Chicago Weekend Events (April 27, 28, 29)

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Sandra Treviño

Here’s a small selection of events you might want to check out this weekend in Chicago. We know there’s plenty more so let us know. We love adventures! What will you be doing? Tell us in your comments!

Friday, April 27

LUZBEL at MultiKulti

Mexico City heavy metal band, Luzbel, performs at MultiKulti located at 1000 N. Milwaukee. If you’ve never been to MultiKulti, you should! It’s a great environment if you’re looking for artistic inspiration, positive energy and great music of all kinds. This event, hosted by Rockotitlan Chicago, features metal (black death metal) and punk with performances by Conciencia Total, Sh*thammer and Luciferum. Doors open at 8PM.

LOS VICIOS DE PAPA, NAHUALES UNDERGROUND at Bar 10 Doors

Chicago bands take the stage at Bar 10 Doors in the Little Italy/UIC neighborhood while DJ Resistol plays the best in lat/alt/rock tunes between sets. Fridays turn out great crowds so make sure to get there early especially with these two show stoppers. Both bands are excellent at what they do, especially those ska horns in Los Vicios de Papa… pure delight!!! Plus, the taking off of pants to jump around in underwear, hardcore hip hop style, is highly encouraged by Nahuales Underground. Sassy! The venue is located at 1259 W. Taylor Street and the show gets started at 10PM.

GRUPO CUMBE at Old Town School of Folk Music

Szold Hall at Old Town School of Folk Music hosts the Global Dance Party featuring a performance by Chicago Colombian cumbia band Grupo Cumbe. There’s a dance class that starts off the show so make sure to get there by 8:30PM. Cover is $10.

BODY2BODY at Zhou B Cafe

Timeless tracks from many of the artists and labels that moved more than one generation (Wax Trax, Mute, Netwerk, Front 242, Erasure, Skinny Puppy, etc) will be honored tonight by DJs Victor Lua, Oskar Alkantar, Carlos Feliciano and Victor Salazar with special guests Rafaleux and Rigoboto. This debut event takes place in Bridgeport at Zhou B Cafe located at 1029 W. 35th Street. No cover at this one and the party gets started at 9PM.

Saturday, April 28th

URBAN INDIGENOUS – A COMEDIC REVOLUTION

This is a one-woman comedy, written and performed by Josie Dykas. The one night only fundraising performance takes place at American Indian Center of Chicago located at 1630 W. Wilson Ave and 50% of all proceeds help the AIC. Doors open at 7:30PM and it’s only $10 to see this amazing funny lady. Plus, it’s for a great organization.

PATAFUNK and NUESTRO TAMBO at Taxim

In celebration of Soulphonetics‘ Dance Syndrome night, they’ve invited Venezuelan DJ/Producer Patafunk all the way from New York. He’ll be joined by bomba y plena group, Nuestro Tambo and the groovy sounds of DJ collective Soulphonetics who have the magical ability to make everyone shake their booty. Let’s dance! Taxim is in the Wicker Park neighborhood at 1558 N. Milwaukee and things get hot, hot, hot at 9PM.

SONORAMA at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar

If you’re a craft beer lover than this is the place to go. With over 300 selections, Maria’s is one of this writer’s bar of choice for more than just its heavenly drink choices but also because of the ambience that the handsome (((SONORAMA))) gentlemen bring to it. With an exciting and eccentric selection of vintage Latin tunes, you’re sure to fall in love as well. Their Discoteca Tropical residency takes place the last weekend of each month. Maria’s is located at 960 W. 31st Street in Bridgeport.

Sunday, April 29th

LOCOS POR JUANA at Reggie’s

The Grammy-nominated Miami band, Locos Por Juana, visits Chicago this weekend! They perform Sunday evening at Reggie’s on State Street. They’ll be joined by Sound Culture and (((SONORAMA))). This is one band you don’t want to miss as they’ll be sharing new music from their Somos De La Calle album. Reggie’s is located at 2105 S. State Street near Cermak. The band goes on at 9PM.

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Record Store Saturday in Chicago

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Sandra Treviño

Music lovers have been celebrating all week in anticipation of today, April 21st, also known as Record Store Day. This is the day marked for independently owned record stores to come together with artists and celebrate the art of music. (But hey, if you can do this every day, which some of us do, then by all means go forth and celebrate!) It’s especially great when you live in a city like Chicago, where related activities abound.

Below are a few options we’ve put together for today’s festivities, all with a sassy Latino twist. Let us know where you’re headed!

FAVORITE RECORDS ftg. (((SONORAMA))), BRYAN MARTIN, SONIDO TRITON

The record shop located at 1535 W. Division will feature 100% vinyl rhythms from Jamaica, Latin America and the Caribbean with invited DJs (((SONORAMA))), Bryan Martin and Sonido Triton. There will also be a poster and record show display (with some cool items for sale) by Chema Skandal. 6PM, FREE.

CONGRESS THEATER ftg. BELANOVA, PERFECT KISS, TRANCID and more…

Mexican pop band Belanova, known for their candy-coated synth sounds, performs at the Congress Theater located at 2135 N. Milwaukee. The concert includes popular Chicago electro/dance/rock band, Perfect Kiss. You can also catch DJs Trancid, Enrique Tobias, Rude Gentleman and Verde Paris warming up the show in the lobby. 8PM, $30-$50.

JAPANESE CULTURE CENTER – RECYCLED & INTERACTIVE ART SHOW

Julieta Alvarez, of soaringbird studios, has curated the evening’s art exhibit, which is their second installation at the Center in the Lakeview neighborhood located at 1016 W. Belmont. The exhibit features work by artists Jose Calvo, Larry Auld, Jacinto Ariza, Dan Rangel, Tim Peters, Jarett Rudar and Julieta Alvarez. The evening’s featured artists are Karina Calvo, Noemi Gonzalez and Marissa Macias. 6PM. Free. All ages.

Have fun today!

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The AUSL philosophy trains teachers, students, and parents

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Evan Moore

The numbers regarding Latino and African-Americans students are staggering. For every 100 Latino and African-American male student, only three of them graduate from high school and earn a college degree. The Academy of Urban School Leadership wants to change those numbers.

The Academy of Urban School Leadership (AUSL) has gone into several schools by replacing the entire staff and replacing them with AUSL-trained teachers. AUSL serves 9,500 students by implementing the “turnaround” model.

AUSL receives funding from a who’s who in every field of human endeavor. The Department of Education, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bank of America, and even the Chicago Bears to name a few.

To see this philosophy in action, I visited Tarkington School of Excellence on the city’s southwest side.

According to the school’s website, “Tarkington School of Excellence is committed to providing safe and rigorous academic environment where all students are prepared to become critical citizens through a standard based balanced literacy.”

Tarkington is one of AUSL’s training academies. Which means some of the classrooms have a mentor teacher and a resident teacher. Tarkington is also the state’s first green elementary school.

“Our school has almost 1200 kids, K through 8. One fourth of them are in the Transitional Bilingual program,” Margaret Kania, Tarkington’s bilingual coordinator explained. “ Sixty percent Latino, 40 percent African-American.”

“The big thing in the common language when [they] say things like 100 percent or strong voice or any of the other techniques regardless of the school you’re in everyone gets the same background,” Tamiko Nettles-Harris, AUSL’s mentor resident coach explained.

According to their numbers, AUSL maintains an 86 percent retention rate of the teachers in their teacher training program, which among the highest.

Next I went over to Deneen School of Excellence. Deneen was a school that slated for the “turnaround” model some years back.

“You are preparing your child for college starting today,” Annise Lewis, the principal of Deneen School of Excellence, tells the parents of the students.

The numbers appear to back up AUSL’s philosophy. For instance, the test scores of the students at Deneen went up 11 percent after AUSL took over.

Also Principal Lewis implements a program called Calm Classroom. This program lets student relax by using breathing exercises to help prevent conflicts between students. According Principal Lewis, some parents were so impressed by the Calm Classroom program that they use the program at home.

Kristie Curtis is a parent who has three kids at the school.

“At first I was scared but I liked the change. Change made things better,” said Curtis. “ At first their grade weren’t good. No one was outside watching the kids when they left the school. Now it’s a safer environment. Their grades are now better than ever. The teachers now help them after school. If they need to come in before school to get extra help that’s fine, too. Before, it was like nobody cared.”

Curtis now volunteers at the school on daily basis.

