23 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 6, 2016 3:31PM
Tuesdays on the Terrace. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
There's nothing like summer in Chicago, and you're in it. We've found a ton of events (many free!) to keep you busy this week.
MONDAY JUNE 6
MILLENNIUM PARK SUMMER MUSIC SERIES: Millennium Park’s free summer music series kicks off on Monday with live performances from indie rockers Blonde Redhead and freestyle guitarist Ryley Walker. The series has been “reimagined” and expanded from what was formerly Downtown Sound and World Class Jazz to include a wider variety of genres from local to international musicians. Concerts start at 6:30 p.m. at Pritzker Pavilion.
ELECTRONIC FOLK: Australian singer Gordi is in the midst of her first U.S. tour, stopping in Chicago to play Schubas Monday night. On her debut EP, Clever Disguise, she crafts lush singer-songwriter-focused material and garnishes it with delicate electronic touches. It's hauntingly beautiful and has us curious to hear more from Gordi. Tickets are $10.
TUESDAY JUNE 7
TUESDAYS ON THE TERRACE: Relax in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s sculpture garden or take a seat on the terrace for free performances from some of Chicago’s quintessential jazz musicians every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The museum is free to residents all day on Tuesdays, plus there’s a farmer’s market on the front plaza during the day.
MIDWEST FILM PREMIERE: Film buffs head to Landmark's Century Centre Cinema for the Chicago premiere of stoner film My Friend’s Rubber Ducky. The First Tuesday showing from the Midwest Independent Film Festival spotlights the local film with an all-Chicago cast and crew, and includes pre- and post-show cocktail receptions plus a producers panel. Film begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10.
CHICAGO NIGHTLIFE AWARDS: We’ve all got our favorite local band, venue or bartender, and we get the chance to honor those folks at the 3rd Annual Chicago Nightlife Awards at Concord Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. Root for your favorites to win and watch performances from ProbCause, My Gold Mask and more. Tickets are $15.
LIVE LIT: The eclectic monthly reading series Tuesday Funk is on at Hopleaf’s upstairs lounge at 7:30 p.m. Readers this month include Sara Krueger, Rana Khoury, Parker Molloy, Norman Doucet and co-host Eden Robins. Free.
Photo courtesy of Giordano's.
FREE PIZZA: Giordano's Andersonville is hosting a Pizza Pie-Off pitting local food bloggers’ creations against one another, but the real winner is you with a complimentary tasting taking place at 6 p.m. Among the contestants are Alex Jewell (@bestfoodalex, @bestfoodchicago), Soo Park (@fabfoodchicago, @fabsoopark), Christina Slaton (@christinaslaton, @infatuation_chi) and Adam Sokolowski (@adamsoko). Winners will be announced between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m.
MAVIS SCREENING: Blues Fest doesn’t start until this weekend, but Millennium Park offers a sneak preview on Tuesday with a special screening of Mavis! at 6:30 p.m. on Pritzker Pavilion’s big screen. The documentary tells the story of local legend Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers. Free.
RUSH HOUR CONCERTS: The weekly chamber music series Rush Hour Concerts launches its 17th season on Tuesday from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. The free concerts at St. James Cathedral offer a relaxing break before jumping back into the rat race commute. This week opens with Avalon String Quartet performing Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No. 2, Intimate Letters.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 8
NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION SCREENING: ArcLight NEWCITY & The Second City have teamed up for a film screening series spotlighting comedic alumni. This month, “Second City Second Wednesday" presents National Lampoons Vacation at 7 p.m. followed by a Q&A with James Hughes, brother of the film’s writer and director John Hughes, moderated by Daniel Ramis, son of the film’s director, Harold Ramis. Tickets are $14.50.
EMPTY BOTTLE BOOK RELEASE SHOW: Naturally, the Empty Bottle’s book release doubles as a concert. The book, titled The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, compiles photographs, interviews and essays from concert-goers, bartenders, booking agents, bouncers and musicians about the legendary “hole-in-the-wall” rock venue. It’s a special show, too, with rock band The Ponys playing their first Bottle show since 2009. The Goblins and Earring will also play. 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.
