Redeye

** (out of four) Generally, people hesitate to make big, emotional statements because doing so is risky: Strike the right note and those feelings resonate with everyone, but do it wrong and you might end up looking stupid for caring so much. Lady Antebellum has always walked this line closely, and the group's best songs manage to flip those moments that could be maudlin or pathetic in the wrong hands - wanting to call an ex in the middle of the night, for instance - into massive, universal anthems.

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 Thursday, March 14 2013 and end at 11:00 PM (CT) on Tuesday, May 14, 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 of the Sponsor.    1)

When preparing to quit his job to go sailing around the world, Andy Camarda encountered some rough waters even before he hit the open sea. The 25-year-old Albany Park resident announced he is scrapping his plan to take part in the Clipper Round the World race, an 11-month voyage that features teams of boaters racing around the world. "I talked to the recruitment manager and he said there was only one spot left and it was all or nothing at that point," Camarda said. "I couldn't make the commitment because if I did make it, I would've been on the hook for everything.

West Pullman saw two homicides in two days last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. A 38-year-old man was shot to death Friday in the 600 block of West 117th Street, police said. Two days earlier, a 31-year-old man was fatally shot in the 11800 block of South Harvard Avenue, according to officials. West Pullman has logged four homicides so far this year. The South Side community area recorded 13 homicides last year, according to RedEye data. Citywide, gunshot homicides were logged in the last week in Hyde Park, the Near West Side, North Lawndale, South Shore and West Town, RedEye determined.

I attended high school in Chicago's upper-class Lincoln Park neighborhood, surrounded by brownstone mansions and designer boutiques. Though I was no stranger to the concept of violence-- we went through metal detectors and had police officers on staff at Lincoln Park High School--I never thought that one of my classmates, Frankie Valencia, would be brutally shot and killed by a gangbanger outside of a Halloween party. And I definitely couldn't have imagined that one of his best friends, Ricky Pike, another classmate of ours, would also be senselessly lost to gun violence just three years later.

EAT 10th Anniversary Specials Dunlays on Clark 2600 N. Clark St. 773-883-6000 Step back into 2003 with 10 percent off all menu items including signature dishes such as the fried egg sandwich (with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mayo on rye; regularly $9.50), the Wrightwood Salad (field greens, chicken, tomatoes, dried cranberries, avocado, corn, almonds and goat cheese; regularly $12) and the skillet cookie with ice cream (regularly $8). 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Through Thursday.

If variety is the spice of life, our 2013 RedEye Rock 'n' Vote show is going to be spicy . With more than 38,000 votes, you narrowed down our Rock 'n' Vote Top 10 to catchy pop-rockers (The Addies), a lyrically pointed rapper (DVS Jackson, Esq.), a folk/country singer-songwriter (Michele McGuire) and an 8-piece funk/hip-hop band. (whysowhite). They appear at our free show, 7:30 p.m. May 14 at House of Blues (17+), where on-site voting determines the overall 2013 Rock 'n' Vote winner, who scores a spot July 14 at Taste of Chicago.

As the Redeye's Resident Geek, I always have a great time at C2E2, but this year promises to be the best ever! Not only will I get to enjoy the show as a fan, you know by checking out all the publishers, artists and costuming, I'll also be hosting a bunch of panels! Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the people that the folks at C2E2 have me working with. Check out this rundown of where you'll be able to find me (and WATCH THE LIVESTREAM ON THE VIDEO PLAYER BELOW): Saturday Travel Channel's “Toy Hunter” - This is Not Your Ordinary Child's Play!

UPDATE: 2013 Rock 'n' Vote voting has closed. RSVP for the show (required for attendance) and click here to get to know this year's acts better. See you there! The abundance of great Chicago bands never ceases, or ceases to impress. That's obvious again as more than 150 local acts entered our 10th annual Rock 'n' Vote contest. These are the 10 best who now compete for your votes - read about them here and, more importantly, listen to them to hear why they were chosen.

**1/2 (out of four) Setting aside whether it should operate at all, TMZ's editors absolutely should not be granted medical licenses. If they were, the world might turn out like the dystopia of “Antiviral,” in which celebrity obsession has gone so overboard that average people pay to have celebs' viruses injected into them - a means of achieving “biological communion.” I'm disappointed that this feature debut effort from writer-director Brandon...