Play Locally-Loyal Divide, VeganMania, Jeanie B!, Free Tickets to Chicago Toy and Game Fair and Beat Kitchen Shows

Friday (21+)
We've been trying to see Loyal Divide live since last January and have been thwarted at every turn, between kids with the flu and concert conflicts.   The buzz has been great and we've dug what we've heard.   We've even given away tickets to their past shows and run their creative videos here.    We caught a half set of theirs on the run at North Coast 2011, and were pretty impressed with their energy and live sound.   Hopefully this Friday we'll catch up with them live at their album release party at Empty Bottle and finally get to shoot some stills of the band in action!

FRI. 11/4/11 (10:00pm; $10)

Loyal Divide (record release) label: Kilo

Lasers and Fast and Shit label: North Gong

Verma

Tonight we welcome back local electro poppers/psych-rockers LOYAL DIVIDE, celebrating the release of their debut LP, the old timey racy-named Bodice Ripper. The praise has already begun rolling in for these fine fellows, with the FADER postulating, “if all things have a time and space, then LOYAL DIVIDE’s is in the air, probably above Turkey, when you’re taking the long way to Japan from Chicago, say around 1973,” and MTV dubbing the outfit, “infectious.” Earlier this year LASERS AND FAST AND SHIT released Second, an engaging mixture of punk abandon with a healthy dose of stoner metal's nodding and self-knowing winks and they open here tonight with VERMA, who have been reigning over the psyche scene with their atmospheric, synth heavy, trance rock. (IMPOSE)

Saturday

Way back in 1994, I answered an audition notice in The Reader and embarked on two years of shooting a wacky cable sit-com called The Simply Marla Show (we hope to soon have it up on YouTube in it's entirety).   The show was a hilarious, well written, labor of love and I've remained friends with the masterminds behind it, ever since.   Two of the show's characters (also quite the characters in real life) died very young--before their 40th birthdays.   So, I'm especially happy to say the writer/creater and artist/producer are not only alive and well, but married, created a new human named Justice, became vegans, and have created an amazing annual event called Chicago VeganMania.

It's free, family friendly and tolerant.   You might not wanna bring a big turkey leg along, but vegetarians and omnivores are welcome.   Check out ChiIL Mama's photo filled feature from VeganMania 2010.

They're back and better than ever this year.   Here's what VeganMania has to offer:

We have a newly redesigned Vegan Food Court that makes it easy to relax and dine while enjoying great local entertainment and the good vibes of our dynamic community.

Hang out for a while. Once again, we'll have an eclectic mix of talented vegan performers from across the region. This year, we're working to expand our lineup beyond musical and dance acts to show you a truly diverse and exciting entertainment experience.

Then shop. We'll have two exhibit halls packed with dozens of vendors showing off unique vegan products and services, as well as our community's most vital nonprofit organizations.

Learn some new kitchen tricks. Last year, we introduced attendees to cooking demonstrations from some of the city and country's best vegan chefs. This year we're back with an exciting new lineup of chefs, with a new room layout.

Get inspired. As always, we will be bringing some of the nation's most dynamic vegan voices to energize and encourage, while teaching new knowledge, tricks and viewpoints.

And bring the kids. We have an expanded family center with crafts, storyteller, our Vegan Rockstar photo booth, graffiti wall and many other ways to give the young ones an experience they'll not soon forget.

Kids' Activities

We've expanded our Family Activities Area so the little ones can have hours of fun, including:

Kids can decorate their own vegan (and gluten free!) cupcakes from Bot Bakery chef Betty Alper,

Build their own nature journals with help from experts at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum,

Rock their way through a unique mini playground provided by Balance Boards and Beams, 

Scribble and express themselves on the Graffiti Wall,

Build their own animal masks or partake in any number of other arts and crafts activities.

We'll also let everyone know when family -friendly acts like Kidz in the Mix or the hula-hoopers from Nahotnah are ready to begin on the Performance Stage

Also, the kids (and all the big people) may like to strike a pose at the Vegan Rockstar Photo Booth located upstairs in the Culture Café

Check out their main website for all the details.

Sunday

ChiIL Mama's sponsored Concerts for Kids series continues to rock Beat Kitchen with Jeanie B!   Congrats to our family 4 pack winner--Sandra P. & daughter, Samantha.   Their favorite music to rock out to together is Elvis.

Nov 6: Jeanie B! and The Jelly Beans

Nov 13: Suzi Shelton & special guest Little Miss Ann

Nov 20: Karen 4 Kids!

Dec 4: Super Stolie and the Rockstars

Dec 11: Mary Macaroni

Dec 18: Shana Sings! Special holiday show

To keep up to date with Concerts for Kids, become Beat Kitchen's Facebook friend at www.facebook.com/kidsshowschicago.

Enter right here for your chance at great concert, event & theatre tickets weekly.   We're giving away a free 4 pack to Chicago Toy & Game Fair every week in November!

VeganMania Recap

Marla, The Vegan Cupcake Fairy

and one of the primary organizers of VeganMania

VeganMania was hot last Saturday.   I mean really, swelteringly hot.   But even the vegans, in Mother Earth's good graces, can't control the weather.   It's a testament to their success that the fest was as crowded as it was on such a gorgeous, summery day.


We began the day by meeting the "cabbage patch girl"--an attendee who just said she thought dressing like a salad would be a fun conversation starter and good way to meet people.   She even greened up her boots and her bag!


Entertainment ranged from world music, to belly dance and folk.   And there were overflowing rooms full of vegan friendly and recycled crafts, clothes and art.   Books were also plentiful, as were animal rescue and rights information booths.   


We were a bit disappointed with the food selection, spoiled as we are by the cheap, multicultural bounty available in Chicago all the time.    The main choices were Chinese, Indian, and Soul Food and they were all relatively pricey.   Lunch also required long waits in two lines--first for food tickets and then for the food itself.   


Not to sound cheap about a free fest, but we had hoped for a big room full of booths with Vegan samples, more like Whole Foods flavor fest used to be.   The only samples we came across were fizzy juices and Vegan fish sticks.   We were also disappointed that the kids specific area from last year was dropped.


Still, the people watching was prime and we soaked in a good amount of information and caught some interesting acts.   Read My Hips belly dancers were especially impressive as they included many ages and body types among the dancers.  We had a lot of fun and look forward to VeganMania year 3, in 2011.

Look For ChiIL Mama This Weekend: Riot Fest, Veganmania, Northpark Nature Center Harvest Fest, They Might Be Giants Family Show, Gustafer Yellowgold

Chicago's Riot Fest turns 5 this year, and most of the fans of these predominantly 80's punk bands have spent the last few decades reproducing.

 

We'd hoped to catch up with some of the band members who are punk parents, for a ChiIL Mama feature, but Riot Fest had an extremely limited amount of press passes available.   Nevertheless, we plan to see 7 Seconds at Beat Kitchen tonight, and may make it over to Metro or Congress Theatre during the 5 night run, as well.

In 1996, when Chicago natives, Naked Raygun, reunited for Riot Fest, the band members brought all of their kids out on stage in various kid sized Naked Raygun tee shirts.   Their offspring ranged from toddlers to teens.   We've also run into 88 Fingers Louie's lead vocalist, Denis, with his young son, at Pitchfork and Riot Fest.   I'm interested to see these punk progeny in years to come.   Will they rebel and become Republican accountants, or build on their musician parents' past and take punk and hard core in a whole new direction.

The first year of Riot Fest, we saw The Angry Samoans and found kid sized tees for both Du-Jay and Sagezilla.  The band scours thrift stores for fun shirts and silk screens Angry Samoans in red across the recycled tees, for xtra cool, one of a kind creations. 

In later years, medium adult tees were the smallest, we could find.  But we expanded the kids punk rock wardrobes with tees from Naked Raygun, Blue Meanies and Bollweevils.   




Several years ago, we saw 7 Seconds at Metro and were surprised to run into 3 different parents there, we knew from playgroups, not punk shows.   Their kids ranged from 2 year olds to teens, graduating from high school.   We were amused when Kevin Seconds appropriately broke out a newer song, with the lyrics "this is your parents' hard core."

At past Riot Fests, we have seen quite a few 30 and 40 something punks introducing the bands of their formitive years to their children.  Despite a listing of "all ages" for most of the shows, Riot fest is better suited for kids who are at least teen agers.   But if you have a teen at home and remember livin' in the 80's, The Aragon Brawlroom, and the heyday of Chicago punk rock, this is a slice of nostalgia your teens just might embrace.   If we can walk together, why can't we rock together.

Saturday morning, ChiIL Mama will be at the biggest vegan party Chicago has ever seen.   Veganmania is coming to Pulaski Park Fieldhouse from 10-4 on October 10th.   Despite the manic name, our organizer friends have promised no hard sell conversion tactics will be leveled against mere vegetarians or.......gasp...........omnivores.    So whether you are hard core vegan or just like to eat a bit healthier and support local small businesses, Veganmania will be a tasty treat.  

Admission is free, and you’ll get 5 free “Grub Stub” tickets redeemable at any food booth just for walking in the door.   Early birds get the swag bag, loaded with wonderful vegan products, for the first 100 people (age 16 & over) to show up.  Veganmania's the place to be, for food samples, live bands, DJs, great speakers and a children's craft area. Check their website for a rundown of all the vendors.

Then we're off to Northpark Nature Center for their 18th annual Harvest Fest, running 10-3pm Saturday and Sunday.   We always enjoy Mark Kater's macabre storytelling, live music, the farmer’s market, hiking in the woods, and seasonal food and refreshments for sale.   However, the highlight of Harvest Fest is always the impressive scarecrow building contest.
 

We won a pumpkin last year, and a coveted buckthorn and corn husk ribbon with MOST CREATIVE
 engraved with a wood burning tool.   Here's our "Bad Dorothy", complete with beheaded lion, tin man and scarecrow, and Toto in a basket.   This year we have scarecrow Harry Potter and Hermione planned. 
 

Straw is plentiful, and wooden crosses to stake up the scarecrows are provided, along with string and huge piles of donated clothing.   Contestants can bring their own props and costumes or use the materials there.   I'd highly suggest bringing your own Sharpies.   The available markers are always a bit questionable.   Entrants are encouraged to take their scarecrows home.

Saturday afternoon at 4PM, They Might Be Giants rock the Vic Theatre with a family show.   They were awarded a 2009 Grammy for Best Children's Album for "Here Come the 123s".  We hope to post a full review of the show, as well as their upcoming kids' release, "Here Comes Science".   We've been laughing and learning with TMBG since the kids were toddlers, and are fervent fans of their podcasts.

Finally, Sunday at 11AM, ChiIL Mama will be rockin' out at Schuba's Tavern, with award winning entertainer, Morgan Taylor, and his cartoon creation, Gustafer Yellowgold, an alien from the sun.   We're looking forward to the multimedia show, featuring live music and minimally animated illustrations.