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The CHIRP Blog
CHIRP Radio writesChicago Sounds: Serengeti
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At a time when Rap Music seems to be focused on just about everything except the music, one Chicago artist is very much keeping it real. CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (May 13 - May 19)
Upcoming Events:
- Tuesday May 14: CHIRP DJ Night at the Native feat. DJ Ninja
- Wednesday May 15: CHIRP Music Trivia Night at Beermiscuous
- Friday May 17 - Sunday May 19: The 2nd CHIRP Radio Film Festival at Davis Theater
- Saturday May 18: CHIRP Radio at the Uptown Wellness Festival
- Sunday May 19: CHIRP Night at the Whistler with Greenlights Music and Mother Fortune
- Saturday May 25: CHIRP Radio welcomes Mount Kimbie to Lincoln Hall
- Friday May 31: CHIRP Radio welcomes Lowdown Brass Band to Cobra Lounge
- Wednesday June 5: Both Sides Now: A CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar feat. DJ Paul Anderson
- Wednesday June 5: CHIRP Radio welcomes BOECKNER & Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade to Empty Bottle
- Saturday June 8: CHIRP Radio welcomes Slow Joy to Gman Tavern
- Tuesday June 11: CHIRP DJ Night at the Native feat. DJ Jessi D
- Wednesday June 12: The First Time: First Ask at Martyrs'
KSanders writesThe 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival, Part 2: A Sundry Second Half of Seniors, Singers, and Scorsese (Oh my!)
by Kyle Sanders
And the 11th Annual Chicago Critics Film Fest continues! Here are the films I was able to catch during the latter half:
Technically, Thelma screened last Saturday afternoon, but due to scheduling conflicts I managed to check out a screener from the convenience of my home. I'm glad I did, because this film about a 93-year-old telephone scam victim who sets out to reclaim the money taken from her was worth it!
June Squibb, the Oscar-nominated character actress who's taken over Betty White's reign of feisty senior citizen roles, leads this quirky comedy with aplomb. An elderly widow unwilling to bend to the concerns of her domineering family, Squibb takes a page out of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise (including doing her own stunt work!) and provides plenty of action-packed moments, "geriatric style": racing down nursing home hallways in a slicked-out scooter, bravely climbing the perilous steps of a two-story home, and navigating the treacherous paths of antique stores, just to get back what's hers.
With a heist-themed score reminiscent of anything composed by Isaac Hayes (coincidentally, this film co-stars Richard Roundtree--the original Shaft--in his final performance), Thelma reminds us that our tenacity for thrill-seeking never gets old. (Release Date: June 21st)
CHIRP Radio writesChicago Sounds: Vinto Van Go
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By deftly mixing up flavors of psychedelic pop and '60s mod into a crunchy garage sound, KSanders writesThe 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival, Part 1: A Horror-Heavy First Half, with Some Touching Titles in Between
by Kyle Sanders
In its eleventh year, the Chicago Critics Film Festival continues to outdo itself. Last year gave us the critically-acclaimed Oscar contender Past Lives (not to mention our first glimpse of Lily Gladstone, before becoming an Oscar-nominated household name), so my expectations were high. So far, the festival has managed to fulfill them with a slot of fun horror flicks making big splashes while the more dramatic fare wades in between.
To kick off the festivities, CCFF smartly chose Sing Sing, a crowd-pleasing drama set in the infamous prison, where prisoners find purpose through performance.
Fresh off his Oscar-nominated turn in Rustin, Colman Domingo stars as Divine G, one of the founding members of RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts). It's time to put on a new staged production, and Divine G and company decide to shake things up with a comedic original, where each prisoner auditions for roles, rehearses lines, and develops the truths of their character while confronting the truths of their incriminating pasts.
More than just "Shakespeare with shanks," Sing Sing is a triumph thanks to its charming ensemble--mostly made up of formerly incarcerated actors (Release Date: TBD).
