ABOUT UR CHICAGO

UR Chicago is a free monthly magazine covering regional and national lifestyles and entertainment. We keep our readers informed about the latest trends in nightlife, music, theater, art, film, dining, fashion and more in Chicago and beyond.

UR Chicago is the magazine for music lovers, trendsetters, and fashion - forward early adopters throughout the Windy City. Fully embracing the unique, multi-dimensional cultural makeup of our city—through in-depth reporting and a commitment to finding what’s next—the magazine spotlights emerging art, music and culture throughout local and international landscapes. UR Chicago takes the sounds and sights of tomorrow and delivers them to Chicago today.

UR Chicago is distributed free of charge to our ever-expanding readership via 600 retail and street box distribution points located throughout the city. You’ve probably seen us; we’re in the neon orange boxes.

Since the magazine’s first issue in 1997, we’ve increased our circulation to a max of 45,000 copies every month. With the standard pass-along rate, that means up to 200,000 readers hold a copy of UR Chicago in their hands each month and see your advertisement.

Because we’re a monthly publication, readers keep copies of our magazine handy all month long—that means multiple viewings of your advertisement. Weeklies or dailies are often considered disposable and are in the trash by 5 p.m.

UR Chicago is known for several key strengths: our music and nightlife; our witty, expert reporting style; and our industry-insider persona. Club owners, promoters and DJs read us regularly; if they’re the trendsetters, then we’re the trend forecasters.

Founded in 1997, UR Chicago magazine is published by En Prise Entertainment, LLP, a Chicago-based artist management/event promotion company owned by local tastemakers Chess Hubbard and Matt DuFour. A free, independent, Chicago-based magazine, UR Chicago is published 12 times per year.


The UR Chicago staff thinks it's time to get busy photograph by Joe Reyes

MATT DUFOUR, Publisher, Music Editor

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: High five. top 5...words at the moment: 1. Sick 2. Dude 3. totally 4. dude (again) 5. "like" one album you could never part with: Wilco / Yankee Hotel Foxtrott your pet is... awesome. favorite night spot: The Burlington odd superhero power: Super fast texting.

ultimate goals in life: World domination. favorite website: thetripwire.com Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Chess. local DJ that saved your life: Mother Hubbard. favorite lunch spot: Southport Grocery. favorite street corner: still North/Damen/Milwaukee. pet peeve: Improper usage of the word "via." most celebrated moment: Being born. i heart... my girlfriend. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: A shot of Jameson & a beer. favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: Whatever's on special. fantasy celebrity spouse: Dunno... don't have one. one bad habit you can't shake: Procrastination. the occupation of your alter ego? Wall Street Super Trader. back to top

CAECILIA HUBBARD, Publisher, Lead Creative

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: Ari (hears footsteps): Oh. Here comes Matt. Or a woman in heels. top 5...movie crushes I have and can't explain: 1. Pinhead in Hellraiser 2. Bill Paxton in Aliens 3. Ice Cube in Anaconda 4. Michael Pitt in Murder by Numbers 5. Young Augustus Caesar in HBO's ROME (he's like 12) one album you could never part with: Bjork / Homogenic your pets are... Hektor (Basenji/American Eskimo mix), Augustus (Basenji purebred), and Matt DuFour (hopeless hole punch breaking white dude). favorite night spot: It's a tie between my bedroom and my living room. odd superhero power: Ability to carry 10+ tote bags at a time.

ultimate goals in life: 1. Keep up level of awesome. 2. Become more awesome. 3. Teach others in the way of awesome and finally, 4. Reminisce on being awesome. favorite website: wikipedia.org Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Amy O. on the strict stipulation that she had a couple drinks in her at the time. local DJ that saved your life: Bald Eagle, bah-caw! favorite lunch spot: The Famous Taco Burrito #2. favorite street corner: At the moment, Addison & Western, cause that's my hood! pet peeve: People that misspell words when they have access to a spell check program. most celebrated moment: Starting EN PRISE! i heart... Everyone in this here office...like, MAD heart. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: Alcoholic: redbull and jager. Non-alcoholic: horchata and espresso. favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: Elk sausage with the bright pink cheese cubes. fantasy celebrity spouse: Sean Connery circa 1962 or Trey Parker now and always. one bad habit you can't shake: Popping blackheads on my face and/or someone else's face...while they are trying to sleep. the occupation of your alter ego? Benevolent dictator of earth. back to top

