✨✨ So Much (For) Stardust is yours now✨✨ https://t.co/9yVr0jwWTN ✨✨ pic.twitter.com/TpqUFWu8qO
— Fall Out Boy (@falloutboy) March 24, 2023
Time to vote, again!
I love the smell of democracy in the morning. <3 Lauren
If you are asking yourself, ‘didn’t we do this already?” The answer is yes, from wikipedia:
The 2023 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 28, 2023, to elect the mayor of Chicago, Illinois. With no candidate receiving a majority of votes in the initial round of the election, a runoff election will be held on April 4, 2023. The runoff is between former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. This two-round election takes place alongside other 2023 Chicago elections, including races for City Council, city clerk, city treasurer, and police district councils. The election is officially nonpartisan, with its winner being elected to a four-year term.
Early voting is open at 52 locations across the city:
And you still have time to request a Vote By Mail ballot!
From the Chicago Board of Elections website
Looming Deadlines:
- March 30, 2023 – Last day for the Board to receive new Vote By Mail applications.
- April 4, 2023 – Last day for postmark on the Ballot Return Envelope if returning by mail.
- April 18, 2023 – Last day that a mailed Vote By Mail ballot (postmarked or certified April 4 or earlier) may arrive at the Election Board to be included in the count.
And Good to Know:
- DON’T USE RED INK to mark your ballot! Ballot scanners can’t read red ink.
- SIGN AND SEAL your Ballot Return Envelope before you send it in!
- When you apply online to Vote By Mail, the Election Board will email to tell you when your application is accepted, when your ballot is mailed to you, when the Election Board receives your Ballot Return Envelope, and when your ballot has been processed and counted.
More voting info: https://chicagoelections.gov/en/home.html
However you plan to vote this election, DO IT! <3
Vito & Nick’s wins Chicago Pizza Tournament Championship
Our friends at CBS 2 have undergone a herculean effort this month to bring us the Chicago Pizza Tournament Championship.
It started with 8 pies. Pequod’s, Lou’s, Vito & Nick’s, and Aurelio’s advanced to the prestigious final four, and after more voting, it was determined that the finals would be between Lou’s and Vito & Nick’s.
By a nose, Vito & Nick’s came out victorious. With over 2,000 votes, they narrowly edged out the victory with 51.9% of the vote.
Who has the best pizza in Chicago? The conversation lives on Facebook!
Fall Out Boy, Depeche Mode, Linkin Park, and more drop new music today
As we close out on the first quarter of the year, the Music Gods have blessed us with a ton of new music today.
Fall Out Boy: So Much (for) Stardust
An Obligatory Pete Wentz Thank You to Chicago’s very own Fall Out Boy for releasing their eighth studio album, So Much (for) Stardust. You heard the debut single, “Love From the Other Side” with Brian & Justin not once, not twice, but three times in a row when it first came out. Now you can listen to the full album. Fall Out Boy kicks off their world tour at Wrigley Field on June 21.
Depeche Mode: Memento Mori
Alternative legends Depeche Mode dropped their first album in six years today with the release of Memento Mori. The band sounds as good as they ever have with the release of “Ghosts Again”, the album’s premier single. You can see Depeche Mode at the United Center on April 5 and November 13.
Linkin Park: Fighting Myself
Linkin Park have once again dug into their archives with the upcoming 20th anniversary of Meteora and have pulled out another unreleased song. “Fighting Myself” comes from the Linkin Park archives and it sounds incredible. The track is built from an unused Chester Bennington vocal stem, with new rap verses by Mike Shinoda.
Lana Del Rey: Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
The polarizing Lana Del Rey is back with a new album, her first since releasing two LP’s in 2021. Her signature, sultry tone is back once again as Del Rey returns to vintage form with this gut-wrenching, 16-track release.
Meg Myers: TZIA
For the first time since 2018’s “Take Me to the Disco”, Meg Myers is back with a full length album. The eclectic frontwoman is best known for her take on Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”, but Myers proved again with this record that her original output is just as strong. Meg Myers will be at Park West on April 26.
Bouncing Souls: Ten Stories High
One of the finest Northeast punk bands to ever exist, the Bouncing Souls are back with a new record, the 12th of their prestigious career. The boys will be back in town on May 11 at the Metro alongside Swingin’ Utters and the perennially underrated Samiam.
What new music are you checking out today? The conversation lives on Facebook!
The Weekend Q101
Friday:
Inhaler at The Riviera
On Friday night, Inhaler makes their triumphant return to Chicago after turning heads at last year’s Lollapalooza. The Irish quartet, fronted by Bono’s son Elijah Hewson, have made tremendous strides ever since they cancelled off of last year’s Brian & Justin St. Patrick’s Day broadcast. Tickets are available here.
Saturday:
Uncorked: Chicago Wine Festival
The Museum of Science and Industry hosts the third annual Uncorked Wine Festival, where guests can enjoy more than 100 wines and Champagnes as well as a variety of exhibitions and experiences. Tickets. can be purchased here.
PAW Patrol Live! at Chicago Theater
On Saturday and Sunday, PAW Patrol Live! invades The Chicago Theater for a number of live performances. The new production will feature the beloved characters from the animated preschool series as they face their greatest challenge yet. Audiences will have the opportunity to help the pups solve puzzles during the interactive show, and a vibrant musical score will have kids dancing and singing in their seats. Tickets can be found here.
One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk at Logan Square Auditorium
A Tribute to Daft Punk is the first and only realistic tribute of their kind. They create the perfect Daft Punk inspired experience to produce a high-octane dance party set combining Daft Punk anthems, club bangers, and their own remixes. Tickets to this spectacular event are available here.
WILCO at The Riviera (Saturday, and Sunday)
Jeff Tweedy brings his group of folk bandits to The Riv for a trio of shows this weekend. The band kicked off a three-show run at The Riv on Thursday night, and will cap off their residency on Saturday and Sunday. If you want to get in, you’ll have to turn to the secondary market, as these shows have been long sold out.
The Verve Pipe at City Winery
Verve Pipe head to City Winery on Saturday night. Tickets for this intimate performance are available here.
Sunday:
Q101 NASCAR Watch Party
Rev your engines, racing fans! join Q101 to watch The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and cheer on your favorite drivers at our official watch party! Join Q101 at The Piggery located at 1625 W Irving Park Rd in Chicago on Sunday, March 26th from 2:00pm – 6:00pm for a watch party filled with high-speed thrills, delicious food, and unbeatable company. Get ready for the green flag with a cold drink in hand and a group of friends by your side.
Check out our table to win cool prizes and make sure to enter to win concert tickets or a pair of GA tickets to NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend on July 1 & 2nd 2023. Get there early and secure your spot to the finish line!
Shamrock Shuffle:
The annual Shamrock Shuffle is taking place at Grant Park, sending thousands of green-clad participants on an 8K run, two-mile walk or one-mile race through the Loop.
Blackhawks host the Canucks
The struggling Blackhawks take on the struggling Vancouver Canucks at home on Sunday evening.
Impractical Jokers Live at Rosemont Theater
The DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE Tour heads to The Rosemont Theater on Sunday evening. The tour will feature never-before-seen videos and storytelling stand-up. Limited tickets can be found here.
5 Lollapalooza bands you need to listen to immediately
Lollapalooza is once again on the docket and Q101 is the place to be for everything Lollapalooza related. On Thursday, at 8am, Q101 tickets off Ticket Blitz Thursday with Brian & Justin. This continues all day through 6:00pm with Brian Phillips. This will be your FIRST chance to get Lolla tickets before they go on-sale on Friday.
As an expert in bands at the bottom of the poster, it is time once again to shed some light on some under the radar bands trapped at the bottom of the poster.
beabadoobee
As you read this, beabadoobee [BE-BUH-DOO-BE] is preparing to open up Taylor Swift on a string of dates on Swift’s already-infamous Eras Tour. The Filipino, bedroom-pop savant has made a lot of noise in the music industry by, in reality, making very little noise at all. Every outlet, from Rolling Stone to the Tonight Show have given the Gen Z Superstar their seal of approval. She is best known for her vocals on “death bed (coffee for your head)“, a song that has amassed over a billion streams on Spotify, but her best work comes from her latest record with the song “the perfect pair”.
Knocked Loose
Now for something completely different.
Much like Turnstile last year, Knocked Loose is the sole representative for aggressive guitar music this year. The Louisville hardcore outlet has turned heads over the last few years for their unrelenting live show. They are no stranger to the festival scene, having headlined a bevy of hardcore festivals and tagging onto Warper Tour in 2017 and 2018, but 10 years into their career, the band is reaching new heights. This year, they’ll play Coachella and Bonnaroo before unloading their barrage of heavy riffs and blood-curling shrieks on Grant Park this summer. If you find yourself longing for the days where fresh, heavy guitar music dominated your life, Knocked Loose can provide some much-needed comfort.
Lovejoy
Remember the name Lovejoy. The next time they play Lollapalooza, their name will be in a much more prominent position on the poster. The English quarter has been getting in their 10,000 hours, releasing a pair of EP’s as they gear up for their upcoming release, “Wake Up & It’s Over”. The lead single from that project, “Call Me What You Like”, combines the swagger of Arctic Monkeys with the delightful kookiness of The Wombats. This may be your first time listening to Lovejoy, but it certainly won’t be your last.
Dehd
It wouldn’t be Lollapalooza without some great Chicago music, and this year Dehd is the local band to watch (alongside our corndog-loving friends in Sincere Engineer). Dehd have been a longtime favorite of music critics and with good reason. They blend a proto-alt sound while touting Dolly Parton and Roy Orbison as influences. No one is doing it quite like this Chicago three-piece, and while they’ve played Pitchfork Music Festival before, it will be great to see them on the big stage at Lolla.
The 502s
I really love The 502s. There’s something about them that is wholesome and sincere, yet I feel like any of their songs could be used in the background as Toyota tries to sell me a car. Being able to straddle that line takes real talent. This folky sextet came into my life last year their hit, “Just A Little While”, has been embedded in my brain ever since. With The Lumineers gravitating towards electric guitars on their most recent release and Mumford & Sons taking a step back as Marcus Mumford pursues a solo career, The 502s have a chance to become the premier Stomp & Clap band in town. I anxiously await watching their set in awe as the sun sets on the greatest city on Earth.
Tickets for Lollapalooza go on-sale this Friday, but you can get your tickets from Q101 as a part of Ticket Blitz Thursday starting at 8:00AM.
Noel Gallagher goes orchestral
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds welcome the power of strings (recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios) on the song “Dead to the World,” the third pre-release track from their upcoming album, Council Skies (released June 2nd)
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds along with Garbage and Metric play Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island June 27th.
ALDI drops merch line, become kings of streetwear
ALDI are known for their cheap groceries, and they’ve now made a foray into streetwear with affordable, stylish clothing.
The following items range from $1.49 to $9.99.
- Keychain Quarter Holder – $1.49
- Bucket Hat or Cap – $3.99
- 2 Pack Socks – $4.99
- Umbrella – $4.99
- Slides – $4.99
- Tumbler – $6.99
- Belt Bag – $6.99
- Windbreaker – $9.99
- Jogger – $9.99
- Pullover – $9.99
Items are available at your local Aldi.
Inmates escape jail, captured in IHOP
Two inmates at a jail in Virginia created a hole in the wall, escaped, and then made their way to America’s happiest destination, IHOP. According to AP, “Authorities discovered the two men, ages 37 and 43, missing from their cell in the Newport News jail annex during a routine head count Monday evening.”
After a “see something, say something” plea from the local police, the convicts were captured while chowing down on double-stacks.
Charges related to the escape are pending, the sheriff said.
Is throwing a banana peel littering? Experts weigh in
The environment’s answer to “is a hot dog a sandwich?”, there’s a never-ending debate over whether or not it’s cool to toss your banana peels onto the ground.
While some would think about this situation and think “that is the literal definition of littering”, others have a real argument for why it’s okay to do. According to the pro-peel-throwers, “Unlike plastics and manufactured waste products, organic products waste like banana peels will decompose within a short period, but they are still out of place in the ecosystem.” They can also attract wild animals until they’re broken down.
According to Conserve Energy Future, “Littering is one significant threat to the environment, and it doesn’t matter if it is organic waste or not. When dealing with nature, it is best to leave things as you meet them, including maintaining the ecosystem.”
Let us know where you stand on this! The conversation lives on Facebook!
Depeche Mode’s “Ghosts Again”
Listen to another song from the Memento Mori album (released this Friday) here: It will be their first record since the death of founding member Andy Fletcher, who died during their early writing sessions for the LP.
Wayne’s World 3?!
This was our first clue that something was happening in Wayne’s parent’s basement…
Which led to someone asking Dana Carvey if Wayne’s World 3 was on the horizon,
“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll do it in puppets. I’m not sure.”
“I’m always game,” he added. “Love Mike Myers. Just a brilliant guy.”
More from People.com here. <3 Lauren
This is what it would sound like if Alice in Chains did “I Want It That Way”
Brian & Justin have unearthed another brilliant mashup, this one by Crew Member Steve Welsh.
Is this better or worse than the original? The conversation lives on Facebook!
Secret facts you didn’t know about some of your favorite celebrities
Justin blew our minds on Brian & Justin this morning when he revealed that Pete Wentz, a notable Northsider, grew up a tennis prodigy. If that wasn’t enough, Justin also pointed out that,
- Elvis Presley is a natural blonde
- Denzel Washington has a permanently wonky pinky finger
- Tim Allen was arrested for cocaine posession and served two years in jail
- Dennis Rodman has 28 siblings on his dad’s side
A full list of surprising celebrity facts can be found here.
Is Blockbuster preparing for a big return?
It’s Friday night in the early aughts and you’re tasked with the biggest decision of your life: which movie are you taking home for the weekend? This anxiety could soon be returning to your life as Blockbuster, which is currently down to one store in Bend, Oregon, is seemingly paving the way for an exciting comeback.
If you go to blockbuster.com, you’re greeted with a message that reads “we are working on rewinding your movie.”
Netflix, who helped ensure the death of Blockbuster, has helped the brand fall back into favor with a sitcom based around the final physical Blockbuster. A documentary streaming on the service garnered critical acclaim.
Would you welcome the return of a physical Blockbuster? The conversation lives on Facebook!
Residents in one neighborhood are complaining about being bombarded with free, unexpected Uber Eats orders
Imagine living in the year of our Lord 2023 and complaining about free delivery. A Canadian town, however, is not happy with the barrage of free food they’ve been receiving. The residents of New Westminister’s Victoria Hill neighborhood have received hundreds of orders ranging from bottles of water to a doughnut or even a single bowl of gravy, all of which have been paid for. There are no names listed on the orders and no specific units or addresses are attached, outside of a generic address for multiple townhouse complexes. The residents are now “at a loss”.
Residents contacted police over the matter, but police noted that at this time, there’s nothing they can do regarding this case.
Uber Eats noted that the mysterious nature of the food is “concerning”, but as of press time, no further action has been taken.
Bannockburn voted best place to live in Illinois
A popular ranking and review site, Niche, has voted Bannockburn the number one spot in this year’s 2023 Best Places to Live in the Chicago Area. Located in Lake County, Bannockburn is touted as “best features of estate and urban living”. It was followed by another Lake County town in Long Grove and DuPage County’s Clarendon Hills, which ranked third.
The top 10 best places to live in the Chicago area are listed below:
- Bannockburn
- Long Grove
- Clarendon Hills
- Naperville
- Inverness
- Hinsdale
- Buffalo Grove
- Western Springs
- Kildeer
- Evanston
Brookfield Zoo ranked fifth best zoo from USA Today
While the Lincoln Park Zoo attracts all of the hype, the USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards have crowned the Brookfield Zoo as not only the top zoo in the state of Illinois, but one of the best zoo’s in the country. The rankings were based on “zoos that excel in animal care and enrichment, as well as engaging and meaningful interactions between animals and zoo visitors.”
The Top 10 were:
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs
- Brookfield Zoo
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park
- Audubon Zoo in New Orleans
- Saint Louis Zoo
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio
- Indianapolis Zoo
Sammy Sosa included in MLB The Show 23
MLB The Show 23 will be released next week (March 28th) and the game will include Sammy Sosa among other baseball legends. Check out the trailer here.
The Lollapalooza 2023 lineup is here!
From August 3-6, Lollapalooza will once again be back in Grant Park and this year’s lineup looks incredible.
Your FIRST CHANCE to get Lollapalooza tickets will be on Thursday, starting at 8am, for Q101’s Ticket Blitz Thursday.
