This year's been off to a great start with plenty of events rolling in! So let's keep that going with another great weekend of fun markets, concerts, movies, and more!
While it feels like the pandemic is behind us, you still need to be mindful when you go out this weekend and beyond. The winter season has seen a lot of colds, flu, RSV, and of course bouts of COVID. It's better to be safe and wear a mask when you go out to big events. And if you're still a little hesitant to go out, there are many events and things to do from home. So whether you're staying in or going out, keep safe and stay healthy!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
- Support Local Venues
- Kingston Mines is open with some great lineups this weekend
- Fitzgerald's is also back in full swing
- Evanston Space
- Head over to the Hideout's regular shop and get yourself some great merch! Their 2020 Holiday Sale page is also still up with links to great local artists!
- Metro shop is full of fantastic concert posters from yesteryear and cool merch
- Lincoln Hall/Schubas always has great items in their shop waiting for you! Plus Schubas/Tied House is open and events are on their way back!
- Same goes for Thalia Hall's merch store (those holiday socks? *chef's kiss*)
- Let's not forget Empty Bottle's fantastic merch shop! Plus they just added some new stuff designed by some awesome people that is sure to catch your eye! Shows are going on now as well, so head over to their venue site and go to some concerts if you're comfortable
- Art Galleries and Special Events
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm!
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! Plus you can check out some of their prints from last year's Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can see their previous show "Saturday Morning Fever” featuring the works of Griffin Goodman through their virtual gallery! And don't forget to check out the virtual edition of JC Rivera's new exhibition "Still Undefeated" !
- Galerie F has a fun stock of prints from concert posters, pop culture prints and more!
- Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Head over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! They are currently showing OUTSIDE: New Works by Ocean Muerto
- WNDR Museum is an ever-evolving immersive art and technology experience designed to ignite your curiosity! See exhibits like the Light Floor, Try to Get Higher, and the Digital Gallery. Plus Keith Haring!
- Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely!
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely
- “The Twenty-Sided Tavern” @ Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19th
Writing Without Words: Artist Talk with Michiko Itatani @ Zoom, 6:00pm,
WHAT: A virtual artist talk with Chicago-based painter Michiko Itatani
SO WHAT: Michiko Itatani has spent decades crafting a unique and alluring visual language. "In her lecture Writing Without Words, Itatani connects the history and influences of her practice and pedagogy, which have layered over time into a rich lexicon of personal codes." You can check out our review of her Celestial Stages exhibit here.
NOW WHAT: The event is free! Register here for access to this incredible talk
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20th
Future and Friends : One Big Party Tour @ United Center, 1901 W Madison St, 7:00pm
WHAT: The top hip-hop acts all in one place!
SO WHAT: Future has been at the top of the rap game for years and this gigantic show is a proof of that. Touring with a who's who of the rap game, Future will be taking over the United Center for one hell of a party! Kodak Black to Ocean x KungFu to EST Gee and so many more will be making your Friday night an absolute party!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are still available for this monstrous concert !
FRIDAY - SUNDAY & BEYOND, JANUARY 20th & BEYOND
Chicago Restaurant Week 2023 @ Various Restaurants, Various Times
WHAT: The 16th annual culinary celebration!
SO WHAT: Over 300 restaurants will take part in Restaurant Week (which is actually 17 days long!), letting everyone have a taste of Chicago’s restaurant scene from Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese and more! You can feast on delicious multi-course menus all across the city and suburbs. You can find all the participating restaurants on the Restaurant Week website!
NOW WHAT: These multi-course meals are $25 for brunch or lunch, and $42 and/or $59 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).
The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and 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
Suki Waterhouse & Blondshell "Coolest Place in the World Tour" @ Metro, Saturday, January 21 , 7:30pm
WHAT: Great music at one of the coolest Chicago venues
SO WHAT: Spend your Saturday night at the Metro being serenaded by the likes of Suki Waterhouse and Blondshell. Both artists will be bringing their A game as they dish out some of their best track of their 2022 releases, Waterhouse's I Can't Let Go and Milkteeth and Blondshell's excellent "Veronica Mars".
NOW WHAT: Tickets are currently sold out
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JANUARY 21st & 22nd
Brick Fest Live @ Tinley Park Convention Center, 18451 Convention Center Dr, Tinley Park, IL, 9:00am - 4:00pm, All-ages
WHAT: All the Legos you could ever want!
SO WHAT: It's a Lego and brick building lovers dream as Brick fest Live makes it;s way to town! Enjoy the awesome site of life sized brick models, interactive stage shows, assist in building a Guinness World Record Setting mosaic and shop the vendors with hard to find Lego Merchandise! Its a fantastic event for kids and adults of all ages
NOW WHAT: Tickets start at $25 and children 2 and under are free!
MOST OF THE SELF-DISTANCING WEEKEND & BEYOND
Tomorrow Never Knows Festival @ Lincoln Hall / Schubas / Sleeping Village / Golden Dagger, Various Locations, Various Times
WHAT: Tomorrow Never Knows unites Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Sleeping Village, and Golden Dagger for a fantastic festival
SO WHAT: TNK curates the best of rising musicians (with a focus on local acts) across five days and venues, deliver one of the early year fests!
- January 19
- 700 bliss w/ Fatboi Sharif, PIWA @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 8pm, 21+ $16
- Cloakroom, Lifeguard, Pink Frost @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 7pm ,18+ $20
- Rose Hotel, Morinda, sleeper's bell @ Golden Dagger, 2447 N Halsted St., 8pm, 21+, $12
- Cheekface, Girl K, OK Cool @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 8pm, 18+ $20
- January 20
- Armand Hammer w/ YUNGMORPHEUS & Mother Nature@ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 8pm, 18+, $25
- The Curls w/ Ted Tyro & Courtesy @ Golden Dagger, 2447 N Halsted St., 7:30pm, 21+, $12
- The Stone Foxes w/ Shane Guerrette & Blue Dream @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 8pm, 18+, $22
- Ana Everling Quartet w/ Quin Kirchner @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 8:30pm, 21+, $13
- January 21
- Doss, Ariel Zetina, Sqip @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 8pm, 18+, $30
- Global Currency w/ DJ Foreigner, DJ Mochi, & DJ IGGY @ Sleeping Village, 3734 W Belmont Ave, 9pm, $21+ $15
- The Slaps w/ Advance Base, Casper McFadden @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 7pm, 18+, $20
- Saltwater Tap w/ Fènixdion, Madame Reaper And The Gentlmen's Club @ Golden Dagger, 2447 N Halsted St., 8pm, 21+, $12
- January 22
- Jaguar Sun w/ Plastic Picnic, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, & Work Wife @ Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 6pm, 18+, $20
- Fury, Angelenah @ Golden Dagger, 2447 N Halsted St., 7:30pm, 21+, $12
- Mavi w/ ELTON AURA, FLOWURZ @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., 5:30pm, all ages , $20
NOW WHAT: Click the links above for tickets to all the available shows and enjoy one of the better music weekends of the year!
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 really to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including with Broker, The Rules of the Game, Skinamarink, Assault on Precinct 13, The Big Lie, a midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show 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!
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 brings some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Be on the lookout for updates to the upcoming season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. Here is a taste of what's coming up!
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
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