18 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 29, 2016 4:39PM
Leap into Leap Day with frogs and toads at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Monday. Photo courtesy of Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Roar into March, but not before you leap into leap day. There's so much to do this week, from learning with real frogs on Monday to dancing your lunch hour away on Friday with two different DJ events.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 29: LEAP DAY
LEAP FROGS: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is celebrating leap day with frogs! They’ll have learning programs and activities for kids starting at 11 a.m. including a Frog & Toad Feeding at 1 p.m. Kiddies who participate will also get a frog sticker. Free.
LEAPLINGS EAT FREE: Calling all Leap Year babies! If you only celebrate your ‘real’ birthday every four years, you can score a free meal from Hard Rock Cafe on Leap Day. They’re offering a free entree from their Leaplings Eat Free menu to anybody born on Feb. 29. Visit their website for all the details.
AN EVENING WITH NEIL YOUNG: Spend "An Evening with Neil Young" during a one-night-only screening of his 1982 musical comedy, “Human Highway,” as well as the concert feature, “Rust Never Sleeps.” Tons of local theaters will be simultaneously screening the films and a live Q&A including River East 21, ShowPlace ICON at Roosevelt and City North 14 in the city. Showtime is 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit Fathom Events.
FAIR HOUSING FUNDRAISER: Support the preservation and creation of affordable housing opportunities at Lakeside Community Development Corporation’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. Tickets are $50 for the event at upscale Mexican restaurant Cantina 1910 beginning at 7 p.m.
MAVIS DOC: How about an evening in with a glass of wine and the remote? The new HBO Documentary MAVIS! premiering on Monday follows the career of Chicago musician and civil rights icon Mavis Staples. She got her start in the 1960’s with family group The Staple Singers and hits like “I’ll Take You There," and is still kicking at 75 collaborating with the likes of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. Showtime is 8 p.m. on HBO.
TUESDAY MARCH 1
TUESDAY FUNK: Join Tuesday Funk for another edition of the eclectic live lit series. Co-hosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins welcome five speakers to the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Free.
FILM TUESDAY: It’s the first Tuesday of the month, and that means the Midwest Independent Film Festival will introduce Chicago to another amazing film. This month they host the Chicago premiere of Killing Them Safely, a controversial documentary about the safety of tasers. Pre-Show Cocktail Reception begins at Landmark Century Centre Cinema at 6 p.m., followed by a producers panel at 6:30 p.m. The feature rolls at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
VOCALO RADIO PARTY: Chicago Public Media’s Vocalo recently became the city’s newest radio station at 91.1 and Wednesday they’re holding a Kickstarter Launch Party at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Meet Vocalo personalities while you sip on their beer collaboration, The Real 911. They’ll also have door prizes including branded pint glasses, t-shirts and more. Free.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 2
JUKEBOX HEROES: The Chicago Public Library and Revolution Brewing team up to host a lively panel about the city’s rich music history called Chicago’s Jukebox Heroes. Shawn Campbell of CHIRP Radio will moderate, joined by local experts like music journalist Jim Derogatis and Bloodshot Records co-owner Rob Miller among others. The panel runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rev Brew’s Tap Room. Free.
THURSDAY MARCH 3
The heros of SuperStrip. Photo courtesy of Lucky Plush.
LUCKY PLUSH SUPERSTRIP: Contemporary dance meets animated graphic novel in Lucky Plush’s new production, Trip the Light Fantastic: The Making of SuperStrip. The dance-theater combo follows washed up superheroes as they attempt to start a non-profit think tank for do-gooders, but find real-world complications more challenging than superhero work. The Chicago-based dance company was one of the 14 local recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions announced just last week. Tickets start at $10.
FRIDAY MARCH 4
SONS OF THE SILENT AGE: Back in 2013, rockers Chris Connelly (The Revolting Cocks, Ministry) and Matt Walker (Filter, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Morrissey) put together a supergroup dedicated to performing songs by the legendary David Bowie. The band will take the stage again at Metro on Friday, March 4 with a little help from their friends. They’ll be joined by former Bowie collaborator and backup singer Ava Cherry as they perform Station to Station in it’s entirety and celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bowie’s Isolar Tour. Also playing are Death on the Autobahn as Kraftwerk, DJ Heaven Malone and Angela Eve and Eve’s Parlor Cabaret. Tickets are $20 ($22 day of).
LUNCHTIME EDM: DJ Scott “Smokin’” Silz takes to the decks at this week’s Wired Fridays. He’s a part of the Hot Mix 5 radio team with a career that has taken him across Chicago radio stations V-103 FM, 107.5 WGCI FM and WBMX FM. Join him at noon at the Chicago Cultural Center for a lunchtime dance party.
LUNCHTIME DJS: This midday dance party thing is really catching on. Join The Hood Internet and Perrier for the second installment of Lunch Break at The Underground from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Get out of the office and get a complimentary cocktail and a free bagged lunch to take with you. Free, but you can RSVP here.
ALLIGATOR RECORDS ANNIVERSARY SHOW: Bluesman Toronzo Cannon plays a special shared anniversary show for Alligator Records and the Hideout at 9:30 p.m. The local musician, who has held his own in Chicago’s blues scene for years, released his first album with Alligator Records just last month. Tickets are $12.
CHICAGO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY: Guess who’s turning 179?! Chicago, that’s who! Head to the Chicago History Museum to celebrate the city’s birthday with performances, speakers and of course cake from Eli’s cheesecake. They’ll also reveal the winners of the annual essay contest about Chicago’s first resident, Jean Baptist Pointe DuSable. Admission will be free to Illinois residents for Friday as well.
Encuentros. Photo courtesy of Sildance/AcroDanza.
ACRO DANCE: Check out Sildance/AcroDanza before they take their new project, Encuentros, to Mexico. They’ll premiere the three-part work on Thursday at 8 p.m. with performances continuing through next weekend. The piece explores two couples going through three major stages of loving relationships from infatuation to self-actualization. Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble will also premiere the Indian-American piece Bindis and Bruises. Tickets are $15 ($20 door).
DANCE SERIES ANNIVERSARY: This year, Ruth Page’s annual series, A World of Dance, is celebrating 25 years, but they’ll also be honoring Artistic Director Venetia Stifler as she retires from the NEIU Department of Music & Dance Program. The evening’s program will feature works spanning Stifler’s career, as well as a collaborative piece between Cuba’s Escuela Nacional de Ballet and the Ruth Page School of Dance. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.
INTERVIEW SHOW: The Interview Show celebrates their Eighth Anniversary at the Hideout with some amazing guests on Friday. Host Mark Bazer welcomes former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Hot Chocolate’s Mindy Segal, Flyboy artist Hebru Brantley and Chicago blues musician Toronzo Cannon. 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.