ChiIL Live Shows' Featured Artists of The Day: Royal Thunder #Metal #OriginalPhotos

ChiIL Live Shows'

Featured Artists 

of The Day

We've caught Royal Thunder a number of times over the years, as they toured through Chi, IL most recently at Bottom Lounge opening for Monster Magnet. 

Here's our full set of LIVE show shots from 11/6/13:
Our favorites are embedded at the bottom of this feature.

All photos ©2014 all rights reserved

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows /ChiIL Mama

Royal Thunder returns to Macon, Georgia's Bragg Jam Music & Arts festival this year!  The event is being held on July 26th. Go grab your tickets starting May 1st at www.braggjam.org!

Click here to check out our Monster Magnet LIVE show shots from the same evening.

Word is Royal Thunder headed back into the studio this year!
Vocalist / bassist MLny Parsonz had this to say about the process:

"We meet again with our long time friend and producer Joey Jones at Aria Recording Studio in Marietta. We have no idea what this next album is going to sound like! We are anxious to see what the outcome will be. With that being said, we have NO agenda, NO formula, NO limits. This one is for the gods of rock! As always, thank you ALL for your support. See you on the road with these new songs! Until then, be well!"

Expect a Fall 2014 release via Relapse Records! Who's excited???

Biography

Rising out of Atlanta, Georgia, Royal Thunder have been conjuring stoner rock grooves out of the Southern heat since they were formed in 2006 by guitarist Josh Weaver. Featuring singer and bassist Mlny Parsonz, drummer Lee Smith, and guitarist Josh Coleman, the band's hazy, psychedelic sound evokes the early days of stoner and space rock, with Parsonz's soulful vocals bringing an element of dark drama to the band's swaggering sound. Royal Thunder made their recorded debut in 2009 with a self-titled EP, which the band self-released before signing to Relapse shortly afterwards, where the label re-released the album the following year. Their first full-length, CVI, arrived two years later in 2012.

Our Favorite Shots:

SAVE THE DATES: Breaking News FREE TICKETS FOR 8th ANNUAL CHICAGO DANCING FESTIVAL TO BE RELEASED JULY 8 & 9

Chicago Dancing Festival: August 20-23, 2014

FREE Programming features Top Ballet, Modern & Hip-Hop Dancers, including a

WORLD PREMIERE Festival Commission by Kyle Abraham

This incredible annual festival is FREE and tickets are highly sought after.  Mark the show dates and ticket release dates on your calendar now and get ready to reserve you spots!

Tickets for the 8^th annual Chicago Dancing Festival, the free Festival at venues across downtown Chicago, will become available to the general public July 8 and 9.  Co-produced by internationally renowned choreographer and native Chicagoan Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, the 2014 Chicago Dancing Festival features top ballet, modern and hip-hop companies from Chicago and across the country, set to take place August 20 – 23.

All events are free but tickets for indoor events must be reserved in advance through each venue’s box office. 

Tickets for the August 20 program at the Harris Theater will be released July 8 at noon, available in person at the Harris Theater Box Office, 205 E. Randolph Drive, or by calling (312) 334-7777.  Limit two (2) tickets per order; tickets ordered by phone will be held at Will-Call.

Tickets for the August 22 programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art will be release July 9 at noon, available in person at the MCA Stage Box Office, 220 E. Chicago Avenue, or by calling (312) 397-4010.  Limit two (2) tickets per order; tickets ordered by phone will be held at Will-Call.

No tickets are needed for the outdoor Pritzker Pavilion events, including the Opening Night Simulcast on August 20 and the Grand Finale performance on August 23. 

Any empty seats or tickets unclaimed at 15 minutes prior to curtain time will be released to those in a Stand-by line.  Stand-by lines begin one hour before each performance, in person only.  All seating is general admission. 

Chicago Dancing Festival 2014 Schedule

Wednesday, August 20 – 7 pm

Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Street

The Chicago Dancing Festival opening night program will be simulcast on the outdoor screen of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. 

