Youth football league founder, coach, says football should be played by adults only
Mike Oliver played football for a good portion of his life – youth football, then high school, where his Downers Grove South team was state runner-up…
By Bob Chiarito (Brazil, July 1, 2021) The police shootout that claimed the life of the Brazil’s most-wanted murder suspect last week brought relief to many, but they say there…
A REVIEW BY BOB CHIARITO Judging from the amount of attention GRLwood has received in only two years of existence, it won’t be long before fans long for the days where they are…
By Bob Chiarito (July 9, 2019) Ten long years after being kidnapped and taken to Ghana by her grandparents, 15-year-old Christina Gunn was reunited with her mother in Atlanta…
UPDATE: 7/8/2019. Jon Dee Graham is out of the hospital and back home in Texas, and he says he will play Wednesday night at his weekly gig at The Continental Club in Austin.…
Chicago’s violence has many casualties and the toll it takes on first-responders is not a new story. Dozens of stories were written in response to the six Chicago Police…
A review by Bob Chiarito The plight of the working poor has often been a subject in art, from the folk songs of Woody Guthrie to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Bruce…
Acclaimed composer-soprano Patrice Michaels will perform songs from her album Notorious RBG in Song, inspired by her mother-in-law, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth…
For the second year in a row, the winner of Chicago’s 48 Hour Film Project is going to Cannes. The project, Knockout, is a story about a young woman named Angel Tacaro (Melody…
Alex Kotlowitz is back with his fourth book, newly released An American Summer, Love and Death in Chicago. The engrossing book focuses on one summer in Chicago and the individuals…
by Bob Chiarito This story originally appeared in Gateway Journalism Review Jim DeRogatis, a Chicago pop music critic with a hard news background, almost threw away a fax he…
A column by Bob Chiarito. 2/17/19 For more than two weeks the public has read and watched news reports about the search for two men who attacked actor Jussie Smollett in the wee…
A column by Bob Chiarito. Sometimes a short trip is a microcosm of life in general. You can plan, but sometimes things happen that are out of your control. And if you’re…
Without serving a day in office and at only 29-years-old, 5th Ward Aldermanic candidate William “Will” Calloway has spurred more change to Chicago than most aldermen who have…
Jill McLean’s studio at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport is a busy place these days. The abstract painter is usually there at least 8 hours a day, adding to her repertoire at…
On Tuesday night, Chicagoans have the opportunity to see the 25th Anniversary restoration of ‘Solstice,” a film made by Jerry Vasilatos. It will be shown at the Music…
While Chicago’s storied hub of hard work is well known for its hunger and heart, the town’s history is surely shaped as much by its music as its muscle. Late last year, a…
Perhaps no show before or since captured the oddball characters and places of Chicago more than Wild Chicago, which ran on WTTW from 1989 to 2003. The show, much like many of the…
By Bob Chiarito November 17, 2018 Two Chicago area music venues are hoping their quiet stages Friday night send a loud message to bands with anti-Semitic ties: that they are not…
A column by Bob Chiarito. Perhaps nothing unites people from different countries, with different beliefs, languages and politics, more than music. It has a strong power, and it…
By Bob Chiarito Despite accusing the Russian government of poisoning one of its members days ago that has left him in grave condition, Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot will…
The race for Mayor of Chicago just got more crowded as Amara Enyia is set to announce that she’s running, making her the 10th candidate for the city’s top post. Enyia, 35,…
Chicago has all types of street artists, but perhaps the most widely known active street artist is Jim Bachor, who is also a safe bet as the only artist fulfilling a public need…
In 2015, while recovering from a heart-attack at St. Mary’s Hospital, artist Tony Fitzpatrick was told by his nurse about her best friend’s artist son, Danny Torres. They…
In 1979, Andy Warhol spent two days in Chicago and although it wasn’t a secret trip, it may have been long forgotten if not for an 18-year-old fan from Northbrook. Raúl Niño,…