ARI BENDERSKY, Editor In Chief

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: Paul: I have a thing for brown-haired chicks who look like they cut their hair with a broken bottle. top 5... words I can live without 1. Douche 2. Jackass 3. Awesome 4. Seriously 5. Literally one album you could never part with: Madonna / Confessions on a Dance Floor your pet is... An Emma: a shepherd, lab, sharpei mix, or as we like to say "a really good night" favorite night spot: Standing in front of Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island looking back toward the skyline out beyond the top of Soldier Field. odd superhero power: The ability to kill everyone with boring stories.

ultimate goals in life: Write a book of short stories, travel around the world and open a gourmet food shop. favorite website: Drudge Report because it gives me a great round-up of news ... or PerezHilton.com, because it serves the same effect. Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Kim, but she already is. local DJ that saved your life: No one, really. favorite lunch spot: Milk & Honey favorite street corner: Hoyne and LeMoyne. pet peeve: Ignorance and intolerance -- and people who say things like "irregardless" or "heighth." most celebrated moment: Seeing my first published article for the Associated Press go all around the world. And becoming editor in chief of UR Chicago. i heart... Drew. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: Mandarin tonic w/ a lime, Makers/Ginger w/lime; Margarita rocks salt; Newcastle (winter) favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: Blue cheese pork with morello cherry crème fraiche and dried apricots. fantasy celebrity spouse: Patrick Dempsey. (b/c he's hot and drives race cars) one bad habit you can't shake: Cracking my knuckles. the occupation of your alter ego? World-famous architect or jet-setting socialite. back to top

LIZELLE R. DIN, Art Director

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: Kim: I like your dress, Anthonia. Anthonia: Thanks. I like your face. top 5...ways you should take a picture: 1. Jumping 2. Doing a spiderman pose 3. Playing dead 4. Biting an invisible cheeseburger 5. Sniping a tourist's shot w/any of the above one album you could never part with: Various Artists / Vanilla Sky Soundtrack your pet is... Actually a plant named Grape Jr. favorite night spot: Empty Bottle on Monday nights odd superhero power: Finding people's lost keys or any object that have been misplaced.

ultimate goals in life: Direct a short film about awkward moments and ironic situations. favorite website: coolhunter.net Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Kim. local DJ that saved your life: DJ Chris Mix. He doesn't know it, but he is going to DJ my wedding. favorite lunch spot: Brett's Kitchen, even though our office is not by it anymore. favorite street corner: Also 6 corners in Wicker Park. Silly hipsters. pet peeve: Getting hiccups while I'm brushing my teeth. most celebrated moment: Learning how to conduct "the orchestra." i heart... Friends that act like they are family. specifically the mafia kind of family. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: Malibu and pineapple. That's right. I said it. favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: The Atomic Bomb. fantasy celebrity spouse: Keanu Reeves. Next question. one bad habit you can't shake: Waiting until the last possible minute to leave my apartment to be somewhere. the occupation of your alter ego? An open heart surgery nurse, the one that always talks about you in Tagalog when you do something stupid, but also played dodgeball. back to top

LIZZ KANNENBERG, Marketing Manager

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: Paul: I made a bet with my mom that I wouldn't come home for Thanksgiving with a mustache. Now I look like Super Mario's weird porno cousin. top 5... ways to excuse yourself from a boring conversation 5. "I'm off like a prom dress." 4. "Time to make like hockey and get the puck outta here." 3. "Time to make like a shepherd and get the flock out of here." 2. "Time to make like a fetus and head out." 1. "I'm out like a boner in sweatpants." one album you could never part with: Wilco / Being There your pet is... Teddy the mutt! favorite night spot: I think I have to say The Burlington, but really it's Schubas. odd superhero power: I can eat 4.5 pounds of macaroni and cheese.

ultimate goals in life: What? favorite website: urchicago.com, duh. Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Rob. local DJ that saved your life: Tankboy once gave me $20 to get home in a cab, that is pretty life saving. favorite lunch spot: Harmony Grill. favorite street corner: Ravenswood & Lawrence ... home sweet home. pet peeve: Bad breath. most celebrated moment: By me? Getting this here job at UR, of couse. By others? My birth, and they haven't celebrated since. i heart... Bacon-wrapped dates. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: Ill-advised. favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: Blue cheese pork sausage with green apple creme freche. fantasy celebrity spouse: Ugh, fine...Jack White. one bad habit you can't shake: Coffee, and I never will. the occupation of your alter ego? A writer...oh, wait. A bartender...oh, wait. A band manager...oh, wait. back to top

