Artist

*** (out of four) The Beatles. Simon and Garfunkel. Rodriguez. What? Apparently, South African music fans in the '90s put little-known early '70s folk singer Rodriguez on the same level as those legends. The Detroit-native musician, however, dropped from his label after two albums, had no idea of his fame across the ocean. And everyone in South Africa thought the guy was dead. Director Malik Bendjelloul's stranger-than-fiction documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” chronicles the unusual sequence of events that leads a South...

Fall Out Boy bassist and "Best Ink" host Pete Wentz probably won't be there, but the Oxygen competition series is casting for an upcoming season in Chicago this weekend. If you're a tattoo artist age 21 or older, casting directors from Bunim/Murray Productions would like to meet you between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Mad River Chicago, 2909 N. Sheffield Ave. Applicants are asked to bring a recent picture of themselves that will not be returned, a photo ID and photos of their artwork, which will be returned.

It's not just the economy that's in a slump. Mainstream music also is in a recession. It used to be that I was always able to turn to the indie scene for fresh beats, bands, rhymes and guitar riffs. But with the Internet now largely replacing the experience of rummaging through racks of records at stores such as Dr. Wax and Reckless Records (thankfully, Reckless still is open), the floodgates have been opened for a litany of new material, a lot of which sucks. Yes, the rise of digital music distribution has given a voice to acts that, say, 10 years ago may never have had a chance to be heard.

Last year, Rich Seng launched a crowd-sourcing advertising competition, 30 Seconds Over Chicago, that he hoped would bring together local creative forces with Wicker Park businesses. The latter would submit a creative brief to Seng's website and the former would scour the briefs for one that matched their skillset, submit a proposal, and the result was supposed to be a commercial for the business. Unfortunately, with just a couple days left in the competition, the 39-year-old Seng had just 40 submissions--20 of which were dummy pitches that he wrote.

The CTA said Tuesday it is reviewing applications from artists to create artwork at seven North Side Red Line stations undergoing rehabilitation. The CTA would not say how many applications it received before the Oct. 10 deadline. From these submissions, the CTA in December will pick about 25 artists and pay them $500 to pitch their artwork. Then the CTA will choose seven artists in March to create work for the Jarvis, Berwyn, Lawrence, Argyle, Thorndale, Granville and Morse stopps.

Before the advent of Daily Deals, coupons were only good for making collages, keeping grandmothers busy and lining your pet monkey's cage. Invest in Chicago's best-known online coupon maker with today's Groupon: $3 billion for purchase of the company, down from its $17 billion valuation in 2011 (a $14 billion value!). HURRY, ONLY 1 AVAILABLE! P.S. Please buy us. Just kidding. Groupon isn't actually listed for sale, and I don't advise walking up to its Chicago headquarters and trying to use the above fake Groupon.

Esteemed blues guitarist Eddie C. Campbell played at the University of Illinois Chicago's open concert Jan. 24, Tuesday's at One. The 72-year-old blues veteran jammed out in a lecture space with a house band composed of UIC students and faculty. Campbell, raised in the Windy City, came out of Chicago's West Side blues scene, playing with legendary figures such as Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Willie Dixon Jimmy Reed, Chuck Berry, James Brown and even Jimmy Hendrix. The Chicago icon was a band director for the late,...

Fall Out Boy bassist and "Best Ink" host Pete Wentz probably won't be there, but the Oxygen competition series is casting for an upcoming season in Chicago this weekend. If you're a tattoo artist age 21 or older, casting directors from Bunim/Murray Productions would like to meet you between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Mad River Chicago, 2909 N. Sheffield Ave. Applicants are asked to bring a recent picture of themselves that will not be returned, a photo ID and photos of their artwork, which will be returned.

Last year, Rich Seng launched a crowd-sourcing advertising competition, 30 Seconds Over Chicago, that he hoped would bring together local creative forces with Wicker Park businesses. The latter would submit a creative brief to Seng's website and the former would scour the briefs for one that matched their skillset, submit a proposal, and the result was supposed to be a commercial for the business. Unfortunately, with just a couple days left in the competition, the 39-year-old Seng had just 40 submissions--20 of which were dummy pitches that he...

King Louie, 24, came up in a part of Chicago's Southeast side that many call Dro City, but, thanks to an active street team and strong online presence, he has found fans across the entire city, and, increasingly, on a national level. A recent shout out from Kanye West on West's “I Don't Like” remix further elevated Louie's profile. We spoke with Louie to get his thoughts on New Chicago music and its YouTube presence. How do you think YouTube helps people get in touch with music in Chicago, and what effect do you think that has had on you...

