Brian Phillips — Live Broadcast
Brian and Justin — Live Broadcast at Lizzie McNeal’s!
If “Yellow” by Coldplay was an emo anthem
Banger. That’s the word that comes to mind after hearing this.
Big government wants this man to get rid of his ‘ILUVTOFU’ license plate
Peter Starostecki is a vegan who loves tofu, so much so that he proudly gets behind the wheel of a car that has a plate that reads, ‘ILUVTOFU’. That’s the thing about Peter Starostecki: he loves tofu. His entire car is decorated with tofu-related stickers and if you think there’s anything else going on here, you are a part of the problem.
As Starostecki explains in the news clip above, which has the same tone and pacing as a murder mystery, not everyone buys Starostecki’s vegan-related message. In fact, the state of Maine thinks he’s a dirty dog.
The state ordered Starostecki to remove his plate, and offered him a consolation prize that reads “V3GAN”. A man of strong moral fiber, our main character has passed on this vanity plate and has opted to live a life of normalcy in a way of saying “FU” to the people that love to hate him.
WELUVTOFU, too, Peter Starostecki.
Cubs, White Sox kick ass on Opening Day
It’s a great time to be alive for Chicago baseball fans. Both teams were victorious on Opening Day, and both games were super QUICK.
The Cubs stomped the Brewers, winning 4-0 off the back of new addition Dansby Swanson, who was excellent. He finished with three hits and an RBI.
The White Sox defeated the World Series Champion Astros in a thrilling affair. Dylan Cease was brilliant, hurling 6.1 innings and striking out 10. Although it got hairy towards the end, the bullpen was able to keep things close and after some timely hitting from Andrew Vaughn, the South Siders took the lead in the 9th and never looked back.
The Sox will be back at it on Friday night, whereas the Cubs will have to wait until Saturday to take the field again.
New music out from Andrew McMahon, Metallica, and more!
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness: Tilt at the Wind No More
The fourth studio album from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is out today. “Tilt at the Wind No More” comes after a lengthy buildup with singles dating back to October. Andrew McMahon will be on the road this summer with dates in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and more!
boygenius: the record
The supergroup of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, & Phoebe Bridgers, otherwise known as boygenius, are back with a spectacular new record entitled “the record”. The band has a new short film out, “the film”, directed by Kristen Stewart, to go along with the release of their new album. The group will be in Chicago on June 24.
Michigander: It Will Never Be the Same
Twisted Xmas veteran Michigander is out with a new EP today and it is excellent. Michigander will be at Lincoln Hall on April 14.
Metallica: 72 Seasons
Metallica dropped the title-track for their latest album, “72 Seasons”. The album comes out on April 14, but for now, we have an eight-minute single to enjoy. Metallica will be at Soldier Field at August 9 and August 11, 2024.
Samiam: Stowaway
Samiam are a forever under-appreciated punk outlet from California. “Stowaway” marks their first release in nine years. They’ll be at the Metro alongside The Bouncing Souls at the Metro on May 11.
White Stripes: Elephant (20th Anniversary)
While the White Stripes are not back in business, but this weekend marks the 20th anniversary of Elephant. Not only are the White Stripes reissuing their most iconic record, but they’re releasing an unreleased show from the Aragon Ballroom in 2003 to celebrate the anniversary of the album.
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal: Moving Without Movements
Underground emo icon-turned-emo rapper Wicca Phase Springs Eternal dropped a synthy new wave single Moving Without Movements, which has been stuck in the heads of Brian & Justin all week long.
The Weekend Q101
Friday:
Q101 Welcomes Rise Against at the Metro (Friday-Saturday)
On Friday night, Rise Against will play their second of three consecutive shows at the Metro to celebrate 40 years of Chicago’s most iconic venue. The band will be joined by another legendary Chicago punk outfit, the Smoking Popes, for a truly spectacular event that is all things Chicago. On Saturday, the boys welcome another Chicago band into the fold in Kali Masi. We can’t wait to see you there.
