Eventbrite launches "It Lists" to spotlight top Chicago events
Eventbrite is launching new features today, including curated lists of events from Chicago tastemakers.
The big picture: The online events calendar can get crowded as anyone is allowed to post their events to the site, but the new "It Lists" are a way to cut through the noise. The Chicago "It Listers" include:
Author Rebecca Makkai with literary-inspired events like book clubs and workshops;
Curator Easy Otabor has agendas around art, fashion and culture; and
Musical duo DRAMA offers ideas for friend hangs centered around music and dance.
State of play: The lists, as well as a new feature that allows users to sync calendars with friends, aims to make it easier for digital natives, i.e. Gen Zers, to turn the connections they build online into real life experiences.
Reality check: Being online all the time cuts both ways. It can lead to isolation and loneliness, but online communities can also create belonging for people who don't find that same acceptance offline.
By the numbers: There's a longing to find those spaces IRL.
95% of 18- to 35-year-olds are interested in exploring interests and communities they've discovered online through in-person events, Eventbrite found in a study released in January.
45% said their interests are "somewhat" or "very" niche so discovering others with those same interests help create a sense of belonging.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Vibes Nation
a day ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
The Second Season Of HBO's 'The Last Of Us' Heads To 4K UHD Blu-Ray This September
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that they will be bringing the hit HBO drama The Last Of Us: The Complete Second Season to 4K Ultra HD Steelbook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 23, 2025. Based on the famed video game of the same name, the season two returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. New cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O'Hara also guest stars as therapist, Gail. Fans can own all seven episodes of the critically acclaimed second season along with nearly two hours of special features including two never-before-seen featurettes. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray releases will come with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio. Get the details below! Synopsis: Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind. SPECIAL FEATURES ON DIGITAL INCLUDE: Ellie's Ultimate Revenge (New Featurette Exclusive to 4K, BD and DVD) – Join the cast and crew as we discover what is fueling Ellie's revenge and the rage within. What lead her on this path? Who is Ellie as a person and what drives her? What is her current relationship with Joel? How does she feel after she witnesses Joel die? Who is Abby? How can she find her? What will she do when she finally does? All of these questions are explored in Ellie's Ultimate Revenge. (New Featurette Exclusive to 4K, BD and DVD) – Join the cast and crew as we discover what is fueling Ellie's revenge and the rage within. What lead her on this path? Who is Ellie as a person and what drives her? What is her current relationship with Joel? How does she feel after she witnesses Joel die? Who is Abby? How can she find her? What will she do when she finally does? All of these questions are explored in Ellie's Ultimate Revenge. Beneath the Surface: The Visual FX of The Last of Us (New Featurette Exclusive to 4K, BD and DVD) – The Last of Us invites you behind the scenes with the award-winning teams who bring the show to life. Tour the prosthetic workshop and revisit the concept art that inspired the characters! See the pyro team bathe the infected stunt performers in flames. Go behind the scenes as the production prepares hundreds of background actors in hair and make up for their epic attack on Jackson. Learn how VFX and Costume teams worked together to help bring to life the spore-filled basement beneath Lakehill Hospital. Featuring interviews with cast and crew. Growing the World of The Last of Us Welcome to Jackson (Set Tour) Joel's Journey to Season 2 Ellie's Journey to Season 2 Pedro and Bella Q&A Battle of Jackson, Deconstructed Open Book: Isabela Merced & Young Mazino Mushroom Taste Test Character Featurette – Joel Character Featurette – Ellie Character Featurette – Abby Character Featurette – Dina Making of: The Last of Us Episode #1 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #2 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #3 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #4 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #5 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #6 Making of: The Last of Us Episode #7 (New Featurette Exclusive to 4K, BD and DVD) – The Last of Us invites you behind the scenes with the award-winning teams who bring the show to life. Tour the prosthetic workshop and revisit the concept art that inspired the characters! See the pyro team bathe the infected stunt performers in flames. Go behind the scenes as the production prepares hundreds of background actors in hair and make up for their epic attack on Jackson. Learn how VFX and Costume teams worked together to help bring to life the spore-filled basement beneath Lakehill Hospital. Featuring interviews with cast and crew.
Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Geek Tyrant
J.K. Simmons to Lead MGM+ Period Crime Drama THE WESTIES — GeekTyrant
J.K. Simmons is heading back into the dark and dangerous world of crime, this time as the lead in MGM+'s new period drama The Westies , and it sounds like a perfect fit. Known for playing characters with unshakable presence and intensity in projects like Whiplash , Oz , and Invincible , Simmons will take on the role of Eamon Sweeney, a brutal yet charismatic boss of a Hell's Kitchen crime gang in the early 1980s. The Westies is co-created by Chris Brancato ( Narcos , Godfather of Harlem ) and Michael Panes, and it drops viewers into a volatile era when the Jacob Javitz Convention Center was rising, and so were the criminal opportunities. The Irish-American gang known as the Westies might've been dwarfed in size by the Italian mafia, but they compensated with brutality and street smarts, carving out a dangerous slice of Manhattan's underworld. Simmons' character, Eamon, is described as having "old-school charm and neighborhood loyalty" that barely conceal "fierce criminal ambition and calculated brutality." It sounds like a tailor-made role for an actor who can flip from warmth to menace in a heartbeat. 'J.K. Simmons is one of the finest actors working today,' said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. 'His authenticity and intensity bring an invaluable quality to this complex and exhilarating story, and we can't wait to see him bring this unforgettable character to life.' Brancato echoed that excitement, adding, 'J.K. Simmons doesn't just play authority — he radiates it. We're lucky to have an actor who brings the gravitas and danger that this world demands.' Production on the eight-episode series kicks off in July in Toronto. No word yet on a premiere date, but The Westies is shaping up to be a must-watch for fans of gritty, character-driven crime dramas. Source: Deadline
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
Top 8 Fresh Streaming Picks For Your Watchlist
It's the first week of June and OTT platforms are already moving like they've had 3 shots of espresso. Whether you're into moody thrillers, messy family drama, or full-blown K-drama curses, there's something that'll match your vibe. Here's everything new that's dropped—or is about to—in the next few days. Jaat 📅 June 5 | 📺 NetflixSunny Deol is angry. Again. If there's one thing Sunny Deol does best, it's stomping around with moral rage and throwing punches in slow motion. Jaat is a rural action drama where justice is personal, the stakes are high, and Randeep Hooda gives his best brooding-face performance. The plot kicks off when an elite Indian government operative is sent to Sri Lanka to take down a ruthless terrorist bankrolled by the criminal underworld. Think '90s Deol energy, but shinier, slightly more woke, and definitely more global. Stolen 📅 June 4 | 📺 Prime VideoA baby vanishes. So does your one's a tense-as-hell mystery thriller that starts at a dusty train station in rural India and spirals fast. Two brothers—one a photographer, the other a cop—try to solve a child abduction, and let's just say nobody leaves unscarred. It's moody, sharp, and somehow still grounded in reality. Bring popcorn. And a blanket to hide under. Mercy For None 📅 June 6 | 📺 NetflixBrother gone. Guns out. Vengeance mode: it to Korean drama to make revenge look this stylish. A former gangster dives headfirst back into the underworld to find out who killed his brother. Expect brutal fight scenes, moody neon-lit nights, and characters who never say what they mean. Chhal Kapat: The Deception 📅 June 6 | 📺 ZEE5A wedding. A body. A whole lotta Pilgaonkar stars as a no-nonsense cop trying to solve a murder at a wedding, and suddenly everyone's got something to hide. Family drama? Check. Small-town politics? Check. Dramatic flashbacks and a killer reveal? You bet. Think: Indian 'Knives Out' but everyone's in desi wear and emotionally constipated. Alappuzha Gymkhana 📅 June 5 | 📺 SonyLIVUnderdog boxing drama with small-town you're into sports movies that make you cry for no reason at all, here's your pick. Set in the scenic backwaters of Kerala, this one's all about dreams, disappointments, and uppercuts. It's got grit, charm, and the kind of Malayalam cinema storytelling that feels honest and quietly powerful. Lal Salaam 📅 June 6 | 📺 SunNXTPolitics. Protest. And Rajinikanth in a cameo.A drama that doesn't sugarcoat its message, Lal Salaam dives deep into social issues in Tamil Nadu—mixing cricket, caste, and communal conflict. Expect emotions, walkouts, and some seriously heavy dialogue. Rajini fans, don't blink or you'll miss his guest appearance. Kiss 📅 June 1 | 📺 MUBI One kiss, endless censorship. This sharp, no-time-wasted short film by Varun Grover follows a young filmmaker caught in a maddening showdown with India's censor board over—wait for it—a single kiss. It's queer, clever, and cuts right to the bone of who gets to decide what love looks like on screen. Stick 📅 June 4 | 📺 Apple TV+Golf, grudges, and a grumpy Owen Wilson: what more do you need?Owen Wilson plays a washed-up golf pro who's forced to coach a hot-headed teen with talent but zero chill. What starts as a reluctant mentorship quickly turns into emotional chaos with plenty of bunkers, on and off the course. It's giving Ted Lasso energy but with more plaid pants, fewer pep talks, and way more unresolved trauma. Warning: you might care about golf by the end. Whether you're doomscrolling in bed or trying to vibe through Sunday scaries, there's something new waiting to distract you. Go ahead—stream it like you mean it.
