Shout out to @noochiez.bsky.social for talking about Joan of Arc’s The Gap on Pitchfork’s Perfect 10 series www.instagram.com/reel/DUbdzYb...

and then they realized they were no longer ratboys. they were ratmen

tfw you’ve lost shinedown

We're not even a week into Black History Month, and Trump has shared a video that depicts former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Republican Sen. Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”

Chicago new wave DJ and Planet Earth cofounder Dave Roberts died three years ago today—this story gives a window into what he brought to Chicago’s alternative nightlife scene

I wrote about the return of Chicago’s Two Piece Fest, a four-day celebration of bands with two people held at four different venues and one radio station. Math!

It’s dawned on me that this could be broadcast during the Super Bowl

🚨BREAKING: Late night decision leads to late night posting of new double A-side single for #bandcampfriday! tedleo.bandcamp.com/album/februa...

Chance the Rapper make an ad for a Jersey Ai cloud-computing company :/

new: the first piece in a @chicagoreader.com’s series on quantum shore chicago looks at community resistance to the megadevelopment. contributor grey lucas traces the neighborhood’s history of fighting disinvestment and environmental racism from the former south works steel plant to present-day.

They’re trying to run the Kilmar Abrego Garcia playbook with a five year old boy in a bunny hat because nobody can find peace if they embarrass the Trump administration publicly. Normal people didn’t like it with Garcia and they really aren’t going to like it for Liam.

Big ups to @juggaloreporter.bsky.social and @silktanktop.bsky.social!! For the lovely interview and photo, respectively! It was really fun to chat w Micco about my journey to where I’m at now and how I’m excited for my future with the label! chicagoreader.com/music/chicag...

Really nuts how many men were like "Me Too went too far, and I need to email Jeffrey Epstein about it."

This is an authoritarian power grab, full stop. Nationalizing elections would put the executive branch in control of who votes and how. That’s how dictators rig outcomes, crush opposition, and assault democratic self-government. This should alarm everyone: www.ms.now/news/trump-s...

BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. (1/2 🧵)

What we loved about Dan McQuade:

the funniest part of nellie bowels' "it's important in journalism to sit with the corrupt and criminals and that's why i met for coffee with jeffery epstein" is that thefp would never give any space ever for the voice of anyone associated with palestine despite the exact same line of logic

with "justice dot gov," westside gunn refuses to reinvent the boom-bap wheel and shows no sign of slowing down. (7.2)

In one of videos, Sveum mentioned enjoying our running trails, which led us to find his Strava account. His account was public (no longer), so we can see he was talking about the Des Plains River Trail and he stayed at the Lincolnshire Marriott. We only found this after he left Chicago. But...

[guy who has only been to pitchfork music festival, seeing a lineup for another music festival] getting a lot of “pitchfork music festival” vibes from this

After a month and a half break from print, the Reader makes its debut as a monthly. Thank you to everyone who supported the paper last year when we were scraping by week to week, and all the ups and downs before then. Thank you to everyone who picks up a new issue, it means the world.

What on earth

Last year, I emailed Chicago’s chief homelessness officer, Sendy Soto, as well as spokespeople for both Soto & Mayor Johnson, six times. I wanted to understand their approach to evicting unhoused Chicagoans from the shelters they build to survive. No response. chicagoreader.com/news/housing...

i’m sorry to keep bringing him up but this is the guy nick shirley brought along as he visited daycares who was identified only as a “source” in the video and it turns out he is a right wing lobbyist who called muslim people “demons” www.theverge.com/news/869824/...

the Washington Post effectively blew up its arts section today, dismissing its books, TV, music, and theater critics, features writers, and several editors. (I'm also guessing the vacant film critic position will stay that way.) Just an insane loss of talent and a huge self-inflicted wound.

In less than a week the Kennedy Center has effectively closed and our local DC paper has been gutted, both by billionaires. I don’t think immigrants are our problem in this country.

One thing about these particular agents is that once you pay attention, you realize they’ve been in so many iconic photos from this time. Just one example: In this photo from Anthony Vazquez in the Sun-Times, that’s Michael Sveum on the right. Edgar Vazquez was out of frame, but nearby.

Any newspaper should be so lucky to publish a critic as thoughtful as Chris. A delight to read his work for many years in my hometown paper from afar. He’s kept me tied to the city, and he still helps me hear music in new ways.

Support the staffers who were laid off today

I expected the cuts would be bad but I'm honestly stunned and sickened seeing how many great journalists the Washington Post just lost. People who nailed huge investigations, documented war zones, exposed horrific crimes, dropped all at once for failures they did not cause.

The mass layoffs at the Washington Post feel worse than the ones made during 2020, especially after the ones at NBC News, CBS, and the WSJ. So many smart and experienced people will leave the industry forever.

Very sad to see one of the richest men in the world continue to demolish my hometown paper, solidarity with all the hard-working Washington Post journalists who have continued to report and write irreplaceable journalism in the face of such willful neglect

I personally do not think some rich man should be able to buy an institution like this like a toy and then break it when he doesn’t want to play with it anymore. bsky.app/profile/benm...

You have to ask yourself “why are politicians and institutions not using this moment to distance themselves and/or attack their supposed enemies who appear in the files, in a similar way?”

It’s good, and a good moment to revisit this 2022 overview of the young indie scene Friko helped build

This is unreal. An AUSA talking like that in open court is about as close as you can come to a total breakdown. Never heard of anything like it.

random Yale law professor: jeffrey you naughty dog.... will i be seeing you at this year's Skull Size Forum or will you be busy with your hobbies ;) JE: we must invent trans phobia,,

Ratboys are putting out a (great!) album Friday, so I did my duty and asked the band about a new promotional sandwich they collaborated on with TJ’s in Avondale.

Emerging from post-Sundance hibernation to declare: I'm on the lookout for a new full-time job. Seeking Chicago-based or remote editing and writing opportunities—don't have to be in the field; I'm extremely open to copywriting, technical writing, marketing stuff, etc. Email and portfolio in profile.

Interesting report on the economic health of Chicago’s constellation of independent venues that’s also strangely agnostic towards LiveNation and Ticketmaster’s impact

Marimar Martinez, shot 5 times by Border Patrol in Chicago, speaks out after Renee Good, Alex Pretti deaths 'I am their voice' NEW w/ @adrianacardmag.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

CHOTINER: You were an early riser today. PHIL: The 2nd is a big day; it's important I get it right. CHOTINER: Six more weeks of winter—is that exact, or...? PHIL: I mean, it's science. CHOTINER: The data I have shows you're correct only 35% of the time, less than random guesses. PHIL: Look—

Hey want to help the whistle goblins I print with make more whistles? There are approximately eleventy-billion wishlists here with filament begging to be bought and turned into whistles to deploy to across the country. Buy some filament and help the cause: linktr.ee/WhistleWishl...

ticketmaster emails be like

It’s on TBN. It’s literally on the DW. It’s on Charge with ads. Dude it’s on the National News Desk.

ten years ago today no one clapped

I wrote about Purelink, who return to Chicago to headline the Empty Bottle on Thursday

it’s me

Doesn't seem like this should be his job

I got a few friends to see this with me on my birthday during its original theatrical run, and halfway through one of them turned to me and said “I hate you.” 11/10, a fantastic movie.