Redeye

Editorial staff Lisa Arnett Dining reporter @redeyeeats Jessica Cantarelli Digital producer/editor @redeyejessica Jessica Galliart Social media lady @redeyechicago Georgia Garvey Reporter/assistant editor @gcgarvey Tran Ha Editor @tranosaurus Mike Hines Deputy news editor @givemetexture Dana Kavan...

First: Get excited! The four Chicago bands you chose from our RedEye Rock 'n' Vote Top 10 take the stage Wednesday, competing for your votes on-site to win a slot at Taste of Chicago. Former Rock 'n' Vote finalist and current buzztastic rapper Rockie Fresh headlines the free show at Hard Rock Cafe. Ok, now: You may want to get to know the personalities behind Hospital Garden, The Retar Crew, The 92s and Santiago x The Natural a little better before seeing the rock and hip-hop acts show their stuff.

Welcome, music nerds. Once a year, Austin, Texas, turns into a hipster Mardi Gras paradise for nearly an entire week during the music portion of SXSW. This year, RedEye made the 20-plus-hour road trip to check it out. Here are a few things we noticed along the way. TUESDAY 3/13 11:00 a.m. Everyone at  SXSW  looks like they're in a band. Everyone.   --Ernest Wilkins The first celebrity sighting of the trip? MTV VJ (they still have those, yeah?

ROSEMONT With an estimated 1,500 out of a possible 16,000 seats filled at Allstate Arena at kickoff of Sunday's Rush game, Arena Football League commissioner Jerry Kurz wanted to make one thing clear. "(The Rush) won't fold," he said. "They won't relocate. There'll be a team here. " Since returning to action after a league-wide shutdown in 2009, the Rush have gone through three general managers in three years. The league currently owns the team after a previous ownership group didn't work out. "The group that was here were really nice people but not very...

Location: Hyatt Regency Chicago 151 East Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois, USA 60601 Tel: +1 312 565 1234 Website: http://chicagonyeballroomblitz-redeye.eventbrite.com/ http://chicagonyeballroomblitz-redeye.eventbrite.com/ > Facebook: www.facebook.com/hyattchicago ...

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The Semifinalist and Finalist rounds of "RedEye Rock N' Vote Competition" (the "Contest") start at 12:01 AM (CT) on Monday, April 9, 2012 and end at 11:00 PM (CT) on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 ("Contest Period"). The sponsor of this Contest is RedEye, which is located at 435 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 ("Sponsor"). The Contest shall be subject to these Official Rules, and by entering, all contestants agree to abide and be bound by the terms and conditions herein and the decisions...

Chicago homicides were down 2 percent citywide last year compared with 2010, but there were a few communities on the South and West sides that saw their homicide numbers rise, RedEye data shows. Chicago logged 440 homicides in 2011, down from 449 in 2010, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. However, some areas - including Austin, Englewood and Woodlawn - saw an increase of 30 percent or more increase in their homicide numbers from 2010 to 2011, according to RedEye data.

Chicago's own Kanye West took the title last year--but who should RedEye name 2011's Pop Person of the Year? We'll be unveiling the winner in RedEye in December, but until then, we're looking for readers to weigh in on who they would pick from these top five contenders. Cast your vote in our online poll, and stay tuned for some fun sneak peeks, trivia and more on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram (search: redeyechicago) and Tumblr . Or maybe you're the best choice for Pop Person of the Year?

RedEye joined Facebook in 2007 and has steadily grown its following since then--thanks to you! Last week, we hit the 15,000 "likes" mark, and we'd like to say thank you for following us throughout the years.  Meet us at the newly relaunched Rockit Burger Bar in Wrigleyville Thursday night (April 12) for a quickie, after-work get-together to celebrate our Facebook milestone. Here's the kicker: Show up, tell them RedEye sent you and get a special treat, courtesy the Rockit and RedEye crews.  Here the details--pass it on!

Thanks for your interest in RedEye. Here are the opportunities we have available. Because of the high volume of inquiries we receive about job/freelance/internship opportunities, we can only respond to finalists. Neighborhood reporters RedEye seeks freelance reporters to cover hyperlocal news in Chicago's neighborhoods. The ideal candidates will have reporting experience and have a knack for identifying neighborhood trends. They'll be able to pitch timely and talkable stories about neighborhoods.

