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Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Ira Glass Edition
[photo from The A.V. Club]
Today on the MP3 Shuffle we wish a very Happy Birthday to Ira Glass, as much a modern radio pioneer as we have in the 21st century. His radio program This American Life, originally produced right here in Chicago, is the standard for non-commercial radio interview/news/essay/non-fiction variety shows. This program is, in this writer’s opinion, a national treasure with a knack for making the local universal as well as addressing the big issues of our time. Check out the show archives for a couple of hundred examples. (I rank “The Giant Pool of Money,” “Plan B,” “The Fix Is In,” "Somewhere in the Arabian Sea," and “Fiasco!” among the best examples of journalism produced by any media outlet in the last few decades.) Moving from local to national and international distribution at a time when radio was being written off as a dead medium, Glass proved that public radio could compete with multi-million dollar media operations when it comes to telling intelligent, compelling stories that matter to people.
Like some others who got their start in Chicago, Glass has taken his talents elsewhere (he currently resides in New York), but there’s no question that his show and voice are an institution tied to Chicago. Let’s wish him a happy birthday by playing the MP3 Shuffle: Take your MP3 player, press the “shuffle” button, and share the first 10 songs you hear…
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesThere’s Still Time to Spot a CHIRP Coaster for Fun and Prizes!
Remember, you have a whole weekend to spot one or more of the CHIRP Radio coasters that we’ve given to more than 30 of our favorite bars and breweries around town. You can look for them at the following fine establishments:
Bad Apple | Baderbrau | Beermiscuous | Begyle | Bitter Pops | Blue Island Beer Co. | Burlington | Cafe Mustache | Cole's Bar | Crown Liquors | Empirical | The Grafton | Green Street Smoked Meats | Half Acre | Heartland Cafe | Hideout | Hopleaf | Independence Tap | Jerry's | Lagunitas | Lizard's Liquid Lounge | Logan Hardware | Madison Wines | Map Room | Maple Tree Inn | The Owl | Quenchers | Red Line Tap | Rocking Horse | Rock Island | Rockwell's | Spyners | Township
In order to be eligible for CHIRP swag, you have to:
1. FOLLOW CHIRP Radio on Instagram (@chirpradio1) or Twitter (@chirpradio)
2. POST a photo of the CHIRP coaster you found with your favorite drink
3. TAG a friend that you like to share a drink with
And that's it! You can enter as many times as you'd like (each post counts as one entry). We'll announce a winner on Monday, March 6th!
Amelia writesInterview: The Angela James Residency at The Hideout
[photo by Jordan Martins]
Local artist Angela James has accomplished a lot in the past few years. In 2014, she released her first full-length album, Way Down Deep, with the support of the Comfort Station and the Illinois Arts Council. Just over a year later, she released her second record, Time Will Tell, and at the end of 2016 she had her first child.
This month she is returning to performing with a month-long residency sponsored by Middle Brow Brewing at The Hideout. Every Tuesday night in March, James will lead ensembles of local artists, highlighting different concepts and collaborates in week.
CHIRP DJ and Features Co-Director Amelia Hruby recently spoke with Angela about the residency.
AH: When or how did you start planning this residency?
AJ: I started talking to Sully at The Hideout before I gave birth to my daughter. I think I had this fear that I wouldn't have the time or the focus or ability to maintain my creative practice in the way I wanted to after having a child. And in some ways that is definitely the case; for example my ambition is very different now. But in other ways, I find that I am much more focused and creative. So when I reached out to Sully last year, I think it was from a place of anxiety. But I began planning a lot of these ideas a while ago, and now I feel like everything is just a little bit out of my reach. Which for me just means that I'm working really hard on this material, and it feels great to get back to that place.
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRADIO (Week of February 27)
Spot a CHIRP Radio coaster, enter and win some sweet CHIRP giveaways! Enter as many times as you like. Winner will be announced March 6th. Click here for details
UPCOMING EVENTS
- CHIRP welcomes Electric Guest to Thalia Hall (1807 S. Allport St) on Wednesday, March 1st at 8:30 PM | 17+
- Stop by the Beat Kitchen (2100 W. Belmont Ave) on Thursday, March 2nd where CHIRP and Kickstand Productions present Nothing at 8:30 PM | 17+
NEW MEDIA
- First Time: First Issue with Dustin Drase
- Alli Klein interviews So Pretty after a recent band practice to discuss their new record
- The Present Elders heal and inspire through live pop-up performances by Mike Nikolich
- Our Music My Body promotes safe spaces and consenual interactions at local venues and festivals by Amelia Hruby
- Friday mp3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Earl Sweatshirt Edition by Clarence Ewing
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Earl Sweatshirt Edition
Today on the MP3 Shuffle we wish a very happy birthday to Thebe Neruda Kgositsile aka Earl Sweatshirt. Even though he’s only 23, he’s already made a name for himself as one of the next generation of Hip-Hop stars as one of the members of Chicago rap collective Odd Future, a solo act (via his critically acclaimed album I Don't Like Sh*t, I Don't Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt) and member of several other projects with fellow artists like Tyler, the Creator and Na’kel.. The young man obviously has many more years ahead of him than behind, but he seems to be positioned just right for a long career in the music business, although what form that career takes isn’t set in stone. As a producer, songwriter, and occasional actor, there are a lot of avenues open to him; He could end up his generation’s Common or Ice Cube, or maybe something else nobody's though of yet.
For now, let’s say “Happy Birthday” with another round of the Shuffle: Take your MP3 player, press the "shuffle" button, and share the first 10 songs you hear: