STAGE AND SCREEN
Coates at the DuSable
It’s been a big year for writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. A senior editor at The Atlantic and regular blogger on the magazine’s website, Coates captured popular attention with his June 2014 Atlantic cover story, “The Case for Reparations.” The piece, a year and a half in the making, examined the historical and institutional subjugation of African Americans, with a focus on public housing policy on Chicago’s South and West Sides. Coates will bring his perspective as a journalist and educator to a Public Programs Lecture at the DuSable Museum of African American History in conjunction with the museum’s present exhibition, “Spirits of the Passage: Transatlantic Slave Trade in the 17th Century.” Don’t miss this leading public voice in American discussions of race, politics, and culture— it’s not often that you get to engage with someone who turned down a regular columnist position at The New York Times. The DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. November 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm. $10. (877)387-2251. dusablemuseum.org (Olivia Myszkowski)
The Chicago Eight (Seven) on Film
Can one fully recount the summer of 1968 and its Democratic Convention, with Chicago plunged into riot, and the trial of the infamous “Chicago Seven,” charged with conspiracy and inciting violence? Richard Brick’s The Conspiracy and the Dybbuk (1971) and Kerry Feltham’s The Great Chicago Conspiracy Circus (1970) attempt to do so. The former documents New York students’ Jewish exorcism of the trial’s judge and the latter mixes rapid-fire legal jargon from the trial with pieces of Alice in Wonderland delivered by actors dressed as hippies. South Side Projections brings you the apparent absurdity of the trial, the words of its defendants—the Seven themselves—and the chaos of that summer in Chicago. Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Sunday, November 9, 6 pm. Free. (773)702-ARTS. southsideprojections.org (Sonia Schlesinger)
An Evening with Filmmaker Akosua Adoma Owusu
Akosua Adoma Owusu is one of those extremely young people who seems to have already lived a whole life, fulfilled an entire career, and achieved a grand level of success, all faster than you can click “Play Next Episode” on Netflix. On November 14, this talented experimental filmmaker will be appearing at Black Cinema House, where she will screen a wide range of her work and speak with Professor Terri Francis of Indiana University. Using a variety of avant-garde techniques, as well as inspiration from her Ghanian ancestry, Owusu explores the concepts of African identity and race through the traditional storytelling of her childhood. Her work brings a fresh perspective to the stage by offering its audience a continued dialogue concerning the connection between Africa and the United States that transcends its preconceived notions and stereotypes. Owusu is shaking up the world of cinema, and the electric narrative she’s giving us is certainly worth paying attention to. Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Friday, November 14, 7pm. RSVP in advance, seating is limited. blackcinemahouse.org (Emiliano Burr di Mauro)
Rocks in My Pockets
In a society where mental illness carries social stigmas, Signe Baumane presents the animated piece Rocks in My Pockets, a self-proclaimed “funny film about depression” that examines the intricate lives of five different women as they navigate the ups and downs of life. Baumane’s tale takes inspiration from her family and Latvian heritage, and the characters are based on her own personal experiences. She creates a film that explores the mysterious machinations of the brain quite fantastically, using both stop-motion and hand-drawn animation. At next Wednesday’s screening at the Beverly Arts Center, viewers can follow the narrator on her fascinating quest for sanity as she tries to escape and survive a family history rooted in mental illness and a world plagued by the horrors of marriage, divorce, and violence. Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Wednesday, November 12, 7:30pm. $7.50. (773) 445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org (Michelle Gan)
Your Face in Mine
“How far in the future can it be when people say, I don’t want to be me anymore?” asks a character in Jess Row’s first novel, Your Face in Mine, in which the protagonist encounters an old friend who has transformed himself from a white Jew to a black man. The point, of course, is that in this case, the future is now. Or rather, the future is always—Row uses the fantastical concept of racial reassignment surgery to investigate identity and family. The novel has also been praised for its laser focus on issues particularly salient in this day and age, such as white privilege and identity politics. On Thursday, Row will be reading from and discussing Your Face in Mine at the Seminary Co-op. Come for the sensationalist, tabloid-worthy premise; stay for the compelling, dissertation-worthy execution. Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Thursday, November 6, 6pm. Free. (773)752-4381. semcoop.com (Julia Aizuss)