A Gala Benefit on the Harris Terrace follows the free indoor program.

• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, CDF original commission by Kyle Abraham    
• The Juilliard School, The Jig Is Up by Eliot Feld
• Martha Graham Dance Company, Errand into the Maze by Martha Graham
• Stars of American Ballet*, Fancy Free by Jerome Robbins

Friday, August 22 – 6 pm and 8 pm

Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Avenue

An evening of duets

• Adam Barruch, Belladonna by Adam Barruch
• The Joffrey Ballet, Bells (excerpt) by Yuri Possokhov
• Martha Graham Dance Company, Errand into the Maze by Martha Graham
• Pam Tanowitz Dance*, Passagen by Pam Tanowitz (live music)

Saturday, August 23 – 7:30 pm

Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Street

“Celebration of Dance” Grand Finale

• The Joffrey Ballet, Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp
• The Juilliard School, The Jig Is Up by Eliot Feld
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Falling Angels by Jiří Kylián
• Rennie Harris Puremovement*, Students of the Asphalt Jungle by Dr. Rennie Harris
• Stars of Washington Ballet Brooklyn Mack and Maki Onuki, pas de deux from Le Corsaire by Marius Petipa

Additional events and artists for the 2014 Festival to be announced!

All programs are subject to change.

*CDF Debut

About the Chicago Dancing Festival

Established in 2007, the Chicago Dancing Festival was founded to elevate awareness of dance in Chicago, to increase accessibility to the art form and to provide inspiration for local artists.  Its mission is to present a wide variety of excellent dance, enrich the lives of the people of Chicago and provide increased accessibility to the art form, thereby helping create a new audience.  Its vision is to raise the national and international profile of dance in the city, furthering Chicago as the “dance capital of the world” (as Mayor Rahm Emanuel put it at the 2012 Chicago Dancing Festival). 

Lar Lubovitch (Founder, Artistic Director) is one of America's most versatile and highly acclaimed choreographers and founded the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company 45 years ago.  In the years since, he has choreographed more than 100 dances for his New York-based company, which has performed in nearly all 50 American states as well as in more than 30 foreign countries.  Born in Chicago, Mr. Lubovitch was educated at the University of Iowa and the Juilliard School in New York.

Jay Franke (Founder, Artistic Director) began his formal training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.  In 1993, he was selected as a Finalist for the Presidential Scholar in the Arts and accepted into the Juilliard School.  Upon receiving his BFA in Dance from the Juilliard School, Mr. Franke went to work with the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, “THARP!”  Mr. Franke has since danced with The 58 Group, Lyric Opera Ballet Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and was a leading dancer in the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company from 2005 to 2010.

The Chicago Dancing Festival is grateful for its 2014 supporters including: InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Official Hotel Partner; Museum of Contemporary Art; Harris Theater for Music and Dance; City of Chicago, Millennium Park; The Robert and Jamie Taylor Foundation; David Herro and Jay Franke; Illinois Arts Council; National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; and the Irving Harris Foundation. The Harris Theater is proud to have the support of The Northern Trust Company as its 2014-2015 season sponsor.

For more information on the Chicago Dancing Festival, its history and programs, visit www.chicagodancingfestival.com.

FREE Chinese Fine Arts Society Concert: Five Elements Project: Earth and Wood

CHINESE FINE ARTS SOCIETY CONTINUES 30^TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SECOND CONCERT IN THE THE FIVE ELEMENTS PROJECT:

“EARTH AND WOOD”

A free concert featuring three Chicago Premieres and musicians of the CSO

Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, May 18

Here at ChiIL Mama, we believe one of the best perks of living in a city the size of Chicago, is the amazing array of multicultural events! This one is family friendly and FREE. April was for water, and now May is Earth and Wood. Come experience The Chinese Fine Arts Society's Five Elements Project!

The Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS), Chicago’s resource for experiencing and appreciating the art, music and culture of China, continues its 30^th anniversary celebration with the second installment in its year-long series Forces of Nature: The Five Elements Project, a musical survey of China's varied natural environment themed around “Earth and Wood” featuring three Chicago Premieres.  The “Earth and Wood” concert is presented in the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, Sunday, May 18 at 3 pm.  The concert is free and no tickets are required.

From the Gobi desert to bamboo forests, from sweeping grasslands to mountain vistas, the majestic landscapes of China and its inhabitants are the inspiration for the “Earth and Wood” concert.  The concert primarily features both Chinese and western string instruments – violin, viola, erhu, gaohu, zhonghu – all made of wood. 

In a rare performance, Chicago erhu virtuoso Betti Xiang performs on three different pieces of the huqin family of traditional Chinese bowed string instruments.  The concert also features traditional folk music, contemporary arrangements and original compositions by world-renowned composers, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Zhou Long, renowned New York-based composer Huang Ruo, lauded San Diego-based composer Lei Liang and esteemed Beijing-based composer Ye Xiaogang.  The works are brought to life by virtuosic musicians including acclaimed Chicago pianist Winston Choi, renowned Central Conservatory-trained guzheng player YuQi Deng, along with a string quartet comprised entirely of members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  The full program includes:

·        Traditional Chinese Tune: Birds on  a Desolated Mountain

Featuring Betti Xiang, erhu

·        Traditional Chinese Tune: Birds Dash Back to Forest

Featuring Betti Xiang, gaohu

·        Traditional Chinese Tune: On the Grassland

Featuring Betti Xiang, zhonghu

·        Spring in the Forest by Ye Xiaogang

Featuring YuQi Deng, guzheng

·        Tree Without Wind by Huang Ruo (Chicago/Midwest Premiere)

Featuring Winston Choi, piano

·        Gobi Canticle by Lei Liang (Chicago/Midwest Premiere)

Featuring Qing Hou, violin; Weijin Wang, viola

·        Chinese Folk Songs by Zhou Long (Chicago Premiere)

String quartet led by Qing Hou

Inspired by late CFAS founder Barbara Tiao, who many considered a “force of nature,” The Five Elements Project is themed around the five elements found throughout Chinese art, science and philosophy: earth, fire, metal, water and wood.  The Five Elements Project is curated by Qing Hou, Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist and CFAS artist-in-residence. 

More Five Elements Project Events

The Forces of Nature: The Five Elements Project continues with the third concert in the series, “Fire and Metal,” presented free at the Pritzker Pavilion of Millennium Park, Sunday, August 10 at 6:30 pm as part of the annual “Rhythms of China” festival.

The series finale concert takes place in Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, Friday, November 14 at 7:30 pm.  Tickets for this concert start at $20, $5 for students.

About the Chinese Fine Arts Society

Founded in 1984, the Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture, music, dance and visual arts in Chicago through performance and education, thus enhancing cultural exchange.  Its core programming consists of three areas: Professional Concerts, Young Artist Development and Community Engagement.  Julie Tiao Ma, daughter of founder Barbara Tiao, serves as President of the Board of Directors.

The history of CFAS has been a true “American Dream” success story, beginning when Barbara Tiao, a Shanghai native who fled the country in 1949, eventually settling in Chicago in 1984.  She established herself as a piano teacher and a “cultural ambassador,” sharing her beloved culture with other students and the surrounding community.  This passion was Tiao’s inspiration to start the Chinese Fine Arts Society.  Tiao passed away in 2008, having realized her dream: an organization that has bloomed into a professional entity in Chicago’s artistic scene.  Since its founding, CFAS has been the leading champion of Chinese arts in Chicago, from traditional to contemporary.  CFAS has established itself with widely attended and critically acclaimed cultural events in various venues throughout Chicagoland.

To learn more about the Chinese Fine Arts Society and its programs, visit chinesefinearts.org.

PHOTO & VIDEO RECAP: Black Bear Combo CIMMfest After Party at Moe's #CIMMfest

Friday night was a highlight of CIMMfest 2014, among many. Chicago's Black Bear Combo (Balkan, gypsy, street jazz hybrid) was the perfect way to cap off a phenomenal day of film, music and networking.  It was our pleasure to capture the fun for ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows. 

