Alligator Records adds another show to their 40th Anniversary Series at SPACE, this one coming the day after Thanksgiving. more ›

Alligator Records has been churning out blues rock artists for 40 years now, and tonight they kick off a special anniversary celebration at SPACE that will continue well into December. With all those decades under their belt, Alligator’s got a rich history, and in a six concert series, they’ll showcase some their best veteran artists, some who have been singing the blues almost as long as Alligator has been around (some even longer), and are all still making music. more ›

At 10:26 a.m., the final Space Shuttle launch went off without a hitch, leaving Cape Canaveral for the International Space Station at a brisk 2,600 miles an hour when the broadcaster on the NASA feed noted: "the Space Shuttle spreads it wings a final time for a sentimental journey into space." The Atlantis' final mission is a 12-day jaunt, and we can't help but feel a little nostalgic for the end of an era. When you're not checking out the live mission coverage from NASA fire up your imagination with one of our five favorite movies about space: more ›

For those of you tried and true music lovers out there, those of you who are insane devoted enough to brave the 2011 Blizzaster, there will be music! A select number of venues and crazy dedicated musicians will be playing across our great, snow-covered land this eve. more ›

• Parents of students at Whittier Elementary School in Pilsen held a sit-in to protest the proposed demolition of the school's field house.
• A South Side man was shot twice today and survived both times.
• Shareholders for both Continental and United Airlines approved the airlines' proposed merger.

Tonight is the peak for the annual Perseid meteor shower so if you haven't gotten a chance to step outside the city and take it all in, tonight's the night to do it. The Adler Planetarium is hitting the road for Wheaton where the city lights won't outshine the meteors and you can actually see the streaks across the sky at their Perseid viewing party. Telescopes will be available for viewing the meteors, there will be plenty of science dropped by a few Adler lecturers, and there will even be excerpts from One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure in Adler's portable planetarium dome. The only catch? You just have to get out to Cantigny Park in Wheaton. more ›

What would Earth look like if it had rings like Saturn? This amazing video shows what it would look like both from outer space and from down here, looking up. So freaking cool. [via] more ›

To our friends celebrating Rosh Hashanah, L'shana tova! more ›

It's that time again - time for the annual Perseid Meteor shower as the Earth passes through the tail of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. By all accounts, the Chicago area should be in for a great show tonight, though you'll need to escape the city lights to get the best experience. I can still remember my dad dragging me out of bed in the middle of the night to see Halley's Comet back in 1986. Fortunately, there won't be a need for that tonight as NASA says that the 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. window should offer an excellent viewing experience. more ›

Tom Schraeder's new EP, Lying Through Dinner, displays a remarkable step forward for the young singer-songwriter. Previously we've compared Schraeder's gritty country tinged rock to a one man version of The Band, but here he takes our previous perception of his music and turns it on his head. more ›

Highland Park native and U of C alum John M. Grunsfeld will be making his fifth trip to space and fourth trip to the Hubble space telescope. He's scheduled to be on the shuttle Atlantis's October mission. According to NASA, "Dr. Grunsfeld has logged over 45 days in space, including 5 space walks totaling 37 hours and 32 minutes." more ›