LAS VEGAS — Kris Bryant’s dad, Mike, wasn’t only a professional baseball player who taught his sons how to hit. He also played guitar for a band he and his friends started, called Looking Back, which was good enough to get paid gigs around town.
“His buddies still come to Vegas once or twice a year and, in our [batting] cage, just blast the music,” Kris said.
Mike doesn’t have the same long rock-star hair that he used to. But the old man can still play a little.
“Don’t tell him I said it,” Kris said, “but he’s pretty good.”
Maybe that’s where the Cubs’ All-Star third baseman got the idea for the plans he keeps telling his wife, Jess, he has for their son, who’s due in a few weeks.
“I’ve always told her my kid’s not going to play baseball; he’s going to be a rock star,” Bryant said.
Regardless, it has been clear since spring training started that the biggest thing on Bryant’s mind these days is family, no matter how many trade rumors, grievances or annoying Cubs-at-crossroads questions he gets from the media.
Which makes this weekend’s annual trip home to Las Vegas with the Cubs his most anticipated of the six he has taken with them.
“Oh, yeah. I don’t even care about the baseball games,” he said. “I’m excited to go check out what his chubby cheeks look like.”
When the Cubs finish their two-game series against the Reds on Sunday, Bryant will stay home for an ultrasound appointment Tuesday before rejoining the team.
“I think this is really what I’ve been put on this earth to do, is to be a dad,” Bryant told the Marquee Sports Network during a recent game broadcast.
“He’s excited. Shoot, I’m excited for him,” teammate and pal Anthony Rizzo said.
Bryant has said that baby plans and appointments helped distract him in an offseason filled with trade talks. His status as a Cub seems settled for now, and if the 2016 National League MVP is spending any time wondering what might happen at the trade deadline if the team gets off to a rough start, you wouldn’t know it.
His thoughts are on April 7, the tentative birth day, and sometimes even on how to keep him from taking baseball seriously, like his pop.
No baseball for Kris Bryant’s kid?
“It’s kind of hard to chase what your dad has done,” he said. “We won the World Series after 108 years, and [I] won MVP in the same year. He’ll always have to look at that. At the same time, I know there’s going to be people around me, my family, who would love to see him out there on the tee-ball field running the bases backward, like I did my first game.”
Huh?
“My first game, my first hit, I hit the ball and ran to third,” he said. “There’s going to be plenty of that. It’s more of I just want to put him in the best position to succeed.”
If for no other reason than Grandpa Mike is a baseball instructor with a batting school, the little guy is almost certain to play.
“I know it’s going to happen,” Kris said. “It’s just more of a protective thing. Because I know how hard I am on myself and how I’m my own worst critic. It’s like, ‘Nobody should have to go through that.’ But he probably will.
“I’ll teach him how to be less of a critic.”
And let him play golf. Piano. Guitar. Anything and everything to allow him to find his own passion and identity.
No Kris Jr. tag, either.
“The only thing I want in him is to have my initials,” Kris said. “So he’s going to be a ‘KB.’ That’s all I can really say right now.”
“I thought he told me his name was ‘Tony,’ ” Rizzo said. “No?”
Rizzo has a dog named Kevin.
“Not Kevin,” Bryant said. “We’ll stick with Kevin as a dog — no offense to any Kevins out there.”
Meanwhile, about that rock-star plan. Imagine Mike and little KB starting their own band someday.
“No,” Kris said flatly, before smiling. “Stop giving ideas.”