Shawn Harrington, a former stand-out player at Marshall High School on Chicago’s West Side, did everything right and still ended up a victim of Chicago’s gun violence. He…
Bradley Pontecore studied film and graduated from Columbia College in 1997, went on to study film production at the American Film Institute Conservatory and has wanted to make a…
A documentary on legendary DJ Dick Biondi is currently in post production, the fruition of a dream of one of his biggest fans-turned-filmmaker, Pamela Pulice. Pulice, who first…
After serving four years and two combat tours in the Marine Corps, there isn’t any challenge that Devon Colwell shies away from. He worked on the edges of the film industry…
Chicagoan Emily Belden is getting a lot of well-deserved attention for her first novel, Hot Mess. Set in Chicago’s posh Randolph Street restaurant scene, Hot Mess is the story…
A review by Bob Chiarito. Fifty years after the West Side riots that started after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., much of West Garfield Park has never recovered.…
Indie rockers Company of Thieves is making their third appearance in Chicago Friday since reuniting in May. The band, fronted by Chicago area natives Genevieve Schatz and Marc…
Martin Atkins may be best known for his band Pigface and playing in Public Image Ltd. (PiL), the post-punk band fronted by Sex Pistols legend Johnny Rotten; as well as playing in…
At 24, Kayla Redig was like a lot of women her age. Single, early into a career, a competitive swimmer whose biggest concern was where she should be going to meet her friends on…
Kathleen Dragan first came to Chicago nine years ago and instantly fell in love with it. A year later, she moved to the South Loop with her husband, where they still live with…
To become a legend in Punk rock, perhaps more than any other genre of music, integrity and credibility are essential. Record sales and fame, metrics for most other genres, are…
Musician and writer Paul McComas has been in many bands and written many books over the years, but one character —Dayna Clay — has continued to talk back to him. The…
Andy Davis may have moved out of Chicago before making his first movie, but over the course of his career, he’s made more movies in Chicago than any other Hollywood director,…
Through her work in theater, in numerous web series, television and short-movie roles, most of which she created, Fawzia Mirza is an artist activist who is working to break down…
This was the first year of Riot Fest without its co-founder Sean McKeough who passed away last November at the age of 42, but those left in charge would have made him proud. The…
Chuck Ragan, lead singer of Hot Water Music, sat down with The Chicago Ambassador’s Bob Chiarito backstage at Riot Fest after putting on an electric set. Ragan, no stranger to…
Tom Morello continues to use music to rage against the man. The former lead guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Morello is now the backbone of Prophets of Rage, a rap-rock…
For most of her life, Lindsey Liss lived a conventional life while writing and taking photographs as a hobby. It wasn’t until middle age that she discovered her true passion and…
By Connor Carynski In a tough atmosphere for immigrants in this country, Moscow native and 24-year-old artist, Yulia Kuznetsova is fighting for an O-1B visa, only given to those…
Tim Kerr, the 61-year-old co-founder of the Austin hardcore band Big Boys, has made a name for himself as a punk rock pioneer and also as a painter showing around the world. His…
Chicagoans who missed it the first time around are in for a treat. The House Theatre of Chicago is opening its 2017-18 season with a remounting of United Flight 232, the…
Stuart Dybek is not only a Chicago treasure, he’s perhaps the best short-story writer in America. A youthful 75, Dybeck is a second-generation Polish American who grew up in…
Sitting down with Kelsie Huff is a fun challenge because she often goes off on talents and hardly sits still. At a recent one-on-one meeting with a reporter in a low-key Lincoln…
If the album Chicago indie band Bailiff is working on is anything like their set Saturday at the Taste of Chicago, music lovers will be in for something special. It’s been three…
By Connor Carynski Claiming people with disabilities are cast only as side characters, flat-out excluded or entirely misrepresented in the media, filmmaker and community worker…
Wesley Willis was a Chicago character who became well known in the 1990s for his solo music and his music with his band “The Wesley Willis Fiasco” and for his artwork, which…