Two women and a man were stabbed to death in separate incidents in the last week in Chicago, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. On Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman was stabbed to death in the 4600 block of South Lake Park Avenue in Kenwood, police said. One day earlier, a 51-year-old man was found fatally stabbed in the 900 block of East 104th Street in Pullman, officials said. On Friday, a 58-year-old woman was stabbed to death in the 4200 block of West Cermak Road in North Lawndale, police said.

At RedEye, we value strong opinions. And Chicago music fans sure have them. After nearly 24,000 votes, you narrowed down our RedEye Rock 'n' Vote Top 10 to the 92s, Hospital Garden, the Retar Crew and Santiago x the Natural. The final four will appear at our free show May 16 at Hard Rock Café (headlined by former Rock 'n' Vote finalist Rockie Fresh), where they'll compete for your votes on site. Why? Because the ultimate RedEye Rock 'n' Vote 2012 winner scores a July 15 slot performing at Taste of Chicago.

          Details:  Friday, May 4th (yes... Cuatro de Mayo ...) from 7-9pm at Houndstooth (3369 N. Clark) $15 Corona and Corona light buckets. Similar to last year, we will have the game "Find the Message in a Corona bottle" for your chance to win a trip to Mexico!!!!!! To recap: FRIDAY!  POTENTIAL MEXICO TRIP! BEER! PEOPLE YOU MAY/MAY NOT BE SEXUALLY INTERESTED IN! FRIDAY!

Tickets for Ravinia Festival's 2012 season went on sale today at 5 a.m. at ravinia.org . The Chicagoland tradition will feature more than 120 events this year, mostly musical performances. Check out the Top 14 acts recommended by RedEye here . For the full lineup and more information regarding lawn tickets, go to ravinia.org .

Two men were stabbed to death in separate incidents in Chicago in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. On Sunday, a 71-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the 12900 block of South Manistee Avenue in Hegewisch, officials said. Three days earlier, a 39-year-old man was stabbed to death in the 3500 block of West Douglas Boulevard in North Lawndale, police said. Stabbings account for about 10 percent of the 151 homicides recorded in Chicago this year, as of presstime, RedEye data shows.

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. We all love certain ones, but here at RedEye we love all of them...and we can prove it. Introducing the RedEye 'Hood Tour. For the next few months, we're going to bombard some of our favorite hoods in the city and bring a good time with us.  First up? Logan Square. Did you see our Logan Square guide yet? Go look at that. I'll be here. .... Back? Ok, great! Pop by Logan Bar and Grill on Thursday, April 26th from 6-8PM.

On the ice, Dave Bolland uses words to knock opponents off balance. RedEye threw a few words at the Blackhawks center and asked him to fire back.   Red Wings … "suck. " Sedin brothers … [Scoffs.] "Sisters. " Chelsea Dagger … "Scottish. " Luongo … "Nose. He has a big nose. " Lockout … "Not good. " Toronto … "Home. " "Happy Gilmore" … "Funny. " Shootout … "Fun. " "Star Spangled Banner" … "Jim Cornelison. " "Oh Canada" … "Great song.

From Charlie Sheen's antics to Snooki's weight loss to Gwyneth Paltrow's death in "Contagion," it's been a ridiculous year in Whoville. What more can 2012 bring? Miss Cleo we're not, but RedEye took a look into our office Magic 8 Ball - yes, we have an office Magic 8 Ball - to forecast the future for some of our favorite famous faces. (Speaking of which, whatever happened to Miss Cleo?) Here are the real answers from the ball of wisdom. Will Jennifer Aniston get a marriage proposal?

Englewood and North Lawndale each saw two homicides in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. In Englewood, a 28-year-old man was shot to death Sunday in the 5800 block of South Shields Avenue, police said. One day earlier, a 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in the 5500 block of South Emerald Avenue, police said. Englewood has recorded six homicides so far this year. The South Side community area logged 27 homicides last year, RedEye data shows.