Illinois Entertainer May 2018 | Page 6

Throb, Throb, Bobblehead Andrew W.K., the man who continues to show the world how to party, has been trans- formed into a pint-sized party figure for a sec- ond time. This follow up to his first Throbblehead brand figure from 2010 is limited to just 1000 numbered units, stands at six inches tall, and is made of a super high quality polyresin. Thanks to its lightweight, durable design, and its adhesive base, you can even plant Andrew on your dashboard and party bobble while you drive. When it's time to party, we will always drive the party car. Wherever you decide to put him, this mini- Andrew will stand strong and determined, and radiate pure positive party power directly into your soul! Since 2009, AGGRONAUTIX has made over 40 Throbbleheads mostly of punk Icons like Wendy O Williams, GG Allin and Lee Ving (Fear), almost all of which have sold out. The company has also been featured in Alternative Press, New Noise Magazine, and No Echo and profiled in Billboard and The Philadelphia Inquirer. "The demand for the original Andrew W.K. Throbblehead was so great that we decided to gives fans a second version," said Clint Weiler owner of AGGRONAUTIX. "Andrew has such a great attitude and vibe... He's just awesome to work with!" For details to get your Andrew W.K. bobblehead visit andrewwk.com 05•2018 Guitar & Drum Amigos We still consider it pretty weird that any musician could form a relationship with their instrument online or through mail order. So we get pretty excited when the guys from Amigos Guitar Shows bring their show back to Chicagoland. Finding the perfect guitar (especially a vintage instrument) means feeling it, playing it, and letting it breathe: and the only way to do that is auditioning it in per- son. This year's show comes to The Odeum in Villa Park on May 19 and 20. Dealers from around the country and several of our favorites from the Chicago area will show their wares that weekend. They'll also buy guitars and trade 'em. This year's show is the fourth since the death of show co- founder John Brinkman, Sr. who passed away in 2013. Brinkman launched the show in the Chicago- area 30 years ago in the DeKalb "'burb" of Maple Park. It's a tribute to a gentleman (along with his partners Dave Crocker and widow Ruth Brinkman) who have taught us to really appreciate a fine instrument. Initially known as the Amigos, they first hosted their show in Dallas. Today, it's the granddaddy of US guitar shows, held in Arlington, TX and Southern Carlifornia (plus San Francisco and Nashville). The Amigos produce the most visited con- sumer guitar shows in the US, they also hold the record of maximum sales. Along with the guitar show in May, The Chicago Drum Show will host it's annual event for drummers the same weekend at the Odeum. Its founder calls the show a swap- meet, a drum expo, and an entertainment event - featuring clinics, demonstrations, raffles, classes, and over 20,000 square feet (combined both shows) of exhibits. Master Classes this year (a cross between a clinic and a private lesson, and classes are limit- ed to 25 registrants) include Kenny Aronoff, Danny Seraphine, and Dom Famularo. For details on both events go to amigogui- tarshows.com and rebeats.com. 6 illinoisentertainer.com may 2018 Spirit of '76 They re-opened last summer, but now the food and drinks are flowing at the all new Alley 1776 across the street from their old location at 3223 N. Clark. With the suburbanization of the Clark & Belmont corridor, owner Mark Thomas knew he needed a new concept for the longtime former headshop, jewelry and lifestyle store, so Thomas teamed up with friend and Philly's Best founder and restauranteur, Michael Markellos, to rein- vent the Alley as a coffee shop and food destination on the first floor, along with the t-shirts, leather jackets and jewelry they've always been known for on the second floor. Markellos and Thomas knew their cafe food options needed to be unique to Chicago to separate themselves from the corporate franchise cof- fee shops that dominate Lakeview and Wrigleyville, so they formulated a menu that includes Freddo Cappucinos, waffles on a stick (Wafflepops!) with dough imported from Belgium, and pizzas topped with biscuits and gravy, along with Chicago's Dark Matter Coffee. Thomas told WBBM- AM's Mike Ramsey "We think we've found a formula," he said. "But if everyone's going to say, 'I love The Alley,' and show up once every other year to walk through and maybe buy a dollar sticker, we won't be here. People have got to learn to patronize locally owned retail stores, locally owned coffee shops, locally owned restaurants." The vibe is old Lakeview at the Alley 1776, and their liquor license arrives later this month, so here's a toast to our friends from the Alley 1776. Data Dump Facebook's "betrayal" of their customers with online data collectors Cambridge Analytica is alleged to have shared personal information from 50 million Facebook users, packing it into personality profiles, evaluating them and using the findings to exert a massive influence on the US elections and a boatload of misinformation. You may call it fake news. The Facebook sell-out reinforces that data monsters store everything about us: the search for diseases, the amount of credit we have, vists to adult sites, online shopping and much more. German internet protection company eBlocker's privacy cube connects to your home network, anonymizing your online behavior and ensures that only infor- mation is passed on to websites. eBlocker protects a users entire network includ- ing each device within it. The "blocker" protects tablets, smartTVs and game con- soles which are especially vulnerable to hackers. They offer 3 versions of the eBlocker that protects individual users and families, with starting prices in the $119.00 price point. Go to eblocker.com for details.