17 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Week
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 2, 2017 4:17PM
The West Town Food Truck Social is this week. Image via the City of Chicago's website.
Cat videos, wine, in-the-round rock, dance, live lit, found film and more—we've got lots of amazing events for you to check out this week.
MONDAY OCTOBER 2
CENSORED: Local authors read from famously banned books at the Public House Theatre’s ACLU Benefit at 7 p.m. The event, presented by ThirdCoastReview.com (3CR) and Kill Your Darlings (KYD) Live Lit, will also feature artists performing once-censored music. Admission is a suggested donation of $10.
IN-THE-ROUND ROCK: Toronto’s Holy F*ck specialize in taking distorted rock jams and transforming them into mesmerizing grooves that make you want to dance while your eardrums cry for mercy. The idea of them performing in-the-round at Thalia Hall on Monday night is an intriguing one, since the band’s music is so immersive it makes sense they would become one with the crowd. The group is touring behind their recently released 4-song EP Bird Brains, but expect cuts from across their, by now, pretty deep dance rock catalog.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 3
INDIE SPIRITS EXPO: Sample boutique vodkas, gins, rums, tequilas, mezcals, whiskies and liqueurs from all around at the 2017 Chicago Indie Spirits Expo at The Hilton downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. The expo brings small, independent, family owned, distillers, importers, bottlers, distributors all in one place. Tickets are $45.
BITES AROUND THE BLOCK: Crawl through the River North restaurant scene with "Bites Around the Block" from 5 to 10 p.m. The OctoberFeast restaurant crawl features 25 spots in the neighborhood including Wildfire, Cantina Laredo, Howl at the Moon and more. Tickets are $75.
SIGNATURE MOVE: The Midwest Independent Film Festival takes a trip to the Music Box Theatre for this First Tuesday. They’re screening the female-powered Chicago comedy Signature Move, which has garnered acclaim at festivals across the country. Director Jennifer Reeder, actor-producer Fawzia Mirza, cast and crew will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion with the audience. Tickets are $11.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4
WINE TASTING: Sample a selection of Australian wines at the next III Forks "Sommelier for a Day" Wine Tasting. From 5 to 7 p.m. sommelier Anton Licko will guide guests through six wines paired with hors d'oeuvres from Chef Hans Aeschbacher. Cost is $20. To RSVP, call III Forks at 312-938-4303.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 5
Image via Bodega Ramos' Facebook page.
LINCOLN PARK UNCORKED: Bodega Ramos, Burnt City Brewing, Delilah's, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater and many more neighborhood businesses get in on Lincoln Park Uncorked from 6 to 9 p.m. Bodega Ramos will provide the wine and local restaurants will provide paired bites as you stroll and sip down Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $40.
AUSSIE DANCE ROCK: In Australia there seem to be two dominant band types right now: those that want to travel the psychedelic pathways and those that want to make you dance while they’re using their guitars. Atlas Genius falls firmly in that latter camp, and their set at Lollapalooza earlier this summer prove they are up to the task of getting you up and moving around. We were big fans of their 2013 debut When It Was Now, and 2015’s Inanimate Objects was a worthy follow-up, but we’re hungry for new music from the band. Perhaps we’ll get to hear some when they play Bottom Lounge Thursday night.
40 PERSON BAND: Denver’s itchy-O must dal with so many problems when they tour. It can’t be easy to coordinate a troupe of 40 musicians when you hit the road. The group traffics in a drum and rhythm heavy sound shot through with bursts of metal guitar tones and the occasional growl or yowl. Their latest album, the aptly titled From The Overflowing, is an all out frontal assault on the senses, so we can only imagine what that amount of sound must feel like live. We have no idea how the whole group will fit on the Reggie’s Rock Club stage when they play there Thursday night, but it should be a sight to behold. White Mystery opens.
DANCING WITH THE GIORDANO STARS: Giordano Dance Chicago takes a page from the hit television show for their own annual "Dancing With The Giordano Stars" Ballroom Competition Benefit at Park West at 7 p.m. 14th Ward Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and Dr. Stacie McClane of the Chicago Plastic Surgery Center are among the local civic leaders competing while the evening’s judges include Judges include Chicago Tribune’s Candace Jordan, Michigan Avenue Magazine’s Dan Uslan and the Joffrey’s Ashley Wheater. Tickets start at $150.
JAMES BOND LOOKALIKE CONTEST: Do you like your martinis shaken, not stirred? Bear a striking resemblance to Connery, Brosnan or Craig? Bring your best 007 to SafeHouse this Thursday for their James Bond Lookalike Contest from 6 to 8 p.m. The spy-themed restaurant and bar also invites contestants to dress up as any character from the series of films to compete while checking out their memorabilia.
CAT VIDEOS LIVE: Cat Videos Live! and Catvideos.com bring feline film to the big screen at Thalia Hall at 8 p.m. New York City-based comedienne Carla Rhodes hosts the comedy and cat evening with clips from amateurs and celebrities. Tickets start at $21.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6
SOUTH SIDE FILM FESTIVAL: The South Side Film Fest kicks off on Friday at Studio Movie Grill, celebrating the south side’s appearance in movies. See films old and new at the three day festival including Love Jones, Cooley High and a trio of short films produced by South Side Natives.Tickets start at $16. Visit the festival website for the full schedule.
WEST TOWN FOOD TRUCK SOCIAL + ART WALK: The West Town Food Truck Social and Art Walk become one down Chicago Avenue this weekend. Check out neighborhood retailers while sampling some of the best mobile kitchens around the city. Local record stores will provide the tunes for the lively festival. Free.
FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: When old VHS tapes get tossed where do they go? Well, to the Found Footage Festival, of course. The Music Box Theatre hosts Found Footage Festival: Volume 8 hosted by Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, whose credits include The Onion and the Late Show with David Letterman, at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. This year’s gems include “The Law Enforcement Guide to Satanic Cults” and exclusive selections from David Letterman's VHS Collection. Tickets are $15.
TASTE TALKS: The three-day innovative and experiential food symposium, Taste Talks, includes panel discussions, tastings, underground dinners and parties and more. The festival culminates on Sunday with an All-Star Cookout in Palmer Square with twelve top chefs including Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern. Visit the Taste Talks website for event and ticket information.
WORRY NOT: Worriers, led by singer and guitarist Lauren Denitzio, uses the band’s latest album Survival Pop to mount a rallying cry against the difficulties of life. Denitzio unflinchingly examines some of the worst times she’s been through and transforms them into exultant arguments for embracing all life throws at you. Musically, the band mixes skewed indie guitars that seem magnetized with raw power-pop currents into the mix and further sweetens the delivery of some pretty heavy material. Worriers plays Township on Friday night.