VISUAL ARTS
For the Brown Kids
For the month of November, a poem addressing “those who learned to live the blues before they could tie their shoes” is being reimagined as a visual art exhibit at the Beverly Arts Center. The EXPO collective has gathered Chicago artists and had them illustrate their take on “For Brown Boys,” Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria’s direct, emotional exploration of the experience of growing up brown. EXPO calls the event a celebration of “diversity in art and in society,” highlighting the fact that the show bridges mediums while wrestling with the same theme of race. The show ran for the first time in June, but if you missed it, this is your second chance to see ninteen artists do their best to transfer a powerful poem onto canvas. Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. November 7-30. Opening reception November 7, 6pm-8pm. Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm; Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 1pm-4pm. Free. (773)445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org (Mari 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 Labor/Migrant/Gulf 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 20th 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. November 14, 6pm-10pm and by appointment until December 3. Free. (312)852-7717. uri-eichen.com (Emeline Posner)
Science / Fiction
Chicagoans have pioneered in the fields of science and fiction, so it only makes sense that the two would eventually merge in the form of an art exhibition featuring the new work of Ryan Thompson, Kimberly Kim, Noa Dolberg, and Reuven Israel. Their pieces play with humor, forms of observation, and the natural world. The show also offers a look into studio-dwelling relics of the artists’ works and research and production materials. Watch the space come to life with “Plant on Premises,” a collage scrutinizing the clothes-cleaning industry and its relationship to indoor plants, or experience “Bad Luck, Hot Rocks,” which tells the story of wood stolen from the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. ACRE Projects, 1913 W. 17th St. Through November 10. Sundays and Mondays, noon-4pm. Free. www.acreresidency.org (Mark Hassenfratz)
10 X 10: Chicago Heroes
What do Chicago heroes look like? According to Bridgeport art gallery Project Onward, the answer depends on whom you ask. Picture ten of the most remarkable figures in Chicago’s cultural history. Now picture ten different versions of each of them, created by ten different artists. That makes100 iterations of these ten heroes, all of which are on display at Project Onward. Each artist’s portrait reflects a unique perspective and artistic style, in a gallery that celebrates and examines what it means to be a hero. Project Onward is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and exposure for local artists with disabilities, so it’s not just a celebration of heroes past, but also heroes present—people who create extraordinary work, despite adversity.Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. Through November 14. Tuesday-Saturday,11am-5pm. Free. (773)940-2992. projectonward.org (Hafsa Razi)
Affects Illustrated
The press picture shows dismembered, vaguely architectural pieces of pink metal standing in a field. It’s actually a digitally cut-up photograph of artist and UofC Visual Arts teacher Hannah Givler’s sculpture “Avatar.” The sculpture is one of several pieces that comprise “Affects Illustrated,” a site-specific installation that plays with the dynamics of interiors and exteriors and examines spatial relationships. The show also addresses themes like materialism, fictional utopias, and city planning, which feature heavily in Givler’s research. 4th Ward Project Space, 5338 S. Kimbark Ave. November 9-December 21. Saturday and Sunday, 1pm-5pm. Opening reception November 9, 3pm-6pm. Free. 4wps.org (Julie Wu)
Paul Germanos
IRL Paul Germanos counts among his achievements a graduate degree in political philosophy, a number of years as a taxi driver, a motorcycle odyssey across the United States, and an Illinois peace officer’s license—but online you’d never know it. On the Internet, Germanos is strictly a humble chronicler of the art world. He tweets straightforward news about art show openings in Chicago and posts photos of galleries on his Flickr photostream and blog as part of a decade-long effort to document Chicago’s contemporary artists and exhibitions. Now these photos are taking on a life outside the computer screen in a photographic installation at the antena project space in Pilsen. The opening night will also feature a presentation of Germanos’s portraits of forty artists, art administrators, and critics, as well as some of these artists’ own work. Antena, 1755 S. Laflin St. Through November 22. 6pm-10 pm. Free. (773)340-3516. antenapilsen.blogspot.com (Julia Aizuss)
