17 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 18, 2016 5:25PM
Embeya is one of the many local restaurants participating in Restaurant Week. Photo via Facebook.
If there's one thing Chicago loves, it's food. There's plenty of it in our favorite events this week, including the start of Restaurant Week on Friday.
MONDAY JANUARY 18
MLK MUSEUM DAY: Monday is a national holiday and Museum Day in Chicago. Many of the city’s museums are offering free admission including the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium. The Art Institute and The Chicago History Museum both have special craft activities and more to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit each museum’s website for complete details.
MLK TRIBUTE CONCERT: Chicago Sinfonietta’s Annual Tribute Concert to Martin Luther King, Jr. begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Symphony Center. The program includes two premieres with performances from Conni Ellisor and five-time Grammy Award-winning artist Victor Wooten. Tickets start at $18.
BEST OF STAND UP COMEDY: UP Comedy Club’s Best of Chicago Stand-UP Series gets started Monday evening with Entertaining Julia featuring The Puterbaugh Sisters. The series continues on Monday evenings through February. Tickets start at $15.
TUESDAY JANUARY 19
Photo courtesy of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba!
TAPAS + WINE: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! celebrates their 30th Anniversary with a Pintxo Bar Crawl and Wine Tasting. Executive Chef Matt Holmes re-creates an evening in the Spanish coastal city of San Sebastian that also includes bite-sized appetizers special to the region. Cost is $35 per person. Advanced reservations required and can be made by calling 773-935-5000.
THE BOSS IN CONCERT: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rock the United Center Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The River Tour celebrates the release of the huge double album by the same name released 35 years ago. He recently released a commemorative box set featuring outtakes from the album called The Tie That Binds: The River Collection. Tickets start at $55.
Photo courtesy of Second City.
AFRO-FUTURISM COMEDY: Afro-Futurism shows for two nights only on The Second City e.t.c. stage. Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. see Chicago’s hippest African-American talent in a variety show of stand-up, sketch, music, and performance. Tickets are $10.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 20
JAZZ HAPPY HOUR: Grammy-nominated composer-pianist Vijay Iyer brings his electronic infused jazz to the Harris for the first time this year for their MIX at SIX happy hour. The one hour series performances begin at 6 p.m. and have food trucks outside and signature cocktails for purchase inside. Tickets are $10.
PLANT MUSIC: Musician and composer Owen Clayton Condon created the original music accompanying Garfield Park Conservatory’s suspended sculpture Prismatic using plant materials from the Conservatory's collection. The long time Luftwerk collaborator (the team behind the Conservatory’s current Solarize light installation) performs a live concert there from 6 to 8 p.m on Wednesday. Free.
solarise : a sea of all colors from Luftwerk on Vimeo.
THURSDAY JANUARY 21
ADLER AFTER DARK: The theme for this month’s after-hours party at Adler Planetarium is First Contact. From 6 to 10 p.m. it’s adults only enjoying cocktails and exploring exhibits while special programming tackles whether or not aliens exist. Tickets are $20 in advance.
FIRST BITES: Kick off Chicago Restaurant Week with First Bites Bash at Union Station from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Executive Chef Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno and Piccolo Sogno Due) hosts the event that features savory and sweet food tastings from more than 60 of Chicago's most celebrated chefs and restaurants. Tickets are $125.
READING SERIES: Fight the winter doldrums with South Side reading series The Frunchroom at O’Rourke’s Office at 7:30 p.m. Speakers include writer Lolly Bowean, humorist James Finn Garner, Gapers Block founder Andrew Huff and more. Free.
Photo via aMID's Facebook page.
DANCE FESTIVAL: Zephyr Dance and Links Hall present a festival of dance spotlighting mature choreographers at Constellation beginning Thursday and continuing through Jan. 31. The aMID festival highlights these artists and celebrates their longevity as they’re mid-career. Performances include work from Deborah Hay, Bebe Miller, Bob Eisen and more. Visit the aMID website for a full schedule and ticket prices.
FRIDAY JANUARY 22
RESTAURANT WEEK: Chicago Restaurant Week is here! The list of events and restaurants offerings can be overwhelming, but our food editor Anthony Todd has you covered. Check out his 10 tips for making the most of it.
OUT AND FABULOUS: The Chicago History Museum presents the 13th year of Out at CHM with a special program and reception at 5:30 on Friday. At 'Are We Still Fabulous?' they’ll explore the integration of the LGBTQ community into mainstream society and the history of marriage equality now that it’s the law in our state. Admission is $20.
B-FEST MOVIE MARATHON: If you love b-movies we’ll probably find you at the 24-hour movie marathon B-Fest this weekend up at Northwestern University. Don’t be surprised when fellow attendees yell back at the screen a la Mystery Science Theater 3000. For the full lineup of screenings and ticket prices visit B-Fest’s website.
TAP JAMBOREE: Chicago Human Rhythm Project and American Rhythm Center kick off the weekend-long Winter Tap JAMboree on Friday. Syncopated Ladies creators Chloe Arnold and Maud Arnold are among the instructors teaching classes, and there will also be a Tap Off competition for the title of Chicago Tap Champions on Saturday. For a full schedule visit CHRP’s website.
ART INSTITUTE AFTER DARK: Get cultured in the Art Institute’s Modern Wing 9 p.m. to midnight as you sip on drinks and listen to music from Lena Fayre and DJs Madrid and Shaka 23. They’ll also have special tours of their Dionysos Unmasked exhibit. Tickets are $30.