KIM JEFFRIES, Assistant Editor

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: Paul: Are you tired of being cool, Ari? top 5...Overplayed artists in the En Prise office: 1. OFFICE 2. Seal 3. Ryan Adams 4. Tigercity 5. Bjork one album you could never part with: Jimmy Eat World / Futures your pet is.. My late and beloved yellow lab, Cory. He will always be my pet. favorite night spot: Metro/Smart Bar. odd superhero power: Obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

ultimate goals in life: To be the touring triangle player in Sting's band. favorite website: fredflare.com/blog --> "Heroes" entries. Staff member you would pick as your wingman: The En Prise/UR ladies. Pack mentality. local DJ that saved your life: DJ Mother Hubbard, duh. favorite lunch spot: Camille's for their Napa Valley chicken panini with no mushrooms. favorite street corner: Lincoln and Wilson. pet peeve: Inconsiderate people. most celebrated moment: When I got into NU. i heart... living near large bodies of water. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: Dr Pepper. favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: The Dave Kingman, Santa Fe-style. fantasy celebrity spouse: Kevin Griffin. one bad habit you can't shake: Dr Pepper addiction. the occupation of your alter ego? Probably a bartender at someplace like Coyote Ugly. Because that's something I'd never, ever do. back to top

LEAH RING, Marketing Associate

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: It will be the sound of the bell ringing. top 5... condiments/toppings i can't live without: 1. HOT SAUCE! 2. Ranch dressing 3. Cool Whip 4. Sauerkraut 5. Soy sauce one album you could never part with: Queens of the Stone Age / Queens of the Stone Age your pet is.. My sister had a hampster once. I hated it. favorite night spot: Debonair Social Club odd superhero power: Making nail polish dry instantly.

ultimate goals in life: Never grow up. favorite website: rcrdlbl.com Staff member you would pick as your wingman: Too much pressure... I just got here. local DJ that saved your life: DJ Clash Gordon favorite lunch spot: Pomegranate. favorite street corner: Anywhere not in Evanston. pet peeve: Wearing black and brown together. most celebrated moment: My half birthday party when i was 7 1/2. (My birthday is on Christmas day... it blows.) i heart... thrift shopping. if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: before 5 p.m.: Bloody Mary, after 5 p.m.: Long Island favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: Never been. Sorry. fantasy celebrity spouse: Daniel Johns... but grown up, super hot Daniel Johns, not anorexic teen Daniel Johns. one bad habit you can't shake: Twirling my hair. the occupation of your alter ego? Skydiving instructor. back to top

KATHERINE CHAMPAGNE, En Prise Intern

favorite thing overheard in the En Prise/ UR Chicago office: tba top 5... tba one album you could never part with: Stars / Set Yourself On Fire your pet is.. I don't have one! :( favorite night spot: tba odd superhero power: tba

ultimate goals in life: I told Amy O. the meaning of life was to live for others... I think that's the ultimate goal. :) favorite website: thesartorialist.blogspot.com, perezhilton.com, slate.com [there's too many good websites to choose just one!] Staff member you would pick as your wingman: What exactly is a wingman, anyways? I love all the UR Rangers! local DJ that saved your life: DJ MH, duh! favorite lunch spot: Thai Grill in the lobby of the Sovereign in Rogers Park. favorite street corner: The one my apartment sits on in Rogers Park. Home is where the heart is! pet peeve: People who think leggings are an acceptable substitute for pants. They aren't. most celebrated moment: Insofar, my most celebrated moment was graduating high school. When I finally get out of college... I think the answer to this question will change. i heart... tba if you wanted to buy me a drink it would be: You wouldn't be buying me drinks. Not yet, anyways, I'm not 21! :) favorite hot dog at Hot Dougs: tba fantasy celebrity spouse: Justin Timberlake. I'd bang him like a screen door in a hurricane. Haha! one bad habit you can't shake: Cigarette smoking. the occupation of your alter ego? A supermodel! [I secretly wish I was Heidi Klum, but who doesn't?] back to top