April was one busy month! So many great events filled up the calendar and it looks like May will be no different! This round up looks nice and fun with readings, concerts, and special events lighting up the city. So enjoy the next few days of reasonable weather and get out on the town!
Let's give your week a fresh start!
MONDAY, APRIL 30th
Dragon Lights Chicago @ Soldier Field South Parking Lot, 1410 Museum Campus Dr., 5:30pm-10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: It’s the final week of this festival of lights
SO WHAT: Soldier Field’s South Parking Lot has been transformed into an illuminated festival featuring 40 enormous lantern displays, comprising more than 1,000 components using state-of-the-art LEDs. The festival will also include cultural demonstrations and displays, traditional Asian and western dining options, and live stage entertainment nightly.
NOW WHAT:
Tickets are available here!
McKinley Dixon / Lamon Manuel / Cae Jones @ Emporium Arcade Bar, 1366 N Milwaukee Ave., 8:00 - 11:00pm, 21+
WHAT: An excellent Fifty50 show!
SO WHAT: It’s another Fifty50 show and this one looks like a hip-hop fan’s dream. Head out to Emporium for
McKinley Dixon‘s jazzy hip hop jams,
Lamon Manuel and his trippy rap beats,
Cae Jones’ smooth flow taking over the venue one verse at a time!
NOW WHAT: It’s free and if you RSVP, you can get yourself some free game tokens!
White Mystery / Bryce Cashman / Bev Rage & The Drinks @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave., 8:30pm, 21+
WHAT: It’s Alex White’s birthday bash, so why not celebrate with her band just a week or so removed from their 10th anniversary
SO WHAT: The sibling duo of
White Mystery has a lot to celebrate tonight. The band just turned 10, they’re about to release their 9th album
Hellion Blender, and it’s frontwoman’s Alex White's Birthday. So you know this show will be spilling over with their psychedelic punk rock. Joining them will
Bryce Cashman‘s fuzzed-out soulful rock and queercore band
Bev Rage and the Drink‘s explosive garage punk
NOW WHAT: Don’t miss out on this great show! Tickets are free because it’s Monday and it’s the Bottle and you really should just go.
TUESDAY, MAY 1st
Tuesday Funk #116 @ Hopleaf, 5148 N Clark St., 7:00pm, 21+
WHAT: An eclectic monthly reading series that celebrates good writing and good beer.
SO WHAT: Andrew Huff and Eden Robins co-host Tuesday Funk, an eclectic monthly reading series where a group of writers read their works while the audience takes in a drink or two. Housed in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf, Tuesday Funk constantly delivers wonderful writers sharing their best work. Readers will include Rachel Arndt, James Finn Garner, Michi Trota, Elizabeth Metzger Sampson and Felix Jung.
NOW WHAT: Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 7:30 sharp. So get there early to grab a seat, but not overly early. Admission is always free and the event is 21 and older.
Priests / Mellow Diamond / Forced Into Femininity @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave., 7:00pm - 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: An eclectic evening of excellent sounds
SO WHAT: Priests is the rock band we were promised when we were young. The perfect mix of excellent guitar-driven rock and an impressive stage presence, Priests delivers no all fronts. Joining them will be the avant garde dream pop of
Mellow Diamond and the punk performance art of
Forced Into Femininity.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 for this night of memorable performance
Monkey Wrench @ The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave,, 7:00pm, 21+
WHAT: A comedy showcase hosted by Arish Singh
SO WHAT: Monkey Wrench is a live comedy show featuring stand-up, sketch, and multimedia that’s totally not a leftist plot against the ruling class and the worldview they underwrite. Definitely not that. Some of the featured comedians include Devin Schiff, Leonard Pierce, Erin Grotheer, Kaitlyn Grissom, and PREACH!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $7 for this night of comedy
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2nd
Oyez Review Issue 45 Release Party (& Reading) @ City Lit Books, 2523 N Kedzie Blvd., 6:30pm - 8:00pm
WHAT: Celebrate the release of Issue 45 of Roosevelt University’s literary magazine, The Oyez Review!
SO WHAT: This is the first issue of Oyez with Featherproof’s Sammi Skolmoski at the helm. The issue’s contributors include Matthew Goulish, Brielle Brilliant (
The Spud, forthcoming from Featherproof 2018), Jazzy Smith, Rabha Ashry, Natasha Mijares, Hannah McHugh, Elizabeth Bertch, Rachel Arndt, Jennifer Roche, and many more! There will be readings by Brielle Brilliant, Jazzy Smith, and Rabha Ashry at the event as well as snacks, beverages, and general merriment. Copies of the issue will be for sale for $6.50.
NOW WHAT: The event is free, so go and enjoy this reading and new direction for Oyez
Mothica / Ehiorobo / Liska Steele @ Bourbon on Division, 2050 W Division St., 9:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Unique voices for your night
SO WHAT: Mothica will be stopping by Bourbon on Division with some sprawling production that highlights her ethereal voice. Joining her will be
Ehiorobo‘s bouncy and soulful R&B and
Liska Steele‘s off kilter pop tunes.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $7 in advance and $12 day of the show!
Cass Cwik & Dogs At Large @ The Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont Ave., 9:00pm, 21+
WHAT: Modern folk music with a touch of psychedelia
SO WHAT: Cass Cwik takes the twangy charm of American folk and infuses it into '60s-era rock that produces some excellent tunes that will get stuck in your head.
Dogs At Large’s are just as infections, adding a touch more psychedelic sounds to their alt country vibes.
NOW WHAT: It’s free!