Chicago Reader

04/13/2025

A colorful outfit as spring emerges

Jeffrey O’Malley, 34, chooses Mondrianesque colors and vintage clothing for his street style while waiting for a Chicago bus.

04/12/2025

The Book of Grace explores the boundaries of optimism in the midst of rage. | ✍️ Kerry Reid

Suzan-Lori Parks's 2010 drama about the troubled family of a border patrol officer has fresh resonance and insight at Steppenwolf.

04/12/2025

“Woven Being” is not so much a group exhibition as a mapping of diverse but related Indigenous art. | ✍️ Kerry Cardoza

The Block Museum’s “Woven Being” is expansive yet concise, not so much a group exhibition as a mapping of diverse but related Indigenous art.

04/12/2025

In his new column Labor Pains, Devyn-Marshall Brown (DMB) covers news affecting Illinois workers. This week Dispensary 33 became the first fully worker-owned pot shop in Illinois, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools finally reached a tentative deal and more!

Plus: Pritzker vetoes a bill to protect warehouse workers, Tony’s Fresh Market rejects union push, and more labor news from across the state.

04/12/2025

Scary Town blends anthropomorphism à la Richard Scarry and the artistic director’s own family history. | ✍️ Kerry Reid

The artistic director's newest show, Scary Town, draws on family secrets and the anthropomorphic storybook style of Richard Scarry.

04/12/2025

Chicago trio Sons of Ra impose few limitations on their music. "They might try on any number of heavy and intense sounds, including prog, math rock, avant-garde metal, funk, and free jazz," writes Jamie Ludwig. The band plays Sat 4/12 at Reggies | preview:

Standard Deviation mixes original compositions with interpretations of tunes made famous by the likes of John Coltrane, Don Ellis, and Carla Bley, and there’s never a dull moment.

04/12/2025

No Such Thing puts an older woman’s relationships in the spotlight. | ✍️ Kerry Reid

Lisa Dillman's No Such Thing at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble tackles the complicated relationships in an older woman's life.

04/11/2025

Seattle punk trio Black Ends play Schubas on Mon 4/14 Lincoln Hall + Schubas | Preview ✍️ Jamie Ludwig

To describe their idiosyncratic combination of scruffy bubblegum hooks, raw guitar wizardry, and unapologetic indie-rock weirdness, they coined the term “gunk pop,” which inclines plenty of folks to see them as heirs to the city’s famous indie-rock legacy, from the grunge days onward.

04/11/2025

COVID-19 created a renaissance of mail art through the creation of mail art clubs. Shira Friedman-Parks goes long on this art of connection.

Chicago's mail art clubs are rooted in an affection for the tangible; many intend to continue indefinitely.

04/11/2025

In a city like Chicago, where style meets sustainability, and high-end meets down-to-earth, Seres provides the right answer to footwear. | ✍️ Isa Giallorenzo

In a city like Chicago, where style meets sustainability, and high-end meets down-to-earth, Seres provides the right answer to footwear.

04/11/2025

Variety show Yuck! is the best of its kind to get its livestream kicked off YouTube. | ✍️ Micco Caporale

Since 2022, Kellie Wyatt and Izah Ransohoff have been organizing the most brilliantly disgusting variety show whose name says it all: Yuck!

04/11/2025

The Eco Flamingo is our pick for best zero-waste general store. Check it out in Lincoln Square! | ✍️ Kerry Reid

For going the next step in zero-waste shopping, it's hard to beat Lincoln Square’s Eco Flamingo, which opened in 2020.

04/10/2025

Cook County has begun a long-discussed process to consolidate parallel electronic monitoring programs under the Office of the Chief Judge. What's next for future detainees? | ✍️ Shawn Mulcahy https://chicagoreader.com/news/electronic-monitoring-cook-county-sheriff-judge/?utm_campaign=Editorial&utm_content=Cook+County+has+begun+a+l&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reader-facebook

04/10/2025

Headed to C2E2 this weekend? Check out our guide! | ✍️ Charli Renken

April’s Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo will create space for enthusiasm and fandom at McCormick Place, with something for everybody.

04/10/2025

Upcoming in Chicagoland: Lady Bunny in Schaumburg, National Public Housing Museum exhibits and tours, yoga with a side of doom metal at Gman Tavern, Hyde Park Handmade at The Promontory and more!

Things to do in Chicagoland including an adults only set from a legendary drag queen, museum exhibitions, pop-ups, heavy metal yoga, and more

04/10/2025

For this week's Make it Make Sense, Shawn Mulcahy details Cook County state's attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke's unpopular expansion of a pilot that allows Chicago cops to file felony gun possession charges without prosecutor review and Katie Prout gives the latest on two rent strikes.

Plus: Anthony Quezada confirmed to City Council and the latest on striking tenants.

04/10/2025

🎶 Calling all music lovers and audiophiles! AXPONA 2025 is your gateway to a world of immersive sound. 🎧 Discover the newest innovations in high-fidelity audio, connect with industry experts, and revel in live music performances that will ignite your soul. Happening April 11 - 13, 2025 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Celebrate the art of sound and your passion for music! Learn more and grab your tickets here: https://axpona.com/attend/

Why AXPONA? HEAR THE MUSIC YOU LOVE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY! Join audiophiles and music lovers from around the globe at the ultimate audio expo! April 11-13, 2025 | Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, Schaumburg, IL Over three days, explore 200+ high-fidelity listening rooms, thousands of p...