Costco is a wonderful place. It’s the land of opportunity and exploration. It’s also, as it turns out, the land of forgiveness.
Jackie Nyugen went viral on TikTok after she brought her old couch back to Costco for a return. Nguyen explained to the store that she did not have the original receipt, but recalled the date on which she had originally purchased the couch. That allowed a Costco to process the transaction and issue a full refund to Nguyen.
For the second year in a row, the city of Chicago has turned to its citizens to come up with the funniest and most creative names for the city’s snowplows. After 10,000 votes from people in the city, the results are in. The winners are:
The winners were picked from a list of 50 finalists, after Chicagoans were given the chance to submit names for snowplows in January.
Last night at the 2024 Grammy Awards, Q101 artists boygenius and Paramore took home a number of awards. For the supergroup boygenius, who consists of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers, they won Best Alternative Music Album for the record, which became a runaway hit in 2023. The standout single from that album, “Not Strong Enough”, also took home Best Rock Song.
As for Paramore, their return-to-form album This Is Why took home Best Rock Album, beating out the likes of Foo Fighters and Metallica. The title track also beat out Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey, to name a few, for Best Alternative Music Performance.
Taylor Swift took home Album of the Year for Midnights, Miley Cyrus took home Record of the Year for “Flowers”, and Billie Eilish took home Song of the Year for “What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”].
Final days of Chicago Restaurant Week (Friday-Sunday)
Chicago Restaurant Week continues with more than 380 Chicagoland eateries will offer specially curated prix fixe menus for brunch ($25), lunch ($25) or dinner ($42/$59) between January 19 and February 4. With more than two weeks to chow down, there’s plenty of time to make a few reservations and check out some of the best restaurants in Chicago.
Meat Wave at Empty Bottle (Saturday)
Hard rockers Meat Wave come to the Empty Bottle for a sold out show on Saturday night. A homecoming show for the exciting three-piece, this could very easily be the best show of the weekend.
Meet Me at the Altar at House of Blues (Saturday)
Emo stalwarts Meet Me at the Altar come to House of Blues for what should be an excellent show on Saturday night. Tickets are available here.
Cider Summit Chicago (Saturday)
Tickets are now on sale for Cider Summit Chicago, the region’s largest cider tasting. Cider Summit Chicago celebrates local, regional and international artisanal ciders and cider makers. The 10th annual Cider Summit Chicago will feature over 150 ciders, cider cocktails and fruit spirits. This year’s event, Saturday, February 3 at Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom, expands general admission event hours to 2-6 p.m..
Night Snow Tubing (Saturday)
Bundle up for an evening of snow tubing. Thrill seekers will meet at the Long Room, where transportation will be provided to a nearby mountain. After you’re done tubing, you’ll refuel with some food and drinks before heading back to the city. Get all the info here.
Bulls host the Kings (Saturday)
Can the Bulls crawl closer to .500? They face the pesky Sacramento Kings on Saturday night at The UC!
Every Friday, Case the Producer rounds up the most exciting new tunes in music and serves them up in one easy-to-find blog for you, the Q101 Crew Members.
Brittany Howard: What Now
The former Alabama Shakes front-woman, Brittany Howard, is back with her second studio album. Following 2019’s Jaime is no easy task, but Howard shows that she’s up to the challenge with What Now. Clocking in at 12 tracks in just under 40 minutes, Howard’s voice is stunning throughout. We are so thrilled to have her back, making music once again.
Howard will perform at Thalia Hall on February 6 and 7. Tickets can be purchased here.
Death Lens: Cold World
Death Lens are a band to watch out for. Currently on the road with Militarie Gun as one of the opening acts on the Life Under the Gun Tour, the band has linked up with iconic punk rock label Epitaph Records to put out their latest record, Cold World. While we still have to wait until May 3 to hear the full thing, the band dropped the self-titled single this week and it is a scorcher.
