Bulletin
Damage Goods Book Signing
Norman’s Bistro, 1001 E. 43rd St. Wednesday, October 28, 6:30pm–9pm. Free. (773) 966-5821. damagegoods3ds.com
Damage Goods details the journey of faith, relationships, and self-discovery that followed Elizabeth Rivera’s breast cancer diagnosis. As a survivor, she hopes her book and signing event will educate and empower other women of color affected by the disease. (Sara Cohen)
Human Rights Crisis in Syria at the UofC
Ida Noyes Hall, West Lounge, 1212 E. 59th St. Thursday, October 29, noon–1:15pm. Free. eventbrite.com
Interested in hot button issues in the world of international politics? Join Karen AbuZayd, a member of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, for a discussion on Europe’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. AbuZayd has over thirty years of career experience dealing with refugee relief and is sure to bring fresh thoughts on a major global issue. (Rachel He)
Owner Workshop: Pest Control
Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center, 4859 S. Wabash Ave. Thursday, October 29, 2pm–4pm. Free. thecha.org
At this installment of a series of workshops by the Chicago Housing Authority aimed at educating participants in its Housing Choice Voucher program, owners and property managers can learn how to correctly deal with unwelcome and unhealthy pest invasions, from bed bugs to rodents. (Mari Cohen)
Bernie Sanders and Black Lives Matter: Class and Race in America
Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Thursday, October 29, 6pm. Free. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Interested in talking about racial issues? Supporter of Bernie Sanders and “Black Lives Matter”? Join Professor Charles Mills of Northwestern to engage in relevant and compelling social and political dialogues with other interested participants in the first of the Co-op’s “Literary Public Sphere” series. (Lily Zhou)
Big Money in Politics
Harper Memorial Library, 1116 E. 59th St., Room 140. Thursday, October 29, 7pm–8:30pm. Free. naomi@illinoispirg.org
Show up and speak out to stop the influence of “dark money” in American politics. Hear what panelists have to say about the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision that unleashed SuperPACs. (Anne Li)
Change Chat: Trans Visibility in Pop Culture
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Thursday, October 29, 6pm–8pm. Free. creatingchange.org
The latest installment of the “Change Chat” series—educating and uniting community members on LGBTQ issues—will offer wine, light refreshments, and casual discussion about the representation of trans individuals in pop culture. (Sara Cohen)
Community Meeting: S. Michigan Ave. Development
East-West University, 816 S. Michigan Ave. October 29, 2015, 6pm–8pm. (312) 987-1980. thenspb.com
Two new apartment towers—one designed by Chicago-based starchitect Helmut Jahn—are crowding into the fertile real estate of the South Loop. Learn about these plans at this community meeting with 4th Ward Alderman Will Burns. (Adam Thorp)
Marx After Marx: History and Time in the Expansion of Capitalism
Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Friday, October 30, 6pm–8pm. Free. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Looking at relevant historical texts by Lenin, Luxemburg, and other theorists, Harry Harootunian will present on his book about Western Marxism and Marx’s views on capitalism’s origin and evolution. Come here for a deeper understanding of capitalism and Marxism, with a reception to follow. (Lily Zhou)
Manhood 101 Mentoring Sessions
Chicago State University, Douglas Hall, 9500 S. King Dr. Saturday, October 31, 9:30am–2pm. Free. Ages 8-18. First 100 to arrive will be entered into raffle for sports tickets and gift cards. (773) 932-9426. manhood10115.eventbrite.com
Learning to tie a tie is just the tip of the iceberg at this event helping young men ages eight to eighteen navigate coming of age. Attendees can join college-educated mentors in these sessions to learn more about a host of important topics, including college and career readiness, single-mother households, handling interactions with police, and more. (Mari Cohen)
Music
Wild Child
Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Friday, October 30, doors 7pm, show 8pm. $17.50 in advance, $20 at door. (312) 526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com
Indie-folk band Wild Child will be strumming, clapping and stomping in a live performance Friday at Thalia Hall. The band’s tour comes hot on the heels of Fools, a breakup album “about letting go of expectations [and] just playing the fool.” Their performance is sure to be in equal measure heartfelt and heart-wrenching. (Christopher Good)
Michael Ross
The Quarry Event Center, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, October 30, 7pm–11:30pm. $10. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Jazz guitarist, composer, and Chicago native Michael Ross has toured across the United States and Europe. His latest album, A Special Thing, takes the listener on an “adventure through a secret door of mystery, with a groove”—adventure through his not-so-secret door this Friday at South Shore’s beloved Mo Better Jazz. (Jonathan Poilpre)
