19 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 3, 2016 4:03PM
Wine Under Glass is this Thursday. Photo courtesy of Garfield Park Conservatory.
Fall into our favorite events this week.
MONDAY OCTOBER 3
XXX WING CHALLENGE: See some of Chicago’s favorite media personalities compete in Jake Melnick’s XXX Wing Challenge from 6 to 8 p.m. Jeffy Mai (Eater Chicago), Brendan Greeley (ABC, Steve Dahl Show) and Dane Neal (WGN Radio) are just a few of the people competing for a spot on the "Wall of Flame." There will be half price wing baskets for spectators.
FOOTBALL + BEER DINNER: Green Street Local kicks off a new dinner series combining Monday Night Football and beer. Sample beer flights with a Boulevard Brewing brewmaster and enjoy a buffet-style dinner while watching the big game from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person. For reservations, call 312-226-6565.
FILM PREMIERE: Chicagoist film writer Rob Christopher shot Pause Of The Clock in the 1996, but it wasn't until a successful Kickstarter decades later that Christopher finally finished the movie. The film finally makes its Chicago premiere Monday night at The Gene Siskel Film Center. Tickets are still available.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 4
Image via MSI's website.
FLIGHT EXHIBIT: The Museum of Science and Industry launches a new exhibit where guests will be able to explore innovations in aviation and aerospace. Feel like you’re really flying at Above and Beyond with hands-on experiences and virtual simulations from a flock of birds to the edge of space. The exhibit is included in the cost of museum admission.
FUNKY READING SERIES: Good writing and good beer combine at the eclectic reading series Tuesday Funk. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in Hopleaf’s upstairs lounge with readings from Tom Haley, Kevin Smokler, Henri Harps, KB Jensen and Jen Masengarb. Free.
MIDWEST PILOT SHOWCASE: The Midwest Independent Film Festival presents the Annual Midwest Pilot Showcase at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema. Nine midwest-made television pilots will be screened, 7 of which were official selections at the 12th Annual New York Television Festival. Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion with the audience. Pre-Show Cocktail Reception begins at 6 p.m. and screeners begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
OCTOBERFEAST: Get a taste of River North’s hottest restaurants at Octoberfeast from 5 to 10 p.m. Stops include Davanti Enoteca, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Untitled Supper Club and more. With eight routes to choose from, there’s a delicious path for everyone. Tickets are $75.
CHICAGO CHANTEUSE: Ex-pat Rachael Yamagata just released her latest solo album, Tightrope Walker, and the new material is some of her strongest work to date. After a few introspective years, Tightrope Walker's songs feel more explosive and propulsive, and even the slower and relatively quieter moments burn like white hot embers of emotion. Yamagata returns to her one-time hometown to play Thalia Hall on Tuesday.
FINALLY, CHRISTINE!: We've been patiently waiting for Christine and the Queens to play Chicago, and Tuesday they finally arrive. Well, "they" is a bit of a misnomer, since the "band" name is actually the nom de plume of performer Héloïse Letissier, a musician who excels at mixing smoke-eyed delivery with buoyant pop beats. We came to her debut album a little too late to add it to last year's best-of list, but we've grown addicted to it. And the live performances we've seen on overseas and domestic TV appearences lends the belief that Letissier is no slouch onstage. Catch the performance Tuesday night at The Vic.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5
SOUND OPINIONS AT THE MOVIES: Join the duo from the rock and roll radio show Sound Opinions for a movie at Music Box Theatre. The latest installment of their music-focused film series will screen Christopher Guest’s A Mighty Wind at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
EAR TAXI FESTIVAL: Contemporary classical music is celebrated at this year’s Ear Taxi Festival. The six-day festival features works from nearly 90 composers and performances from Third Coast Percussion, Spektral Quartet, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and more. Some events are free and multiple event passes start at $36. Visit Ear Taxi’s Festival’s website for the full schedule.
WINE TASTING: Be "Sommelier for a Day" at III Forks Australian Wine Tasting at 5 p.m. Sample six different selections and vote for the best while enjoying hors d'oeuvres from Executive Chef Cedric Harden. Tickets are $20 per person. Call 312-938-4303 for a spot.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6
WINE UNDER GLASS: The now annual Wine Under Glass benefit for Garfield Park Conservatory takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Sip and swirl samples from ten artisan and family-owned wineries while enjoying the lush atmosphere inside the greenhouses. There will also be light bites from local restaurants and the cool sounds of Suena Latin Jazz to complete the experience. Tickets are $75.
ACROCATS: The Amazing Acro-Cats present a four-day run at the Vittum Theatre benefitting Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control. If you’ve ever seen these cats do their thing, you know they really are amazing, and they’ve got a sense of humor, too, with all those fake-outs and wanderings off. The stars of the show are all rescue cats trained by Samantha Martin to walk a tightrope, jump through hoops, push a shopping cart and more. There’s even a Rock Cats band featuring a rooster on tambourine. No, we’re not kidding (video proof, above). Tickets start at $23. Check website for showtimes.
STREETWISE GALA: StreetWise helps homeless and at-risk individuals earn employment opportunities, job training and supportive social services. Many purchase the magazine and support the street vendors every day, but Thursday is their 23rd Annual Fundraising Gala at the Museum of Broadcast Communication, which will be emceed by prosecutor and community service leader Kim Foxx leading and NFL Star Eugene Monroe. The event features a three course dinner, hosted bar, live music and more. 5:30 to 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $175.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7
KANYE WEST: Kanye West brings his amazing floating stage to Chicago for two shows, one at United Center on Friday and another at Allstate Arena on Saturday. All reports describe this as a truly unique concert experience, one in which—remarkably—the focus is on the crowd's interaction with each other and not the performer. In a year where West has continually pushed creative boundaries and sought to re-interpret how music is even consumed by the public, this move makes total sense to us. The Uniter Center is sold out but there's plenty available on the resale market, and Allstate Still has tickets available through the venue.
ROCKTOBER BEERFEST: For those who aren’t quite ready for the end of the outdoor street fest season, Rocktober Beerfest from Sam Adams is for you. Beer, bands, brats and pretzels give the three-day fest at Randolph and Ogden it’s German vibe, plus traditional live music from Die Musikmeisters. Local cover bands Too White Crew and 7th Heaven will also perform. Tickets start at $20 and include a beer stein.
Sones de México Ensemble, photo courtesy the Chicago Cultural Center
JUICEBOX: Juicebox also welcomes a new season at the Chicago Cultural Center on Friday at 11 a.m. The free kids music series kicks-off with Sones de México Ensemble.
WIRED FRIDAYS: The Chicago Cultural Center’s free mid-day DJ series is back. The first and third Friday of every month hosts renowned DJs, beginning with DJ Hyperactive at noon this Friday.