Shinedown: A Symptom Of Being Human (Live)
If the live Q101 version from last summer didn’t satisfy your thirst for Shinedown’s runaway hit, Shinedown has officially released a live version of “A Symptom Of Being Human” for the masses. Described as “[not] just a performance; it’s a connection”, it packs the punch that you’d want it to.
The Last Dinner Party: Prelude to Ecstasy
The Last Dinner Party are on fire right now. The success of their standout single, “Nothing Matters”, which you heard first on Q101, feels like just the tip of the iceberg for this five-piece outfit from London. Prelude to Ecstasy is the band’s first full length album and it couldn’t come at a better time. The world is dying for more tracks from The Last Dinner Party and we finally get our wish today.
Ben Bradley from WGN is continuing to do the Lord’s work for exposing the corruption taking place in Dolton from their mayor Tiffany Henyard.
According to WGN Investigates, Henyard has spent $67,000 on trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City in recent months. This includes a stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. She also brought home a bill of $9,347. Her stay in New York included a $13,098 hotel bill. Airline records show everyone in the group frequently flies first class, as well.
Ben Bradley joins Brian & Kenzie this morning at 8:20am to further discuss the matter.
Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute To Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense doesn’t have a release date yet, but in addition to Paramore, it will feature girl in red, Jean Dawson, The Linda Lindas, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, the National and more.
Now is the chance to cash in on your feet.
In the same way that Beanie Babies and Crypto have had moments of tremendous value in the past, feet are all of the rage now. A survey released by fetish site FunWithFeet revealed that models with “square feet” were earning up to $45,000, with other shapes and sizes also cashing in to make a chunk of change.
It should be noted that 96% of FunWithFeet users draw the line at hairy feet. That is a no-go for most fetishists.
After the financial success of NASCAR in Chicago last summer, Formula 1 now wants in on the action.
Formula 1, the most popular auto racing brand in the world, is sniffing around about what they can do to bring a street race to the Windy City. “I’m very excited. If F1 comes to Chicago, that would be awesome. Definitely should happen,” said Ted Birks with Chicago F1.
This announcement has made fans uneasy after the disastrous Las Vegas Grand Prix last year.
Former Charmed star Alyssa Milano is yet again under fire, this time for starting a GoFundMe for her son’s travel baseball team to take a trip to Cooperstown.
In the post, the actress says,
Baseball is life and our teamates are our brothers. Baseball gives us purpose and we are driven to be our very best. In order to compete, we must raise funds.
The Birds 12U team is coached by two great coaches and our team is diverse, hardworking and really good. We’ve won many championship rings!
Our coaches instill lessons not just about baseball. They teach us leadership and life-skills. They are good people. We are lucky to have them.
We hope you will make a donation to keep our team competitive. Your donation will go to travel costs, uniforms, and dues for families. We also might use your donations for pins or novelty items to make our tournaments memorable experiences beyond the field.
Thank you so much for your consideration. We won’t let you down,
The Birds
She was immediately met with harsh criticism from those that feel that a lifelong TV star should not be groveling for money online.
Milano responded, “I would if I could” to one particular Tweet questioning why she didn’t pay for the trip herself.
Track listing:
01 Raise Your Hands
02 Mars to Liverpool
03 One Day at a Time
04 I’m a Wheel
05 Just Another Rainbow
06 Love You Forever
07 Make It Up as You Go Along
08 You’re Not the Only One
09 I’m So Bored
10 Mother Nature’s Song
Everclear at the Arcada Theater (Friday)
Everclear head to St. Charles on Friday evening for what should be an excellent show at the Arcada Theater. Tickets can be purchased here.
Story of the Year at Concord Music Hall (Friday)
Q101 proudly brings Story of the Year to Concord Music Hall on Friday night to celebrate 20 years of Page Avenue! Grab a ticket here.
Black Pumas at The Salt Shed (Friday-Saturday)
Black Pumas finish up their three-show run at The Salt Shed with shows on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are gone for Saturday’s show, but you can still get into Friday’s show here.
