Help Sideshow Win Grant from Chase Community Giving!

Chase is giving $5 million to charity and YOU decide which charities! Through their app on Facebook, Chase will be giving out $25,000 to the top-voted 100 charities during the first round of voting. Sideshow Theatre Company (CLLAW’s founder/creator/bff) is one of the many charities hoping to win one of the grants!

Wanna help? Here’s all you need to do!
1. Log into your Facebook account
2. Log into the Chase Community Giving app
3. Become a Fan of Chase
4. Vote for Sideshow!!!!!!
5. Invite ALL of your friends to vote too!

You may or may not know, Sideshow is entering its third year in existence. A grant of this size would make up roughly 70% of their annual budget! If they got that kind of grant, they would be in a comfortable place to continue creating the adventurous, off-beat and challenging theatre they’ve been making in Chicago for two years now! Please show your support and take just a few moments to vote!

Not on Facebook? Please pass this along to all your Facebook-loving friends and family. You know they’re out there, stalking the Facebook universe with gusto.

CLLAW Making an Appearance at Fringe Binge

Sideshow and CLLAW will have a booth at the Fringe Binge on Sunday, November 15th! We are going to do small, ‘flash tournaments’ with 4 to 8 people (boys and girls welcome) in each tournament to win prizes like Sideshow and CLLAW t-shirts, tickets to Medea with Child (opening March 2010), baked goods, drink tickets, etc.

Dick Douchee and Heidi Bras-de-Fer will be refereeing the matches, The Cutting Edge will be there to lend an arm, and Rockke L. Squelch will be guiding newcomers to victory (or helping console them if they’re not so fortunate).

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We hope to see you there at the Viaduct Theater on Sunday!

CLLAW 4: Epic Battles, Epic Turnout

ShivcakeIn traditional fashion, Strawberry Shivcake rocketed to the semi-finals.  However, her grand efforts were thwarted by newcomer, Armjolina Jolie.  Shivcake finished the match strong, but due to technicalities, the judges overturned the ruling and the Berry sweetheart lost to the heavily pregnant foe.

ArmedAndPregnant
A new bracket set Killer Bee to arm wrestle the final competitor of the evening, Armjolina.  The championship round was fierce, but ultimately Killer Bee prevailed.  It was rumored that the stress of the final match sent Armjolina into early labor, but it has been confirmed that she and the babies (yes, twins) are in good health.

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A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the 114 new (and old) friends who came out to support our athletes in their quest for total armination.  Mad props to the money raised for our new friends at New Leash On Life. (Those sweethearts even thanked us on their website!)

Stay tuned for all things CLLAW and keep working out, ladies.  Some day Killer Bee may just be dethroned.

GET READY FOR CLLAW 4!

SAVE THE DATE FOR CLLAW 4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH!

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The best female arm wrestling league in all of Chicago is back! Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 17th, from 9pm – 1am at The Spot! The Spot is located at 4437 N Broadway! Doors open 9pm, first match is at 10pm!

Drink packages include $20 for a TWO HOUR open bar from 9pm – 11pm, and $2 shots available all night long from one of our lovely CLLAW BUX girls! Not interested in the drink package? No worries! Pay a suggested donation of $5 at the door!

BRING CASH FOR CLLAW BUXS! Bet on your favorite wrestler and earn a chance to win some amazing raffle prizes, including theatre tickets, t-shirts, food, gift certificates, and more!

CLLAW 4 is benefiting both Sideshow and our NEW TO CLLAW charity, New Leash on Life. That’s right people, CLLAW 4 is for the puppies! Click here to learn more about this amazing non profit specializing in animal rescue and adoption!

More updates to come on CLLAW 4, so mark your calendar for Saturday, October 17th!!!

Winner! THE KILLER BEE!

In a startling upset, the final match came down (once again!!) between the two arch rivals:  STRAWBERRY SHIVCAKE vs. THE KILLER BEE.

The Bee had many victories during the night, overturning the much hailed PUNKY BRUISER for the chance to challenge Shivcake for the title.

Many experts were torn as to predict the final match, but at the last second, the Killer Bee toppled the two time champion and was crowned the new victor.

headshot_Killer Bee

STRAWBERRY SHIVCAKE did take home the hearts of the crowd with the Audience Vote, and it’s clear that the crowd has a special shiv in their heart for the former champion.  Shivcake was heard to challenge The Bee to to the next match, vowing revenge.  You can be sure these two arch rivals will lock arms again at CLLAW 4, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will take home the crown.

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Drink Up!

OPEN BAR FROM 10-11PM

ONLY $10

Get there at 10:00 to not miss a minute of the action!

$3 shots sold throughout the night, 100% of proceeds go to benefit Sideshow and CAPE

It all goes down tonight!

Menu-food availble all night!

So what’s the deal with CLLAWBUX anyway?

CLLAW 3 brings lots of exciting new changes to the world of Lady Arm Wrestling.

This time around we have TEN arm wrestlers vying for the championship.

We have FOUR Judges who have made a solemn vow to gaze intently and lend their considerable lady arm wrestling experience.

We have bigger and BETTER prizes!!

What kind of prizes? Well let’s just see:

  • Kitschy T-shirts
  • VIP pass at the iO Theatre
  • Two tickets to the critically acclaimed Arabian Nights at Lookingglass Theatre ($130 value)
  • Two tickets to Stoop Stories at The Goodman
  • Two tickets to Ekphrasis by Sideshow Theatre
  • Full length headshot photography session and free touch-ups
  • Diversey R&B Bowling Pass (4 lanes for 3 hours)
  • Julius Meinl $25 gift certificate
  • AND MORE!!

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:



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Rockke L. Squelch…REVEALED

So, Rockke. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am the two-time Upper Body Ladies Division World Champion, with a Black Elbow in Ladies Table Sports.  I am also the reigning Regional Bicep-Tricep Ambassador.  I started wrestling in the storeroom of my father’s button factory when I was 11 and quickly moved into arm sports. When I 15, I secured my first title as the Greater Blynka Rotator Cuff Congeniality Czar.

What do you do when you’re not wrestling?

I stand and talk about wrestling.

What? Oh…

Well, like most people I enjoy some down time with Mannheim Steamroller while I work on my scrapbooking. I really can’t think of a better Tuesday night…unless there’s a match going on somewhere.

“Squelch” – is that Dutch?

No, it’s a name. My name. I don’t understand what you’re asking.

How does one get into the Lady Arm Wrestling MC business?

Hmm…there comes a point in everyone’s life where you have to ask “what am I really good at? What do I really like doing? And what would I be perfectly suited for?” I am the number one at lady’s arm-wrestling. I like talking to people about things, and I find my winning combination of charms and assets to be perfectly suited for the public arena.  There’s really no other way to get into this business than being me. The other people that do this, are trying to be like me.  They may not know it, but if they searched long enough in the deeper basements of their souls, they’d find a little me waiting there, waving like  a friend.  I hope for the best possible interpretation of my wording of that.

Do you have any favorites for this upcoming match?

I don’t play favorites. It gets in the way of my enjoyment of the game.  My grandfather always said that those who play favorites don’t get to play.

A lot of young people out there look up to you (figuratively and literally) – do you have any words of advice for them?

It depends on the situation. I can’t know where all these people are all the time and the advice that I give might not always serve their situation. There’s very little advice that serves everything in an empiric kind of way. Though, I can say that if it looks, smells, and sounds funny, you shouldn’t eat it…however, I can also think of a few exceptions to that rule. There’s never been any harm in looking both ways before crossing the street.

What has been your most unusual moment in a match?

It’s always a blur. I like it when people win. It’s unusual when nobody wins, but that hasn’t happened yet. I’ll let you know when it does.

There has been lots of talk lately about performance enhancing substances used in professional sports – do you believe CLLAW is currently clean, and will it remain so in the future?

Um, I mean, I can’t vouch for the hygiene habits of our current ladies. They all SEEM to bathe semi-regularly, but you never can be totally sure. Perhaps they just cover the smell with expensive perfumes and body spritzes…who’s to say? I mean, I know the energy runs high in the arena, and no matter how much deodorant you put on, you can’t really guarantee it’s effectiveness. And I can never say that a little body odor does or doesn’t help a wrestler’s performance. In the end, is it really hurting anyone? I think not.  Those people that claim that the rest of us suffer at the hands of a dirty armpit have never seen a real opponent like stress or a menstrual cycle…Wow, if menstruation was a wrestler, she’d be amazing.

Gonna Pump (clap) You Up

With CLLAW only 17 days (408 hours) away, we feel that it is time to educate everyone a little about what kind of training will best serve you for an intense mind-bending arm wrestling competition.

Special thanks to the Ultimate Arm Wrestling Organization L.L.C for many of the tips and tricks.

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So what kind of strength do you, the arm wrestler, need? If you believe that having big, strong biceps is the key to your success you are in for a surprise. The three most important areas for the arm wrester to train are (in order of importance):

  • Fingers and Hand
  • Wrist and forearm
  • Biceps
  • Triceps

Let’s start by getting one thing straight: Wrist curls, by themselves, are NOT sufficient! You must do more than that if you intend to be a good arm wrestler!

Lever Lifts: For this exercise, you need a lever with a weight on one end, such as a sledge hammer. The exercise itself is very easy. Lift the weight by pivoting at the wrist rather than moving the arm. Look at the pictures below to see how to perform lever lifts to the front:

exercisesTricep Exercises – Dummbell Hammer Curls: With elbows to the sides, raise one dumbbell until forearm is vertical and the thumb faces the shoulder. Lower to original position and repeat with alternative arm.

The biceps may be exercised alternating, simultaneous, or in a simultaneous-alternating fashion. When the elbow is fully flexed, the elbow should only travel forward a few inches allowing the forearm to be no more than perpendicular to the floor to allow for a relative release of tension in the muscles between repetitions.

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Remember, folks, only 24,480 minutes until the next CLLAW match.  Can you handle the fury that is The Killer Bee?  Think you have what it takes to take on Bea “Pussycat” Arthuritis?  Are you prepared for the likely shiv-ing from Strawberry Shivcake?!

Think about it, friend.  Think about it.  For more information and details about exercising for Arm Wrestling, check here:

Only 1,468,800 seconds left.

An Interview with a Douche

As CLLAW 3 looms nearer, we took some time to speak with one of the fair-minded and always humble judges of the CLLAW matches, Mr. Richard Douche.

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1)  So Richard, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I’m really hungover right now and all this coffee I’m drinking is giving me the runs. I also have a hole in my left sock. It’s probably because I haven’t changed it in a few weeks–a little experiment I’m trying.


2)  How does one get involved in Lady Arm Wrestling?

Well, it takes two ladies to arm wrestle. It doesn’t make much sense for one to get involved. You need to have two.  That’s just simple mathematics.

(he makes a crude hand gesture)


3)  I suppose that’s true.  Some have said that you’re tough, but fair, while others say you’re fair, but kind of a tool.  Which is it?

Good question. I’d say if I were to be any tool, I’d be a hammer.


4)  Have you made any adjustments to your referee’s costume, or is it standard uniform code?

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Although I’m considering getting some floaties, you know like the kind you wear around your arm so you don’t drown. I was also thinking of donning a Ronald Reagan mask cuz that’d be wicked.


5)  It certainly would be.  Tell us, what do you feel has been your most unusual moment in a match?

During CLLAW 2 I’d taken a few hits of some pretty ridonkulous recreational cough syrup. So Susan Messing looked like this really big outrageous pink alligator and when she was telling those wrestlers to apologize–I mean, whoa. She was frickin scary. In fact most of that evening had a very reptilian theme to it. I was trippin man.  Trippin like a KITE.


6)  Your favorite moment?

April 20, 1994.  I’d rather not get into it.


7)  Do you have any favorites to win in this upcoming CLLAW match?

It’s not good for referees to pick favorites. I can tell you this much: Shivcake has got these ladies gunning for her. She’d better watch out. I think we’re about to see the end of that dynasty.


8)  Tell us the rules of Lady Arm Wrestling – what is it you are looking out for?

The biggest is the elbows coming up. I’m also looking to see if they’re wearing underwear.  That there is a biggie.


9)  Critics have accused you, in the past, of accepting bribes – do you have anything to say to that?

Accepti–what?… ha. No. Erroneous. Haha, what? Bribes? What’s that? I mean I know what that is but… Of course n–I mean, no. I can’t even begin to–that’s ridiculous. Can you repeat the question?


10) I understand you’re on Facebook now, is this an attempt to reach out to your loyal fans?

Yeah, sure, why not. Yeah – anyone who is on the inter-webby thing can find me on The Facebooks. I’m out there blogging and tweeting and posting and stuff like that. Come be my friend, I’m a helluva good guy.


11)  Where do you feel the future of the CLLAW event lies?

In my pants! Just kidding. But I don’t really know. Lemme just hop in my delorean and find out for you. Idiot. No one can predict the future. If I could predict the future, do you think I’d be here talking to you? Also, don’t you think there are more important questions about the future, like when is global warming gonna start? We need to recycle more and do more for our mother earth. I need a drink.


Mr. Douche promptly cut the rest of the interview short and headed out to a local bar, we caught up with him while face down in a gutter in Lincoln Park around 3AM.

11)  Do you have any final words of encouragement or wisdom for the upcoming wrestlers?
Gahhhrmmmuggle barnfark!  Ruggle rample blahhhhhhhhhhrrrrppp.

It was at this point he passed out.