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
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
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
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
In physics, the term “refraction” refers to the deflection of a wave, such as light or sound, as it passes through a medium. It’s a phenomenon Sanction aim to replicate with their ear-shattering metalcore. In 2017, these Long Island natives–vocalist David Blom, guitarists Mike Marino and Andrew “Lumpy” Wojcik, bassist Ryan Stephenson, and drummer Dillon “Lil D” Perino–released an EP called The Infringement of God’s Plan, a boisterous amalgamation of breakdowns that speak of apocalyptic disorder titled. In an interview with Exclaim!, Marino, who writes the bulk of the band’s material, said he typically starts out with a song name and lets his creativity flow from there, and that he designed The Infringement around five “fractions” or connected fragments. The following year Sanction signed with Pure Noise, becoming part of its roster of up-and-coming hardcore bands (including Knocked Loose and Sanction’s current tour companions, SeeYouSpaceCowboy); the label reissued the EP and then released their debut full-length, 2019’s Broken in Refraction. The album builds on the concepts of disintegration they explored on The Infringement, even borrowing the EP’s title for a line in “The Final Fraction” (“The infringement of god’s plan,” Blom screams, “Staring back through broken glass”). Throughout the EP, Sanction paint vivid pictures of atrophy, disease, and mental illness. In “Answers From a Syringe,” which Marino told Revolver last fall had been inspired by the heroin epidemic sweeping the band’s hometown, an addiction becomes increasingly debilitating, even as a single dose offers temporary respite from life’s problems. Blom matches the rage and terror provoked by such a sharp decline with cracks in his voice as he screams over staccato guitar squeals that mimic the thumping rhythm of a heartbeat. The world that Sanction have built with Broken in Refraction is in chaos, and it gives you the feeling that their heavy, send-you-to-the-hospital violence isn’t just a sound–it’s a warning. v
Rockabilly probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when somebody says “Latin roots music,” but several generations of artists on both sides of the southern U.S. border have taken doo-wop, boogie-woogie, and early rock ‘n’ roll to heart. The music–and its associated hot-rod imagery–has long connections to the Mexican American community (particularly on the west coast), with artists blending influences such as 60s girl groups, soul, early punk rock, and a “take no prisoners” style of mariachi vocals. The National Museum of Mexican Art’s multidisciplinary Sor Juana Festival, whose 26th annual edition began March 7 and runs through April 25, includes this night of music, which features taco trucks and lowriders and starts where “La Bamba” singer Ritchie Valens (aka Ricardo Valenzuela) left off. Opening the “Vintage Vibes” program are Monica Rocha & Cota; bandleader and soulful R&B vocalist Joey Cota will sing lead on three songs but otherwise cede the spotlight to the Motown-inspired Rocha. Headliner Gizzelle will perform with guitarist Kevin O’Leary, bassist Alejandro Vargas, drummer Mario Perea, and pianist-bassist Victor Mendez. The Los Angeles-based singer wraps her huge voice around the band’s sparse rock licks, adding just the right amount of soulful growls. She counts Patsy Cline, Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, and Etta James among her influences, and echoes of all these greats resonate in her swinging phrasing. But her tunes aren’t just museum pieces preserved in musical amber: as she belts out her rebellious lyrics, deploying the raw, seductive power of the rock, soul, pop, and country divas who came before her, her brassy punk swagger makes it all sound perfectly relevant for today. v
New York-based rock band Habibi can make any show, even one in the last weeks of winter, feel like a humid summer day spent lounging around and eating good food with friends–the good shit. Their music draws from surf rock and chipper 60s girl groups, and though it’s sweet, it never feels saccharine. This is largely a result of their exacting playing: all four members seem to move in lockstep, which allows for every lyric to be directly and clearly communicated. On their latest album, Anywhere but Here (Muddguts), Habibi convey a longing to do something–anything–whether it’s physically going somewhere or falling in love. Sometimes it’s both: on the love song “Hate Everyone but You,” singer Rahill Jamalifard fantasizes about ditching society and moving to the desert with her special someone. Her voice is crucial: it drips with effortless cool, every word and coo charmingly disaffected. It pairs nicely with Habibi’s melodies, which incorporate Middle Eastern influences–most prominently on psychedelic album closer “Come My Habibi,” which sounds just as assured and unfettered as everything they do. Habibi go their own way, but luckily we’re invited along for the ride. v
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.
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.
![This Week in Sci-Fi and Horror: Candyman [35mm], 70mm Film Fest, Dark Red](http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-creepout/files/2020/03/candyman.jpg)
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