End of an Era?

It is with great dismay that I report something that apparently many already knew. HotHouse the South Loop stalwart is closing/relocating. July 15 is the scheduled last day of operations for the joint which has housed hundreds of shows and lectures over the years. My relationship with HotHouse goes back to its days on Milwaukee Ave...I have had a chance to help organize/perform and work at HotHouse and I am sad beyond words. I am however happy that the closing is taking place because some things must die in order to live.

It has been one unmatched ride, from seeing my heroes like Oscar Brown Jr., Hugh Masekela, Marvin Tate's D-Settlement, Gil-Scott Heron and zillions of other great shows...this is hard times I guess. It goes without saying that the South Loop will not be the same without the place but as we (the men and women who work there) knew some time ago, this was indeed inevitable.

I think the proper way to say goodbye is by coming down to the spot and attaching as many memories as possible with you. I'll miss it for various reasons but the thing I'll miss most is a place where one could enjoy various musics and comedy (unscheduled). I'll miss everybody even the members of Chicago's growing houseless community who made nights there interesting. I won't miss invisible paychecks, being asked my purpose for being there, a 500 ft wide maxi pad being waived in my face, people trying to "enjoy the moment" in our bathroom, drunk patrons or nights where we would have handfuls of folks instead of the hundreds we had grown accustomed to.

If you want to find out what's going on at HotHouse in the short term go to hothouse.net and take a look around. Yeah this is indeed tough but when one door closes...

Money Makes Area Man Stupid-er

It appears that Tank Johnson has been relieved of his duties with the Chicago Bears. Tank was pulled over this weekend for a speeding incident and he refused to take a Breathalyzer test well bye, bye Tank.

You were told to stay clear of trouble - any kind of trouble or else you will get the most severe penalty possible. Your employer – the NFL suspended you and told you to lay back on the BS you were pulling. Your best friend was murdered this winter and within all of that you found it necessary to go home to Arizona and do whatever you were doing at 3 in the morning and get arrested for speeding.

There is a disturbing trend developing particularly in the NFL where young men with goo-gobs of money, act STUPID. Michael Vick, Pac-Man Jones, most of the roster of the Cincinnati Bengals all of them – kick them out of the league…but wait a second.

If you kick these Neanderthals out of the league, whatever will they do? I would rather the NFL take care of them than have them loose in society. Harsh talk – yes harsh because it is beyond my mental capacity, you have been given a chance to keep your high paying job despite the fact you just spent time in Cook County Jail. You were given chance, after chance, after bleeding chance and you allow yourself to get in trouble – again?

This from the Chicago Tribune - Coach Lovie Smith was quoted on the site (chicagobears.com) saying, "A lot of people within our organization gave extra time and energy to support Tank: players, coaches and our front office.

"We did our best to establish an environment for him to move forward. Ultimately, Tank needed to live up to his side of the deal."

Well just how much did the Bears do? I wonder if they offered Tank counseling? Maybe therapy? Perhaps a chance to keep a closer eye on him, make him stay in Illinois? The money, time and potential PR disaster that this creates for the Bears is horrid and timed horribly.

They are as guilty as Tank is and they may be just as stupid for not launching his dumb ass after his buddy was murdered. Well I'll save the equally dumb ass Bears the trouble -

Bye, bye Tank, don’t look back.

Okay everyone I need your help. This is gonna be short but meaningful. I need two tickets to see the Police at (gulp) Wrigley Field on July 7. The first song I learned to play on my bass was a Police song – Message in a Bottle. I owned at one time all of the albums, that’s right albums – not CD’s that they released. In 8^th grade Robyn Taylor broke my Zenyatta Mondatta album and I made her mom buy me a new one. You see where I’m going with this right? When they played Chicago the last time it was at Comiskey Park (the old one) and I didn’t go. I really want to be there.

Here it is, if you have access to a ticket for the show or know how I can get in the show without doing something horrible to my person or something illegal; please leave me a note at the bottom of this piece. I am already prepared to buy a McChicken and stand outside (gulp) Wrigley Field and listen to the show.

Make it happen friend. I am hoping that you guys will come through and don’t worry, I will be begging for tickets on my show this week.

There is a video from The Police on Mahogany TV – on the real...spread the word, I need two tickets!

On the Run

Some quick hits as I prepare to enjoy the weekend.

If Rosie O’Donnell becomes the host of the Price Is Right, how long before we hear: “The Price Is Wrong Bitch!” This would be the single worst hire in the history of American television. Rosie is a social pariah who has lost all cred with me after she decided to sabotage an already awful show – The View. Just when you thought it was safe – duh-na, duh-na here's Rosie about to fuck up another TV show. Yuck – she makes me sick. I mean for real…barf sick.

When people get together to watch an event on TV, does there always have to be “that guy” watching with you? If you don’t know who “that guy” is consider yourself lucky. One of the local bars here in town held “that guy” in such high regard that he destroyed my already dreadful viewing experience. The Cubs clobbered the White Sox and “that guy” couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Ahhhhhh, you can’t beat fun at the old ballpark.

