Bulletin
Taller Comunitario: Conocer y Proteger Sus Derechos
Our Lady of Guadalupe UACC, 2955 W. 25th St. Friday, January 15, 6:30pm–8:30pm. Free. (773) 410-4625.
Do you know how to respond to an immigration raid in your home, workplace, or neighborhood? This month, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials will reportedly increase raids on families who have recently arrived from Central America. First Defense Legal Aid will teach you about immigrant rights and response strategies in this evening workshop. For more information, contact Rev. Kim Ziyavo at (773) 410-4625 or KimZ4Justice@gmail.com. (Christine Schmidt)
Rights Lab at High Concept Labs
High Concept Labs, 2233 S. Throop St. Saturday, January 16, 6:30pm-8:30pm. Free. highconceptlaboratories.org
The first in a series of workshops on citizens’ rights in the twenty-first century will explore government surveillance of cell phone communications. A series of informational and interactive videos will “illuminate” how Stingray surveillance technology works on the streets of Chicago. (Jake Bittle)
The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Anti-War Movement
57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St. Sunday, January 17, 3pm. Free. (773) 684-1300. semcoop.com
Four decades have passed since U.S. boots retreated from Vietnamese ground, but the Vietnam War and the counterculture that challenged it remain a crucial case study for non-interventionists and pacifists. Organizer and Yippie cofounder Nancy Kurshan will discuss the war with Frank Joyce and Bill Ayers in support of her new book on the topic. (Christopher Good)
Screening of At the River I Stand
Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted St. Sunday, January 17. Reception 5pm; screening 5:30pm. (312) 852-7717. uri-eichen.com
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 has fixed itself in the public memory, while the Poor People’s Campaign and the Memphis sanitation workers strike that led up to his death tend to be forgotten. This screening of a documentary about the strike will be followed by a discussion. (Adam Thorp)
Kimberly Foxx at the Institute of Politics
Institute of Politics, 5707 S. Woodlawn Ave. Tuesday, January 19, noon–1pm. Free. RSVP required. (773) 834-4671. politics.uchicago.edu
In the wake of calls for the firing of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez over the police shooting of Laquan McDonald, Kimberly Foxx, who will challenge Alvarez for the position this coming March, has begun to receive more media attention. Come hear Foxx discuss juvenile reform, the school-to-prison pipeline, and probably her upcoming campaign. (Jake Bittle)
Put the Guns Down 2016 Protest
Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. Sunday, January 24, 3pm–7pm.
This protest against gun violence, organized by Chicago youth, will begin at CPD headquarters and make its way through Englewood to 79th Street. Attendees are encouraged to bring balloons and memorabilia to remember loved ones lost to gun violence. The protest will culminate in a prayer vigil and balloon release to honor the victims of gun and gang-related violence. (Zoe Makoul)
State of African American Same Gender Loving Black LGBTQ Chicago Address
Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St. Sunday, January 31, 2pm–4pm. (773) 340-3751.