Nicole Sachs suffered from chronic pain for several years in her 20s before discovering the work of the late Dr. John Sarno, a pioneer in mind-body medicine, which does not use…
Black Pistol Fire is a gritty rock and roll duo based out of Austin, Texas by way of Toronto, Canada. They played an afternoon set Saturday at Riot Fest and will be back in…
Jason Narducy felt the calling for a career in music when he was 8-years-old after watching The Who’s “The Kids are Alright” for the first time. A year later he’d get his…
Connie Lim, known as Milck, is the singer songwriter from Los Angeles whose song Quiet became the unofficial anthem for the Women’s March. The Chicago Ambassador caught up to…
Minita Gandhi is a force. An actress, playwright and writer who was born in Mumbai, India and raised in California, Gandhi has been living and working in Chicago since getting her…
By Connor Carynski Straying, but not too far, from its internet tethers, the A.V. Club entertainment site is extending their quota of smart and quirky content from your laptop to…
Owners of resale shop, coffee house, book & record store, set to open a deli in the Northwest Side Irving & Austin corridor By Bob Chiarito Not long after moving from…
By Connor Carynski The 34th annual Chicago Blues Festival maintained its title as the nation’s largest blues festival and its change of venue seemed to please most attendees and…
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A column by Bob Chiarito. Whether or not President Donald Trump’s personal meetings and phone calls to former F.B.I. director James B. Comey constitute obstruction of justice…
Talent, brains and the willingness to work hard can sometimes be found in the most unlikeliest of places, even the prison system. The difference between success and failure is…
By Bob Chiarito It’s a hard challenge to articulate what makes someone funny. Some comedians stand out for obvious reasons – often physical appearance or a willingness to…
Chuck Ragan is a Southern gentleman. Though he lives in Grass Valley, California, he grew up in the Southern part of America, bouncing from Texas to Georgia, then Louisiana and…
The Chicago Underground Film Festivall (CUFF) kicks off Wednesday night and runs through Sunday evening at the Logan Theatre in Logan Square. Now in its 24th year, the film fest…
By Connor Carynski Inspired by the disproportionate distribution of trauma centers in Chicago, community groups Ujimaa Medics and the Northwestern Trauma and Surgical Initiative…
Chicago is currently home of two exhibits that should not be missed, one of a Chinese dissident artist and the other of a local artist undiscovered until his death. Both share a…
Rivera returns to Humboldt Park, welcomed by many but opposed by few By Connor Carynski Some consider Puerto Rican nationalist, Oscar Lopez Rivera, a patriot and others a…
By Connor Carynski Addressing racism in any form has never been an easy conversation to have, and it certainly has never been a pretty one either, but an art exhibit in one of the…
Chicago photographer Tonika Johnson has garnered a lot of attention for two projects that are both focused on the South Side neighborhood where she grew up, Englewood. To…
The long-rumored and long-awaited documentary about legendary Chicago music store and record label Wax Trax! is coming to fruition, with two test screenings of “Industrial…
Patty Carroll has been known for her highly intense, color saturated photos for four decades now. She’s gotten attention for several projects over the years, especially her…
A REVIEW BY BOB CHIARITO What has been seen cannot be unseen. Perhaps that’s a cliche, but believing you can “un-see” something is the lie that the photojournalist in the…
A column by Bob Chiarito. A Chicago couple that is planning on packing up their business and leaving Chicago because of what they say are threats, intimidation and bullying…
The story most people don’t know — that the Mona Lisa was stolen and missing for more than 2 years, will make its Chicago-area premiere tonight. Filmmaker Joe Medeiros…
A REVIEW BY BOB CHIARITO Journalism is often a great source of intrigue and two new plays making their world premieres in Chicago use it well for high drama. The Columnist,…
He’s been called Chicago’s poet laureate and for twenty years, Kevin Coval has been one of the loudest and most distinct voices in Chicago — through his poetry…
By Bob Chiarito As a Muslim minority Rohingya in Myanmar (also known as Burma), 30-year-old Abdul Jabbar Amanullah was never a citizen of a country until he came to America in…
