BULLETIN
11th Ward TIF Illumination
In Chicago, over $400 million of real estate taxes are redirected to tax increment financing (TIF), a method of funding development projects that is commonly used across the city. The pitch for TIF goes like this: once a TIF district’s property tax revenues exceed a certain limit, the revenue over the limit is redirected towards a development project. In a number of cases, the TIF funds go to businesses, in which case, the district gains economic activity at the expense, opponents say, of city services. The TIF Illumination Project will discuss the 11th Ward TIF this Thursday, continuing an effort that has brought the project to twenty-nine wards so far. The event is co-hosted by community activist and TIF critic Maureen Sullivan, who is running for 11th Ward alderman against Patrick Daley Thompson, a rising member of the Daley clan. Community Room of First Trinity Lutheran Church, 643 W. 31st St. Thursday, December 4, 7pm-9pm. tifreports.com/2014/11/22/11th-ward (Adam Thorp)
Steppin’ for Justice
Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) is having its fourth annual benefit, Steppin’ for Justice. STOP is a community-based organization that fights to protect the human rights of South Side residents, and is behind the campaign for a trauma center at the UofC Medical Center. STOP also runs programs directed at youth, with an emphasis on leadership development for those affected by displacement, incarceration, and criminalization. All funds raised by Steppin’ for Justice will support programs such as Fearless Leading by the Youth (FLY). Tres Banquet Hall, 1528 E. 63rd St. Friday, December 5, 9pm-2am. stopchicago.org (Denise Parker)
Equity and Urban School Improvement
Education reform efforts, urban school reform, and community involvement in schools are among the topics to be discussed at an event co-hosted by the Chicago Community Trust and Kenwood Academy. Event organizers at Generation All, created by the Chicago Community Trust as an initiative to create quality public high schools, promise an opportunity to âshare your perspective on how we can move forward as Chicagoans in shaping the future of our public education system.â Come to Kenwood Academy for a chance to voice your ideas for education. Kenwood Academy High School, 5015 S. Blackstone Ave. December 3, 6pm-7:30pm. Free, RSVP recommended. (312)616-8000. (Clyde Schwab)
STAGE & SCREEN
Gli Ultimi (The Last Ones) Screening
On December 5, allow yourself to be transportedâwith no harm done to your bank accountâfrom Logan Screening Room 201 to 1930s Udine, a city in northeastern Italy. Gli Ultimi (âThe Last Onesâ), an Italian film first released in 1963, received high praise from the likes of Italian artists Pier Paolo Pasolini and Giuseppe Ungaretti for its simple yet âprofoundly poeticâ portrait of a young shepherd living in an impoverished Italy. Through a lens of post-neorealism, directors Vito Pandolfi and David Maria Turoldo capture on screen their country’s historical struggle to reconcile progress and tradition. Despite acclaim from the film community, the film found little commercial success; the few remaining copies were discarded or left to deteriorate until 1991, when a case was made for the film’s restoration. Gli Ultimi, now restored, will finally get its long overdue U.S. premiere just south of the Midway. The screening will be followed by a discussion with archivist Luca Giuliani. Logan Center, 915 E. 60th St. Friday, December 5, 7pm. Free. (773)702-8596. arts.uchicago.edu (Emeline Posner)
KINOSONIK #2
Olivia Block, a critically acclaimed electroacoustic composer and artist, and Tomeka Reid, Chicago-based classical and jazz cellist who doubles as an active jazz organizer and educator, are uniting to present Black Cinema House’s second installment of KINOSONIK. As at the previous event, featured artists Joseph Clayton Mills and Marvin Tate, the artist pair will study four films selected from the Chicago Film Archives and provide live scores to accompany them. The films range from a single shot of a mining explosion shot by the Reserve Mining Company to an educational film by Encyclopedia Britannica about the forces that cause erosion on Earth. Join them for yet another interesting exploration in film and music. Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Sunday, December 7, 4pm. RSVP recommended. blackcinemahouse.org (Clyde Schwab)
Christmas on the Air
This year, you don’t have to just settle for The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, or even those questionable Santa Clause movies starring Tim Allen to get in the holiday spirit. Find a new holiday classic in the Midwest premiere of Christmas on the Air, now playing every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through December 28 at Provision Theater. The music and stories are the ones you remember from your childhood, but this time around they will be presented on a different stage. In this alternative holiday-season carol, you’ll meet Yolanda and Percival B. Frank, two radio show hosts doing their annual Christmas broadcast. Following their on-air broadcast and on-stage romance, the viewers are transformed into a live studio audience in the heyday of radio and become witnesses to the timeless spirit of Christmas magic. Just sit back and prepare yourself for those sweet sounds and sights that will surely bring you those warm and fuzzy feelings this holiday season. Provision Theater, 1001 W. Roosevelt Rd. Through December 28. Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 3pm. $28. Student, senior, and group discounts available. (312)455-0066. provisiontheater.org (Emiliano Burr di Mauro)