MUSIC
Tafelmusik at Logan
An eclectic blend of astronomy and baroque music, Tafelmusik’s Galileo Project will play Friday, November 7th, at the Logan Center for the Arts. Tafelmusik, a Canadian orchestra that specializes in music composed prior to 1760, is known worldwide for its performances and special projects; the Galileo Project has toured internationally since its inception in 2009. The project commemorates “the fusion of arts, science and culture in the 17th and 18th centuries,” particularly Galileo’s first public display of the telescope. Fittingly, the music will be played to a backdrop of images from the Hubble telescope. If you’re a science or music devotee (or both), make sure to be in attendance for a concert that promises to be out of this world. Logan Center for the Arts, 916 W. 60th St. November 7, 6:30pm pre-concert lecture, 7:30pm concert. $35, $5 students. (773)702.2787. arts.uchicago.edu(Emily Harwell)
Memphis May Fire at Reggies
Fresh off the small-venue, cross-country Warped Tour circuit, life-affirming metalcore band Memphis May Fire are making a stop at Reggies for an in-store listening party and signing in support of their new album Unconditional, a solid and unfailingly positive batch of songs that reached #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock charts this past year. MMF are for the most part in line with the recent metalcore canon made up of quasi-Christian bands like The Word Alive and neon-and-black-graphic-tee bands like Sleeping with Sirens. The ethos of their music focuses on a “unity of shared purpose” and a “striving for something greater than the world around us,” plus probably a lot of tuned-down guitar and screams held for longer than it takes to cook a Hot Pocket. Reggies, 2109 S. State St. November 8, 1pm. Free and with free hot dogs and soda. (312)-949-0120. reggieslive.com (Jake Bittle)
Mr. Blotto at Reggies
Mr. Blotto, Chicago’s most steadfast nineteen-year-old jam band legend, takes the stage at Reggies every Tuesday to play garage rock that one would both “expect and never expect.” The band is comprised of brothers Mark and Paul Bolger, drummer Alan Baster, and guitarist Bobby Georges, who, according the group’s Wikipedia page, joined the band after he “climbed out from under a rock.” These four dazed-out Dead Heads have been on the Chicago bar circuit for ages now but have never departed from calling Reggies their home sweet home; their Tuesday sets are sure to feel like abbreviated versions of “Blottopia,” the band’s annual two-day camping festival in July. If you like hearing expected-unexpected tunes (honestly, it’s probably “Row Jimmy” played twice in a row, the second time with a beer in hand) and covers of such classic albums as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon and James Brown’s Sex Machine, then Mr. Blotto is for you. If you don’t, then “Tipsy Tuesdays” will at least help you relieve some midweek stress. Reggies, 2109 S. State St. Tuesdays, 8pm “sharp.” $5. 21+. (312)949-0120. reggieslive.com (Denise Parker)
The Jungle Brothers at the Shrine
A fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and house, the Jungle Brothers are making a return next Tuesday at the Shrine. Though they’ve never reached the critical magnitude of colleagues such as a Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul, the Jungle Brothers are known for their Afrocentric lyrics and for jazz sampling that actually predates both groups. The group, composed of Mike Gee, Afrika Baby Bam, and Sammy B, have recorded hits such as “What U Waitin 4” and “Straight Out the Jungle.” Using groovy lyrics and masterful sampling to create exciting dance beats, the Jungle Brothers’ smooth rhythms should offer an interesting contrast to the current drill-rap movement in Chicago. The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Tuesday, November 11, doors open at 9pm. $17.50. Tickets available online. 21+. (312)753-5681. theshrinechicago.com (Clyde Schwab)
Tim Kinsella at The Promontory
Come on out to Hyde Park’s swankiest new jazz joint this Friday for a lyrical evening with musical polymath Tim Kinsella (of bands such as Joan of Arc and Owls) and slam-poet-turned-non-slam-poet Marvin Tate. It’ll be a dual show in which the two artists trade and cross their respective mediums much the way they did on this year’s dynamic (and dynamically titled) poetry-as-music-as-poetry record Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by Leroy Bach featuring Angel Olsen, which is the best (and possibly the only) such venture since Renée Fleming set Mark Strand’s poetry to music in The Strand Settings. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. November 7, 9pm. $5. 21+. (312)801-2100. promontorychicago.com (Jake Bittle)