Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Look out for the lady in red. Make that ladies in red. At this year’s Glamorama, 30 of fashion’s top designers will showcase their one-of-a-kind red gowns, which will be auctioned off later to benefit the Art Institute of Chicago (see sidebar for more information).
Marlene Dietrich knew how to wear one. So did Katherine Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. But do modern-day women such as First Lady Laura Bush, Elizabeth Edwards and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton know how to work a pant suit?
How much attitude do Liz Phair, Nina Persson, Charlotte Martin and Katy Rose have? So much that they don’t mind being called chicks.
It’s every kid’s dilemma each school year. What should they wear that will satisfy their parents’ need for modesty but also pique their classmates’ interest? In a word — denim. Just remember, a little denim goes a long way, so spread the wealth and don’t wear your new denim jacket, pants and hat all together.
“I’ve been playing this game called ‘Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles’ a lot with my GameCube these past days. It’s actually the first game that lets you use the Game Boy Advance as a controller. It’s very nifty — you can use it to see maps, status, lists, and stuff like that while you play with other people. ” — Sebastien Lefebvre of Simple Plan, part of Saturday’s Warped Tour show at the Tweeter Center
Simple Plan have a simple idea — cut their tour short this summer and get back into the recording studio to work on their new album, which they hope to have out this fall. “We want to build something really great,” says drummer Chuck Comeau, 24. “We’re trying to capture who we are now and also record songs we won’t be tired of playing three years down the line. It’s really exciting.”
Refer to any of the 19,000 inhabitants of the Orkney Islands as a Scot, and he or she will politely inform you they are not Scots. They’re Orcadians. They may live just a few miles north of mainland Scotland, but these island dwellers are an entity unto themselves. Yes, they eat haggis and talk with accents as thick as the blood used in black pudding. But unlike residents of cosmopolitan Edinburgh and nouveau-chic Glasgow, Orcadians don’t revel in trendy nightlife or upscale boutiques catering to the rich and bored.
Let’s hear it for the girls. After decades of taking secondary roles in films aimed at teenage boys, a new generation of actresses has slowly descended upon Hollywood. And guess what? Their movies are doing well at the box office.
There were moments in Jessica Simpson’s concert that seemed to come straight out of a teen pop version of “This Is Spinal Tap.” Some, like the opening vignette where she pretended to lose her way from the dressing room to the stage, were intentional. But there were other moments, probably heartfelt ones, that instead came across as parody.
Growing up in north suburban Libertyville, Marlon Brando was well-liked by the neighborhood children. A polite teen with a kind heart, he was hardly the misunderstood rebel that he would later portray in “The Wild One” (1953). But he didn’t mind causing a bit of havoc during his years at Libertyville High School, which he attended as a freshman and sophomore, before his parents shipped him off to a Minnesota military academy.
By Jae-Ha KimChicago Sun-TimesJuly 2, 2004 Peter Frampton, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo*Taste of Chicago5 tonight*Petrillo Music Shell, northeast corner of Jackson and ColumbusFree Back in 1976, Peter Frampton set the standard for what a rock star looked […]
Back in my day, a trip to Europe was considered a nice graduation gift. Having your parents pay for your college education was even better. But these days, a growing number of parents are giving girls the gift of the breast augmentation for their Sweet 16 or high school graduation. In 2003, almost 4,000 girls 18 years old and younger had their breasts done. I don’t think this is exactly what feminists had in mind when they encouraged young women to aim higher.
It’s not enough these days to have a cool million in the bank and a house in the Hamptons. Now you need that something extra to make your neighbors really take notice. Not sure what to start acquiring first? Here are a few hints to help you get started: Hummer: Yes, we know they’re not the most stylish of cars, but everyone who’s anyone is all about this vehicle. Off-road or not, the ride isn’t as smooth as, say, a Mercedes. But dahling, luxury cars are so last year. And if you can pay to fill the tank, you’ve got even more cred.
That Bicycling Magazine picked Chicago as the best big cycling city in the United States isn’t surprising to us. Chicagoans have been taking advantage of the more than 125 miles of new or improved bikeways for years. More than 100 million Americans own a bicycle, and the number of people biking is growing at a rapid pace. “With Mayor [Richard M.] Daley’s help, cycling has really exploded in the last 10 years in Chicago,” says Theresa Cowen, coordinator for the city’s Bike Chicago program. “Chicago actually is one of the most bike-friendly places. Besides all our bike lanes and paths, we have more bike racks than any other city in the country — 9,400.”
It’s not often a New York band will admit Chicago might be just as cool — if not cooler — than the Big Apple, but Suffrajett took it one step further by relocating to Wrigleyville six months ago. Of course, it may have helped that guitarist Jason Chasko already was familiar with the city, having worked with Liz Phair in the past. When singer/violinist Simi (that’s right, just Simi) got a look at their new digs, she says her jaw hit the floor.
The No Doubt and Blink-182 rock show had it all: great music, good cartwheels and a pair of shirtless and mohawked drummers. Playing to a near-capacity crowd on Sunday at the Tweeter Center, neither band seemed bothered by the heat and humidity as the musicians ripped through sets that have been played before, but still managed to come across as fresh, brash and vibrant.
People sometimes get confused when Rick Recht plays Jewish music. They think of songs from a bar mitzvah or a Jewish wedding. What he plays, though, is pop music that sounds hopeful. Some of it happens to be sung in Hebrew.
Madonna’s been striking quite the twisted pose during her live shows. It’s not ours to ask why Madge would want to do this to herself. However, we couldn’t help wondering whether it would be easy — or wise — to emulate the Material Mom’s contortions in our own workouts. After talking with experts, the answer, in a word, would be no.
It’s June. So chances are you’re invited to a wedding, will be attending a wedding or are in a wedding. It’s a confusing time for all of us, especially if we’re not sure we’re even invited. To help make this a less trying time all around, we’ve come up with some do’s and don’ts to help keep this joyous occasion relatively stress-free.
During a recent trip to Scotland, I stayed at a boutique hotel in Edinburgh, a grand castle in Shapinsay and a quaint bed & breakfast in Stromness.