Stay home and stay safe and healthy. Listen to our healthcare policy experts. Science matters. Keep washing your hands. And check in on 3CR, where we promote the arts for everyone's sake.
Let's stay the fuck inside and enjoy your curated weekend!
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, APRIL 10th & 11th
Meg Memes Fest Livestream @ Instagram, On the app or your browser, Friday 4:00pm - 8:30pm, Saturday 2:00pm - 7:45pm
WHAT: A fun music festival streamed on Instagram
SO WHAT: Meg Memes will be hosting a digital festival for all on her Instagram! Seriously, jump on to the app and enjoy some exceptionally great bands playing throughout the afternoon and evening including The Ophelias, Girl K, Uma Bloo, Beach Bunny, Samia, Tomberlin, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy and so many more (lineup is in the image above)!
NOW WHAT: Head over to Meg Memes Instagram and enjoy!
THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND, APRIL 9th and Beyond
The Hideout Online @ Twitch, on your favorite streaming device, usually in the evening
WHAT: Miss the good times spent at the Hideout? Well here's the digital version of it!
SO WHAT: While we may not be able to properly hang at the Hideout just yet, we can still experience all the dancing, bingo, talk shows, music, comedy, and Robbie Fulks we can handle from home! You just jump on over to twitch.tv/hideoutchicago to join in on the Hideout digital community. You'll be able to "tip" the performers via a virtual tip jar which will be split 80% for the performers, 20% for the Hideout, so you'll be supporting the Hideout community every time you contribute. Check out their schedule below and get ready for some fun!
- Robbie Fulks 4/10 @ 8PM Longtime Hideout resident artist and Grammy-nominated performer Robbie Fulks kicks off the Hideout Online concerts with a live performance! Robbie, as usual, will say and play anything from his massive repertoire. - $15 suggested "tip"
- Ariel's Party 4/11 @ 10PM DANCE AT HOME with Ariel Zetina! The critically acclaimed DJ and producer brings her monthly dance party to a virtual platform. The packed, energetic, LGBTQIA-friendly parties always doles out a sense of genuine expression, togetherness, and community, just a few things we need now more than ever. - $5 suggested "tip"
- Megan Stalter 4/13 @ 8PM Leaving Chicago less than a year ago, Megan Stalter has seen her online series The Megan Stalter Show become an instant cult-classic. Her one person show "An Evening of Mayhem" sold out in two shows in two days for TNK Fest in January. She's a not-to-be missed performer!- $10 suggested "tip"
- The Interview Show with Mark Bazer 4/14 @ 7PM For years, Mark Bazer and The Interview Show has performed live at the Hideout, and then edited it for television, so folks can watch it at home. During the shutdown Mark will now live stream his show from his home, and ya'll can watch it directly in yours! - $10 suggested "tip"
- Cosmic Country VR - 4/17 @ 8PM From the cosmos to your living room through "VIRTUAL REALITY" the Cosmic Country Showcase has gone digital! See the "live" band back some of our favorite guest stars from the shows like Andrew Sa and Half Gringa, and past headliners Cassandra Jenkins, Dougie Poole, and Scott Hirsch dial in from home. Comedy from our favorites and a few out of town folks who haven't been able to make it out, but who can surf the net right into your living room. Dress for the occasion, we know they will be. - $10 suggested "tip"
- Veggie Bingo - 4/22 and every following Wednesday @ 7PM Bingo season starts early! Veggie Bingo returns for a special in-home play edition. "Celebrity" callers will host special games and give you guides. Follow their special tips for making cards at home to play along. Dial in and "prove it" to win prizes while supporting a great cause. - $10 suggested "tip"
Film Center from Your Sofa @ The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute, your couch or preferred movie watching spot in your place, pretty much any time
WHAT: The Film Center at Home
SO WHAT:The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute is continuing their excellent series Film Center from Your Sofa .This is a fun way to stay in digital touch with the Film Center and watch some great films from the comfort of home! Enjoy films like Balloon, the Perfect Nanny, Santiago, Italy and many more! A few film's availability end today, so head over to their listings and start watching!
NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, so sit back and enjoy!
Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, unsurpisingly at your home, anytime you want to watch a movie,
WHAT: A great way to support another great local theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is shut down due to the pandemic, but you can still watch great moves and support them online! They are currently screening films via their Virtual Cinema with The Music Box series! Check out films like Bacurau (Check out our the review here), Saint Frances (our capsule review is available here), Sorry We Missed You, And Then We Danced (Check out our review here), and The Whistlers (Check out our review here).
NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, so sit back and enjoy!
Reading Events Online @ American Writers Museum, month of April
WHAT: The American Writers Museum is offering many programs online, including evening author talks and Saturday morning Little Squirrels Storytime.
SO WHAT: Author talks will be available as webinars live at 6:30pm on April 14 and 29. Kids can watch Little Squirrels Storytime at 10:30am on Saturdays, with three pre-recorded stories read each time. Watch it on Facebook but videos will also be posted to YouTube and IGTV if you can't tune in live.
NOW WHAT: These events are free. Check the events calendar and register for author talks. Registration isn’t required for Little Squirrels Storytime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=K42ZUUBeHSY&feature=emb_logo
Masque of the Red Coronavirus! @ Black Button Eyes Productions, Any time on your computer or mobile device. For 18+.
