FOODIE TUESDAY: WIN a $50 Fresh Thyme Giftcard to Celebrate Grand Opening 4/23 #Freshthyme #Ad

It's Thyme to Celebrate a new, healthy market! 

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and Fresh Thyme

Fresh Thyme is coming to Mount Prospect, with many other stores popping up in the area throughout the year.  Here at ChiIL Mama we're all about green living, eco-friendly choices, and eating healthy food, so we're more than happy to welcome Fresh Thyme to the area!  We're also super stoked to see Super Stolie and Miss Jamie from the Farm, Kindie Musician friends of ours, will be there to rock your socks off, with family friendly kids' tunes.  They frequently play Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids, a rockin' weekly kids' series where ChiIL Mama's the press sponsor.

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is elated to partner up with Fresh Thyme and thank them for providing a gift card for our giveaway. We have been paid to share the grand opening info with our readers.  As always, all opinions are our own.

**Click Here for your chance to WIN a $50 Fresh Thyme gift card giveaway!  Then check out Fresh Thyme's GRAND OPENING festivities TOMORROW, April 23rd!**

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Announces First Grand Opening in Mount Prospect, IL 

on April 23, 2014

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a new specialty grocer featuring healthy and organic value-priced offerings, is excited to announce the grand opening for the first location in Mount Prospect on Wed. April 23, 2014 at 7 a.m. CST. The Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Arlene Juracek and other village officials will be present for the ribbon cutting at the 211 W. Rand Road store location.

 “The entire Fresh Thyme team welcomes community residents to come out and experience what the market has to offer,” CEO Chris Sherrell stated. “We are eager to meet our new neighbors and hope to see them on this exciting day.”

The grand opening event will feature food samplings and giveaways including a grocery bag giveaway to the first 200 customers on grand opening day. The celebration will continue throughout the week with events for kids including face painting, balloon animals, and performances by Miss Jamie from the Farm.

 “Grocery shopping has become as much a sensory experience as a necessity of life,” said Mount Prospect Mayor, Arlene Juracek. “We are excited that Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has chosen Mount Prospect as the first site for this new locally-focused grocer.”  

It’s time to raise some RUCKUS that Fresh Thyme has finally arrived in Mount Prospect, IL! We think people are going to love this new store and what it has to offer. 

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is thrilled to announce the first store grand opening in Mount Prospect, Ill., at 211 W. Rand Road. Doors open on Wednesday, April 23, at 7 a.m. CST. Fresh Thyme CEO, Chris Sherrell, will join the Mayor of Mount Prospect, Arlene Juracek, and the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce who will assist in the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony and officially welcome the new market to the community. 

Super Stolie helps celebrate Grand Opening!

Wednesday April 23, 11:00am
Saturday April 26, 11:00am 

Grand Opening Scheduled Events:

The first 250 guests on Grand Opening Day will receive a limited edition, custom-designed Fresh Thyme reusable bag, created specifically for the Mount Prospect opening. The limited edition bag will be filled with over $50 worth of healthy, delicious groceries! Guests are encouraged to arrive early to reserve their spot in line; limit one bag per household.

Additionally, Fresh Thyme will celebrate Earth Day by giving free reusable grocery bags to the first 5,000 guests. In paying tribute to the ongoing community-wide celebration of 100 years of baseball history for the city, guests who wear their favorite team memorabilia on grand opening day will also be given a free color-designed reusable bag.

6:45 a.m. – Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Community Partners Check Presentation

7 a.m. – Doors Open ~ Thyme to Shop!
*The first 250 guests in line receive grocery giveaway bag valued at over $50 of food items! 

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Kids Activities including Boar’s Head Hot Dog Cart
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Complimentary Face Painting and Balloon Animals
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Super Stolie Kids Performance 
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Outdoor Grilling Demonstrations and Samplings
2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Boar’s Head Live Demo Show In-Store

HELP LOCALLY: As part of their commitment to the community, Fresh Thyme will make a financial donation to three different local charities. These charities have shown continual support to the Mount Prospect community, and Fresh Thyme would like to recognize and applaud their efforts and plan to be part of their continued good works in Mt. Prospect and the surrounding area. The local charities include: CEDA Northwest, Mount Prospect Lions Club and the Mount Prospect Parks Foundation. For more information, please visit freshthyme.com.

