Pencil This In

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 1, 2008 4:00PM

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Chicagoist and brought to you by the
2009 Toyota Corolla.

Roots
Justin Townes Earle is only 25 but has the musical sensibility of someone twice his age. He comes by it honestly; his father Steve is the self-styled "last of the hardcore troubadors," his middle name is in honor of the hard-living late Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who showed Steve Earle good habits onstage and bad habits off. The younger Earle's Bloodshot debut, The Good Life is a strong collection of old-time country, blues, and folk music that finds him sharing with his father and namesake the same penchant for good songcraft and emotionally stark lyrics while still managing to sound like a fully fledged artist in his own right. This evening Justin Townes Earle plays at Schubas, supporting The Felice Brothers. McCarthy Trenching opens.

Listen: Justin Townes Earle - "Hard Livin''"

3159 N. Southport, 9 p.m., $10.

Art
Beginning today St. James Cathedral will present Community Concerns in the Visual Arts, a four-part series that will explore socially conscious artistic practice in Chicago. The series will use the Keiskamma Altarpiece—on view March 27 through May 11 at St. James Cathedral following a U.S. tour—as a starting point for the first presentation, and a backdrop for the next three discussions. The altarpiece is a truly remarkable work of community art, created by 130 people (predominantly women) in rural, poverty-stricken, AIDS-affected Hamburg, South Africa. Measuring 22' x 14' and done in embroidery, appliqué, beadwork, and photography on three layers of wood panels, it combines stories of the loss of community members with a message of hope for the future. The work provided
solace in the face of suffering and grief, and much-needed income, for the artists.

Wabash and Huron, 6 p.m.

Food
Fresh off its Holi tasting menu, Marigold's monthly Tuesday Tasting menu in April will focus on Baisakhi. An annual harvest festival that falls around April 14th, Baisakhi marks the beginning of a new solar year and has serious religious significance among Hindus and Sikhs. In honor of Baisakhi Marigold will have a special three-course tasting menu that will focus on vegetarian dishes centered around seasonal ingredients.

4832 N. Broadway, 5-10 p.m., $25 per person.

Acoustic Guitar
Guitarist Andreas Kapsalis' approach to the guitar isn't unique - players ranging in diversity from Segovia to Stanley Jordan have all used an eight-finger technique - but Kapsalis brings more than a fair amount of emotion to his playing, helping his music move beyond mere wankery. His work has drawn the attention of noted producer Jim Tullio, and his cover of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk" has drawn praise from Brubeck himself. This evening Kapsalis reconvenes his trio for an evening at Tonic Room in Lincoln Park.

2447 N. Halsted, 21 and over, $5, between 9:30 and 10 p.m.

Photo of Justin Townes Earle from his myspace page.