What to do in Chicago: Katy Perry, Rauw Alejandro and a monster convention in Rosemont
Rauw Alejandro: After selling out two shows at the United Center, Rauw Alejandro has added a third night. The Latin Grammy Award-winner and Bad Bunny collaborator is touring this time with a live band following on the release of his fifth album, 'Cosa Nuestra.'
Mel Robbins: The Oprah-endorsed self-help podcaster and best-selling author of 'The Let Them Theory' rolls into town, just in time for Mother's Day. Get a dose of her motivational advice live and in person.
Maggie Nelson: 'The Argonauts' author Maggie Nelson is back with a collection of essays, 'Like Love.' Lucky for us, the Chicago Humanities Festival has paired her with another fabulous genre-bending essayist — Evanston's own Eula Biss. This promises to be a stellar conversation for anyone who likes to think.
Ali Siddiq: Storyteller and standup comedian Ali Siddiq takes the stage at the Chicago Theatre. Siddiq served time for dealing drugs and mines his experience to offer his take — at times absurd, at times uncomfortable — on what it's like to live day in and day out with violence.
Sturgill Simpson: Following on 'Passage du Desir,' an album he released under the name Johnny Blue Skies, country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson plays Allstate Arena. Expect Simpson to play music from throughout his career — not just that of his alter ego.
The Newberry Consort: The Newberry Consort's upcoming concert was inspired by an Ottoman manuscript dating to about 1600 that offers an early account of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. It's designed to highlight the diverse, cosmopolitan nature of Ottoman society. 'Realm of Osman: Music from the Early Modern Ottoman Empire and Beyond' will feature music from the 17th to the 19th century as well as eight musicians on period instruments.
'At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen': Writer-performer Terry Guest's show, inspired by the death of his uncle from AIDS at 35, 'is already attracting and exciting an audience,' according to a Tribune review. Directed by Mikael Burke, the show offers 'complex' and 'potent' performances as it explores the life of a small-town Southern drag queen.
All Monsters Attack: Do you pine for the days of 'Creature Double Feature'? In a lineup, could you pick out Mothra, Ghidorah, Rodan and maybe even Hedorah? Then Rosemont is the place for you this weekend. Geek out at the All Monsters Attack convention, where Japanese kaiju and all species of sci-fi fantasy creatures will be feted. (That's feted, not fetid … though it is a monster show, so who knows?)
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Family Day: 'Playoffs,' the museum's final installment of its Family Day series, celebrates Mexican sports. Expect family-friendly activities designed to tie into an exhibit featuring Paul Pfeiffer's work, 'Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom.' Pfeiffer's multimedia pieces explore the relationship between the audience and pop culture icons. The best part? Free admission to the entire museum.
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Karol G to headline halftime show during YouTube's first exclusive NFL broadcast
NEW YORK -- Bringing football fans, Brazil and Karol G together for a one-night experience? That's a winning formula. The Grammy award-winning musician will headline a halftime show during YouTube's first exclusive NFL broadcast next month, which will stream live from Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 5. That's the NFL week 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the reigning AFC-winning Kansas City Chiefs. 'This year has been truly rewarding, and the timing of this opportunity — to be part of such an important moment like YouTube's first-ever NFL live broadcast — is perfect,' the singer shared in an exclusive written statement. 'With my latest album 'Tropicoqueta,' I set out to represent the many facets of my Latin culture, something I'm incredibly passionate about in everything I do. I'm excited to bring that same energy and pride to this global stage and honored to continue elevating Latin culture on such a monumental platform.' It's a natural pairing. Karol G is a global superstar, American football is growing in popularity worldwide, and many of the world's most ardent music fans call Brazil home — it's one of the many reasons 'Come to Brazil' has become a stalwart meme, a three-word stand-in for the ultimate expression of fandom. 'Our goal is to highlight the excitement and Americana of the NFL, but do this thoughtfully in a way that plays to local cultures, practices and traditions,' said Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation and entertainment at the NFL. Booking Karol G 'not only excites our fans and pays homage to their culture in South America, but has an impact on a global scale,' he added. 'We hope all of our fans are ready for a historic celebration.' The game is free to stream for fans across the globe, exclusively through YouTube and YouTube TV. It begins at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern / 9 p.m. BRT (local time). A pre-show kicks off an hour earlier. 'To celebrate this moment, we are thrilled that global superstar Karol G will perform during our halftime show,' said Angela Courtin, VP of sports and entertainment marketing at YouTube in a statement. 'The game and performance will be broadcast worldwide for free on YouTube, blending the fandom of sports and music together for one epic cultural moment.'
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5 hours ago
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It's easy to be a Katy Perry fan. It's harder to be Katy Perry.
