Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

With The Canopy Club hosting Central Illinois Metal Fest this weekend, don't be surprised if you see a couple of folks walking in town that don't seem too familiar with their surroundings. That is probably because they have flown half-way around the world to be here.

The CIMF has quietly grown into one of the most prominent music festivals in the world within a certain sub-section of the population. Headliners include bands like Monstrosity from Florida, Misery Index from Maryland and Incantation from Pennsylvania. They will be supported by bands from across the globe including Amagortis from Switzerland, Nominon from Sweden and Holocausto Canibal from Portugal.

Founder of the festival Matt Bishop says there are, "40 bands from seven different countries this year." The festival, now in year number seven, first began modestly at the Knights of Columbus in 1998 and ran it there until 2000. After a two year hiatus, Bishop brought it back in 2002 to The Canopy Club and has never looked back. Attendance is projected to double this year — which has seen a two day festival become three days.

A limited amount of tickets will still be available at the door all weekend.

So, with all this Metal being kicked out this weekend in our own backyard, we ask you:

Who ripped the most wicked Metal album of all time?

You can't always get what you want from mainstream media and in this day and age, anyone can take five minutes and start a blog. But — how structured should it be? How casual the language? Should the writer adhere to the AP Stylebook? What are the benefits or consequences of blogging?

The blogosphere's options are endless and there is enough opinion and information to keep you surfing the internet all day long. Depending on the type of blog, it's the freshest form of journalism, or even the most public form of self-expression. Blog topics are bountiful and encourage interaction — they can reach audiences further and wider than traditional news outlets — and have spawned what has become known as the "digital smokebreak."

In Champaign-Urbana we have a great variety of blogs: Little Blog on the Prairie, Champaign Taste and Illini Pundit to name a few. Each has developed it's own voice, style of writing, genre and niche market of followers. After all, you're here now — and while we're an online magazine — we like to think of ourselves as neighbors, at the least.

So, you tell us — what blog around these parts has what you like to read — and why?

We all know about Texas and Memphis. Carolina and Kansas City are staples. But, Illinois BBQ?

Sounds flippy to us too. But wouldn't you know it, Bon Appetit recently named the 17th St. Bar and Grill in Murphysboro, Ill the best ribs in the US of A. And while that's not Champaign, it's getting awfully close.

Last weekend saw the premier of what is bound to be one Urbana's best annual traditions with the first annual Blues, Brews and BBQ in the parking lot of the Lincoln Square Village. The turnout, especially given its infancy was more than affirming of the fact that we, too, have a burgeoning BBQ scene that is just about ready to bust from the belt.

So, let's have it. You know the suspects with the smoke and sauce — as well as, if not better, than we do. So, who's got it in ol' C-U in the world of BBQ?

Happy 4th to all.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing unseated the three-term incumbent Tod Satterthwaite in a tight race in February 2005. But, Mayor Prussing’s first term is no fresh spin in political circles for her; she served as a State Representative for the Illinois House in the early 1990s.

Running on a platform to build up the Philo Road area as well as Urbana’s downtown, during Mayor Prussing’s three years in the City Building, the southeast area of Urbana near the Philo and Windsor intersection went from very little development to building up housing subdivisions and attracting popular businesses including Milo’s Restaurant.

She’s also voiced strong rejection to Ameren’s electrical and American Water Company’s water rate hikes. Mayor Prussing, at a City Council meeting, said about the hikes, “We have higher than average water rates. Our rates are higher than publicly-owned systems, and our electrical rates are higher. Both of those together are a drag on our economic growth.”

Some citizens were unhappy about the recent vote the mayor favored to allow Urbana’s Lincoln Hotel to be developed without a historic designation seal that would have protected the portion built by local architect Joseph B. Royer in 1923.

How do you view Mayor Prussing’s first three years in the mayor’s chair? What decisions do you agree or disagree with?

Taking cues from the perennial event up north in Chicago, Taste of Champaign hits West Side Park this weekend for its 38th year, exposing thousands of area residents to the "best" of what Champaign-Urbana restaurants have to offer.

The weekend is filled with plenty of activities for citizens of all ages, including live music from Backyard Tire Fire, Hurricane Gumbo and The Boat Drunks, the ever-present Jimmy Buffett tribute act regularly seen at community events.

In addition to all the food and fun, the Champaign Park District is doing its part to make this year a benefit as well, attempting to raise $10,000 in funds for its Youth Scholarship Fund.

And while all of this is a wonderful contribution to the social fabric of the community, questions in years past have risen: Why is there a McDonald's booth at the Taste of Champaign? And what about Applebee's? Are these restaurants really an accurate representation of what restaurants C-U has to offer, or do they merely represent restaurants that can afford the cost of renting a space at an event like this? Does it matter if the restaurants in attendance are run by Mom and Pop or by suits living in some other city?

Tell us your thoughts. In the meantime, we'll be there, stuffing our faces with one thing or another.

With the temperatures soaring into the 90s and summer in full swing, the Champaign-Urbana community starts itching to get outside and take in the season. One of the newer traditions in town is the Champaign Park District-sponsored downtown street fests that occur three times per year.

This Saturday is the first of these, featuring two artists, Freeze Dried — a band that claims rock, polka and cajun as its influences, and, Od Tapo Imi — a fusion band mixing island sounds, steel drums and non-traditional percussion.

The "festival" takes place on the corner of Walnut and University avenues, whereas the others are on Main and Chestnut and Neil and Main streets, July 12 and Aug. 9, respectively. Alcoholic beverages are allowed on the street within the parameters of the designated area, although it's been suspected that Champaign's finest turn a blind eye to anyone walking out of the zone as well.

While these events are mainly received well by citizens, there have been some vocal outcries regarding the programming choices and locations of the stages. Until this year, no original music had been booked to perform on any of these festivals, and arguments have been made that stage locations have seemed to favor particular bars, giving them an advantage over other drinking establishments in town, at least in terms of alcohol sales that evening.

So, what do you think? Are the street festivals a great thing for Downtown Champaign and all of the C-U area? Or do they still need some modification in order to properly engage the entire community and all of the businesses in the neighborhood?

It’s been a banner year for the weather gods — and we’re only six months in.

What makes this year so remarkable?

Nationwide, we’ve had nearly 700 confirmed (and more than 1,300 reported) tornadoes this year, and they’ve been accompanied by an onslaught of violent weather patterns like the ones that had Champaign-Urbana’s sirens ringing earlier this week.

The Pacific nations have seen five typhoons so far (more than 60 dead and another 40 remain missing). And in May, the nation of Burma experienced the worst cyclone disaster in its history, with almost 80,000 perishing and another 55,000 gone missing.

And then there are earthquakes. More than 67,000 killed in western China by a 7.9 quake. Other big ones in Algeria, the Congo, India and Indonesia. Even here in central Illinois, an unusual earthquake in April reminded us that we have some tectonic instability of our own.

Floods. T-storms. Hail. Droughts.

Unseasonably cold. Unconventionally hot. Nothing quite normal.

Question is: Why?

Forget the Great Pizza Debate nationwide. C-U has its fair share of pizza joints, and opinions about them are as varied as the toppings offered on the menus.

So, have at it: What's the best place to get a pie in C-U? And what style of pizza do you prefer? We've got our own opinions that we'll throw into the hat come Sunday evening, but for the moment, we want to hear what you all think.

Serve it up.

This is a pretty simple one.

Come mid-May, the students hightail it outta here like the plague's near, eager to get back home to family, significant others, summer jobs and the good old-fashioned R&R. That leaves Champaign-Urbana with about a third less population in the summer than during the spring and fall semesters.

So, what's your preference? Do you like C-U when the streets of Campustown are swarming with students or do count the days until the towns take on the feel of Smalltown, USA?

