XMAS stuff

3 25-word Reviews

The Impossible

McGregor and Watts give extraordinary performances alongside wonderful newcomer Holland. Bayona directs with fierce suspense. The compelling story and visual spectacle are a winning combination. 

4/5 Stars.

This Is 40

Rudd and Mann are not funny or charming enough to keep this repetitive, uninsightful script afloat. Apatow’s focus and story meander to an unfulfilling end. 

2.5/5 Stars.

m. henrietta’s veritable vegan epiphany

Awesomely seasoned scrambled organic tofu with sautéed onions served next to passable veggie sausage and thinly sliced avocado. A completely satisfying and richly flavored dish.

Christmas Catch-Up

So I am working my way towards vegan, guys. It’s going to be a process. I thought I could just decide and do an all plant-based diet overnight, but alas that did not work. I have to do some more research on options, substitutes, and vegan-friendly establishments. I am excited for this venture. I had an amazing vegan peanut butter cookie and m. henrietta which just furthered my resolve to make the transition. The most difficult everyday item to give up will be eggs (or possibly that sneaky milk I don’t realize is in just about everything. But I love having a good cheese every once in a while too so that will be a hard commodity to relinquish.

In other news… we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS in Chicago. Trent and I walked around our neighborhood with our pink wine and champagne concoction. The air was crisp, the dusting fluffy, and the streets practically deserted. It was really nice. For Christmas dinner Trent made a veggie sausage and cream cheese stuffing (inside crescent rolls) and I made two of the Beekman Boys' recipes (maple glazed sweet potatoes and glazed carrots with pine nuts and golden raisins) for our sides. We also had an aromatic mulled wine which was infused with brandy, an orange, honey, cloves, and ginger. Delicious.

I got Ed Sheeran’s album “+” for Christmas and gifted Ellie Goulding’s “Halcyon.” They are two of my favorite musicians from 2012. After I give the albums a few listens, I’ll write some thoughts on them and artists’ contribution to the post-retro British invasion. Also, I’ll post my Chicago Stage Standard review of Trap Door’s The Unveiling and Dozens of Cousins later this week when it’s live on their website.

I am going to attempt to escape the post-Christmas blues with movies (Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Rust and Bone, Anna Karenina, etc), vegan delights, new projects (Pride Films & Plays’ enhanced staged reading of "The Bachelors"), and New Year’s shenanigans planning.

What’re ya’ll up to? 

BAATHHAUS

Since moving to Chicago on August 1^st, 2011, I have been anticipating my chance to see BAATHHAUS (a queer-electronic-fuck band fka DAAN) perform. They became well known in Chicago’s queer-scene due to their hypersexual performance art; last night, “the night before the apocalypse,” I got to experience why they have achieved underground cred at Salonathon’s You’re Gonna Die: A Holiday Fantasia at Metro. 

Photo Credit: John Sturdy

The quartet that comprises BAATHHAUS provides all the vocals and instrumentation for their sets. They seamlessly weave from theatrical singing to spitting rhymes while executing provocative and interpretive choreography. The multidisciplinary artists take turns being front and center, but are most effective when collectively jamming out with high-energy abandon. The most notable solo moment came at the end of “I Like Boys,” in which Patrick Andrews explicitly raps with raw pleasure about how he desires his men to behave in bed which he finalizes with an innocent, cutesy curtsey. All four members began the set with unsettling neutral masks topped with Santa-hats which they one-at-a-time removed, crumpled, and tossed into the audience. Apart from unwrapping gifts which consisted of musical instruments and glitter guns, the performance was more straightforward than I anticipated. Their performances of "All I Got" and "Cave Song" were flavored with all the expected overt sexuality and the finale brought the anticipated spluttering of blood from the bandmates' mouths. 

BAATHHAUS is fully engaged from beginning to end and thus is inescapably mesmerizing. Their performance ranges from cheeky humor to brass sensuality and is always unapologetically and fiercely queer. But all nitpicking  aside, the band puts on an awesome show. I had a fucking blast. There were songs when I couldn’t stop watching them… other times I had to dance…and at other times I just had to grind against my boyfriend. BAATHHAUS put on an inspired show and spread queer cheer for the holidays.

Photo Credit: Vern Hestor

check out their music at: https://soundcloud.com/baathhaus

and here's their website: http://baathhaus.com/