Tarkington Students walking through the hallway

Inside a bilingual classroom

Positive reinforcement

Lunch time at Deneen

Book Fair

Inside one of the classrooms at Deneen

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Poet calls for justice and peace in México

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Deysi Cuevas

México’s coverage on its war on drugs has gone through several stages, ranging from the need to educate people all over the world about the ongoing issue to peoples’ indifference because they have become desensitized by the coverage on violence. It has become something they can’t control due to the corruption of power-hungry politicians and their lack of action; so it seems some have learned to deal with it. When I ask people for their opinion on México’s ongoing struggle, I’m given the same apathetic response almost every time: “Well, it’s been going on for years. It’s not going to change anytime soon. There’s nothing we can do.” When I stare back dumbfounded as I fully absorb the notion that they’ve given up so easily, I explain that there’s plenty we can do. We can unite, fight corruption. It won’t be done over-night. But, won’t it be worth it in the end? Of course, that’s easier said than done. Living in the U.S., it’s easy to ask people to take action. I’ve never lived in fear for my life for writing a story about the drug war and corruption as is the case for many reporters in México.

Nevertheless, I continue to have hope for a better México and I’m not alone. Javier Sicilia, poet, activist and journalist spoke at the National Museum of Mexican Art on April 17 about the country’s continuing struggle with violence and the importance of mobilizing and uniting to create a better México for all.

In March of 2011, Silicia’s son, Juan Francisco Sicilia Ortega was murdered in Temixco Morelos by drug gang members. In response, Sicilia has been traveling all over México and parts of the U.S. holding protests and calling for an end to the war on drugs, the legalization of drugs and the removal of Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Sicilia stated that this was not only a Mexican issue but for those living in the U.S as well.

“The day will come when whatever is happening there will happen here [in the United States] because here in the U.S. you also have victims of drugs, victims of guns. Your jails are full of people who are caught with just a little bit of drugs for their personal consumption and that means a lot of pain, broken families. It also means criminalizing because the largest number of people that end up in jail are blacks and Latinos. As if the drugs that whites took were good drugs. It needs to be decriminalized because it’s causing pain and lives and it’s enriching not only criminals but also people involved in laundering money,” said Sicilia.

The soft-spoken poet has become an unlikely leader to those who still hold out for change and peace and I think he has given people a sense of hope and unity. That’s exactly what México needs right now.

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C2E2 comes to Chicago

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Evan Moore

If you happened to be driving by the near the south loop this past weekend Halloween do not come early this year. People who were dressed up at Superman, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman were on their way to the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo otherwise known as C2E2.

C2E2 is an annual event that place at the McCormick Place. The convention brought together comic book fanatics, comic book writers, and notable figures in science fiction and entertainment together under one roof. The latest and greatest from the world of comics, television, movies, toys, anime, and video games. Over 275 exhibitors were in attendance.

The panels and autograph sessions that gave fanatics a chance to see their favorite creators, to screening rooms featuring sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they are released to the general public. One of the exhibitors was actor Kevin Brown, who plays Dot com on the NBC television series 30 Rock. Actors John Cusack and Val Kilmer were also in attendance as well as Anthony Daniels, who played the C-3PO character in all six movies in the Star Wars series. Daniels held and an entertaining question and answer session with about 300 Star Wars fanatics.

Also there were individual vendors who were exposing their lesser-known comic books to the masses such as Enrica Jang. “The series is set in Mexico about a vigilante serial killer who thinks he can stop the world from ending in 2012. The idea is that the Aztecs used to sacrifice millions of innocent people to the gods to try to stop the end of the world. This character does believe in the prophecy that the world is going to end unless he does something he is trying to revive the old Aztec rituals but he goes drug dealers, traffickers, and rapists.” Jang said. Jang is the writer/producer of AZTECA, a comic series and motion comic. She is also a freelance writer who founded Red Stylo Media, a publishing, promotions and consulting firm, in 2008.

front entrance

Stormtroopers from Star Wars

Actor Kevin Brown, who plays Dot com on the NBC television series 30 Rock

Comic book buyers

conventioners

Enrica Jang, writer/producer of AZTECA, a comic series and motion comic

The Phoenix from the X-Men

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Costumes and Cosplay at C2E2

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Casey Brazeal

Comic conventions are famous for people dressed up in outlandish costumes. C2E2 did not disappoint this year on that front. Here’s a collection of some of our favorites:

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BEAR DOWN: Chicago Bears 2012 schedule announced

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Evan Moore

Learn the song!!

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;
Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown.
You’re the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

Here’s the schedule:

Week 1 9/9: Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Week 2 9/13: Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Week 3 9/23: Chicago Bears vs. St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 4 10/1: Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Week 5 10/7: Chicago Bears @ Jacksonville Jaguars 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 6: BYE
Week 7 10/22: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Week 8 10/28: Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 9 11/4: Chicago Bears @ Tennessee Titans 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 10 11/11: Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Week 11 11/19: Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Week 12 11/25: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 13 12/2: Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 14 12/9: Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 15 12/16: Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 16 12/23: Chicago Bears @ Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m. ET, FOX
Week 17 12/30: Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions 1 p.m. ET, FOX

GO BEARS!!!

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Free guidance, support and consultation on Diabetes

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Christina Rodriguez

As a person living with diabetes for the past 20 years, I know how difficult it can be to search and find the help and guidance one needs to live a healthy and prosperous life in this day and age.

Tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. people who are concerned about their health and wellness will be able to attend a free Diabetes Expo hosted by the American Diabetes Association. This will take place at the McCormick Place, Lakeside Center. I attended this Expo quite a few times and found it interesting that I could speak to people about my health and they knew exactly what I was talking about in terms of blood sugar, foods to eat and other experiences that they’ve encountered when working with other diabetics.

The Expo will include stages and booths lead by professionals within the diabetes field. Along with cooking demonstrations in both English and Spanish, there will be health screenings available as well. In addition, you’ll find activity tips and exercise demonstrations to show just how important and easy it can be to work out and maintain a healthy lifestyle at home.

The ADA supports people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. At the moment, approximately 26 million Americans are living with diabetes. Another 79 million have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. The mission of the ADA is to keep this from developing even further, providing advice and help for those who are at the highest risk for developing the disorder.

You can find Spanish language information at the Por Tu Familia stage, geared toward helping out the Latino community, highly affected by diabetes, over all.

For more information visit: www.diabetes.org/expo

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So much to do this weekend!

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Evan Moore

This weekend watch baseball, channel your inner-nerd, grow a playoff beard, or go see a play.

The Chicago Blackhawks start their quest to win Lord Stanley’s Cup on Thursday when travel to west to face-off against the Phoenix Coyotes at 9 pm. (I already have a playoff beard)

The Chicago Whitesox home opener is Friday at 1:05pm against the defending Central Division Champions Detroit Tigers.

The Chicago Cubs head south to Missouri to start a weekend series against the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. (I’ve been to a Cubs/Cardinals game before…intense to say the least)

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) will be taking place in the north building at McCormick Place. Tickets start at $25.00. The festivities start at 10 am Friday morning.

Fela! The last show takes place at The Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. The play is about the life and times of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.

Have fun this weekend!!

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The Blizzard of Oz is at it again

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Evan Moore

Like Lebron James, Ozzie Guillen took his talents to South Beach. Some Cubans in Miami think that he should take his talents and his mouth elsewhere. Recent comments made by Miami Marlins manager to Time Magazine has many in the Cuban community of South Florida calling for his firing.

In the article, Guillen says that he loves former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. He also said that he respects Castro for staying in power for as long as he has. When word of the statements made by Guillen got out, the Cuban community in Miami was outraged to say the least. Many people down there still have negative feelings toward the Communist regime that was lead by Castro. Numerous people had to leave to escape persecution.

I understand that Guillen has the right to say this but the world we live in does not allow us to say whatever we like despite what the First Amendment says. The Cuban revolution is a polarizing subject to Cubans who are from European descent and Cubans who are from African descent. Some believe that the people who initially left Cuba were some of the same people who did the persecuting of Afro-Cubans that Castro was trying to get rid of. Some feel that the revolution stopped institutional racism and poverty while making education and healthcare accessible.

Along the way, the Communist regime that Castro led did not live up to the reasons why it was initially started. Due to the long-standing bitterness that prominent members of the Cuban community still feel, the team suspended Guillen for five games. Guillen needs to be sensitive to his new surroundings. What works in Chicago clearly does not work in Miami.

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