After Hours with Rick Kogan

Booze and creativity have always mixed, sometimes uneasily. But a new art exhibition, "Cash Only," shows the beauty and community that can come from that species of tavern known as the dive bar. Have a look and read all about it here:

Column: ‘Cash Only’ exhibit mixes booze and art and makes community “Cash Only: An Ode to Dive Bars” is a provocative exhibition at a gallery called Art City.

You can celebrate the country's 250th in a lot of ways. Fireworks all over. Or visit a Dairy Queen and have a “Stars & Stripes Misty Slush Float” for $2.50. Or you can listen to a radio segment about our city and its history. Read all about it here:

Column: Celebrating history on the Fourth? Look and listen to the river. A recently rebroadcast episode of “This American Life” takes a look at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.

"The rich are different from you and me" Fitzgerald once told us in a story. And they were able to start living in luxury apartments, a new book tells us, shortly after the Chicago Fire, and some of those places are still around.

Column: New Chicago book shows us the beginnings of our city’s luxury in the sky There has always been an energetic curiosity about how the “other half” lives, so I asked the authors of “Chicago’s Luxury Apartment Buildings” why.

Forget those goofy, manic TV shows and other misconceptions and take a trip into the fascinating pawn shop world with this happily married couple, Albena Wozny and Brad Prendergast

Column: The Devon Pawn Shop tells its own part of the story of the American Dream The small business in Rogers Park has for decades operated a service unlike those seen in such TV shows as “Pawn Stars.”

The photo will certainly give you more than a hint about who won but don't let that prevent you from reading about the weird and silly and over-served night that Donny fought Danny and more than 2000 people watched.

Column: Do you remember who won the Danny Bonaduce-Donny Osmond boxing match? On Jan. 17, 1994, Danny Bonaduce and Donny Osmond faced off in a three-round fight at the China Club in the West Loop.

And here is the obituary the one and only Tom Dreesen, child of suburban Harvey, Sinatra's opening act, a kind hearted man with a million pals. Gift link:

Comedian Tom Dreesen, from suburban Harvey and Sinatra’s opening act, has died at 86 Comedian Tom Dreesen, from south suburban Harvey, grew up poor and first found comedy when he partnered with Tim Reid in an in*******al duo. He later became Sinatra’s longtime opening act and close friend.

Tom Dreesen, child of Harvey, friend to millions, opening act for a guy named Sinatra, superb golfer, softest touch in show biz and just a damn fine guy has died at 86. Obituary coming in Tribune soon.

Tattoo artist Ben Wahhh is helping women erase some of the nightmares of their pasts, turning their "brandings" into things of beauty, "transforming lives by transforming skin.”

Column: A Chicago tattoo artist helps women erase their past Tattoo artist Ben Wahhh has founded Ink Relief, a charity that supports survivors of domestic violence and other painful pasts by providing cover-up tattoos.

Okay, stop worrying! Yes, Dave Jemilo has sold the Green Mill, one of the greatest nightclubs on Earth, but it's staying "all in the family." You can meet the new owners in this story. They will, Marc Smith says, "keep the dive the beloved dive it is.”

Column: The Green Mill has new owners, and the music plays on The celebrated Chicago jazz club’s longtime owner, Dave Jemilo, has sold it to Jason Cole and Jill Skintges, both Green Mill employees who say they plan to keep running it the same way he did.