Balkan Night

@Moe's Tavern (BTW-we just love that Moe is a woman-Maureen--and she's a hoot!)

2937 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

10pm - 2am

Check out our full set of stills in the slide show here, and favorites embedded below. We even caught some of the multicultural fancy footwork from the crowd in the video below.

Friday, the screening of Brasslands sold out, but the fun continued with a Balkan night at Moe's Tavern. Black Bear Combo, Balkan food, and raffle of Parni Valjak tickets!  BRASSLANDS won Best Documentary Feature at CIMMfest 2014 and a second Sunday screening was added!  If you missed it, keep an eye out for this one! © 2014 all rights reserved Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com & ChiILLiveShows.com The Blackhawks playoffs game coincided with the after party, so my husband bailed. I went on to shoot the show without him, but I was jazzed to find the game on multiple screens at Moe's, so I could do both. It was great to see the CIMMfest film fanatics and the hockey fans peacefully coexisting and rockin' out to Balkan gypsy jams together, while cheering the Hawks to a 5-2 victory!  Mo' about Moe's Chicago -Avondale Neighborhood Tavern Voted Top 5 Dive Bars in Chicago Rapidly becoming the "go to" spot for all local musicians. Our Music & Craft Beer make us unique for a neighborhood tavern. Live Music -- Shows on Friday and Saturday Open Mic Sunday and Wednesday Full Sound System for all electric hook-ups House Drum Set (full) House Guitar House Organ (B3) Friendly neighborhood Tavern - Free Foosball, Free Darts, pool table $8 pitchers of Blatz-$3 mixed drinks -$12 buckets of 5 domestic bottles for all Chicago Pro Team Games.

ACT OUT: CATS at Marriott Theatre Through May 25th

Terry James, Executive Producer

Andy Hite, Lead Artistic Director

Aaron Thielen, Artistic Director

PRESENT

THE WORLD’S BEST-LOVED MUSICAL

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

CATS

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been so slammed with all the spring openings to review in the city, we haven't made it out to The Marriott for this production. Still, we've been impressed with the quality and professionalism in past productions we've seen there. The Marriott Theatre is a gem in the dearth of high quality, suburban, theatre arts and not that far for a trek out, if you live in Chicago, like we do. Traffic isn't too bad, once you leave the heart of the city, so even though the distance is greater, the drive time can be shorter than getting across town or downtown to Chicago theatre. And free parking is always a welcome incentive!

We have seen the touring Broadway cast of CATS and it is one of the most playful, fun musicals out there. It's a great choice for multigenerational family fun and appeals to all ages. Check it out.  

The Marriott Theatre is proud to present one of the biggest blockbuster musical hits of our time, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.  Based on the poems of T.S. Eliot, CATS runs through May 25 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL.  CATS is Directed and Choreographed by multiple Jeff Award-winner Marc Robin with Musical Direction by Ryan T. Nelson.

Since premiering in London in 1981, CATS went on to become the longest running musical in the history of British theatre and the longest running musical on Broadway.  In 2003, the Marriott Theatre presented a new production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, which quickly became the best-selling show in the theatre’s long history.  One of the audience’s most requested encores, the Marriott Theatre presents a whimsical, environmental production in which our intimate surroundings bring you closer than ever to the “The Jellicle Ball.”

CATS stars Heidi Kettenring as “Grizabella” (National Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago’s Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at the Marriott Theatre) and Matthew R. Jones as “Old Deuteronomy” (Broadway’s Titanic and Phantom of the Opera); with William Carlos Angulo, Brian Bohr, Ellen Green, Shanna Heverly, Raymond Interior, Patrick Keefe, Jake Klinkhammer, Tammy Mader, Luke Manley, Christine Mild, Johanna McKenzie Miller, Alexandra Palkovic, Sagiya Eugene Peabody, Andy Planck, Liam Quealy, Buddy Reeder, Sam Rogers, Laura Savage, Summer Naomi Smart, Adrienne Storrs, Amanda Tanguay, J. Tyler Whitmer, George Andrew Wolff, and Melissa Zaremba.

