(JVO’s blog) Iron Man 3 isn’t a very good movie. When you go to see it (because I know the draw to see it is impossible to resist), you’ll disagree with me for the first 30 minutes. “This is awesome,” you’ll say. “You hate fun,” you’ll add. And then, the movie will break bad on [...]
(JVO’s blog) When reviewing last year’s C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo), I wrote, “Everything about the event felt bigger this year: bigger hall, bigger stars, bigger attendance.” This year, the convention adds another pen mark to the growth chart on the wall. McCormick Place carved out more space for the 2013 show, a canny decision [...]
(JVO BLOG) I went to two movies this weekend: G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Olympus Has Fallen. They were both terrible … like, you’re an absolute schmuck if you go to see them, terrible. Making matters worse? They’re essentially the exact same movie. Consider this checklist: G.I. Joe Olympus Has Fallen Movie opens [...]
(JVO’s blog) The Rolling Stones are officially coming back to Chicago, with a United Center date set for May 28. Here’s what Greg Kot at the Tribune had to say. The ticket price range quickly escalates from “barely 99% friendly” to “screw you, 1%” ($85 – $600). While those prices are beyond my reach, I [...]
(JVO’s blog) I get asked all the time which songs and bands I’m currently listening to. Unfortunately, I’m almost always asked at the wrong time … like when I’m just rolling off of a week-long Asia bender. It’s hard to talk new music when I’m in, excuse the expression, the heat of the moment. When [...]
(JVO’s blog) People who don’t understand–or want to understand–Twitter write the social platform off as a place where people post pictures of food they’re eating. That’s obviously ridiculous and belittling. Twitter’s also a place to tell dumb jokes, which in my case find me blending two disparate proper nouns into an entirely new one. Last [...]
(JVO’s blog) During the years I worked at Q101, we were cautioned against using the word “metal” on the air. It was every bit as taboo to the alternative station as saying “fuck,” though much less fine-able. The fact is, I was born in Chicago and have lived in the area all my life. This [...]
(JVO’s blog) I got my flu shot on Thursday. By yesterday afternoon, I had a fever and the chills. The fever and chills weren’t because of the shot, as any doctor will tell you. They happened just because. Pure coincidence. By about 7 p.m. last night, I felt significantly better, which was bizarre but totally [...]
(James VanOsdol’s blog) Crooked Heart of Mine, the debut release from UK-based Giles Robson & the Dirty Aces, was probably the album I played most in 2012. On the album, Robson manages to build a forward-facing new template from a mix of Chicago blues, British blues-rock, and scrappy, street smart folk (if there is such [...]
(James VanOsdol’s blog) I had my identity stolen this week. More specifically, someone stole my credit card information. I got a call early this morning from American Express, who had concerns about a run of recent red flag-raising charges they’d noticed on my card. They were right to make the call–the charges in question came from [...]
Just annc'd: Special appearance by Anthony at Park West.Over by 'dere. Get 1 month FREE, no credit card needed http://t.co/ewlfGc7SHS I'll be watching the #Blackhawks in Game 4 in New York as I attend my nephew (and #Redwings fan) Andrew's graduation from #WestPoint 2nd hockey period not as entertaining as 2nd month of Dahl Network. Costs a little. Not as costly as #Blackhawks 2nd period.