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The CHIRP Blog
Rebecca writesMusic and Malt: Dovetail Brewery
Welcome to Music and Malt, a series that examines the intersections where music and beer meet in Chicago.
by Rebecca Suzan
I've discovered a lot about Chicago since relocating here from New York City 9 months ago, but locals' reaction to the nickname "Second City" has been the most telling. The epithet places their city squarely within the long shadow cast by the Big Apple, but Chicagoans don't bristle at the comparison - they lean into it. I spoke with native Illinoisan JP Pfäfflin, social media manager for Dovetail Brewery and former publicist for Bloodshot Records, and learned that the craft beer and music scenes in Chicago epitomize the "bigger isn't always better" ethos.
RS: Is there a natural connection between music and beer?
JPP: The connection between music and beer is a David and Goliath story. Walking into Best Buy and seeing an endcap of Justin Timberlake CDs is the same as walking into a convenience store and seeing an endcap of Busch Lite. You've got the major music labels [Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group] and the major brewing companies [AB InBev, Molson Coors, Heineken International] and they've got the money to get those placements for their products. There are 5,000 independent brewers in the US - higher than before Prohibition - so there's even more limited cooler and tap space for those brands. It was the same with the artists at Bloodshot [Records]. The label is well-respected and well-recognized, but it was difficult going up against the major labels and getting radio play.
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of May 14)
NEW MEDIA
- First Time: First Dream with Jeremy Schafer
- Chicago based Courtesy sat down with Marites Valesquez in the CHIRP studios to talk about their new release, Hey
- Features Director Amanda Roscoe Mayo caught up with Ben Lanz, a touring member of The National, who also makies his own music under the moniker LANZ Projects
- The Fourth Wall: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing
TOP OF THE CHIRP CHARTS
1. La Luz – Floating Features (Hardly Art)
2. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer (Wondaland)
3. Del & Amp Live – Gate 13 (Plug Research)
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the sci-fi classic Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Clarence:
Even after over 60 years, 13 movies, 7 television series, and a galaxy of non-canon books, comics and Internet fan fiction, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), remains THE Star Trek story in many fans' minds. The story is actually pretty basic: take one iconic starship captain (William Shatner) and pit him and his crew in a pitched battle against a quintessential nemesis (Ricardo Montalbán) who's seeking ultimate payback for a past defeat and exile. Many lives are in the balance, and before it's over, there will be tragedy on both sides.
It’s been more than 30 years since the release of Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan, and it remains a jewel in the crown of science-fiction cinema, cementing one of the first mega-successful attempts at adapting a TV show into a film. Of course, the main pull quote from that film, Captain Kirk’s rage-filled retort to his arch-enemy (“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!”) has been parodied and referenced in other movies and TV shows ad infinitum. But there’s so much more.
The general consensus is that of all the Star Trek movies, Khan is the best. I feel in this regard the public's view is spot on, even when comparing it to the stunning special effects of the recently rebooted Trek (alternate) universe. This movie carries a resonance that isn’t there with most, if not all, of the other Star Trek films. And I think it does so for these reasons:
It’s an all-around great story. Khan isn't just about spaceships waging battle. Just as important are the themes of friendship, revenge, aging, and past mistakes coming back to bite you in the ass. It helps that the cast had a few years to work together on the TV series so they could get to know the characters and build relationships that they could carry to the big screen.
It’s Shakespeare in space. The most successful lead actors in the Star Trek franchise tend to be the ones who have a lot of experience performing Shakespeare, where the ability to generate powerful emotions while standing next to cardboard cutout scenery is a must. Subtlety and irony is not what’s required in a space opera. William Shatner and Ricardo Montalbán understood this and set the tone perfectly.
You don’t need to be a Trekkie to follow what’s going on. Other movies in the Star Trek franchise require more than a little background knowledge to fully appreciate the current story being told. An audience member doesn’t have to know that Khan is basically a sequel to an original Star Trek episode (“Space Seed,” Season 1, Ep. 22) in order to understand what’s going on. A cursory knowledge of what Star Trek is is all that’s required.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of April 30)
Upcoming Events
- Thursday May 3: Scrappers Film Group presents a 10th Anniversary screening of THAX: The Movie at Constellation
New Media
- Lee Gomez chats with Sidewalks and Skeletons
- First Time: First Dream by Tyler Clark
- Mike Nikolich spends 15 Minutes with Teleporter
- Kevin Fullam and Shawna Kaiser explore The Last Seduction
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: The Last Seduction
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the film The Last Seduction.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Shawna Kaiser.
Kevin:
Hang on to your heart, your wallet, and your life -- if Bridget Gregory of The Last Seduction is in town, all three are at risk. Was it a victory for feminism to see a female cinema protagonist that was as ruthless as any male to grace the screen? Let's discuss...
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In the annals of Neo-noir, The Last Seduction may have traveled one of the oddest paths to glory. First aired by HBO in 1994 before the channel garnered its current status as a purveyor of high-brow television, Seduction was originally pitched as a throwaway "skin-e-max" (in the words of screenwriter Steve Barancik) flick. Lo and behold, a quality piece of cinema emerged, powered by a stunning performance from lead Linda Fiorentino as the aforementioned Ms. Gregory. The film was then ushered into the box office for a brief run (grossing over $5 million) and garnered a four-star review from Roger Ebert, who listed the movie on his Top 10 list for the year. However, despite generating serious Oscar buzz, Fiorentino was ruled ineligible by the Academy because the film had aired on cable before arriving in theaters.
The plot in a nutshell: Bridget is married to Clay (Bill Pullman), a shady would-be doctor who's dealing drugs in order to pay back a loan shark. After a big score, the couple quarrel; Clay hits Bridget, and she decides to hightail out of NYC -- with their $700,000. Bridget bunkers down in a suburb of Buffalo until her divorce goes through, while Clay (now in serious physical danger from Mr. Loan Shark) hires private eye Harlan (Bill Nunn) to find his wife and recover the loot.