OK folks, some of these are still being finalized, but LK Entertainment is happy to announce that we’ve got 4 special events happening in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, December 9th, Ash will be hosting karaoke at Paulie’s Pub in Aurora (on the corner of New York & Eola).  Time to be determined, but you can safely assume the show will start around 8 or 9pm, and end at close (1am).  Paulie’s has a great atmosphere, a nice open layout, and from what we understand, some great female-friendly drink specials.  What makes this night special is that this show is our “audition” for the bar; they’ll also be checking out some of our competitors, so we hope to dazzle the management with our talent, setup, and most importantly, our FANS.

Looking for some of that Christmas (or whatever winter holiday you celebrate) cheer?  Well, we are hosting a special holiday event on Friday, December 18th, at Wingz of America in Joliet (on the corner of Rt. 52 and Larkin) from 9pm-1:30am.  Unfortunately, this event will exclusively be DJ-oriented, so come on out to hear some of your favorite music as Jason takes your requests (make some of them holiday-themed, will ya?) all night long!

You know how we haven’t had a Rock Band contest in like, forever?  Well, on Wednesday, December 23rd, we’re fixing that.  In honor of the holiday, Mike will be hosting Rock Band and Karaoke at T.G.I. Friday’s in Hoffman Estates from 9pm-2am.  In addition to an “ugly sweater” contest being held at 10pm, 11pm, and midnight for a free dinner, there will be both a karaoke AND a Rock Band competition, the winners of which will receive $50 cash!  Check back soon for details about the competition…

And, to ring in the new year the right way, we are THRILLED to announce another LK Fan Appreciation event; this time, it’s a lock-in.  A “rockin’ lock-in”, to be precise.  A 12 hour long, free food, free booze, free bowling, $50 sexy lingerie contest, bags, karaoke, Rock Band pajama party extrava-freakin’-ganza, to be even more precise.  Our friends at Lynwood Bowl in Lynwood, IL are offering us the use of their entire facility for an overnight bash!  As always, check back soon for more information about this exclusive invitation-only event, open to all our fans.

Last, but not least, this is just a reminder that we have a goal by the end of 2009:  LK Entertainment would like to secure two more weekly trivia nights (Mondays and Thursdays are open and great nights for trivia!) in order to push forward with our anticipated trivia league format, complete with a tournament of champions where we give away BIG cash… but we can’t do it without your help, so get out to some venues, set us up some meetings, and remember… we pay a $300 cash finder’s fee to anyone who actively helps us secure a new weekly show!

See you at the show!

I know it’s short notice, but we just got confirmation on the details of our show tonight at T.G.I. Friday’s (Barrington Rd. & Higgins, Hoffman Estates).

The show is going to start at 9pm (as usual) and run until 2am (as usual). What’s UNusual is that Friday’s has authorized us to hold not one, but TWO contests tonight, giving away cash and prizes!

If you’re a singer, tonight we’ll be hosting a karaoke contest starting promptly at 10pm. That means, make sure you’re there early enough to have your song selection in by then! Each contestant will sing a song of their choice, and the audience will vote for their favorite three performances. (This means be sure to make friends with the crowd, or make crowd with your friends…) The top 3 vote-getters will advance to the finals, where they’ll each sing a second song. A panel of impartial judges will rate each performance in the finals, and the contestant who the judges determine is the winner will receive $100 cash!

If you’re a gamer, then you’ll be excited to know that we’re also hosting a Rock Band contest tonight! Bands of 2 or more people will play a song of their choice, on difficulty and instruments of their choice, but with the option to fail enabled (it’s a competition after all!) The band whose final score on their song is closest to a multiple of 500,000 (so 500k, 1 million, 1.5 mil, etc.) will win $60, with 2nd place taking $25 and 3rd place taking $15. Oh, and courtesy of our friends at MTV, we will be giving away official Rock Band swag all night long!

It’s going to be a hell of a night, so we hope to see you there!

It is with great sadness that we have heard of the passing of a legend in suburban Chicago entertainment, Bart Loiacono. Bart, who many of you may know as the founder and editor of Suburban Nitelife Magazine, was diagnosed earlier this year with stage 3 pancreatic cancer, and sadly he was not able to overcome this terrible disease.

I (Jason) had known Bart for about 5 years, and while we hadn’t talked for a time, I am still deeply saddened to hear of his passing. Bart was an instrumental force in the early success of LK Entertainment, and for that support we are forever grateful to a man who can only be described as an entertainment czar in the Chicago area.

