Freaky Deaky 2016 returns bigger than before

Freaky Deaky took over Toyota Park for an impressive return with a weekend filled with unforgettable moments.

Festival goers in their best homemade or store-bought costumes made Freaky Deaky their ultimate Halloween playground. The three stages: The Shrine, The Big Top, and The Crypt stage were perfectly crafted to capture the eerie Halloween feeling.  That feeling was matched with incredible performances from a stacked lineup during the three-day weekend.

Day 1 - Photos - Jeremy Franklin

The first day saw early support from local electronic duo The Trap House and San Holo. Naming a few the first day saw a strong start to an even more powerful finish.

The comedian turned rapper Lil Dicky used his humor to bring a quick laugh along with his lyrically impressive rap routine. Lil Dicky a true showman, brought his colorful personality to life.

Rapper Travis Scott made his return back to Chicago following his Lollapalooza performance in 2015. Running into no similar issue Scott didn’t disappoint fans who were eagerly awaiting his return. Scott ended his set with his hit record “Antidote”. Going a bit longer then his promoted set time Scott’s mic was cut off making him storm off the stage.

Disclosure’s set was one for remember for years to come. They knew they were in Chicago and they played for Chicago. A Chicago house heavy set made for a surprise treat for those who just wanted to jam to some house classics.

Day 2 - Photos - Jeremy Franklin

The second day of Freaky Deaky is an ultimate blend of bold modern hip-hop entering with in your face electronic music.

Harlem rapper and self-proclaimed trap master A$AP Ferg brought the show. A hip-hop heavyweight in the making A$AP Ferg played to the crowd performing his hit records like Shabba and New Level.

One of the most talked about artist in the past year DJ Khaled closed off the second night on The Big Top stage. A properly named stage for DJ Khaled through the roof persona he satisfied the highly anticipated curiously behind his set. Serving as both the hype man and DJ, DJ Khaled was pulling double in making sure the crowd was living up every second of his set.

Showing love to the Chicago Cubs and their playoffs efforts, Freaky Deaky screened two of the playoff games that were played during that weekend. Festival goers had the chance to chow down on their grilled cheese from Cheesies and hot wings from Harold’s Chicken while watching the cubbies. Nothing can top that.

Day 3 - Photos - Jeremy Franklin

The final night saw early support from local talent Light Em Up and Porn And Chicken. These local artists had the crowd going right from the start of the gates officially opening. A true sign on how incredibly talented our local scene is.

Electronic heavy hitters each brought their unique spin to the final night of Freaky Deaky. Duke Dumont was certainly not one to miss because of his signature tech house set. As well as BBC personality Danny Howard, and his perfectly crafted set list of electric bangers.

In just it’s second year Freaky Deaky created and filled a void that the Chicago music scene was missing. Along with young festivals like Mamby on the Beach and Reaction NYE, React Presents continues to add to Chicago’s rich music history.

Freaky Deaky is the perfect escape and the best way to celebrate a Halloween weekend with music. With clear skies and an unusual warmer weekend in late October, Freaky Deaky couldn’t have been any better.

It was a perfect mixture of the visual horrors of Halloween alongside the electric sky of that beamed from the crowds. Freaky Deaky like many Halloween attractions are worth the year long wait.


Allegedly Haunted Places in Illinois

Top 5 Scariest Places to Visit This Halloween

Now that it is the month of October and with Halloween approaching, haunted houses filled with fake zombies and dropping skeletons are opening to the public. But what about the all year-round locations that have claims of hauntings? Considering the local clown outbreaks in Chicago, the normal, everyday parks may seem the most terrifying to some people. But here are a few examples of some of the most noteworthy real-life horror locations in Illinois.

1 Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, IL —> Among the Rubio Woods lies one of the most haunted cemeteries in Illinois; maybe even one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States as argued by history lovers and ghost fanatics. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery first burial was Eliza Scott in November of 1844, before the Civil War. Newspaper reports have also stated earlier burials held at Bachelor's Grove. In 1935, the Blue Island Sun Standard published that William B. Nobles was buried in Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in 1835. However, Bachelor’s Grove wasn’t legally considered a graveyard until records of the cemetery came to light, after the property was taken over by Frederick Schmidt in 1864. 

