The White Sox unveiled their new food lineup in front of a slew of influencers and personalities (not me, I wasn’t invited…) yesterday. Just like last year, the new food will undoubtedly be the high point of the White Sox season. The biggest addition to an already-stacked food lineup is the Lucky’s in Section 154. Lucky’s includes the following:

• All American Korean Dog: Vienna Beef hot dog coated with corn flakes, and a drizzle of ketchup and mustard
• El Diablo: A mozzarella Korean Dog covered with Flaming Hot Cheetos, sambal mayo, and Fu Sauce. 
• Papas Freedom: Vienna Beef hot dog coated with hash browns and a drizzle of barbecue sauce
• Stadium Nacho: Vienna Beef hot dog coated with Tostito’s tortilla chips drizzled with stadium nacho cheese and pickled jalapenos
• Unicorn: A deep-fried marshmallow coated with Fruity Pebbles and sweet condensed milk
• Changeup Bubble Waffle: Filled with vanilla ice cream, black sugar boba, ginger, mocha syrup and Pirouline cookie
• Gojujang Bubble Waffle: Crispy chicken tossed in a Gojujang sauce with toasted sesame seeds
• Heater Bubble Waffle: Filled with vanilla ice cream, miso chili, caramel, peanuts, and crushed Oreos
• Sweet Chili Bubble Waffle: Crispy chicken tossed in a sweet chili sauce and peanuts
• Chili Crunch Noodles: Knife-cut noodles with green onions, cilantro, and peanuts
• Chili Crunch Noodles: Knife-cut noodles with green onions, cilantro, and peanuts

David Chang, one of the best chefs in the country, has a new section in 110 that has revamped chicken offerings.

Of course, the Sox also have a new milkshake to offer to the South Side faithful. The Celebration Cake Shake is birthday cake ice cream blended with confetti cake and paired with a cookie that looks like one of the famous pinwheels in the center field.

It happens to all of us. At some point in time, you stare at a festival poster and go “I don’t know who these bands are”. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s harder and harder to cut through all of the noise and various outlets to find out who is actually worth listening to. Luckily, I’m here. If you’re looking at the Lollapalooza lineup and you’re lost, these are 7 bands you need to know.

ALEXSUCKS

Q101 Twisted XMAS alumni ALEXSUCKS are back in town, hot off the heels of their excellent new single “Worm In The Sun”. Initially a band that drew comparisons to The Strokes, the Southern California quartet has proven to be far more than just a cheap imitation of a legacy act. Operating as an energetic, snotty band, ALEXSUCKS have slowly been winning over the alt-rock faithful over the course of the last few years.

hey, nothing

hey, nothing, are a two-piece alt-folk act that hails from the artistic safe haven that is Athens, Georgia. This band is undeniably charming. If you’ve ever heard Modern Baseball’s earliest work or were smitten with earnest folk punk bands like Sledding With Tigers, you’ll find a similar connection to hey, nothing.

julie

julie are, in theory, what Perry Ferrell set out to highlight when he launched Lollapalooza in 1991. Simply put: they are weird. Beautifully weird, yes, but unquestionably weird. They would’ve made sense sandwiched between Siouxsie and the Banshees and Nine Inch Nails on the festival’s inaugural tour. As shoegaze has come back into fashion, julie have stood out from the pack as arguably the best contemporary group of that genre. julie are completely left-of-center, a stark contrast to the pop acts that will dominate the main stages, but a band that is entirely deserving of their slot on this festival.

Ratboys

It wouldn’t be Lollapalooza without tried and true Chicago bands thriving over the course of the weekend. For over a decade now, alt-country heavyweights Ratboys have been leading the charge of the Chicago scene. With five records under the belt including 2023’s stellar The Window, there’s no shortage of tracks that Ratboys could bring to Grant Park. It’s thrilling to see a band who has been this good for this long get the recognition they deserve on a Lollapalooza stage. If you find yourself yearning for a simpler time when this city was pumping out acts like Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, Ratboys can act as your modern medicine.

Sierra Ferrell

Sierra Ferrell is hitting the road this summer with Post Malone and my mortal enemy Jelly Roll. The eclectic trio make a stop at Wrigley Field on May 22. Luckily for us, Ferrell will return this summer and will be coming back with no Jelly Roll in sight. Whereas the aforementioned Ratboys fit the dictionary definition of “alt-country”, Ferrell is nothing but country. The West Virginia-born frontwoman harkens back to the time of Lynn Anderson or more recently, Lucinda Williams. Ferrell’s set will act as a soothing break from the general craziness that invades Grant Park for four days every summer, and as a result, she could end up stealing the entire weekend.

