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High five
TOC turns five this week, and we're celebrating with a teary-eyed look back at some of our greatest triumphs. Of course, we had a few less-than-shining moments, too, and at five, we're now mature enough to admit them.
HITS
1. A Spire to nothing
When architect Santiago Calatrava unveiled his design for the Chicago Spire (400 N Lake Shore Dr) in July 2005, many thought the 115-story residential tower would become the nation’s tallest skyscraper—but we noticed its finances didn’t add up. “The probability of this particular building ever being built on that particular site seems…slim,” contributor Philip Berger wrote in our August 11, 2005, issue. Work began on its foundation in 2007, but the now-stalled project is still just a big hole in the ground and Bank of America is suing the developer over unpaid loans.
2. Funny at first
We have a knack for spotting funny guys. Such was the case with Hannibal Buress: The West Side native’s slow-building style of observational comedy earned him a slot on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2007, around the very same time we named Buress our Funniest Person in Chicago. By 2009, he was snapped up for a writing gig on SNL. Kumail Nanjiani also cut his teeth here, and we were recommending this guy every time he made a move since 2006. Nanjiani is now writing for The Colbert Report, is appearing on Michael and Michael Have Issues and sold a sitcom idea to NBC.
3. D.C.’s top chef
Before Barack Obama’s inauguration, local and national pubs ran stories postulating the chances of the Obamas’ favorite celeb chefs—Rick Bayless, Art Smith, Tony Mantuano—booking it to D.C. to become the first fam’s top toque. But we knew that the probability of a chef abandoning his empire to work in the White House was positively nil. Which is why in our January 15, 2009, issue, two weeks before the announcement was made, we suggested otherwise. “We’re going with the dark horse: Sam Kass,” wrote Heather Shouse. Let’s just say we knew the odds were in our favor.
4. We knew them when
Our best-of-2005 list predicted big things for Santigold, back when she was just plain ol’ Santi White, sporting a fauxhawk and fronting a Philly ska-punk band, Stiffed. The following year, the Gay & Lesbian section offered one of the first in-depth chats with Brooklyn choir boys Grizzly Bear. At the time, the latter chamber-pop darlings could only score “celebrity” endorsements for BearsGoneWild.com (not the animals). Now they’re in Volkswagen ads.
5. A walk on the farce side
Even though Issue 161 encompassed April 1, 2008, and even though we referenced April Fool’s Day on the cover, Crain’s Chicago Business somehow believed our over-the-top joke about Donald Trump taking over TOC and renaming it Trump On Chicago. From our new 11-star rating system (bestowed upon Trump International Hotel & Tower’s Sixteen restaurant, natch) to the debut of sex columnist Ivanka Trump, hilarity ensued. Plus, we managed to piss off David Schwimmer, James Lipton and an Orthodox Church official.
6. A hell of a firestorm at A Taste of Heaven
When a friend alerted us to some neighborhood controversy over a sign at Andersonville bakery A Taste of Heaven stating that CHILDREN OF ALL AGES HAVE TO BEHAVE AND USE THEIR INSIDE VOICES at the establishment, we sent a reporter to check out what we thought was an interesting piece of news for an issue in May 2005. Within a few months, the Tribune and then The New York Times caught wind of the story, followed by international print and broadcast reporters. People from around the globe inundated Taste of Heaven with both support and consternation for its perceived intolerance of kids who behave like kids. Whatever your opinion, you read it here first, folks.
7. Doing them Justice
Sometimes, we’re just in the right place at the right time. In 2006, then-Clubs editor John Dugan randomly wandered into a leather-jacketed DJ duo’s set at the Pawn Shop club in Miami. French DJ pair Justice were behind the turntables and while the club wasn’t packed, it was obvious something special was going on. Totally floored by the pair’s hard-hitting dance tracks, Dugan wrote about the night on TOC’s blog and in his Miami wrap-up print story. Shortly thereafter, he interviewed them for the Clubs section, landing what was to be the outfit’s first North American interview in print—in November 2006. Just a couple of years later, the duo has revolutionized dance music.
8. First bite
While most people were busy mourning the loss of Lovitt from 1466 North Ashland Avenue, TOC’s then Eat Out editor, Heather Shouse, was checking out that restaurant’s replacement. After her first visit, she came back to the office and reported that, somehow, the new restaurant was not only better than Lovitt, but one of the best restaurants in Chicago—and it played Atmosphere in the dining room. She was one of the first to say so in print, too (TOC 33, Oct 13, 2005). And so began the hype around a little restaurant named Schwa.