If you meet Ben Blount after seeing his art, you may be surprised to discover that he is a soft spoken man. Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t have to say much, his art speaks…
What causes a video to go viral is unknown and is the goal of every corporation and advertising agency in the country. The best viral videos are usually grass roots, not…
Chicago born and raised actor Lusia Strus, who currently stars in the TNT series “Good Behavior,” recently came back to her hometown of Chicago to see the last performance…
A book review by James Clarke. “Chicago musicians played the blues and all the other cats were imitators.” Michael Bloomfield I remember the first time I heard the…
When she has something to say, Maggie Meiners has always followed her heart and found a way to say it. In the early 2000’s, she visited a photography exhibit in London and was…
Although it played to sold-out audiences every year, The Santaland Diaries was never a traditional holiday show. Based on a short story by best-selling author and humorist David…
After 108 long seasons, the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series. Of course, the series had to go seven heart-pounding games, and go into extra-innings in that final game to…
By Bob Chiarito On the day many Chicagoans would celebrate a World Series for the Cubs, downtown in Cook County Circuit Court November 2 marked the day that a mother lost her best…
Jane Saks is a lot of things. Author, writer, poet, activist, educator, and collaborator are just some of her titles. She has dedicated her life to advancing human rights and…
Nicole Atkins is a timeless artist whose songwriting and voice spans generations. Often compared to Roy Orbison, who she grew up admiring, Atkins burst onto the music scene in…
For David Singer, the path to directing his first full-length feature film was a circuitous one. About 20 years ago, Singer attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to…
In 1979, twenty year old Alan Harper packed his bags, hopped a transatlantic flight from London to the US and by way of Newark, Manhattan and Bloomington, Illinois, made his way…
A Guest Essay from Katy Jacob A self-described “professional nerd,” Katy Jacob has lived in the Chicago area most of her life. She writes two blogs, KatyDid Cancer and Live…
Chicago Tribune reporter Mary Wisniewski first discovered Nelson Algren when she was in college in search of a book about the seedy side of life. A friend recommended “The Man…
The play Bleacher Bums is as synonymous with the Chicago Cubs as the ivy at Wrigley Field, the rooftops across from the ballpark on Sheffield and Waveland Avenues and waiting…
In the intro on her Facebook page, there is a note that says “Pronounces name NEE-noh uh-ROH-buh-li-dzuh.” While many outside the local indie-music scene are just hearing of…
Religion and politics may be off limits for sensible cocktail party conversation, but it makes great fodder for satire. While Thee Trinity, a new play that takes on religion,…
Chicago artist Krista Wortendyke is one of several artists who has been inspired by Chicago violence. Her most known piece, “Killing Season Chicago,” was created in 2010 but…
If you met Lou Shields on the street, you might think that he just walked off the set of The Grapes of Wrath, until you saw his shoes. Decked out in an untucked buttoned-down…
Kathleen Hanna has never been shy. As one of the founders of the Riot Grrrl movement, Hanna has been a leader in the third-wave feminism movement that continues to this day. She…
On July 12, 1979, an event billed as “Teen Night” took place in between two games of a double-header at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox. Mention “Teen Night”…
“You’re about to see hard rockin’ John Dee tonight!’ one anxious Chicago-by-way-of-Austin fan explained as Jon Dee Graham and his band The Fighting Cocks (Veteran Austin…
At 14, Christian Picciolini found himself at the intersection of Union and Division Streets in Blue Island, birthplace of the American white power skinhead movement and one of…
Fans are used to seeing Mike Cooley trading off vocal duties on stage with Patterson Hood, his longtime band mate and co-founding member of Drive By Truckers. Anyone lucky enough…
Chicago has a long tradition of story tellers. From Nelson Algren in literature to Mike Royko in the newspaper, Studs Terkel on the radio, there is no shortage. And in the world…
A review by Bob Chiarito. The hypocrisy and folly of young liberal idealism seems to be a theme in two recent Chicago productions this season. Sitting in the Goodman Theatre’s…
