SPlog

From The Art Theater’s press release: Urbana, IL—One week after its re-opening as the first cooperatively-owned art-house cinema in the country, the Art Theater Co-op is showing its commitment to acclaimed, cutting-edge cinema. From September …

If you passed by Washington and Neil yesterday, you saw that the iconic Art Deco neon sign that played host to three different permutations of Carmon’s had been removed.  There was good reason for it. …

Gibson City’s Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Theater has started a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise enough money to purchase two digital movie projectors fundamental in the theater’s operation in 2013. Beginning next year, 35mm film will …

Chris Adrian, a social studies teacher at Jefferson Middle School, has been named a finalist for the Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher of the Year Award. Just being one of the 200+ teachers nominated …

Join the annual Corkscrew Gala Wine Tasting next Friday (that’s one week from today), September 14, from 5:30–8:30 p.m., for samples of more than 200 different wines from 35 select vendors around the world. Proceeds …

From the Food and Water Watch Kickoff Meeting Press Release: Do you have a right to know what’s in your food? Our answer is yes. At Food and Water Watch, we’re launching the “Let Me …

Today on SP Radio: Music is much more than sound — there’s the visual aspect as well. That’s the inspiration behind artist Jason Michael Bentley’s upcoming exhibition, “To Hear and to See: Expressions of Local …

From the press release (with added links from yours truly): S. Bear Bergman will be a Unit One/Allen Hall Guest-in-Residence, Sept. 9–13. S. Bear Bergman is an author, theater artist, storyteller, and lecturer on gender, …

Shahid Khan, the self-made billionaire and owner of Flex-n-Gate is about to take on his biggest challenge yet: taking the least popular NFL franchise, which has been hemorrhaging money for years, and turning it into …

From WEFT press release: On Sunday, September 23, singer-songwriter Michael Kammin, Corstalkers Cajun Band featuring Tom and Matt Turino and friends, and the local blues band, The Painkillers will perform for WEFT-FEST 2012, live from …

The 2012 FACET Art Show & Concert will happen on Thursday, September 6th, at the indi go Artist Co-Op, with the opening reception at 6:00 p.m. and the concert beginning at 7:00 p.m. FACET came …

Please join us for our kickoff party for the new chapter of Green Drinks Champaign County! Green Drinks is a monthly get-together for people who work in, or are interested in, the environmental field. Everyone …

Two student groups are hosting a free screening of Jay Rosenstein’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentary The Lord is Not On Trial Here Today at the Art Theater on Sept. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Rosenstein’s …

A surprise visitor for the Western Michigan game: The biggest, and probably wealthiest guy in the press box was NBA rookie Meyers Leonard.

Highly-touted point guard Demetrius Jackson, from suburban South Bend [sic], made an official visit to Illinois this weekend, and had the attention of the entire coaching staff.

On tonight’s episode of Smile Politely Radio, we will be joined by the Art Theater co-op’s new General Manager, Austin McCann, plus a TBD board member. The Theater announced just this week that the co-op …

The upcoming installment of Prairie Fruit Farm’s “Dinner on the Farm” is set to feature local favorite Black Dog Smoke and Ale House, as well as purveyors of delicious micro brews from Minnesota, Summit Brewery. …

Tonight we should be able to see our first Blue Moon since 2009. Moonrise is at 7:11 p.m., and clouds from Isaac aren’t supposed to begin forming until 8:00. “They” say that the Blue Moon …

The new era is starting to look a little clearer for Illinois basketball under John Groce, or at least we can see what we have in store. The 2012-2013 schedule was released today. Home games …

Some minor changes to the schedule today from the original schedule: Psychic Twin moves over to open for Sleigh Bells where it was previously TBD. My Werewolf Diary and Elsinore will take the spot where Psychic …

From a press release (read the full release here — pdf):  HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CHAMPAIGN MOVIE THEATER WILL LIVE ON AS FILM CO-OP The Art Theater Co-op reaches its $100,000 start-up goal and hires inaugural GM Champaign, …

At 8:30 p.m. on September 6th, students will run in their underwear and costumes from Frat Park, down Green Street, to Foellinger Auditorium on the Quad. http://www.facebook.com/events/402510963147592/ The run costs $5 and all proceeds go …

If you haven’t seen Sherman Alexie speak in person, you really can’t afford to miss this.