Sunami

Sunami is one of the many post-COVID hardcore standouts that have reached previously unfathomable heights. Following recent Lollapalooza alumni Knocked Loose and Militarie Gun, Sunami will bring a level of fury to Grant Park that no other band (not even Korn) will be able to match. Their 2019 EP Demonstration laid the groundwork for a string of releases unmatched in intensity and aggression. “Weak Die First” is as much a standout single as it is a mission statement. Their recent single, “Fence Walker” which dropped on a split EP with Pain of Truth, saw a continuation of the band’s consistency.

Wunderhorse

UK’s Wunderhorse are on the cusp of becoming huge. The next time this band plays a festival in Chicago, their name is going to be in a much larger font. Their performance at the start of February in Chicago at the Metro was a loud, brash explosion that stunned a sold-out audience to the point that a genuine “encore” chant erupted from the Wrigleyville faithful. Per the band’s philosophy, though, there was no encore. The band that was touted as “a band that could become generational” by Rolling Stone UK played at 110% for 55 minutes and then walked off stage, never to be seen again. If you are excited by punchy, yet lyrically gorgeous rock music, Wunderhorse are the band for you.

We have to do pour one out for one of the greatest airline institutions.

Southwest Airlines announced this week that they are ending their “bags fly free” policy. Just last September, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told Van Cleave bags would continue to fly without charge.

“Bags will still fly free,” Jordan said. “It’s the third thing customers look for after fare and schedule: Bags fly free, on us. Ninety-seven percent are people who are aware of our policies. So it’s a huge consumer advantage. So bags will absolutely fly free.”

The cost of a checked bag hasn’t been announced but airline sources say it will be competitive with other carriers.

Was August not already crazy enough?

The dates for this summer’s festival are July 31 through August 3, the announcement, posted to social media and sent to fans via text message, said, along with the quote “See you this summer, Chicago.”

While we still don’t have a Lolla lineup, it should be noted that last year’s lineup was released on March 19, so we should be just days away from seeing what 2025 has in store for us.

Life has not been kind to Wes Scantlin, the frontman for former alt-rock staple Puddle Of Mudd. Last summer, Scantlin was arrested after a standoff with SWAT. This, of course, was not the only time that Scantlin had been in trouble with the law, nor the only time that he appeared to have a less-than-desirable mental state.

While playing a benefit show for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (noble), the band embarrassed themselves in front of the Daytona crowd (because of course they were in Daytona) due to Scantlin’s inability to be even semi-coherent on stage.

The day after the performance, someone caught Scantlin outside the venue and asked him what happened. Scantlin responded: “I suck, I suck, and I suck, but I was roofied. My old bass player Sean Sammon roofied me last night, so he can go fuck his ass.” Sammon co-founded Puddle Of Mudd with Scantlin but hasn’t played with them since 2002.

Anora, the movie about a young escort from Brooklyn meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled, had one of the greatest nights in the history of the Academy last night.

The film not only won ‘Best Picture’, the film also scooped up wins for Best Actress (Mikey Madison) and Best Film Editing. The movie received an additional nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for Yura Borisov, too.

Notably, A Complete Unknown, which was nominated 8 times, failed to win any awards.

Michael Marcagi at Thalia Hall (Friday)

Folk-rock artist Michael Marcagi heads to Thalia Hall this Friday for a special performance. He’s joined by Ashley Kutcher. For more information click here. 

Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors (Friday)

Head to the United Center this Friday Night and cheer on your Chicago Bulls as they take on the Toronto Raptors. Tickets are available here. 

Chicago Irish Film Festival (Friday-Sunday)

The Irish Film Festival is back for its 26th year at AMC NEWCITY featuring a lineup of films varying from Drama to Documentary. For the full lineup, click here. 

Monster Jam (Friday-Sunday)

This weekend, see massive trucks perform stunts and slam each other in the ultimate face-off. The best drivers in the world compete for the Event Championship. For tickets, click here. 

International Carnivale (Saturday)

Enjoy an afternoon of global celebration at International Carnivale! Head to the Aon Ballroom at Navy Pier for special live performances, dancers and interactive art. Admission is free. For more information click here. 

Chicago Fire FC vs. D.C. United (Saturday)

Head to Solider Field this Saturday to cheer on Chicago Fire FC as they take on D.C. United. The game kicks off at 7:30 and features a special red carpet experience with the team. Tickets are available here.

Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Saturday)

Kick off the month of March with the annual Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade kicks off at 1pm from Madison Street, From Van Buren to Elgin Ave. The parade will feature local businesses, marching bands and more!

Tom Segura at United Center (Saturday)

Comedian Tom Segura takes on the United Center this Saturday at 7:30pm. Tickets are available here.

Chicago Polar Plunge (Sunday)

Jump into the freezing Lake Michigan for the Chicago Polar Plunge! Participants can head to North Avenue Beach and take the plunge with thousands of others. All proceeds go to the Special Olympics Illinois. For more information check here.