chicago

Every Wednesday during the winter months, the blog Soup and Bread hosts a soup party at the Hideout.  From 5:30 to 8, eat soup, drink beer, see friends and be convivial.  The event is free, but donations are very welcome and all donations go to various food pantries in the city to help alleviate hunger--this week it is the Franciscan Outreach.

This week, Bloodshot Rob and a few other cooks  are contributing some nifty little concoctions and will be ladling them out to the soup lover that resides in all of us.

Rob will not tell us what he is making, but promises it will have nothing to do with all the haggis he has been making us eat this week for the Scottish holiday Burns Night.

That's right, Nan and Rob will dazzle the Friday after work crowd at the Hideout during February's edition of the Interview Show.

6:30 to 8pm

The Blacks will also perform a few stripped down songs

What is the Interview Show?

The Hideout Players have scheduled two additional family-friendly performances of their fourth annual Hideout Christmas panto. This year's panto, Ho Ho Ho the Humanity: Prior to his career as a bringer of gifts, Santa Claus was a zeppelin pirate!, will re-play at the Hideout on Sunday January 3 at 3:00pm & 6:00pm.

The added shows are to benefit Burned Whale, a local, short-term charity that has been organized to help three panto cast members whose Pilsen home burned on December 17, the evening of this year's panto premiere. Both the early and late panto performances were cancelled for December 17, and all proceeds from the December 18 events were donated to Burned Whale.

In Ho Ho Ho the Humanity... the Hideout Players return with two performances of their annual pantomime, telling the little-known story of Santa Claus‚s death-defying former life as captain of the zeppelin pirate ship, Sally‚s Revenge, and his life-changing voyage to the North Pole in search of treasure.

Starring Chicago‚s newest Pantomime Dame Michael "Plus Size" Bulington as Bagatha Christie, reality TV celebrity and former Olympic wrestling bronze medalist. Also featuring Derek Erdman as Captain of the Sky Pirates (later becoming our hero St. Nick), Kenneth Morrison as the vaguely villainous Pasha and Callie Roach as Prince Terrence of Sardine-ia. Sally Timms and Nat Ward narrate as assorted Hideout regulars double as tough-nosed airbenders, swarthy pilots, polar bears and overworked pinko elves.

Directed and written by Nat Ward. Adapted and panto-fied by Jon Langford. Music arranged and performed by Rob Cruz and other talented folks.

Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. 
Adults $12, children $5.  Floor and chair seating available.
Tix at www.hideoutchicago.com

Thank you, ye be warned.

Hate the malls?  Don't trust the postal service? Lazy?  Like to shope while drinking beer?

Us too.

Thus, Bloodshot is participating again in the annual HIDEOUT HOLIDAY SALE.

Get fine crafts and gifts from some of Chicago's finest crafters and artisans.  And also us.

Pick up t shirts, CDs, kiddie gifts, pint glasses, and other nifty goodies for that Bloodshot fan on your list (Or you, even.  Someone's got to look out for you, you know)

6 to 9 pm on December 15th and 22nd at the Hideout, of course.

Work in the Loop?

Well, head on down to the Christmas Market in Daley Plaza this holiday season and stop by booth #47.  It's run by our friends over at Lake Claremont Press, who specialize in books on Chicago's history and characters.  They're also carrying some Chicago-Centric Bloodshot titles.  All can be had for quite cheap.

So, when you're out sneaking a smoke or running to get a bagel, or going to the Daley Center to pay off that stack of parking tickets issued by the new fascist parking meter goons,  stop by the LCP booth on Dearborn.  Hours are 11-8 (until 9 on Fri & Sat) and the Market runs until December 24th.

Bloodshot Digest: The "I'm So Pissed FOX Cancelled Dollhouse" Edition:

• Check out this week's Gapers Block feature on music-industry interns -- the piece features a couple of Bloodshot's own, Jill and Zach! Thanks for all the nice stuff you guys said about us (and thanks for not telling the writer we paid you $20 to say those things).

• No Depression has been hard-at-work digitizing its back issues for the web. This week, they featured Scott H Biram's cover story from a few years back -- fans new to Scott's work can read about the horrific car crash Biram survived, and recovered from, with determination and humor.

• Speaking of surviving, we're happy to report SYGC continues to heal from their van accident. We're told that Mark's now able to take walks, and should be able to go home soon. There's another benefit show for the band tomorrow night at the venue, and our just-announced holiday show at The Double Door will also aid the band. Gapers Block has the rundown here.

Greetings,

We here in the office are already to the bottom of our Day-Glo Pumpkin candy bucket---just a few Sweet Tarts, gumballs, packets of candy corn and one broken pixie stick that lost all its powdery goodness are left at the bottom.

Speaking of sugary delights (hey, not all segueways can be perfect), here are some tidbits that have come across our desks this week.