When you enter the “real world,” you have to get used to a few things. Signing up for a 401k, for example. Setting an alarm clock for a time only previously observed by ambitious creatures such a birds and coke addicts. And — our favorite — the hour-long lunch break.

In jobs that don’t enjoy the luxury of an hour-long break, employees are often forced to suffer the thirty-minute rush, in which there’s just enough time to grab a sandwich and wolf it down before it’s time to clock back in. But when you have an hour, you’re likely to spread your gastrointestinal wings and seek out some deals. You might find that Cafe Kopi, for instance, offers a mean Thai tempeh sandwich, and that with KoFusion's lunch sushi deal, you get nine pieces of sushi and a bowl of miso soup for under ten dollars and in under thirty minutes.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg lettuce (we couldn’t resist), and we know there are plenty more praiseworthy lunchtime deals around town. So, all you grown-ups out there with hour-long lunch breaks and ten bucks to burn: Where do you go for lunch? Where can you get in and out within an hour, and without paying more (or much more) than ten dollars?

Sugary sweet confections aren’t something folks generally turn down. So, when a little storefront opened up proclaiming “Cakes on Walnut,” it was only natural that Champaign residents threw their scales out the window and gave the new cupcake shop a try.

Smile Politely loves when new businesses pop up in town. Cakes on Walnut, at 114 N. Walnut Street, was certainly bustling during last week’s Ebertfest, as movie-goers bopped around downtown with white boxes — large and small — or sat at the outdoor bar indulging in the sugary grub.

So now that the dust has settled, what did you think?

Owned by the sister duo, Trisha Bates and Amanda Bates, the interior boasts a pleasantly-modern setup, but with magazines galore, a sitting area, and wireless internet access to boot. The former shoe repair shop offers a cozy enough invitation to hunker down with a cupcake for an afternoon sweet treat.

Guided by the staff at Bacaro, the Bates’ sisters concocted an array of fancy sandwiches such as turkey apple quince and white bean and Parmesan, so “Cakes on Walnut” is no one-trick pony. Cupcake flavors include red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, classic yellow, salted caramel, strawberry balsamic — and Smile Politely has heard raves and jeers about the offerings.

Is a cupcake habit (at $2.75 for a small and $3.50 for a large) something you can afford? Will you carve out a new column in your budget to include the saccharine delights?

Every year, Urbana High School and University of Illinois alum Roger Ebert shows up in town with about dozen canisters of film, a cadre of mildly known actors and, often, at least one Hollywood superstar. This time around, that superstar is Ang Lee — himself an Illinois graduate and director of megahits such as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Lee movie featured at this year’s festival is Hulk, which Ebert gave three out of fours stars when the film first hit the screens in 2003. Ebert’s final assessment: Hulk is “a comic book movie for people who wouldn't be caught dead at a comic book movie.” In other words, it’s got a big green guy in it, but it also tends toward the sentimental.

If this were your film festival, and if Ang Lee weren’t coming to town, would Hulk make the bill? What else would? Below is a list of what Roger Ebert came up with. Then we want to hear what your recommendations would be.

Wednesday, April 23:

Hamlet (1996)

Thursday, April 24:

Delirious (2006)
Yes (2004)
Canvas (2006)

Friday, April 25:

Shotgun Series (2007)
Underworld (1927)
The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005)
Mishima (1985)

Saturday, April 26:

Hulk (2003)
The Band’s Visit (2007)
Housekeeping (1987)
The Cell (2000)

Sunday, April 27:

Romance and Cigarettes (2005)

Keep scrolling down for updates from Ebertfest throughout the weekend!

Central Illinoisans and people from other surrounding areas were rudely awakened by the New Madrid fault line stirring this morning. Today's earthquake was rated as a 5.2 on the Richter Scale and hardly any damage has been seen at ground level. Fortunately for us, earthquakes are a rare phenomenon in Illinois, which is why many people have said they initially thought the quake was a truck rumbling by, a train derailment or — something else?

