In the lobby following a recent Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert, I ran into a couple intrepid friends who attended the show despite being entirely unfamiliar with classical music. Their opinion of the performance was cautious and mixed; they wished there was some sort of church crying room where they could've taken in the concert, had a few drinks, and asked me questions about what was happening on stage. The CSO is fantastic, both as an ensemble and as a night-on-the-town outing, and everyone should check them out at least once, but they had a point: The classical music concert-going experience is staid and not without an air of exclusivity. It's no mystery why the genre is seen as inaccessible. more ›

Don't settle for another Wednesday of and Girl Scout cookies that have been in the freezer for months (not ... that ... we do that ...). There's a shitton of stuff going on tonight! more ›

We all still love rocknroll...right? We’re still recovering from all that Lollapalooza coverage over here at Chicagoist HQ, but that doesn’t mean we’re too tuckered to tie into an old skool, roll-on-the-floor-in-stale-beer sort of show this weekend. The Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown will play host to the inaugural edition of Do You Still Love Rock ‘N’ Roll?, an eleven-band, all night filth affair of rock for the love of rock. Starting at 7pm and costing... more ›

Chicagoist never gets the last word. Shows run long after we’ve weighed in, discussions evolve beyond our ramblings, companies grow, companies fold, artists work hard to make a living or to make the next news cycle. For our curious and attention-deficient readers, some quick updates on previously reported stories. Art Fairs and Festivals At the eleventh hour, the Merch Mart saved Art Chicago 2006. Soon after the exhibitors packed up came word that Merchandise Mart... more ›

The Chicago Improv Festival kicks off tonight at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown with Schadenfreude’s first Chicago stage performance since…probably last year’s fest. The “Schadenfreude Rent Party” is an evening of all new material from a group that routinely packed the house at past CIFs, their late night revues, and the national college circuit until Chicago Public Radio got a hold of them. Then they were too busy hobnobbing with, and making fun of,... more ›

The Chicago Cacophony Society Reform Lodge #176 is proud to host its 7th annual SPAM Sculpture Contest at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown on Saturday. more ›