Summer seems like it’s finally here! So let’s celebrate! Here’s what’s Rocking Right Now to spend doing during these warm days and nights..
Harvard Will Offer a Course Based on “Game of Thrones”
“Game of Thrones” isn’t just another TV show. People take it SERIOUSLY. So perhaps it’s not surprising that it’s going to be the subject of a new course at Harvard. It’s called “The Real Game of Thrones: From Modern Myths to Medieval Models” . . . and it’ll focus on the similarities and differences between the books and the show and ACTUAL medieval history. One of the professors of the class is a medieval historian, and he said, quote, “‘Game of Thrones’ does dramatize nicely some fundamental things going on in medieval courts . . . “Tensions between a queen and the younger women who marry their sons are some ‘Real Housewives of 10th-century Germany’ kind of stuff . . . where you see these women going after each other.” This is the latest in a long line of college courses inspired by the show. Some others include a linguistics class at UC Berkeley taught by the guy who created Dothraki, one of the fictional languages on the show. And Rice University had a class on monarchs with a “Game of Thrones” theme. READ MORE
STREAMING: Bonnaroo Delivered Right To Your Device
The 2017 version of Bonnaroo goes live today…and WILL BE live for those who did not trek to Tennessee for the festival, now in its fifteenth year.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lorde, Portugal. The Man, Kaleo, Cold War Kids, Mondo Cozmo and Royal Blood are just a few of the bands on the lineup.
If you want to stream any of them, you can do that here — plus the schedule of when to watch. — [eric]
SUPER MARIO THEME PARK IS HAPPENING! LET’S A GO!
Universal Studios Japan is getting one of the most exciting concepts to be introduced at a theme park in some time: SUPER MARIO! ‘Super Nintendo World’ has been talked about for some time but today Nintendo and Universal Studio officials confirmed at a groundbreaking ceremony in Japan today with hopes the attraction will be open in time of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Now are we going to get our own Super Nintendo World at one of the Amercian Universal Studios in Orlando or Hollywood? USA Today reported along with today’s announcement that the both Nintendo and Universal are working on plans for a US version of the Mario themed fun but when they will open has not been confirmed. Video game vlogger BitBlock while expressing some Mario fan freakout over the teaser trailer, analysed that DisneyWorld in Orlando is rolling some very big attractions with Star Wars so this is Universal meeting demand for fresh concepts.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new park was held today in Japan, which was beyond weird and playful. Universal Studio executives and ‘Super Mario’ creator Shigeru Miyamoto were very serious while wearing silly over sized red Mario hats and cartoony white puffy gloves. Plus a giant Mario mascot running along with delightfully campy set with a rolling poster that played out like real-life version of 8bit classic levels.
The biggest attraction that makes 90’s kids mouths collectively salivate is that the park will feature Mario Kart Experience. Something the executives called a “key part” of the park’s adventure for guests.
Rise Against in The Lounge
Matty Healy confirms debut album from The 1975 side-project Drive Like I Do
(from nme.com) photo: from PIQNIQ 2017 Zach Spangler
Singer says Drive Like I Do and The 1975 are ‘separate entities’ The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has confirmed that the debut album from Drive Like I Do will be released “in the coming few years”.
Healy’s band used to go by the name Drive Like I Do, regularly covering Fall Out Boy songs, before changing it to The 1975. While The 1975 are currently at work on their third album ‘Music For Cars’, Healy has taken to Twitter to clarify that The 1975 and Drive Like I Do are in fact “separate entities” and that the latter project will “release their debut album during spring time in the coming few years”. (MORE HERE)
WATCH: Imagine A World Without iPhone Apps
Could you go on living without apps? Sure, but do you realize how dependent on them you are? If you’re like me you use them daily from grabbing a ride home, having food delivered and most importantly LISTENING TO 101WKQX!! Right? Plus social media and on and on…
Apple made of funny video showing what the world could be like without apps. People shouting hashtags and trading selfies. It’s awesome.
‘Riot Feast’ pop-up eatery
(from chicago.suntimes.com, logo for the Riot Feast pop-up eatery slated for Wicker Park)
First there was Saved by the Max (the pop-up diner based on the hit TV series “Saved by the Bell”), that took Chicago by storm one year ago (it just closed up shop and is headed to L.A.). Now Riot Fest music fans can look forward to Riot Feast, a pop-up diner based on the popular alt-rock/punk/rock music festival running Sept. 15-17 in Douglas Park.
The pop-up, created by Riot Fest founder Michael Petryshyn and the team behind Saved by the Max, including Chef Brian Fisher and partners Derek Berry, Zack Eastman and Steve Harris, will open July 8 at 1941 W. North Ave. (the former Max site), for a three-month run (Wednesday through Sunday nights). The menu, not yet finalized, will be inspired by Riot Fest; the décor will reflect the festival’s carnival-style ambiance. The Wicker Park pop-up will transform into a carnival speakeasy at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and feature “a limited bar menu and circus freaks drinking alongside patrons, [providing] Chicago’s miscreants and ne’er-do-wells a place where they can feel at home,” today’s announcement stated. (MORE HERE)
Frozen desserts to indulge in this summer in Chicago
(from chicagotribune.com/redeye)
Ice cream, fro-yo, gelato, snow cones, popsicles or slushies—whatever your summertime vice may be, Chicago’s ready (and willing) to indulge it. Beat the heat with a frozen dessert or boozy treat at these 20 city spots.
Broken English
Locations in Lincoln Park, River North and Old Town
After chowing on some authentic Mexican fare in the warmth of the summer sun, wash it all down with a glass of frosé sangria ($10). Or, if you feel like sharing, you can split a pitcher ($45) of the frozen rosé concoction with friends. If sangria’s not your thing, take a house margarita ($10) for a sip.
Commonwealth Tavern
2000 W. Roscoe St. 773-697-7965
The only thing better than a Chicago summer are the icy indulgences that ensue. Pick up one of Commonwealth’s ice cream sandwiches ($8), which boast a creamy vanilla ice cream filling smooshed between two homemade chocolate cookies and served with a bourbon caramel dipping sauce.
Jerry’s Lincoln Square
4739 N. Lincoln Ave. 872-208-6264
This kitschy sandwich spot recently unveiled a new ice cream sandwich menu, which features Scooter’s frozen custard. Have your pick from eight flavor combos ($4.50 each), and indulge in a sweet sandwich that houses creamy custard (Nutella, vanilla and black raspberry) between two house-baked cookies (sugar, chocolate chip, toffee crunch, white chocolate cranberry). Yum.
Original Rainbow Cone
9233 S. Western Ave. 773-238-7075
When it comes to Chicago novelties, nothing may be as iconic as Original Rainbow Cone. The Beverly neighborhood ice cream parlor, which opened in 1926, has a signature item as classic as the shop itself—an ice cream cone ($4.29 small, $5.39 large) piled high with five flavors, including chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (New York vanilla with cherries and walnuts), pistachio and orange sherbet. (MORE HERE)
This is the song that’s playing when I read this list
Brian & Lou 06.08.17
What Ya Missed, ladies that have been flashed, struck by lightning and Lou isn’t celebrating his wife’s birthday…
Death From Above 1979 are now simply Death From Above
Death From Above 1979 have decided to drop the ‘1979’, and now are simply Death From Above.
In 2004 when they were still working their way up the alternative music ladder, the dance-punk duo of Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler were given a cease and desist order from record label, DFA Records which is partially owned by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. It basically forced the band to change their name, and in spite they simply added ‘1979’ which was the minimum change they would have to make to continue on as ‘DFA’. That does not mean they were happy about it though, as they put the whole topic on blast. The band responded to the legal order with a pretty vitriolic post on their website at the time. “F–K DFA RECORDS F–K JAMES MURPHY WE DECLARE JIHAD ON THEM HOLY WAR ENDING IN THEIR DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT… james murphy is a selfish piece of f–k that will burn in the flames of a specially dedicated rock and roll jihad. if i had the resources i would fly a plane into his skull.” They have in recent years mellowed on the issue.
DFA79 reunited in 2011 with a show that turned into a legit riot , went on to play world tours including Lollapalooza, and then released the spectacular ‘Physical World’ album in 2014. That record spawned the head-bobbing gem of a track ‘Trainwreck 1979’. DFA will make hips shake this September at Riot Fest in Douglas Park, enter to win tickets here.
The band just premiered a new song ‘Freeze Me‘ and are prepping a new LP for release soon. And by ‘soon’, that could be tomorrow? The band put up some audio samples on Youtube, which tease the date ‘6.9.17’
Batman pops the big question to Catwoman
SPOILERS! If you read DC Comics, major spoilers so click on a cat video or something…
In ‘Batman’ #24 on the DC Rebirth line, the Caped Crusader gets on one knee and purposes to his longtime rival Catwoman. Yep, Batman fans you can now pull your eyebrows down, pull up your jaw up, and adjust your utility belts, Bruce Wayne is engaged to Selina Kyle in the comics. Now if this will ever play out in the big screen with the DC Cinematic Universe, is highly subjective but the Bat has never had much luck with long term romantic relationships in any platform his stories have been portrayed on. The story with panels showing the big moment were broken by USA Today.
Even in the ‘Lego Batman’ movie, he struggled to cope with commitment issues. He’s lost so many allies and friends in his lifelong obsession to fight crime in Gotham City, now we are just supposed to accept that he will be happy taking the Batmobile to Home Depot on Sunday afternoon to run errands with Catwoman like a married oaf?! It is a stretch but certainly interesting.
IGN News digs into it, and explains this sort-of happened before in an alternate reality.
Val Kilmer still ‘Cool As Ice’ and ready for Top Gun 2
(from tmz.com)
Before Zoolander flashed blue steel, Val Kilmer was flashing real killer looks as Iceman in “Top Gun” … and he’s still got it. Just ask Val.
Val was rocking a “Cool As Ice” tee while taking a selfie — a well-timed shout-out to his “Top Gun” character … since Tom Cruise just announced he’s doing the sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.” (MORE HERE)
I’m not sure we really need a second Top Gun, but if you’re already making one you might as well invite Iceman back!
Zach From IRONTOM Can Throw Down!
Just look at his face!! You know this guys is a monster on the guitar! Check out this clip from when they were opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers last month in Canada. Whole lotta awesome!!
P A R T N E R S L I V E I N C A L G A R Y 5 – 29 – 17 #solo📷Alessandro Di Leo
Posted by IRONTOM on Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Now you have to see them at the Queued Up Artist Showcase Friday night at the House of Blues!! Arkells, Irontom, Audiodream and Ember Oceans… for just $10.11 in advance. Get you tickets HERE! -wALT
Eddie Vedder gives emotional onstage speech about Chris Cornell
Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder gave an emotional speech on stage in England this week, where he reflected on the recent passing of his friend and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. Vedder’s thoughts on Cornell made their way online through a transcript on a Pearl Jam message board Vedder noted he was he dealing with the loss of “a really close friend of mine.”
Cornell passed away last month shortly after performing with Soundgarden in Detroit. Listen to Cornell performing in the 101WKQX studios in 2013.
Here is the complete speech according to Rolling Stone.
Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate these days. I was thinking about the history of this building and the Bowie history. So I started to think about that and my mind began to wander. It’s not a good…
So I haven’t really been talking about some things and I kind of… now it feels like it’s conspicuous because I lost a really close friend of mine, somebody who…(applause).
I’ll say this too, I grew up as 4 boys, 4 brothers and I lost my brother 2 years ago tragically like that in an accident and after that and losing a few other people, I’m not good at it, meaning I’m not…I have not been willing to accept the reality and that’s just how I’m dealing with it (applause starts).
No, no, no, no
So I want to be there for the family, be there for the community, be there for my brothers in my band, certainly the brothers in his band. But these things will take time but my friend is going to be gone forever and I will just have to…
These things take time and I just want to send this out to everyone who was affected by it and they all back home and here appreciate it so deeply the support and the good thoughts of a man who was a … you know he wasn’t just a friend he was someone I looked up to like my older brother.
About two days after the news, I think it was the second night we were sleeping in this little cabin near the water, a place he would’ve loved. And all these memories started coming in about 1:30am like woke me up. Like big memories, memories I would think about all the time. Like the memories were big muscles.
And then I couldn’t stop the memories. And trying to sleep it was like if the neighbors had the music playing and you couldn’t stop it. But then it was fine because then it got into little memories. It just kept going and going and going. And I realized how lucky I was to have hours worth of…you know if each of these memories was quick and I had hours of them. How fortunate was I?! And I didn’t want to be sad, wanted to be grateful not sad. I’m still thinking about those memories and I will live with those memories in my heart and I will…love him forever.
Cornell and Vedder both broke out of the Seattle music scene in the early 90’s with their respective bands, and collaborated on the acclaimed Temple of the Dog album where they both performed on the track ‘Hunger Strike’.
‘Hot Doug’s: The Movie’ To Premiere This Month (WATCH TRAILER)
(from chicagoist)
Mark your calendars now: the Hot Doug movie has a premiere date: June 21.
I first learned of this of this landmark piece of encased meat cinema last month from Chicagoist, and if you haven’t watched the trailer, you really should. Producer Nicholas Markos and Director Christopher Markos gathered some of Hot Doug’s biggest fans together for the 60 minute doc. I can’t wait!! Maybe Doug will about up shop for a few days!! 🙂 (MORE HERE)
Eddie Vedder’s Moving Speech About Chris Cornell
Eddie Vedder gave a moving speech Tuesday at a solo show in London. He spoke openly about Chris Cornell but never mentioned him by name. He referred to him as “a really close friend of mine”.
Read the tribute and see the standing ovation Eddie received below.
(TRANSCRIPT OF EDDIE’S SPEECH)
Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate these days. I was thinking about the history of this building and the Bowie history. So I started to think about that and my mind began to wander. It’s not a good…
So I haven’t really been talking about some things and I kind of… now it feels like it’s conspicuous because I lost a really close friend of mine, somebody who…
I’ll say this too, I grew up as four boys, four brothers, and I lost my brother two years ago tragically like that in an accident. After that and losing a few other people, I’m not good at it, meaning I’m not…I have not been willing to accept the reality and that’s just how I’m dealing with it.
So I want to be there for the family, be there for the community, be there for my brothers in my band, certainly the brothers in his band. But these things will take time, but my friend is going to be gone forever and I will just have to…
These things take time and I just want to send this out to everyone who was affected by it, and they all back home and here appreciate it so deeply, the support and the good thoughts of a man who was a … he wasn’t just a friend, he was someone I looked up to like my older brother.
About two days after the news, I think it was the second night, we were sleeping in this little cabin near the water, a place he would’ve loved. And all these memories started coming in about 1:30AM, like woke me up. Like big memories, memories I would think about all the time. Like the memories were big muscles.
And then I couldn’t stop the memories. And trying to sleep, it was like if the neighbors had the music playing and you couldn’t stop it. But then it was fine, because then it got into little memories. It just kept going and going and going. And I realized how lucky I was to have hours worth of…you know, if each of these memories was quick, and I had hours of them. How fortunate was I? And I didn’t want to be sad, I wanted to be grateful, not sad. I’m still thinking about those memories, and I will live with those memories in my heart and I will love him forever.
WATCH: Bleachers: Don’t Take the Money Tonight Show Performance
Tuesday night’s Tonight Show musical guest Bleachers in support of their new album ‘Gone Now’. We had a great time with Bleachers at PIQNIQ. Watch highlights from Jack Antonoff’s private backstage performance.
Jim Jefferies 06.07.17
WE NEED TO TALK – LOU & HIS NEIGHBOR JERRY
We ambushed Lou with his angry neighbor today
