Listen to the podcast here. On this week's edition of Smile Politely Radio, host Jason Brown sits down with Mathew Green, Katie Baldwin, and Rob Zaleski from the Station Theatre in Urbana. In the midst of the theater's 40th season, the director and crew are preparing for the opening of their next show, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and take time out to discuss the Station's history, the upcoming performance, and the joys and troubles of putting on quality shows without a …
Download this week's podcast here. On this week's edition of Smile Politely Radio, we are joined by SP Music Editor Ben Valocchi to talk about the year that was in C-U music. In this extra long edition of the show, we are visited in the studio by local bands Mean Lids and Easter. All the while, we play SP's top ten songs of 2011 and lots of others that didn't quite make the list. Plus, we debate why certain genres …
Download/listen to this week's podcast here. As mentioned in Chris's article, long-time keepers of the scene and one of the last bastions for indie music shoppers, Parasol Records will be suspending its mail order business and brick & mortar record store operations as of this Saturday, December 17. Last Friday, we had a chance to recollect all the good times and talk about the future of the label side of the business(which will still be going strong) with Jim Kelly, …
Skip to Yahoo! WebPlayer Download this week's episode here. This week on Smile Politely Radio, we talk to authors Josh Wild, Laura Adamczyk and Caleb Curtiss about the last Stories & Beer of 2011. Listen to hear an excellent original holiday tale centered around Goodfellas, the joys (or pains) of televangelists being the only thing on late-night television, and a poem about Christ taking a holiday from Christmas. Plus, poet Josh Wild shares a very non-Christmas poem, just in time …
Download or listen to this week's episode here. This was Chris Willis' first year covering Illini Football for Smile Politely, so we talk to him about the experience. He discusses what it's like to listen to the press box announcer coldly call the game's action and how impressed he was with the players' media skills. Plus, we go in depth on the season that was, from the mighty highs of the 6–0 start to the dark days toward the end …
Download this week's podcast here. On this episode of Smile Politely Radio, we welcome Midstress, the local punk rock group formerly known as the Fresh Kills. We talk about the group’s brand new album, Growing Up is Getting Old, which will officially be released on December 6. Also, we touch on the brand new C-U Collective, which some of the band's members are heavily involved with. Plus there is the band’s sterling live reputation, their upcoming Japan benefit show with …
Download this week's podcast here. On this podcast, we welcome Mark Taylor, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois. He is the faculty project manager of the University’s Solar Decathlon project, and has done extensive work around the world on innovative, sustainable, and affordable architecture and construction. His most recent projects have involved designing and building projects in Haiti. He joins us to talk about his work with students in the Solar Decathlon, how working in Haiti has …
Urbana city council members unanimously approved a special permit to allow the construction of a 5 ½ -story building to be used for commercial and residential purposes on West Oregon Street and West Nevada Street. Illinois Properties, LLC proposed the development, which would be at 1108 W. Nevada St. and 1105 and 1107 W. Oregon St., south of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The building would consist of two levels of parking, one on the ground floor and the other …
Download this week's episode here. On this edition of SP Radio, we take a look at Smile Politely and its role in the local media landscape. The impetus for this conversation was the recent article the site published on Calvin Miller, which drew a lot of local attention and commentary.* Many of Miller's accounts in that article have been discredited by the recent release of the police video, but does that mean we should not have published it and that …
Download this week's podcast here. On this week's Smile Politely Radio, we're joined by Land of Lincoln legend and lore author Michael Kleen. Mr. Kleen is the owner of Black Oak Media, and has contributed writings to a number of print and online media. Ha also maintains and writes for TrueIllinoisHaunts.com, a site solely devoted to the legends and lore of Illinois. He just wrapped up a book tour of Central Illinois for his latest work, Haunted Illinois: A Tourist's …
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Thank you for discussing Ron Paul’s “successors” - the future of the freedom movement. The movement didn’t begin with Dr. Paul, nor will it end with his exit from the political scene. How many future political leaders were in that audience of nearly 5,000 last night?
I went to the Ron Paul event last night. There was alot of energy & the audience responded to Ron Paul’s ideas which surprised me. I didn’t think most people would be aware of NDAA. Another person, who was there last night, observed that quite a few…
A really well researched article. Great job!
I love the Guitars
Hi my name is Harry Huffman, professional speaker…. keynote humorist and above all story teller. I have also been a ballroom dancer, competitor and instructor over 45 years.I’m looking to get on the story telling circuit or radio. Can you give me some advice. Thank you. My web site http://www.speakdance.com
Man, I cannot wait for these four records to be released by Parasol/Hidden Agenda - seriously great music for them to be working with. Thanks for letting me hang out in the studio and see you at the party…
Rob, I’m slightly confused about the media player you are referring to.
I’ve looked at this page with two different browsers, and four different operating systems. I’ve decided that the embedded media player is just plain busted.
$100K for a toy house? No wonder my taxes are killing me. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/solar-decathlons-rainy-start_594112.html
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Most Recent Comments
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
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What a great job by all the volunteers! This event was really put together fast, and well. What I noticed about the crowd was how many old faces I saw despite occurring on a college campus. I talked to quite a few, including students, who assured me…