This week's curated list of events for the beginning of your week is huge! Each day has four amazing sections ranging from concerts, talks, and storytellers ready to make your evening fun! Every show offers something unique and undoubtedly Chicagoan, so take advantage of the slightly less chilly weather and enjoy the first half of your week.
Let's give your week a fresh start!
MONDAY, JANUARY 8th
First Monday Jazz: Sam Trump @ Currency Exchange Café, 305 E Garfield Blvd., 7:00PM - 8:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: A special jazz night for your start of the week
SO WHAT: Join the lovely folks at the
Currency Exchange Café for their special First Monday Jazz event featuring
Sam Trump. Trump is a multi-instrumentalist/ singer/songwriter who has become heavily involved in Chicago's live music scene as a band leader, sideman, and show curator. He is known for creating soulful experiences that you won't forget.
NOW WHAT: This event is free!
Ohmme / Campdogzz / Quarter Mile Thunder @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave., 8:30PM, 21+
WHAT: New Year, New free Mondays at the Empty Bottle!
SO WHAT: The wonderful
Ohmme, made up of duo Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart (and sometimes trio with Matt Carroll), will be bring their avant garde rock chaos to the Bottle for the first free Monday of the year! The duo blends ethereal vocals with ecstatic guitar playing for one hell of a live performance. Joining them will be radiant melodies of
Campdogzz and
Quarter Mile Thunder's experimental Americana.
NOW WHAT: It's free, go out and experience the best local music in town!
Salonathon: I Do What I Want! @ Beauty Bar, 1444 W. Chicago Ave., 8:30PM, 21+
WHAT: A weekly show of experimental work featuring an inclusive creative community throwing a great party!
SO WHAT: The theme of this week's
Salonathon is a chance for you to celebrate doing exactly what you want to do! So come out and join the search party! Feel the love with this line up of fantastic Chicago artists performing some underground, emerging, and genre-defying art and stick around for a fun community with jams provided by DJ Danny Leeroy.
You can check out the lineup of artists at their event page!
NOW WHAT: You can RSVP here for the 8-9pm hosted bar!
Laverne x Faux Co @ The Owl, 2521 N Milwaukee Ave., 9:00PM, 21+
WHAT: Double Door & Dark Circles Records present a monthly band showcase at The Owl.
SO WHAT: The Double Door may be gone, but they are still putting on shows! Stop by The Owl for a night of great local music featuring the jangly rock of
Laverne and some interesting indie pop from
Faux Co.
NOW WHAT: No cover for this one, just stop by an enjoy the tunes
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9th
The Moth StorySLAM: Ambition @ The Promontory, 5311 S Lake Park Ave., 6:00PM, 17+
WHAT: Captivating storytellers telling stories
SO WHAT: The Moth presets an open-mic storytelling competition. It is open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the night’s theme. Come tell a story, or just enjoy the show! This time performers prepare a five-minute story about
ambition, whatever it is that keeps your eye on the prize. Whether it's clawing your way to the top, cut-throat tactics or practice, practice, practice!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for this great evening of stories.
A Scientist Walks into a Bar: Paleontology Post Jurassic Park @ The Hideout, 1474 N Milwaukee Ave., 6:30PM, 21+
WHAT: Join The Field Museum at The Hideout for drinks and discussions about a wide range of natural history with scientists who study everything from ancient meteorites to urban farming practices in Chicago.
SO WHAT: Want to know why the dinosaurs really went extinct, or why lichens live forever? Then this talk is for you! Stop by for this talk focusing on Paleontology after the rise of
Jurassic Park. Field Museum paleontologist Brandon Peecook will be on hand to talk about how far his field come since that fateful film and where scientists are going next!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $5 and available at the door
Brian Case / Ulla Straus / Brett Naucke / Tom @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave., 8:30PM, 21+
WHAT: Experimental soundscapes for your aural pleasure
SO WHAT: Ever want to lose yourself in wave of strange yet inviting tones? Then this experimental show is for you!
Brian Case (of FACS, Disappears, 90 Day Men, Pony Boy) will be performing a methodical set of minimalist sounds that are as abstract as they are mesmerizing. Joining him will be the medieval ambience of
Ulla Straus, the modular synths of
Brett Naucke, and Tom, your reality hopping aural guide.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $7 for this evening of beautiful sounds
Sun Storm: Bill MacKay & Tim Kinsella Residency @ Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave., 9:00PM, 21+
WHAT: A January residency of local geniuses
SO WHAT: Two local musical mainstays,
Bill MacKay and
Tim Kinsella, are teaming together as Sun Storm: a month long residency at the Hideout! Every Tuesday the pair will come together for two sets each night featuring a some special guests to help fill out the band. This evening will include Ben LaMar Gay & Sam Wagster!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for this great musical adventure.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10th
Soup & Bread @ The Hideout, 1474 N Milwaukee Ave., 5:30PM - 8:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: It's the tenth year of
Soup & Bread!
SO WHAT: Soup & Bread is a low-key, family-friendly community meal held on winter Wednesdays at the
Hideout. Through March, you can enjoy hot soup, fresh bread, and good conversation with your fellow soup and bread aficionados. Each meal features six or more soups from a range of cooks and delicious bread donated by
Publican Quality Bread. There are sure to be some surprise treats along the way.
NOW WHAT: Admission is pay-what-you-can donations, which go to a different Chicago food pantry or hunger relief organization every week.
CHIRP Radio's First Time: First Strike @ Martyrs', 3855 N Lincoln Ave., 8:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: Stories and music coming together
SO WHAT: CHIRP Radio's premier storytelling and music series
The First Time, Voted Best Literary Event in the 2017 Chicago Reader's Reader poll, returns to Martyrs. The First Time is hosted by CHIRP DJ, The Moth champion, and host of Psychotic Break, Jenn Sodini. The series pairs a featured reader's true story with live song, performed by the series' house band The First Time Four (Steve Frisbie, Liam Davis, Gerald Dowd and Scott Stevenson). Trading between stories and songs breaks up the event nicely for a fun and intimate event
. For a full list of readers, head to their event page!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 at the door. Proceeds go to benefit CHIRP Radio.
Ancient Friends / Archie Powell & the Exports / Sunjacket @ Quenchers, 2401 N Western Ave., 9:00PM, 21+
WHAT: You know what you need? Some unadulterated rock n roll
SO WHAT: Take a break in the middle of the week with this fantastic lineup of pure rock bands doing what they do best (hint: it's rocking out)!
Ancient Friends, Brad Sawicki's revolving group of friend making music, will be headlining along side the exuberant
Archie Powell & the Exports, and dark indie rock of
Sunjacket!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $6 for this awesome night!
Stars Align: Thomas Comerford and Julie Meckler @ The Whistler, 2421 N Milwaukee Ave., 9:30PM, 21+
WHAT: Special collaborations in music
SO WHAT: Stars Align brings together two local acts to see what happens when their distinct styles collide to create music. You’ll hear everything from re-imagined, stripped-down versions each others songs to completely new and improvised pieces. The event introduces you to both new artists and lets some of your favorites shine in a new light. This edition of Stars Align features two interesting folk artists:
Thomas Comerford and
Julie Meckler.
NOW WHAT: This event is free, so don't miss out on this one time collaboration.