I was among the nearly 20,000 fans who showed up to see Katy Perry play her hits at Madison Square Garden. MANHATTAN — The little girls twirling in glittery skirts outside of Katy Perry's Madison Square Garden concert don't know her latest album flopped. They don't know how poorly her spaceflight stunt was received, how her quirky persona has been panned as dated or how her split from fiancé Orlando Bloom is being dissected online. 'I like 'Firework,'' says Ivy, an 8-year-old who's in attendance with her mom and little sister. She's shy talking with a stranger, but bursting with energy after I walk away. She tells me she loves listening to 'California Gurls' and 'Teenage Dream' in the car, though she wasn't born when those songs came out. 2025 has been, statistically and anecdotally, a tough year for Perry. Once a main pop girl who was the first female artist to land five No. 1 hits from a single album, her 2024 release 143 was gleefully panned as dull and uninspired, peaking at a career-low No. 6. Still, on Aug. 11, she's in the middle of her 'Lifetimes Tour,' performing in front of a sold-out crowd. There are a lot of children here, flanked by nostalgic millennials and Gen Z-ers donning alien costumes and colorful bob wigs to pay tribute to her famous looks. Surrounded by the futuristic, metallic visuals of her latest, least popular era, Perry takes the stage. 'Turn your notifications off,' she instructs the audience after performing high-energy choreography in futuristic robot garb, surrounded by several male backup dancers. She opens her set with three songs from later albums — not her most beloved work, but she puts on an entertaining show. When the crowd hears the opening notes of 'Dark Horse,' the energy shifts. Everyone comes back to life, singing instead of just swaying. This wasn't some concert; it was the Katy Perry, queen of late 2000s pop music. She has already cemented her legacy with 14 songs that hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 — from 'I Kissed a Girl' in 2008 to 'Chained to the Rhythm' in 2017. Her music is woven into the cultural tapestry of the aughts, and her playful imagery is unmistakable. We're lucky we get to behold her at all. Hot N Cold 'I'm 40 years old,' Perry says to the crowd, taking it slow after running around the infinity symbol-shaped stage. She then pauses, smiling and flipping her hair from side to side. '40 and f***ing fabulous.' Over and over, Perry demonstrates incredible feats of athleticism and cardio, impressive for a human being of any age. She sprints, slides and aces TikTok-friendly moves with her backup dancers. But every time she breaks character by grabbing the mic to ad lib or punctuating choreography with a silly face or a robotic dance break, I cringe. Now, Perry has always been quirky. It worked in the late 2000s, when reaction GIFs ran the internet and millennial-coded outbursts were king. It feels unkind to demand that the person who gave us 'Hot N Cold' and 'Last Friday Night' update her personality for the 2020s. At some points, she seemed aware of her perception to a fault, like she didn't want to be onstage. She repeatedly referenced that it was past her bedtime, and when fans voted for her to play 'Not Like the Movies' and 'The One That Got Away' during an interactive part of the nearly two-hour set, she announced that she would simply 'dissociate' to be her 'hot mess self and play a song from my very first marriage.' Regardless of what mood Perry was in, her fans were thrilled to see her. I talked to several of them standing outside the venue before the show started about what brought them out on a Monday night. Restaurant owner Krista was there with her 20-something bartenders, Howie and Zee, who were dressed in bright blue costumes to channel Perry's song 'E.T.' The duo couldn't even pinpoint when their fandom began — it's been part of their lives since childhood. As their 'momager,' Krista said she bought them all tickets as a birthday present, fulfilling a longtime dream to see Perry. All three refused to critique the pop star, focusing instead on how happy they were to be there. 'We're rooting for her. I just can't wait to see all the theatrics because I know it's going to be hot,' Krista said. I thought that Maria, a 28-year-old wearing an astronaut jumpsuit as a tribute to Perry's Blue Origin trip to space, might have been playfully making fun of the singer, but she didn't have any hot takes to share. She came all the way from Ecuador to see Perry, who's she's loved for more than half of her life. 'People who think there's something about her that's wrong … they're wrong,' Maria told me. Matt, a 21-year-old who immediately declared himself to be more of a Taylor Swift fan, couldn't deny how excited he was to see Perry. 'I've been a Katy Cat since birth … it's like healing my inner child and whatnot,' he told me of identifying with the star's fandom. He's aware Perry is past her peak, but that's not going to stop him from having fun. 'Katy Perry is a flop. She's a flop! Let's be real,' he said. 