Time Out Chicago has been showcasing Chicago’s best rooftops and tonight, Epic Sky is on the agenda. Tickets are only $25 and include drinks, light food, great people and the wonderful view.

Click Here For Tickets
Tonight 7/27
7pm to 9pm
Epic Sky
112 W. Hubbard St. [google map]

If you’re a fan of good beer, good whiskey, and good food without the chaos of overcrowded bars, then the Bar on Buena is the place for you. Located a few blocks north of the Sheridan Red Line stop, the Bar on Buena is known for their eclectic beer selection and their wide array of whiskeys. Starting tonight, July 23rd, the Bar on Buena is hosting its annual Laugunitas Fest. The fest will feature new, and rare, brews and brands, along with food and live music. The fest will be going on all weekend, so there’s plenty of time to stop by and check it out!

The Bar on Buena
910 West Buena Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613-1614
(773) 525-8665

(DOWNERS GROVE, IL) – The Seventeenth Annual Barkapalooza, a fundraiser for the West Suburban Humane Society, will take place on Sunday, September 26, 2010, from 10am to 2pm at Patriot Park at 55th Street and Grand in Downers Grove, Illinois. This dog-friendly event allows pet owners, prospective pet adopters and all-around pet lovers to raise money for homeless pets through a Dog Walkathon. Participants are encouraged to collect pledges for the walk, and all proceeds will support the West Suburban Humane Society.
 
Visitors may also explore the Pet Expo, where a group of pet-focused vendors such as the K9 Cookie Company, The Happy Dog Barkery, Mark Pastor Photography, Belle Aire Kennels and Fabien’s Paw Station and others will be featured along with breed specific rescue groups. Owners may also have pets micro chipped for a discounted rate of only $35. A blessing for the animals will be given at 10am to kickoff the event, and the Frisbee Sky Dog Team will also do a demonstration. For the kids, there will be clowns, face painting and balloon sculptures, all free of charge, along with a “Kids and Kindness Zone”.
 
Once again, each participant in the Dog Walkathon can create their own Barkapalooza fundraising web page by logging on to www.firstgiving.com/wshs. When walkers set up their page through Firstgiving.com, they will be entered into a Split-the-Pot Raffle drawing.  For every $100 of donations received, another entry for them will be placed in the drawing.  The winner of the raffle is guaranteed a minimum $1,000 prize.
 
Visitors to Barkapalooza can enjoy a day of food, fun, music, and even receive a free goody bag for their pet.  Local restaurant, Chics and Salsa, will vend burritos, guacamole, chips and salsa, along with other food purveyors.  Registration is $10 per adult, and children 12 and under are free. Walkers with $100 or more in collected pledges will have their registration fee waived.  For more information on Barkapalooza, please visit www.barkapalooza.org.
 
About the West Suburban Humane Society
Founded in 1972 as a lost and found referral service, the volunteer based West Suburban Humane Society, located at 1901 West Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove, Illinois, is dedicated to operating an animal shelter for the purpose of finding safe, permanent, compatible homes through the adoption of domestic dogs and cats. Servicing the six counties of DuPage, Will, Cook, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry, the WSHS believes in educating the community on humane and responsible dog and cat care as a means of ending the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable companion animals, as well as controlling pet overpopulation by spaying and neutering all animals in their care and encouraging pet owners to do the same.  The WSHS works for animal advocacy, care and education through fundraising.  For more information about the West Suburban Humane Society or to donate, please call 630-960-9600 or visit www.wshs-dg.org .

The Smashing Pumpkins will perform a benefit concert next Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago’s Metro to raise money for medical care for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Medina Lake.  Tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon and the information is below.

Last month, Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband.  Matthew had left twin brother Nathan’s Chicago apartment to meet a friend at a bar a few blocks away when he walked past the man beating his wife on the 1300th block of Ohio St. Even though the attacker was twice his size, Matthew immediately intervened and managed to subdue the attacker but as he waited for police to arrive, the attacker suddenly turned on Matthew, beating him severely.  He then walked away with his wife, leaving Matthew unconscious on the street.  Matthew was taken to UIC Hospital for emergency brain surgery wherein a third of his skull was removed to alleviate swelling.  He’s currently in stable condition awaiting an additional brain surgery to reapply the removed portion of his skull.  Alleged suspect Justin Pivec is currently charged with Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Harm and out on bail pending a forthcoming hearing.  As a musician, Matthew spends most of his life on tour and unfortunately his medical insurance had lapsed just two months prior to the incident.   Friends of the band and the Chicago music community are rallying to help provide for Matthew’s medical needs.

There will be a raffle for tickets.  Individuals can enter the raffle as many times as they wish for $10 each entry.  A majority of the venue will be sold to raffle winners.  Each winner will receive two tickets to the concert.  Tickets are not transferable and winners must show ID matching their raffle entry.  Raffle tickets will be available for sale through Metro website only beginning Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com. The raffle will end at 2pm on Saturday July 24, 2010, and winners will be notified via email at 5pm on Saturday July 24, 2010.

There will also be a very limited amount of balcony VIP tickets put onsale for those fans who want to make a larger donation and ensure entry into this special event for $100 each.  Balcony VIP tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon.

Additionally, a limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each.  The soundcheck VIP event (approximately 30 minutes), set for the late afternoon, includes a meet and greet/photo with the Pumpkins and merchandise items, plus a seat at a table in the balcony for the show; this package is priced at $500 per person.  Soundcheck VIP tickets will be available Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com.

All proceeds from the raffle and concert will go to the Matthew Leone Fund at Sweet Relief. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.  For more information on Sweet Relief, visit http://www.sweetrelief.org.