H/T to reader Kirsten: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/in-champaign-urbana-illinois-89-of-those-arrested-for-jaywalking-are-black/261522/ If you prefer to cut The Atlantic out of the equation, here’s the link to the ViveLoHoy article:  http://www.vivelohoy.com/noticias/8121347/arrest-disparities-for-black-people-in-champaign-urbana If you want to read some (now outdated) analysis of C-U …

The American Cheese Society awarded Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery of Champaign with a first-place award this month for their Black Sheep cheese in the category of soft-ripened cheeses made of sheep’s or mixed milk. …

We’ve extensively covered the Crave Truck over the last two years; some may argue a disproportionate amount considering it was just a waffle truck. But hey, it was a cool project by a high schooler. …

There are a few interesting, heavy rock bands making noise in Peoria these days. The scene that birthed hardcore group Planes Mistaken for Stars seemed to largely disintegrate when the band, and other fellow musicians …

Today on SP Radio, we’ll be talking to Kevin Bowersox-Johnson from the UP Center of Champaign County about CU Pride Fest 2012. The festival, which takes place in just two short weeks on Saturday, September …

Ramon Williams, Isaac Chew and now Lon Record. Illini Basketball named Mike Basgier its new Strength & Conditioning Coach today.  Record, the Villanova S & O coach for the past five years, was announced on …

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Puddle of Mudd concert at the Canopy Club has been canceled: Refunds will be available at point of purchase. Tickets purchased online or by phone via E-Tix will be automatically …

When you get the chance to help out a local community radio station AND support Crisis Nursery, isn’t that considered killing two birds with one stone? Even though we’re nearing September, WEFT is doing their …

It’s the last farm open house of the summer season at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery. If you haven’t seen the baby goats this year, they’re growing up fast. If you don’t want to see …

Small drive-ins like Harvest Moon aren’t getting funds from studios to ease the burden of transitioning to digital. With the cost of conversion running around $120,000, Harvest Moon has launched a campaign on Kickstarter…  

If you are a jazz solo act or part of a small combo, the Urbana Park District may have a gig for you. Jazz Walk, an annual event for the past seven years, is free …

Personally, I concur. Wholeheartedly. Read here (but you have to subscribe).

From the event page: In the spirit of bringing communities together the 2012 Sweet Corn Festival, in collaboration with the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, the University of Illinois Office of Public Engagement, …

Sun Singer Wine and Spirits will host Michael Adelsheim tonight from 5 – 7 p.m. for a complimentary wine tasting from their family-owned winery and vineyards in northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. Go to Sun Singer’s website …

·         “Champaign cleanup of Aug. 9 storm to last through end of month” (N-G) ·         “New Technology Focus of Agronomy Day” (WILL) ·         “Fake Postal Money Order Scams Hit Central Illinois” (WAND) ·         “SJO school …

On September 8, 2012, the UP Center of Champaign County will host C-U’s third annual Pride Festival. The UP Center’s Robert Michael Doyle recently proposed a proclamation to the Champaign County board, asking them to …

Champaign-Urbana’s longest-running weekly Irish music session will resume on Wednesday evenings beginning August 8, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Dublin O’Neil’s in Champaign. Jake Schumacher, who leads the session, said We want to thank …

This evening on Smile Politely Radio, members of the Electric Bitters join us on the eve of a benefit concert for Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. Electric Bitters are one of three bands playing (The Curses …

Badass: Illini Will Host Washington at the Home of the Chicago Bears on Sept. 14, 2013 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced that the Fighting Illini will play the …

On August 16, from 4 – 9 p.m., Buvons will host Punchy’s Ceviche Pop-up. “Punchy,” otherwise known as Leslie Bettridge, created the menu below. Cost will be between $4 to $10 per item, and of course, …

Sad news from one of the best restaurants in town via their Facebook page today: We regret to inform the public of such terrible news, but as of August 26th, we will be closing. It …

Today on SP Radio we’ll be talking with local band Coed Pageant. The band is releasing their  Sundry Summer EP this weekend. The EP is the third in their four part seasons series that kicked …

Yesterday, First Amendment champions from all over the county converged upon the Illini Union to show their support for chicken purveyors Chick-fil-A, a company which has been both praised and maligned for its COO, Dan …

Orange Krush, the student support group of the Fighting Illini basketball team, has earned national acclaim for its work as a charity foundation. Each fall, Orange Krush distributes the money it raised from the previous …