WHAT: Written by Black Button Eyes Productions producing artistic director Ed Rutherford, this short satirical piece is available online free as a combined script-and-video experience.
SO WHAT: In addition to reading the play, you will see various Chicago artists act out portions of the script on video, recorded remotely. The event includes puppets, burlesque, original music, fire dancing and more in a brief, darkly comedic confection.
With the Red Coronavirus running rampant across the countryside and a vaccine still months away, what's a Prince to do? Lock himself in a secure bunker in an undisclosed location along with a cohort of his top donors, of course. To prevent him and his rich supporters from becoming bored, the Prince has also brought a few artists into the bunker to entertain the crowd. But as the hour grows later and the night grows weirder, it's clear that something else has also invaded the party.
NOW WHAT: Settle down for an evening of magical weirdness. Click here and begin reading and watching the videos.
Kids Make Videos for Play@Home Contest @ Chicago Children's Theatre, whenever you have some free time to have fun, All Ages
WHAT: Young artists (12 and under) stuck at home can exercise their creativity by making a 5-minute video for this CCT contest.
NOW WHAT: Write your story as a video script. Be sure to create a mythical creature, include a villain, and get family members and pets involved.
SO WHAT: See our story about the Play@Home Contest with all the rules and ideas. Deadline is April 20.
Video Archives/Access Project @ Columbia College The Dance Center, their website, pretty much any time in the next two months, All Ages
WHAT: Some wonderful Dance Videos for your day!
SO WHAT: While The Dance Center at Columbia College can't host any of their planned live performances, you can still delight in some great past shows! The Dance Center at Columbia College is sharing full-length performance videos from their archives for students, educators, and dance lovers everywhere. There are tons to see and they will be available until the end of May 2020.
NOW WHAT: All the beautiful performance are available here!
Bring the Zoo to You @ Brookfield Zoo's Facebook page, when you want to see some animals besides your pets or specifically 11:00am, All Ages
WHAT: A great way to make your kids' time at home entertaining and educational
NOW WHAT: Join Brookfield Zoo on Facebook every weekday at 11:00am for a "Bring The Zoo To You" Facebook Live featuring one of their animals as well as plenty of educational, informative insight from one of our Animal Care Specialists. If you can't make it at 11, that's okay. The video will be saved afterward on Facebook as well as on their YouTube channel.
SO WHAT: Just jump in to the chat at their Facebook page to learn something new
Video Archives @ Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube's app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages
WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people!
SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival brings some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. All of their events through May and ticket sales have been postponed, but you can dig through their archives of amazing talk with the likes of Tom Hanks talking with Peter Sagal, Lin Manuel Miranda in conversation with Chris Jones, Alicia Garza speaking with Jenna Wortham!
NOW WHAT: Take a look at their past events here!
2666--Binge Theater Online Free @ Goodman Theatre website, your favorite web browser, whenever you have 5.5 hours of free time to binge watch this great play
WHAT: In 2016, Goodman Theatre staged 2666, a 5.5-hour adaptation of the massive masterpiece novel by Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño
SO WHAT: Goodman has made 2666 available for streaming free since 2018. The production comes in four linked parts (they can be watched individually) set in five distinct time periods and geographic locations, including the Nazi era and a Mexican city where the police department is a bit lax about solving hundreds of femicides. Read our review. We called it "a stupendous display of theatrical hubris."
NOW WHAT: View 2666 here. Each segment runs 68-80 minutes.
Concerts Live-streams and Local Shows Archives @ Your House, Any time you please, All Ages
WHAT: There's tons of concerts from Chicago's yesteryear available online for your enjoyment!
SO WHAT: Oh My Rockness has done a fantastic job of cataloging some of the upcoming live-streams from the awesome musical acts out there! Check out the listings and tune in to these great shows from the comfort of home! Do312 have also shared some past Chicago shows that are certainly worth of a watch. There are also so many great local concerts recorded for posterity and what better time to check them all out than during this self isolation period. Audiotree has a fantastic and huge list of sessions with links to band's websites and merch to help support them even more. In addition to our previous recommendations like Fran, Tasha, KAINA, Divino Nino, and The Ophelias, we also recommend ROOKIE, Emily Blue, Sen Morimoto, Beach Bunny, Tennis, and Gia Margaret! Then head over to their record concerts from Lincoln Hall, Scubas, and beyond to check out Orville Peck, of Montreal, and so many more! JBTV is also a fantastic resource for sessions from bands that have come through Chicago! Just take a look at this playlist of Blind Melon's '95 set at Metro! And of course Metro's twitter is still doling out daily selections of past shows!
NOW WHAT: Stay home, watch some live music, and be sure to check out your favorite artist's social media, you never know who might be live streaming next!
Video Games @ Your home PC or Console, As long as it takes, Just check the game rating
WHAT: Video-games for all!
SO WHAT: Check out our games page for some recommendations of what games to download (and avoid) while we're stuck at home. If you're a PC user, head over to the Epic Games store as they are having a big Spring sale and have released a new batch of FREE games including Close to the Sun and Sherlock Holmes Crimes & Punishments!
NOW WHAT: Wash your hands and dive head first into some fun games