18 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 25, 2016 4:07PM
Lollapalooza begins Thursday. Photo by Michelle Kopeny.
Lollapalooza is upon us this week, starting a day earlier than in the past. Even if you're not Lolla-ing, we've got plenty of other events to make your week rock.
MONDAY JULY 25
MILLENNIUM PARK CONCERT SERIES: The downtown Summer Music Series continues at Millennium Park with a performance from gospel powerhouse group The Jones Family Singers who infuse their music with vintage soul, funk and R&B. They’ll be joined by the 300 voices of Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir. These free concerts take place most Mondays and Thursdays on the Pritzker Pavilion stage at 6:30 p.m.
WBEZ LIVE: Witness our NPR affiliate’s morning show live at night at Lincoln Hall from 8 to 10 p.m. WBEZ The Morning Shift hosts Tony Sarabia and Jenn White will welcome comedy writers from Saturday Night Live and The Onion for an evening of “Campaigns, Conventions and Comedy.” Rhymefest and former chairman of the Illinois Republican party Pat Brady will also be there to satirize the current election and political climate. Tickets are $25.
CHINA WINE DINNER: New Chinese restaurant Imperial Lamian's hosts their first wine dinner, exploring the “Regions of China” at 6 p.m. Albert Bichot Wines will pair glasses with dishes inspired by regions Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Lanzhou, Szechuan, Jing nan and Guangzhou. Tickets are $85. For reservations, call 312-595-9440.
TUESDAY JULY 26
DRAKE + FUTURE: You know when that “Hotline Bling,” it can only mean one thing. Drake is in town. The Canadian hip hop artist and all around likable guy plays two nights at the United Center with Future for their Summer Sixteen Tour. Tickets start at $49.50.
BURGER BATTLE: Revolution and Half Acre battle it out in the 3rd Annual Burger Battle at Publican Quality Meats from 5 to 10 p.m. No reservations accepted. Just show up, eat and vote for the best. Free.
TROLLEY STEAK DINNER: Dine at both downtown Morton’s locations in one night during the Morton's Steakhouse Crosstown Classic Trolley. Start at State Street with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and then hop the trolley to Wacker Place for a buffet style dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100. Contact Patrick Torres for tickets at Patrick_Torres@ldry.com or 312-201-0464.
WEDNESDAY JULY 27
PANDORA PARTY: Get your Lolla weekend started early with a free concert from indie darlings Matt & Kim at Pandora’s 3rd annual Chicago Invasion at Morgan Manufacturing. Hear their latest Pandora mixtape here. RSVP here.
TALL SHIPS: Get your maritime hat on for the Tall Ships return to Navy Pier. Festivities kick off on Wednesday with a Parade of Sail, and then the ships stick around through the weekend. There are opportunities to view, tour and even sail on the vintage vessels. Tickets start at $10.
SUMMER COCKTAIL CLASS: Mix up some refreshing summer cocktails on the patio at Elixir Andersonville’s outdoor summer cocktail class at 6 p.m. Head mixologist Vlad Novikov will guide you through making (and sampling) a Mojito, Strawberry Basil Lemonade and Daiquiri. Tickets are $25.
MUSIC + MINDFULNESS: The James' "Healthy Hour" takes on a Lollapalooza theme with MindFuel Wellness at 6:30 p.m. Jacquelyn Brennan and Kelly Moore will host their popular popular Fuel Flow class with a soundtrack of Lolla artists. The after-work happy hour alternative also includes guided meditation and healthy bites from David Burke’s Primehouse. Free, but RSVP is required.
THURSDAY JULY 28
LOLLAPALOOZA: The time is here for the mother of all Chicago music festivals. Each summer for the last 12 years, Lollapalooza has taken over Grant Park, gobbling up more and more land every time. This year, the fest has grown from three days to four, so you have a whole extra day to take in hot bands, get fucked up and make bad decisions. Headliners include Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and LCD Soundsystem, but don’t miss out on those up-and-comers early on the schedule and on the side stages (check out some of our early picks here). Some local acts that made the bill are rapper Towkio, hip-hop artist Vic Mensa and DJ duo Flosstradamus. General Admission tickets sold out immediately, but check those re-sale sites. VIP and Platinum packages are still for sale.
SIDESHOW: Get back to Lollapalooza’s freak roots at the Official Lolla Sideshow at Berlin beginning at 10 p.m. LCD Soundsystem members Pat Mahoney, Gavin Russom, and Tyler Pope will man the DJ booth, plus many other twisted performances inspired by the original festival’s side stage circus freak shows. Tickets are $10.
Unelectable You from The Second City on Vimeo.
UNELECTABLE COMEDY: Find the funny side of this year’s abominable presidential election with Slate and the Second City at UP Comedy Club. Unelectable You: The Second City’s Completely Unbiased Political Revue provides an indepth look at the election process through improv, music and multimedia. Show runs through Aug. 28. Tickets start at $20.
DIRTY COMEDY ENDING: I shit you not, one of the grossest comedy shows in the city is coming to a close. The I Shit You Not comedy reading series has been telling hilarious cringe-worthy stories of bodily fluids for almost four years, but the good times come to an end Thursday at Township at 8 p.m. The final show will include anecdotes from local comedians and storytellers and hosted by founder hosted by Michael Sanchez and Seth Davis. Tickets are $5 in advance ($10 door).
Photo courtesy of Newberry.
BOOK FAIR: Newberry’s 32nd Annual Book Fair is here and they’re selling more than 120,000 used books, vinyl records, and collectibles. Collectors can get their hands on that uncorrected proof of A Game of Thrones signed by author George R. R. Martin, first editions of F. Scott Fitzgerald or just pick up a quick read. The Book Fair goes all weekend, with the 30th anniversary of the "modern" Bughouse Square debates happening across the street in Washington Square Park on Saturday. Free.
FRIDAY JULY 29
JEFF FEST: Jefferson Park gets its own festival inside Jefferson Memorial Park this weekend. Food, art & craft vendors, fun for the kids and live music from the city’s hot cover bands will all be part of the northwest neighborhood fest. This year they’ve also added "Wine Tasting in the Park" on Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. Daily wine tasting passes are $20. Fest entry is a $5 gate donation benefiting the Jefferson Park Chamber of Commerce.
BLOOMS + BORDEAUX + BEARS: Lincoln Park Zoo plays host to Bites, Blooms and Bordeaux from 6 to 9 p.m. The event, as titled, will have wine, horticulture conservation and gourmet snacks, plus live music. There’s also a VIP option that includes a wine-blending session with American Wine School. Tickets are $79 ($110 VIP).
PUNK4GOOD: Non-profit PUNK4GOOD hosts a party to support Everytown for Gun Safety at Township at 6 p.m. They’re calling it Drop Yr Weapons! and they’ll have live music from some local rock mainstays, plus raffle prizes and a silent art auction with works from David Yow, Jon Langford and many others. Performers include All Eyes West, Josh & Eli Caterer (The Smoking Popes), Tim Kinsella (Joan of Arc Band) and more. Tickets are $8.