Metro is the club where, on October 5, 1988, the Pumpkins truly landed on the musical map. They also chose the venue for a farewell concert on December 2, 2000, a four-hour-long show that featured 38 songs spanning the group’s career at that time.  The Pumpkins have a long history of supporting other Chicago musicians.

“Matthew and I have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and support during this impossible time. It has proved that there are far more amazing people in the world than any other kind and we’re grateful beyond words,” said Nathan Leone, Matthew’s twin brother and Madina Lake bandmate. “Being among the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fans in the world, we still haven’t processed the fact that they are contributing in such an unprecedented way.  Not only is this going to be a monumental event in our lives but more importantly it’s a massive statement against domestic violence, violence against women and violence in general.”

Tuesday, July 27:                                    ON SALE WEDNESDAY 7/21 @ NOON:

Q101 Welcomes…

A Benefit For Matthew Leone…

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS * KILL HANNAH

$10 raffle entry, $100 Balcony VIP tickets, $500 Soundcheck VIP Tickets / All Ages / Doors: 6:30PM /Show: 8PM

TICKETS:
All tickets will go on sale Wednesday, July 21 at noon at the Metro website, http://www.metrochicago.com.

Raffle Tickets – Raffle tickets are $10 per entry and you can purchase as many entries as you wish, but you can only win one pair of tickets.  Raffle ticket sales end at 2pm on Saturday July 24 and winners will be notified via email on Saturday July 24 at 5pm.  Tickets to the event are not guaranteed with the purchase of a raffle ticket.  Winning tickets will be redeemed the night of the show and the winner must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to claim winning tickets.  All tickets are non-transferable.

Balcony VIP Tickets – A limited amount of balcony VIP tickets will be available for $100 each.   There is a limit of 2 balcony VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled.  Balcony VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the night of the show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets.  You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.

Soundcheck VIP Tickets – A limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each. There is a limit of 2 soundcheck VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled.  Soundcheck VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the afternoon of soundcheck show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets.  You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.

Thank you to my coworker for taking these

I have to admit that I have never been on a pub crawl.  I know.  I’ve been missing out.  But this one may get me to come out of my shell!  Check it out:

The most anticipated event of the Summer is BACK…..BIGGER and BETTER than ever before. What started 8 years ago as a smaller chaotic pub crawl in Roscoe Village, has evolved into the biggest rock-star Pub Crawl in all of Chicago. Join us for a the biggest most fun celebration in wrigleyville short of the cubs winning the world series. Music, drinking, prizes, 80’s costume contest, beer gardens and more will fill the day.

What: $10 entry fee gets you an official Back to the Pub Crawl T-shirt, 22oz cup, slap bracelet, beads, plenty of beer, drink, food, and shot specials, and performances by 2 Live Bands, Mer and Red Pop Fury. There will be a raffle with plenty of great prizes, beer pong and flippy cup tournaments, and plenty more entertainment along the way.

Visit crawlchicago.com for more info

Join Drinks Over Dearborn for a wonderfully fun wine tasting through Italy, right in your own backyard! Italian wine guide Filippo Bartolotta will guide you through 12 different gorgeous wines from his home country, with some fabulous food items thrown in to make it a night you will not soon forget!

They will be tasting:

Lunelli Ferrari Brut
Super Tuscan Grattamacco
Collemassari Lombroso
Tenute San Leonardo (the Sassicaia of the North…)
Cepparello Isole e Olena
Amarone Latium
Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco
Meletti Cavallari
Brunello Terre al Sole
Barolo Revello
Vernaccia Cusona
Chianti Classico La Porta di Vertine
Prosciutto di Parma ham
Balsamic Vinegar from Modena

No special passes or Groupons will be accepted for this exclusive event.

Please call to check availability of tickets as I know this is a very last-minute post (SORRY!!)

From 6:30 to 8:30
Tickets are $50 at the door
(312) 337-WINE (9463)
650 N. Dearborn (at Erie)
http://www.drinksoverdearborn.com/

Time Out Chicago’s Dining and Libation Society presents Butcher Block and
Brew at The Bristol (2152 N Damen Avenue) on Thursday, February 25th at
6:30pm. Complete with a nine course meal and beer pairings by Goose
Island, guests will also experience a tutorial on the butchering process
led by Chef Chris Pandel. Tickets are $95. More information:
http://www.dlschicago.com/

ESPN ZONE HOSTS OFFICIAL VIEWING PARTY FOR LOCAL OLYMPIAN SHANI DAVIS
Coaches, colleagues and friends gather to cheer on Chicago speed skating star

ESPN Zone will host a watch party for Chicago product Shani Davis on Wednesday, February 17, as he competes in the 1,000-meter speed skating race at 6 p.m. The 27-year-old is scheduled to compete in four races in Vancouver, and is favored to win the 1,000m and 1,500m.

Shani’s former coach and legend in the sport, Sanders “Sam” Hicks, will be in attendance, along with current Evanston Speed Skating Club (ESSC) coach Jim Nubani. Hicks founded ESSC in 1966 and is a member of the National Speed Skating Hall of Fame. Both coaches will be available for media interviews and will be joined by dozens of Davis’ supporters from the ESSC and Chicagoland.

Davis, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, won gold in the 1,000m and silver in the 1,500m in the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino and is the current World Record holder in both categories. Davis took up speed skating at just six years old when his mother enrolled him at the ESSC.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
5:30 p.m.

ESPN Zone (Corner of Ohio & Wabash)
43 E. Ohio St. [google map]
Chicago, IL 60611