Chic-A-Go-Go!
Categories: Local Flavor, Television Stations [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hyde Park1507 E 53rd St
Ste 617
(between Harper Ave & Lake Park Ave)
Chicago, IL 60615
- Good for Kids: Yes
12 Reviews for Chic-A-Go-Go!
Bring your kids!
Bring yo mama!
Bring dancin' shoes!
The most positively fun environment possible.
Jake Austen should hold some sort of serious Near Mid-Lifetime Achievement Award.
Let's do the EL Train Line! YAY! WHAT A FUN DANCE! YAY! Chic-A-Go-Go is AMAZING!!! Puppets, and dancing and awesome music!!!! Wow! I want to live there!
I had to use internet smarts to find this rubric in Yelp. The reviews of things like this are buried under "/c/{city-name}/localflavor/".
I believe the true tale of how I discovered "Chic-A-Go-Go!" has never been committed to print (or electrons). I have _told_ a few people about it.
Back in late spring 1998, when there was mostly one computer accessing the internet, and it was my father's in the front room, and it had a modem connection [which it still does]; I did not go onto the internet until after 9:00 pm.
On a Tuesday night here, I was watching Chicago cable television. I generally viewed the block of the two internet shows (one was "The Internet Cafe") which were sandwiched around some off-beat travel show (I don't think it was Rick Bayless') in the 7:00 - 8:30 pm time slot *on channel 20*.
On one fateful Tuesday, when these shows ended, I hit the "Down" button on my remote controller, landing on channel 19.
Some strange-looking show comes on with lots of dancers of various ages. It is playing music which caused me to ask, "Has somebody swiped some of my records?" It was mind-boggling. When it ended this show with a Parliament-Funkadelic song; I had to learn who thought of the concept of playing P-Funk on a TV show. (I thought I was the oddball caucasian guy who bought P-Funk LPs, because they were in the cheap cut-out racks at the stores where I shopped in the late 1970s, and because their artwork was probably worth the 33 or 50 cents they were costing.)
I wrote to the address on the screen. [It was that^.] I got back an E-Mail thanking me for the letter and telling me that the next taping of the show was a Saturday afternoon in late July.
I went to that. I remember it because it was the *last* show hosted by the female who _preceded_ Miss Mia. (Miss Mia was a [mere?] dancer that afternoon.)
That's really it.
I enjoy the show. The musical selections are decidedly eccentric. I'll appear on as many of them as they let me. If the taping is on a Sunday at 12:00 noon; that's when I might not appear [because I'm strung out from the previous night, especially if I don't get back home until 4:00 am.].
I have previous experience working with live television. Some of our other dancers might tell you that I am the one making them feel less tense about being on TV. This was perhaps most recently observed when they had their 4th-ever *live show* [29 April 2008]. Yes, that was me up on a riser wearing a circa-1988 Chicago STING uniform (top and bottom). Miss Mia told me to get up on the riser; and since we were live - somebody had to do it.
Essentially, Chic-A-Go-Go! is a really fun show; regardless of which side of the camera you are on. You should visit roctober.com , click through to the show, and sign up for the E-Mailing list.
Here's the weird twist: In October 1998, _we pulled the plug on cable_ and switched over to Dish Network dbs. So I do not get to view myself on television anymore.
Transit details: The Chicago Access Network studio is at 322 S. Green St. [not this address on E. 53rd St.]. Take the Blue Line "L" to the UIC-Halsted station. Use either the Halsted or the Peoria exit. Green St. is west of Halsted and east of Peoria. Walk two blocks north.
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Simply awesome. How could anyone not love Miss Mia and Ratso? And where else are a bunch of little kids gonna get down to Bobby Conn American Bandstand-stylee?
I have been watching Chic-a-go-go for as long as I can remember. Mia and Ratso make such a fun pair. Nowhere else on earth can you catch some great underground music and a very wide variety of fun people just dancing up a storm.
This might be the greatest dance party of all time...move over Don Cornelius, your Soul Train has been derailed...Mia and the EL Train is chuggin' up!
Every city should be so lucky to have their own Chic-A-Go-Go!
Exists only to make people happy and make them dance--- a noble cause. I danced on Chic-A-Go-Go a few years ago and it was a great experience. So much fun. That particular show featured Karaoke Against Racism, a breakdancing crew, and the Webb Brothers. We had a breakdance battle against some 4 year olds (I can't breakdance but I can represent to a 4 year old.) After the show, the Webb Brothers filmed their music video, and we got to be in it. Again, so much fun.
Long live Chic-A-Go-Go!
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Let me start by saying that I love Ch. 19 for the Public Access programming. So many crazies (with mad tech skills), so little time.
But I love love love Chic-A-Go-Go! This is how I want every party I ever attend for the rest of my life to be like. All sorts of people dancing, classic dance hits, puppets telling jokes, and maybe even a live act or two.
Seeing this pop up on the boob tube always brings a smile to my face. I can't recommend it highly enough!
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OH MY GOD! I miss cable for this public access channel alone! (Well, that and Sasha and Noob, I enjoyed that one too...oh, and I like the one about stepping, but anyhow...)
I swear, everytime I hear that one Gwen Stefani song, "The Sweet Escape", I think of Chic-A-Go-Go and smile...ah, memories of losing $61 a month to Comcast...
Amazing for the theme song alone....
I wish I had cable!
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I would almost consider moving to cold-ass Chicago to be able to watch Chic-A-Go-Go regularly. Miss Mia and Ratso have really brought fun back to tv. I have a best of video that I have watched wayyyyy too many times. I still find myself mimicking Monotrona's classic performance (Hawkeye & Firebird) years later. Awesome!
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I love Chic-A-Go-Go!
I, too, wish to dance on this program.
Next Yelp Event?!?!?!?!
::hint hint::
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Chic-A-Go-Go is many things: underground music showcase, children's public access TV show, and probably most importantly, CARAZY (sober) DANCE PARTY!
First, you've got to come up with some sort of costume. Banana, Russian soccer player, evergreen forest--whatever you want, it doesn't have to make sense. Bonus points for bright colors! Then, you head over to the studio and dance alongside children, college students, older folks and other friendly types, all while local bands lip-sync to their songs in front of you.
Oh, and there's a talking rat named RATSO that tells jokes. Best part: it's FREE! And they usually set out free snacks. Sometimes there are special celebrity guests. THE Paul Frank was featured one time.
I enjoy going with my friends for something different to do. And believe me, it is VERY different. Sometimes it smells a little in the studio, like the smell of not having regular shower access, but it's part of the charm. And FUN!
Tapings are normally Saturday or Sunday afternoons, but they vary. Email ratso@roctober.com for up-to-date info.
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