Last Thursday’s Chicago Tribune picked up a story from The New York Times about the return of The Village Voice after a two-year absence. Prior to its farewell in 2018, the New York alternative weekly had been around for 63 years. According to reporter Katie Robinson, The Village Voice will first return online in January and appear in printed form on a quarterly basis. The revival comes courtesy of Street Media, which owns the LA Weekly publication.
Chicago has a long-running free paper and it’s reaching out for assistance. The Chicago Reader started as a weekly publication back in 1971, but now comes out every other week. Ownership has changed a few times and the current staff is led by a veteran of the local publishing scene, Tracy Baim. I still have copies from when each issue had four sections. Whatever the format, the Chicago Reader has consistently offered cutting-edge journalism as well as extensive and respected coverage of the local music, theatre, and performing arts scene. You can also help out by buying merchandise at the paper’s gift shop.
Speaking of online shops, you’ll find an impressive display of ingenuity, variety, and fun when you check your favorite venues to see what they have to offer. I was glad Lincoln Hall and Schubas sold out all three versions of their concert passports but disappointed because I wanted to buy one. These items resemble actual passports, and can be used for admission to live performances once the club starts booking them again. You can still find t-shirts and posters for sale on the Lincoln Hall and Schubas website.
SPACE has t-shirts, mugs, candles, and hats among its offerings; Beat Kitchen has t-shirts, face masks, and tote bags; and Montrose Saloon has limited edition F.U. Corona/“No Quarter Shall Be Given To The Enemies of Humanity” t-shirts that give COVID-19 the middle finger. Martyrs’ offers a selection of Music Saves, Music Is Good t-shirts; and The Hideout has an amazing 25th Anniversary calendar that will going up on a wall in my media room in a few days.
FitzGerald’s has t-shirts, sweatshirts, and beanie hats; and Metro has been sorting through its vault to offer posters and other memorabilia. CIVL - Chicago Independent Venue League has posters, t-shirts, and a double LP to help out local entertainment establishments. Also, don’t forget a lot of your favorite venues are still offering pick-up and delivery service.
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