Entries Tagged as 'chuck'

CHIRP Presents The First Time: First Record

February 3rd, 2012 · 2 Comments

A few months ago Jess and I attended a CHIRP event, The First Time: First Date at Beat Kitchen. It was so much fun, we decided to go again and this time drag Sara and Loden along with us. (They actually wanted to attend the first time, but couldn’t.) The theme this time was first record. I knew one reader very well, Chuck, and a few others were friends of friends. There were several Chicagoists that I got to see and catch up with a bit. I missed the Hixx though! Oh well. Next time! (You better attend the next time, Margaret!).

Here’s a lineup of everyone who read essays about their first record:

John Morrison of Subism
Shawn Campbell of CHIRP Radio
Sabrina Harper of Second City
Whet Moser of Chicago Magazine
Jessica Galliart of Red Eye
Chuck Sudo of Chicagoist

Unlike last time when we were sitting front and center, this time we were in the back of the room. Not a bad view, but not great for taking photos, so I just concentrated on getting a good one of Chuck :) His essay was hilarious, one of the best of the night, I think.

Again, after each essay, the band played a song of the writer/reader’s choosing. Again, the band was fabulous. Gerald Dowd sang a version of Huey Lewis and the News’ Power of Love that I want to buy and listen to 10 more times. It was awesome!

I guess I have to settle for this version, by Huey Lews and the News!

The event was $10 and all proceeds went to benefit CHIRP. The next event is going to be in April. Follow CHIRP’s Facebook page to make sure you get alerted as to the exact date! You won’t want to miss it.

Hey, and the reason we were late and had to stand in the back? Super slow service at the Village Tap. Our favorite waitress, Carolyn, made sure to say hi to us and even remembered the exact last date we were there. But we weren’t in her section.

And the reason we went to The Tap? We meant to go to Kitsch’n and use a Groupon, but they were randomly closed on a Wednesday night? What the heck?

I got to Roscoe Village early and strolled a bit, on the streets and down memory lane.

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CHIRP Presents The First Time: First Date

November 23rd, 2011 · No Comments


Jocelyn of CHIRP (and formerly of Chicagoist)


Jason Crock of CHIRP


Jackie Schimmel of Not Ready for Naptime Players


Tony Breed of Finn & Charlie are Hitched


Kyra Kyles of Kyles Files


Georg Coleman of Worst Cook in America


Megan Stielstra of 2nd Story and Everyone Remain Calm


Kevin Robinson of Chicagoist


Kevin Robinson


Jocelyn

Last Wednesday, Jess and I went to an event at Beat Kitchen called The First Time: First Date. It was part of a reading series with a “First Time” theme. There previously was First High, First Car and First Job. It was $10 and all the proceeds benefitted the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP).

I always had friends reading and attending these events, but I hadn’t ever been able to go to go in the past. This time I knew Kevin, who read, and Jocelyn, who coordinated the event for CHIRP. I also saw Chuck there. All of these people I know from my Chicagoist days.

The event was really fun. Each person wrote an essay based on the theme “The First Time: First Date” and could interpret it however they wanted. Each reading was so thoughtful and funny. At then end of each essay a live band played a song the reader chose to accompany their piece. And so it went reading, song, reading, song, etc. Loved the format. The songs were so great. Many times hilarious, what each reader chose to go with their reading. The band was called The First Time and consisted of Steve Frisbie, Liam Davis, and Gerald Dowd. I thought these guys were familiar then I realized that Jocelyn interviewed them for Chicagoist way back in 2005 (Part 1, Part 2)!

The next event is scheduled for Wedsnesday, January 25 an I’m really going to try to go again because I had so much fun. Also, for all my years I lived in Roscoe Village, I never once went to Beat Kitchen. I don’t know how that could be. It’s only a block or two from where Jen & Chad live. In fact, I was hanging out with Jen and Limey and Quinn there before heading over to the event.

** Note: I didn’t get any photos of the band performing because my camera battery was about to die any second and I was trying to save it to take photos of Kevin, the last reader! And at least one photo of every other reader. I put my backup battery in and guess what? Dead. The band are the guys sitting in the background of each photo. I felt kind of bad for them because everyone was staring at them the whole time whether they were performing or not. Ha! Anyway, I didn’t think the photos came out half bad, given that I was just quick snapping one off then turning my camera off. And also because we were at a weird angle, front row seating.

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Built in Chicago Launch Party

June 24th, 2011 · No Comments

Built in Chicago is a site that was created about 8 months ago and is a resource for digital professionals working and building great web and mobile businesses in Chicago. Last night I attended their launch party with Jess and Alden. Tribeca Flashpoint sponsored the event and it was held in their space at the Merchandise Mart. There was a $10 admission fee, but once you were in, it was all free drinks and snacks.

