This talented and inspiring performer on acoustic guitar and vocals brings an exuberant quality to his solo shows that is uplifting and outstanding, winding his way through a substantial list of songs, all played with good taste and fine abilities. Jason McKenzie does songs in a range unlike any other local player, going from Black […]
Newsletter – Event
Posted inArts & Culture
Loren dazzles in The Life Ahead
There’s a tattered dignity about Madame Rosa. Life has been hard for her. Circumstances have forced her to compromise herself from time to time. As a survivor of the Nazi death camps, she’s learned the hard way that living another day can come at a steep price. And she knows not to criticize anyone else […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Spicy chili crisp will see you through
I can’t say that I’m 100% proud of my behavior during this pandemic. I’ve kept a stiff upper lip and maintained a good attitude. That I am proud of. But I have, on occasion, put my dietary values and philosophies into the closet for a while because I felt that I needed an emotional bump. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Homemade bread bowls
Frugal and full of comfort, homemade bread bowls are an ideal baking project for a blustery autumn weekend. They can be made in one day but, like many yeasted breads, these bread bowls will have the best flavor if allowed to rise slowly overnight. This recipe makes five softball-sized bowls, but can also be used […]
Posted inMusic
Music in fall flux
Welcome to the first full weekend in November, and what a weekend it might or might not be. By the time this makes it into print, our tumultuous and touchy national Election Day will be passed with the results possibly in turmoil. The State of Illinois COVID-19 mitigation rules for bars and restaurants, the main […]
Posted inMusic
Taylor June
Originally from Galveston, Texas, before moving with her family to central Illinois at age 13, this youthful singer, songwriter and entertainer has already had a bustling career in music. Taylor began writing songs in high school and soon joined the Illinois Country Music Association, winning Songwriter of the Year for 2010, 2011 and 2012. At […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Costner, Lane nearly salvage Go
I was about halfway through Thomas Bezucha’s Let Him Go when in my notes I wrote, “Let’s see how this ends…” At that point, I had many mixed feelings about the film – many things I liked, yet there were almost as many that I didn’t – and I knew that how I would ultimately […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Stylish Come Play a cut above
Amidst the many horror film offerings dumped upon us this time of year, Come Play emerges as a cut above the rest. Plucking elements from The Babadook, The Ring and Mama, among others, writer/director Jacob Chase manages to craft a stylistically creepy tale of alienation and longing, revolving around a little boy partially sealed off […]
Posted inMusic
J Brew and the Crew
Sometimes he goes by Jason C. Brewer, but when this talented East St. Louis native has a horn in his hand, just call him J Brew and understand he’s got a “movin’ groove with nothin’ to prove,” and that’s a fact. He blows the trumpet playing the entire field, including gospel, jazz, rock and R&B, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rocks more than a Bill Murray showcase
I’d be hard pressed to think of another film where a director had fashioned a part so attuned to the strengths, stylings and idiosyncrasies of one performer as is the case in Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks. A star vehicle if there ever was one, The Bill Murray Show would not be an inaccurate alternate […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Wild about wild rice
I spent part of the summer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula working for a chef who, whenever feasible, cooked with local and foraged ingredients. For example, our riff on Cajun gumbo substituted Lake Superior whitefish for Acadian redfish and foraged baby milkweed pods for okra. For any dish that normally called for rice, we would opt […]
Posted inMusic
Falling fast music
As the weather cools and autumn falls upon us, the gigs are still coming in strong for a while longer. This weekend brings us some unusual collections of the usual caliber of finely formed music made right here in the capital city. Thursday evening at 7, Buzz Bomb Brewing Company presents another edition of Sirens […]
