Although many residents may not know it, Chicago is the world capital of a new pinball Renaissance. Most pinball games have historically been built in Chicago and it still hosts the largest manufacturer, Stern.

The artwork of this Chicago tradition gets its due this fall in a Columbia College gallery exhibit called Skillshot: the Collaborative Art of Pinball. It features exhibits on the creative process, new art pieces, and even working games set on free play! The newer stern games are rare versions with all the extras.

Exhibit curator (and Logan Arcade Pinball League regular) Mark Porter wrote, “Skillshot is a glimpse into the vast and ever-changing world of pinball, an interactive art movement that is arguably one of the most significant creative industries founded in Chicago.”

It features a rare look at both KISS pinball games, from 1979 and 2015, side by side. I saw KISS this year at the Illinois State Fair. I loved their show but I think their bulging He-Man muscles on the new machine is a generous interpretation of how they’ve aged. I’m also a big fan of the 2015 game, which looks deceptively simple but is very challenging.

As far as I’m aware, KISS and the Rolling Stones are the only bands with two tables made in different decades. While I appreciate Stern appealing to my demographic with games dedicated to AC/DC, Aerosmith and other great rock bands, I wouldn’t mind seeing them use themes that reach beyond the white men over 30 crowd. Wouldn’t a Beyonce or Taylor Swift theme get the attention of their fans? When you lose a ball, Beyonce can say you should have put a ring on it, or Swift can chide that all you had to do was stay. I’d play those games, but for my tastes, a Garbage or Tina Turner machine would be more exciting.

Speaking of games honoring female musicians, there’s a working version of one of my favorite classic games, Dolly Parton. Speaking of Dolly, do you remember when mainstream country music used to tackle issues like poverty and workplace discrimination instead of just pickup trucks and cheap beer? Ok, I’m not actually old enough to remember but I’ve heard the songs.

A photo posted by Will Reynolds (@willinoisr) on Oct 20, 2016 at 12:35pm PDT

Getting back to the topic, the gallery is hosting a tournament Friday, October 21. If you can’t be there to try beating me in the tournament you can still get a peek at how the pinball magic is made by visiting the exhibit through November 5th.