November 2, 2017: The End of an Era

This morning's meditation. 

To put it lightly I’m devastated about the end of Chicagoist. It’s where I met my husband. It’s where I found my voice. It’s where I found my people. It’s a hit to the entire Chicago media landscape and unfortunately just the latest loss in the bigger decimation of written journalism.

Writing has been my heart for the last decade and now my outlet is gone. I don’t know what the future holds, but I can only hope that I one day find another outlet where I feel like I fit so well. Even as the site changed over the years, we were still a community. I met so many different people with some similar interests and some widely different ones, but we were a family, and we were and are friends.

Given the time of year, I have to look back and be thankful for all Chicagoist has given me. It made me a better writer, gave me more confidence, I got to interview amazing people, got to see world class performance art on a regular basis, I got recognition for my hard work, a reputation for my dance and music writing and curation of a running events guide. I met so many amazing people that I feel lucky to still have in my life.

Onward to the next chapter.

8 Of My Favorite Things To Do In Chicago This Weekend

Well, I wrote this, so I may as well publish it somewhere. Here's 8 fun things to do in the city this weekend. 

Revolution Craft Show

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3

SOFA EXPO: More than 80 galleries converge for SOFA Chicago at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall this weekend. Contemporary art and design including glass blowing, ceramics, wood, glass, fiber, jewelry, metal, design, painting, photography and more will be showcased at the long-running “Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art and Design” fair. Tickets are $20 in advance.

RED BULL SOUND SELECT FESTIVAL: Red Bull Sound Select has chosen Chicago for it’s 30 Days Festival. That’s right, a full month of music, photography and more all over the city. In addition to concerts, the festival is highlighting local outlets including Fake Shore Drive’s 10th Anniversary show and the Crate Diggers Record Fair. Tickets are $15 or less per show. Check out their website for more information and schedules.

CINEPOCALYPSE: Horror film fans will flock to Music Box Theatre for the debut Cinepocalypse Genre Film Festival beginning Thursday. The Chicago-based festival runs through November 9 and includes films like Sweet Virginia and Beyond Skyline. Visit Music Box’s website for the full schedule.

LEAGUE OF LADY ARM WRESTLERS: The Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers is back with CLLAW XXVIII: Fall of the Patriarchy at Logan Square Auditorium. Watch Dr. Beverly Crush-her, Elton Brawn, Lady MacFist, returning CLLAW champion WinaFight Sanderson and more face off for the title. Tickets are $15 in advance.

CHICAGO CARTOONING LEGEND: Chris Ware isn't yet 50, but he's already cemented his reputation as one of the great treasures of modern cartooning and the graphic arts. He initially grew to fame drawing strips for both Newcity and the Chicago Reader. If Ware's name doesn't ring a bell, his work on his Acme Novelty Library and Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth—or even more recent pieces for The New Yorker—should. Ware has just published Monograph, which appears to be part memoir part history lesson? The publisher describes it as, "A flabbergasting experiment in publishing hubris, Monograph charts the art and literary world's increasing tolerance for the language of the empathetic doodle directly through the work of one of its most esthetically constipated practitioners." Trust us, it's probably great. Ware will be appearing at Quimby's this Friday to sign copies of the new book, so you can see what it's all about for yourself.


SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4

CHICKEN + CHAMPAGNE FEST: Join a dozen award-winning local chefs as they fry up the main course for Kendall College Trust’s Fried Chicken and Champagne Fest from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The third annual fundraiser for the educational nonprofit features dishes from chefs Dylan Lipe (The Budlong Hot Chicken), Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp (Honey Butter Fried Chicken and 2015 and 2016 People’s Choice Award winner), Ryan McCaskey (Acadia and 2016 Golden Hen Award and Best Table Decor winner) and more. Tickets start at $85.


SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5

REVOLUTION CRAFT SHOW: Shop more than 45 local artists at the Revolution Craft Show this Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. There will be vendors with jewelry, decor and of course beer at the Revolution Tap Room event. They’ll also have food trucks parked out front. Free.

CEMETERY TOUR: Take a tour of the Bohemian National Cemetery after the gates are locked with this event from the Chicago History Museum. Historian Al Walavich will lead the tour highlighting the historic gatehouse, magnificent mausoleums, and emblematic treestone grave markers. BYO flashlight or head lamp. Tickets are $25.

It's been a summer.

It's been a hell of a summer. And not all in a hella-good way. But I'm here and I'm still getting out. This weekend was Lollapalooza in Chicago and it's bigger than ever. Four days of non-stop music and bros in CamelBaks and Trixies (do we even call them that anymore?) in little more than bralettes.

