5 things to do today, Wednesday, May 8
Richard M. Daley with wife Maggie at the 1983 Democratic primary for mayor
BOOKS
Keith Koeneman Koeneman—a Lincoln Park–based jack-of-all-trades—discusses First Son, his biography of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, recently published by University of Chicago Press. TOC critic Jake Austen had this to say of the exhaustively researched book: "By boldly taking on an untouchable subject, it opens the door to future authors who may want to explore extremes—whether that’s criticizing the architect of Chicago’s privatization movement or praising the leader who brought the City That Works into the new millennium (with the park to prove it)." Elmhurst College. 7pm.
COMEDY
Comedians You Should Know This night of comedy, curated by a group of funny dudes, puts local stand-ups on your radar. Timothy O'Toole's. 9pm. $10, advance $5.
5 comedy shows to see this week
The Comedy Evening
1. The Comedy Evening
This Lincoln Park stand-up night, one of our favorite new rooms of last year, has settled into a new home at Wise Fools Pub. The lineup is varied and often full of surprises, and the musical intros by DJ Nate Burrows are a nice touch. Wise Fools Pub. Mon 9pm. Free.
2. Entertaining Julia
The Puterbaugh Sisters host this longstanding (and free!) weekly favorite. Town Hall Pub. Sun 9:30pm. Free.
3. Closing Time and The Imminent Future
Two dark scripted comedies originally developed as part of the Annoyance's Triple Feature graduate to a double bill. Closing Time is a noirish piece set in a pizza parlor, while The Imminent Future takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Annoyance Theatre. Sun 8pm. $12, students $8.
4. Solitaire: A Night of Female Solo Comedy
The performers at this solo showcase have a few things in common: They're all funny women. Performers include Chelsea Devantez, Ashley Black, Christine Tawfik, Jo Feldman, Claire Mulaney, Emily Walker, Sarah Shook, Punam Patel, Blair Beekan and Maria Randazzo. The Public House Theater. Wed 8pm. $10.
5. pHusion
The latest from pH Productions welcomes guest artists from Chicago's theater, dance, music and lit communities to present work that in turn inspires an improv set by pH's cast. pH Comedy Theater. Thu 8pm. $10, students $5.
5 things to do on Mother's Day (after mimosas)
Mara Hobel and Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest.
You're going to Google it sometime this week in a panic, so we'll save you the trouble: Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 12. (To quote Mr. Mom, "It's real easy to forget what's important, so don't.") This year, why not skip the usual quick-pick-up-a-bouquet-on-the-way-to-brunch routine and take Mom out on the town? We already told you where to eat; here's where to go afterwards. (Book now. Some of these events are likely to sell out.)
For moms who think globally, shop locally…
Dose Market
This installment of the monthly food and shopping event focuses on mothers. Peruse fashions from Robin Richman, make a floral crown with buds from A Muse, try a bacon flight from Bakin' & Eggs, inhale a raspberry-rose cream puff from Eclair Bakery and much more. River East Art Center. Sunday 10am–4pm. $10, advance $8.
For moms who like a little sleight of hand…
The Magic Parlour
Illusionist Dennis Watkins dips into his trunk of wondrous effects, including a "Card Stab" involving a human-sized balloon. The ticket price for this up-close magic show includes a selection of wine and beer, and cocktail attire is encouraged. Palmer House Hilton. Sunday at 1pm. $75.
Bill Callahan at Garfield Park Conservatory | Concert review and photos
"There's a lot of people here, you look like trees," Bill Callahan wryly remarked before beginning his set at the Garfield Park Conservatory on Monday night. Flanked by a pair of palm trees and backed by planters overflowing with ivy, the verdant setting stood in stark contrast to Callahan's dusty balladry. The majority of the songs from his 2011 release Apocalypse bring to mind sun-baked plains strewn with tumbleweeds—a far cry from the lush confines of the Horticulture Hall where this performance took place.
Ever since he ditched his Smog moniker, Callahan has seemingly given himself to the role of country troubadour. Harnessing his gravely, soothing baritone, he channels the distinctly American music of Johnny Cash and the late George Jones (to whom he paid tribute with a heartfelt cover of "Old Blue"). Callahan exudes an authenticity that makes you want to believe his cowboy tales, tempered with a subtle sense of humor that leaves you anticipating the punchline.
