New Industry Rising Stars: Chicago Playground "The Varsity Collection"

New Industry Rising Stars: Chicago Playground "The Varsity Collection"

Many fashion designers come from Chicago, but not many incorporate Chicago into their brand. With Rodnell Harris, it is different story. His designs are all about Chicago and even the name, Chicago Playground; the Varsity Collection, incorporates the heart of Chicago into it. So, who this designer that loves Chicago so much that the city is the main source of creativity behind his designs?

Rodnell Harris was born on the West side of Chicago and was a graduate from Farragut High school in 2004. A true Chicagoan from the start he decided to launch the Chicago Playground clothing line in 2008. Many of his inspirations came from when he played basketball in college (in Jacksonville Florida, but hey the line isn’t called Florida Playground). This is where his interest in the designer of the Letterman and varsity jackets grew. Considering himself a visual artist, Rodnell hopes to instill a sense of pride and unity in local communities here in Chicago through fashion.

During Atlanta’s fashion week in 2008, with only a few samples from a previous brand Rodnell created, he realized that becoming a designer was what he wanted to do. After the event, he knew that he could be an asset to the fashion industry by introducing a brand with a positive message and mission behind its designs. Thus, Chicago Playground was created. Rodnell wanted a name that came with significance and a sense of tradition. Chicago is considered a playground in of itself, with all of its attractions and talent in the city. Also, playgrounds bring children together and he wanted a brand to represent unity among the city’s youth and beyond.

Chicago Playground clothing is a brand for all ages and genders. Childrens clothing can be obtained though custom orders. The brand is also looking to collaborate with student athletes and local high schools for an ambassador program in the near future in which students get involved with the brand and Chicago Playground educates them on the fashion industry and the mission behind Chicago Playground; so keep an eye out students!!

Currently, Chicago Playground only offers custom made orders to give clients the opportunity to customize their garments to meet their individual needs. They also present capsule collections of collegiate garments including hooded sweat shirts, signature t-shirts, and baseball calls (all offered in limited quantities). The brand is still in the early stages of creating an e-commerce site and is scheduled to be available in September 2014. Fall seasonal garments are available for order and purchase! Also email rharris@cpg1963.com for a digital catalog! 

At the moment Chicago Playground is focusing on its upcoming student ambassador program and e-commerce launch for the fall. The brand is currently working with local show producers to be featured in upcoming fall runway shows this Fall 2014 season in addition to internal brand representations. So keep an eye out on http://www.cpg1963.com that has many great things happening for a brand that holds Chicago so dear to its heart.

Written by Stella Quimby - Fashion & Lifestyle Editor

Hideout Block Party & A.V. Fest

Hideout Block Party & A.V. Fest

I will always remember my first car. It was a 1968, fire-engine red, Cadillac hearse that my grandfather bought me. It only got 6 miles to the gallon, so I mainly drove it from home to school and back. Nonetheless, I have wonderful memories of cruising in my car in the fall, listing to Death Cab for Cutie's album, Plans, play from my makeshift CD player/portable boom box, sitting on the passenger-side floor. To this day, I feel a twinge of nostalgia when the leaves begin to change.



On Friday, September 5th, Death Cab for Cutie headlined the Hideout Block Party and A.V. Fest, here in Chicago, IL. This two day music festival also featured artists like The Handsome Family, The War on Drugs, Valerie June, and Hamilton Leithauser.





Singer and songwriter, Valerie June, who graced the stage the Saturday of the fest, sat down with us to talk about making music and embracing times of silence.

Halfstack Magazine: Your music seems to dabble in a few different genres. How would you best describe your style of music?

Valerie June: I call it Organic Moonshine Roots Music. It's just American music in its southern most forms. An American artist that comes to mind when you use the word dabble is Tom Waits. What a dabbler!

HS: What inspires you most when writing music?

VJ: I'm greatly inspired by silence. Silence makes me want to make music!

HS:  How did you get involved with this year's Hideout Block Party and Onion A.V. Fest?

VJ:  I reckon it was my Chicago based booking agency, Billions Corporation, ultimately.  But, I was performing a couple years ago at The Hideout with a band called The Wandering.  After sound check, we went upstairs and I was fascinated by Mavis Staples' throne.  They told me she sat in it at the Hideout Block Party.  I secretly planted a wish in that moment to perform for the block party one day!

HS:  Are there any other artists this weekend you are excited to see perform?

VJ: The Funky Meters!

HS:  You have collaborated with other artists, such as Old Crow Medicine show in the past.  What is your favorite thing about collaborating with other musicians?
 
VJ:  I love learning how other songwriters receive or write tunes.  It's magical!

HS:  If you could work with any musician that you haven’t yet, dead or alive, who would you aspire to make music with?
 VJ:  Now, I can't tell ya all my secrets!  I have a list, but I learned early on in the wishing game that those things you deeply want that seem beyond your reach, you should treat delicately and rarely speak of while they are in the incubator.

HS:  Your latest album, “Pushin’ Against A Stone’ featured a few other artists.  Who worked on the album with you?
 VJ:  Dan Auerbach [of The Black Keys] and Booker T. Jones.

HS:  You were nominated for a Blues Music Award this year for your album, ‘Pushin’ Against A Stone’.  Can you tell us a little bit about that great achievement?
 VJ: Wow!  I'm honored, but I can't really say much besides HUGE THANKS.

HS:  Other than writing and performing music, what other ways do you enjoy spending your time?
 VJ:  Walking, yoga, meditating, baths; I'm pretty up, so I tend to seek calming adventures!

HS:  What can we look forward to next from Valerie June?
 VJ:  I'm working with the Goddess on the future.  It will be as she wishes to see!'

Make sure you check out the full editorial gallery in the Fall issue of Halfstack HERE!

GAP Southport Styld.by Event

GAP Southport Styld.by Event

On September 10th GAP outlets nation-wide celebrated the changing seasons with a stylish shopping event.  I headed to GAP Southport, here in Chicago to drool over distressed denim and everything flannel!

The Styld.by event, ran from 6pm to 8pm and included personal styling, sips and snacks, and featured looks styled by The Zoe Report.  To complete shopper's looks, Solo Salon was onsite for braided hairstyles and buns.  Blogger Peggy of Hallways Are My Runways hosted the event, donning a black and white, checkered button-down shirt and slim-fit jeans, all by GAP of course!  

If you missed out on this event, don't worry, keep upcoming Styld.by events on your fashion radar by checking out http://www.styld-by.com/en-us.   I'll meet you there with my favorite, distressed, sexy-boyfriend jeans on!

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Great Street Restaurant

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Great Street Restaurant

Written by: Thom Olson for Halfstackmag.com

If you haven’t visited Great Street at the Renaissance Hotel for a while, you might be in for a treat. Yes, the Renaissance Hotel at One West Wacker Drive has been kicking around for a while, but the restaurant on the second floor has received a much-needed facelift. Yet, that is just the beginning of the story. It really starts with an ownership change this past January. 

The Great Street Restaurant occupies the end of the hotel that over looks the river and North Michigan Avenue Bridge.  As the hotel faces the river, it seems to have been designed to look vaguely like the front end of a river boat with a gracefully curved front. The entrance opens out with Great Street overlooking the activities on the 2nd floor. The hotel tackled the dining room redesign with much needed finesse. The restaurant has always had a wonderful view at night. The city glow has always made this space quite lovely and sparkling — however, the sheer size of the dining room made it impossible to feel comfortable. It was massive and even when it was full and busy, one always felt a little alone like the only customer in a circus tent.

What was once a truly cavernous room has now been divided up to make a more intimate space. A room that was once considered a ridiculous waste of space with a horrible layout has been transformed into something functional yet beautiful. The remodeled restaurant has a more intimate feel with better traffic control. It still feels spacious but not cavernous.  The interior is a tad more contemporary and modern without feeling cold. The columns have been covered in mirror to enhance the view and reflect the city lights at night and the view. The warm wood still remains. The neutral color palette enhances the wood and make the room feel spa like and calm.

This place is such a nice improvement over the last reiteration. And it will only get better. The hotel has plans for a redo of the rooms. The downstairs bar (Novo) will change around the holidays and become a new concept. Eight new concepts have been presented for the new bar, so stay tuned. The really big news is a new roof top bar slated to open around May of next year. Their roof top area above the restaurant currently has a terrace only accessible by the conference rooms, but it will change. The goal is to expand and make it more accessible to the new roof top bar overlooking the Chicago River. It will be launched in May and I have marked my calendar to make sure and visit the new space. It is indeed a perfect location and the view is killer.

A sensible approach — private dining rooms.
This idea of private dining rooms truly made sense from many points of view. The Renaissance Hotel is a first class business hotel. It’s neighbors with 35 West Wacker’s Leo Burnett and links to it by a pedestrian mall area. The hotel is easily accessible by way of the city Pedway System. The private dining rooms are a wonderful spot for business meeting and presentations when there needs to be a more celebratory tone or a meeting that needs to be out of the office and not in a boardroom. They are exquisitely perfect for SMALL wedding receptions or banquets of 12 to 25. YES, believe it or not, the kind of space that can accommodate a small reception for intimate friends and family is extremely hard to find anywhere in the city. Most reception rooms start at about 50 people, thus making seating for smaller events really difficult. Some rooms in the city have a very kitschy feel and focus less on the guests and more about making the business identity of the restaurant part of the event. They can make a wedding reception feel strange or similar to a theme wedding. The private dining rooms at Great Street offer a lovely view and are very comfortable.  I would have no hesitation of booking a wedding in this space. These rooms have been very well received as they have been booking up quickly so plan ahead for your holiday festivities.

The Food Concept
The menu and concept of the restaurant has received a facelift as well and offers interesting flavor combinations. Hotel food can be a bit mundane and perhaps a bit of a snooze when dining out with little variety from hotel to hotel. This menu has variety and more. Chef James Samson is responsible for new concept. It is a new take on the farm-to-table food trend. He explained it quite simply as a walk through the neighborhoods of Chicago. The restaurant sits on State St. If someone were to walk through the various neighborhoods in Chicago, what food ideas and creations would percolate up? Which is exactly what he did. Chef Samson is a transplant from Phoenix and has worked in a number of places across the country but had only been here a year. He wanted to see what Chicago food was like so he toured the neighborhoods and came up with some mouth-watering dishes for just about every palate including the finicky traveler. The menu is cohesive as well as flavorful. It is very health conscious. All but two of the dishes are nut free. All but one dish can be prepared gluten free. Fresh is the key word as well as made from scratch as much as possible in the kitchen.

With the modified farm-to-table concept, Samson took liberties with what is considered local but emphasized the idea of small farm. Much of the food is pulled together from small farms with many locally produced including the beers offered. This version of the concept utilizes very small mom/pop farms that offer unique blends of veggies, fruits and meats. He also utilizes a firm called FarmLogix. This Evanston-based company is the brainchild of Linda Mailier. It connects restaurants with small independent farmers and offers tools for sustainability all the while helping farmers market their produce without adding additional cost to them. The food gets picked up by Testa Produce and distributed. He also utilizes Urban Till — a Chicago grown source for microgreens and specialty herbs. Samson’s food vision doesn’t stop with how he gets his ingredients, but become a source for his experimentation. He likes to play with his food.  He is currently playing with Anson Mills Grits — an artisan mill that uses organic heirloom grains and course grinds to produce a unique texture. The Grits are made from Antebellum varieties that were bred for flavor, not shelf life or transport. They are a giant step away from Monsanto and GMO foods and a throwback to real food. Samson is a big fan of Big Fork Sausage — a Chicago product that is minimally processed with no preservative, MSG, nitrates, hormones or any artificial dreck.


- For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine HERE.

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: AV Music Fest

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: AV Music Fest

Here's a few snapshots from Halfstacker Perry's visit to AV Music Fest! Be sure to check out her whole gallery in the upcoming issue of Halfstack Magazine releasing Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014! You can check out more information on the festival at: http://www.hideoutblockpartyavfest.com

 

Download our latest issue at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Blooming of Sararose

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Blooming of Sararose

Written by: Thom Olson as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue
Visit Sarah Rose online: http://sararoseonoak.com

Chicago ranks as kind of an interesting spot in the history of fashion. It’s not exactly a style less backwater. Marshall Field was one of the first to make Paris couture and designer garments accessible to the masses. Charles James’s childhood roots are tied to Chicago. Halston was a student of the School of the Art Institute. True, Chicago doesn’t have a fashion week. Trust me, it’s a bummer, but it is no slouch either way.

So, who are the new names of Chicago fashion?  Yeah – Maria Pinto. That’s an easy guess as she has been around for some time and has popped back up after a Kickstarter investment. Boris Powell, who is a dishy and handsome designer and has been on the scene for about 8 years, also comes to mind. Yet, there is another person whose name keeps percolating to the top — Sara Rose Krenger. Her line Stixs and Roses fills a niche where only a few have tread, but many would like to be a part of.  She sits comfortably in a balance between fashion and anti-fashion. Her work is not “out there” or “conceptual”, nor is it “ground breaking”. She is not Comme Des Garcons’s Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Yohi Yamamoto or Vivienne Westwood.

Her work is more likely to connect with the every day consumer. Yet, it is important to note, that she is VERY similar to those aforementioned designers in their philosophy of social consciousness. She is breaking new ground from that sense; virtually trailblazing as many design companies are starting to forge the ground of sustainability. It is similar to anti-fashion in the sense that the wearer doesn’t care about fashion, as much as they have higher priorities in mind like the world and it’s environment. Her fashion priorities center around economy, function, usability and having a garment that is sustainably made without creating an impact that lasts forever on the environment.

The fashion industry works hard to make instant fashion a reality to get the consumer to buy more.  Sara Rose is a designer who is about buying less. Stores like Zara and H&M build clothing with the idea that the garment will be worn for a couple of seasons and then be discarded— planned obsolescence. Their shoppers want the latest trend and are those people who constantly are actively searching out the next trend. The instant fashion shopper looks to the designer to be constantly developing new ideas to fill the insatiable appetite for something new and to fill the void of what they don’t have. These stores turn over the merchandise quickly like finely turned machines. In the case of Zara, the concept to sales floor manufacturing cycle can take as little as three weeks where others take a year and a half.

The trend ideas get refined with sale information providing the background information on what the shoppers are looking for. A pair of cranberry red skinny jeans may change in color to a brighter fire engine red before they go into a softer coral red. The jeans may then morph into a raspberry red if the trends and social media seem to point in that direction. These tweaks of color change incrementally to match shopper profiles and are projected to increase sales. Much of how the store is merchandised is directed toward the market that goes for the impulse buy. If the buyer doesn’t buy, the garment is a flop and is put on clearance quickly so a new concept can be brought in to inspire a shopper to crank open their wallet.

Sustainable or long-range ideas
Sustainability is not a factor in the equation of fashion – or hasn’t been. Only lately it has been in forefront of company’s minds as the result of economy causing people to respond and rethink how they buy. As consumers tighten their wallets from the downturn, there is more thought put into the economy of the garment. These thoughts started to develop from the standpoint of the economy of fabric and cutting out multiple garments that waste less fabric. A typical factory may have 85% usage, but that translates into 15% waste. Some retailers demand 92% usage from the manufacturer as a means of controlling costs. The focus point comes to the fibers and materials of the garment itself. A great example of this is cotton: it is horrible on the environment as it sucks up water and requires enormous amounts of pesticides to produce the final product. Cotton accounts for roughly 24% of the world’s insecticide market and 11% of the sale of global pesticides. It can take up to 2,900 liters of water to product a T-shirt. 70% of all water used globally is in the form of irrigation. In 2008, 2,890 billion litres of water was used in Pakistan to grow the cotton needed just to make products sold by Ikea – equivalent to the volume of drinking water consumed in Sweden over 176 years. Unrecycled clothing amounts about 5% of landfills use with Americans throwing out approximately 70lbs per person.

Some companies are experimenting with recycled cotton. Much like recycled paper; cotton can be used in a variety of ways. Sometimes this is in the form of pre-consumer and other times, post-consumer waste. Yet, it is important to note that fashion still is about getting a consumer to buy. Sometimes the economics play into the idea of paying less to the manufacturer so profit margins are the same or keeping a garment within a certain price point enticing consumers to buy it. Not buying, however, is not in question.

Enter Sara Rose
Her clothing designs focus on a philosophy that starts with the ideals of need and function. Part stylist, part designer, part manufacturer and 100% entrepreneur make up the whole of Sarah Rose. Sara Rose clients are mindful about looking good and also cognizant about keeping a wardrobe that is practical, cost efficient and has longevity. They are, as she puts it, “similar to myself. They are professional women.  They are extremely busy and extremely stylish. They care less about trend and are more concerned about style. They want to do more with less. They are often times vegan or vegetarian by choice and a little bit quirky, much like myself. ”

True to herself, she has learned to do more with less. Her former store and workroom was over 2000 square feet with half devoted to manufacturing. It was located on the Northwest side of Chicago. It was a large space but as she puts it “not exactly convenient or easy to shop at. It wasn’t unusual to have my customers parking their Bentleys in the funeral parlor parking lot next door.”

Her new space on Oak Street – while there is no parking — is a much more tiny and affluent neighborhood. Across the street from Tom Ford and Carolina Herrera, her new location is half the size, but is an efficient and economical use of space. Where she used to show at New York fashion week and was on a fashion circuit train of churning out collection after collection, she now has changed that cycle as well. “My collections reflect the needs of my clients and I center around what they need. Their needs dictate what I put in a collection and also my timeline. When I have a have a majority of my clients having the same wardrobe challenges, it guides me to put in what is essential and I react to it. Now, I turn out about a collection and a half or two collections a year.”

For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Zap Props

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Zap Props

Written by: Jennifer Lezan as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue.

In an unassuming, yet creepy drive off of Loomis Place on the Southside of Chicago, a place where history meets progress, rises multiple post modern manufacturing buildings that have long since been abandoned or repurposed. One building in particular boasts a collection of trinkets, oddities and vintage Americana unlike anything that you will find in the area. Behind this hauntingly beautiful façade of crumbling brick and stone you will find workers packing and unpacking, historians, business people, creatives, designers and the curators of the past. These interesting and inquisitive people are the lifeline behind what Chicagoans know as Zap Props.

Zap Props is a prop and antique warehouse located in Bridgeport run by Bill Rawksi, Chicago’s own curator of vintage and the key holder of the beautifully mundane. Zap Props is 36,000 square foot warehouse hidden within the confines of walls that are likely as old as the props being stored within them. In order to understand the enormity of it, one must visit to truly understand it. It’s an eerie wonderland where creatives of all industries can get lost in time exploring the vast, never ending shelves filled with treasures of times past. 

Bill got his start in the amusement and coin operated machine business over 30 years ago. He was helping his father at the time that ran a route throughout the area and even back then, Bill had an innate business sense and intuition. He saw an opportunity to grow and decided to buy a gumball machine route. As time progressed, he became fascinated with the older machines and started collecting them. He was astounded to find that, as he continued to visit flea markets to search for machines, people were actually collecting restored machines. It was at this point that he stumbled upon the fact that people were becoming ever more intrigued with the “Americana” aesthetic.

Over time, his collection grew and he saw an opportunity to take his business in a different direction as the amusement and coin operated industry was starting to die off. He continued to grow his collection and focus on working the antique and prop market. There was a chance opportunity that started with a little film called “A League of their Own” that helped Zap Props become a well-known player in the industry. Bill found his niche, as there were not, and still are not many prop houses of the stature of Zap Props in the city of Chicago. His innate business sense also helped him create a name for himself. Today, some of his biggest business clients come from the restaurant industry throughout the US and abroad. He has even been showcased on shows such as American Pickers.

If there is one thing that Bill understands, it is that networking is an extremely important part of his business. But, no you’re not going to find this blue-collar and down to earth dude rubbing elbows and hobnobbing in some fancy setting. Rather, this gruff guy has his own special way of connecting with Film Directors, Stylists, Designers and locals. He is a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy and that’s what truly seems to have helped him succeed. He is nimble on his feet and can adjust with the ebb and flow of the ever-changing business he is in. Yet, he remains humble and grateful about the opportunities he has found. Having worked with the likes of companies such as Rossati’s, Aurelios and The Tilted Kilt, Bill still maintains a humble attitude that speaks volumes about his character.

For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peeks: Meet Elizabeth Lyons

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peeks: Meet Elizabeth Lyons

Written by: Jennifer Lezan as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue

She’s the All American girl. A gorgeous, sweet and funny young lady with an infectious laugh that is sure to win the hearts of many. On top of that, the girl can sing. It’s no surprise that The Country Music Association dubbed Elizabeth Lyons an artist to watch this year. Her ITunes chart topping single “Party Rules” has been on the new and noteworthy page and has been bumping in many a country girl’s jeep all summer long. As a Chicago native, she’s a country singer with a city girl heart. Halfstack had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth at The Windy City BBQ and she graciously took some time to complete an interview with us.  Read on to learn more about the country music scene’s sweetheart: Elizabeth Lyons.

Q&A

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, how you started and what inspired you to chase your country star dreams?

I love to laugh, make people smile and give big hugs! I have been in 18 musical theatre productions. I have always loved singing & dancing & piano & music! My parents said your college education comes before the country star music dream & said I could go to Nashville and pursue my country star dreams but only if I attended college while pursuing the dream. I am thankful for their strong belief in education. I'm proud to say I did it: pursued music dream & graduated from Vanderbilt University a year ago...sometimes I forget I have a degree in film. Until someone asks me about movies then I won't stop talking about classic Hollywood films or Rom Coms....or I decide to make a funny video at Wal-Mart in between a radio interview or boating with my family just because its what I love to do. My sisters and I used to make music videos, a very different experience than when I made my first music video. I went from dancing in my sisters room to dancing in a field with one of the best directors (Mason Dixon) in country music. Traveling to do a tour in the Midwest the day the music video charted #8 on iTunes Country Music Video Charts & #18 on All-Genre was the best way to celebrate as I'm from the Midwest!

People question the Midwest for being country: "those fly over states" Jason Aldean sings about are some of the top corn producing agricultural states in the world- some of the best soil/ or in the words of FGL: Dirt ! Recently announced Garth Brooks will open his tour in Chicago: 5 sold out shows- so I know country is alive and well in the heartland of America. Country became a part of my heart and soul spending every childhood summer in Northern Iowa: picking strawberries in my bikini, fishing for cat fish with my Grandpa, and making strawberry jam with my Grandma.

While I love the country, I'm also a city girl who loves to meticulously read menus at restaurants and window shop... Always on the search for good shoes and anything sparkly, diamonds, cheetah, or leather. I always try and look my best but my sorority sister and I used to laugh I usually look horrible when I see my crush! I always had a position in my sorority house but never wore their shirts because I'd rather wear a cute dress. Greek life definitely helped me get my first album (co-wrote all 6 songs EP) to chart #42 on iTunes Country Album Charts and All Time Bestsellers Albums Under $8 for months & #10 on Billboard Heatseekers East North Central. To celebrate I went and got some corn bread and made my Rice Krispie treats (which are the best! I swear a full stick of butter is the key).

I made 50 batches for all the radio stations I visited driving over 9500 miles this summer I was reminded how much I love to sing to the Spice Girls Notorious BIG Dixie Chicks and Rolling Stones. All the driving was worth it because I got to meet all kinds of people and the song has charted #87 on media base and #96 on music Row.

Check Elizabeth Lyons out online:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/elizabeth-lyons-ep/id572518758
Web: www.elizabethlyonsmusic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElizabethLyonsMusic


For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Frankie Ballard Heats Up Joe's with "Sunshine and Whiskey"

Frankie Ballard Heats Up Joe's with "Sunshine and Whiskey"

Frankie Ballard’s “Sunshine and Whiskey” tour was what Chicago needed on a chilly Friday night. The Michigan native baseball player who would ask his coach if he could take the guitar on the bus (the answer was no) delivered an energy packed show at Joe’s on Weed Street that made them forget about the wet cold and any worries from the week that may have plagued them.

Joe’s is an intimate venue tucked away off North Ave, perfect for acts to bond with fans. Audience members get to make eye contact with performers who sell out larger venues and get a feel for how their music and presence felt when they were performing bars and coffeehouses. Nick Sturms, a Nashville resident and very talented songwriter, opened the show. Frankie took the stage with an assertive presence that jolted the crowd awake. He played three songs in a row to get blood pumping and feet moving. “He’s got a grittiness to him,” someone near me said. Yes. This country music rocked with a power that was not going home quiet.

When I interviewed him, Frankie said performing live was all about the energy and the relationship he developed with the crowd. He over delivered on both. After the high octane warm up, his song “Don’t Take Much” had a haunting, almost menacing air. You could feel the fictional small town, blue collar chins rise and chests broaden behind the words. The eager crowd waited for “Sunshine and Whiskey” and pounced on it as soon as he started, singing it as loud and as clear as he did. Frankie had control of the crowd’s energy at all times. He performed two covers, Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” and the Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”. The crowd mellowed and played along with “Sue” and bellowed down memory lane with the Wallflowers, shooting the energy back up. Country Weekly got it right when they called him a “true guitar hero” with “an elegant, supple style of playing rarely seen in these days hard rock country.” From an eloquent solo to decorative riffs that added to the song instead of distracting, Frankie is a very good guitarist. He showed his blues influences opening “Sober Me Up” with languid licks, the type that make you feel drunk and want to lean against someone.

Frankie’s a Bob Seger fan. He almost brought down the house when he dove into “Old Time Rock and Roll”, jumped offstage, got up on one of the bars, walked across it, and jumped down into the crowd. He meandered around the crowd continuing the song. The crowd centered with “Helluva Life.” It’s a song everyone can relate to and make their own. Many of us know “the bad times make the good times better” as the song say, but it’s nice to know someone else does too. Frankie put into words what so many of us feel, showing he gets it. Whether he’s onstage or on a bar about to hop into the crowd, he’s one of us.

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: North Coast Music Festival

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: North Coast Music Festival

Resident  Halfstack Photojournalist Perry Fish made it down to North Coast Music Festival this year. Here's a sneak peek of shots she captured during the event. Check out the full gallery in Halfstack's Fall Music Issue on Sept. 17, 2014! You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag.

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Off to Grammy Camp

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Off to Grammy Camp

Written by: Cora Vasseur as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue.

