SPlog

I ate lunch at Sakanaya today, with the delicious ramen and sushi items they have, as always. I spoke with Jin Park, the owner, about some of their new menu items that are coming around …

In November, there was some information circulating that speculated that Summer Camp Music Festival would be moving to Danville from their long-time stand Chillicothe’s Three Sisters Park. Today, however, we have confirmation that this is not …

Earlier this year, Veriflow Systems — mostly based here in Champaign-Urbana from the beginning — announced their Series A round of $8.2M.  Today, they have announced they’re setting up shop in Downtown Champaign’s One Main …

While there isn’t anything posted on their website, officially — it seems as though there are major hints that Tom Petty’s 40th Anniversary Tour will hit Champaign’s State Farm Center on May 10th per a …

Though the date for the stop in Champaign hasn’t been announced yet, the Chicago Cubs will bring their trophy on tour — and hit C-U at some point soon. Check out the press release: Chicago …

Local hip-hop collective Rogue Tendency have put out their first official release. Called RTep, the EP is an apt representation of the versatility of the group, who excel in using their individual experiences to create …

For the visually inclined, Kessler Optical on Main St. in Downtown Champaign will be hosting a day of patient appreciation this Saturday, featuring some special frame lines, one-on-one consultations and light refreshments. From Kessler Optical …

Before graduation in May, there is a strong chance you’ll be able to finally get your Chicago-style food fix here in Champaign.  Opening at the old Home Town Buffet space — they will raze the …

I had the pleasure of stopping by Hamilton Walker’s tonight for a little preview, and was impressed. The restaurant is beautiful. But perhaps more importantly, I had the opportunity to snap some photos of the …

To kick off 2017 with some fun, Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County is hosting a fundraiser in collaboration with C-U Adventures in Time and Space which features a plethora of escape-room style collaborative living …

Remember that bullshit non-compete document that Jimmy John’s — headquartered here in C-U — was making minimum wage employees sign? Well, thanks to the Illinois Attourney General, it is officially bullshit to enforce said bullshit. …

For those of you who own or work at a Downtown Champaign or Campustown business, the City of Champaign has issued a reminder about snow removal for you, and that is: owners are responsible for …

It’s been a literary and dramatic trend for over a decade now to delve into the backstory of famous villains, exploring what may have created their poor attitudes and “evil” actions. WIth the success of Wicked, …

Pinball is popping up all around CU and this website can give you the locations of all of the machines in town. It is a user maintained website so you can add to it or …

The third annual CSA fair will take place on Friday, March 3rd, from 4 to 7 p.m. at hte Urbana Civic Center.  Hosted by Urbana’s Market at the Square and The Land Connection, this fair …

Braid frontman Bob Nanna tweets photos #thisdayin basically on the daily, and I stumbled across this one today. Pretty neat, 20 years ago, this rock show at Channing-Murray in Urbana happened, and the band is …

Are you a musician? Have you ever been interested in starting up a band with a bunch of random people that you’ve never met before? Maybe you haven’t, but it still sounds like fun, right? …

If you read SP Music or make your way out to any local hip-hop shows, you’ve probably heard of CJ Run, and their album Listen to the Kids, which wowed us in May. Today, courtesy of …

Students at the University of Illinois’ College of Media have partnered with Illinois Public Media to show their eight-part documentary series, Black Science Matters, which focuses on the U of I’s history of people of color …

Illinois vs. IUPUI 7 p.m. TV: None (ESPN3 stream) After beating NC State decisively and putting forth its best defensive performance of the year against VCU, Illinois is starting to look the basketball team fans …

I actually appreciate the local GOP. As far as it goes, what with their standard bearer being an outspoken petulant bigot who is set to lead us into a bowl of shit cereal over the …

Papa Del’s is the latest restaurant to jump on the beer dinner bandwagon. At 6 p.m. on December 15th, the very popular pizza joint will host Two Brothers Brewing for a five-course pizza and beer …

What’s a wine duel, you ask? Imagine a football game, but instead of watching people try to beat one another into a concussion-induced state, you will experience two wine masters facing off to try to …

Though Cafe Kopi has been running for over 20 years, the building it occupies was erected c. 1910. These old structures are generally musty and inefficient, but they can hold some curious secrets. There’s the …

The fine folks at Visit Champaign County have announced the inaugural installment of Champaign County Area’s Restaurant Week, taking place January 29-February 5, 2017. This comes after Urbana and Champaign previously had their own respective …