Nestled amid the foliage, Callahan was accompanied by a guitarist and a bassist as he made his way through a set that focused on material from his past two records. Easing into the delicate strum of tracks like "Universal Applicant" and "Baby's Breath," Callahan let his band flesh out each song while he delivered lyrics with a deep, gentle roar and punctuated refrains with blasts of harmonica. The dynamic pulse of "Drover" allowed guitarist Matt Kinsey to fill the venue with mournful crescendos of feedback while Callahan sang earnestly about "this wild, wild country." Reaching back into his Smog catalog, a rendition of "Our Anniversary" epitomized the raw, humanistic lyrical approach that defines much of Callahan's work.
"A security guard tonight asked me if there would be any 'Justin Bieber action,' " Callahan quipped midway through the night. The combination of his hypnotizing compositions and a serene setting resulted in a crowd so reverent that it only made its presence known with the rounds of applause that concluded each song. Coaxed back onstage for an encore after a particularly enthusiastic bout of cheers, Callahan closed out the evening with "Riding For the Feeling." "So rarely do we see another one / So close and so long," he sang, outwardly acknowledging that intimate performances like this one are truly few and far between.
Album of the week | Savages - Silence Yourself
Savages
Savages, a quartet out of London, have received a ton of attention lately. While I don't think the band's debut, Silence Yourself, is a landmark, it's the first record you should hear this week (assuming you've done your Siouxsie & The Banshees homework). The four women get compared to Joy Division and Magazine, but I'm hearing a touch of Paramore and Green Day in their post-punk punch. And that's what I like the best. Hear me out. Read my review.
5 things to do today: Tuesday, May 7
"Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair."
ART & DESIGN
"2013 M.F.A. Show." Glimpse the future of art in Chicago as 108 SAIC graduate students present their final projects. Sullivan Galleries. 11am–6pm.
BOOKS
Ian Svenonius With Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group, Svenonius, music’s most manifesto-friendly frontman, has ostensibly crafted a how-to guide for would-be bands. The book offers advice on practical matters like naming your band, recruiting personnel and sex, but the answers range from the absurd to the sublime (never name bands after mammals; balance membership by Zodiac sign; practice abstinence). Tonight, the Chain and the Gang frontman reads from his hilarious guide, followed by a DJ set with Calvin Johnson at the Owl (2521 N Milwaukee Ave). Quimby's. 7pm.
New store openings
3D Printer Experience
Our monthly round-up of store openings includes River North's the 3D Printer Experience, which sounds like a ride at Disney World but is actually a place where you can make your own jewelry and head busts using 3D printers, and Squiggly's Yarn Shop, possibly the cutest store in the history of stores, in Rogers Park. Check out all of our lovely photos.
10 best things to do this week
A StoryCorps booth in Manhattan
1. StoryCorps StoryCorps teams up with the Chicago Public Library and One Book, One Chicago to further explore OBOC's year-long theme of migration. Know someone with a great migration story to tell? Chicagoans can stop by 14 library locations from May through October and interview a friend, family member or neighbor. The interview will be recorded by StoryCorps and archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Woodson Regional Library. Sat 11am–2pm. Free.
2. Stages, Sights & Sounds The Chicago Humanities Festival’s annual early-summer slate of family-friendly performance this year includes groups from Scotland, Switzerland and Mexico, in addition to homegrown talent like Theater Un-Speak-Able. May 9–17. Venues, times and prices vary (chicagohumanities.org).
3. Art Institute After Dark The May edition of the museum's popular late-night party gives you a good opportunity to sip cocktails and check out "Picasso and Chicago" before the exhibit closes on Sunday. Modern Wing. Fri 9pm–midnight. $25, $20 members and students.