Chicago has long been home of the blues. It’s where musicians, largely from the Mississippi Delta, first plugged in their guitars (in a radical move) to create a new sound that…
W. Kamau Bell talks about race and politics a lot. And with a bit of salt creeping into his unkept hair, along with the goatee, one may think that he’s a trying to be a next…
On the cusp of turning 29, Eileen Tull has done more than artists twice her age. Performance artist, poet, storyteller, comedian, and feminist who has performed across the…
For more than a decade, Robin Slonina has worked to establish a respectable arts scene in Las Vegas. Originally from Chicago, Slonina is a star in the world of body painting,…
To many, Asra Nomani is a hero, a champion of women’s rights, a reporter, and an activist. To others, she’s an infidel, a self-hating Muslim, and delusional. What no one seems…
For most chefs, owning a hotspot on Fulton Market and then following it up with an award-winning restaurant in Wicker Park would fulfill most desires. But for Chef Bruno Abate, a…
The Interview Show is one of Chicago’s longest running live variety shows. For the last 8 years, audiences at The Hideout on Chicago’s North Side have attended every first…
From 1907 to 1913, Chicago was the movie capital of the world. Essanay Studios, located in Uptown, made silent films featuring stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, and…
Tom Palazzolo is a true Chicago original. Filmmaker, photographer and painter are just some descriptions of him. Chronicler of Chicago oddities and oddballs is another, as well as…
A column by Bob Chiarito. February 14 turned out to be a cold and snowy day in Chicago, fitting for the death of a friend. On what was a bittersweet Valentine’s Day for…
JC Brooks of JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound has made it to the Grammy Awards this year, but won’t be winning any awards…yet. As the lead singer of a Chicago-based…
By Bob Chiarito An arts organization on the far South Side of Chicago is in the process of recruiting artists to help raise awareness for an organization that helps kids…
James Foley was many things to many people. Son, friend, teacher, colleague, and reporter are only some of the labels that could describe him. Born in Evanston, Foley’s…
Album review by James Clarke. Today marks the release of Scheherazade, Freakwater’s first album in ten years and the first on Chicago’s Bloodshot label. Scheherazade is a…
A column by Bob Chiarito. A few months ago I learned about an American girl who has been forced to live in Ghana with her father’s relatives, against the wishes of her…
Alex Kotlowitz may be the most important storyteller in Chicago today. Best known for his 1991 best-selling There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up In The…
A column by Bob Chiarito. Every year at this time, we read a lot of heartwarming stories. For at least a day, political differences are set aside. But Christmas comes and goes,…
For nearly thirty years, an unlikely candidate has appeared amongst favorite and greatest Christmas song lists. Pristine and profane, The Pogues’ classic ballad “Fairytale…
Robert Teitel is a busy man. The producer of 21 films and television shows, including Soul Food, Men of Honor and the Barbershop franchise, his latest project —…
The singing, songwriting, storytelling, boogie-woogie piano playing, long tall Marcia Ball makes her way back to Chicago this weekend for two shows—Friday, December 11th at…
A concert review. By James Clarke Kentucky singer-songwriter Daniel Martin Moore played an eclectic set Tuesday night at Schuba’s in support of his recently released album…
Kentucky singer-songwriter Daniel Martin Moore will be performing at Schubas on Tuesday, December 8th in support of his most recent album Golden Age (Sofaburn…
Born and raised in Ohio, Renee Rosen has been a resident of Chicago for the last 30 years. If that wasn’t enough to convince someone that she’s a true Chicagoan, her…
A Review by Ann Gabor. Spoiler alert: Some plot points of the show are discussed below. It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter. The temperatures are…
Today’s indictment of Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke on a first-degree murder charge and the release of the video showing him shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16…
George Klauba was born in the Marquette Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side 77 years ago. He currently lives in the Northwest Side neighborhood of North Center,…