'But I'm very excited for [the concert.] Like, Katy Perry herself. Not a new album.' Not like the movies So what if the music flopped? Perry sold out Madison Square Garden. She has a legion of young fans screaming the lyrics of her child-friendly empowerment songs, who are then surrounded by dressed-up Gen Z-ers who got to know her music when they were young, too. For every moment Perry made me cringe, there were others that made me laugh. She took a selfie on someone's phone, then instructed them on her favorite filters they could use to post it. She snatched a sign that said 'Lesbians for Katy' and stuffed it in her bodysuit, dedicating 'I Kissed a Girl' to 'the community.' She refused to play the sexually suggestive song 'Peacock' in the presence of her 5-year-old daughter, condemning whoever wrote it (it was her), then sang a few bars anyway. She battled a giant worm with a lightsaber. At her best, she is silly and self-aware. So what happened next, during the climax of Perry's performance, was perhaps the most perplexing moment of the show. It was when she started bringing fans from the audience onstage. It began on a sweet note. There were two children and two older Gen Z-ers she handpicked to stand beside her, all dressed in costumes. She indulged the little kids, asking them what they wanted to be when they grew up (a singer and a lawyer, respectively) and praising the one who refused to tell her where she lives. I recognized one of the older people Perry welcomed to join her — 19-year-old Aidan, whom I spoke to earlier with his 21-year-old friend Kira. They told me they'd been Perry fans since childhood, just like the kids that Aidan was towering above. There was a fourth person. His name was Jason, and because of the way he quickly asked for a selfie and then requested Perry perform a different song than planned, I knew something was up. Then he called his boyfriend to join him. Ah, a proposal was unfolding. Perry made a lot of jokes — some landing better than others — and the whole thing seemed to go on forever. I'm happy for them, but please, the people want to hear 'Part of Me.' 'Maybe one day this will happen for us,' Perry said of the proposal to one of the children onstage. Then she just moved on with the show. Wide awake I was struck by how Perry continued performing love and breakup songs through her very public split from Bloom, whom she'd been with on and off for nearly a decade. As rumors about a budding romance with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind the scenes and brewing in her heart as she poured her emotions and energy out for screaming strangers. 'I know you wish you were in bed, just like me,' Perry said to the moms in the audience, cementing my guilt about expecting nostalgic perfection from a woman who's been through so much since 2010's Teenage Dream. Maybe it's fun living out her peak years in front of thousands of adoring fans. Maybe it's a constant reminder of how she's failed to achieve on the same level she once could. As Perry sang 'Roar' and flew around the venue on a giant butterfly, which fortunately didn't fall apart on her like it had in the past, I thought about the contrast between her gloomy quips and her sunny visuals. For a pop star, the dichotomy of who she wants to project and who she is right now doesn't make sense — but she's not just a famous singer, she's a person. Though she was flying in circles above the crowd, she felt grounded and relatable to me for the first time. Perry might not have really wanted to be there, but she was, and that meant so much to the sold-out crowd, even if she resented them a little bit for it. Her life might not be relatable, but ambition and disappointment are. She's both a plastic bag and a firework. I know how that feels. Solve the daily Crossword
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12 hours ago
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Taylor Swift Was Also Obsessed With Bad Bunny's Acting in ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
Taylor Swift was living for Bad Bunny's comedic timing in Happy Gilmore 2, just like the rest of us. During her interview on New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce, Swift shared how funny she thought the Puerto Rican star was in the Adam Sandler film, which also stars her boyfriend, Travis. 'Bad Bunny? He absolutely delighted me in that movie,' said Swift on the podcast. More from Rolling Stone Taylor Swift Made 'The Life of a Showgirl' While on the Eras Tour: 'I Was Physically Exhausted' Taylor Swift Reunites With Max Martin, Shellback for 'The Life of a Showgirl': 'Catching Lightning in a Bottle' Taylor Swift Unveils 'The Life of a Showgirl' Cover, Sabrina Carpenter Feature 'He was so good!' responded Kelce. 'His comedic timing is so good,' Swift continued. 'His character name is Oscar, and it's like, his brother gets hit by the golf ball. And they look over and they're like, 'Who did that? You did that?' And there's a face that Bad Bunny makes, and they do the kind of like the pan or zoom. I was like, 'Who thought of that? How did they know he could be that way!' I watched it five times.' 'He's so funny. He's so good. I felt so much for his character,' she added. The Bad Bunny conversation came about after Swift was asked to clarify silly rumors that she plays the costumed bear in Happy Gilmore 2. (The animal is in a major scene alongside Travis Kelce in the film.) 'I can deny! This is one of those ones where we'll send it to each other … Of course they think I'm inside of a bear costume, like, I'm honored to be thought of in that context, because I loved that movie so much,' she said. 'Whoever did the bear's acting was exquisite.' Upon its release, Swift encouraged her friends and fans to go watch the movie on Netflix. 'Happy Gilmore 2 had me cackling and cheering the whole movie!' Swift wrote on Instagram at the time. 'An absolute must watch, 13/10, go watch it on @netflix as soon as humanly possible.' Also during the New Heights podcast appearance, Swift unveiled the title, track list, and cover art of her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl. The album was produced with Max Martin and Shellback, and was made as she went on her Eras Tour in Europe last summer. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