4. Ian Svenonius With Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group, Svenonius, music’s most manifesto-friendly frontman, has ostensibly crafted a how-to guide for would-be bands. The book offers advice on practical matters like naming your band, recruiting personnel and sex, but the answers range from the absurd to the sublime (never name bands after mammals; balance membership by Zodiac sign; practice abstinence). The Chain and the Gang frontman reads from his hilarious guide, followed by a DJ set with Calvin Johnson at the Owl (2521 N Milwaukee Ave). Quimby's. Tue 7pm. Free.—Jake Austen
5. Richard 23 and Patrick Codenys of Front 242 Get bodied by some vicious vintage techno. Twenty years after playing the Lollapalooza main stage, Belgian industrial pioneers Front 242 send two of their knob-twiddlers over to show the kids how it's done. Smart Bar. Fri 10pm. $15, before midnight $12, advance $10.
6. Reds and Blue Former TOC music editor Areif Sless-Kitain mans the kit for Reds and Blue. Now that there's no conflict of interest, we can say he's one of the most badass drummers in town. Hideout. Thu 9pm. $8.
7. Dose Market This time around, the monthly food and shopping event focuses on mothers (reminder: this Sunday is Mother's Day). Peruse fashions from Robin Richman, make a floral crown with buds from A Muse, try a bacon flight from Bakin' & Eggs, inhale a raspberry-rose cream puff from Eclair Bakery and much more. River East Art Center. Sun 10am–4pm. $10 advance, $8 at dosemarket.com/tickets.
8. Mother's Day with Mommie Dearest Dir. Frank Perry. 1981. 129wins. Camp Midnight provides running commentary for this special Mother's Day showing of the outrageously bad, compulsively watchable biopic, based on the best-selling book by Joan Crawford's adopted daughter. The event includes a pre-screening brunch at Mystic Celt (11:30am–1:30pm, $30) and a mother-daughter matching outfit contest. The first 100 people seated get their very own wire hanger. Music Box. Sun 2pm. $12.
9. The Art of the Bicycle Trace the 200-year evolution of the bicycle from an 1818 Draisienne Walking Machine replica to sleek two-wheelers of today created with the help of former NASA engineers. Among the restored artifacts from the MSI's collection and contemporary bikes on display are a 1965 Sears Spaceliner, the fully functional Carboard Bicycle and the triathlete baiting 2013 Cervelo P5 model. Museum of Science and Industry. Free with museum admission.
10. Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Hood Internet The kitchen-sink rock of Black Moth Super Rainbow is so all over the place it usually gets tagged psych. The Pittsburgh outfit's Cobra Juicy followed a brief hiatus and several side projects, but the group is back to its old delicious habit of damaged vintage synths, hip-hop beats and eerie masks. Metro. 9pm. $17.
10 dance events to see this May
Chicago Dance Crash performs The Cotton Mouth Club.
“The Museum of Poison”
In probably the zaniest bit of performance you’ll see this month, Chicago dancers Sara Zalek, Carole McCurdy and Ginger Krebs dance it out with Seattle’s Helen Thorsen, Mary Cutrera and Lin Lucas. The evening-length concert starts outdoors then heads inside where you’ll watch some über-fancy trapeze stunts and the premiere of Thorsen’s The Museum of Poison, which takes inspiration from the imagery of carnival slideshows and ice caves. Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theatre. May 10 at 6:45pm. $18.
"Encanto Folklorico"
The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago marks 30 years on the scene, and it also happens to coincide with Mother’s Day in Mexico. (The perfect Mother’s Day treat?) The colorful costumes and enthused folk traditions have graced many a stage, including the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards, among others. Harris Theater. May 10 at 7pm. $20–$40.
Titus Andronicus at Metro | Concert photos
The blue-collar dudes in Titus Andronicus hit the Metro on Saturday night, Cuatro de Mayo. The New Jersey punks ripped through tracks from last year's Local Business, an album of T-shirt-and-jeans epics, like the young Replacements trying to make "Bohemian Rhapsody." The best part about it? None of it was about the Civil War (unlike The Monitor).
Singer Patrick Stickles sported a Diarrhea Planet shirt. You'll have to trust me when I say that's awesome. Which reminds me: If you missed this and are looking for similar rock & roll kicks, get a load of Diarrhea at Schubas next week. Yes, sorry, I'm 11 years old.
