We're seeking new members for our 2025 Board of Directors, as well as our founding Associate Board for young professionals 35 and under. Details and application at each of the links above.
The CHIRP Blog
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio Q&A With Drinking Poppy (Performing at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on 11/7)
Chicago band Drinking Poppy (Bandcamp) will perform at CHIRP Night at the Whistler on Tuesday, November 7th. We caught up with Cisco (Bass), Mig (Backing Vocals, Keys/Synth), and Doug (Guitar, Synth) recently to ask a few questions about them and their music…
So...What’s going on? Tell us about your current releases and/or upcoming shows (such as CHIRP Night at the Whistler!).
Doug - Clarence, thanks for having us on the blog! After releasing our debut EP in May, we had a busy summer of performing all over the city and suburbs incl. Cubby Bear, the Palatine Park District, 95 WIIL Rock’s Bandemonium and more.
Our final show of the year will be CHIRP Night at the Whistler Nov. 7th! We’re ecstatic to be releasing four new singles in the upcoming months. We’re building a community of friends, family and diehard music fans. It’s fun to watch it grow.
How do you go about turning your thoughts, ideas, and feelings into sounds?
Cisco - It's more of a symbiotic thing between whoever I'm writing with.
Mig - It just depends on the idea. For example, with keys/synths it does take me a bit of thinking. Almost like solving a mathematical equation. However, doing harmonies and additional background vocals come to me as organically as breathing.
That said, I'm very big on collaboration, and I rely on my bandmates heavily to get these ideas to come to fruition.
Doug - I try to put myself into a state where I can feel creative and appreciative. I travel, spend time in nature or with my kids. I’m always listening for naturally occurring patterns and rhythms, especially outside or in a new place. I try to keep my stress low.
Eventually, I find myself humming or whistling something that I think is catchy. From there, I craft it for about a month until I have the bones of a song that I can share with these guys and we can collaborate on it from there.
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Oct 30 - Nov 5)
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday Nov 1: CHIRP Radio presents Both Sides Now: A Vinyl Listening Bar
- Wednesday Nov 1: CHIRP Radio welcomes Sumac to Sleeping Village
- Tuesday Nov 7: CHIRP Radio welcomes Mike Doughty & Ghost of Vroom to Lincoln Hall
- Tuesday Nov 7: CHIRP Night at the Whistler with Drinking Poppy and BaseKase
- Tuesday Nov 14: CHIRP DJ Night at the Native feat. DJ Joe Held
- Tuesday Nov 21: CHIRP Music Trivia Night at Beermiscuous
- Wednesday Nov 29: First Time: First Step at Martyrs'
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Oct 23 - Oct 29)
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday Oct 25: CHIRP Radio welcomes Butcher Brown to Sleeping Village
- Wednesday Nov 1: CHIRP Radio presents Both Sides Now: A Vinyl Listening Bar
- Wednesday Nov 1: CHIRP Radio welcomes Sumac to Sleeping Village
- Tuesday Nov 7: CHIRP Radio welcomes Mike Doughty & Ghost of Vroom to Lincoln Hall
- Tuesday Nov 7: CHIRP Night at the Whistler with Drinking Poppy and BaseKase
- Tuesday Nov 14: CHIRP DJ Night at the Native feat. DJ Joe Held
KSanders writesThe 59th Annual Chicago International Film Fest—That’s a Wrap!
by Kyle Sanders
And that's a wrap for the 59th Annual Chicago International Film Festival! Surprisingly, I managed to check out OVER 30 TITLES, but some were too singular and atypical to include in my previous posts. Here's a quick shout-out to those films:
The Beautiful Summer (Italy)
The Bride (Rwanda)
The Crime is Mine (France)
Eric Larue (U.S.)
The Hypnosis (Sweden/Norway/France)
In water (South Korea)
The People's Joker (U.S./Canada/Scotland)
Poor Things (U.S.)
KSanders writesSomething’s Out There: Reviews of “Family Portrait,” “Late Night with the Devil,” “Alien Island,” “Evil Does Not Exist,” “Raging Grace,” and “Carnal Sins”
by Kyle Sanders
Monsters, Aliens, and Satan--oh my! The Chicago International Film Festival certainly showcases a variety of powerful dramas and quirky comedies, but it also delights in serving up some chilling films perfect for Fright Nights and Midnight Movies.
It all stems from CIFF's "After Dark" Program, which I must say, I enjoy. It provides that wildly fun, spine-tingling escape to help cleanse my palate after getting bogged down by more serious cinema.
Not all of the films mentioned in this article were part of the After Dark Program, but still managed to creep me out juuuuuuuust enough to include. Read on, if you dare!
Family reunions can be hell, and it seems like the family in Family Portrait (U.S) might be living in one as well. Taking place on a bright and springy day disquieting enough for the likes of Ari Aster and David Lynch, this cinematic fever dream involves a family gathering that should be culminating with said portrait, if not for the disappearance of the family matriarch.
This film crawls right under your skin, especially with lines like "When are we going to take the picture?" taking on a whole new level of creepiness in the same vein as Marathon Man's "Is it safe?"
Family Portrait