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Ben Dahl on Muck Rack

Ben Dahl

(He/Him)
Chicago
As seen in: Cool Material
Covers:  Tech / Cars / Music / Alcohol / Trends / the list goes on and on.
Stories and stories and stories. Views are my own. @coolmaterial @wearBRZN @stylevillain @chicagoartshop @nostupidfuckingwork
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Ben Dahl’s Journalist Portfolio

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The Best Watch Boxes for Men | Cool Material

The Best Watch Boxes for Men | Cool Material

Cool Material — Give your timepiece a stylish and protective home with a watch case. From travel watch boxes to 20-compartment cases, these are the ones to know.
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10 Outdoor Clothing Stores You Should Know | Cool Material

10 Outdoor Clothing Stores You Should Know | Cool Material

Cool Material — Skip all the nonsense at other outdoor stores and upgrade your wardrobe with stylish clothing from one of these more accessible establishments.
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Emilie Autumn at Metro - Lost In Concert

Emilie Autumn at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Vaudeville. Burlesque. Steampunk. Victorian. These are all things that aptly describe some aspect of the spectacle that was An Evening With Emilie Autumn. As the Bloody Crumpets (Autumn's all female backing band) emerged as shadows from behind the giant, lit clock face to a cacophony of Vaudevillian entrance music, it was abundantly clear that any [...]
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Threadless Warehouse Sessions: Empires - Lost In Concert

Threadless Warehouse Sessions: Empires - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — In between a forklift and a Ford Econoline, local band Empires created a makeshift stage on the floor of the Threadless Warehouse and redefined power lunch for a few lucky listeners and Threadless employees. Start to finish, the show was the perfect definition of garage rock.
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The Inconvenience presents A Little Bit Louder Now IV: Serengeti + Advance Base, The Streets on F...

The Inconvenience presents A Little Bit Louder Now IV: Serengeti + Advance Base, The Streets on F...

lostinconcert.com — The Inconvenience Presents A Little Bit Louder Now IV! was a night of DJs and Emcees, too tight t-shirts and backflips. A night fueled by shots of Jameson and cans of PBR, British accents and deafening screams. In short, it was one hell of a party.
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Starfucker at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

Starfucker at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Have you ever seen an angry, cross-dressing zombie on acid? You can only really answer yes to that question if you were one of the hundreds of people crammed into Lincoln Hall for the sold out Starfucker show. We were there and we can confirm that the aforementioned figment of your imagination actually exists.
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Wax Trax! Retrospectacle: Members of KMFDM at Metro - Lost In Concert

Wax Trax! Retrospectacle: Members of KMFDM at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — The members of KMFDM and the audience might all be a little older, but walking into Metro for the Wax Trax! Retrospectacle still felt like walking on set for the filming of the club scene in the Matrix - minus the Rob Zombie. The KFMDM roster for the evening included En Esch, Günter Schulz, Raymond [...]
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Interview: Patrick Codenys of Front 242 - Lost In Concert

Interview: Patrick Codenys of Front 242 - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — As a huge fan of Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails and industrial music in general, getting the chance to sit down with Patrick Codenys of Front 242 is a bit like being a video game nerd and getting the chance to sit down with the person that created Pac-Man.
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The Super Happy Fun Club at Metro - Lost In Concert

The Super Happy Fun Club at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — If you live in Chicago and you have ears you've heard something by at least one of the members of The Super Happy Fun Club. Stubhy, Brad, Pat, Chris, Jeremy and Phil have been part of (metaphorical deep breath): Lucky Boys Confusion, Saraphine, One Life, Close Enough, Logan Square, 15 Minutes Late, The Insecurities, Shock [...]
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Tame Impala at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

Tame Impala at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Seeing Tame Impala live is like watching an anaglyph 3D movie without those funky red and blue glasses. The point where the red and blue intersect is where Tame Impala exists. Somewhere between the overlapping of the lush, royal qualities of the color purple and their special blend of cosmic psych rock, Tame Impala is [...]
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Manchester Orchestra at Metro - Lost In Concert

Manchester Orchestra at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Going to a Manchester Orchestra concert is like dating a supermodel. The music is shamelessly personal, impossible to ignore, and insanely gorgeous. It's raucous, but soothing. You'll resist the urge to fall in love because you know the experience is fleeting, but eventually you'll give in.
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The Airborne Toxic Event at Metro - Lost In Concert

