It’s OK Not to Be OK: Talking Suicide Prevention with Hope For the Day
When Chicago punk/metal promoter Jonny Boucher’s mentor, fellow promoter Mike Scanland, died by suicide in 2010, it was a big wake-up call. Boucher immediately set about making fliers to hand out at shows with suicide prevention resources, which then turned into him taking the stage for a few minutes at shows to talk about the…
The Riot Fest Week in Review
Week of April 30th, 2018New music from Jimmy Eat World, The Interrupters, and Dead Cross. Drink coffee and save a life, Jada Pinkett Smith’s nü-metal band, George Clinton is retiring, and adorable adoptable puppies.
In Honor of Jawbreaker Day, Here are Two New Songs from Jimmy Eat World
May the band’s new 7-inch be with youJimmy Eat World will be singing a praise chorus to kickstart Atlanta’s rock ‘n’ rolling heart at the Shaky Knees festival tonight. The fans are on their feet, they’re on the floor, and they’re nearly good to go; however all they need is just to hear two songs they don’t know. Thankfully, the band just…
May the Fourth will be bigger than Christmas
Believe me when I tell you, May the Fourth is going to be bigger than Christmas. Well, ok, maybe not bigger than Christmas… but, it’s definitely in the running to be the next Halloween. And if you find it absurdist that an up-and-coming punk-ass holiday known to many as “Star Wars Day” could usurp a festive…
Five Proto-Punk Films that are Pretty Punk
Though the term punk rock has been appropriated by any number of disparate subcultures over the years—often for outright contradictory purposes—the initial concept is generally understood as one built around willful bad taste… a grand subversion of hippie self-seriousness. Though this was greeted as a new thing in the late 1970s, punk was actually something…
Have A Cup Of Coffee At Sip Of Hope, And Help Save A Life
Having a cup of coffee at this Chicago coffee shop could literally save a life. Sip of Hope, located at 3039 West Fullerton Avenue in Logan Square, is the first coffee shop where 100 percent of the proceeds go to support proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. Sip For Hope—a partnership with Hope For The…
The Stories Behind Five Banned Album Covers
In 1985, Tipper Gore, her husband Al, and a handful of their fellow human buzzkills that made up the Parents Music Resource Center declared a handful of current pop songs the Filthy Fifteen, because they were simply too lewd for radio airplay. In addition to demonizing such occult anthems as “She Bop” by Cyndi Lauper and…
Geeking Out with Albüquerque’s Metalhead Mayor
Tim Keller claims to listen to metal four hours a day. This is one politician who’s not lying.In one regard, it doesn’t matter who holds the most powerful elected office in the country—we’ll always need all the good politicians we can get on the federal, state, and local level. Short of that, we’ll settle for someone who shares our stupid taste in music! Kidding! Especially kidding when it comes to newly elected…