Chicago Restaurant Week (Friday-Sunday)
Chicago Restaurant Week continues with more than 380 Chicagoland eateries will offer specially curated prix fixe menus for brunch ($25), lunch ($25) or dinner ($42/$59) between January 19 and February 4. With more than two weeks to chow down, there’s plenty of time to make a few reservations and check out some of the best restaurants in Chicago.
Chicago Polar Bear Plunge Club (Saturday)
This frigid tradition challenges people to take a dip in Lake Michigan to raise money for local families in need. Brave participants take a leap into the icy waters (plunging costumes are encouraged), then promptly dry off and change clothes in time for the post-plunge afterparty. Not ready to plunge? Feel free to spectate and cheer from the sidelines.
Chicago Winter Whiskey Tasting Festival (Saturday)
Brown spirit lovers, get ready to taste more 20 domestic and international whiskeys over the course of several hours. You’ll get to learn from whiskey ambassadors who will be on site as well as enjoy food and drink specials. The event will showcase brands like Aberfeldy, Journeyman Distillery, Milam and Greene and more.
Every Friday, Case the Producer rounds up the most exciting new tunes in music and serves them up in one easy-to-find blog for you, the Q101 Crew Members.
Alkaline Trio: Blood, Hair, & Eyeballs
If you can believe it, Alkaline Trio is on their tenth studio album. The Chicago legends have given us Blood, Hair, & Eyeballs, which marks their first record since 2018’s Is This Thing Cursed? Unsurprisingly, the group can still pack a punch. Album standouts “Bad Time” and “Versions of You” harken back to the band’s golden era.
Alkaline Trio returns home on March 16 at the Aragon Ballroom with the one-and-only Drug Church.
Katy Kirby: Blue Raspberry
Katy Kirby is a beacon of light in a rather dull world. The New-York based singer-songwriter has a voice that most can only dream of. Powerful yet somber, Kirby’s words cut deep to expose uncomfortable truths. Blue Raspberry is her second full-length album, and while her first effort wasn’t bad by any means, it’s clear she’s taken a step up with this project.
Katy Kirby hits the stage at Lincoln Hall on March 3.
Militarie Gun: Life Under the Sun
Known for their barking vocals and unrelenting riffs, the Los Angeles punks are taking a bold step in a different direction with their Life Under the Sun EP (a play on 2023’s outstanding Life Under the Gun). Absent are singer Ian Shelton’s growls that turned heads in a recent Taco Bell commercial, and in their place are soft whispers and unique collaborations with artists such as Bully and Manchester Orchestra. In a 2023 interview with Kerrang!, Shelton noted, “I want our music to be confusing to people who are close-minded”. Life Under the Sun serves as the biggest test to that ideology yet.
The Smile: Wall of Eyes
Radiohead fans will have to continue to wait for a new Radiohead project as Thom Yorke fills his time with The Smile. The band’s second album in two years, Wall of Eyes is yet another bold step sonically for the iconic frontman.
1994’s Jar of Flies marked a turning point for the band and saw them fully embrace the acoustic rock sound found on the Sap EP in 1992.
Jar of Flies EP Tracklist:
Side A
01. Rotten Apple
02. Nutshell
03. I Stay Away
04. No Excuses
Side B
05. Whale & Wasp
06. Don’t Follow
07. Swing on This
Brian Urlacher has had enough.
The company Medical Man Cave has begun using Urlacher’s name and image to promote their hair transplant service. Urlacher says that the company falsely listed Brian Urlacher as an “MMC Client,” and that the MMC website showed a picture of the former Bear on its first page. The lawsuit says the MMC Website also included another photo of a different man’s scalp with the label “Brian Urlacher” underneath.
This is the second hair company Urlacher has sued in a year for alleged misuse of his name and likeness.
The Killers will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Hot Fuss, by performing it in full during an eight-night residency in their hometown of Las Vegas this summer.
The City of Chicago is back again with a chance to etch your name into history with the second annual “You Name a Snowplow” contest. The names this year are:
You have until February 2 to vote.