Few would deny that Champaign-Urbana is home to an actual "music scene." That we can even pose this question is proof enough. And let's not forget that our little community has spawned a band that sold the most albums in the United States in 1980. That's nine million or so, to be clear. The 44th most of all time. We even have a street named for them.

So yes, we have a music scene. That is true. And a lot of people care about it, relatively speaking.

Last week, we saw controversy manifest itself in the form of two shows next door to one another. One was the Local Music Awards, hosted by WPGU and buzz magazine at The Highdive. The other, a charity show that came to be known as the Anti-LMAs, was held right next door at Memphis on Main. Both shows were well attended, and both showcased a wide range of local bands. Within minutes of the Local Music Awards letting out, Memphis on Main went from being packed to beyond capacity. Just as fast, the crowd had to rush to the exit, coughing and tearing up in the eyes: Someone had pepper sprayed the crowd, and the sidewalk along REO Speedwagon Way looked like an impromptu party for respiratory-challenged hipsters. At the very least, this was an active evening for the C-U music scene.

And then we have the record labels (that's plural, mind you), festivals, touring bands, publicity companies, promoters, online and walk-up record stores, radio stations, magazines, blogs (all plural, still) and everything else you could imagine that makes this place a known quantity in the Midwest music scene.

But still, there is something missing. In the mid-1990s, people were heralding C-U as the next Seattle: a fertile breeding ground for the alternative music movement and a mainstay for the ears and eyes of major label record executives. As many as five bands walked into fairly lucrative recording contracts and many went on to tour in arenas and theatres regularly.

And with that, we leave it you, the community, to chime in and let us know: What can be done to improve upon what we already have?

In late March, Alderman Charlie Smyth introduced an ordinance to the Urbana City Council that resulted in a packed council chamber and so much discussion — a vote on the proposal was postponed until April 14.

During the next committee as a whole meeting of the city council, the members will revisit the ordinance that could potentially ban cell phone usage while driving in the City of Urbana. Although, some members were in favor of a hands-free cell phone ban — similar to ordinances in cities such as Chicago and New York City — Smyth's bill calls for a full ban on the use of cell phones, including Bluetooth devices, while behind the wheel.

Smyth argues that a hands-free ordinance would not be effective because there is no difference cognitively between using a hands-free set or a hand-held device; both options take the driver's mind away from operating the vehicle.

Most any driver has been annoyingly cut off only to pass the culprit, whom — surprise! — is talking away on a phone. However, with a comprehensive ban, questions arise about how to enforce a ban on hands-free electronic devices; how to educate the public about the new ordinance; and in two cities separate by name only, how to spread the word that when you enter the city limits of Urbana, it's time to end the conversation.

After much debate, the council opted to further the conversation and have City Attorney Ronald O'Neal draft a new ordinance addressing questions raised at the March 25 meeting.

• Dance (breakdancing/b-boy/-girling)
• Poetry (spoken word/rapping)
• Music (turntablism/deejaying)
• Visual Arts (graffiti)

In the meantime, tonight at 7 p.m., the one-man show Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop continues in Allen Hall (and closes after Saturday's 2 p.m. showing at The Armory Free Theatre), and showcases hip-hop culture as one of the ties that bind in a script of characters with cultural and social differences.

Hip-hop culture has been alternately celebrated and vilified — is it elitist, or welcoming? Is it sexist; is it racist? Certainly no movement is perfect, but the efforts of activists in our community this coming week bring to mind the positive potential available and active in hip-hop, as an energetic community unifier and a purveyor of poetry.

Will you be attending the events this weekend and in the coming week? What has hip-hop done for you? What can our community learn from hip-hop?

Both Illinois basketball teams made valiant runs for a Big Ten Tournament title in 2008. Had either of them won the championship, they would have earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The women's team dropped a heart breaker to Purdue in the final seconds, while the men's team got shook down by a really strong Wisconsin Badgers team. Needless to say, both teams are left on the outside looking in.

