#chances dances

LVL3 interviews this week featuring:

Join us THIS FRIDAY as we prance on over to the Old Town School of Folk Music. We'll be learning some fresh new moves from BOOGIE McCLARIN and then practicing said sickening moves. It's gonna be a HOOT. 

Thursday, March 27: CRIMSON GLOW presents LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX w/ BROOK SINKINSON WITHROW

For the March edition of CRIMSON GLOW, Chicago artist Brook Sinkinson Withrow will showcase the music of women in hip-hop who deal with sex in frank terms — rapping and singing about consent, respect, desire, nicknames and moves explicitly in the 1990's and since. Brook had the privilege of an inclusive and real sexual education called Our Whole Lives in her formative years, and she wants to present this same attitude of respect and openness while letting women's words about wanting dick tickle our ears. Expect to hear from Salt-n-Pepa, Bytches With Problems, En Vogue, Khia, TLC, Missy Elliott and more.

Brook will provide a free mix and other goodies (ahem) for y'all's taking. So come in and get down!

Brook Sinkinson Withrow is an artist with a varied writing practice who organizes and programs, especially moving image and sonic material. She selects songs at bars from time to time, co-directs a project space in Pilsen called Forever & Always, and collaborates often.

CRIMSON GLOW creates a space for femminess and feminists who want to dance to, and sing along with, amazing woman-made music from all genres. CRIMSON GLOW is committed in equal measures to allowing engagement with the work of innovative musical pioneers and fostering dance party enjoyment.

When we put out a call to readers to nominate the most inspiring power couples they know to be featured in our Valentine's Day issue, the question on everyone's lips seemed to be, "What the hell's a power couple?" We specifed that we didn't mean like "Michelle and Barack or Rahm and the City Council (hoo-ah!)," but to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure we knew exactly what we were looking for until the nominees started rolling in.

In the past, we've celebrated Valentine's Day in pretty predictable alt-weekly fashion: relying on snark and suspicion of consumerist holidays. (You should totally still come to our Anti-Valentine's Day Party!) This year, we said screw it, let's show some love to love, or at least to the people who make being in love seem less gruesome.

We received nearly 200 nominations, which sort of validated our suspicion that people don't hate love so much after all; in fact, they're pretty thrilled for friends who've found it. The nominated couples had one thing in common: awesome individuals who were lucky enough to find one another—something we asked each couple to recall by writing an I Saw You based on their first meeting.

It was tough to winnow our choices down to four . . . well, actually, we'd selected five couples, but one of them broke up a week before publication (which maybe makes our judgment suspect). Still, we think we've picked perfect partners who embody what it means to be powerfully in love in Chicago.