New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, so the threat of drinking and driving rises naturally. The CTA is offering a safer option tonight, as WLS-AM reports today, all bus and train rides will be free between 10 PM tonight until 4 AM tomorrow morning. The free rides this year are sponsored by MillerCoors.
Still there is some bummer news coming for public transit commuters in Chicago and beyond.
Pace regular and paratransit rides are going to be a quarter more per trip, starting on Monday. CTA riders will have to pay an extra quarter a ride starting Thursday, Jan. 7. Metra’s increases start on Monday Feb. 5, with monthly passes rising $9 to $12.50 and 10-ride passes will go up anywhere from$4.25 to $7.75, depending on the length of the trip. Metra also planning to cut some service. So getting around without a car is going to be a bit pricier.
This is the first time since 2009 that CTA, Pace, and Metra have all risen their fares at the same time.
Don’t worry car drivers some new hassles with new construction projects on local roadways are coming your way as well. The Chicago Tribune’s Mary Wisnewski has the full story here.
Mikey certainly isn’t the only one who dabbles in rock music. Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin on Stranger Things, made an appearance at the famed Stone Pony in New Jersey. His band, Work In Progress, covered a few songs you just might be familiar with.
And on a weekend where Black Mirror should be hogging the headlines — Netflix’s other show still makes the news. — [eric]
It’s the last day of 2017, a year that had several blockbuster bangers and busts at the movie theater. We go to the top Youtube movie critics to cull together a solid overview of the best movies of the year. Don’t worry because you all love to see someone fall down, we will will also cover the worst as well.
Here my 10 best movies of 2017 in no ranked order. PS: Don’t be mad at me for seeing a lot of superhero movies.
Star Wars: the Last Jedi: The haters can sip their haterrade out of their Chewbacca collector cups, this was not the top Star Wars movie, it was the great one out now. Outside of some pacing issues and that one scene with Princess Leia, it delivered the fan-boy thrills and general audience chills. ‘thrills and chills” yeah, I wen there.
The Big Sick: Playing in comedy scene of Chicago with a comic who came up from that scene, Kumail Nanjiani.delivers a romantic comedy that refuses to play into lame dull rom-com tropes while deliver on the organic laughs of Judd Apatow produced movies. You go from chuckling to riding with this couple through a medical scare that we can all relate into in some way.
Thor: Ragnarok: The God of Thunder brings action and unfiltered out-of-this-world fun. Far away the best solo flick with Chris Hemsworth and it has a very memorable chemistry between Thor and the Incredible Hulk.
Get Out: The scariest movie of the year was the debut from Jordan Peele of ‘Key and Peele’ fame plays on racial tension with an ending that literally had movie-goers cheering in the theater when I saw it. Shout out to Chicago’s own Lil’ Rel who has a hilarious supporting role here.
Wonder Woman: DC Comics fans finally got a universally well-received adeventure with Gal Gadot bringing people to tears by simply being an Amazon that kicks ass and loves at the same time.
LOGAN : Speaking of tears, Hugh Jackman’s farewell performance as Wolverine was an emotional ride for Marval fans who saw him end his tragic journey of pain in the X-Men series.
Baby Driver: One of the most brilliant car-oriented movies. Director Edgar Wright brings more fast and furious fun in this heist story that effectively mixes action, compelling performances, and the best soundtrack of the year.
Blade-Runner 2049: It may have been long, too long for some but it is a ride to another place. It has to be one of the most accurate sequels in terms of just bringing the vibe of the original energy while also expanding on it and giving you investment in the new characters.
The LEGO Batman Movie: ‘HOW MANY SUPERHERO MOVIES IS HE GOING TO PUT HERE?’ Just looking at movies I saw, but this stunningly animated big laugh-per-minute flick was worth every penny.
IT: Stephen King’s beloved horror books have been taken to the big screen and TV with mixed results, but this delivered kids vs evil tale on all fronts.
Now here are some educated cinematic minds with their take of the best of ’17.
Tommy Allsup, 85. A guitarist best known for losing a coin toss that kept him off a plane that later crashed and killed rock ‘n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson. Jan. 11. Complications from a hernia operation.
Dick Gautier, 85. The actor who gained fame playing an Elvis-like singer in the Broadway musical “Bye Bye Birdie” and went on to play Hymie the Robot on TV’s “Get Smart.” Jan. 13.
Butch Trucks, 69. A drummer who was one of the founding members of the Southern rock legend The Allman Brothers Band. Jan. 24. Suicide.
Al Jarreau, 76. A Grammy-winning jazz singer who transcended genres over a 50-year career. Feb. 12.
Chuck Berry, 90. He was rock ‘n’ roll’s founding guitar hero and storyteller who defined the music’s joy and rebellion in such classics as “Johnny B. Goode,” ”Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” March 18.
Paul O’Neill, 61. He founded the progressive metal band Trans-Siberian Orchestra that was known for its spectacular holiday concerts filled with theatrics, lasers and pyrotechnics. April 5.
J. Geils, 71. He was founder of The J. Geils Band known for such peppy early 80s pop hits as “Love Stinks,” ”Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold.” April 11.
Chris Cornell, 52. A rocker who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave and was one of the leading voices of the 1990s grunge movement. May 17. Suspected suicide.
Gregg Allman, 69. A music legend whose bluesy vocals and soulful touch on the Hammond B-3 organ helped propel The Allman Brothers Band to superstardom and spawn Southern rock. May 27. Cancer.
Chester Bennington, 41. The Linkin Park lead singer whose screeching vocals helped the rock-rap band become one of the most commercially successful acts in the 2000s. July 20. Apparent suicide.
Glen Campbell, 81. The affable superstar singer of “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Wichita Lineman” whose appeal spanned country, pop, television and movies. Aug. 8.
Barbara Cook, 89. Her shimmering soprano made her one of Broadway’s leading ingenues and later a major cabaret and concert interpreter of popular American song. Aug. 8.
Walter Becker, 67. The guitarist, bassist and co-founder of the 1970s rock group, Steely Dan, which sold more than 40 million albums and produced such hit singles as “Reelin’ In the Years,” ”Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and “Deacon Blues.” Sept. 3.
Don Williams, 78. An award-winning country singer with love ballads like “I Believe in You.” Sept. 8.
Anne Jeffreys, 94. The actress and opera singer who likely had her greatest impact on TV audiences as Marion Kerby “the ghostess with the mostess” in the 1950s TV series “Topper.” Sept. 27.
Tom Petty, 66. An old-fashioned rock superstar and everyman who drew upon the Byrds, the Beatles and other bands he worshipped as a boy. Oct. 2.
Jimmy Beaumont, 76. The lead singer of the doo-wop group the Skyliners and a co-writer of the iconic ballad “Since I Don’t Have You.” Oct. 7.
Malcolm Young, 64. The rhythm guitarist and guiding force behind the bawdy hard rock band AC/DC who helped create such head-banging anthems as “Highway to Hell,” ”Hells Bells” and “Back in Black.” Nov. 18.
Mel Tillis, 85. The affable longtime country music star who wrote hits for Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs and many others, and overcame a stutter to sing on dozens of his own singles. Nov. 19.
Della Reese, 86. The actress and gospel-influenced singer who in middle age found her greatest fame as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running television drama “Touched by an Angel.” Nov. 19.
David Cassidy, 67. The teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom “The Partridge Family” and sold millions of records as the musical group’s lead singer. Nov. 21.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, 55. The Russian baritone known for his velvety voice, dashing looks and shock of flowing white hair. Nov. 22.
Jon Hendricks, 96. The pioneering jazz singer and lyricist who with the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross popularized the “vocalese” singing style in which words were added to instrumental songs. Nov. 22.
Shadia, 86. An Egyptian actress and singer who captivated millions for decades with memorable singles and iconic film roles. Nov. 28.
Johnny Hallyday, 74. France’s biggest rock star for more than half a century and an icon who packed sports stadiums and all but lit up the Eiffel Tower with his pumping pelvis and high-voltage tunes. Dec. 6.
My New Year’s Resolution of learning Spanish just got a little easier with Pantaya!
“We’re proud to launch a Spanish-language streaming movie service distinguished by its breadth, quality and diversity,” said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer in a statement. “This platform is the next logical step in Lionsgate’s track record of serving the Hispanic consumer with high-end premium content through our Pantelion Films venture with Televisa. By drawing upon the blockbuster films, vast libraries and world-class programming resources of its partners, PANTAYA is positioned to become a compelling value proposition for Spanish-language and bilingual audiences across the country.”
And if you’re looking for a way to practice your Spanish In Real Life, check out Generation LatinX at the iO Chicago. An all-ages music and improv show with Hispanic performers in English and Spanish (aka Spanglish). Tickets to the 1st Spanglish show of the year on Tuesday, January 9th here: http://ticketf.ly/2jlyoGa
Apple users have noticed recently that older model IPhones have gotten slower with the latest updates to the IOS software. Apple officials hve responded to Tech Crunch, saying these noticeable speed reductions were applied to preserve the battery life in the older iPhones but that did not stop the backlash against the smart phone intrusion that many claimed was happening.
“We’ve been hearing feedback from our customers about the way we handle performance for iPhones with older batteries and how we have communicated that process. We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making,” the statement reads. “First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
The statement also details how the batteries in the older iPhones ages and how this can affect the performance at low energy, and a direct solution was offered: buy a new battery. Apple is reducing the price of replacement batteries in 2018 for IPhone 6 or newer models, with batteries going from $79 to $29.
Electric cars are great! No emissions, low cost of ownership, and lowering our reliance upon fossil fuels. However, one of the bad things about electric cars is that they are virtually silent — and therefore more at risk of not being detected by pedestrians, animals, etc.
So…what’s the solution? For Mercedes-AMG, they are looking to Linkin Park to help design the artificial noise an electric car of tomorrow will make.
Let’s be clear: the vehicle of the future won’t be blaring their greatest hits.
“Using a rock band to help decide the future of car sounds doesn’t get any less odd the more you read it, but these kinds of decisions are coming up. Hybrid and electric technologies tend to be much quieter than internal combustion engines, which makes them both dangerous to pedestrians at low speeds and a bit boring in terms of sound. That means cars have to make some kind of noise, and rather than feeding fake engine noise through electric and hybrid vehicles, a lot of car companies are going the branding route by creating a ‘sound of the future.’“
I say just use the Jetson’s flying saucer sound effect…and let’s move on to more important things: will the car be able to dispense beer whilst it conveys me from location to location? — [eric]
A Super Blue Blood Moon? Sounds legendary and confusing all at the same time.
As Space.com explained, a blue moon is when two full moons occur in the same calendar month. A supermoon, the site added, happens when the moon is in something called “perigee,” which means it’s making its closest approach to Earth in a single orbit. Here’s how it all breaks down:
First Full Moon
The first full moon of January will take place on the night of New Year’s Day. For those in New York, the full moon will make its first appearance at 9:24 p.m. In the U.K., people can look up to see the full moon at 2:24 a.m. (so long as they aren’t too bleary-eyed from all the champagne).
Supermoon
Finally, the supermoon, or second full moon of the month, will take place the night before the second full moon on Jan. 30. Then, the moon will be just 223,068 miles from Earth, compared to its average distance of 238,855 miles. This will make it appear much larger than it typically does as it hovers in the sky. So make sure to look up on New Year’s Day and all month long as the moon gives a big hello to 2018.
Blue Moon and Blood Moon
The second full moon, or blue moon, which also comes with a lunar eclipse, will occur on the night of Jan. 31 for most. This is when the moon will also take on the characteristically orange-red color of a blood moon as it passes over the Midwest through the completion of the lunar eclipse. Really, this is the astrological event that is a true must-see in January.
Here’s hoping the Chicago cloud cover will open up on the first!
<3 @laurenoneil and my interpretation of a Super Blue Blood Moon…
This video may not be fresh but it’s concept is a timeless plea for human contact, to be more human in our everyday. The video produced by the Loneliness Project and their Campaign to End Loneliness which is helping to promote the cause of ending loneliness in the UK’s senior citizens. The video is very gripping and you can see what it does someone to simply be cut off from the world around you.
The Chicago Tribune covered the loneliness issue in this article from May, where it specifically notes that lives of our senior citizens is “darkened” by being alone for extended periods of time. These issues become more problematic for mental health in our older neighbors, and this article also has useful information on how to help these lonely people. Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly has a Chicago chapter that does amazing work locally and you can find out more about their efforts here.
This video has gone viral this week showing the UK based Sweet Charity Choir who deliver an incredibly rousing cover of Foo Fighters track ‘Come Alive’ to raise awareness for their work in mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis response.The video features the following explanation for the song choice.
Every year we lose incredible artists in the music industry to suicide. Over 50% of roadies or other music industry professionals have attempted or considered suicide, and most of them have not sought help. We at Sweet Charity Choir feel that singing can provide light in dark times, and being part of a musical community can change your life.
We want to raise awareness of music support; a charity in the U.K. run by volunteers within the music industry who provide a confidential help line for anyone in the music profession who needs help. This is our way of saying thanks to music support in the U.K. but also to the hundreds of other crisis charities across the world, and their thousands of volunteers.
We also thank the Foo Fighters for creating this incredible song that moved us to try and do something.
It’s wonderful reminder of what music can do for your spirit and how it can unite people in the best way. The song originally appeared on the 2007 album ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace’ and you can see where the lyrics resonate with Sweet Charity’s message of hope and healing.
Dave Grohl of the Foos acknowledge the video on the band’s Facebook page and praised it’s purpose.
Listen to the original version of ‘Come Alive’ here.
The social media video app Snapchat is making it easy to re-watch all of your best snaps of the year with the 2017 Memories Story. To play your 2017 Memories Story on Snapchat, tap on your Memories icon when you first load up the app. From that point, just select the “A Look Back At 2017” feature at the top of the “ALL” tab.
Snapchat is also undergoing some big changes to make the service move easier, and make it easier for you to separate conversations with friends from content you want to follow from publishers and media outlets.
As ETC Daily touches on here, it has been an up and down year for the Friendly ghosts of social media with the creative launch of the Snapchat spectacles and then people just stopped using them.
Follow us on SC, look up WKQXCHI to see all the awesome stuff going on in our studio, Lounge performances, and the best concerts around Chicago.
Panic! At the Disco bassist Dallon Weekes has confirmed he has left the band in a post today on Instagram. Weekes has been playing with P!ATD since 2009 when bassist Jon Walker and founding guitarist Ryan Ross both left the band. He started as a touring member, before eventually working his way to an official member of the group and helped write several songs on the 2013 album ‘Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!’. Weekes will now move on to his solo project called I Don’t Know How But They Found Me. Yeah, that’s a pretty cool name for a band.
More than 200 laws will take effect thanks to actions by Illinois citizens and activists working with lawmakers: improvements, refinements and updates to reflect changing times and needs.
Here are some interesting new laws to give you a quick overview of what’s coming your way:
Intimidation, stalking, cyber- stalking or transmission of obscene messages could be considered hate crimes. HB3711 Sen. Omar Aquino
A related measure expands cyberstalking penalties to cover tracking software and threats . HB3251 Sen. Tom Cullerton
When pets are considered marital assets, who gets custody can become part of the proceedings. SB1261 Sen. Linda Holmes – Starting in 2018, divorcing couples in Illinois who can’t agree on who keeps the pet will have a judge decide. Traditionally, companion animals are treated more like property to be divvied up between the couple. But officials say, with the rise of two-income, childless families, the issue of pet custody has been appearing in courtrooms more and more often. So starting January 1st, judges will have clear guidance when deciding whether to award sole custody to one pet parent or mandate they share custody. Factors will include things like who takes care of the pet on a day-to-day basis and who spends more money on things like food or vaccinations.
August 4 is our 44th President’s birthday. It’s also now Barack Obama Day in Illinois to honor the Chicagoan’s historic election and two terms in the White House. SB55 Sen. Emil Jones, III
A new state law gives 16- and 17-year olds the option of signing up to be organ and tissue donors when they apply for a driver’s license or identification card. HB1805 Sen. Mattie Hunter
Women often end up paying more than men for dry cleaning, haircuts and other services. A new state law requires price lists for standard services so customers can make more informed decisions. SB298 Sen. Melinda Bush
Now customers have the right to post reviews whether positive or negative on apps like Yelp. SB1898 Sen. Steve Stadelman
Individuals can change their gender designation on their birth certificate without undergoing gender transition. HB1785 Sen. Toi Hutchinson
With already dangerous wind chills in Chicago this season, let’s spread the warmth and donate any extra winter clothing and blankets you may have to those who need it the most. Shelters and organizations throughout the Chicagoland area are collecting winter clothing and blankets to help cloth the less fortunate. Drop off everything from scarves and mittens to pants and sweaters, coats and blankets to help keep someone else warm this winter.
Chicago Clothing Drives/Donation locations:
1. Zealous Good
2936 N Southport Ave
Accepting all kinds of donations for drop off and pick up!
5. Bottomless Closet
435 N Lasalle, lower level
Accepts used professional women’s clothing
6. Dress for Success
2314 East 75th St, 773-221-1791, [email protected]
Accepting, professional fall and winter attire, (suits, dress jackets, slacks and skirts,blouses) and new or gently used accessories (professional shoes and purses). Plus sizes preferred.
Several warming centers are dedicated for residents to find refuge from the cold. The warming centers are open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at:
Englewood Center, 1140 W. 79th St.
Garfield Center, 10 S. Kedzie Ave.
King Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
North Area, 845 W. Wilson Ave.
South Chicago, 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
Trina Davila, 4312 W. North Ave.
The Garfield Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To request a well-being check for someone who may be suffering from the cold, report inadequate heat in a residential building, or connect to shelter and supportive services, call 3-1-1.
For information on Cook County warming centers outside of Chicago, call the Cook County Department of Homeland Security’s Duty Desk at (312) 603-8185.