The CATS production team is led by the Marriott Theatre’s Lead Artistic Director Andy Hite.  Set Design is by Tom Ryan, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Sound Design by Bob Gilmartin and Properties Design by Sally Weiss. The Marriott Theatre orchestra is conducted by Musical Supervisor Patti Garwood.

The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Ticket prices range from $40 to $48, excluding tax and handling fees.  Students 17 and under and senior citizen 62 and older receive $5.00 off a full price theatre ticket for Wednesday Matinee, Saturday Matinee, Sunday Matinee and Sunday Afternoon performances.  On Wednesday and Thursday evenings a limited number of Dinner and Theatre tickets are available for only $55.00 per person. For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening dinner reservations in The King's Wharf or Fairfield Inn, please call 847-634-0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

ACT OUT OPENING: Jack Lemmon Returns at The Royal George

Hershey Felder presents

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

Chris Lemmon as his father Jack Lemmon in

JACK LEMMON RETURNS

A new play with music about a world famous Dad and his son.

OPENING MONDAY MAY 12 AT THE ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE.

Here at ChiIL Mama, we're fascinated by how creatives parent and how parents create. We've been shooting an ongoing video series on the subject now for years.  Click here to see some of our interviews.   We're particularly interested in the effect parents in the arts have on their kids and vice versa--the effect family has on the arts.  This world premiere should be fascinating as it stars a son playing his famous father!

Continuing in a tradition of storytelling and music, Hershey Felder (George Gershwin Alone, Maestro Bernstein and last season’s smash hit Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane) will present the World Premiere of Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS, a new play with music. The production will preview May 2 and open on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted Street. The production is written and directed by Hershey Felder and based on the true story of the legendary Jack Lemmon (Mister Roberts, Some Like it Hot, Days of Wine and Roses, The Odd Couple) and his relationship with his son, actor and musician Chris Lemmon (Duet, That’s Life, Lena’s Holiday, etc.).

Jack Lemmon’s lifelong dream was to be an actor, head to New York from his hometown of Newton, Mass. and “Save Broadway.” At the urging of a show-biz minded mother, but a serious business-minded father, Jack pursued his dream and, due to a remarkable set of events, became one of the world’s all-time great movie stars. Believing that no actor should ever be pigeonholed into being either a comedian or a serious dramatic artist, Jack Lemmon broke barriers, and played everything. As the first actor to win Academy Awards as both Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, Jack Lemmon’s talents knew no bounds. But with every blessing there can also be a curse, and Jack’s son Chris was witness to it all.

                Jack and his son, Chris

“This remarkable story told by Chris Lemmon in the voice of his father is performed in the style of musical storytelling that Chicago audiences have come to know from me,” said playwright/director Hershey Felder. “Being able to work with Chris to present this piece has been an incredible joy both because of Chris’ skill as an actor in the tradition of his father, and as a musician given that music was such an important part of his father’s life. Having an insider’s view into Hollywood and the craft of one of its prodigal sons makes for an extremely satisfying event.”

Chris Lemmon is the son of actress Cynthia Stone and actor Jack Lemmon. Passionate about music, he studied classical piano, composition and theater at the California Institute of the Arts. He has appeared in multiple stage productions, including the West Coast tour of Barefoot in the Park, directed by Jerry Paris, the original West Coast production of Shay by Anne Commire, and A. R. Gurney's Love Letters with Stephanie Zimbalist. He also starred as “Richard Phillips” in the situation comedies, Duet and Open House, as well as in three films with his father, Airport '77, That's Life! and Dad. Chris’ tribute to his father, A Twist of Lemmon, was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books and re-released in 2008 by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books.

Hershey Felder (Playwright/Director)

Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Regional and international appearances of “Composers Sonata” (1999-2014) – George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, As I Knew Him, and Maestro: Leonard Bernstein and the upcoming Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN (Geffen Theatre LA World Premiere). Winner of 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, 2005 and 2011 for the WFMT Network. Direction includes Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane (National Tour), Current projects include Abe Lincoln’s Piano, Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN and several other titles in development for various artists. Mr. Felder is a Steinway Concert Artist, and has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music. He is the President of Eighty-Eight Entertainment and is married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.

The artistic team for Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS is led by Director Hershey Felder with Associate Direction by Trevor Hay. Scenic Design is by Hershey Felder and Emma Hay, Sound Design is by Erik Carstensen, Lighting Design is by Jason Bieber, Projection Design is by Andrew Wilder, and Scenic Decoration is by Meghan Maiya and Emma Hay. Erik Carstensen serves as Production Manager and the Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Peters. Artistic Direction Consultant is Joel Zwick.

Performances of Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS begin Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m. and continue as follows: Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. All tickets are $55. Tickets are now on sale at The Royal George Theatre and may be purchased by calling 312.988.9000. Box office hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com.

ChiIL Mama's CIMMcity & Awards Thursday and Friday Photos #CIMMfest

We've been having a blast at CIMMfest with loads more to come for Saturday and Sunday.  Click here for all our top picks (in red) and the full schedule and venue listings/addresses.



Nice of CIMMcity to do up the walls to match our blog headers, eh?!



We made it to CIMMcity twice so far--to pick up press credentials and network and to attend the Artists' Reception for Women in Film. It was catered by one of our neighborhood favorites, Friendship Chinese! 

Check out our photo recap below including the coolest film fest awards "trophies" ever. 





Full slide show is here. Favorites are embedded below.

CIMMcity

1439 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

April 28 - May 4, 12pm - 10pm

Stop by and pick up your passes and VIP badges at CIMMcity, the hub of the hive!  Mix and mingle with other special guests, drop in for impromptu performances, peruse our pop art up gallery featuring unique awards over the years from artist David Facchini. Live music, music videos, performance art installations, Bloody Mary's in the morning and cocktail parties at night - CIMMcity!

Day 1-Instagram Fun

 

Thanks to fest promoters for going above and beyond. Here's my 10 year old daughter, Sagezilla, modeling her rockin' CIMMfest2014 tee shirt! They also gave us buttons (from Busy Beaver Button Co--another of our neighborhood favs) and sweet swag bags with goodies & coupons from loads of luscious locals (Threadless, Friendship Chinese, IV Lab, Arabesque Chicago, Restaurant Sarajevo) and snacks from Milk & Honey (Rick Bayless's Mexican Mix!), Popchips & Kind bars.

I even got to sample Crafthouse premixed cocktails, served by the Co-Owner of Subterranean before I headed over there to shoot the opening night show. I only had time to check out the grapefruit one, but it was excellent. I'm dying to try the other 2. Vita Coco was in the house with loads of flavors of coconut water including a new lemonade. CIMMcity also had soft drinks for the underagers & others not partaking in the booze bonanza.  

**Be sure to click here to check out our LIVE show shots/photo recap from Thursday's opening night concert at Sub T.**

Day 2-Women in Film Reception/Awards Pixs

CIMMfest Artist Reception  @CIMMcity  1439 N. Milwaukee Ave.  5pm - 7pm This year, CIMMfest partnered with Women Working in Mixed Media, Boxx Magazine, and Women in Film Chicago to celebrate the fact that we have more female filmmakers at the fest than ever before in our history. Join us to celebrate film, music, progress and partnership with food by Friendship Chinese, CIMMfest Signature Cocktails, live performances, and more.

Day 2-Coming soon... our original live show shots/video footage from Black Bear Combo at Moe's Friday night.

Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for news, reviews, giveaways, original content & lots of photo & video filled features.

Balkan Night @Moe's Tavern 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave.  10pm - 2am Follow the screening of Brasslands with a Balkan night at Moe's Tavern. Black Bear Combo, Balkan food, and raffle of Parni Valjak