Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/3 and Beyond

In this weird time with piles of snow and a pandemic hindering our social lives, we're all looking for something to do on the weekend. Stores, restaurants, and venues are seemingly fully open with mask and vaccination requirements, but some shows are being moved and outright cancelled. So if you still don't feel entirely safe to go out you can always stay in and support these places from home. But if you do plan to go out this weekend, make sure you check out the venue's policies and quite honestly, take initiative. Wear a mask, social distance, and get your vaccination shots and your booster even if the venue/event is lax. Protect yourself and those around you. Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!

THURSDAY - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd - 5th

Weekend Shows @ Lincoln Hall & Schubas, 2424 N Lincoln Ave & 3159 N Southport Ave, various times, 18+ WHAT: A full weekend of amazing shows at Schubas! SO WHAT: Lincoln Hall and Schubas are some of our favorite venues in the city and they always have something great going on. Check out what's going this weekend at these great venues! NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows! Please note: proof of vaccination is required for entry to all shows at Lincoln Hall and Schubas in Chicago. Click here for more information on this policy.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4th

CHAI’s Wink Together North America Tour w/ Su Lee @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave , 8:00pm, 18+ WHAT: Bright and energetic sounds for your weekend SO WHAT: Take a trip to Lincoln Hall for this great lineup. Chai is taking pop music to experimental heights that end up delivering some unique and danceable songs that will leave you begging for more. Joining them on this stop will be Su Lee and her equally unique take on DIY pop sounds! NOW WHAT: Tickets are only $20 for this perfect Friday night show! Peter Joly Group & Naomi Ashley @ Fitzgerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, 7:00pm, WHAT: Some wonderful local folk music for your weekend SO WHAT: Take a trip out to Fitzgerald's for night of great musicians. This evening will include Peter Joly performing songs from his latest album Easy Has Never Been the Way. His sound is a perfect warm hug for this cold winter night. Joining them as the opener will be Naomi Ashley whose deep almost jazzy voice blends beautifully with NOW WHAT: This show is free, but if you'd like to support the artists and music program, you can add a voluntary cover charge to your bar tab. Chicago Psychfest 12 @ Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia Avenue, 8:30pm, 21+ WHAT: All the psych you could ask for! SO WHAT: Chicago Psychfest is now in it’s 12th year and it’s going to be a doozy! You’ll get the chance to see and hear amazing bands like Daydream Review and their fuzzy as all hell psych pop and veteran space-punkers Plastic Crimeware Syndicate with a new lineup and plenty of surprises in tow. Plus you get a very special, one time reunion of former psychedelic-scene leaders, The Great Society Mind Destroyers! This is their first show in over a decade! Fronted by Kosmik Jru Kettering, who helped start Psychfest, GSMD are set to blow your mind! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $12 for this psychedelic night!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4th - 6th

Hygge Fest @ Andersonville, Various Locations, Various Times, All Ages WHAT: A taste of the Scandinavian roots of Andersonville SO WHAT: Andersonville's annual Hygge Fest is a go this year with plenty of sales, pop ups, and more. For three days businesses like Alley Cat Comics, Rattleback Records, Raygun and more will be embracing the coziness (hygge translates to cozy) of the season. Check out their website for more participating stores! NOW WHAT: Mask up and support some local businesses! A most retailers will have online offerings (like davidjaycollins.com) if your not feeling like going out in this weather/ongoing pandemic ChiTown Movies @ Pilsen Neighborhood, 2343 S. Throop St, Various Times, All Ages WHAT: An old school experience for the modern age SO WHAT: Take a trip back in time and head out to a drive-in movie with ChiTown Movies. Ever since the pandemic started and shut down traditional movie screening, a few pop up drive-ins have arrived and ChiTown Movies has preservered, offering up modern movies in this retro setting. Check out their lineup below for showings this weekend and in the future! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5th

Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration @ Argyle & Winthrop, Noon - 4:00pm, All Ages WHAT: Join Uptown United and 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman on Argyle Street in 2022 as Uptown continues its annual tradition (going back 40+ years) of celebrating the Lunar New Year! SO WHAT: Welcome the Year of the Tiger with the Lunar New Year Parade (kick-off at 1:00pm sharp at Argyle & Winthrop) featuring 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers and performers!  There will also be some fun pop-ups with family-friendly activities including Year of the Tiger Storytime and Crafts (Noon – 12:45pm RSVP HERE), Cherry Blossom Craft (1:00pm – 4:00pm @ 3rd Space at 4956 N Sheridan Rd. ), and the Argyle Art Walk (anytime and for some guidance check out the Uptown Public Art Map)! NOW WHAT: It’s free! Mask up and enjoy the celebration! Final Fantasy VII Remake @ Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 220 S Michigan Ave, 2:00pm and 7:00pm, All Ages WHAT: Video game music brought to life SO WHAT: It's no surprise to gamers, but video game scores are just as gorgeous as their more traditional orchestral scores. The remake of Final Fantasy VII in particular is phenomenal and this performance full of new symphonic arrangements is sure fire bet for the end of your weekend! Led by Arnie Roth, the orchestra and chorus featuring over 1000 musicians will performer as video scenes from the game created exclusively for the concert pal in the back ground. NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $42 and go up to $157. Tickets are going fast so get them now if your interested in seeing this live! There is also a 2:00pm show available! Fulton Street Collective Jazz Series @ ​Fulton Street Collective & Their YouTube channel, 1821 W. Hubbard St, Suite 307, or the coziest spot in your home, 8:00pm WHAT: Some excellent jazz for your evening SO WHAT: Fulton Street Collective are back with in-person events, but they are still determined to give Chicago its much needed dose of jazz at home! Most of their shows are also streaming so you can see and hear the beautiful music on their YouTube channel! Below are just some of the upcoming shows from the collective. NOW WHAT: The shows are free! Also you should definitely support Fulton Street Collective by becoming a member!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5th & 6th