If I never see another CamelBak or bralette it will be too soon. #lolla #lollapalooza

— Michelle Kopeny (@shellster129) July 31, 2016

There ARE great things about this festival, and I must love them more than I hate the negatives because I keep going back for more. This year a few of those things were Jane's Addiction, Grimes, Vic Mensa, HAIM, Con Brio and LCD Soundsystem, which were my favorite acts of the weekend. Getting there close to noon or 1 p.m. every day, I put in nearly 40 hours of music in just four days. I might be crazy, but I love the submersion where the only thing I really have to think about is what band I'm going to see next and how long it's going to take to get there. And when I'm going to eat. Fuel is important when you're walking 10+ miles a day.

Anyway, I think it might be impossible anymore for me to go to a music festival without sharing something about it, so here are the links to our 2016 coverage on Chicagoist (with Annie's awesome photos):

Lana Del Rey Closes Lollapalooza Day 1

Lollapalooza Day 2 Belonged To Radiohead And The Struts

Vic Mensa Gives A Show-Stopping Tribute To Laquan McDonald For Lolla Day 3

LCD Soundsystem And HAIM Close Out An Epic, Long Lollapalooza 2016

Party Proof Lips

Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty

I don't normally do beauty product posts, but I'm so into this lipstick that I use, I had to share. It's ModelCo's Party Proof Lipstick. ModelCo is an Australian company that I found is not super easy to get in the US, so that might add to it's allure. It's not super easy to find all products/colors on their website either, and since they ship directly from Australia, shipping is expensive (but you can get a discount when you sign up for their email list) (and pps, their lip products are half off right now).

The story starts with my sister's Birchbox (quick no-thanks to Birchbox for turning customers on to products that are nearly impossible to find again). She got the lipstick in the color Kitty and gave it to me. It's a neutral pink that gives my natural lip color just a little boost and looks great with my skin tone. The lipstick itself is a cream that stays moist on the lips, but still lasts and keeps the pigmented color. It also has a nice fresh scent, which isn't all that important, but a nice little perk. It's become my every day go-to. Here's the direct link to the product with a matching mini lip liner.

Even though it's hard to tell what colors really look like when shopping online, I took a chance and ordered the lipstick in Coachella Crush as well. It's a matte orange-coraly-red that's so-hot-right-now and I thought might look good with my skin tone--and be a nice addition to my summer look.

Busy Bee

I've been a busy bee this year! When I'm home, almost every hour of the week is filled with work, writing and studying (plus gym and yoga), but luckily I've been able to vacation quite a bit, too. It's been a challenge to budget my time so strictly, but it's nice to feel accomplished while still having time to really relax without feeling guilty that I should be working on something. 

Here are a few images from my recent trips to Mexico, Florida and Michigan:

San Miguel de Allende

Parroquia Arcangel in San Miguel

Got to see an old friend who lives nearby in Mexico.

Our pool at Beach Happy

On the beach in Port St. Joe, Florida

Port St. Joe

Goldberry Woods Bed & Breakfast in Union Pier, Michigan

Our room: Sassafras

Now Playing: "Born Again Teen"

I'm loving this song. I keep hearing it on 93XRT when I'm in the car (my new Beetle Bug!), and I'm not even in the car that much. At first I thought it was a new Annie Clark song, but it's Lucius. I remember walking past them at Lolla last year, and I liked their look, but I didn't know anything else about them.

They've got a show coming up at Metro, but it's sold out. Sadface. Maybe I can find a way to go!

Dads

Last week we came home to frozen pipes after a trip to Mexico (more on that coming soon), making for an unwanted dramatic end to a trip that already had plenty of it's own drama (thanks, United Airlines). The next morning that same pipe promptly burst after thawing out, and with no shutoff valve to our building (thanks, landlord) we spent the day with two plumbers and water spraying all over our basement. All is good in the end though, nothing was ruined and we have a four foot section of brand spanking new copper pipe. 

Situations like this aren't usually that bad since I'm pretty handy around the house, thanks to my dad. When I was younger, he was always showing me and teaching me stuff that I didn't care about at the time, but that knowledge sticks and when the shit hits the fan (literally or figuratively), you can access it when it counts. Like when your pipes bust and you need to act fast. I may never change my own oil again, or change a tire, but I could if I had to. I watched that guy finish our family home's basement all on his own, so I could tell you a thing or two about hanging drywall. 

So, when I was installing our new insulation around the new pipe, taking precautions Dad would be proud of, I decided to thank him. I don't talk to my family as often as I should, so I thought he would appreciate an out of the blue text. 

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me as much home repair stuff as you did.