The Chicago Traveler

Chicago is renowned for its culture and diversity, bringing together people from all backgrounds and labels. The gay and lesbian community plays a significant part in the Windy City’s population, attracting men and women from less resourceful rural areas across the Midwest. Two of Chicago’s most thriving gay neighborhoods are Boystown (inside the Lakeview/Wrigleyville area) and Andersonville (and consequently its surrounding Edgewater neighborhood). A high concentration of bars, shops, and restaurants can be found among the colorful pylons of Boystown. Andersonville has a few bars as well but is better known for its boutiques and “hip” eateries.
While it is by …read more

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In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that it has been a long, long time since I’ve been to Hydrate on a weekend evening. That’s because the lines are long, the drinks are small and expensive, and the dance club is wall-to-wall crowded. But in spite of all that, this place can still be fun. You just have to know when to go.
Chic 20-somethings hypnotized by the deep bass emerging from Hydrate (just north of Beatnix) enter via the “blue room,” where a bar island sits in the middle of an aquamarine-colored room. There are only about …read more

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Many films that appeal to the young-adult audience are full of clichés and what I call “after-school-special” romanticisms. While Save the Last Dance is not an incredible film, it does present characters that are a little closer to reality than the stereotypes too many movies rely upon.

Save the Last Dance (2001)

Directed by:
Thomas Carter

Produced by:
Robert W. Cort
David Madden

Starring:
Julia Stiles
Sean Patrick Thomas
Kerry Washington

Distributed by:
Paramount Pictures

All Movie Guide
IMDb
Amazon.com

The film opens with Sara (Julia Stiles), a teenager from the suburbs, moving to Chicago to live with her father Roy (Terry Kinney) after the unexpected death of her mother. Roy lives in a rough neighborhood …read more

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• The Pitchfork Music Festival is a 3-day event featuring over 40 independent bands and artists on three stages at Union Park. (July 18-20)
• Two stages of live music entertain thousands of visitors at the Old St. Patrick’s World’s Largest Block Party. Tickets include five drinks (bottled water, soda, wine, beer). (July 18-19)
• The Chicago Short Comedy Video and Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre consists of nearly 35 locally-made films starring Chicagoan actors and comedians. (July 17-18)
• Kate the Great’s Book Emporium, a bookstore with a diverse selection in Edgewater, will be closing its doors next week after …read more

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Chicago has plenty to offer when it comes to nightlife, but if you ever find yourself in a club rut, it’s time to throw your evening into a Spin.
While located at the south end of Boystown, Chicago’s GLBT nightlife neighborhood, the club caters to a diverse clientele. No matter what your label or orientation, Spin provides plenty to look forward to. Just around the corner from Orange, there are weekly promotions, the most popular of which may be the midnight shower contest on Friday nights. Men and women get wet and wild every week, bearing nothing but a tiny towel …read more

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Today, the big names of hip-hop include Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Usher, Rihanna, and Kanye West, but the entire genre owes its very existence to early DJs like Grandmaster Flash. The record-scratching beat we are all too familiar with today started in the Bronx in the ‘70s thanks to Flash’s love of vinyl and experimental engineering.
The legendary mixer will be signing copies of his new book, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats, tonight in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) lord bute
International House @ University of Chicago: 1414 E 59th St; 773-752-2270
June 25: 6:00 p.m.
Public trans: Bus …read more

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Tickets go on sale this weekend for the following Chicago concerts via Ticketmaster:

Tina Turner

United Center
Fri, Oct 3, 8:00 p.m.
Allstate Arena
Mon, Oct 6, 7:30 p.m.

New Kids on the Block
Allstate Arena
Sat, Oct 4, 8:00 p.m.

Bow Wow
House of Blues
Thurs, Jul 24, 6:00 p.m.

Ryan Cabrera
House of Blues
Fri, Jun 20, 6:00 p.m.

Ashlee Simpson
House of Blues
Mon, Jun 9, 6:00 p.m.

3 Doors Down
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sun, Jul 13, 6:30 p.m.

Photo credit: Wikipedia, weebsie, polomex, Austin Tolin, indoloony, alex-lawrence

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• Save up to 80% on high-end jeans at The Warehouse Sale, located on the second floor of Navy Pier. At least 20 denim designer labels are available for men and women. Come early and RSVP at http://www.thewarehousesale.com/. (Apr 18-19)
• Spring brings new fashions and accessories to Ultimate Girls’ Night Out. Hosted by Sheque, the ladies-only event at Le Passage & The Drawing Room includes three hours of beauty services, chocolate, Barefoot wine, Rain vodka martinis, and champagne. Beauty services include manicures, massages, makeovers, and eyebrow waxing. Half of all proceeds benefit the International Center of Deafness and the Arts. …read more

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Hang on to your hats, music fans. Lollapalooza has just announced this year’s line-up, and it’s just as impressive as ever.
Lollapalooza is a music festival featuring hip-hop, punk rock, and alternative rock, along with dance and comedy performances. It has provided an incredible platform for underground artists and non-profit political groups. The 3-day event has been successfully held in Chicago’s Grant Park since 2005. This year it will be held August 1-3, and scheduled performers include:

Radiohead

Kanye West
Love and Rockets
The Black Keys
Mark Ronson
The National
Explosions in the Sky
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Amadou & Mariam
Girl Talk
Jamie Lidell
Spank Rock
Duffy
The Go! Team
Yeasayer
The Weakerthans
Black Kids
Dr. Dog
Kid …read more

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So you’ve decided that the best way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is inside the comfort of your own home (or a friend’s home). Tune your television to MTV, and ring in the New Year with Tila Tequila’s New Year’s Eve Masquerade 2008. There’ll be plenty of performers and special guests, including DJ Travis, Mary J Blige, Fabolous, Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls, Kid Rock, Paramore, and Wyclef.
However, more important than all those incredible acts is a performance from a local hip-hop duo, Ivy League. During the first couple weeks of November, MTV and Comcast held online contests in four …read more

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