Let's get the massive number of events rolling with this curated weekend! There is so much to do this weekend including the legendary Buddy Guy shows at his equally legendary venue (shows on
Thursday,
Friday,
Saturday,
Sunday), the
Northwestern Winter Chamber Music Festival on Friday and Sunday, the
17th Annual Chicago Sketch Festival (all weekend long!), and two nights of Pokey LaFarge and Nicole Atkins on
Friday and
Saturday! So enjoy the uptick in warm weather before it reverts to it's chilly form and do something fun!
Let's get your curated weekend started!
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11th
The Spins: Moby's Play @ GMan Tavern, 3740 N Clark St., 5:00PM - 8:00PM, 21+
WHAT: A night of vinyl goodness
SO WHAT: Vinyl Me, Please is taking over GMan Tavern for their monthly The Spins event, this time featuring VMP's January Record of the Month: Moby's Play! It'll be a night of great music, meeting the local vinyl-loving community, and plenty of drinks. You could even win a copy just by showing up and hanging out!
NOW WHAT: The vinyl friendly event is free, so go out and have a great time!
Artists Connect: Haley Fohr @ The Art Institute, 111 S Michigan Ave., 6:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: The Empty Bottle and the Art Institute team up for this edition of Artists Connect, a new series of in-gallery programs that highlight the creative process
SO WHAT: Haley Fohr, the driving force of Circuit des Yeux, will be doing an intimate, in-gallery solo vocal performance in response to the museum’s Ando Gallery. Her amazing and visceral voice evokes an immeasurable amount of passion that will surely move you at this fantastic event!
NOW WHAT: Museum admission is free for Illinois residents every Thursday, 5:00–8:00—including during this event. So don't hesitate, go and experience Fohr's voice amidst great works of art!
Joseph Chilliams / Tunde Olaniran / Mother Nature @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave., 8:00PM, 21+
WHAT: Dig down into some excellent hip hop at this Open Your City show presented by Heineken, Audiotree, and Consequence of Sound
SO WHAT: This series lets audiences experience a great night of music and the opportunity to be the first to see live music videos from
Joseph Chilliams and
Tunde Olaniran.
Mother Nature will also be making a guest appearance at this show.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $12 for this great lineup. Portion of the ticket sales will benefit
Foundations of Music.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12th
Straight Jacket & Double Barrel VSOD Release Party @ Revolution Brewing Tap Room. 3340 N Kedzie Ave., 5:00PM - 10:00PM, 21+
WHAT:
Revolution Brewing is ending this year's Deep Wood Series with a bang!
SO WHAT: Ever dream of tasty brews aged in barrels? If so then this release party is for you! Revolution Brewing will be releasing Straight Jacket (Barrel-Aged Barleywine - 13.1% ABV), Mineshaft Gap (Barrel-Aged Barleywine - 14.3% ABV), and Double Barrel V.S.O.D. (Double Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout - 17% ABV) in 4-packs of 12oz cans. They will also be tapping additional Straight Jacket and Double Barrel V.S.O.D variants while you enjoy grub from Cheesie's and CAFE TOLA!
NOW WHAT: Entry to the event is free! For pricing details on the cans and everything they'll have, check out their event page!
¡Pachanga!: Friday Night Edition @ Subterranean, 2011 W North Ave., 8:00PM, 21+
WHAT: An evening full of dancing, art and fun times!
SO WHAT: ¡Pachanga! kicking off 2018 with a two-floor party at SubT! Pachanga will be upstairs while the PumPum crew will be cohosting downstairs with their Reggaeton, Dembow, and Juke dance party! There will also be live painting and plenty of vendors at the tianguis market!
Check out all the details on their event page!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13th
Handmade Market Chicago @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave., Noon - 4:00PM, 21+ (and parents with kids)
WHAT: Shopping, eating, and drinking all in one place
SO WHAT: Grab some food next door at Bite Cafe, maybe a drink from the Empty Bottle Bar, and start shopping the
Handmade Market Chicago! They will be bringing over 30 makers of beautiful and unique items to the Empty Bottle! Join in and see what all the sellers will have to offer. You can check out some of the sellers that will be featured over on their
Facebook events page.
NOW WHAT: This event as always is free!
The Poster Art of Scott Williams: A Soul Summit Retrospective @ All Star Press, 2775 N Milwaukee Ave., 6:00PM - 9:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: Great poster art at a great art gallery
SO WHAT: All Star Press will be presenting over 50 posters designed by
Scott “Sloppy White” Williams! Williams, who is part of the three man DJ collective Soul Summit, has been commissioned by the likes of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, JD McPherson, and Numero Group to create wonderful posters that capture the beauty of soul music!
NOW WHAT: This exhibit opening is free!
Mine! a comics collection to benefit Planned Parenthood @ Volumes Bookcafe, 1474 N Milwaukee Ave., 7:00PM - 10:00PM, All Ages
WHAT: A gathering of fantastic writers and artists supporting the release of Mine!
SO WHAT: Volumes Bookcafe welcomes ComicMix for the release of Mine!, a comics collection to benefit Planned Parenthood, featuring more than 300 pages of comics by more than 150 contributors. You can purchase a copy of the book and meet some of the contributors of the collection including Brian Azzarello (Wonder Woman, 100 Bullets), Aria Baci (Geeks OUT, The Mary Sue), Liana Buszka (Lupina), Joe Corallo (ComicMix, Geek), Marc Alan Fishman (ComicMix, Unshaven Comics), Dave Kelly (So What? Press, Tales of the Night Watchman), and Mike Norton (Battlepug, Revival)!
NOW WHAT: The event is free! A copy of Mine! is $25 and ComicMix is donating all profits from the sale of the book to Planned Parenthood!
Tennis & Overcoats @ Metro, 3730 N Clark St., 8:00PM, 18+
WHAT: Two wonderful bands back in town for another show!
SO WHAT: Last year,
Tennis and Overcoats made quite the impression at their Thalia Hall show.
Overcoats dazzled with their moody and soulful sound while
Tennis offered up their infectious throwback ballads to a more that excited crowd. This show is sure to rival the presence of their last one, so don't hesitate!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $18 for this fantastic musical experience
Poutine's "Thanks for Coming" @ CIC Theater, 1422 W Irving Park Rd., 8:00PM
WHAT: A new sketch comedy revue from Poutine and Vienna Juvenile Productions, the minds behind last summer’s hit comedy festival, Story Arc Sketch Comedy Festival.
SO WHAT: Poutine, the Chicago-based duo of Taylor Overstreet and Tim Felton, will be joining forces with Vienna Juvenile for
Thanks for Coming a new full-length sketch comedy revue. This four-week run will invite you into their stage home, blurring the line between real and surreal, and revealing all the comedy in between.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for this great night of sketch comedy
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14th
8-Bit Brunch & Ms Pac-Man Tournament @ Headquarters Beercade, 213 W Institute Pl., 11:00AM - 3:00PM, 21+
WHAT: Nostalgic tunes from your favorite games while you brunch
SO WHAT: Headquarters Beercade will be throwing their first installment of 8-Bit Brunch! While you enjoy drool-worthy brunch specials and Beermosas, the 8-Bit Boys will being playing live music from your favorite classic videos games. They'll also be having a classic Ms. Pacman Tournament with a grand prize of $250!
NOW WHAT: Get ready for your video game brunch and
RSVP here to save your spot for the Tournament.'
Denise La Grassa's The Blues Ain’t A Color @ Elastic Arts, 3429 W Diversey Ave #208, 6:00PM
WHAT: Denise La Grassa will present her 75-minute original jazz-theater performance
The Blues Ain’t A Color in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, followed by a brief community discussion about Dr. King’s legacy.
SO WHAT: La Grassa and co-composer/co-performer John Kregor’s music weaves together with historical photos, current video images, and paintings by the late Swiss artist Maria Kern to highlight issues of race and diversity in America today. The show also features taped interviews, original songs, and poetry; all of which embrace MLK's message
NOW WHAT: Ticket are $10!
For Frankie! @ Metro & Smartbar, 3730 N Clark St., 10:00PM, 21+
WHAT: Queen! in association with FKF present: For Frankie! - a celebration of his life with all proceeds benefiting the
Frankie Knuckles Foundation
SO WHAT: Go out to Smartbar and Metro for a slew of wonderful DJs getting the crowds hyped and dancing all night long at both Metro and Smartbar. Metro will feature Derrick Carter, Ron Trent, and Mike Dunn while smartbar will have Michael Serafini, Garrett David, Shaun J Wright, and Eris Drew. The evening will be hosted by Lucy Stoole, Nico (Dustin), Jojo Baby, Valentine Addams, and Beverly Lately.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at door for this great night!