In a networking event hosted by the Coalition for Justice and Respect, African-American LGBTQ attendees will attempt to bridge the gap between the community’s needs and their resources. Several speakers, including public and elected officials, will be addressing politics, faith, health, equality, and marriage. (Zoe Makoul)
Visual Arts
Not a Bug Splat: Artists Against Drone Warfare
Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted Ave. Opening reception Friday, January 15, 6pm–10pm. Free. (312) 852-7717. uri-eichen.com
From a drone’s eye view of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, you would see a massive poster depicting a young girl: an artist’s appeal to pilots smiting civilians. “Not a Bug Splat” will display photographs of the installation, and the opening reception will include a screening of the whistleblower documentary Citizenfour and a panel chaired by local activists. (Christopher Good)
National Wet Paint Biennial
Zhou B. Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. Opening reception Friday, January 15, 7pm–10pm. Through Saturday, February 13. Free. (773) 523-0200. wetpaintmfa.com
The Zhou B. Art Center will display the work of students and recent graduates from some of the country’s foremost MFA programs in the National Wet Paint Biennial. The “wet paint” is as fresh as the students’ artistic ideas and provides an avenue for young artists to display their work and love of painting. (Kezie Nwachukwu)
Zorzorzor
ACS Gallery, Zhou B. Art Center, fourth floor. 1029 W. 35th St. Friday, January 15, 7pm–10pm. Free. acs-mag.com
The graffiti art of international street artist Zorzorzor poignantly portrays women and has been featured in galleries from Berlin to Brooklyn—and now, Bridgeport. Zorzorzor’s solo exhibition at ACS Gallery on Friday will also be coupled with relaxing live music. (Chigozie Nwachukwu)
Stories Without Words: Geometric Abstraction
Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. Opening reception Friday, January 15, 7pm–10pm. Free. (773) 247-3000. bridgeportart.com
It is said that Claude Debussy once called music “the space between the notes.” “Stories Without Words” transposes this mentality from the sonic to the visual. The curators of this exhibition joke that “geometric abstraction is to abstraction as veganism is to vegetarianism”—but there’s nothing bare-bones about the project’s conceptual underpinnings. (Christopher Good)
Call for Entries: Bridgeport Art Center’s 4th Annual Art Competition
Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. Application deadline January 30. $35 application fee. Applicants must be over eighteen and live within a 150 mile radius of Chicago. (773) 247-3000. bridgeportart.com
Looking to showcase your art or earn up to $1000 in prize money? Mary Ellen Croteau and William Lieberman will judge artwork in six categories, selecting the best pieces for display in the Bridgeport Art Center’s fourth floor gallery. Submit yours today! (Sara Cohen)
Music
Glen David Andrews
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Saturday, January 16, doors 7pm, show 8pm. $15-$25. 21+. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
Get down to brass tacks and celebrate the Louis Armstrong Festival’s “Satchmo Saturdays” with one of the greatest talents New Orleans has to offer: renowned blues trombonist Glen David Andrews. If that weren’t enough, the Dirt Red Brass Band’s foot-stomping opening set should seal the deal. (Christopher Good)
A$AP Ferg
The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Saturday, January 16, doors 10pm. $27.50 early bird, $35 general admission. 21+. (312) 753-5700. theshrinechicago.com
A$AP Mob’s stout, boisterous lieutenant to A$AP Rocky’s prettyboy general, the Trap Lord himself A$AP Ferg hits up the South Side after his show at Uptown’s Aragon Ballroom with this special after-party at The Shrine, DJ’d by local mixtape legend The Kid Sean Mac. Ferg, one of the most sonically creative rappers in the game, should make this an after-party to remember. (Sam Stecklow)
Hug Chicago
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Sunday, January 17, 5pm. $20-$30. 18+. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
It might not be possible to hug an entire city—but it’s certainly possible to have a good time at the Promontory’s “Hug Chicago” event, thanks to headlining rapper GLC, a Kanye collaborator since The College Dropout days. GLC will be supported by Foster & Jack, a genre-bending trio of rappers and producers with a knack for live synths and guitar. (Christopher Good)
General Zod at Reggies
Reggies Rock Club, 2105 S. State St. Wednesday, January 20, 8pm. $5. 21+. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
As it applies to the five-piece fusion band General Zod, fusion seems to mean a fusion of literally anything with anything else—from Jean Luc Ponty to Tony Williams. In this local band’s lineup, an accomplished violinist heads a group of rock instrumentalists. Zod will be joined by Shawn Maxwell’s New Tomorrow alt-jazz quartet. (Jake Bittle)
Ginuwine