9. Judd before the storm
When we profiled Judd Apatow in May 2007, we started the article with this prediction: “By the end of this summer, Judd Apatow may be the most powerful man in American comedy.” By September, he had Knocked Up and Superbad in theaters. For better or for worse, you couldn’t have a conversation about film comedy without invoking his name.
MISSES
1. We’ve punned too far
Sometimes the desire for a clever pun ends in headline tragedy. One such incident occurred on the cover of our March 10, 2005, issue when, for some reason, we thought up what seemed like a solid cover line for a story on the Tour da Chicago alleycat bike race. The questionable pun, “Pedalphilia!” rightfully elicited a few disgusted readers’ responses. Our defense for the issue-two snafu: Forgive us, we were young!
2. Psych!
Curiosity got the better of us in our June 30, 2005, issue when we visited a medium who claimed he could communicate with dead loved ones. The act was impressive, right down to the “kinetic” drawing the medium handed over that was meant to portray “spirit guides” and deceased family members. Later, a reader pointed out that the picture was based on a famous portrait of the Russian royal family. Live and learn.
3. Not a whole Lolla love
Look, maybe we were just hyperexcited about a big rock fest finally hitting Grant Park. Because our local picks for the 2005 Lollapalooza now seem really off the mark. While not exactly Perry-Farrell’s-kids-watching-their-dad-sing-in-rhinestone-vests embarrassing, we do wish we could take back boasting that “the Redwalls have it in them to be hugely popular” and “the Changes [are] one of Chicago’s coolest bands evah.” Nevahmind.
4. Star alignment
In 2006, TOC went from not using a star-rating system for reviews to adopting our London counterpart’s six-star scale. While the new grading rubric provided a quick snapshot of an album, play or film’s merits, the scale probably confused more readers than it helped. Ads would quote us as giving movies “four stars”—fine, except that only meant “good.” In June 2009, we relented and switched to a five-star system—just like Amazon, and a little more in line with the four-star norm.
5. So sexy it hurts
Maybe it was the giant photo of a shiny, red dildo, or the raunchy question about anal sex, but Debby Herbenick’s first In & Out column in our premiere issue was too hot for some Chicagoans to handle. An unfortunate placement of an ad with a spread-eagled dude directly opposite the “Three Extra Inches” dildo didn’t help. We were temporarily yanked out of one chain of stores, stopped running photos with Debby’s column and started paying more attention to ad placements. As for Debby? Clearly, readers have warmed to her sexy ways.
6. The bread that broke us
The once-pathetic Chicago bread scene is still pretty much pathetic. But you’d never know that from reading a piece David Tamarkin wrote in February 2009. It was a profile of a terrific breadmaker named Rida Shahin. In that piece, he wrote that Shahin would open a bakery on Chicago Avenue later that week, and Tamarkin suggested that opening would spark a much-needed bread revolution in town. The bakery opened eight months later; we’re still waiting for the revolution.
7. When bad movies happen to good actors
Putting Chicago native John C. Reilly on our cover seemed like a no-brainer in December 2007. Reilly had done a lot of interesting work, he was in an upcoming film co-written by the then-golden-touched Judd Apatow, and the actor was even game to do a New Year’s Eve–themed photo for our cover. The only problem? We wish the interview hadn’t been tied to what turned out to be a pretty unmemorable film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
8. None of that jazzThe club scene tends to import trends from elsewhere and give them a Chicago twist. At the end of 2006, we noticed that London was embracing really detail-oriented throwback parties where hipsters donned Jazz Age fashion and music from the early 20th century was played. Surely, someone in Chicago could pull off something in 2007, we predicted. Alas, no. Though we did hear about a few grown-up mods spinning jazz at DJ bars in 2007, Chicago embraced more forward-looking trends—like dubstep—that year and built on its own club-rap genre.
9. Passed the mike
South Side MC Vi seemed to be poised for big things a few years ago. He had a great back story (he had given up gang life to go for the gold via Chicago hip-hop’s boom) so, as obscure as he was, we predicted he’d at least get a record deal (and we even put him on our January 11, 2007, cover). Although he hasn’t gotten huge—the music biz’s slide might have something to do with that—he hasn’t gone away, either. He’s been issuing singles of super-catchy, soul-infused Chicago-style hip-hop and videos via iTunes; working on his album; playing the occasional showcase in Hollywood; and landing tunes on Entourage and 90210. Hustle continues.
