Home Care In Chicago, IL

Illinois – Illinois wakes under a hard, metallic sky this morning as gusty northwest winds push –20°F wind chills into Chicago’s neighborhoods. Frost clings to rail platforms, and snow dust from last night’s flurries drifts across quiet intersections as the city leans into one of its sharpest December cold snap moments so far.

Very cold air continues pouring across Lake Michigan, holding wind chills between –10° and –25°F through midday. Meteorologists expect the coldest pockets across the Southwest Side and open stretches near I-55. Anyone traveling early should prepare for stinging wind on exposed skin and slower warm-up times for vehicles. Even though skies stay mostly clear, flash-freeze slick spots may form where minor melt refroze on shaded pavement.

By midmorning, the sun breaks through, but temperatures climb only toward 13°F, with winds gusting near 25 mph. The bitter air remains the dominant hazard today, keeping commuters bundled in multiple layers as trains, buses, and airport ramps contend with the harsh conditions.

Tonight stays frigid, with lows near 1°F and wind chills dipping back toward –10°F. Monday brings a gradual shift. Temperatures rebound into the mid-20s, and southwest winds increase to 10–15 mph. The city begins to thaw slightly by Tuesday, when highs push toward 38°F, a welcome — if temporary — winter tease in an otherwise cold December pattern.

Hydrologists continue monitoring river ice expansion along northern Illinois waterways. Ice jams remain possible, and rapid rises may occur with little warning. Warmer midweek temperatures could trigger slow melt later but remain uncertain.

Photo Credits: Live Nation

Track List:

Bummerland

Sober Up

Way Less Sad

The Big Goodbye

Cover - "All-Star" by Smash Mouth

Bang!

World's Smallest Violin

Wow, I'm Not Crazy

Burn The House Down

100 Bad Days

There’s so much to say about artistry and technology. For a while, it seemed like the two were in a dance together where neither one was leading or following - it just flowed. Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen technology forget about its dance partner, leaving it behind to what feels like an astonishing takeover diminishing any sense of originality. It’s very rare, as well, that we see artists who fight to save that same originality at all. Yet somehow three brothers from New York City seem to be doing just that and boy - what a fight it’s been. Growing up in a generation where the world is increasingly getting harder to keep up with, AJR shows us that technology - when used as a partner to music - can further advance us in the songs we create as well as by putting up an entire show that gives everyone an opportunity to feel included no matter where you sit.

AJR is a pop band from New York City, although after seeing them in concert, I feel like they could range anywhere between indie - folk. The band is created by three brothers, Adam, Jack and Ryan Met (Metzger) who contribute to the band in so many different ways. The extended band members are Arnetta Johnson (trumpet), Chris Berry (drums) The brothers are multi-instrumentalists and are known as a DIY band as they created a lot of their music from their living room. AJR started 20 years ago, back when the brothers would busk in the parks of New York tap dancing, performing cover songs before eventually taking their turn into producing their own music. Their father, Gary, who was a major part of the band as a manager and roadie, was also an important role in the brothers getting their start. The brothers have told stories of him selling their living room furniture in order to buy them instruments which launched their momentum into the music industry.

AJR performed at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on December 9th. It was the first night out of four of “Twisted” - a holiday festival hosted by Live Nation. AJR shared the stage with Wet Leg and Out In Front who matched the band’s energy perfectly. Once AJR took the stage, it felt like the ballroom exploded with energy as they opened with their single “Bummerland” from their album OK Orchestra. This song came out in 2021, during the pandemic and felt so topical to what was going on around us as it's somehow one of the most optimistic "I've hit rock bottom" kind of songs. This song was an incredible opener as it let the audience know exactly what they were to expect - a high energy, fun, friendly show. The band then switched to their song “Sober Up” which even though it was an older one, you can tell it's held up as the brother's seemed to have so much fun with it. The brothers seemed shocked to hear the entire ballroom yelling this song back at them as they kept looking at each other and smiling. This song leads straight into “Karma” - two songs back-to-back that are heart-breakingly vulnerable about the human experience and what it means when we start to question things a little too much. “Karma” went viral on their tour last year by being performed with Jack hoisted up in the air making it seem like he was free falling during a part of the song where it feels like he's overthinking. This is one of many immersive examples they use to show us how technology can take music a lot further than what we think.

One thing that I think sets AJR apart from other artists is how different their songs sound live than recorded. The band doesn’t shy away from showing off their talents like when they break out the drum pad in their new song from the new EP, What No One's Thinking, “The Big Goodbye” which swayed more in the rock genre played in person. One of the most memorable moments from the concert was a cover song that I didn't know I needed so badly. The band covered Smash Mouth’s “All-Star” which they played on a ukulele and an acoustic guitar. It’s always so great to see a band really know their sound because if I hadn’t known this song, I would’ve thought it was a song they wrote as it sounded so “AJR.” With them stripping the song down to an acoustic level, it also showed the weight of the lyrics of a song a lot of us grew up with that we seemed to have never taken so seriously but it was incredible to hear it in a different lens.