Tonight, we will be observing a moment of silence during our show at Road House On Six in Channahon in his memory, and we will be accepting donations all next week at each of our shows to benefit the Loiacono Family Trust, a fund that was set up during Bart’s fight with cancer to ensure the well-being of his wife and two sons. While we will accept cash donations, we prefer that any donations be in the form of a check made payable to “Loiacono Family Trust”. Alternately, donations in Bart’s honor may be made directly to the Loiacono Family Trust, care of Community Bank Wheaton/Glen Ellyn at 100 N. Wheaton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Below is Bart’s obituary, also viewable on the home page of Nitelife.org:

“Andrew Bartholomew “Bart” Loiacono, 55, a lifelong resident of Wheaton, passed away at his home on Thursday, November 5, 2009. Born June 23, 1954, he attended St. Francis High School in Wheaton and St. Mary’s University (MN). Bart was the publisher of the number one entertainment and leisure guide in the Western Suburbs, NiteLife.org Magazine. He was also the founder of ABL Productions and served as a memorable emcee, touching thousands at wedding receptions and numerous other social events. He donated his services as the “voice of Wheaton” for the Wheaton Fourth of July Parade and many charity events ranging from the Ronald Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and children activities at the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association; often being referred to as “Mr. Entertainment”. He was actively involved with Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troops 317 and 374.
He is survived by his beloved wife Christine (nee Goletz); dear father to Harrison Maxwell and Alexander Cash; fond brother of Pamela Loiacono, Vincent (Barbara) Loiacono, Frances Lee (Peter) Demo, Marya (Bill) Jordan, Clarice Loiacono (Mark Clousson), David (Stephanie) Loiacono; and twenty-one nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Andrew B. and Violet Loiacono.
Visitation Sunday 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, 430 E. Roosevelt Rd., Wheaton (1 block east of Naperville Rd.) Funeral prayers, Monday 10:45 a.m. to St. Michael Catholic Church, Wheaton for Mass at 11:30 a.m. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to “Loiacono Family Trust” c/o of Community Bank Wheaton/Glen Ellyn, 100 N. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187. Funeral info: 630-668-0016 or www.williams-kampp.com”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bart’s family, friends, and the staff of Suburban Nitelife magazine at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Bart.

It looks like the revitalization of LK Entertainment is still reaping rewards. Starting next week, in addition to our new show at Lynwood Lanes every Sunday, we are proud to announce 3 brand-new shows, adding 2 new venues and one “new” host to our weekly schedule.

On Tuesdays, you can now catch Andy (who we are contractually obligated to refer to as “LK Pimp”…) at Maple Avenue Pub from 9 to midnight hosting our high-tech brand of karaoke.

For the trivia buffs in our audience, we are also pleased to announce the return of Game Show Nights! This is our newest innovation in bar entertainment, combining pub trivia with exciting game show formats. You can find us on Tuesday nights every week at T.G.I. Friday’s in Hoffman Estates from 9 to midnight, where Mike, one of our oldest entertainers, returns to the mic to MC each show.

In case you can’t make it out on Tuesdays to see Mike, you’ll be happy to know that you can now find him every Thursday night at T.G.I. Friday’s in St. Charles, hosting karaoke and (coming soon) Rock Band. Details are still coming for this show, but suffice to say Mike knows how to keep the party going, and if you can’t make it to Hoffman Estates on Thursday, St. Charles promises to offer the same high-energy experience!

Apparently, Andy and Adrian are doing something right on Saturdays out in Channahon, because Road House on Six has invited LK Entertainment to DJ there every Friday night! The party will be starting around 9:30 and will go all the way to last call (don’t forget, this bar is open until 3 AM!). We’re going to try to keep things fresh there by rotating our DJs every week; so far Adrian, Jason, and Jeff have agreed to lend their talents to the cause, so make sure you see what each of them have to offer on Friday nights!

So, we have made us some good friends with the wonderful folks of flair over at T.G.I. Friday’s.  Starting Tuesday, October 27th, Jason will begin hosting Rockstar Karaoke every Tuesday night at the Friday’s in Aurora, IL (located on Rt. 59 north of Aurora Ave.) from 9:30pm-12:30am (or later).  Also, starting Thursday, October 29th, Jason will begin hosting Rockstar Karaoke every Thursday night at the Friday’s in Hoffman Estates, IL for you north-siders (located at the corner of Barrington Rd. & Rt. 72) from 9pm-1am.

Of course, if you want something to do while you’re waiting for your turn to rock out, you can check out our newest venue, Lynwood Bowl in Lynwood, IL (near the Indiana border).  Ash will be hosting Rockstar Karaoke there every Sunday night starting November 8rd, from 6:30pm-11:30pm.  They also offer $1.50 bowling all night long; something for everyone!

And, of course, these venues (except Friday’s in Aurora, since we will be set up in their 21+ bar area) offer something most bars can’t… ALL AGES!  So for you under-21s that have been clamoring for a place to rock out to Rock Band or blast out some karaoke, we found you TWO.

Come hang out with Jason on 10/10/09 at T.G.I. Friday’s in Hoffman Estates starting at 10pm and going until 2! Check out the “Our Shows” page for more information and directions… we hope to see you weekend warriors there!

In addition to karaoke, we will be holding an all-comers air guitar competition throughout the night, where the winner will receive a Beatles: Rock Band Rickenbacker guitar controller for Xbox 360. The guitar retails for $99, so we expect some serious competition for this thing. Care to show off your fake shredding skills for a chance to win a real fake guitar? Come on out to Muldoon’s and throw your hat in the ring!

After a few years of being outdated, broken, or simply not “there”, we have finally revamped the LK website! You’ll notice the site has a completely new look, largely inspired by our new logo (see the header above if you missed it!) Also, we’ve opted for a “blog” format for ease of design and updating, so expect this site to have information that’s updated more often and easier to find than previous site designs.

As always, we will be looking to continually improve the site, so if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post them in the comment area of this post click on the title to access the comment area…)!