THURSDAY JUNE 9
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Second City join forces for The Art of Falling. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
ART OF FALLING: We’re falling all over ourselves to tell everyone how great this show is. The one-of-a-kind collaboration between Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Second City premiered last year, and it received such rave reviews that they brought it back for another run this summer—and they keep adding shows. The performance tells three stories of “falling,” whether it’s falling in love or completely literally falling, and the improv talents of these two Chicago institutions will give you all the feels. Tickets start at $30.
ACTIVATE ALLEY: ACTIVATE returns to Sullivan Center Alley downtown, this time with a “silent disco.” With a theme of “HEAR,” participants will rock out via headphones to the sounds of local rock duo White Mystery, R&B artist KHALLEE and classical music from NON:op. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.
SUMMER MUSIC SERIES: Millennium Park’s free summer music series continues with performances from funk and soul artist Lee Fields & The Expressions and avant garde musician Makaya McCraven. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. at Pritzker Pavilion.
PSYCH ROCK: Australian psychedelic rock band Tame Impala hit it big a few years ago with their debut album, Innerspeaker. They're still at it with their third album out just last year and this Thursday they headline UIC Pavilion. Benjamin Booker also plays. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40.
FRIDAY JUNE 10
Toronzo Cannon performs at Blues Fest. Photo by Marilyn Stringer.
BLUES FEST: It’s time again for the Chicago Blues Festival downtown in Grant Park. This is the 33rd year for the fest in the city where the music is so prominent. This year’s fest will begin on Friday with the 45th anniversary celebration of local blues label Alligator Records. The whole night is full of dedicated performances featuring 2015 Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland as well as Toronzo Cannon, Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials and many other Alligator artists. The fest closes on Sunday with a tribute to Otis Rush, and there’s so much music in between. See DCASE’s website for the full schedule. All performances are free.
MIDSOMMARFEST: This is the 51st year for Andersonville street festival Midsommarfest, which spans Clark Street from Foster to Catalpa. The street is filled with music, dancing, food and vendors from around the region. There’s also plenty of entertainment for the kids. Entry is a $10 donation.
RIBFEST: The name says it all. This Northcenter street festival has 15 BBQ rib vendors from all over the city, plus other concessions to wash down all that meat. Things get started Friday evening with the RibMania eating competition. In it’s 28th year, the festival has also earned a reputation for its music lineup. This year they’ve got Jukebox the Ghost, Kevin Devine and the Waco Brothers headling. Entry is $5 suggested donation.
LIT FEST KICKOFF: The 32nd Annual Printers Row Lit Fest is Saturday and Sunday, but the official kick-off is Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Chop Steak House. The evening includes a prix fixe dinner, cocktails and a meet & greet with author Jacqueline Camacho Ruiz (The Fig Factor, The Little Book of Big Secrets That Work). Tickets are $35. For more information on Printers Row Lit Fest including schedule, visit their official website.
SPRING AWAKENING: Spring Awakening is the music festival for EDM lovers. The three-day fest at Addams/Medill Park is put on by party experts React Presents and is packed with names like Steve Aoki, deadmau5, Kaskade, The Chainsmokers and so many more. There’s also a whole section of local artists on the lineup to check out. Tickets are $325 for a three day pass or $125 for a single day pass, and there’s special discounted prices for attendees under 21.
LITERARY COCKTAIL PARTY: The 826CHI Associate Board (the team behind the youth writing center in Wicker Park) presents their annual fundraiser Prologue, “a cocktail party of literary proportions.” The rooftop party at Parliament features guest speaker Peter Sagal,
host of NPR’s “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!,” plus hors d'oeuvres, live music and prizes. 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $85.
THE CURE: Robert Smith and The Cure make their way to UIC Pavilion for two headlining nights. The band has been rocking and emoting since 1978. The Twilight Sad opens. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $54.
YACHT ROCK LIVE: Yacht Rock has seen quite the resurgence over the last few years, and Township boasts it’s own Love Boat Dance Party this Friday with performances from 70s soft rock tribute band Quadrophonica and the Fabulous Ladies of Fitness. 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.