17 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 21, 2017 4:53PM
Melissa Benoist. Photo via C2E2's website.
There's so much going on this weekend! Make time to pack in some movies, music, eats and more.
FRIDAY APRIL 21
C2E2: The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (better known as C2E2) is back at McCormick Place this weekend with the hottest in cool nerd culture. Meet your favorite stars and superheroes in real life during autograph sessions, photo ops and discussion panels. Guests this year include comic legends Stan Lee and Frank Miller, hometown MMA fighter CM Punk, the Stranger Things kids and many more. Tickets start at $30.
CIMM FEST SPRING FLING THING: The official CIMMfest #9 isn’t until the fall this year, but they’re keeping us satiated with the Spring Fling Thing!, a “one ring circus of music, movies and mayhem.” The lineup features a little of something for everyone (even the Chic-a-Go-Go crowd) at Chop Shop & 1st Ward over three days. For schedule and ticket info, visit CIMMfest’s website.
FX SUMMIT + EXPO: The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events presents the 3rd Annual Lake FX Summit + Expo at the Chicago Cultural Center. The two-day “creative con” offers free entertainment and resources including the ACCESS lab for creators, performers and producers. Music and entertainment executive Kevin Liles (300 Entertainment and KWL Management) will be presenting the keynote address on Friday.
Image via Whiskyfest's Facebook page.
WHISKYFEST: Learn everything you didn’t know you wanted to know at the 20th anniversary of WhiskyFest at Hyatt Regency. There will be seminars from experts, tastings galore and a gourmet buffet. The Grand Tasting begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $275.
FUZZY PSYCH: Moon Duo comes to town behind their latest psychedelic opus, Occult Architecture Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. This collection is filled with drone-y, fuzzy, repetitive audio workouts, frosted with whispered vocals, and topped with all kinds of crazy, mystical lyricism. In other words, it's an old fashioned freakout, hewing more firmly to the modern mold set forth by groups like The Dandy Warhols in their wilder forays, or The Brian Jonestown Massacre on a good night. Moon Duo is all set to cast their spell over The Empty Bottle this Friday night.
DON'T CALL 'EM EMO: Chicago's Dowsing does, okay, pull a lot of their sound from what is now conventionally known as emo. But these folks are so much more than that! There's an urgency to their delivery that feels honest, and they opt to emote instead of whine. And they do all of this while creating a whirlwind of hooks that makes all those uncomfortable emtions go down so much more enjoyably. You can see what we mean when the band plays Beat Kitchen this Friday.
IPO: International Pop Overthrow, a week long tribute to all things power-pop, kicks off Friday night at Red Line Tap. The opening bill is heavily weighted with friends and alums of Chicago's own secret power-pop weapon Frisbie, including an appearance by the mysterious "The Diff." Friday's show promises to be a lot of fun, but check out the IPO website for the full slate of shows running throughout the next week.
SATURDAY APRIL 22: EARTH DAY
ONE EARTH FILM FEST: In honor of Earth Day and the March for Science, the city’s One Earth Film Festival presents screenings of the film The City Dark at venues across Chicago. The “One Film, One Chicago” event will also include other activities and celebrations like Q&A’s and sky observations following the film. For more information, visit the event website.
RECORD STORE DAY: Record Store Day has been rocking our turntables since 2007, giving audiophiles yet another excuse to hit up their local indie shop. Special releases and in-store performances are the annual event’s bread and butter and this year is no different. Look for exclusive releases (and re-releases) from artists like David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, Spoon and many more. Reckless, Dusty Groove and Laurie’s Planet of Sound are just a few of the Chicago stores participating.
CLIMATE CHANGE: NOT A HOAX: April 22 also marks Earth Day on our fair planet. Garfield Park Conservatory has teamed up with Land and Sea Dept. and the Natural Resources Defense Council for a “call to action” party called Not a Hoax at 7 p.m. Climate change is real, folks, and they’re hoping to raise awareness with performances from some local artists in the greenery of GPC. Air Credits (a collaboration of The Hood Internet & ShowYouSuck) will headline, with opening sets by Sidewalk Chalk and Audio Jack. Tickets are $25.
SOUND OF SILENT FILM FESTIVAL: The 12th annual Sound of Silent Film Festival opens at the Music Box Theatre with newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world. The one night only program begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 online ($20 door).
ROLLER DERBY HOME OPENER: Chicago Outfit Roller Derby's home opener is this Saturday at Windy City Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The double-header features bouts between Chicago’s own Shade Brigade vs. Royal City Roller Girls' Rum Rollers(B) from Ontario, and The Outfit’s Syndicate vs. Royal City's Brute Leggers (A). Tickets are $15 online ($20 door).
GIRLS ROCK VINYL DJING: Unleash your inner-DJ at Girls Rock! Chicago’s “ShredShop” at Josephinum Academy this Saturday. The non-profit's mini-camp event features three pay-what-you-can workshops including "Intro to Vinyl DJing." There’s also a special Bystander Intervention Training for Teens. For more information, visit their registration website.
SUNDAY APRIL 23
Image via WingFest's event website.
TIMEOUT WINGFEST: This city loves food and food festivals, and this weekend we’ve got another one for you. TimeOut Chicago's inaugural WingFest takes place this Sunday at Deuce’s and The Diamond Club. Sessions start at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. with tastings from tastings from Deuce’s themselves, Monti’s, Barn & Company and more. Tickets are $25.
VINTAGE GARAGE: The vintage and antique flea market Vintage Garage opens the season at the actual parking garage on Broadway between Foster Avenue and Argyle Street. They’ve got vintage clothing, art, jewelry, furniture, home decor, you name it. Most items for sale are at least 25-years-old. They also do appraisals on site like it’s your very own Antique’s Roadshow moment. Tickets are $5. For more information visit the Vintage Garage website.
THE DARK KNIGHT Q&A: See The Dark Knight from a different angle with The Chicago Architecture Foundation this Sunday. ArcLight Cinemas will host the screening of the locally-filmed blockbuster as part of their monthly film series with CAF. Stick around after the film for a discussion about how Chicago became Gotham with James McAllister, Location Manager for The Dark Knight, and Rich Moskal, Director of the Chicago Film Office, moderated by CAF docent and media contributor Wayne Johnson. 2 p.m. Tickets are $14.50.
WINE 101: France is your destination for this month’s ENOversity class. Sample wines from The Loire Valley at Eno Wine Room guided by their expert staff of sommeliers. 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. Tickets are $55.