Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 2/17 and Beyond

We're all looking for something to do on the weekend, especially with pandemic numbers slowing down and it feeling a little more normal to go out. Stores, restaurants, and venues still have mask and vaccination requirements, but things are changing rapidly. If you still don't feel entirely safe to go out (and quite honestly, who can blame you?) 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 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, FEBRUARY 17th

V.V. Lightbody w/ Adeline Hotel & Sarah Weddle @ Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia Ave., 9:00pm, 21+ WHAT: A wonderful lineup of fantastic musicians SO WHAT: V.V. Lightbody is an absolute joy to see perform live. Her songs taken on an otherworldly quality as she serenades a crowd. Her most recent album, Make a Shrine or Burn It was a magnificent display of her talent and one of our favorites of 2020. Joining her this evening will be the beautiful and gentle folk of Adeline Hotel and Sarah Weddle! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 for this great night!

THURSDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 19th, 20th

Highs & Lows @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, Various Times WHAT: A film series daring to go where you never really expected SO WHAT: Take in the wide breadth of cinema as Music Box Theatre presents a new series Highs & Lows, Presented by Oscarbate and Hollywood Entertainment, sponsored by DePaul University. As Music Box Theatre’s website puts it: “Highs & Lows: a mini-film fest questioning, bridging, and destroying the gap between the idea of bad vs good, high vs low, and art vs pleasure.” Find the surprising similar themes between these tonally dissonant film pairings. NOW WHAT: Tickets are $15 for these double features! And remember, Music Box Theatre has other movies playing in person and through their digital platform, so support this great theatre from anywhere! Don’t forget: all visitors ages 5 and up to the Music Box Theatre will need to show proof of full vaccination for all screenings and events at the Theatre.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17th

Grown Folks Stories @ Haymarket Brewery, 737 West Randolph St, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, WHAT:  Grown Folks Stories and Funky Town Brewery come together at Haymarket Brewery SO WHAT: Grown Folks Stories, from the great minds at the Silver Room, is two hours of five minute stories that range the emotional spectrum from laugh out loud funny to completely somber. Experience some real stories alongside some drinks from Haymarket brewery and Funky Town Brewery, a local Black-owned start-up brewery that is offering up great beer and growing rapidly! NOW WHAT: Entry is free and you can RSVP here! If you don’t feel like going out you can catch the live stream of the show on the Silver Room’s YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook page! 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!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18th & 19th

The Chicago Pancake & Booze Art Show @ Reggies, 2105 S State St, 8:00pm – 2:00am, 21+ WHAT: The breakfast, booze and art party celebrates its 10th anniversary! SO WHAT: Pancakes & Booze is an underground art event that aims to delight attendees with a mix all things art, booze, and of course pancakes. There will be over 100 emerging artists displaying their work as well as live body painting happening throughout the night. Between perusing the art you can dance the night away with DJs or head to the free pancake bar for, you guessed it, all you can eat pancakes. NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 for presale! Once those tickets are gone it’s $15 in advance and at the door!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18th - 20th

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 persevered, 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 19th

Vintage Beer Fest @ Delilah's, 2771 N. Lincoln Ave, Noon - 5:00pm, 21+ WHAT: A little taste of older beers SO WHAT: Delilah’s 24th Annual Vintage Beer Festival will let guest partake in over one hundred beers, primarily Strong Ales, Barrel Aged Brews, Sour and Live Beers, from over 50 breweries! The ages will range far and wide and some of the breweries include Three Floyds, Pipeworks, Goose Island, Two Brothers, Half Acre, and so many more! NOW WHAT: Admission is free but the cost to sample is $20 for 20 sample tickets and the tickets are only available at the door.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19th & 20th

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 20th

Chicago Vinyl Connection 005: Northside @ Emporium Arcade Bar Logan Square, 2363 N Milwaukee Ave., Noon – 5:00pm, WHAT: A vinyl pop up at a great arcade bar SO WHAT: Chicago Vinyl Connection is back for 2022 with a nice lineup of vendor selling some choice slabs of wax.  Presented by Miyagi Records & South Rhodes Records and powered by The Underground Sessions, this vinyl market will feature amazing record dealers like A1 Records & CDs , Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl, Del Pueblo Records, No Requests, Rampage Records, and Wild Prairie Vintage & Vinyl! While you look for a hidden gem or have a drink at the bar you can enjoy some DJ sets from Grant Crusor, Hameedullah, Backback Beatz, La Queen, and Rudy De Anda! NOW WHAT: Entry is free! Meg Memes Fest @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave, 6:00pm, 21+ WHAT: The COVID era online fest goes in-person SO WHAT: In the uncertain beginnings fo the pandemic, Meg Memes Fest brought an amazing array of artists for a livestreamed festival that was everything we needed. Now with the pandemic slowing down (I really hope it is) Meg Memes Fest makes it’s way to Sleeping Village with a fantastic local lineup. Join Smut, Izzy True, Girl K, Claude, and Kirby Grip for a great night of diverse and fun jams! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door!! dodie - Photo by Kate Scott dodie & Lizzy McAlpine @ Riviera Theatre, 4746 N Racine Ave, 7:30pm, All Ages WHAT: An excellent night of tender and emotive tunes SO WHAT: dodie‘s fanbase started on YouTube, naturally gaining steam to where she is now, selling out show after show thanks to her incredible music.  Her first full length album Build a Problem solidifies continues her path of creating earnest folk songs wrapped with pristine pop elements that make for breathtaking songs. Her songs deal with the complexity of mental health, relationships, and life in universal way that let’s her listeners relate to her even more. Dodie utilizes her huge platform to spread a strong sense of positivity and inclusivity, making every show feeling like a personal and intimate experience no matter the size of the venue. She will be joined by equally fantastic voice of Lizzy McAlpine! NOW WHAT: Tickets are $28.50 for this great show!

THE WHOLE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND

WHAT: Chicago Auto Show is back SO WHAT:Head out to McCormick Place to see the latest vehicles, experience added outdoor test tracks, or take a test drive on city streets! It’s North America’s largest auto show and will be open to the public February 10 – 21, so indulge in your love of automobiles! Check out our photo gallery of last year’s show here! NOW WHAT:Ticket are $15 adults, $10 seniors 62+ and $10 for children 12 & under! Masks are required for all attendees age 2 and over, except when eating and drinking. Proof of COVID-19 vaccine will not be required for admission. However, designated areas will be set up for the consumption of food and beverage and proof of COVID-19 vaccine will be required for entry into those areas. 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. 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't 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 Skating admission is free for kids 12 and under, $6 for those 13+, and skate rental is $12. You can find more information at their website!

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 Worst Person in the World, Compartment No. 6, Strawberry Mansion, the second weekend of the Highs and Lows series, a midnight screening of The Room 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 is required for entrance!
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! 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.
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.
Julian Ramirez