The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Saturday, January 30, doors 9pm, show 11pm. $35 early bird, $42.50 general admission, $100 meet-and-greet. 21+. (312) 753-5700. theshrinechicago.com
R&B’s eternal golden “Pony”-boy Ginuwine heads to The Shrine for a special meet-and-greet show to support his as-yet-unreleased tenth album, titled Bachelor Again but Wiser, a nod to both his début album, Ginuwine…the Bachelor, and his recent divorce from Solé. This is the first we’ve heard from Ginuwine since his R&B supergroup, TGT, broke up in 2013—and it’s been too long. (Sam Stecklow)
Stage & Screen
The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America
Harold Washington Library (Cindy Pritzker Auditorium), 400 S. State St. Thursday, January 14, 6pm-7:30pm. (312) 747-4300. chipublib.bibliocommons.com
Join writer Ethan Michaeli to discuss his new book on the history and legacy of the Chicago Defender, a groundbreaking newspaper that exposed Jim Crow abuses and reported on issues affecting African-Americans throughout the country. Learn about the newspaper that empowered the people it set out to defend. (Anne Li)
Indie City Writers Live-Lit
57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St. Thursday, January 14, 6pm-8pm. Free. (773) 684-1300. semcoop.org
The Indie City Writers, an emerging local writing collective, make their reading debut at this event. The night of live lit is sure to be lit as nine of its members showcase the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry they’ve been working on. Don’t miss out on the rising literary talent of the South Side. (Ada Alozie)
Negroland
Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Thursday, January 14, 6pm. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Author, critic, and professor Margo Jefferson will be joined by writer and human rights activist Jamie Kalven for a discussion of Jefferson’s acclaimed 2015 book, Negroland: A Memoir. The two may choose to reminisce about their South Side school days: they are both graduates of the UofC Laboratory School. (Neal Jochmann)
Body and Soul, scored by Renee Baker
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Friday, January 15, 7pm-9:30pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Join Black Cinema House for a night of crime and punishment—and Paul Robeson’s cinematic debut, in a screening of Oscar Micheaux’s 1925 silent film Body and Soul. The film comes complete with a new score composed by Renee Baker of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and recorded by the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project. (Christopher Good)
Eye of the Storm – The Bayard Rustin Story
eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Sunday, January 17, 3pm. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org
McKinley Johnson will give a reading of his 2009 musical, Eye of the Storm – The Bayard Rustin Story. The musical explores Rustin’s role as civil rights leader whose identity as a gay man left him marginalized within his own movement. Though Rustin was largely left out of the history books, chances are you won’t forget this bluesy drama. (Anna Christensen)
Black Perspectives in Horror Film Series: An Evening with Kellee Terrell
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Sunday, January 17, 4pm–6pm. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Zombies, lesbians, hauntings, and dark secrets come together in this screening of two short horror films by Chicago filmmaker Kellee Terrell. A discussion with Terrell and series curator Joyy Norris will follow the screening. (Anna Christensen)
African-American Female Comedy Showcase
eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Monday, January 18. Doors 6pm, show 7pm. $10. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org
The eta Creative Arts Foundation presents a comedy show of up-and-coming and established African-American female comedians, hosted by Paulette Flowers and Diane Corder, “the Funky Diva of Comedy.” Gut-busting laughter is sure to fill the room as the women show off their talents and push their boundaries. (Ada Alozie)
Story Club South Side
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St. Tuesday, January 19. Workshop 6:30pm-7:15pm, show 8pm. $10 suggested donation. (773) 655-6769. storyclubchicago.com
You, a microphone, and eight minutes: this is the premise of Story Club South Side, which gathers storytellers and audience members alike for a night of live nonfiction. With featured speakers like performance artist Eileen Tull and bull-running boxer Bill Hillman, it’ll be a while before the “under cover” theme is under wraps. Come early for a free storytelling workshop. (Christopher Good)
Satchmo at the Waldorf
Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through February 7. $38, discounts available for seniors, faculty, and students. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org
Satchmo at the Waldorf, in its Midwest premiere, is a single-actor play that deals with the emotions, legacy, friendships, and fate of Louis Armstrong, set after his last show in 1971. As the highlight of Chicago’s Louis Armstrong Festival, this jazzy journey is one not to miss. (Margaret Mary Glazier)