15 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 25, 2016 4:33PM
Buddy Guy plays three shows this weekend. Photo via Legends' Facebook page.
There's plenty to do this week to save you from cabin fever. We've got special menu dinners, music from local legends, a poker tournament for a good cause and much more.
MONDAY JANUARY 25
Chili Fest starts Monday at Rockit.
CHILI FEST: Chili Fest returns to Hubbard Street bar, Rockit. Every day through Friday they’ll be featuring different chilis from Executive Chef Amanda Downing from Black Bean and Chorizo on Monday to Chicken Tandoori on Thursday. These aren’t your grandma’s recipes. $14 a bowl.
TUESDAY JANUARY 26
STORYTELLING STORYSLAM: Everyone’s favorite storytelling series The Moth returns with StorySLAM at Mayne Stage from 7 to 10 p.m. The theme for this round is 'Strict.' Attendees can prepare 5-minute anecdotes about “hard-and-fast rules and uptight environments.” Tickets are $8.
GET LOOPY: If you're a fan of hypnotic rhythms that build on each other as they approach ecstatic heights, then you don't want to miss the Bayonne—a.k.a. Roger Sellers' show at Schubas on Tuesday. His debut, Primitives, isn't out until March, but we've heard it and can attest to its entrancing beauty. Live, Bayonne creates all the songs using live loops including drumming on an actual kit instead of resorting to pre-programmed beats. Tickets are $10.
FISH + WINE DINNER: Fish Bar hosts a dinner with Astrolabe Wines beginning at 6:30 p.m. Each course of the five course dinner curated by Chicago Culinary OG Chef Michael Kornick will be paired with a different wine. Ticket prices start at $75 per person.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27
MOVIE NIGHT: Virgin Hotels’ monthly movie night, An Acquired Taste, gets started at 7 p.m. Join Director of Entertainment Blake Smith and sometimes-Chicagoist film critic Scott Lucas as they dissect the cult film Hot Dog: The Movie.
BORDEAUX WINE + DINNER: Community Tavern hosts an ‘Evening in Bordeaux’ with a special dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Try Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon paired with a “regionally inspired” five course dinner prepared by Executive Chef/Partner Joey Beato and Chef de Cuisine Matt Saccaro. Cost is $75 per person. Reservations are available by calling (773) 283-6080.
THURSDAY JANUARY 28
BEER DINNER: KC brewing company Boulevard is at the center of this interactive dinner pairing their beers with three courses prepared by Chef Andres Barrera. Experts from the brewery will be on hand to talk about the beers and bottling. Tickets are $75.
COCKTAIL MIX-OFF: It’s Chicago Reader’s 2nd annual Winter Mix-Off “Fire & Ice Edition” at the Roof on theWit from 6 to 9 p.m. 10 local mixologists from The Dawson, The Betty, GreenRiver and more will compete with one hot and one cold cocktail as you imbibe in tastings, flatbreads and live entertainment. Tickets are $40.
STAND-UP COMEDY: Comedian Sean Patton takes the stage at Up Comedy Club on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The New Orleans native who now resides in LA has appeared on IFC’s ‘Maron’ and Comedy Central’s ‘Inside Amy Schumer’. Tickets are $20.
BASEBALL THEATER: God Bless Baseball is a new contemporary theater work by playwright-director Toshiki Okada playing this weekend only at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The play examines the Japanese and Korean influence on the All-American sport as well as pop culture and the military. Tickets are $30. Check MCA’s website for showtimes.
POKER NIGHT: Mercy Home’s 3rd Annual Poker Night raises funds for the boys & girls home. The Texas Hold'em Tournament event at Gibsons includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and dinner buffet with a grand prize of a $10K Main Event seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. 5 p.m. Tickets are $155 or $260 for poker buy-in.
BLUES GUY: Buddy Guy performs another set of shows this weekend at his downtown venue, appropriately titled Legends. Thursday the blues legend plays with Vino Louden, Friday with The Cash Box Kings and Saturday with NuBlu Band.Tickets start at $55.
FRIDAY JANUARY 29
Photo by Scott Shaw Photography.
MUSIC CONSERVATORY: The oldest conservatory in the country, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, makes their Chicago debut with two nights of free concerts. Catch the Contemporary Music Ensemble on Friday at Ganz Hall or the Oberlin Orchestra on Saturday at the Chicago Symphony Center. Both events are free, but you will need a ticket for entry. Visit their website for more information.
HOME SHOW: See Chip Wade of HGTV’s show "Elbow Room," The Food Network's Sandwich King Jeff Mauro and more this weekend at the Ideal Home Show on Navy Pier. Tickets are $7 in advance ($10 at the door).
GRAMMY NOM PARTY: Che “Rhymefest” Smith hosts a Grammy nomination party at The Promontory beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night. T.L. Williams will also perform. Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 door).