The Airborne Toxic Event at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — There are certain bands that just "get" Chicago. As evidenced by their sold-out performance at Metro, The Airborne Toxic Event is one of those bands. There was no we-just-got-on-stage fanfare. The veil of darkness covering the stage was lifted in time with the glass in Mikel Jollett's (frontman/lyricist/guitar/keys/vocals/everything-but-drums) hand and one more excuse to drink [...]
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Lykke Li at Metro - Lost In Concert

Lykke Li at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — "Tonight's performance will feature intense strobe lights" was the warning plastered all the way up the stairs to the stage. Much to the chagrin of the photographers in the pit, the warnings left like bread crumbs were the understatement of the year. It probably should have at least included a reference to Lykke Li because [...]
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Hank & Cupcakes at House of Blues Backporch Stage - Lost In Concert

Hank & Cupcakes at House of Blues Backporch Stage - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Hank & Cupcakes is the best band you've probably never heard of. Two musicians in hipster camouflage from Brooklyn, the confusingly named Hank (His real name is Ariel.) and his aptly named wife/partner-in-crime Cupcakes (Her real name is Sagit, but for some reason the moniker Cupcakes just works.)
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The Dodos at Metro - Lost In Concert

The Dodos at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — With a simple "Greetings, Earthlings" spoken in front of a sparsely lit, curtained Metro stage, the Dodos (+1 touring guitarist) started a show that would ultimately, almost devolve into the Jersey Shore. With a little bit of band enticing, feet were stomping and fists were pumping in an hormone-fueled flurry that was only missing wife [...]
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Streetlight Manifesto at House of Blues Chicago - Lost In Concert

Streetlight Manifesto at House of Blues Chicago - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — If you thought there was a better place than House of Blues Chicago and a better time then roughly 7:30, you weren't in the pit to see Streetlight Manifesto "open" for Reel Big Fish. Technically they played first that night, but the tour is very similar to the Less Than Jake / Reel Big Fish [...]
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Sia at Metro - Lost In Concert

Sia at Metro - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — Outside of the dress and an unmistakeably absent magical unicorn horn, not much has changed in the landscape of the live Sia performance since she serenaded the Vic last year. The band's outfits are the same. She still takes bras, panties and all manner of other gifts from the audience and crams them into her [...]
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Tally Hall at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

Tally Hall at Lincoln Hall - Lost In Concert

lostinconcert.com — "Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination." Technically those are lyrics from a Willy Wonka song, but they're also quite fitting when used to describe witnessing Tally Hall perform live - which is probably why they covered the aptly named "Pure Imagination."
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9 Great Websites Every Guy Should Know

9 Great Websites Every Guy Should Know

Cool Material — The Cool Material team spends a lot of time working to be the best resource for stuff guys want. A lot goes into curating the best of the internet, the best whiskeys every guy needs to know, the top watches in every price range, the coolest vintage rides, and the
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Here's Everything Apple Announced During the iPhone 14 Launch Event | Cool Material

Here's Everything Apple Announced During the iPhone 14 Launch Event | Cool Material

Cool Material — Every Apple keynote event is sure to be filled with new releases to get Apple fans excited, but few recent events compare to all the new hardware that dropped earlier this week. Apple dropped details on four new iPhones, three new Apple Watches, new AirPods Pro, and a few software updates as well.
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The Best Coolers of 2022

The Best Coolers of 2022

Cool Material — With summer in full swing, now is the best time to assess your cooler situation. Whether you're looking to lug your favorite beers to a tailgate or perishable sundries on your next adventure, you need a great cooler. There's a decent chance you could use an upgrade so we've refreshed
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The 7 Best Fitness Apps to Download Right Now

The 7 Best Fitness Apps to Download Right Now

Cool Material — The world changes on a regular basis, and so does our overall focus on what's popular and hip. And as trends come and go, the digital age looms large from how we work to how we enjoy leisure time. And that fact is extremely evident in the world of exercise.
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The Rum Bucket List: 15 Rums You Have to Drink at Least Once

The Rum Bucket List: 15 Rums You Have to Drink at Least Once

Cool Material — Forget everything you thought you learned in college when it comes to rum because Bacardi (151 or otherwise) is not the barometer you should be using for this incredible spirit. The fermenting and distilling of sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice to create a delicious distillate liquor has been happening for
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The 10 Best Valentine's Day Cocktails

The 10 Best Valentine's Day Cocktails

Cool Material — We all know that Valentine's Day is a commercialized holiday designed to sell cards, chocolates, and flowers. These days, we could all use a reason to celebrate even if it is on a Monday. This year, in addition to all the usual suspects when it comes to presents, we're going
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