15 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on May 30, 2017 4:13PM
Patton Oswalt. Image via the 26th Annual Comedy Festival's website.
The long weekend may be over, but street fest season is on the horizon.
TUESDAY MAY 30
PAELLA + WINE DINNER: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! hosts hosts a Paella Cooking Demo & Wine Dinner with Executive Chef Matt Holmes from 6 to 8 p.m. The interactive class will include a five course dinner paired with spanish wines and a a how-to recipe for the classic rice dish. Tickets are $42. Call 773-935-5000 for tickets.
WEDNESDAY MAY 31
AV CLUB COMEDY FEST: The Onion’s AV Club is back for their fourth annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival. Patton Oswalt, Mike Judge, Christopher Guest headline the festival that crosses venues around the city for the next five days. Oswalt will be taping a live Netflix special at Lincoln Hall while Music Box Theatre will be screening Idiocracy on 35mm with Mike Judge. Be sure to catch The Adventures of Pete & Pete Reunion and whatever viral weirdness ensues at their very own Clickhole Live! For ticket information and schedule through June 4, visit the festival’s website.
UNDERGROUND FILM FEST: Now in it’s 24th year, the Chicago Underground Film Festival is the longest running underground film festival in the world. More than 100 features, documentaries and shorts will screen over five days at Logan Theater. Wednesday’s opening includes the Chicago Premiere of Laura Stewart’s narrative/documentary hybrid film Drifting Towards The Crescent. Check out the opening night party at Elastic Arts after the screening. For the full schedule and ticket information, visit the festival website.
ITALIAN GLAM: Rome's Giuda eschews the glitter to channel the denim and fist-pumping side of glam rock. The band spits out foot-stomping anthems that are heavy on the drums and powered by riffs that would make Slade proud. The quintet doesn't make it over here all that often, and the last couple of times we saw them that means that people travel from other parts of the country just to catch their shows. Wednesday's appearance at 1st Ward at Chop Shop should be pure pandemonium.
LADY LIVE LIT: Join the ladies of Miss Spoken for an evening of storytelling at Galley Cabaret. The night's theme is "Breakin' The Law." 7 p.m. Entry is a $5 suggested donation.
THURSDAY JUNE 1
Image courtesy of Pivot Arts Festival.
PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL: The 5th annual Pivot Arts Festival shows off some of the city’s most innovative artists in theater, dance, puppetry and more. The ten day festival takes place at venues throughout Uptown and Edgewater. There’s also a “Celebrate Community!” Parade on Saturday followed by a full afternoon of free family-friendly performances. Tickets range from free to $35. Visit the festival website for the full schedule.
ROSCOE VILLAGE WINE STROLL: Wine, strolling and hors d'oeuvres at every stop. The 4th Annual Roscoe Village Wine Stroll takes place this Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Sample more than 40 different wines while visiting neighborhood businesses and boutiques. Tickets are $50 in advance.
ROCK AND ROLL MOVIE: You can't accuse of Minneapolis' Cloud Cult of low ambitions. The long-running indie group pushes the boundaries, writing the story and music for the new film The Seeker (out June 8). Starring How i Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor and Alex McKenna from What Women Want, the film aims to match the emotional core of the group's music with striking visuals. Cloud Cult appears at The House Of Blues on Thursday night to play two sets. The first set will see the band providing the live soundtrack to a screening of The Seeker, with a second set focusing on a variety of songs from the band's sprawling catalog.
SKETCH COMEDY FEST: Get ready to laugh at the Story Arc Sketch Comedy Festival at Stage 773. It's the first year for the two-week festival, where groups like Handsome, Spooky Dookie and Vienna Juvenile will push the boundaries of sketch comedy. Visit their website for schedule and ticket information.
TWIN PEAKS NIGHT: The party team of Stardust & Heaven Malone present Twin Peaks Night at Berlin this Thursday beginning at 10 p.m. They'll have live music and DJ sets to set the mood, plus LQQKS by Sadhaus, Ivory, Lucy Stoole and JoJo Baby. RSVP here.
SGT PEPPER ANNIVERSARY: On this 50th Anniversary of the release of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper, DePaul hosts a special event featuring scholarly lectures and live performances from 7 to 9 p.m. at the DePaul Student Center. "Transformations: The Golden Anniversary Of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper" will celebrate the album that changed how we view and consume art and culture. Free.
FRIDAY JUNE 2
Image courtesy of Do Division Street Festival.
DO DIVISION: DoDivision Street Fest has garnered quite the reputation as a destination for rock fans with a lineup booked by Empty Bottle and Subterranean. ADULT., The Ponys, Lucky Boys Confusion and Protomartyr are among the headliners for this year’s three-day fest in West Town. In addition to the two main stages, there’s also a The Family Fun Fest and “Sidewalk Sale and Do Fashion.” Entry is a $5 suggested donation.
FLAVORS OF MEXICO: Eat your way through the flavors of our neighbors to the south in Little Village this weekend. Flavors of Mexico returns for a third year with mom and pop restaurants serving up authentic Mexican street foods along with live music, carnival rides and arts and crafts. Free.
Jonathan McReynolds. Photography by Jason McCoy. Photo courtesy of DCASE.
GOSPEL MUSIC FEST: The 32nd Chicago Gospel Music Festival takes over Millennium Park this weekend with performances from The Rance Allen Group, Jonathan McReynolds with special guests Anthony Brown & Travis Greene, Vashawn Mitchell, Malcolm Williams & Great Faith, a Tribute to Jessy Dixon and many more. Some of Friday’s programming will also take place at the Chicago Cultural Center. Visit the festival website for the full schedule. Free.
LINCOLN PARK GREEK FEST: St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln Park hosts their 40th Annual Greek Fest this weekend. Greek eats and "filoxenia" (Greek hospitality and generosity of spirit) will be front and center at this family friendly event, plus live cover bands and a meet & greet with the cast of Tony n' Tina's Wedding on Sunday. Donations accepted for admission.