Plaid Tidings: A Forever Plaid Christmas
If you find yourself in need of some 1950s-style close-harmony warbling, catch a performance of Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings at the Beverly Arts Center. Started as a tongue-in-cheek off-Broadway musical revue, Forever Plaid features a crew of high school boys with dreams of recording an album who perish in a tragic bus accident and return from the afterlife. In this installment, the legendary Plaids find themselves on earth once again to âput a little harmony into a discordant worldâ in what the Beverly Arts Center calls âthe best of Forever Plaid tied-up in a nifty package with a big holiday bow on top!â The show also features holiday standards, including a take on The Ed Sullivan Show featuring the Rockettes, the Chipmunks, the Vienna Boys Choir, as well as a âPlaid Caribbean Christmas.â Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Friday, December 5, 7:30pm; Sunday, December 7, 3:30pm. $22, $20 for BAC members. (773)445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org (Clyde Schwab)
VISUAL ARTS
Thick slice, decadent ration
Sometimes charcuterie can be as thought-provoking as it is delicious. Starting December 6 at the Slow gallery in Pilsen, Matthew Kayhoe Brett and Ji Soo Hong will explore the liminal space between revulsion and yearning in âThick slice, decadent ration.â Hong, a self-identified cheesemonger, playfully produces collages similar to drawings and doesn’t shy away from polarizing views on meat. Brett casts and isolates, a careful craftsman focusing on the often-overlooked âglueâ that joins things together. Both artists emphasize artistic tools rather than the hand of the artist. Slow will host them as part of its commitment to âslightly nerdyâ contemporary art, in an exhibition in partnership with ACRE. After this, you’ll never look at processed meat the same way again. Slow, 2153 W. 21st St. Opening reception Saturday, December 6, 6pm-9pm. (773)645-8803. paul-is-slow.info (Arda Sener)
SWAMP THING
Be honest with yourself: you hate Christmas. Everyone does. The lines at the store, pretending to like your grandma’s fruitcake, and seeing how everyone else has someone under the mistletoe. Make Yuletide a bit less sucky and a bit more swampy with âSWAMP THING: A Cajun Christmasâ at Hoofprint Workshop. Skip the gingerbread exterior and get right to the wild sideâsharpen your fangs with Gator’s Blood mulled wine as you bask in the live dance party with local musician Dorian Gehring. Support local artists and feed the procrastinating shopper in you with the collections of original art, apparel, and gifts. Cleanse your palate of peppermint-flavored everything with homemade gumbo. Take a break from staring at Yule logs and dive into the bayou with original art and comics. Plus, Cajun beats the cold every time. Hoofprint Workshop, 2433 S. Oakley Ave. Saturday, December 13, 6pm-10pm. (773)896-4326. hoofprintworkshop.com (Mark Hassenfratz)
Washington Park through Our Own Eyes
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but can a thousand words capture what a community is all about? Washington Park residents have collaborated with UofC student organization South Side in Focus to capture a snapshot of life in their corner of Chicago. Last spring, the group brought together narratives from neighborhoods all over the South Side. This time around, the group worked with Chicago Youth Programs, a program started by Northwestern medical students, to curate a multimedia installation featuring photographs, oral narratives, and video taken and produced by CYP teens and parents. The exhibition culminates in an exploration of everyday life through the eyes of the participants. Guests are encouraged to join in building the narrative by bringing their own photos. Currency Exchange Café, 305 E. Garfield Blvd. Thursday, December 4, 4:30pm-7:30pm. Refreshments served; RSVP on Facebook for dinner. (773)855-9163. cexcafe.com (Kristin Lin)
The Material That Went to Make Me
This month at the South Side Community Art Center, the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project presents a collection of artwork created in classes at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois. In both visual and text-based works, inmates use art to talk about their daily experiences behind bars and their movement within the prison system. The exhibit calls to attention the many issues prisoners face, including illiteracy, gangs, and violence within prison walls. Pieces such as timelines and schedules of how prisoners spend every hour of their day within the system are also on display. The exhibit strives to offer a humanizing look at prisoners, one rarely seen in popular media. South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave. November 15-December 6. Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm; Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 1pm-5pm. (773)373-1026. sscartcenter.org (Michelle Gan)
Krampusnacht at Co-Prosperity Sphere