ABOUT FRESH THYME:

At Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets we believe you shouldn’t have to give away the farm to feed your body nutritious food. We’re on a mission to improve the way our communities eat by offering fresh and healthy food at amazing values -all in a vibrant and fun shopping environment, with smiling friendly faces.

The foundation of healthy eating is often based on incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables in our diets. Therefore, at the core of our offerings is an abundant produce department, overflowing with fruits and vegetables, fresh from the farm, often locally grown and much of it organic. We’re so passionate about produce that we’ve made it the nucleus of the store, ensuring the bounty of fruits and vegetables is visible from all other departments.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is a new full-service specialty retailer focusing on fresh, healthy, natural and organic offerings, all at amazing values. The stores’ signature offering is an extensive produce department with organic and local fruits and vegetables. In addition, Fresh Thyme’s full-service offerings include a natural meat department, healthy deli foods to go, bakery goods, 400 bulk food bins, natural and organic groceries, dairy and frozen, as well as vitamins and body care products. Fresh Thyme will offer a NEW shopping experience to the Midwest, starting with the first store in Mount Prospect, Ill., opening April 23, 2014, followed by 59 additional stores by 2019. You can learn more by visiting freshthyme.com, and be sure to keep in touch by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

Fresh Thyme is currently hiring a total of 100 local employees for this location. There are numerous full and part-time employment opportunities available in the Meat and Produce Departments such as meat cutter and produce clerk. Anyone interested may apply onsite at 211 W. Rand Road or by sending their resumes to MountProspectJobs@FreshThyme.com.

Disclosure: Once again, ChiIL Mama is elated to partner up with Fresh Thyme and thank them for providing a gift card for our giveaway. We have been paid to share the grand opening info with our readers.  As always, all opinions are our own.

Comments left on our blog about Fresh Thyme can be used on Fresh Thyme promotional materials.

WIN a 47 Ronin iTunes Digital HD Code #giveaway #movie #ad

Disclosure: We're thrilled to partner up with Universal Home Entertainment again and have been given a blu-ray combo to review and a 47 Ronin iTunes Digital HD code for our readers.

47 Ronin is now available on Blu-ray/DVD from Universal Home Entertainment.  To celebrate, ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows is giving away one (1) 47 Ronin iTunes Digital HD code.  

ENTER HERE through midnight April 15th for your chance to win. The iTunes code is only for US residents. 

47 Ronin is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. 

Sure, 47 Ronin may not make it to the epic, elite of the marshal arts classics, but this movie is a visual feast and a lot of fun. We've long been fans of the genre and the PG13 rating means our tween & teen could watch, too, without too much gratuitous gore.  And the mythical beasties are well worth a look. It's a modern take on a classic story, and this plot line has stood the test of time. The final dragon battle is definitely cool. This is a fun one to own, and great for a lazy night of mindless popcorn gorging on the couch. 

47 RONIN

KEANU REEVES STARS IN THE 3D EPIC ACTION-ADVENTURE

47 RONIN

BE THE FIRST TO OWN IT ON DIGITAL HD MARCH 18, 2014

AND BRING HOME THE BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK INCLUDING

BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET™ ON APRIL 1, 2014



NOW MOVIE FANS CAN WATCH 47 RONIN ANYWHERE ON THEIR FAVORITE DEVICES

 

Keanu Reeves (The Matrix trilogy, The Day The Earth Stood Still) stars in a reimagining of one of Japan’s timeless tales, 47 Ronin, available on Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Packs, DVD, DIGITAL HD including UltraViolet^™ and On Demand on April 1, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.­­­

 

Based on an epic story, this extraordinary tale of inspiring courage has its origins in the early 18^th century. After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and reclaim their honor. Transformed into a thrilling, visually stunning 3D film by director Carl Rinsch, 47 Ronin tells the story of a small group of warriors, or ronin, on a quest to avenge the death of their master. Battling across a savage world of mythical beasts, shape-shifting witches and wondrous terrors, the ronin must seek help from kai (Reeves), an enslaved half-breed they once rejected – in their ultimate fight for redemption.

