12 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 8, 2016 4:00PM
See the story of Japanese American dancer Sono Osato at the Saturday premiere of Sono's Journey. Photo courtesy of Thodos Dance Chicago.
There are lots of reasons to bundle up and get out of the house (and laugh) this weekend. Here are a few of our favorite plans.
FRIDAY JANUARY 8
NAKED GIRLS READING: Check out the Chicago Naked Girls as they read stories from Roald Dahl, while—you guessed it—naked at Studio L’amour. It’s a golden ticket to see the ladies read classics like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach” and more. 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.
BANDS + ARCADE: DJ Nodj and Terrible Spaceship take the stage for a free night of performances at Emporium Arcade Bar Wicker Park. The music gets started at 9 p.m.
BOWIE BIRTHDAY BASH: Late Bar hosts another birthday party for David Bowie featuring a live tribute performance from Rebel Rebels. Expect glam rock all night long from DJs Lisa Marchese and Carrie Monster. 8 p.m. No cover.
TRUMP ROAST: The Late Late Breakfast at the Hideout has pancakes, drinks and a roast of Donald Trump from an expert panel of comedians. They’ll be in character as politicians and celebrities attacking the Donald, as well as each other. 8 p.m. Tickets are $5.
STAND UP COMEDY: Hometown comedian Beth Stelling sets out on a weekend-long stand at Zanies on Friday. She’s appeared on Conan and Jimmy Kimmel Live and had her very own special on Comedy Central last fall. Tickets are $25. Can't make it to Zanie's? She's also headlining Paper Machete on Saturday.
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
LIVE MAGAZINE: Yes, in addition to her weekend run at Zanies, comedian Beth Stelling is also headlining Saturday’s Paper Machete at the Green Mill. The weekly live reading series boasts a pretty impressive lineup, with local comic Sam Irby and NY-based comedy troupe Team Submarine also on the bill. Funk/soul band Fatbook will also play. 3 p.m. Free.
CONTEMPORARY DANCE: Thodos Dance Chicago presents the world premiere of Sono's Journey on Saturday at the Auditorium Theatre. The piece, choreographed by company founder Melissa Thodos, chronicles the life of Japanese American dancer Sono Osato. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $28.
MARTIAN FILM + PANEL: Did you have a lot of questions about space after watching “The Martian”? Join the University of Chicago on Saturday for a screening of the film followed by a panel discussion with geophysical and planetary scientists Edwin Kite and Mohit Melwani Daswani. They’ll talk about Mars, icy moons and exoplanets and answer questions like why the air is so thin and how robots and humans interact. 6:30 p.m. at the Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall. Admission is $5 at the door. RSVP here.
THEATER: Red Theater presents the opening of their latest free production, Year of the Rooster. The “fiercely comic” play opens at 7:30 p.m. at The Frontier.
BEEKEEPING CLASS: Admit it, you’ve always been kind of curious about what it takes to be a beekeeper. Wonder no more with Beginning Beekeeping at Garfield Park Conservatory this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Head Beekeeper, Marcin Matelski, will teach the basics of beekeeping from hive design and construction to bee management. Cost is $70 ($50 for Members and Volunteers) and pre-registration is required.
SUNDAY JANUARY 10
FITNESS DAY: It's Fitness Day on the 606! It might be cold out, but that's no excuse for not exercising. Participate in walks and runs on the trail or take yoga and Latin dance classes at the Kimball Arts Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Free.
LUAU + BANDS: Kick off the first day of Tomorrow Never Knows with an El Nino Luau at Schubas from 4 to 8 p.m. DO312 and Red Bull celebrate the beginning of the winter music fest with tiki drinks, hula dancers and a roast pig. Of course they’ll have music, too, from Akasha, Bleach Party and more. Free with RSVP.