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Warrant and Firehouse to headline the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival
It's a fact, you may be using those chewed up corn cobs as drumsticks at the Urbana Sweetcorn/Airguitar Festival this year. It was recently announced that hair metal rockers Warrant and Firehouse will be headlining the event this August. Let us all pray that perms make a dramatic comeback this summer in time for the show. Also, someone, quick, organize a cherry pie booth.
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Street Food Beer Dinner at Destihl

When we think of street food, we think of spicy tacos and pork on a stick, which sounds like the perfect thing to wash down with a beer.
On Wednesday, May 30, Destihl will serve a Street Food Beer Dinner (the elevated version of what comes from the food cart) for $55 per guest, which includes four courses paired with four hand-crafted beers.
Buy tickets here or call Destihl at (217) 356-0301. (SK)
Brooklyn Vegan scoops SP
Can someone in the world please explain to me how Brooklyn Vegan Chicago scooped Smile Politely on this year's Pygmalion Music Festival announcement? I mean, I am the Publisher of the magazine and the founder of the festival, and yet they still found a way...
That's good work, BV!
(I'm honored, actually.)

Sam McLaurin is coming to Illinois
Like last year's Sam, 6'8" Coastal Carolina transfer McLaurin will be a fifth year graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining, available immediately.

Twister!!!
The fearless Jason Berg risked his life today to snap this bad ass photo of the Twister that just passed through C-U. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/#!/jason_berg

Pour over coffee comes to C-U via Cafe Zojo
And it's about damned time.

Expect a full review of Urbana's newest coffee shop (serving Intelligentsia!) coming soon to SP.com.
The I.D.E.A. Store Hosts Spring DIY Bazaar April 20-21
'Persephone's Treasures'
Don't miss spring DIY bazaar April 20-21
This year, Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring, has returned to Central Illinois earlier than ever - dotting the landscape with a lovely and welcome abundance of nature's calling cards. And on April 20-21, her lively spirit will be present at The I.D.E.A. Store as we host "Persephone's Treasures."
The two-day DIY bazaar - organized in conjunction with the Boneyard Arts Festival and coinciding with the University of Illinois' Moms Weekend - will feature handmade art and functional designs created from mainly recycled, reused or repurposed materials. Many items will feature a spring theme. Examples of wares for sale at the bazaar are pictured above and include (L-R) a whimsical birdhouse-style assemblage by Melissa Mitchell; cork earrings by Kathy Lan; product-label market bag by Leslie Kimble; and glass pendant with embedded violet by Renuka Kale.
Other vendors - all of whom are The I.D.E.A. Store devotees, shoppers and/or volunteers - are Cassie Brady, Sheila Daniels, Jeanne Genis, Carol Hays, Leslie Kimble, Sarah Meadows, John MacMullen, Ano Ritter, Mary Shelden, the Wild Wimmin Craft Collective (including Anna Flanagan and Felice Kaufmann), and Rachel Witt.
The bazaar, which will be set up in the store's classroom area, kicks off Friday, April 20, from 4-7 p.m. with a festive, opening preview sale (with refreshments!). The event continues the next day, during regular Saturday store hours, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Please note that most vendors will be able to accept only cash or checks, so come prepared to shop! And in the meantime, watch our Facebook page and Facebook event page for more news about "Persephone's Treasures"!
Persephone's Treasures is taking place in conjunction with the Boneyard Arts Festival.
Jerrance Howard’s name plate
Tuesday morning, men's basketball administrative assistant Julie Pioletti opened the Ubben office to discover Jerrance Howard's office cleaned-out.
This was the nameplate on his door.

Most Recent SPlog Comments
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.
And without bloodshed. Sounds like the Savoy trustees aren’t as narrow-minded as some of their whiny pants constituents. Do you think quack Snell is already planning an asinine counterattack or is he still laying low after those “threats” against his person?
Dollars to waffles says the study session will conclude that there is parking available in the Hill Street Parking Deck.
I can see requiring them to plug meters where they park, but the license fee thing sure sounds like some established business doesn’t like the competition and has an in with the city gummint staff.
This is pretty much ridiculous. However, I would hope that local businesses that aren’t opposed would step up and allow the Crave Truck in their private parking lots. That won’t solve the licensing issue though… (Insert not-so-subtle reference to Snell being behind the grand conspiracy to kill…
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Most Recent Comments
As a liberal conservative, and a person who favors taxes & services ... and also a sense of proportion; I savor the comic potential that still exists in this comments section. I’m pretty sure we can goad more anti-government rhetoric from confirmed progressives and government employees. If…
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…
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.
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…
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.
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…




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Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.