Still, March Madness is everywhere. The first round of the men's tournament is under way, and the women's tourney gets started tomorrow. Sports Editor Seth Fein posted his men's bracket in the Big Ten Basketball Report this week, and now we'd like to know who you have picked for the Sweet Sixteen, Final Four and Champion match ups in either or both tournaments.

Downtown Champaign’s M2 building is slated for completion in late 2008. As home to the Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works, BankChampaign, four floors of office space and four floors of residential units, the building will draw increased traffic to the evolving downtown area. To accommodate this congestion and the anticipation of future development in the area, a 600-space parking garage will be erected by early 2009 at the corner of Hill and Randolph streets.

The garage is likely to find its most use at night (particularly weekend nights) when parking is in highest demand.

Though going up in tandem with the privately owned M2, the garage will be a publicly funded and operated facility.

“It’s a city deck, so it’s public parking,” Shirl Johnson, parking operations supervisor, says. Parking fees will be collected by an attendant or automated credit card machines.

The contract for construction will be voted on at the March 18 Champaign City Council meeting. If the current proposal is accepted, the contract will be awarded jointly to English Brothers and A & R Services for the construction of the $10,590,000 garage.

It's springtime, which means students at the University of Illinois (and all their friends, who come in from campuses all around) are ready to get their drink on. And you know why: It's Unofficial, people. According to a recent letter from the university provost's office, the big U "does not support or condone" the "annual business promotion known as Unofficial St. Patrick's Day (USPD)." But it doesn't matter who condones it, because the "holiday" marches on. In fact, this year, for the first time ever, Unofficial is a two-day event. This means more drunks in the bars, more puke on the sidewalks, more trips to the hospital (last year ambulances escorted 90 students) — but it also means more money in a lot of cash registers, including the Champaign city coffers.

At a packed city council meeting on Tuesday, Chancellor Richard Herman delivered an urgent plea to do away with the non-holiday. He cited the death of Carolyn Yoon, an Illinois graduate who died at what Herman dubbed, "an occasion that has no meaning other than to soil our campus and lower community standards." Last year, 176 students were arrested at Unofficial, and according to Herman, that was a 71 percent jump from last year's statistics.

But, then again, parties throughout the years have been much bigger and rowdier than these Green Street festivities. Ever been to Bourbon Street?

WUNA, or the West Urbana Neighborhood Association, is known for its amazing ability to organize and engage its immediate community with relevant and important issues facing its neighborhood, one of the most economically diverse in the city. The association covers this area of Urbana.

Some of the issues that WUNA has brought to light at city council meetings include the number of people living in single residence homes, how to properly police the actions of the landlords and how to control college students who regularly throw parties in the neighborhood.

Despite the association's concerns, however, some of the transient residents in the neighborhood over the last few years have spoken about multiple instances of blatant voyeurism and outright disregard for personal privacy by WUNA members.

Tell us what you think.

lllinois American Water Company, provider of Champaign-Urbana agua, is currently building a new treatment plant on West Bradley Avenue that will pump out 15 million gallons a day. With a price tag of $51 million, the facility is slated to be up and running by December, and Champaign County residents will be asked to partially foot the bill by paying 60 percent more for their water.

A Saturday server outage means we’re getting the second installment of Ask Politely to you a little late. But this week's issue is still fresh in the minds of anyone who’s taken a vehicle to downtown Champaign this past week. Smile Politely’s Marissa Monson brought us coverage on the parking meter rate increase last week — so brush up on the details and let us know what you think.

The weekend is a time for contemplation and lively conversation, right? We think so. And in this vein, we inaugurate Ask Politely, a question-and-answer feature that'll come your way every weekend. The premise is simple: We ask, you respond. Politely. Passionately. Knowledgeably. Ironically. Humorously. However it flows.

As we've said before, Smile Politely is our way of filling a void. And we can't fill that void without you. So let's hear what you have to say.

To get things started, we're asking you to turn your critical eye on us.