On January 21^st from 12 pm to 6 pm the 4^th Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago’s Hip-Hop Arts is going down for FREE at the Metro! Thousands of people attended WBEZ 91.5’s Off Air Events Series last year and 2012 will be no different. This free party will feature graffiti galleries, breakdancing performances, a film screening of “The People Speak”, and the best music by some of Chicago’s BEST DJ’s. The list of fun & free things to do goes on and on but what caught my eye was the Emcee Olympics hosted by Urban Music & Hip-Hop Barbershop!!

If you’re not ready to stop the party there you can end your night at the 2012 “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8 pm! Based on the history of breakdancing in our city- the Legendary Brickheadz will host final rounds of a LIVE head-to-head “3 on 3” battle! If you’re not on the dance floor, no worries because this evening will feature interviews, past footage, and you get to cheer for your favorite!

Chicago’s DJ’s participating in the event:

Vocalo DJ Collective, Pumpin Pete, Big Once, Trancid, Charlie, and Jesse De La Pena

Hosted by former members of Liquid Soul : Luis Perez and Dirty

This is an all-city event that celebrates lyrics, style, art, dance, community so come one come all!

-Amanda Rivera

The Gift Theatre Company, one of the smallest equity troupe’s in the Chicago, is celebrating their anniversary of ten successful years and are inviting all to experience it with them. The theatre’s newest performance, appropriately titled “Ten” is a quick sampler of short ten minute plays written by, ten playwright phenoms, David Rabe, Eric Bogosian, JT Rogers, Craig Wright, Caitlin Montayne Parrish, Andrew Hinderaker, William Nedved, Jenny Connell, & Maggie Andersen.

The ten performances run for a total of ten days. Ensemble member Jenny Connells, Guy Massey, David Rabe, and Craig Wright’s pieces have all already received great reviews and the shows complimenting them help to make the entire production a perfect, well you get the idea… ten! This performance truly is a Gift, that’s right, it’s free! Respect, right? I’m sold.

The show opened January 5th and runs until the 15th with times Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4:00 and 7:30 pm, and again on Sundays at 2:30 pm. So if you’re looking for a nice afternoon or evening out at a show for the fabulous cost of free, reserve your seat by calling 773 283 7071 and enjoy the celebration with the Gift Theatre Company (4802 N Milwaukee Avenue). Man, that was a lot of tens… For more information visit http://bit.ly/zPvBls

-Cheers,
Bryan Neubauer

The Art Museums planned multi-million dollar purchase of a fine Leonardo Da Vinci classic has come to a bloody halt. The museum curator has just been murdered, and it’s up to you and your team of investigators to discover who done it! All you have to do is crack the code left in the curator’s appointment calendar to discover what drove his murderer to commit such a dastardly crime. Shocking secrets will be revealed as you and your mystery team discover clues that uncover the murderer and his motives. If you love who-done-it live mysteries where you’re the key detective then you’re going to want to head out to the Art Institute of Chicago at 111 South Michigan Ave this Saturday the 7^th at 2pm.

The hunt is being produced and executed by Watson Adventures, an incredibly cool and unique company that specializes in private hunts, public hunts, hunts at museums, in neighborhoods, basically if you want to get your scavenger hunt on, contact these folks! Tickets are $36 and it’s recommended that you bring a large group of friends to help because it’s not going to be easy uncovering the mystery. The mystery will last about 2 1Ž2 hours and the winner of the hunt get’s a hefty mystery prize! For more information and to purchase your tickets click here. It’s sure to be a killer good time.

See you there!

-Wanjiku K

Join the fashion elite at the Chicago History Museum from now to mid-April and check out Chicago native Charles James Genius Deconstructed exhibit! Imagine yourself in these vintage gowns and take notice to the fine architecture and craftsmanship brought to you by Charles James.Born in 1906 James has astounded the fashion world by creating incredibly crafty and perfectly detailed garments. A young James taught himself everything he knows about creating garments, from fitting hats to glamorous gowns. With extreme ingenuity and the eye for fashion, James opened his first hat shop in Chicago at the age of 19. His garments are often adorned with ribbed corsets and fancy collars, and more often than not cascade down and outward. James has always had high profile celebrities like Coco Chanel pining after his creations. Marisa Tomei recently rocked out in a vintage gothic Charles James piece earlier this year at the Oscars, and Angelina Jolie wore an elegant gray tight fitted James dress in the Tourist shortly after.

Over 40 years after his death the History Museum is showcasing over a dozen beautiful designs. Sure to inspire you and drive your creativity, the exhibit will display gorgeous classic designs and appealing images. The museum staff went as far as to give a vintage dress a CT scan to see the interior design and architecture of the dress, and they discovered that he created his dresses the same way he created hats! The bodice was created as if it were the crown of the hat, while the skirt was from the brim. His ability to teach himself how to make the transition from hat to gown is astounding! Make sure you check out the deconstruction of Charles James garments, and learn from the very best about dress and fashion from one of the greatest. Lace up your Jimmy Choos, slip on your favorite Vera Wang and head over to the Chicago History Museum for your fashion fix.

See you there!

Charles James: Genius Deconstructed

Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark St

Open: Monday-Saturday 9:30am-4:30pm, Sundays 12noon-5pm

Tickets: $12-$14

For more information about the Charles James exhibit visit Genius Deconstructed or visit chicagohistory.org for information regarding the museum.

-Wanjiku Kairu

On December 4, 1956, the world brought together four legends – Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins & Johnny Lee Lewis – in a small storefront studio called Sun Records in Memphis.  For this one night, the quartet reminisced and recorded an impromptu music session with the one who discovered them all, Sam Philips – the “Father of Rock-n-Roll” and owner of Sun Records.

Million Dollar Quartet captures the excitement and spirit of this infamous night that caught the sound of four of music’s most popular artists.   The show itself takes place at the Apollo Theater – a space that is incredibly intimate and captures the essence of the night that revealed the intimate details, triumphs and shortcomings of the quartet.  The actors’ performances were superb, but the best part was is that they actually all play their own instruments!  It was no coincidence that the actor who played Johnny Lee Lewis, Lance Lipinsky, was referenced as Liberace in the play as his performance was truly mesmerizing.  Make sure to check out his site here for updates on his latest album that uses analog equipment to emulate the 1960’s sound!

The Tony Award winning musical has now been in Chicago for over 2 years due to it’s great success and popularity & I highly recommend any fan of Rock n Roll, Country or Blues to check it out!  For tickets and more info, click here.

-Amy Shah

It’s absolutely no secret that I adore all things Irish (have you seen me on the streets between March 16th-18th, I’m a blissful mess) and all things Christmas (I may or may not tear up at the sight of a lit Christmas tree).  So when I stumbled upon Irish Christmas in America, I had to take some deep breaths, remind myself I’m not 8 years old anymore and dove right into finding out more about this fantastic fusion!

Oisin Mac Diarmada is the mastermind behind this insanely popular tour – he hails from the award-winning Irish group, Teada. Irish Christmas in America is comprised of top Irish musicians, singers and dancers and features Lumiere, one of the most talked about vocal groups to come out of the emerald isle as of late.

Not only is the show family friendly but it’s taking place at Old Town School of Folk Music, a wonderful, whimsical performing arts school, actually they’re the biggest independent community arts school in the country and they’re right here in Chicago. On December 14th if you’re in the mood for Irish ballads, Christmas carols, fine fiddle action and some serious Irish dancing, click here: http://irishchristmasinamerica.com/,  pick up a couple tickets and hit me up, I’ll be the one in the front row clutching my Irish family ancestry tree and singing along at the top of my lungs.

-KatieRose Cronin

Watch out, IMAX.  Chicago’s winter skyline is about to become a giant movie screen. On Friday, December 9, The Art Institute of Chicago, supported by the Graham Foundation for Advance Studies in the Fine Arts, will beam Andy Warhol’s celebrated conceptual film “Empire” onto the top 12 stories of the Aon Center to mark the opening of the museum’s new photography exhibition, Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph 1964-1977.

Shot in one, continuous take over the course of a single evening in 1964, Warhol’s silent footage of the Empire State Building observes the famed structure over a period of several hours from dusk to nightfall and finally, darkness.  Our city’s screening will mark the film’s first large-scale, outdoor presentation in the United States.

While the film will be viewable from Millennium Park, the Evening Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago are offering an indoor option. A special viewing party in the panoramic Modern Wing, entitled “Unveiled: Empire,” will give guests a front-row seat from which to consider one of Warhol’s landmark experimental pieces, all while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, and music from one of Chicago’s hippest DJs.  Attendees will also get a special sneak preview of the museums new “Light Years” exhibit before it opens to the public.

