I'm in an Art Show, Nice. And I Got to Play With Fire.

Okay, the first bunch of photos are of the same hat that, yes, I burned a big fat hole in. The second and third photos will be in the show (next to the actual hat)...what show am I talking about? The Milwaukee Avenue Arts Fest in Logan Square this weekend (I'll be at 2706 N Sawyer, by the McDonald's — what up 49-cent cones!). There are so many good bands and artists at this thing, don't even get me started, just please check out the link and get your butt there. After the slew of hat photos are some of my iPhone photos that I'll be showing too....so many stories, so little time, at least at the moment. Stay tuned.

I'll Have the Chickpeas — Er, I Mean Woman Peas

I watched the uber-exciting-then-serotonin-depleting final installment of the women's World Cup championship — U.S. vs Japan – at the Twisted Spoke in Chicago last Sunday. (We lost in a penalty kick shootout in overtime.) *But thankfully* the Twisted Spoke scored a point in the menu-humor department when I noticed that one of the ingredients they listed for their hummus was "woman peas (formerly known as chick)." Hmm, a side order to consider if you choose to dine at the resto's Smut & Eggs event every Saturday (midnight to 2:30am, 501 N Ogden in Chicago).

The Best Party for a Better World? The Silver Room Block Party!

The Silver Room in Chicago is one of those old-school Wicker Park businesses that's managed to not only stay in business, but really thrive over the years...why? BECAUSE THEY SELL REALLY COOL AFFORDABLE SHIT (JEWELRY/ACCESSORIES), AND HOST REALLY COOL EVENTS (and feature really cool local artists like Fantah Celah, pictured above, who sells her jewelry line there — you'll have to contact her yourself about the custom hair jewelry though).

The Sound System Block Party is happening today from noon to 10pm at 1442 N Milwaukee Ave (at Evergreen) — with art and fashion and music — like Chicago-based MC Hollywood Holt who deejays at 8:30pm (schedule is on the site). The theme is "A Better World," and last week there was a fundraiser for it, an art opening where you could bid on 100 canvases by 100 artists. I picked a few pieces to post and talk about here, these will still be up during the block party today, so stop in and check 'em out if you're in the neighborhood.
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How can you make the world better? Just look in the mirror — like Michael Jackson would do, right? Here's a piece from Juan De La Mora Monsivais called "It's You and Me!" and it features a sticker-pic of him when he was a year old. Juan writes: "In questionable times, I stare in the mirror and ask how I can be a better person and by doing so, how I can influence and be influenced in a better world."



Below is "When This Becomes Logic" from Anna Todaro: "The image of Spock with flowers on his head just seemed kind of ridiculous and really me smile." Agreed. And it's pretty.

And I really like this piece from Andrew Reichold called "Abstract Form of Communication," where he takes a timeless tool — the #2 pencil — and makes it...a little more flexible. "The path for better understanding must open and allow ideas to permeate the space, sometimes going in one direction, sometimes staying the path.

Here's Rob Soller's vision of a cooperative based on self-reliance — the brotherhood between science, technology and resource management. Oh, and he digs cats. Oh — and he'll be there with his 13-foot, four-seater, custom-welded Art Bike — perhaps wearing bunny ears, you won't want to miss it.

And below is an untitled piece from DJ Nerd — because we all know that music makes everything better.



The Silver Room Sound System Block Party is today from noon-10pm at 1442 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago.