Lakeview for Troy
Invites you to meet
 Troy LaRaviere
Candidate for Mayor

Tuesday, September 25th
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Many of you know him as the former Principal of Blaine and now he is President of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association (CPAA) and outspoken critic of city corruption.  Now you can catch the inside story and participate in our democracy:

"I believe in the power and wisdom of the people of Chicago. When we stand up and fight together against corruption and the political machine to demand justice, we will win true reform in this city.
 
The hard work and courageous actions by the Campbell Plaintiffs and other community organizations of Chicago show us what is possible when we unite against a failed political system and say “enough is enough.”

Co-Host Committee in formation:
Stephanie Skukan, Lauren Trost, Catherine Francis
 
There will be food and refreshments.  Come by the Wishbone for the this meet and greet event.

 
Or to make a contribution by check:
Troy for Chicago
PO Box 2619
Chicago, IL 60690

Election Day is less than two months away!  On Saturday Evening, September 22nd, OUR REVOLUTION ILLINOIS will hold a FREE buffet dinner at Wishbone as part of a BIKE-A-THON to spread the message about progressive electoral engagement from cities to FOX country and beyond.   Bikers will be listening and talking to Americans along the route about candidates, strategies and need for a CHANGE in campaign financing and the "Democracy Show" as it exists today.

A buffet meal is being provided as a chance to meet organizers in the Midwest Midterm Progressive Bike-a-thon and to discuss participation in the on-going "Pedal Power" initiative to take the conversation to where it counts.   Candidates to support and ballot initiatives will be part of the evening's discussion along with live music provided by DANNY CHICAGO.

Drop by from 7 to 10 PM for some food and a chance to meet fellow activists at WISHBONE of course!

The current exhibition of  photographs by Marc PoKempner is a journey through the musical byways of Havana, New Orleans and Chicago's south side from Maxwell Street to the old Checkerboard Lounge.   Marc's black and white photos have been featured before in the Couloir Bleu and many know his work for the Reader.

On Friday, September 7th, Wishbone hosts a reception for Marc and friends with some refreshments--and of course good company.   Come by between 6 and 8 and join. the fun! 

For more information about Marc's work and his photographs for sale, visit http://www.pokempner.net/

      Michael (aka Miki) Greenberg and daughter Giselle will officially release their new record SOMEONE OLD, SOMEONE NEW at an Old Town School concert June 9th at 8 PM.   In keeping with an exclusively vinyl LP release, the photo captures the two artists on their way to the post office with a wagon full of records going out to kickstarter investors and friends.   (Sister Indigo is riding shotgun.) 

      It's a great record with songs written severally by Miki and Giselle and backed up by accomplished Old Town musicians who have worked with Miki in the past.  It is expected that digital copies of the songs will be available soon, but the cover of the LP is stunning and well worth having.

      An interview with the father/daughter team was aired on the morning of May 31st on WBEZ and may still be available from the station.   Congratulations to both!   Miki is, of course, the Wishbone FOH Manager and impresario for our evening concert series (see the EVENTS page)

   Eric Futran, primarily known for his opulent food photographs, will be taking a walk on the wild side with a collection of humorous shots compiled for a special Couloir Bleu exhibition during April and May.   Eric is also a musician and will play with his band, the Noshers, at a fun Opening, Friday, April 6th   All are welcome to come for music and to meet the artist.
   Perhaps there's no better way to describe the show than by the following Artist's Statement:


               Eric Futran/ 40 years Searching for the Punch Line
 
     In the 40+ years I’ve made a living as a photographer, I’ve always beenon the lookout for odd or amusing images. Some of these photos were assigned by publications (for the early Reader, or Hyde Parker, for example). But most were just magic grab shots, taken in the moment when God is gracious enough to provide you with a visual pun or wisecrack.
     Mostly, they’ve all been sitting in hard drives or print cabinets for years.I’ve gathered them together into an odd sort of juxtaposition. These pictures were captured both locally and internationally. I’ve also chosen a wide variety of pictures: black and white, color, large prints and small. Children, adults, animals (as you can see, I really dig pigs).
     I know that while most of these pix are fairly amusing, I have included several ‘quieter’ images. “Why “, you might say, “did you provide us with actual ‘serious’ pictures?” And the answer is, ”because I like them!”
     So there!
     I certainly spared no expense in mounting the show. The frames were gathered from some of Chicago’s finest (and not so fine) resale shops.  Anyway, I hope you like the result. It was fun putting it together.
 


To contact Eric and see more of his work (including more pigs!), go to www.chefshots.com.   For videos with some of Eric's music, try www.kidknish1.com.   Fun stuff.

      At 7 PM, SATURDAY MARCH 17th, Wishbone will again be hosting the acclaimed duo, JAMIE O'REILLY and MICHAEL SMITH, for a celebration of Irish traditional song--through the lens of a bygone (and more innocent) childhood in America with the Church.
      Subtitled "The Age of Reason," the evening's musical journey is aimed to "bring us to our lives; to cherish what is simple; know what is lost; heal what is hurt.   And to remember the best of times..." 
    If you've never heard them, you're in for a heartfelt, liberating personal  portrait of  Catholic America of the 40s, 50s, and 60s with traditional songs punctuated by quirky tales and school day lore that will bring out memories of a shared past.   O'Reilly and Smith are well known performers on the Chicago scene and have recorded (and interpreted) many of the great songs associated with St. Patrick.
       Tickets are $20 in advance through Jamie's weblog (using PayPal) at
http://www.jamieoreilly.com/317-smith-oreilly-wishbone/ You may also phone or text (773) 203-7661.   
       A ticket purchase will reserve seating in the main dining room where you may order separately St. Paddy specials of food and drink--prepared by Wishbone, of course!
       Why not make St. Paddy's something meaningful and a charming introduction to Irish culture . . . ?  This is for kids of all ages . . .