Being a parent is arguably the hardest job in the world, and being the parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy presents an especially hard challenge. But Tony and Deanna Alfano of…
Amy Guth is a hard person to describe. She’s a journalist, a novelist, an activist, a radio host and a huge fan of the band The Smiths. She’s also an adjunct faculty…
To describe an artist’s story as eccentric is sort of like naming the smartest member of MENSA, but Stephen Martin’s story does stand out in a scene full of unique…
By Bob Chiarito If the posh and chic River North art galleries are quiet Saturday, it’s likely because the city’s art-community will be focused on the far South Side,…
A review by Bob Chiarito. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy may be the most studied crime in American history. Yet 52 years later, there is no definitive…
Just as Chicago may never shake its reputation for organized crime, the Kennedy assassination may never be solved. The two have intersected in the new play “Assassination…
“Check, Please!” host Catherine De Orio is bringing together some of the city’s finest chefs to participate in a Fried Chicken & Champagne Fest August 22 to…
Legendary Chicago punk outfit gives The Chicago Ambassador more than a glimpse. Chicago has a huge musical tradition that runs from bluesmen like Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy to…
If a Chicago version of “Where’s Waldo?” was ever created, it likely would feature a middle-aged, baby-faced man with dimples who wears a hat and gym shoes…
20-year-old Keven Stonewall just completed his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin, but unlike most college kids, he’s been billed as the great hope to cure colon…
By Bob Chiarito Any hope that the 11-year-old daughter of Ivy Davis and Raymond C. Gunn will be returned to the U.S. by the next court date in the custody battle between divorced…
By Bob Chiarito The U.S. State Department Tuesday opened a child abduction investigation into the case of an American-born 11-year-old girl that has been living in Ghana for the…
In the House music world, Darlene Jackson is royalty. Born and raised in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the South Side, Jackson, better known as “Lady D,” …
To describe Zainab Zeb Khan as an activist is just as limiting as to call her an artist. She is both, and also more than that. Born and raised in the Chicago area, with a father…
By Bob Chiarito The Beverly Area Art Alliance‘s exhibit Friday night will feature work from several South Side artists, including one of the most prolific artists of the…
Any serious discussion about music in Chicago cannot take place without the mention of Joe Shanahan. At 58, he is the owner of both Metro and Smart Bar, along with being co-owner…
A column by Michael Lopez. I’m now aware. I. AM. AWARE! I’m aware of the triumph and the defeat, the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations and the non-stop cycle of…
Kim Longinotto is one of the most renowned filmmakers in the world. Known for making observational documentaries that reveal untold stories of women’s daily lives and…
When she’s not playing lead guitar in The Breeders, one of the seminal bands of the 90s, Kelley Deal is part of R.Ring, a two-piece band with Ampline guitarist Mike…
Chicagoan Todd Bauer didn’t start writing until after he graduated from college with a degree in accounting, and didn’t share his writing for more than a decade after…
Describing 34-year-old Daniel Knox’s music is a tall task. Antonyms like “gritty” and “beautiful” have been used to describe the sound. Adjectives…
By Bob Chiarito It was 2011 when news of the arrest, torture and murder of children in her native Syria snapped Alaa Basatneh out of her comfortable existence in northwest…
John Maloof is less than two weeks away from going to the Academy Awards to see if his first film brings home the Oscar for Best Documentary — but he’s been so busy…
As the host of “Check, Please!” — the highest rated show on WTTW, it wouldn’t be surprising to find Catherine De Orio dining at a swanky Randolph Street…
The “David Bowie Is” exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art may have ended Sunday, but for those looking for more of David Bowie, there is currently an exhibit of world…
Since the early 1990s, Steve Albini has been one of the loudest voices in the music industry. Born in California, Albini grew up mostly in Montana. He moved to Evanston in 1980 to…
Urge Overkill was one of the biggest bands to ever come out of Chicago. Before the Smashing Pumpkins stole the local spotlight away, Urge ruled the 1990’s Chicago music…
In the early 1990’s Urge Overkill went from hometown band to national stars, despite the attempts by two local women to stop them. If you frequented the North Side during…
Art Shay is a legend. And at 92, he’s still going strong. Originally from the Bronx, Shay moved to the Chicago area in 1949, a few years after World War II, during which he…
Legendary reporter John “Bulldog” Drummond worked at CBS 2 Chicago from 1969 until 1997. Known mostly for his crime coverage, especially of the Chicago Outfit,…
A member of David Bowie’s inner circle made an unannounced visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art Friday to see “David Bowie Is,” the exhibit focused on his…
The “David Bowie Is” exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art will end January 4 and while tickets are available, some weekend dates are selling out fast. The Chicago…
Suzanne Vega possesses one of the finest voices in American music and will be at Space in Evanston Friday for two shows to support her newest album “Tales From the Realm of…
Nelson Algren has been dead for nearly 35 years and since then has been nearly forgotten by mainstream readers, despite being considered by some as one of the finest American…
A guest column by Nora Dunn. Let me say something right off. I am an ex-Cubs fan, and let me tell you why. Because I said so, and what I say goes. I am also a…
Saint Boniface is an abandoned Catholic Church in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood at the corner of Chestnut and Noble streets. Founded in 1864 as a home for Chicago’s…
By Bob Chiarito Just as most forms of Rock and Roll can be traced back to the blues, music has always borrowed from and been influenced by what came before. Sometimes the…
Best known for her co-starring role in the 2006 movie Once with singer Glen Hansard, along with their albums together as part of The Swell Season, Marketa Irglova recently…
By Bob Chiarito Chicago is a sports town. In the summer, we are divided over the Cubs and White Sox in baseball, and then the fall comes (when baseball is usually irrelevant in…
Susana Mendoza is the City Clerk of Chicago and currently one of only two women in a city-wide post (City Treasurer Stephanie Neely being the other). Previously, Mendoza served 12…
UPDATE, December 10, 2014: Blake Grisby was just at Christkindlmarket Chicago — the annual outdoor Christmas Market outside of Daley Center, where he unveiled his…
Comedian Cameron Esposito has been in the local news a lot lately — with a recent return to Chicago’s Lincoln Hall for a gig. She may have grown up and made her name…
A review by Bob Chiarito. Last winter was brutal enough to break any Chicagoan with the means to escape, and Tony Fitzpatrick is no exception. In his latest show — more of a…
By Bob Chiarito Most “cover bands” are nothing more than mega-fans of the bands they adore, though with limited musical ability and ambition. “She’s…
Mike Oliver played football for a good portion of his life – youth football, then high school, where his Downers Grove South team was state runner-up…
A column by Bob Chiarito. I first laid eyes on Shirley Watkins outside the Wrigley Building and kept walking, but as I stepped onto the…
A REVIEW BY BOB CHIARITO Going into “This Way Outta Santaland (and other Xmas miracles)” the biggest question I had was whether the audience would get…
A column by Michael Lopez. Misery The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different outcome or something to…
A column by Bob Chiarito. Chicago is unique from other big cities in that we make folk heroes out of everyday people and a new one…
A column by Michael Lopez. Every March even the marginally informed college basketball observer like yours truly tries to predict the winners of all the games…
A column by Bob Chiarito. It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Rahm Emanuel. The reasons go beyond the fact that he’s an…
City Clerk Susana Mendoza was first interviewed by The Chicago Ambassador in October. In response to today’s column from Bob Chiarito, she wrote the following: I…
Chicago-area writer Cristina Henríquez is a busy woman. The mother of two young children, she has been actively promoting her critically acclaimed novel “The Book of Unknown…
A column by Michael Lopez. Despite the lyrics to the famous song, what I know now and what I believe now is that nothing about suicide…