The event will take place on Friday, December 9 from 8:00-11:00 PM in the Nichols Trustees Suite, located on the second floor of the Art Institute’s Modern Wing. The cost, which includes food and drinks, is $60 for Evening Associates members and $70 for non-members.

Tickets are limited, and those interested in attending can sign up here. Additional information is available at the Evening Associates’ information line (312-443-3710) or by contacting Jaime Norwood (jnorwood@artic.edu)

“Unveiled: Empire” is just one of many cool cultural events put on by the Evening Associates throughout the year. The group’s mission is to bring Chicago’s young professional community into an active, participatory relationship with the Art Institute of Chicago in order to promote an understanding and appreciation of the arts. Evening Associates members enjoy exclusive museum gatherings, gallery walks and other unique “after-five” events throughout Chicago, taking advantage of the city’s vibrant art and social scene.  More information is available at www.eveningassociates.com.

We hope you can make it! – Sean Mogle

As one of the headlining shows during Fashion Focus Chicago, Conscious Living TV presents Vert Couture. This runway show is ready to wow the crowd and make fashionistas fall in love with the fashions of 2012. This Thursday, October 20^th, prepare to get your green on with this 3^rd annual event. Vert Couture is unlike any other fashion show out there- it focuses on Chicago’s sustainable fair trade fashion movement and the runway takes place on one of the largest green roofs in the Unites States! It was created by Michael and Bianca Alexander, founders of Conscious Planet Media, an Emmy award-winning green television, video and film productions company. Billy is on the host committee and thrilled to be a part of this earth-friendly evening of fashion.

You can attend this event and see the featured looks of spring and summer 2012 collections from Chicago’s most talented designers. What’s so different about these designer fabrics is that they are using renewable fabrics and vintage materials. The pieces that are being shown are the “best in luxury eco-haute couture” and feature designs from Brenda Abdullah, Richard Dayhoff, Dollparts, Heart, Victoria Larkin, Lauren Lein, Rosina-Mae, Silk Utopia and more.

This carbon-neutral event is taking place under the tents of Millennium Park and benefits Keep Chicago Beautiful – an environmental nonproft that offers governmental, corporate and community education programs to help beautify Chicagoland. Definitely get a move on purchasing tickets to Vert Couture, VIP tickets are $95 and General Admission is just $35 – get your tickets and more info at www.VertCouture.com.

- Rhea Drougas

Do you run this city? As in, do you spend countless miles on the lakefront path, either training for the marathon or running to work? Do you spend hours on the basketball court, practicing your skills? Each person plays an integral role in this city and Niketown wants to honor these individuals that #ownchicago.

Starting Thursday, Niketown will be creating an art campaign through the hashtag #ownchicago. When Chicagoans go on Twitter or Facebook and share how they #ownchicago, Niketown Chicago will create a piece of artwork to bring it all to life. Every individual that uses #ownchicago will have their profile picture added to a giant mosaic located in Niketown Chicago.

With the marathon taking place on Sunday, this is a great way to celebrate all of the hard work and dedication that runners put in over the summer toward finishing 26.2 miles. On Thursday at 6:30pm, join Chicago athletes and many others at Niketown as they kick off this idea. Chicago is a great city that works hard and we all #ownchicago. Come out and share your voice.

-  Evan Jones

Back in 1986, a high school wise guy came to Chicago and stirred things up a bit. People danced in the streets and Wrigley Field was taken over by three juvenile delinquents – all for a day off. Now, 25 years later, the legend of Ferris Bueller lives on.

On October 1, in celebration of the film’s anniversary, Groupon and Wrigley are setting up three giant movie screens in the ballpark to show the classic film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Catch a younger Matthew Broderick, Wrigley Field and the Willis Tower, back when it was known as the Sears Tower. With it taking place on a Saturday night, you don’t even have to skip school to attend.  Additionally, there will be an attempt to break the world record for singing the movie’s anthem, Danke Shoen.

During the movie, pay special attention to the scenes at the baseball game. Do you know the score or what game they are at? Check out some impressive detective work here – you’re sure to impress your friends with your knowledge.

Tickets are $10 for bleacher seats, $25 for an outfield lawn seat or $75 for a VIP outfield lawn seat that gets you access to a pre-event party at the Captain Morgan Club, but also be on the lookout because our CEO, Billy Dec, is giving away some tickets on twitter & facebook!

So, dust off your 80s gear, warm-up that voice and grab some close friends to help “Save Ferris!”

-Evan Jones