14 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 5, 2017 4:01PM
Back at it this week with movies, food, music and more.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 5
WAYNE’S WORLD: Party time! Excellent! The classic comedy film set in suburban Aurora turns 25 this year, and the Millennium Park Summer Film Series presents a special anniversary screening at 6:30 p.m. It was also just announced that rock legend Alice Cooper will introduce the film and talk about his "we're not worthy" cameo performance. Free.
BASE CAMP: The Field Museum and The Whistler team up for an after-hours spelunking party from 6 to 9 p.m. The Base Camp pop-up bar has a new theme each month, and this month they’re talking Caves. Learn about stalactites and stalagmites, cave bats and early humans with experts. Enjoy cocktails from The Whistler's Co-Owner and Beverage Director, and live music from Ben Babbitt. Free with admission.
MIDWEST PILOT SHOWCASE: Every First Tuesday, the Midwest Independent Film Festival presents works from local filmmakers, and this week is the annual Pilot Showcase. They’ll be showing all eight Midwest nominated pilots from this year’s New York Television Festival (NYTVF) plus a pre-show panel and post-screening discussion with producers. Tickets are $10-$15.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 6
SPANISH WINE TASTING: III Forks Prime Steakhouse invites you to be "Sommelier for a Day" with a Spanish Wine Tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. Try six different wines from Spain paired with hors d'oeuvres from Chef Hans Aeschbacher, and pick your favorite to be the wine of the month. $20 per person. To RSVP, call 312-938-4303.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 7
George Takei. Photo courtesy of Alphawood Gallery.
THAT’S SO TAKEI: George Takei comes to Chicago in a more serious capacity in honor of Alphawood Gallery’s exhibition, Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties. In An Evening with George Takei at the Athenaeum Theatre at 7 p.m., the beloved actor and activist will share his own story of incarceration as a child with his family. Tickets are $15.
PAELLA COOK OFF: Top Chicago chefs will face off, but you are the real winner with an evening of paella, tapas and wine at Mercat a la Planxa’s 4th Annual Paella Cook Off from 6 to 9 p.m. Chefs from TWO, Animale, Travelle and more will participate in the lively event that will also have traditional Spanish music and flamenco dancers. Tickets are $50.
KEN BURNS: Historian and documentary legend Ken Burns comes to Auditorium Theatre to discuss his new 10-part documentary, The Vietnam War. An Evening With Ken Burns and Lynn Novick will feature excerpts from the 18-hour masterpiece and include a discussion on the making of the film. Burns and Novick will also answer audience questions. 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Tickets available on their website.
POET READING: Poet (and Chicagoist contributor) Carrie McGath will read from her new chapbook, Dollface: Poem-Songs at Quimbys at 7 p.m. The book is comprised of lyrical strains representing conversations between two Surrealist artists who had a tragic love affair. Free.
SHOEGAZE ICONS: Swervedriver were never ones for understatement during their initial run throughout the '90s, building walls of guitars into trance-inducing musical sculptures shot through with a dash of hard pop. So while most other groups currently tour behind recreating one classic album from their past, Swervedriver ups the ante on their current tour by performing two, their 1991 debut Raise and its 1993 follow-up, Mezcal Head. Chicago gets the first taste of this double-header when the band kicks off their tour at The Metro on Thursday night.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8
Seun Kuti. Photo by Romain Rigal.
WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL: The 19th Annual World Music Festival Chicago comes to Millennium Park and a variety of venues Sept. 8 to 24. The lineup includes a number of styles celebrating the city’s diverse culture, including Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music and FELABRATION! Featuring Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his band Egypt 80. Visit the festival website for a full schedule of performances.
THROWBACK MUSIC FESTIVAL: Head on up to the northwest side Gladstone Park for the 2nd annual Throwback Music Festival this weekend. The Gin Blossoms are one of the headliners for the fest crossing decades and generations. Break out the retro attire for the "Miss Throwback Pin-up Contest" on Sunday, plus a pet parade and vintage car show. Admission is a $5 gate donation benefiting the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce's scholarship program.
WÜRST MUSIC AND BEER FEST: The Würst Music and Beer Fest kinda came out of the blue, and we’re all for it! Three-day passes are only $25 for the fest at Randolph and Ogden, with a music lineup that includes Murder By Death, The Anniversary, Diarrhea Planet and many more. There are also food and drink packages for purchase with “GutenBucks.”
AFTER HOURS COMEDY LAB: The Museum of Science and Industry + The Second City = Laughter. Step into The Second City Comedy Lab at the next MSI After Hours, the adults-only evening event featuring cocktails, snacks, music and after-hours access to museum exhibits. 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $30.
Image courtesy of Festival de La Villita.
LITTLE VILLAGE FEST: “Festival de La Villita” in Little Village celebrates Mexico's independence from Spain with authentic food, music, carnival rides and a parade. The neighborhood festival has been going for 28 years, with local restaurants and vendors taking part. Sunday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade steps off at Noon at Albany and ends at the fest on Kostner. Free.