John Mayer at the United Center
John Mayer brings his SOLO tour to the United Center for a sold out event this Friday. This marks the first time in Mayer’s lengthy career that he is hitting the road with just his acoustic guitar.
Carlos Mencia at Chicago Improv in Schaumburg (Friday-Sunday)
Legendary joke thief Carlos Mencia will be at the Improv in Schaumburg for a number of shows this weekend. Tickets can be purchased here.
C2E2 (Friday-Sunday): Chicago’s premier entertainment expo, featuring the likes of Chris Evans, Christian Cage, Svengoolie, and more this year, will be at McCormick Place all weekend. Tickets are available at this link.
Golden-Con: Thank You For Being a Fan: Golden-Con, the Golden Girls fan convention that debuted in Chicago last year, is back for another go. Celebrating the critically acclaimed sitcom that ran from 1985 to 1992, the three-day event will feature special guest appearances, live performances, a vendor market, a costume parade, a trivia tournament and much more. Information can be found here.
Michael Yo at The Den Theater (Friday-Saturday)
Comedian Michael Yo will be at The Den Theater on Friday and Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at this link.
Saturday:
Third Eye Blind at Salt Shed
Third Eye Blind celebrates 25 years of their thrilling self-titled debut album at The Salt Shed on Saturday evening. This event is sold out.
Cubs host the Brewers
The Cubs look to start the season off on the right foot. After an Opening Day victory, they will look to go 2-0 against Milwaukee.
Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils
The Devils are a playoff team. The Blackhawks are not.
Dog Egg Hunt at Horner Park:
If your only friend is your dog, you’re in luck. Bring your pup to Horner Park for a Dog Egg Hunt, where they can search for treat-filled eggs hidden across the lawn. There will be a photo area, local vendors offering freebies and giveaways, a costume contest and more.
Sunday:
Cubs host the Brewers
The Cubs close out their first series of the year against Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World will become an anime series
Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstea, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza and more are returning to voice Netflix’s adaptation of the graphic novel for a new anime series.
The original trailer here:
Chicago’s Crust Fund Pizza competes on Chopped as they raise money for Chicago food pantries
John Carruthers founded Crust Fund Pizza in the midst of the pandemic. What began as a project that sold pizzas out of a back alley in Logan Square has turned into a full-fledged powerhouse in the Chicago pizza game. Carruthers said, “The coolest thing about Crust Fund [is] if I have a bad day, and I spend too much time on Twitter and feel awful about humanity, the way people not just want pizza, but want to support the organizations we’re highlighting every month…Makes me feel better about humanity.”
You can keep track of the next opportunity to get yourself some Crust Fund Pizza on his Instagram.
OJ Simpson backs Gwyneth Paltrow in controversial ski crash
If you thought Gwyneth Paltrow was going to pay a dime, you were sorely mistaken. Legal expert and American Judicial System winner OJ Simpson (Orenthal James Simpson, The Juice) has backed Paltrow with a lengthy Twitter video.
Dairy Queen will sell Blizzards for 85 cents on Monday to celebrate their summer menu
Dairy Queen is ready for summer. Despite the continuous chilly temperatures, the ice cream superstore will be dropping prices on their irresistible Blizzards to celebrate new and returning flavors.
According to a release, in honor of blizzards being invented in 1985, customers can snag one of the iconic sweets for 85 cents via the chain’s app from April 10 to 23.
Substitute teacher overpaid by $54K, refused to return money: is she a jerk?
A woman working for Stamford Public Schools in Stamford, Connecticut is under fire after being overpaid $54,000 and refusing to return the money. At the time, the woman was working as a substitute teacher with an hourly rate of $105. During the pay period of Oct. 31, 2022 and Nov. 13, 2022, police say the substitute worked two days and was mistakenly paid $27,300 per day by the City of Stamford Payroll department, which, after taxes, totaled $27,111.03.
The teacher and the school district came up with a plan for the money to be returned, but on that day, the woman never showed. Authorities say the results found the balance of the account at $19,863.89 on Feb. 8, which police immediately seized. The woman was charged with larceny in the first degree.
Is she a jerk for not returning the money? The conversation lives on Facebook!
‘The Sherminator’ delivers bad news about your local Walmart
If you’re buying food from Walmart in Indiana, STOP.
Thank you Sherminator for this diligent report.
12 notable moments from the bizarre Gwyneth Paltrow trial that is full of Rich Person Problems
In case you aren’t sure why Gwyneth Paltrow is in court and on TV every night, she’s fighting a lawsuit from a 76-year old optometrist who is suing her for over $300,000 over a 2016 ski collision that he says left him with broken ribs and years of lasting concussion symptoms. The incident occurred on a bunny hill while the actress was in the midst of a $9,000 ski lesson. Since the injuries, the optometrist noted that he can no longer enjoy wine tasting.
That leads us to this, a delightfully weird compilation with all of the notable moments from the trial thus far.
AltPress ranked the Top 5 pop punk vocalists of all-time and we’re shocked by the results
AltPress conducted a poll of their readers in an effort to figure out the best pop punk vocalists of all-time. The results seemed to be relatively standard, and then we got to our winner.
The AltPress poll went as follows,
#5: Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance)
#4: Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
#3: Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy)
#2: Hayley Williams
And then there was #1.
The AP readers determined that Avril Lavigne was the greatest pop punk vocalist of all-time.
I was just as surprised as you were.
No disrespect to Avril Lavigne, who clearly has some impressive pipes, but the best of all-time? Surely there’s someone else worthy of the top spot.
Who do you think the best pop punk vocalist of all-time is? The conversation lives on Facebook!
Here’s how much it costs attend the Cubs and White Sox home openers
According to research done by our friends at MIBets.com, the Cubs and Wrigley Field is the tenth-most expensive home opener, while the White Sox first game at Guaranteed Rate Field comes as the 15th highest in the league. This was determined by looking at the price of both parking and food and beer on Opening Day.
Adults will spend roughly $91.98 for a ticket, parking, a beer & hot dog when attending Opening Day at Wrigley Field on Thursday. For the Sox, whose home opener is April 3 against the Giants, those prices will clock in at about $73.75.
Charles Barkley reveals longtime beef with Michael Jordan, notes they don’t speak anymore
Basketball Hall of Famer and broadcasting legend Charles Barkley sat down with 60 Minutes over the weekend to discuss his career and how the game of basketball changed his life. In that interview, he was asked about Michael Jordan and his relationship with him.
Barkley revealed that he and Jordan no longer speak over Barkley’s comments about Jordan as an owner.
How did you lose a friend? The conversation lives on Facebook!
Lollapalooza daily schedule released, RHCP to headline Sunday
Lollapalooza announced their daily schedule yesterday, revealing what bands will be playing Thursday-Sunday. Notably, Billie Eilish will headline Thursday, Twisted Xmas veterans The 1975 on Friday, Odesza on Saturday, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday.
For a detailed look at some bands at the bottom of the poster, Q101 has you covered here.
Freaks and Geeks and D&D
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves hits theaters this Friday. Writer/Director John Francis Daley who played Sam on the cult classic TV show Freaks and Geeks reunites with his former castmates Samm Levine (Neal) and Martin Starr (Bill) in the video below.
6 deceased in Nashville school shooting, 129th mass shooting of 2023
On March 27, a mass shooting occurred at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. Surveillance video shows the shooter shot their way into the campus. Three children, as well as three adult staff members, were killed. Police noted two officers entered the building, ran toward the sound of gunfire, approached the suspect on the second floor of the school, and fatally shot them.
Everyone at Q101 sends their heartfelt condolences to those impacted by another senseless act of violence.
This is how much the average Costco shopper spends on one trip
The average Costco shopper spends just over $100 per visit for a total of around $3,000 per year, according to updated 2023 data first reported by Business Insider. This is double what the average shopper spends at Target or Walmart, with those patrons roughly spending $50-$54 on their trips. Costco’s own data suggests the average spend-per-visit is actually growing, with recent reports showing that number to be up nearly 7%.
How much do you spend every time you go to the grocery store? The conversation lives on Facebook!