OG Maco, ShowYouSuck, and Big Homie
Reggies Chicago, 2109 S. State St. Friday, October 30, 9pm. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 18+. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
There is perhaps no better way to start your Halloween weekend than by going to what is sure to be the event of the season: Hustlepalooza Trap Rave, featuring post-ironic Atlanta trap-hollerer OG Maco, straight-edge west suburban “alt” rapper ShowYouSuck, and minor drill figure Big Homie (most notably King Louie’s manager). Happy Halloween! (Sam Stecklow)
Gory Halloween Party featuring Biz Markie
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Saturday, October 31, doors 10pm. $20 general admission. 21+. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
Alternatively, kick off Halloween with spooky rock and hip-hop vibes brought to you by the “Diabolical Clown Prince of Hip Hop,” DJ Biz Markie. Come for the special holiday set, stay for the special drinks and cash prize costume contest, and party as the Promontory becomes a Haunted House of Rock. (Rachel He)
Visual Arts
Harlem Fall Arts Show
The Merchandise Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plz. Thursday-Sunday, October 29-November 1. Opening reception Friday, October 31, 6pm-10pm. See website for additional times. $15-$20. (800) 376-2860. hfas.org
America’s largest traveling African Diasporic art show is coming to the Merchandise Mart this weekend. The Harlem-Renaissance-inspired show celebrates diasporic art and provides American artists with the chance to sell their work; events include an opening reception, an expo, and a Masquerade Bash on Halloween night. (Sonia Schlesinger)
The Final Recognition
MAD Center Gallery, 1500 S. Western Ave. October 30-January 30. Hours by appointment. Opening reception Friday, October 30, 6pm–10pm. Free. (424) 262-3278. midlandartanddesigncenter.com
In “The Final Recognition,” Herman Aguirre depicts horrific violence in Mexican organized crime scenes and bemoans the deaths of thousands of innocent victims. Through a powerful fauvist style, Aguirre attempts to confront viewers with the fragility of human lives and calls for an immediate awareness of violence in Mexico. (Jasmin Liang)
(re)Working Architecture
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S. Morgan St. October 30–November 1. Opening reception Friday, October 30, 6pm–11pm. Free. (773) 655-6769. coprosperity.org
The Chicago Architecture Biennial is in full swing, and on October 30, the Co-Prosperity Sphere will unofficially join in the festivities by unveiling an art installation by the Architecture Lobby that aims to reflect the “absurdities of architectural practice/labor/work.” Through critique and commentary, the role of the architect will be reconsidered from the ground up. (Christopher Good)
Work, Working, Worked: Live on WLPN 105.5
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan Ave. Sunday, November 1, 2pm–6pm. Free. (773) 655-6769. chicagoartistsmonth.org
Experience the past and present culture of Bridgeport through an interactive audio tour guided by radio, maps, and navigation devices. Part of Chicago Artists Month and sponsored by WLPN 105.5, the expedition will feature architecture from John Flizikowski and Henry Englebert, the writings of Upton Sinclair and Mike Royko, and stops at art spaces including Learning Machine and Bubbly Dynamic. (Clyde Schwab)
Founder’s Day
The DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Sunday, November 1, 1pm. Free. (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org
The DuSable Museum commemorates its founders this Sunday with a talk by Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun and a performance by the Whitney M. Young High School Concert Choir. In honor of founder Margaret Burroughs, the afternoon will include excerpts of What Shall I Tell My Children, a play written in her honor, as well as the awarding of the 2015 Margaret Burroughs Scholarship. (Sonia Schlesinger)
Día de los Muertos at the National Museum of Mexican Art
National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Sunday, November 1, 4pm–9pm. Free. (312) 738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
This year’s Day of the Dead celebration will be far-reaching and all-inclusive. Visit chicagodayofthedead.org to honor deceased loved ones before stopping by the museum, which will feature artwork depicting the holiday’s backstory. Venture to Harrison Park afterwards for delicious pan de muerto and more festivities. (Sara Cohen)
Rear View with Road Cut
Slow Pony Project, 1745 W. 18th St. Opening reception Thursday, November 5, 7pm. Open November 5–-through Sunday, December 13,; hours to be determined. Opening reception Thursday, November 5. Free. (815) 575-2023.