Chicago is rich in music history and prowess across the genres. It was no surprise when several Chicagoland high school students were selected for the GRAMMY Foundation’s prestigious GRAMMY Camp. In their 10th year of existence, there will be 173 high school students total from across the country and the globe. Some students will be flying in from Japan, China, and England to learn what it takes to make it in today’s music industry.


The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1988 to foster the betterment of American recorded music through programs and events that involve music industry professionals with different communities.

“We always wanted to have another vehicle for those high school students who wanted more in-depth information and instruction about the various careers in the business of music,” says David R. Sears, Executive Education Director. “It’s day long music industry career day.”

"The GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Camp has become our signature program that provides young people with an extraordinarily in-depth experience, giving them a genuine sense of what it's like to have a career in the music industry," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. "Each and every GRAMMY Camper benefits from this program and takes with them valuable lessons learned as they continue their music journeys."

Candidates apply online for one or more of the eight career tracks, which include instrumental performance, vocal performance, audio engineering, music journalism, music business, video production and motion graphics, songwriting and electronic music production. Campers are selected on many factors, but especially two key elements.

-For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Macy's Glamorama

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Macy's Glamorama

Written by: Perry Fish as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue.

If I were throwing a party, of course I would invite Jason Derulo.  There would be live music, a fashion show, male models in Diesel briefs, confetti falling from the ceiling, a red carpet; hey, a girl can dream. The best part?  It would all be for an amazing cause! 

On Friday, August 8th, at Millennium Park’s Harris Theatre, Macy’s put on my ideal party, the party of all parties, Glamorama!  This year’s theme, Fashion Rocks, brought style, music, and the people of Chicago together for one special evening. 

The event also aimed to raise funds and awareness for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund in Minneapolis and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.  Within the past 5 years, nearly $1 million has been raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities, which has funded the ability for families to stay close while their children are treated. 

To kick off the event, Macy’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Terry Lundgren and RMHC-CNI Ambassador Child, Samantha Roberson, introduced the evening and riled up the crowed for a mesmerizing display of fall fashion!

The evening’s fashion lineup included, Tommy Hilfiger, Weekend MaxMara, Men In Suites, I.N.C International Concepts, Macy’s Impulse, Hello Kitty, Denim Nation, Calvin Klein, and Diesel.   While all of the shows were brilliant, especially Diesels display of more than 20 men in boxer briefs, moving about the stage to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Calvin Klein’s execution was nothing short of breathtaking.  The chic display of chunky knits and tailored jackets in shades of blush and charcoal had me wishing for a pumpkin spice latte.

For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

Nick Verreos Will Be In Chicago this Saturday at Macy's State Street!!

Nick Verreos Will Be In Chicago this Saturday at Macy's State Street!!

Hello Windy City Fashionistas!!!

I'm excited to announce that I will be flying to Chicago this weekend to host a very special "Putting It All Together" Event and Fashion Show at Macy's State Street! EVERYONE is invited--no RSVP needed: ALL of you are VIP! Hello!

I will host a fun event where:
*I will ask members of the audience to style our models in the latest for Spring 2011 for "very special" scenarios--like "How To Dress For A Night Out" to "How To Dress For Your First Date".

*Then, the rest of the audience (make sure to bring your friends and families for applause back-up!) will chose the winners and they will get $100 Macy's Gift Cards!!! (Love that!).

*I'll be giving tips on the "do's" and "maybe not's" for Spring 2011 Fashion as well as What's On Trend.
*If you come out, I'll be taking all the Facebook, Twitter, MySpace pics you want afterward and you might also (an added bonus) end up on my "Macy's Chicago Photo Recap" RIGHT HERE on my BLOG in an upcoming post!!! See you Saturday!

Here Are The Details:
What: Macy's "Putting It All Together" Fashion Event & Contest Hosted by Nick Verreos

Where: Macy's: 111 North State Street Chicago, IL

When: 2pm

RSVP: Just show up!!!