The band’s song “Bang!” was easily one of their more distinguishable songs and even got the little kids around me to dance and sing. This song proved one thing - that Ryan is the keyboardist with the utmost swagger. These brothers are so good at their jobs by making a pop song sound better in person than recorded. The band transitioned into the next “phase” of the concert with a jazz version of “Bang!” which, again, showed off their musical talents before completely shifting gears to Ryan playing a piano version of their song “Inertia.” This song speaks the most to a lot of creative people - or maybe just to the general public - of the idea of settling. It begs the question of "Why do we stay with people that aren’t right for us?" or "Why do we not go and chase our dreams?" “Inertia” is used to describe this energy of resisting change in motion - also known as the feeling of being stuck. Hearing Ryan play this by himself made that hard truth a bit more gentle to hear but it’s one of the biggest takeaways I hope people got from the concert.

It wouldn’t be an AJR show if Jack didn’t run up into the crowd to play a few songs from the balcony section. While playing “World’s Smallest Violin,” I finally realized what this band really captures when seeing them live. Just hearing the music, it sounds like a one man band as if when you turn around, you might see Jack wearing one of those huge bass drums with tambourine’s on his feet somehow making everything coexist. Maybe it was just the song - but I for sure thought that was happening up on the balcony. This song then went into “Wow, I’m Not Crazy” which is a song off of their Neotheater Album. This song was an important addition to the set list since they were able to show off one of their most important members - Arnetta Johnson. Without the trumpet, AJR is not complete as a lot of their songs are trumpet heavy. The last handful of songs really allowed Arnetta to shine, especially with “Burn The House Down.”

What’s incredible that AJR does in the middle of a concert is they give the audience a lesson on how music production works. By doing this, they get to really flex not only their knowledge on how any ordinary sound can be used to create music but to also show the audience that if you’re willing to learn, the technology is right there and you can do it too. Ryan gave a demonstration on how impactful it can be to be curious about how things might sound if you play them backwards, higher pitched, sped up, etc. Only AJR can get 5,000 people to be engaged in a lesson of music production.

What really sold the show for me was their last song, “Weak.” Hearing this song recorded, in no way shape or form, does it justice. One of the feelings I had while hearing this song live was how huge it sounded. It felt like it touched every single soul in the room along with every corner. Kind of like when you turn your lights on first thing in the morning when everything is black. Just when you thought that song couldn’t get any better, the band stepped off the stage, grabbed more instruments and switched the genre completely into what felt like a song that you would hear after you won a prize on the radio. It was such a party which is exactly what this band seemed to have wanted.

Seeing AJR is truly a once in a lifetime experience. They are constantly reinventing what is “allowed” to happen in a concert. One of the perks of having knowledgeable musicians is being able to flip a song on it's head sending it into a different genre as well as showing us truly how important it is to use technology as a partner to music while always ensuring the music isn’t jeopardized. You can feel the 20 years of dedication as it shows in everything that they do. The patience, the persistence, the care, the passion and the intensity that AJR throws into their music is exactly why they have shown us how incredibly important it is to not only really know your craft, but really stand up for it until it looks exactly how you want it to. For a band that is anything but ordinary, they are original and organic. What you can expect from an AJR concert is to leave with more questions than when you came in about how you can push yourself more as a person as well as feeling like you can do absolutely anything.

Written By Breanna M.

*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.

Detroit’s The Armed are technicians when it comes to putting on an energetic performance. Each song is a new chaos for whatever size room the band happens to be playing. This is my expectation going into this show. The Armed, the post-hardcore collective, are here to play their second to last show of 2025 here at Thalia Hall. Here they will pull the laces tight on a year where they reaffirmed their vitality with THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED, their latest record, before tying a bow on it in their homecoming on the next date. Detroit is a five hour drive from here but it doesn’t feel so far from here.

The openers for the night were two of the noisiest rock bands The Great Lakes have to offer. Locals, Latter, opened the show with their well-choreographed blitz. Singer Merideth Haines, a recent transplant to the Windy City, made a quick name for her project with two back-to-back EPs, released a year apart. This was Latter’s first time playing Thalia, one of Chicago’s mid-size venues. Haines’ and crew didn’t pull any punches.

Next, Prostitute took the stage quietly. Singer Moe took the microphone and breathed an exasperated breath, then another, and another, until his exhales took on a rhythm which led into the first song. The crowd responded immediately, bouncing along to the band’s industrial rhythms. It was exciting to finally see the Dearborn, MI band after they had blasted onto the scene following their confrontational debut LP, Attempted Martyr, released at the very start of 2025. Latter and Prostitute are bands to watch in 2026.

Between the changeover to The Armed’s set a curtain dropped on to the stage, sending a loud pop through the concert hall. I hadn’t realized what the sound was until I turned around to see the nearly three story tall curtain looming over the crowd. When the house lights went dark a cacophony of songs that would constitute as “hype songs”, including a snippet of Star Wars theme, all overlapped with explosions that sounded like they were coming from a waterlogged jukebox.

The curtain opened revealing the band with singer/creative director, Tony Wolski tumbling out first like a vaudeville marionette. The band exploded into their first song and Wolski wasted no time hopping on to the crowd. Aside from banter breaks where Wolski marveled at the “original tin” adorning the opera boxes in Chicago’s Thalia Hall, there were few moments of rest for anyone on or off stage.