• Dex Romweber appeared in Nashville alongside the LEGENDARY Charlie Louvin.  Here's some photos and video.

• Chicago Sun-Times writer Jim DeRogatis gives the world an update on the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's recovery following their horrific van accident in September and previews the benefit concert at the Hideout on November 12th.  Read the article here.

• In other Chicago-related news, we are in danger of taking our amazing music scene for granted.  For all that goes on here, we lag far behind in getting City Hall's support. Now, they are threatening to cut the budgets for public music events.  Sign the petition to make sure they know we care about our city's cultural offerings and to keep this a world class destination for music and the arts.

• Make sure you take advantage of our Random Cool Giveaways event, wherein you can score free t's, Lps, CDs, or 7" singles for yourself as endeavor to clean off some shelves before the Holiday onslaught.

• Finally, some sad news to report for all Chicagoans who are fond of old-school drinking establishments (that would CERTAINLY include us): Johnnie,  owner of Johnnie's Lounge (or "the Hamm's Bar" as i always knew when i lived down the street from it) on Lincoln Ave died last week.  The Bloodshot Staff Xmas dinner is held at Fernando's (due to their Queso Fundido and toxic margaritas) and we always went across the street for a nightcap(or seven) afterwards.  Much dancing, tomfoolery and Johnnie storytelling took place.  He shall be missed and the era of the local tavern, in these days of "concept" bars, mixology places and thrice filtered autumnal blueberry ales, comes one step closer to existing in our memories alone.  Read about him here.

Prosit, Johnnie and thanks.

That's Right!  More anniversary tomfoolery, but this time for a good cause!

December 19th at the Double Door in Chicago we're throwing another affordable bash and 100% of the door goes to the recovery funds of Scotland Yard Gospel Choir** and Lawrence Peters*

Playing will be The Detroit Cobras, Dex Romweber Duo, The Blacks and the Lawrence Peters Outfit.

There will be a canned food drive (bring a couple of cans and get something nice) and you can do all that last minute Christmas shopping at our booth of wares.

Join us for some holiday cheer and some fine rock and roll.

** Read about Scotland Yard's horrible van accident here

* Who is Lawrence Peters? Lawrence is probably best known for singing The Old Black Hen on the first Magnolia Electric Company album. He also sings, and/or plays drums, or washboard, with The Golden Horse Ranch Band, Plastic Crimewave Sound, The Velcro Lewis Group, Mar Caribe, Eiren Caffall, Hardscrabble and more. Perhaps you know him as a bartender at the Hideout, or with his singing on a Bloodshot comp with Nora O'Connor and  he DJs all over.  He broke his foot in an accident this year and was unable to work and is spiralling into debt due to his medical bills.  It's our way of helping out of the unsung heroes of the Chicago scene that makes this city so great.

The Lawrence Peters Outfit is a dyed-in-the-wool honky tonk band, with bluegrass influences, in the tradition of Webb Pierce, Jimmy Martin, George Jones, Roger Miller, and Loretta Lynn. Lawrence sings, and plays snare drum, leading the band through his classic originals, and a choice selection of vintage material. The group gets it just right, with plenty of fire on the faster tunes, and that sweet country smolder on the moodier songs. This is for fans of the deep-rooted, heart-felt kind of country music that you don't often hear anymore.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Deano Recommends, where ask Dean Schlabowske of the Waco Brothers and Dollar Store for some wine pairings. What makes Deano the man to ask? Well, besides being a rock-and-roller, he's also the proprietor of the Cellar Rat Wine Shop in Chicago, IL.

This week, we ask Dean about the best wines to pair with the greatest part of springtime -- firing up the grill for the first time:

My feeling is that there's no point in getting to "fancypants" with wine
for BBQ. So, in cheap and cheerful mode, here are a few favorite matches -

Burgers - Juicy, spicy reds work nice. Try Shenandoah Zinfandel from Amador
County. Organically grown and only $9.99!

Ribs - If you're just using a dry rub, not a sweet sauce, dry Rose works
great. From Provence, try Figueirasee Gris de Gris for $10.99. With sauce,
a really fruity Aussie Shiraz like Raw Power is great at $14.99.

Brats - While the Milwaukee boy in me would drink beer, a nice off-dry
Riesling is a natural. I have a really tasty German bottling from Kloster
for only $9.99.

Shrimp - Something with a bit of weight but not oak works best. A fantastic
Pinot Gris from Emerson Vineyards in Oregon at $16.99 would be a winner.

Salmon - Bright, clean citrusy white Bordeaux works great. Pick the Chateau
Haut Rian, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, at a mere $12.99.

Happy Grillin' and Swillin',
Deano

Thanks, Dean!

You can download the new Deano / The Meat Purveyors album for free at deanowaco.com!