Memo to my brothers with bangin’ sound systems in their rides: TURN YOUR SHIT DOWN. I don’t need to know that you have diminished musical tastes – keep it to yourself. Party like a rock star just consider the local noise ordinance.

I wonder if/when Oprah will take up the cause of Mumia Abu-Jamal? Just a thought...

How in the blue hell does Arsenal let Thierry Henry just walk away without a serious fight? They've made zero moves on the transfer circuit this spring, didn't do crap this past season and now no more Henry!?!?! Oh well...I can still like Arsenal and learn to like Barca. You guys have no idea what I'm talking about do you?

Enjoy yourself this weekend and have one on me...okay at least for me.

Stop Snitchin'? Yeah right...

Last year around this time here in Hyde Park the manager of a restaurant was murdered and initially it was thought to be a robbery gone bad. In the hood the word was a former employee did it. Today the official word came that indeed it was a former employee who was upset about being fired and “asked a group of friends to retaliate against her boss, Corey Ebenezer, after she was fired.”

According to abc7chicago.com 25-year old Erika Ray asked her homies to kill this brother because she was dismissed from her gig. Now trust me at 25 I was just glad to have a job and I seem to remember getting fired many times and being quite pleased about it. I wonder what possesses a person, what energy is strong enough to forgo your family and future to kill someone over losing a job.

Here is where it gets tricky – not only does the family of Corey Ebenezer continue to grieve over his death, Erika Ray’s family has to be scratching their heads. Why did she ask someone to kill that man? What kind of neo-ghetto new jack revenge bullshit was she on?

Has anyone noticed that there is a campaign in many urban areas to stop snitchin’? Well Lorenzo Wilson didn’t get the memo. Lorenzo allegedly shot and killed the 26 year old father (the baby was 5 days old at the time of his death) for a friend. He tricked on her ass as soon as he possibly could.

So maybe the lesson learned is that you can’t get upset if you get fired and kill your boss. You can’t ask friends of yours to do it and not expect to get snitched on. You can’t be that hung up over losing a job at Leona’s of all places and want to destroy not just the intended victim’s life, but your life and your hit men homies lives too.

The stop snitchin' outreach program is failing. Too bad Corey had to die for it.

Hospital Awareness Week

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger had his Prostate removed and the beat reporters are pissed. It seems that Todd should have revealed his Cancer issue before he was elected board president to give voters a chance to decide if they would really want someone with “the big C” as Board President.

Mr. Stroger chose to keep the matter private as in “Mr. Beavers told me since he has the biggest nuts that I should shut up and wait until June to say anything”.

The press conference was legendary – his poor, poor staff is confused and damn it all to hell if the man didn’t tell the pool of reporters that the curable form of Cancer he has could be taken care of without delay and that he would be able to continue with his job.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Todd Stroger albeit a very nice man is not the best man for this job and when I first saw that he was in the hospital I thought it was to get courage although I don’t know the medical procedure for such a thing.

Maybe I am too much the cynic but I feel like unless it’s life threatening it doesn’t matter whether or not he told the world about his condition. The bottom line is that the man has or had Prostate Cancer and since it affects Americans of African lineage more than anyone that should be the issue not whether or not the pool of reporters missed out on a juicy story that could have changed the election.

God speed President Stroger and hopefully you will recover nicely. To the members of the press, relax and be well. Dig around City Hall I’m sure there is a story on the 5^th floor.

Music Before Sunrise

Good Morning Multiverse…here is the Mahogany After Hours Songlist

Al Green – I’m Glad You’re Mine

Al Wilson – Show and Tell

Alanis Morrissette – Uninvited

Allegra Dee – The Music OK

Beck – Sex Laws

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

Notorious B.I.G & Frank Sinatra – Everyday Struggle/A Day in the Life of a Fool

J Dilla-Common-D'Angelo – So Far to Go

King Kobe

I am a PlayStation maven folks. I play every chance I get and my favorite game without peer is any NBA game. I make it a point to destroy the Chicago Bulls as they are configured and add new players. I have always added Kobe Bryant to my squad and I always roll out on any team I play. Over the past month the word from Los Angeles is that Kobe wants out. He wants to be a Bull or maybe a Knick but in my mind and in my heart he will be a Bull. Makes perfect sense considering he has always shadowed Michael Jordan. Chicago is the third largest market in the United States and the money making/legacy potential is profound. Kobe Bryant would be King of the City. You know he would and if you can get past the potential bleeding of your franchise (Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and maybe Kirk Hinrich) trust me the idea of Kobe dominating the East is too good for even John Paxson to ignore.