The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7:00pm, 16+ WHAT: Quick plays live and online! SO WHAT: The Neo-Futurists are back! Their Infinite Wrench is an  ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Now it's actually a live audience that will be enjoying the performance in person! With plenty of COVID precautions in place, you'll be able to enjoy the funny, disgusting, profound, terrifying, irreverent, and downright entertaining show with friends! Plan ahead as vaccination cards will be checked and booster will be required to be fully vaccinated. NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $10! Head over to their website to see all they have planned now that in-person audiences are a thing again! If you're still a little anxious about going out, The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6th

Pilsen Vendor Market @ Pilsen Art House, 1756 W 19th St, Noon – 5:00pm WHAT: A socially distanced mini handmade market! SO WHAT: This is a weekly market for artists and makers to come together, make new friends and sell their wonderful wares. NOW WHAT: Entry is free, just be sure to wear your mask as they are required! Chicago Winter Art Fair @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave, 1:00pm - 5:00pm, 21+ WHAT: This fantastic art fair is back for all your shopping need (Valentines is coming up hint hint) SO WHAT: The Chicago Winter Art Fair at Sleeping Village gets over 20 local art vendors to share their work with the community. Find the perfect gift as you shop ceramics, jewelry, vintage, prints, paintings, textiles, and more! NOW WHAT: Entry is free !

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

Winterland @ Gallagher's Way, 3635 N Clark St, Various times, All Ages WHAT: Some more winter festivities SO WHAT: Just because the holiday season is over doesn't mean you can still have some winter time fun. Gallagher Way's Winterland is still offering up some great events over the weekend with Curling lessons on Thursday and ice skating Friday and beyond! NOW WHAT: Ice bumper Cars tickets are $15 while Ice Skating dmission is free for kids 12 and under, $6 for those 13+, and skate rental is $12. You can find more information at their website!
New Talks and Video Archives @ Various Locations & Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people! SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival always bring some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Be on the lookout for the upcoming season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. They just announced their first talk of the new year!  Click the link below for more details! 9Th NOW WHAT: Head over to take a look at their past events here! You should also sign up for their email list to get updates on upcoming talks in 2022.

Back on the Big Screen and Virtual Cinema @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave and at your home, any time you want to watch a movie WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is currently open to the public, so if you feel comfortable you can go out and have a theater experience this weekend with The Conversation (Thursday only), Licorice Pizza, Last and First Men (Thursday only), Compartment No. 6, Out of the Blue, Hud Part of: Black and White CinemaScope Matinees, a Midnight screening of Dawn of the Dead and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies and support them online! They are currently screening films via their The Music Box Direct series! There are also tons of select titles available on their new platform! NOW WHAT: Digital tickets are $12, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy! Remember that a physical/digital vaccination card or a negative PCR Covid test within 72 hours is required for entrance!
Lyric Opera Streaming On Demand @ Your favorite streaming device, the most lavish spot in your home WHAT: The Lyric Opera at home SO WHAT: Revisit some of your favorite Lyric moments, or experience for the first time performances you've missed.Check out their website for schedule of upcoming shows. Currently streaming is Luisa Miller (2019), The Queen of Spades (2020), and Die Walküre (2017). NOW WHAT: It's free!!
Concerts Livestreams 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 and Do312 has done a fantastic job of cataloging some of the upcoming live-streams from the awesome musical acts out there! Check out Oh My Rockness' listings here, Do312's roundup of shows here, and tune in to these great shows from the comfort of home! Do312 have also shared some past Chicago shows that are certainly worth 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, Schubas, 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! NOW WHAT: Stay home, watch some live music, and be sure to check out your favorite artists' 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 will be releasing a few new FREE games for you to download ! There are also tons of free games on Twitch Prime waiting for you to download! NOW WHAT: Wash your hands and dive head first into some fun games! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42ZUUBeHSY
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.
#things to do in chicago
Julian Ramirez