Since the 1960s, Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery has been closed to car traffic; making it even more terrifying that the only way to roam around this graveyard is by foot. Locals over many generations report sitings of phantom cars, ghosts, glowing floating orbs; and more notably, legends of a ghost known as Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove, the Caretaker who supposedly lived on the grounds killed his family; the Hook Man, the farmer and the horse who supposedly drowned in the Bachelor’s Grove pond, the phantom dog, etc. There has also been factual evidence present of satanic rituals and grave openings/robbings at Batchelor’s Grove since the 1960s. 

2 Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, IL —> Peoria State Hospital, formerly known as the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane, was active between 1902 to 1973. Because the hospital shut down in the early 70s, there isn’t too much factual information accessible online about the history of the establishment. Many reports, including the leading Doctor Dr. George A. Zeller of Peoria State Hospital, speaks of strange occurrences inside the hospital during its time of operation. One of the incidents being in 1910, when a patient by the name of Manual Bookbinder passed away. At Bookbinder’s funeral, numerous witnesses in the crowd, including Dr. Zeller, reported seeing Bookbinder’s ghost standing near a tree. According to Dr. Zeller, the funeral procession had to open the casket to verify that Manual Bookbinder, or Old Book as they called him, was in fact still inside his coffin.

3 Benedictine University in Lisle, IL —> Benedictine University, formerly known as St. Procopius College, was established by the Benedictine monks in 1887. The University’s nearby wooded area, along with Lake Saint Benedict and the college’s local cemetery emphasize the creepy feel of the campus. Ursula Bielski is a former Benedictine University student, historian, author, and founder of Chicago Hauntings Inc.; Bielski has strong credibility as the leading figure in the Chicagoland’s folk lore. According to Bielski, numerous students even tried to contact a ghost/spirit through the use of a ouija board. Reports of rumored exorcisms, alleged deaths on campus, and other supposedly strange occurrences have led some to believe that ghosts roam the campus of Benedictine University. 

4 Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, IL —> For nearly 150 years, Joliet Correction Center was home for small-scale criminals to noteworthy killers; including the infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Gacy was sent to Joliet Correctional Center before being transferred to Stateville Correctional Center. The prison first originated in 1858 as a replacement for Alton, Illinois’ first ever state prison. Over time, Joliet Correctional Center became one of the nation’s largest prisons. The prison closed from needed cut backs in the corrections budget. But is the abandoned prison really haunted by supposed stories of ghosts; or is it the fact that it is an abandoned prison that people create these folklores? 

5 Iroquois Theater and Death Alley in Chicago, IL —> On December 30th, 1903,  the Iroquois Theater burned to the ground after a lighting issue turned out of control. During the night of the fire, about 2,000 people sat inside to watch the musical “Mr. Blue Beard.” That December night, over 600 people died as the fire continued to blaze. The new building that stands in the Iroquois Theater’s place is the Oriental Theater. Some people have claimed to hear screaming and other strange noises inside the theater; others have told stories that exist in the alley behind the theater, which is known as Death Alley. Some have said to have seen the ghosts of those who died in the Iroquois Theater fire over 100 years ago, lingering in the alley. 

Do you agree with our list? Are strange, supernatural elements lurking in these supposedly haunted hotspots, or are these just stories of legend and folklore? Many of us might just have to visit these places to decide for ourselves what horror lies behind these stories. 


Top 10 Horror Films for Halloween

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I'd share some of my top ten favorite horror films because, let's face it, horror movies are meant to be watched during Halloween. Now by no means is this a greatest of all times list, but I do feel the films included can be put in that category. Many have been replicated throughout the years and changed the way people view and make horror films. If I were doing a greatest films of all times list, I could be here all day and obviously would have included a lot more films.  Nevertheless, here are my top ten favorite horror films for this Halloween.