Throughout the night’s set it seemed like a tag team effort to get each member of The Armed into the crowd. If you’ve ever seen the video of The Dillinger Escape Plan playing the Virgin Megastore in 2005, that’s basically the vibe of a The Armed show and they did not disappoint tonight.

On their last record, THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED, The Armed further proved that they were capable of more than just mysterious gimmicks. Tracks from the new album are urgent and were some of the most raucous moments of the night. Newer tracks and those of the acclaimed ULTRAPOP kept the crowd moving. Even deeper cuts from the band’s catalog got some shine, with Woslki introducing “Night City Aliens” as “the video game one” (From Cyberpunk 2077). It felt like a well-rounded set for fans and stans alike.

The difference between The Armed now and The Dillinger Escape Plan circa 2005 is that there doesn’t seem to be imminent danger afoot. The Armed are not haphazardly throwing themselves around with abandon. There was no hard moshing or crowdkilling that I could see, but the bodies were flying. The controlled chaos of the crowd mixed with the real chaos imbued in their music feels wholly real, and the danger feels inviting.

Words by Blake Correll Photos by Mary Moore

Order tickets for the Armed HERE

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Friday allowing some adults with a terminal illness to take their own lives with medical help.

Senate Bill 1950, or the Medical Aid And Dying Bill, will take effect on Sept. 12.

It allows terminally ill adults, with a six-month or less prognosis, the option to request a prescription, which they can self-ingest to die on their own terms, from their doctor.

Suzy Flack applauds the new law. The former west suburban resident says her son, Andrew, did not die in his home state of Illinois, but instead, he passed away with terminal cancer in 2022 in California, where it was legal for him to use a medical aid to end his life.

"I think it's something that will benefit all," Flack said. "He desperately wanted to live, and he fought for many, many years to keep going, and eventually, it just became too much too much pain."

Also known as Deb's Law in honor of Illinois resident Deb Robertson, who is living with a rare terminal illness, the bill passed out of the Illinois Senate on a 30-27 vote five months after it received a 63-42 vote in the House, with two members voting present.

SEE ALSO | New IL laws in 2026 address missing persons investigations, sexual assault victims, police hiring

Signing the bill Friday morning, Pritzker said in a statement, in part, "Today, Illinois honors their strength and courage by enacting legislation that enables patients faced with debilitating terminal illnesses to make a decision, in consultation with a doctor, that helps them avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives."

But opponents of the measure argue people can defy the odds and survive a six-month terminal diagnosis. They also have concerns with the amount of people who could gain access to the end-of-life drug.

"Illinois is already a state where people with disabilities have some of the least amount of services, the least amount of quality supports to live in the community. What people with disabilities want is the right to live, not just a right to die," said Access Living Vice President of Advocacy Amber Smock.

Advocates of the plan argue that there are safeguards in place to ensure patient protection for Illinois residents. The law does not require a doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist to participate in the option, but it does make it a felony to coerce anyone to request the medication or to forge a request.

Adult patients 18 or older requesting end-of-life medication must:

In a statement, the Catholic Conference of Illinois said, in part, that the signing of the bill into law puts "Illinois on a dangerous and heartbreaking path one that legitimizes suicide as a valid solution for life's challenges."

The practice is already authorized in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

The legislation also requires that insurance plans, including Medicaid, not deny or alter benefits to patients with terminal disease based on the availability of end-of-life care, their request for medication, or absence of a request.

Death certificates of those who take end-of-life medication under the law will attribute their cause of death to the underlying terminal disease.

Patients who qualify and receive medication can withdraw their request at any time and choose not to take it.

If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

????????? Join Us at The Dog Stop Bucktown for the Toys for Tots Chicago Motorcycle Parade! ????

Come watch the world’s largest motorcycle parade roll right past The Dog Stop! The route goes straight down Western Ave, giving you an unbeatable view as hundreds of motorcycles, custom builds, and tricked-out trikes cruise by in full festive style. ?????

Bring your dogs and your friends for the perfect chance to hang out with neighbors, enjoy great music, grab some food and drinks, and let your pups soak up the excitement. We’ll have a surprise special guest on-site for adorable holiday photos with your dogs and kids, complete with a winter-themed backdrop that’s perfect for seasonal cards! ????

We’re also setting up games, giveaways, guided tours, and plenty of treats for both humans and pups. Expect a lively, friendly atmosphere where you can relax, watch the bikes, and connect with Chicago’s dog community (and our friends from the Chicago Doodle Meetup!). ????????

And, because it’s the season of giving, The Dog Stop is also currently donating $20 worth of retail product ($40 retail value) to Chicago Animal Care and Control for each review received. Your visit will help support the animals who need it most!

Co Hosts: Chicago Doodle Meetup Sploot Vets Chicago Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade BrightPath Bucktown

???? Directions Use 2641 N Jones St for the easiest access, as N Western Avenue will be fully closed for the parade. Parking is available in our lot and the alley since it will also be closed from the Western side.