In “Rear View with Road Cuts,” Liz Ensz embarks on a journey into the living landscape of memory. Through a combination of mediumsmedia, including sculpture installations and performance art, Ensz explores the intimate relationship between space and time,, geography and history, and ventures to retrieve the forgotten past of the human species. (Jasmin Liang)
Stage & Screen
Eileen Myles
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Seminar Terrace 801. Thursday, October 29, 6pm. Free. (773) 702-2787. arts.uchicago.edu
Catch prolific poet Eileen Myles’s tour stop in Chicago to celebrate a new book of poems, I Must Be Living Twice, and the re-release of her 1994 cult classic, Chelsea Girls. Myles will also be reading unreleased material, so this is not to be missed. (Christopher Good)
Gel Set Scores Epstein’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”
Southside Hub of Production, 1448 E. 57th St. Friday, October 30, 8pm. $8; $5 with a costume. southsideprojections.org
If you like feeling sad while trembling in fear, you know Edgar Allan Poe. If you’re a cinema devotee, you may have experienced the excitement of a silent film with a new score, played live. If you’d like to feel sad, scared, and culturally superior, you’ve found your Friday night. (CJ Fraley)
Night Out with Nosferatu
Trinity United Methodist Church, 9848 S. Winchester Ave. Friday, October 30, 6pm. Suggested donation of $5 for individuals, $10 for families. (773) 445-5300. chicagotrinityumc.org
Trinity United Methodist Church is rolling out the red carpet and dimming the lights for a spooky family screening (or screaming) of Nosferatu with live organ accompaniment. Also present will be a pumpkin decoration station and, for the particularly bold, an insect petting zoo. Haunting, but not daunting. (Christopher Good)
Hot Time at the Speakeasy
Power Circle Center, 9350 S. Chicago Ave. Friday, October 30, 6pm–10pm. $30. (773) 768-1221. southchicagochamber.org
Showcasing the work of local artists Myron Mills Project Band, Mz. Flo Fiyah Co., Red Hot Annie, Tango Che, and Bill Jackson, this 1920s-themed Murder Mystery Dinner will be “to die for.” (Sara Cohen)
Seeds of Disunion: Classics in Black Stereotypy Film Series: The Jazz Singer
Black House Cinema, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Friday, October 30, 7pm–9pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.squarespace.com
Enter an alternate world of black cinematic history with UofC professor Jacqueline Stewart and Northwestern professor Miriam Petty as they screen and discuss The Jazz Singer, a landmark “talkie” film also known for its use of blackface. (Sarah Liu)
The Night Market: Where Art and Spirit Dance
Hyde Park Art Center/ The Muller Room, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Saturday, October 31, 1pm–5pm. Free. (773) 324-5520. hydeparkart.org
Looking for a chance to paint your face, dance to music, and meet “Gedes” who can connect you to the Spirit folk? Welcome to the Night Market, featuring the Yoruba culture and Western African tradition. Bring your own costume and creative minds, and as the Yoruba say, make the world your marketplace. (Lily Zhou)
Boneshaker
Redmoon Theater, 2120 S. Jefferson St. Saturday, October 31, 9pm–2am. $100, 21+. (312) 850-8440. redmoon.org
Redmoon’s annual Halloween party returns for a sixth year, featuring bumper cars, classic arcade games, and plenty of drinks. A DJ, strange machines, and other surprises will fill Redmoon’s massive Pilsen warehouse, transforming it to an “otherworldly playground” that will support the theater’s free programming. (Clyde Schwab)
My Soul is a Witness
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60 St., Performance Hall. Sunday, November 1, 5:30pm. $20, $10 for students. (773) 702-2787. arts.uchicago.edu
Val Gray Ward returns to Chicago for this new one-woman, seventeen-character show. Ward, herself a pioneer of the Black Arts Movement, will pay tribute to literary legends such as Mari Evans, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, and Richard Wright in a performance that’s sure to be memorable. (Sara Cohen)
KINOSONIK #5 with Walter Kitundu & Katherine Young
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Sunday, November 1, 4pm–6pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.squarespace.com
The fifth installment of KINOSONIK pairs curated, archival films with live scores performed and composed by Walter Kitundu and Katherine Young. Examining the relationship between design and nature, the performance is a collaboration between Experimental Sound Studio, The Nightingale, and Chicago Film Archives. (Clyde Schwab)