3/6-4/26: The story of “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, aunt and cousin, respectively, to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was first told in an acclaimed 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles. Book writer Doug Wright, composer Scott Frankel, and lyricist Michael Korie adapted it for the 2006 musical Grey Gardens, set in 1941 and 1973, which traces their lives from high society to living among garbage and raccoons on the East Hampton estate of the title. Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 7 PM, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater, 721 Howard, Evanston, theo-u.com, previews 3/6-3/14, $35; regular run 3/15-4/26, $42-$54 ($5 discount for seniors and students). Optional dinner available for $29 (advance reservations required).
Sat 3/7: Stand-up Kate O’Connor presents Pee Is Stored in the Balls, a night of comedy and some of the things on the Internet that keep her up at night, complete with her own hot takes. 7 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, hideoutchicago.com, $8.
Sat 3/7: TheInternational Women’s Day Festival is a celebration featuring music from Cathy Richardson’s Goddesses of Rock, Katie Todd, Sandra Antongiorgi, Naomi Ashley, and Cathie Van Wert in both FitzGerald’s main club and SideBar, food by Mulata Kitchen, and a variety of vendors. 8:30 PM, FitzGerald’s, 6615 Roosevelt, fitzgeraldsnightclub.com, $20. 3/7-3/28: A dozen local sex-working artists showcase their work at the SWOP-Chicago exhibition, Chicago Sex Workers Art Show 2020. Opening reception Fri 3/7, 6-10 PM. Mon 6-9 PM, Tue-Wed 6-7 PM, Thu-Fri 5-8 PM, Agitator Gallery, 1112 N. Ashland, agitatorgallery.com, free.
3/7-4/12: School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play is Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy about a “queen bee” at an exclusive Ghanaian boarding school in the 1980s whose aspirations to compete for the Miss Universe title are undone by the arrival of a new student was a hit off-Broadway. Lili-Anne Brown, who staged last season’s Lottery Day for the Goodman, returns to the theater for this production. Wed 7:30 PM, Thu and 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Sun 3/8 and 3/22, 7:30 PM; Tue 3/31, 7:30 PM; Sat 3/7, 8 PM only; Thu 3/12 and 3/26, 7:30 PM only, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, goodmantheatre.org, $20-$70.
click to enlarge
Sun 3/8: It’s the ninth annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, the children’s video contest features short films created by kids that tell the stories of Newbery-winning books like Charlotte’s Web, A Wrinkle in Time, and more. 1:45 PM, Harold Washington Library, Pritzker Auditorium, 400 S. State, 90secondnewbery.com, free.
Sun 3/8: Original stories, poetry, spoken word, and narratives are presented by Fehinty African Theatre Ensemble at WORD DEY! A market of vendors will be selling their wares starting at 1:30 PM in the theater lobby. 3 PM, Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield, arts.uchicago.edu/apl/glpac, $25, $20 in advance.
Sun 3/8: Greg-O and crew members will be playing Lumpen Radio’s new game show, Quiz-O, live! Apply here to be a Quiz-O contestant. 7 PM, Pleasant House Pub, 2119 S. Halsted, lumpenradio.com, free. v
ChicagoBears (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace might be tempted to spend on certain positions in free agency.
The Chicago Bears got an early start on their free agency period this year. Already, a couple of moves have been made ahead of the legal tampering period which begins March 16.
General manager Ryan Pace made the right call when he informed wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and cornerback Prince Amukamara they would be released in order to save some cap space. It was a classy move by the Bears brass, allowing those two to get ahead of the game.
Speaking of getting ahead of the game, the Cleveland Browns cut ties with tight end Demetrius Harris, who quickly found a new home in Chicago. The towering veteran comes to Chicago as a guy who will mostly block, but also an enormous target who could be used in the red zone occasionally.
These three transactions are just the beginning of a busy offseason for the Bears, who must add to their roster intelligently. They don’t have a plethora of cap space, but they’ll have enough to fill some holes.
Those holes, of course, include positions like offensive line, cornerback, tight end, safety, edge rusher and quarterback. But, where will Pace choose to address those positions?
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The first opportunity comes in just over a week, when free agents may begin negotiating contracts with prospective teams. Contracts will be officially announced March 18.
After just seeing what this year’s rookie class can do at the Scouting Combine, Pace and Nagy have a lot of information to sort through. But, as they get set for free agency, they would be best served skipping over a few positions and waiting until draft time — three in particular, in fact. Let’s delve into those.
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