Dave Hoekstra

Chicago

Writer and Journalist at Freelance

Journalist and author of 7 books, 2 documentaries. Still dreams of tiki bars on Route 66.

Articles

How Rainbo Club Bartender And Artist Ken Ellis Became A 'Wicker Park Icon'

3 weeks ago | blockclubchicago.org | Dave Hoekstra

WICKER PARK — Ken Ellis — artist, bartender and doorman with a resume unrivaled in Chicago nightlife — grew up in the Gold Coast, in the shadows of a neon wilderness. His father was a building engineer and janitor at 1235-45 N. Astor St. In 1960, when Ellis was 6, he moved with his parents north from Bronzeville to the Victorian brownstone on Astor, where his dad was on call 24 hours.
Long may you run: Mark Ibach 1957-2025

1 month ago | davehoekstra.com | Dave Hoekstra

Now Reading Long may you run: Mark Ibach 1957-2025 138 138 A friend to his dog is a friend to all. My friend Mark Ibach was all that and more. Since 1981, he rescued five basset hounds. There may even have been more that we don’t know about. Mark’s Christmas cards featured a photo of him with his hounds. He brought them to the annual Chicago White Sox Dog Day.
Duke Slater: Passing the torch of a Chicago legend

2 months ago | davehoekstra.com | Dave Hoekstra

Now Reading Duke Slater: Passing the torch of a Chicago legend 5 5 Once you learn that a good life comes from a series of small gains you will move on to bigger things. This is the ethos of football legend Duke Slater. Frederick “Duke” Slater was the first Black lineman in the National Football League.
Though the Steel Mills Are Long Gone, the Southeast Side of Chicago Still Manifests A Relentless Spirit

2 months ago | newcity.com | Dave Hoekstra

A stirring parable of Southeast Chicago can be told through the punk band Dead Steelmill. They formed in 1985 in response to the collapse of the local steel industry. All four members came from steelworker families and their ethos contains the neighborhood’s values of family, relentless spirit and rebirth.
Chompin' at the Bytes

2 months ago | davehoekstra.com | Dave Hoekstra

Now Reading Chompin’ at the Bytes 5 5 Just when you think journalism is dead, the three-year-old American Thoroughbred Journalism is the lively favorite to win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Actually, the last time horse racing was super popular was about the last time people carried around newspapers.
Chicago's Vintage Photo Booths Are A Dying Breed. Meet The Women Trying To Keep Them Alive

Mar 21, 2025 | blockclubchicago.org | Dave Hoekstra

WICKER PARK — Anatol Josepho invented the first fully automated, coin-operated photo booth in 1925. It debuted in New York City’s Times Square. A century later, with the world in flux, younger generations are again seeking respite in vintage photo booths and other pursuits with a human touch, like vinyl records and board games. A rare analog photo booth from the 1960s debuts this weekend at the grand opening of Vintage House Chicago, 1433 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Making the Games: The Story of Cadaco, A Chicago Toy Company That Created Epic Tabletop Sports Contests - and Turned the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Into a Competition | Newcity

Mar 5, 2025 | newcity.com | Dave Hoekstra

We were lost in the weeds of pre-teen suburbia, looking for any connection to the real Chicago. The cul-de-sac in front of our ranch house became a repetitive metaphor. How many times could we eat steakburgers at Cock Robin? So we played the All-Star Baseball board game in our basements. We picked teams of major league all-stars. Game players would spin a tiny metal arrow over a disc to see if the all-star hit a home run or made an out.
Weegee’s Lounge Owners Are Sailing Away

Feb 26, 2025 | resto.newcity.com | Dave Hoekstra

A lucky midnight star brought new light to West Humboldt Park in the summer of 2006 when Alex Huebner and Lynne Marrs opened Weegee’s Lounge, 3659 W. Armitage, a fine tavern named after New York’s ace tabloid photographer Arthur Fellig, aka Weegee (1899-1968). Weegee found delight in photographing crime scenes, young immigrants, and stray dogs. He would have enjoyed West Humboldt Park. It was the first swing for Huebner and Marrs as bar owners.
Gene Barge: The Sound of a Dream (1926-2025)

Feb 4, 2025 | davehoekstra.com | Dave Hoekstra

Now Reading Gene Barge: The Sound of a Dream (1926-2025) 24 24 In these times it is important to know the strength of one voice: a clarion of dignity, grace, and conviction. When delivered on note it becomes a sound that can move others forward. That was the sound of Chicago musician Gene Barge. Barge died Sunday of natural causes at his home in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago.
Late Folk Legend Steve Goodman's Guitars, Lyric Sheets Feared Lost In Los Angeles Fires

Jan 15, 2025 | blockclubchicago.org | Dave Hoekstra

CHICAGO — The beloved Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Goodman recorded his final album “Santa Ana Winds” in 1984. They are the same winds that spread the Los Angeles wild fires that killed at least 25 people this week and destroyed thousands of homes. Two of those homes belonged to Goodman’s daughters, and they now fear some of their father’s prized keepsakes — including guitars and the original handwritten lyrics to his legendary hit “City of New Orleans” — were lost to the fires.