If you listen to sports talk stations like The Score however you will hear things like Kobe is a cancer, I don’t like him because of what happened in Colorado, he pushed Shaq out of LA yada, yada, yada. Read the following very carefully – none of you liked Dennis Rodman before he was a Bull. You were ready the brick him upside the head because of how rotten he was, remember? Let the “fan” tell it and Dennis Rodman was the best thing to happen to the Bulls. Now I know one thing…if you put Kobe on this team you have what you’ve been missing since Jordan left – a chance to be in the conference finals and a chance to be in the NBA Finals.

Don’t be fooled just look at his stats. The Bulls have won NOTHING since Jordan left and Kobe Bryant arguably the best player on the planet wants to come here and you don’t like him because of something that happened far away from any basketball court? STFU and get used to this: “Starting at guard from Lower Merion high school number 24 KOBE BRYYYYANNNNNT.

Lord, let this PlayStation wish come true…

So I'm at the Grocery Store

from L to R - Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake


I love Chicago. There should be no doubt about that - ever. I'm at the store over in Bronzeville this evening and who do I bump into?

Fred Anderson one of the worlds great sax players. Hadn't seen Mr. Anderson in quite some time. I've been meaning to check out his new spot - the New Velvet Lounge. Fred is one person that once he knows you, he never forgets you and here I am in the middle of the grocery talking to my hero and nobody knew who this elder was. Only in Chicago.

Check out the newest CD from Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake called From the River to the Ocean. It is outstanding. It features Josh Abrams (original member of The Roots), Harrison Bankhead (member of 8 Bold Souls) and Jeff Parker (member of Tortoise).

Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer

We've all taken pictures that later in life we regret. We look at them 10, 20 years later and go why did I take that picture? In the world of professional sports there are also images that those paid professionals would like to forget.

Robin Ventura getting his breakfast handed to him by a 95 year old Nolan Ryan, AJ getting clobbered by Michael 'Hong Kong Phooey' Barrett and the picture of all pictures Ozzie Guillen choking himself in 2005 while they were winning but see they ain't winning no mo. In fact they stink. They have been horrible since the all star break in 2006. The bullpen smells like ASS and they can't beat the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not the 'We Are Family' Pittsburgh Pirates but the we ain't much like family Pirates of 2007.

Yet I still believe in my heart of hearts this team will rebound and finish strong...okay maybe not World Series strong but strong without tearin' up too much of your squad. It kills me however to wear the hat, support my squad, love my Mighty Whiteys but c'mon now folks they really stink and Ozzie has done everything except get back on the field and take grounders at short. This team needs nothing more than a tune up and a Ouija board. Look toward next year but don't white flag this season not yet because in baseball every team is a streak away from being great or horrid. This edition of the White Sox should point back to 2005 and realize that they won because of the bullpen. They had horses who would burn their mother's house down to get on that mound.

They had decent hitting. Some call it small ball or Ozzie ball I call it playground ball. Remember those days when you weren't big enough to hit homers so you hit seeing eye singles, huge doubles and the major league ready triple...these Sox can't get a Dairy Queen triple and a bag of fries - it's bad and getting worse. But remember it's all about images and the picture of Ozzie choking himself is dramatic poetry.

Well now I know

Apparently the 'Cream of Wheat Man' has quite the history. So historic in fact that nobody knew his name or had a proper marker for his grave that is until today. Now ever since I can remember the 'Cream of Wheat Man' was a character who was drawn from some white persons idea of what a black chef looked like. I also seem to remember as I got older running from that box with that smilin' negro taunting me to eat his "cereal".


According to the Chicago Sun-Times the mans name was Frank L. White. He was a cook here in Chicago and the pic was taken in the 1900's. He died on Feb. 15, 1938 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Leslie, Michigan and now has a headstone for his grave...in 2007. They called him Rastus in their advertising. This from Answers.com: Rastus is a given name associated with African Americans in the United States. During the period of American slavery, it was common practice for owners to give their slaves historical, and particularly Biblical, names. (Rastus appears to be a shortening of Erastus, a disciple of St. Paul mentioned in Acts 19:22, Romans 16:23, and 2 Timothy 4:20.) After the end of American slavery, 'Rastus' was used by whites as a generic, often derogatory, name for black men. It became synonymous with the stereotype of the happy, carefree Southern black created by Southern whites to justify continued racial repression. Rastus—as any happy black man, not as a particular person—became a familiar character in minstrel shows.

An honorable man (by most accounts) Mr. White was born about 1867 in Barbados, came to the United States in 1875 and became a citizen in 1890. The Ad men reduced him to a red lipped caricature. His honor diminished to that of Rastus...at least now we know the back story of one of the singular most racist icons in American advertising. Rest in Peace Mr. White...

Something New

welcome to Mahogany a new entry in the overcrowded world of blogging. the mission is to redirect the train of thought to the center. hopefully you will find the time to contribute and help shape what this promises to be...a celebration of all that is...

to the right is Mahogany TV and on it for the time being is a trailer for a new movie hitting theaters stateside July 13 called Talk To Me starring Don Cheadle. It's about one of the most dangerous dare i say pioneers in the genre of the "shock jock" Petey Greene.

enjoy Mahogany...