01/31/08

The Concierge Is In: Weekend Update; Bowl Bars

I've often fantasized about starting my own concierge business. I know that sort of thing flies in cities like Vegas—maybe not so much in Chicago—so instead it's a service I offer free to friends, friends of friends, and, of course, friends of Last Girl Standing. Want to know what's going on today, tomorrow, and this weekend, dear nightlife enthusiasts? Keep reading and post your comments below. This is your forum, too.

Last week a loyal LGS reader and newly single friend who's been out of the nightlife loop for a while charged me with planning a night out for her and another friend, both in their 30s. She sent me this e-mail...

Posted at 05:30 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (2)

01/28/08

Bada Bing, Bada Burlesque

Burlesque is nothing new to Chicago; the peekaboo-performance revival has been working its way through local venues for the last several years. What is new to town, though, is Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce, a troupe with home bases in Hollywood and Vegas that claims boldface names such as George Clooney among its patrons.

This past weekend marked the troupe's début Chicago run, Thursday through Saturday at the recently reopened Le Passage—an ideal venue, since the subterranean club boasts its own speakeasy vibe...

Posted at 04:25 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/24/08

Celebrity Beat: Politicking with Pete Wentz

Fall Out Boy bassist and Wilmette native Pete Wentz hosted a fundraiser for presidential hopeful Barack Obama Tuesday night at Lakeview Broadcasting Company. "I've been an Obama supporter since he announced he was campaigning," Wentz told me. "I was aware of him as a senator, but I wasn't as engaged as I probably should've been."

The crowd of about 125 friends of Pete and Obama supporters included tattooed urban hipsters and members of the local rock outfits Kill Hannah and Gym Class Heroes, plus Lovehammers' Marty Casey, the Rock Star: INXS runner-up and former Chicago magazine single. Also on the guest list: Wentz's mom and dad. "My parents support Obama... but they met while working for Biden...

Posted at 06:24 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (9)

01/21/08

Face to Facebook

I consider myself to be something of an early adopter, but there’s one party I’ve come to late: Facebook. The social networking site launched in 2004, but I only caved to friends’ endless urging and joined about two weeks ago (another latecomer: Chicago senior editor Jeff Ruby; see his hilarious attempt at a Facebook profile). And now, here I am: a true convert, posting messages to The Boyfriend to ask when he’s bringing dinner over. It helped that I read in the February issue of Entrepreneur magazine that more than half of Facebook’s 60 million uses are over the age of 25. That’s my demographic, whether I like it or not.

Some folks use the site mostly to connect with old friends—and I did hear from my long-lost eighth-grade boyfriend, who recently relocated to Israel—but I’m an even bigger fan of the “groups” and “events” functions. Users can alert friends and friends of friends about parties they’re hosting, making Evite a thing of...

Posted at 04:33 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (2)

01/17/08

Five Questions for the Beer Dudes

"I'm impressed when a bar has something I've never had before," says Phil Kuhl, one half of the Beer Dudes—an entrepreneurial friendship founded on suds. Kuhl and the other Dude, Brian Moreland, met last April while bartending at Sheffield's (Kuhl also tends bar at Goose Island in Wrigleyville). Since then, they've begun hosting beer tastings around town, including a weekly Monday night event at Rockit Bar and Grill called Taste It, in which the guys pair three beers from a particular state with a three-course meal. "We're trying to ease people into appreciating beer," Kuhl says. "Beer isn't as intimidating as wine," Moreland adds. I caught up with the guys this past Monday to chat about spreading the gospel of brew...

Posted at 04:11 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (4)

01/14/08

Celebrity Beat: Common

"I've been traveling around the world; there ain't no ladies like [in] Chi-Town," Common told the sold-out crowd of 1,400 at his House of Blues concert Saturday night. Be still my heart.

I managed to catch up with the rapper, actor, fashion designer, book author, and native Chicagoan before the show, which benefited his own Common Ground Foundation. "[I] stay in tune with the people from where I'm from," he said. "The more you get, the more you give back." ...

Posted at 04:20 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (3)

01/10/08

My Carrie Moment

I've been likened to the fictional sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw once or twice, but one thing we don't have in common: the ability to trot in sky-high Manolo Blahniks. I bought my first pair recently on sale at Barneys (open-toe, patent-leather Mary Janes), but I've yet to wear them out of the house. Just looking at them in my closet gives me plenty of pleasure, sans pain.

But since I said I would participate in last night's Service Club of Chicago charity fashion show at Chaise Lounge, I knew I might have to suck it up...

Posted at 05:23 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (12)

01/07/08

15 Minutes with DJ White Shadow, aka Paul Blair

Maybe you've caught one of his current weekly gigs, Thursdays at Manor and Sundays at Rockwell Lounge. Or maybe you saw him back when he held residencies at Le Passage and The Underground. Maybe, if you're lucky, you've heard his hip-hop/old-school mash-ups at exclusive parties hosted by the likes of Gen Art[link: genart.org] and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz. Or maybe you've just seen his mug splashed across party-pic Web sites. Chicago's Paul Blair, better known as DJ White Shadow, has played practically everywhere...

Posted at 04:11 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (16)

01/03/08

Best of 2007: Reader Comments

In the spirit of year-end lists—and not taking myself too seriously—I've compiled some of the best (and snarkiest) responses to Last Girl Standing, culled from comments posted to the blog throughout 2007. Here's to even more banter in 2008.

In response to: Weekend Update
You said: "We have the privilege to read about the chronicles of a Chicago woman who is quickly approaching middle age. She flirts with randoms, gets wasted on expensive martinis, and spends time text messaging bar owners to try to get the 'in.' She is the epitome of the Old Man in the Window. If the Old Man had a column ten years ago, it'd be very similar. Last Girl Standing now, Alone Girl Sitting later."
I say: That's a great name for a blog! I'll consider it for Last Girl Standing 2.0. But let's get one thing clear...

Posted at 04:02 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (5)