Just for Laughs 2013: Knuckleheads review
Knuckleheads: Tim Robinson, Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong.
We had high hopes for Knuckleheads—a.k.a. Aidy Bryant, Tim Robinson and Cecily Strong, the newest cast members of Saturday Night Live—performing during Just for Laughs at the Second City's UP Comedy Club. But we didn't expect to be this entertained. Read our review here.
Just for Laughs 2013: Seth Meyers, Hannibal Buress and Al Madrigal review
Seth Meyers at the Chicago Theatre on June 14 for Just for Laughs.
It's already hard to not want to be friends with the witty yet smart Saturday Night Live head writer Seth Meyers when watching Weekend Update, but when he gave off a relaxed vibe that felt like he was hanging out with his friends, and not performing in front of a huge crowd at the Chicago Theatre, I was hooked. Meyers was joined by Al Madrigal and Hannibal Buress as part of Just for Laughs on Friday night. Read the full review here.
Spring Awakening 2013, Friday: Recap and review
After last month’s Electric Daisy Carnival wrapped its inaugural year, spry bassheads and dubsteppers alike are piling into the city this weekend to see this newly expanded EDM fest as the season of wub continues.
Friday kicked off the Spring Awakening Festival, making for an enjoyably breezy night where it would otherwise be doused in sweat and sunburn. Early in the evening, West Coasters PANTyRAiD performed one of the best sets of the night, spinning an array of hip-hop–inspired tracks as a dozen giant inflatable dice bounced atop the audience. Dirty South was surprisingly the most glistening and sparkly of the DJs, as he combined synthesizers with Auto-Tuned orchestral strings and piano, creating the kind of songs you picture yourself running in slow motion to (see: his emotional performance of his Temper Trap remix “Sweet Disposition”).
“Da Drive Tent” welcomed University of Illinois identical twins and potential Leonardo DiCaprio stunt doubles Milk N Cookies, whose audience-enthusing performance brought everyone together, nodding along simultaneously to their intricate remix of Adele's “Someone Like You.”
To complete the night, the eminent dubstep trio Nero jumped on and around the main stage and DJ booth as the colossal bright red strobe lights illuminated the thousands of attendees before 1990s international superstar Moby performed his familiar hits while the audience popped the distributed beach balls.
Just for Laughs 2013: Dylan Moran review
Dylan Moran
There's a casual brilliance to Moran's act that leaves you feeling like you've wandered into a bar and lucked out into choosing a stool next to the wittiest guy. At times his jokes come off as the meanderings of a drunk man who's forgotten what he was trying to say, but there's an clear rhythm to his word choice that has been expertly honed. Last night at Park West, the Irish comic touched on topics like his erotic novel and Chicago's penchant for unhealthy food, but hardly laid a finger on his wine. Read the review.
5 things to do today: Saturday, June 15
Bassnectar
ART & DESIGN
CAKE: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo CAKE rules. The dessert, yes, but also the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, which debuted last year and provided a welcome, well, alternative to the more sprawling, commercial and superhero-strewn C2E2. The weekend-long fest, held this year at the Center on Halsted, celebrates independent comics of all varieties with workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions and a comics fair featuring artists, small presses and publishers from Chicago and beyond. The real icing on the CAKE is a stellar lineup of special guests, including Chris Ware, Kim Deitch, Deb Sokolow, Jason Shiga, Phoebe Gloeckner, Michael DeForge, Oily Comics and Collective Stench. For a complete schedule, visit cakechicago.com/2013-expo. Center on Halsted. 11am–6pm.
CLUBS
Spring Awakening 2013: Bassnectar, Calvin Harris, Moby and more Did you have a blast last August at Lollapalooza? Well, lucky you, you can relive it all again with the second installment of the Spring Awakening Festival. There's plenty of déjà vu to go around: Bassnectar, Calvin Harris, Porter Robinson, Zedd and Zed's Dead (yes, they're different) all got fists pumping on Perry's Stage in 2012. The Soldier Field venue is apt—this fete aims for aggressive body contact. Soldier Field. Noon. 3-day pass $250, 3-day VIP $300; advance 3-day pass $170, advance 3-day VIP $220; single day TBA.
Just for Laughs 2013: Chelsea Peretti review
Chelsea Peretti
Before Chelsea Peretti's show last night at Stage 773, we were already pretty obsessed with the L.A.-based comedian: her podcast; her writing for Parks and Recreation; her hilarious, of-the-moment social commentary–comedy (commendy?), including tweets like: "If instagram had private messaging, we'd all be dead of a new STD within a week." (#true) So we went into it with high hopes. Read our review here.
Just for Laughs 2013: Best jokes we heard during the fest
In some cases, it's really true that "you had to be there," but some of the best jokes from Just for Laughs stand on their own. Check out our slideshow of one-liners from comics like David Cross, Brian Posehn, John Hodgman and Chelsea Peretti.
RECOMMENDED: Just for Laughs 2013 guide
Heard on the Yeezus: best and worst lyrics on the new Kanye West album
Kanye West's mouth is a bottomless pit of intrigue. Ye has been dropping some particularly megalomaniacal shit in interviews, especially that New York Times piece where he compares himself to everyone from Michael Jordan to Steve Jobs.
It follows then that his latest album Yeezus (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), out Tuesday, June 18, comes chock full of insane lines that we cherry-picked for your entertainment. We present them to you in the style of our Heard on the Street.
Just for Laughs 2013: Nick Swardson review
Nick Swardson
Is Nick Swardson a dumb bro or a brilliant character actor? It's hard to believe the man who made Terry the roller-skating gigolo one of the funniest characters on Comedy Central's Reno 911! is the same guy who launched a too-long bit about his drinking exploits at last night's Just for Laughs show with "I love getting hammered." And yet he still managed to make me laugh—even when I was completely offended. Here's my review.
Father's Day: Dysfunctional movie dads
In case you couldn't tell by all the books about war on the Amazon bestseller list, Father's Day is Sunday, people. Did you totally space? Just "go Homer" and get him a case of doughnuts. Let him know he's not as terrible as that stereo-obsessed jerk in Risky Business. You remember him, right? He wouldn't let Tom Cruise play Bob Seger on the hi-fi, even though Bob Seger is total dad-rock. He's just one of the fathers on our list of memorable dick dads. Argue away and let us know who else you hate.
