Chicago, this month, is all about the Becks. Glenn is at Chicago Theatre on Thursday. Jeff was just here. And David Beckham, known in British tabloids as “Becks,” was supposed to lead the LA Galaxy against the Fire on Sunday (a yellow card picked up in Toronto, however, earned him a suspension). This guide should help you avoid any confusion.
sajohnson@tribune.com, Twitter @stevenkjohnson
Glenn Beck
(at Chicago Theatre Thursday )
Claim to fame: Former radio disc jockey turned paranoiac right-wing talk-show host with messianic undertones
Notable prop: Chalkboard, glasses
Fun fact: He posed for cover of his book “Arguing With Idiots” in what looked like a Nazi uniform.
David Beckham
(LA Galaxy at Toyota Park Sunday)
Claim to fame: Precision soccer passes, rock-hard abs
Notable prop: Bevy of body art
Fun fact: He married a Spice Girl — and is still married to her.
Beck’s
Claim to fame: Probably the first German beer that most Americans ever had
Notable prop: Not the buxom blonde with the fists full of mugs; that’s St. Pauli Girl
Fun fact: It’s not ancient like many European beers — first brewed in 1873.
Jeff Beck
(played Cadillac Palace Theatre April 1 and 2)
Claim to fame: Noted guitar hero of the ’60s — and today
Notable prop: Fleet of hot rods that are his second passion, according to his website
Fun fact: Yes, despite being a rock icon, he made jazz fusion albums in the 1970s.
Rod Beck
(died in Arizona, 2007)
Claim to fame: Righty closer with troubled personal life who recorded 51 saves for the Cubs in 1998
Notable prop: Florid mustache, which helped popularize the trend of intimidating facial hair on relievers
Fun fact: He was buried in Cubs uniform.
Beck (Hansen)
Claim to fame: Slacker indie rocker who rode to popularity on tune about being a “Loser”
Notable prop: Two turntables and a microphone
Fun fact: He is a second-generation Scientologist
Beck’s Book Store
Claim to fame: Chicago chain begun near Loyola University downtown that sells textbooks to the college crowd
Notable prop: Tote bags seen frequently around city
Fun fact: Founder Bob Beck began as a stock boy at Faulkner’s Educational Books.
Becky Thatcher
Claim to fame: Tom’s sweetheart in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
Notable prop: Anatomy book kept in the teacher’s desk that she sneaks a peek at
Fun fact: There are strong parallels between Tom’s wooing of Becky and Samuel Clemens’ of his wife Olivia.
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Update: Beckham won’t play against the Fire, after all. He is serving a suspension for picking up a fifth yellow card Wednesday night against the Toronto team.