After the initial announcement of the 2013 headliners Bjork, Belle and Sebastian, and R. Kelly, Pitchfork has announced another wave of artists playing this year's festival: ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead The Breeders Chairlift Mac Demarco El-P Foxygen   Killer Mike Joanna Newsom Angel Olsen   TNGHT   Trash Talk Rustie   ...

Before the advent of Daily Deals, coupons were only good for making collages, keeping grandmothers busy and lining your pet monkey's cage. Invest in Chicago's best-known online coupon maker with today's Groupon: $3 billion for purchase of the company, down from its $17 billion valuation in 2011 (a $14 billion value!). HURRY, ONLY 1 AVAILABLE! P.S. Please buy us. Just kidding. Groupon isn't actually listed for sale, and I don't advise walking up to its Chicago headquarters and trying to use the above fake Groupon.

Jason Hoodrich has the Hollywood hookup. Through a friend, he developed a working relationship with New York-based BMF Media Group, an entertainment marketing agency that produces the exclusive Miami Oasis essentially a party lounge with a DJ, swag and free booze and a small tattoo station at the Hard Rock Hotel during Lollapalooza. He has tattooed artists, celebrities and VIPs at events such as Lolla, Coachella and Sundance. Hoodrich, who was into art as a high schooler, started tattooing in 2005 shortly after he went to...

Dave Kunesh first dabbled in the world of tattooing before he was a teenager. As a kid, he stumbled upon a tattoo catalogue that his dad, who toyed with the idea of being a tattoo artist himself, had left behind in the basement. Kunesh, 40, who counts Derrick Rose among his clients today, started out drawing designs from that catalogue when he was bored but soon shelved it and turned his attention to airbrushing T-shirts and walls. When he was 20, he painted a mural at a tattoo shop in Berwyn.

Michael Jordan is back. In silk screen, that is. In honor of Jordan's 50th birthday on Sunday, Logan Square's Galerie F (2381 N. Milwaukee Ave.) is hosting a monthlong Jordan exhibit featuring MJ-inspired screen prints from three Chicago artists plus one artist in Washington, D.C. The prints go on sale at 2 p.m. Monday at galerief.com and will be available in the gallery starting Tuesday. RedEye spoke with two of the artists: Tracie Ching, 26, of Washington, D.C., and Galerie F founder Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, 30, of Logan Square.

Chicago sketch comedy group Think Tank Comedy have their endorsements for the more obscure local positions up for grabs Tuesday.   No, they won't share their picks for president, local judges or congressional vacancies. But if you're looking for a name to check for “Bathrobe Commissioner,” “County Chest Hairsman” or “County Creep,” the quartet has you covered. Sure, the comedy group made up all these positions. But Paul Robinson, a member of the group, said he hopes the videos offer a sort of reprieve from...

The CTA is looking for artists to create work for seven North Side Red Line stations currently undergoing overhaul. The CTA said today it issued a request for proposals for local, national and international artists to submit their qualifications to the CTA. Application information is at http://www.transitchicago.com. The CTA said it has has more than 50 art pieces at 41 stations along the Pink, Red and Brown Lines. Submissions must be delivered no later than 3:30 p.m., Oct. 10, to CTA Headquarters, 567 W. Lake St. The CTA has been rehabbing Northern Red Line stations for the past...

The CTA said Tuesday it is reviewing applications from artists to create artwork at seven North Side Red Line stations undergoing rehabilitation. The CTA would not say how many applications it received before the Oct. 10 deadline. From these submissions, the CTA in December will pick about 25 artists and pay them $500 to pitch their artwork. Then the CTA will choose seven artists in March to create work for the Jarvis, Berwyn, Lawrence, Argyle, Thorndale, Granville and Morse stopps.

Terisa Griffin had piled up years of music experiences before auditioning for NBC's "The Voice. " The 42-year-old moved to Chicago's South Side from Louisiana 19 years ago to pursue music. Her pedigree includes being mentored by Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Butler and performing for Oprah Winfrey. Griffin, who nows lives in Forest Park, runs a non-profit that assists students transitioning from home to college. RedEye talked to the Team Blake [Shelton] member about her audition process, her experience on "The Voice" and...