 

Keanu Reeves leads an international cast that includes Hiroyuki Sanada (Sunshine, The Last Samurai) as Oishi, the leader of the ronin; Tadanobu Asano (The Wolverine, Thor: The Dark World) as Lord Kira, the treacherous villain who will stop at nothing to destroy his enemies; Academy Award^®-nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Pacific Rim) as the Witch, a siren who executes Kira’s deadly plans; and Ko Shibasaki (The Lady Shogun and Her Men, One Missed Call) as Mika, the forbidden love of Kai’s life.

 

The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet^™. 

·           BLU-RAY™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6x the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.  

·           DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.

·           DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet^™ lets watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players, game consoles and more.

EXCLUSIVE 3D BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK AND BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK BONUS FEATURES:

·           KEANU & KAI — Keanu Reeves embodies one of cinema’s most richly imagined heroes as Kai, the outcast who leads a small band of rebels against an army and supernatural enemies. Along with Reeves, director Carl Rinsch and other key voices from the filmmaking team reveal how this adventure would not be possible without Reeves’ mastery of martial arts and total immersion in the role.

·           STEEL FURY: THE FIGHTS OF 47 RONIN — This featurette explores the intense research, choreography and rehearsals that went into creating the film’s unique action sequences, including Kai’s epic battle against the silver Samurai and the heart-stopping Kirin hunt sequence. 

·           MYTHS, MAGIC & MONSTERS:  THE FX OF 47 RONIN — 47 Ronin’s world-class creative team reveals the technological magic it used to bring to life the creatures of ancient Japanese folklore, including The Kirin (a giant hybrid beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a deer), the Kitsune witch, the Oni troll and the demonic Tengu Monks.

 3D BLU-RAY, BLU-RAY and DVD BONUS FEATURES:

·           RE-FORGING THE LEGEND — The story of 47 Ronin is one of Japan’s most time-honored legends. The filmmakers talk about how they brought this “dream world” to the big screen, from script to costumes, visual design, and culture.



·           DELETED SCENES

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki

Directed by: Carl Rinsch

Screenplay by: Chris Morgan, Hossein Amini

Story by: Chris Morgan, Walter Hamada

Producers: Pamela Abdy, Eric McLeod

Director of Photography: John Mathieson

Production Design by: Jan Roelfs

Editor: Stuart Baird

Costumes by: Penny Rose

Original Music by: Ilan Eshkeri

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – 3D BLU-RAY™:

Street Date: April 1, 2014

Copyright: 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Selection Numbers: 61131766 (U.S), 61131767 (CDN)

Running Time: 1 Hour 59 Minutes

Layers: BD-50

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic elements

Technical Info: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital2, DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (Spanish, French)

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY™:

Street Date: April 1, 2014

Copyright: 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Selection Numbers: 61130457 (U.S), 61131189 (CDN)

Running Time: 1 Hour 59 Minutes

Layers: BD-50

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic elements

Technical Info: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital2, DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (Spanish, French)

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:

Street Date: April 1, 2014

Copyright: 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Selection Numbers: 61119170 (U.S), 61131190 (CDN)

Running Time:  1 Hour 59 Minutes

Layers: Dual Layer

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic elements

Technical Info: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital2, DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (Spanish, French)

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French

Below is a look at 47 Ronin’s amazing cast! 

Keanu Reeves (Kai)

Reeves is a Canadian actor that has starred in many popular, fan-favorite movies such as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, and The Matrix trilogy. In 47 Ronin, Reeves plays the role of Kai, an outcast half-Japanese, half-British man who longs to be accepted. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he gets his chance to prove he has what it takes to be a samurai.

Hiroyuki Sanada (Ôishi)

Born in Tokyo, Sanada is a critically acclaimed actor who has starred in various films such as The Wolverine and The Last Samurai, as well as hit TV shows like “Lost.” In 47 Ronin, he portrays the dedicated samurai leader Ôishi.

Ko Shibasaki (Mika)

Ko, the rising Japanese star was born in Tokyo, and started her career at 14 when she was discovered. Her rise to fame was launched in the cult favorite films Battle Royale, and One Missed Call. Shibasaki portrays Mika in 47 Ronin, Kai’s love interest.

Rinko Kikuchi (Witch)

Global star Rinko Kikuchi has stolen her way to our hearts with her outstanding performances in independent films like The Brothers Bloom and Norwegian Wood, as well as award-winners like Babel, and blockbuster hits like Pacific Rim.  Kikuchi plays the Witch in 47 Ronin who uses her spells to manipulate fate.

About Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

47 Ronin, now available on Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Packs, DVD, DIGITAL HD including UltraViolet^™ and On Demand from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Disclosure: We're thrilled to partner up with Universal Home Entertainment again and have been given a blu-ray combo to review and a 47 Ronin iTunes Digital HD code for our readers.

WIN 4 Tickets to Monster Jam at Allstate Arena #OriginalVideo #Giveaway

Chicago Fans Revved Up for Annual 

Monster Jam^® Event!

FIVE World Champions to Appear at Allstate Arena, Feb. 7- 9!!

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows at Monster Jam.   We've got our tickets... do YOU?!  The world’s premier monster truck series, Monster Jam^®, is weighing in with more than 100,000 pounds of super-charged star power for its annual hometown appearance, Feb. 7 - 9, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.  Be there.

Check out our original video footage from Monster Jam 2013-opening night at Allstate Arena right here:

**Click here for your chance to win a family 4 pack of tickets from ChiIL Mama for opening night, February 7th at 7:30pm at Allstate Arena.  Entries accepted through midnight February 4th.**

**All our readers are winners.  We've got a rockin' 30% discount on Monster Jam adult tickets for you with the code MOM1!  Click here to purchase yours.**

Discount does not apply to Front Row VIP or Gold Circle seats.  No double discounts.  Service charges, handling, and facility fees may apply.   All tickets $2 more day of show.

*Check out more of our Monster Jam video & photo footage here.*

Five World Champions:

Among the field of 10 Monster Jam trucks competing at this year’s event will be a record-setting five World Champions, including the sport’s marquee machine, the best known monster truck of all time, Grave Digger^®, driven by versatile veteran Carl Van Horn, and the Monster Jam truck many have called the fastest machine in the sport, six-time World Racing Champion Max-DSM, driven by Neil Elliot. 

In a nod to her celebrity appeal, the “Queen of Carnage,” former WCW and WWF star Madusa, returns to Rosemont after a multi-year absence in the only truck in the history of Monster Jam to be named after its driver. Madusa, also known as the “First Lady of Monster Jam,” was the first woman ever to win a Monster Jam World Finals, claiming the World Freestyle title in 2004 and, in a rarely duplicated feat, the World Racing championship the very next year.

The two remaining World Champions on the roster are the wildly popular “crazy bull,” El Toro Loco^® with driver Chuck Werner of Paxton, Ill., and 2011 World Freestyle champion Avenger, driven by “Mr. Excitement” Jim Koehler. 

Making their Chicago-area debuts are the Spark Industries-inspired Iron ManTM, driven by Lee O’Donnell, cult favorite Metal Mulisha, driven by former off-road star and rising Monster Jam driver Todd LeDuc, and arguably the most futuristic machine ever to hit the Monster Jam circuit, New Earth AuthoritySM, a.k.a. N.E.A. Police. Unveiled just a few weeks prior to its arrival here, the chrome-plated New Earth Authority, driven by police officer Norm Miller, commands order, seeking out and destroying those who stand in the way of peace. 

Rounding out the elite line-up are Monster Jam’s 2013 “Fans Choice,” the unmistakable and hauntingly hard-core Zombie, driven by Sean Duhon, and the aptly named Wrecking Crew, driven by Steve Koehler.

Produced by Aurora, Ill.-based Feld Motor Sports^®, Monster Jam events attract more than 4 million fans annually at the most prestigious arenas and stadiums throughout the world. Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that average 12 feet tall by 12 feet wide, sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. They can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

Allstate Arena Monster Jam shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9. Tickets are available at the Allstate Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at (800) 745-3000. There are a limited number of premium-priced Gold Circle and VIP seats available for every show. All opening night tickets, with the exception of Gold Circle and VIP, are $12.

            

Two pre-show pit parties – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9 –afford fans (with a pit pass and 2 p.m. show ticket) the chance to see their favorite Monster Jam trucks up close, meet drivers, take pictures and get autographs. Pit passes are available for $10 at all Ticketmaster locations, while supplies last.

            

For additional information, visit www.MonsterJam.com. Fans can also follow Monster Jam on Facebook, Twitter, and www.instagram.com/MonsterJamLive, or subscribe to the Monster Jam YouTube channel atwww.youtube.com/MonsterJamLive.