In keeping with Chicago’s obsession with German-themed celebrations of Christmas (see: Christkindlmarket), the Co-Prosperity Sphere will ring in the holiday season with Krampusnacht. In its second year, the Christmas-ish event is inspired by a devilish creature, Krampus, Germanic folklore’s equivalent to a lump of coal. Yes, that’s right, naughty children are carried off in Krampus’s lair in a sack that looks a lot like the one in which Santa carries gifts for nice children. On the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas, Co-Pro will bring the tradition to the South Side, with an an exhibition devoted to the horned, pointy-tongued beast, which will likely include many much scarier renditions of the Where the Wild Things Are cast. There will also be a photo booth, costume contest, plenty of glögg (mulled wine), and a traditional Krampuslaufenâwhen drunken celebrants dressed as Krampus will run through the streets and, hopefully, not actually kidnap the children of Bridgeport. The Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St. Friday, December 5, 8pm-midnight. $10; $5 with a Krampus-related costume or constructed Krampus head for display. 21+. (773)837-0145. coprosperity.org (Bess Cohen)
Labor Migrant Gulf
The boteh is the droplet-like shape at the heart of the paisley pattern. It is also a symbol of religion, culture, and appropriation for many in Asia. Fittingly, this symbol serves as the centerpiece of the âLabor/Migrant/Gulfâ installation at Pilsen’s Uri-Eichen. The installation was developed in part as a response to the unsafe working conditions of migrant laborers in the Arabian/Persian Gulf. Additionally, the exhibit gives due attention to laborers around the Mexican-American border and the history of migrants in California. This second half of the installation can be found one door down from Uri-Eichen at the Al DiFranco Studio. In accordance with the exhibit’s theme, the music of Joe Hill, an early-twentieth century Swedish-American labor activist, will be played around 8pm at this neighboring venue. Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted St. and Al DiFranco Studio, 2107 S. Halsted St. Through December 3, by appointment. Free. (312)852-7717. uri-eichen.com (Emeline Posner)
MUSIC
Danny Brown at Thalia Hall
In case you missed it (you probably didn’t), there is a triple-threat venue in the heart of Pilsen, home to Dusek’s Board and Beer, Punch House, and the public event space that is Thalia Hall. On December 12 the venue will play host, fittingly, to a trifecta of Midwest artists: Danny Brown, Lucki Eck$, and Matchess will all burn it down as part of the Red Bull Sound Select Presents program. The otherworldly sound of Matchess will be sure to unmoor you from your workweek before the hazy music of Lucki Eck$ blisses you right out. These two will both serve as prelude to an explosive performance from tried-and-true rapper Danny Brown. Watch out, though: the Red Bull Select series is a first-come-first-served event, and they are careful to remind potential attendees that entry is not guaranteed. An additional insider tip: if you RSVP ahead of time your ticket price is $5âif you get in, that is. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Friday, December 12, doors 8pm. $5. 17+. (312)526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com (Elizabeth Bynum)
Rocket Man Gets a Salute Again
Listen up, acrobats and loversâjust when you thought you were never gonna fall in love again, Brian Harris is coming back to Reggies. The seasoned performer with a penchant for the spectacular will don his bowler hat and rose-tinted glasses as Simply Elton once again this season, this time to wow audiences with a performance of the Glitter King’s best-loved eighties hits. âElton in the 80’sâ is sure to be this winter’s best opportunity to embrace your inner whimsy while still acknowledging the hard knocks of real life. Harris’s show should feature classic tunes like âCandy by the Pound,â âPoor Cow,â and âAngeline.â Spiteful children, fascist faces, legal boys, allâon December 14 at Reggies, it doesn’t matter who you are. Everyone can relive the magic of Live Aid 1985. Reggies, 2105 S. State St. December 14, doors 5pm, show 6pm. $10. 21+. (312)949-0120. reggieslive.com (Olivia Myszkowski)
South Side Big Band at The Promontory
It’s been too long since the South Side has had a big band to truly call its own. Even the South Side Big Band, a group founded by composer and producer Tom Tom Washington in tribute to the legendary olden days of Chicago’s South Side jazz and blues scene, has refused to play here since the band’s conception in the early nineties. Given this long sabbatical away from the South Side, it will be a truly momentous occasion when the South Side Big Band comes home for a night at the Promontory. Spirits will be alight when Tom Tom and his crew of twenty-two other musicians, featuring seasoned veterans from the sixties and seventies as well as younger mentees, bring the soul of the South Side back home. Hyde Park actor and singer Maggie Brown will also be joining the group as a vocalist. Come for what will undoubtedly be a historic first (re)appearance and the culmination of a quarter-century of weekly rehearsals. Leave knowing that these cats have heart for miles, and that you were there to see them return to their roots. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Saturday, December 20, 8pm. $15-$20. (312)801-2100. promontorychicago.com (James Kogan)
The Genius of Jazz & Hip Hop Vol. 1
David Boykin, long-time Chicago composer, saxophonist, and founder of Sonic Healing Ministries, is pairing up with some more recent additions to the South Side music scene for one night at the Promontory. Rapper Noname Gypsy, drummer James Woodley, and DJ Ayana Contreras will blend their beats with Boykin’s smooth, limitless sound, filling the space with a new jazzy, hip-hop blend. The two styles of music will combine smoothly to form a new sound that both old-school and new-school Chicagoans should look forward to exploring. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Thursday, December 11, 8pm. promontorychicago.com (Denise Parker)