Illinois vs. VCU 2 p.m., in Miami, Fla. TV: CBS Sports Network With just five games left in the nonconference season, Illinois (5-3) has work left to do in order to stay within striking distance …

From the press release: We would like to invite the community to participate in the local efforts that continue to build the bridges in our community. All Faiths are welcome to participate.  “The ultimate measure …

The good folks over at Champaign’s Willard Airport have just unveiled their newest fire-fighting apparatus inside the Flightstar hangar, and it’s pretty damn cool. If you’ve ever wondered how one would put out an airplane …

Common Ground Food Co-op has announced a slew of holiday programs, kicking off next Sunday, December 11th, with a DIY Holiday Gifts + Co-op explorers event. The event will run from 1-4 pm, and tickets …

The University of Illinois’ Japan House, located just south of Florida on Lincoln Avenue in Urbana, will be hosting their third annual holiday bazaar called “Mottainai” next weekend. Japan House is seeking donations of household …

If you’ve spent any time in Central Illinois at all ever, you’ve certainly noticed a barn – an integral part to any functioning farmland. Given mostly that these structures are a passing forgettable landmark to …

Three renowned harpists will be in town tomorrow and performing at the Upper Bout in downtownish Champaign. (The old JBJ Center, you know, the all-brick strip mall with an El Toro in it?)  If you …

Innovation Celebration 2017 is taking place Friday, March 3rd of 2017, though there’s still time to nominate someone for an INNCEL award. Check out all the information below, though the deadline is next Friday, December …

Back in early August, local punk outfit La Louve were getting ready to go on hiatus before their drummer left for Paris. As a last hurrah, they completely tore it up with a final show …

If you haven’t been to Allerton Park in the Winter time, I would highly recommend it, especially after the show has fallen. Today, the park has announced a lighted wellness walk to accompany a slew …

The 26th Annual Great Cover Up is back in 2017: the local-bands-covering-their-icons celebration takes place January 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 2017. Yep, 6 nights of this madness — and tickets are on sale …

This Friday and Saturday, December 2nd & 3rd, brings the senior BFA Exhibition. At 7 p.m. in KCPA’s Dance Rehearsal Room, six seniors will be showing their body of work to a public audience, for …

Photo by Christian Haahs. Experimental hip-hop artist and genre-straddler Frank Leone has released a “surprise” instrumental album, entitled MANSION OF FANG. The somewhat impromptu album was recorded swiftly, which is an impressive feat, given that …

Although Caribbean Grill‘s food truck will be hibernating for the winter, Christmas, as they say, has come early. CG’s popular Soul Food Sundays (previously only in February), will happen the following Sundays in December and January: …

A recent New York Times Travel section article about David Foster Wallace mentions Champaign-Urbana and the ways in which this particular part of the Midwest influenced the writer’s work. In the article, author Lynn Freehill-Maye roadtripped …

As many of you know, Christmas falls on Sunday this year, which means that Christmas Eve is a prime day to have brunch. Luckily, Downtown Champaign’s Big Grove Tavern has you covered, with their well-known …

If you’re at all concerned about the future of our planet, and more immediately, the future of our surrounding areas, it would probably be good to learn a bit about climate change, one of the …

lllinois vs. NC State 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU If the Illini are thankful for anything, it’s getting away from the NIT Season Tip-Off. After dropping three games in the tournament last week, Illinois looks a lot …

II-VI EpiWorks (fka simply EpiWorks) has recently undergone a major acquisition over the course of the past year, and are clearly one of the best success stories in Champaign-Urbana tech as of late. The work …

From the press release: The Land Connection Joins the Global #GivingTuesday Movement Pledges to combat food insecurity in Champaign-Urbana and Central Illinois by supporting local farmers and making local food more accessible to all. Champaign, …

Although Maize‘s additional location in Downtown Champaign hasn’t yet opened, that doesn’t mean you can’t book a party there. Per a recent announcement, you can reserve their space at the Station — which hosts the …

If you’re familiar with unique holiday traditions, you have probably heard of madrigal singers, the extracurricular activity in high school that focuses on seasonal songs and medieval culture. Champaign Central High School is no exception to …

For those of you who like a bit of dark comedy, Downtown Champaign’s Virginia Theatre will be screening a collection of films from directors Joel and Ethan Cohen For info, showtimes and ticket information, check …