WIN a VIP Ticket to Sassy City Chicks (21+) $42 Value Each (30 available)

We're giving away 30 free VIP tickets-- women only (21+) with code chill out $42 value each. Come ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and gift yourself an afternoon of relaxing. (1 free ticket option is at the bottom of the Eventbrite form below the 2 paid options).  

Shopping, cocktails, beauty, and a giveaway... doesn't it sounds like the PERFECT girls day out? Sassy City Chicks is coming back to Chicago for their holiday show on Sunday, December 15th, from 12-5PM at the Double Tree Magnificent Mile! The event will be featuring top local designers and boutiques with INSANE discounts, so you can get that last minute shopping in, and of course a little something for yourself. 

There will also be complimentary hair styling, threading, and more in their exclusive spa lounge. And they'll be giving away a Kate Spade leather bag at the event! You can learn more about the girls only, 21+ event, and order your ticket exclusively for ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows' readers here (enter the code chill out).


For more great holidaze giveaways click here & enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often, through December 18th.

Women tend to be the ones taking care of most of the gift ordering, and keeping everyone on schedule, putting our own needs last.   This one's for you!   

Photo Feature: PigPen Night 3 at Schubas #OriginalPhotos #Giveaway

Chicago has welcomed PigPen Theatre Company with open arms.   Their critically acclaimed hit show, The Old Man and The Old Moon at Writers Theatre has been playing to sell out crowds and has been extended till December 1st!!   Check out ChiIL Live Shows past PigPen coverage here including our live show shots from Schubas & our review of the play.




Their October/November residency at Schubas has been an overwhelming success, with large crowds for their first 3 Monday night shows.   They have one last performance slated for Monday, November 18th.  It's been our pleasure to give away pairs of tickets to all of their shows.

We shot some sweet stills at their opening EP release show.  Last Monday we shot again and changed it up, shooting from stage left instead of right.









Check out the slide show here for our full set.   Our favorites are embedded below.

Now Playing – The Old Man and The Old Moon  

Tickets are now on sale for this blend of resonant storytelling, creative puppetry and spirited indie-folk music.  

Meet PigPen

Click here to read the amusing bios on the band/theatre troupe

Then come on out and meet them for real... at Schubas Monday the 18th if you're 21+ and/or at Writers Theatre.   Catch them while you can, before the wunderkind return to New York from whence they came.

PigPen is an award-winning band of actors, musicians, and storytellers making things up since 2008. First at CMU, then in NYC, now all over. Debut album, "Bremen", out now. New EP, "The Way I'm Running", out now. "The Old Man and The Old Moon" currently playing Chicago.

ChiIL Live Shows' Favorite Show Shots:

FLASH TICKET GIVEAWAY: 2 FREE Tickets for PigPen at Schubas THIS Monday #OriginalPhotos

ChiIL Live Shows caught up with PigPen Theatre for their EP release party at Schubas the Monday before last.  They're not only gaining fame and acclaim with their stellar theatre show, The Old Man and The Old Moon at Writers Theatre, they are rocking an every other week residency throughout October & November.   Check 'em out at Schubas on Monday nights.   These guys are the real deal!   





**FLASH GIVEAWAY:  We have a free pair of tickets for this Monday night 10/21 (21+/8pm) for the first reader to comment below.   Leave your full name for the guest list & you're in!**

• Practice Space presents:
• PigPen Theatre Co.
• Diving Bell
• Midwest

If someone beat you to it for this Monday, no worries.   Enter below for a free pair of tickets to either or both of their November residency dates.

Oct 21: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/10-21-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

Nov 4: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/11-04-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

**Click here to enter to win a free pair of tickets for PigPen 11/4 from ChiIL Live Shows**

Nov 18: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/11-18-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

**a Click here to enter to win a free pair of tickets for PigPen on 11/18 from chiIL Live Shows**

We have a review of their new EP release coming shortly.  For now, check out our photo recap from the first night of their Schubas residency. They played to an enthusiastic packed house.

If you dig highly creative, lyrical folk & alt country, do not miss PigPen. Highly recommended.  They harken back to the 70's, when it was easier to find bands where every member was a uniquely talented musician, rather than a passable collective playing back up to one genius lead.  PigPen is a pleasure to hear and they particularly shine live.   It was great to see how effortlessly the boys swap out instruments.