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The beer sponsor was Finch’s Beer Co. Ok. But made in Chicago? How have I never heard of them? I asked the servers and they said that Finch’s has only been in production for about 8 weeks and that it is based out of the Albany Park neighborhood. Interesting. I had two Golden Wing blond ales and Jess and Alden both had the Cut Throat pale ale. We all liked the beer and when I tweeted about it, Chuck declared that the blonde will be the beer of this summer.

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Ok. So, enough about the beer. The Built in Chicago event was basically a mixer. It reminded me of Tech Cocktail, but with more suits and more gray hair. A grown up Tech Cocktail? I mean, even Ron May showed up at the end (blerg!). I talked to people I knew from various stages of my “past lives” – Chicagoist, FeedBurner, Google – and also from past Tech Cocktail events. It was nice to see people I hadn’t seen for quite a while (Kevin – from Google & now heading up the Chicago Entrepreneurial Center , Sean – from Chicagoist, now at Have My Shift, Brad – from my Chicagoist days, now at Appolicious, and Blagica from all over? :) ) Also nice meet some new people, too.

I like how Built in Chicago seems like more of an ongoing thing. Like, sure, they’ll have these face-to-face networking events occasionally, but you don’t just go away after that and see people at the next event. Built in Chicago is also a whole social networking site for like-minded interactive people in Chicago. I think it should be a bit easier to keep in the loop and keep in contact with people. Looking forward to seeing how this all evolves.

PS. At the end of the night Alden and I met up with Dallas at the Boiler Room and guess what kind of beer I noticed they had on tap? Finch’s! So I had another Golden Wing. Maybe this will be the beer of the summer.

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Chicagoist Alumni Reunion

October 20th, 2010 · No Comments


Sam (Former General Contributor), Chuck (Former Music Writer, Former Food/Drink Editor, Current Editor-in-Chief), Jocelyn (Former General Contributor), Margaret (Former Television Writer), Benjy (Sports, then and now!), Rachelle (Former Editor-in-Chief), Jim (Music/A&E Editor, then & now!)


Thales (Former Ask Chicagoist Writer), James (Former Copy Editor), Chuck (Former Music Writer, Former Food/Drink Editor, Current Editor-in-Chief), Matt (Former General Contributor), Olivia (Former General Contributor)


Mike (Former Political Writer), Benjy (Sports, then and now!), Justin (Former A&E/Culture Writer)

Earlier this week a bunch of Chicagoist staff from the olden days, i.e. back when I was the Editor, got together for drinks at Cole’s in Logan Square. A few people I run into every few months, but many I had not seen for a year or several years. I made everyone line up and take photos just to prove we actually did it. We were all in one room together!

It was great to catch up. Back in the day we all had such close, daily contact. It’s fun to check in with everyone and see how everything is going. I mean, many of us stay in contact online, but in-person is so different. I hope that we can make this a more regular thing, so that years and years don’t go by before I see these dear friends again!

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Chicagoist Goose Island Meetup

July 24th, 2010 · No Comments


Goose Island


Matt, Scott, Andrew, Cinnamon


Kevin & Killian


Marcus & Rachelle


Goose Island Sai-Shan-Tea


Goose Island Sai-Shan-Tea


Chuck & Rachelle


Chuck

My friend Chuck is the Food and Drink Editor at Chicagoist. He had this awesome opportunity (follow along here: 1, 2, 3) to work on a beer with Jared Rouben of Goose Island Clybourn and Rod Markus of Rare Tea Cellar. They created a new beer and called it “Sai-Shan-Tea.” It’s a saison beer spiced with Rare Tea Cellar’s Emperor’s Lemon Meritage tea. On Thursday night it made its debut at Goose Island Clybourn and Chicagoist had a meet up to celebrate.

Dallas and I and a few of our other friends went to the event. It was so great to see all of the Chicagoist alum there. Some I hadn’t seen for years and it was so nice catch up and see what everyone’s been up to. Others I see a bit more frequently, but it was still great to see everyone. What a walk down memory lane. At one time in my life, a few years ago, I was in daily, heck, hourly, constant contact with these folks. I hope it’s not another few years before I see everyone again!

I also got to meet Nick, who is the editor at Grub Street Chicago. He and his wife live in our neighborhood and we spent some time talking about all the restaurants in Logan Square – what’s good, what’s bad, what’s opening, what’s closing. Hope to bump into them around the neighborhood.

Chuck’s beer (that’s what I’m calling it now) was really good. Very citrusy. I’m not all that familiar with saison beers, but I thought this was tasty. Dallas drank about 6 of them, so I’d say he liked it a little bit ;) . Sai-Shan-Tea is being sent to the Great American Beer Fest in Denver for award consideration and I sure do hope they win!

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