     The current exhibition in the Couloir Bleu features works by Beatriz Ledesma and Jon Randolph--complimentary visions of life to the South of us, both in dream and quotidian life.   The "official" OPENING
to greet the artists will be MARCH 10TH from 6 to 9 PM with some refreshment provided by Wishbone.

BEATRIZ LEDESMA
 
      Beatriz Ledesma identifies herself as an immigrant from Buenos Aires.  Her paintings are primarily oil on canvas with bold, vibrant colors as an expression of her Latin American roots and a strong, archetypal emotional content.  
     The images are figurative but set in dreamlike compositions to suggest a timeless internal world constantly responding to personal history and surroundings.  
Ledesma intends for the viewer to be transported into a space of self reflection and insight about memorable and incongruous aspects of life.
      You can see more of her work at www.beatrizledesmastudio.com
 
JON RANDOLPH
 
            For twelve years, Jon Randolph worked as staff photographer for Channel 11—PBS Chicago— shooting their shows (Soundstage, Book Beat, Sneak Previews, etc.). and sharpening his skills as documentary photographer.   Among his awards, he received a New York Art Directors award for an opening photographic essay on Cook County Jail and an Emmy nomination for slide/wild sound essays for Gene Sickle’s show Nightwatch.  In 2012, the post office issued a commemorative stamp for  Gwendolyn Brooks based on one of Randolph’s photos.
            Jon continues to free-lance editorial and location photos and his work has appeared regularly in the Chicago Reader, Chicago Enterprise magazine, Illinois Issues, Down Beat, Rolling Stone and others.
            In pairing with Ledesma’s colorful  and almost shamanist paintings, Jon decided to present works from his travels to Guatemala chronicling day-to-day life.  
You can see more of his work and contact him through: jonrandolph.com

Live Music, special Menu featuring Cajun, Creole and Southern Dishes, feathers, masks and French Quarter cocktails like the famous HURRICANE.

WE'RE OPEN THIS TUESDAY, FEB 13TH and THERE'S NO COVER or obligation other than having fun!  The CAJUN VAGABOND TRIO will be stirring things up between 6 and 8:30 PM and we can set up party tables or more intimate arrangements as you like.

In addition to Mardi Gras sample platters, you'll be able to order Salmon Papillot (cooked in parchment), Jambalaya, Gumbo, Crawfish Etoufee, Blackened Catfish and Shrimp Dishes to take your breath away.  Lucy has even baked some King Cakes  where you can win a drink if your slice has a hidden baby.

Why celebrate Valentine's Day with ashes?  We'll have Abita Purple Haze on tap along with Abita Root Beer and other drinks for the occasion.

Reservations by calling are recommended.  (773) 549-2663.

     Start the New Year with a civilized Musical Night (no cover!) and a "morning after" Breakfast with Blackeyed Peas for good fortune.
     It will be a full moon so you know you'll want to go out . . . At Wishbone the Roy McGrath Trio will be playing swing, funk and 2nd line New Orleans jazz starting at 6 PM.   Our chef will have SPECIALS including Salmon Papillot and Roast Ribeye (in addition to our regular menu) and PRIX FIXE DINNERS FOR TWO for the extended banquet from appetizers to dessert.
      Champagne and special cocktails will flow . . . and we pop the cork to herald 2018 at midnight (Buenos Aires time) or 9 PM here in arctic Chicago.  So you have time to get home , make resolutions or pull out your Tarot deck for meditation.
     For New Year's BRUNCH, we'll be serving the traditional Blackeyed Peas for Good Fortune along with our regular Brunch Menu, some specials and $15 Bottomless Mimosas.  We take reservations for 8 or more and serve from 9 AM to 4 PM . . . No dinner that night.

           Esperanza Gama was born and educated in Guadalajara, Mexico where she received her BFA from the School of Fine Arts at the University.  She then moved to Paris to study printmaking at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and later, Chinese painting at the Gakukai Sumie Center in Tokyo—influences readily seen in her mixed media pieces in the current exhibition.
          In 2005 her work was featured in Poetas y Pintores, a traveling exhibition of contemporary Latino art and poetry. In 2006, she became the first Latina to exhibit at the Union League Club Gallery of Chicago with a series entitled Los Magicos.  That same year she created an installation at the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame for a national conference on Catholicism:  Guadalupe, Madre de America: Narrative, Image and Devotion.  
           From this, her fascination with iconography led to the life and work of Frida Kahlo and a piece she created for a special exhibition in Mexico City honoring the 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth.   A related interest in the icons connected with el Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead led to a Sor Juana project exhibited in 2008 at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
            Gama’s work has since been featured in solo and group shows in Europe, Mexico and around the United States, earning grants, acquisition for permanent collections and numerous awards.  From mural restoration to childrens’ book illustrations, Gama’s palette of colors is inspired by both the innocence and darkness exemplified in her series on Frida Kahlo.   The recent Op-Ed piece by Salma Hayek on the “monster” in her own screen homage to Frida (mental abuse and sexual harassment), underscores the complexity and contradictions in approaching this Mexican artist and the barriers that still remain in appreciating her life and work (that in many ways are inseparable.)
            The present exhibition at Wishbone has prints, mixed media works with hand printed re-creations of pre-Columbian designs . . .and original paintings.  It is a kaleidoscope view of Frida . . . and of Esperanza Gama’s own dreamlike world.
            The OPENING RECEPTION is Thursday, December 21st from 6 to 9 PM and a very fitting celebration of the Winter Solstice.   Please come by to meet the artist and certainly take an extended look at the Couloir Bleu show that will be up through the month of January. 
Enjoy!  LINK TO A YouTube video created by ESPERANZA:  right here!