We met a couple at the first Schubas show, who had seen them in New York and couldn't wait to check them out again in Chicago.  PigPen may not have The Grateful Dead's legacy of legions of travelers yet, but it appears they already have at least two cross country fans! 

Another admirer sent the band shots all around.

Click here for ChiIL Live Shows prior PigPen coverage including our theatre review.

The guys are in Chicago performing their full-length production, The Old Man and the Old Moon, at Writers' Theatre through November 10, after which they'll embark on a U.S. concert tour.

AWARD-WINNING INDIE-FOLK BAND PIGPEN THEATRE CO. TO RELEASE NEW EP, THE WAY I’M RUNNING, OCTOBER 8

NEW PRODUCTION OF THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON RUNS SEPTEMBER 3–NOVEMBER 10 AT WRITERS’ THEATRE IN CHICAGO

 “PigPen Theatre Co. is the best kept secret around but that’s not going to last for much longer…”—The Huffington Post

 “Like watching child geniuses at play.”—The New Yorker

On October 8 award-winning, seven-member indie-folk band/theater troupe PigPen Theatre Co. released The Way I’m Running, a five-song EP of all new material. Recorded in New York City with producer Ron Robinson Jr., the songs were conceived and arranged on the road as the band toured in support of their critically acclaimed debut album, Bremen, named one of the top 10 albums of 2012 by The Huffington Post.

In addition to touring the U.S. this summer, PigPen spent two weeks in residence at the Williamstown Theatre Festival workshopping the new Chicago production of their Off-Broadway hit The Old Man and The Old Moon. The show, which played more than 100 performances in NYC last fall, will have its Chicago debut in a new production at Writers’ Theatre running September 3–November 10.

The guys of PigPen began creating their unique brand of music, film and theater as students at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008. They went on to become the first group to win top honors at the New York International Fringe Festival two years in a row (2010 and 2011), and their first commercial Off-Broadway production The Old Man and The Old Moon received critical raves, running from September 2012–January 2013 at The Gym at Judson (located in the iconic Judson Memorial Church).

PigPen Theatre Co. has performed at New York’s famous Barrow Street Theatre, Bowery Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, Mercury Lounge, The Irondale Center, The Gym at Judson, the Boston Center for the Arts, and has sold out theaters nationwide with its shows The Nightmare Story, The Mountain Song and The Old Man and the Old Moon. Their work has earned them critics’ picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, New York Magazine and The Huffington Post, among others, with reviewers ranking their productions among the top ten theatrical events of both 2011 and 2012. The group recently gave a TEDx Talk on storytelling.
  

Click here to check it out.

THE WAY I’M RUNNING TRACKLIST

1. Sailor

2. Song from the Stone

3. The Way I’m Running

4. Giant

5. I Crash

PigPenTheatre.com

Facebook.com/PigPenTheatreCo

Twitter: @PigPenTheatreCo

Writers Theatre opens its 2013-14 season

with PigPen Theatre Co.’s

The Old Man and The Old Moon

A new play with music

September 3-November 10, 2013

Something old... something new...  The Old Man and The Old Moon is a NEW play that starts the NEW season of Writer's Theatre.   This one's high on our must see list.   Book your tickets in advance for the best seats.   Previews are currently running.   We were there to review for the press opening night 9/12.   

Click here for our prior coverage and the full scoop on The Old Man and The Old Moon. 

Title:                 The Old Man and The Old Moon

By:                   PigPen Theatre Co.

Directed by:      Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.

Cast:                PigPen Theatre Co.

Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler.

Designers:        Lydia Fine and Bart Cortright; Mikhail Fiksel (sound); Meredith Miller (props master)

                                    Dates:              First performance: September 3, 2013

                                  

                                   Closing performance: November 10, 2013

           

            Schedule:         Tuesdays: 7:30pm

                                    Wednesdays: 7:30pm (with select 2:00pm matinees)

                        Thursdays & Fridays: 8:00pm 

                                    Saturdays: 4:00pm and 8:00pm

                        Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

             

                        Location:          Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

                        Prices:              Prices for all performances range from $35 -                                                $70

                                               Purchase early for best prices   

           

Box Office:       The Box Office is located at 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe;

                        847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre or follow Writers Theatre on Twitter atTwitter.com/WritersTheatre. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.