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Chicago Tribune
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What to do in Chicago: Katy Perry, Rauw Alejandro and a monster convention in Rosemont
Katy Perry: Fresh off her voyage to outer space, Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour touches down in Chicago. Expect her to 'Roar.' Rebecca Black will also perform. 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.
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Lucy Dacus at the Chicago Theatre: Understated and personal to the point of feeling muted
Lucy Dacus had love on her mind Thursday at the first of a sold-out two-night stand at the Chicago Theatre. The singer-songwriter met the messiness and complexities of the emotion head-on. Her narratives addressed obsessive infatuation, speculative wonder, carnal bliss, honeymoon periods, in-between phases, bitter contradictions and all the euphoria, torment and confusion that serious affection often involves. An old soul who admitted she's been old since she was born, Dacus spent the last day of her 20s — she celebrates a birthday on Friday — chronicling relationship issues that seemed extremely personal and making them relatable to strangers who held their collective breath for quiet moments. They enjoyed plenty of opportunities. Polite to a fault, the 90-minute concert rarely saw Dacus take risks or depart from a charted course. Backed by an adequate five-piece band, Dacus primarily adhered to the mild, rounded sonic profile of her new 'Forever Is a Feeling' LP. Tracks from the album comprised the majority of the 19-song set. That the Boygenius member seldom increased the temperature and opted for tame approaches to tunes that burned with poetic passion felt like a missed opportunity to spark material that, on record, suffers from the same odd disconnect. For all her low-key charm and aw-shucks modesty, Dacus didn't do herself any favors sitting down at several junctures, or when instrumentalists in her group followed suit. During a stripped-down segment, Dacus sipped tea and got comfortable on furniture that resembled theater props in a play set in a royal palace. Keeping body language to a minimum, she mainly remained stationary. And while Dacus engaged in small talk and offered gratitude, anyone hoping for insight into her romance with fellow Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker left empty-handed. Coincidentally, Dacus' Christian upbringing and origins as a professional musician share similarities to Baker's background. Growing up as an adopted child in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, Dacus attended church camp and found herself surrounded by religious songs. Her religious faith ultimately evolved. Dacus came out as queer at the age of 19, around the time she dropped out of college. Dacus worked at a photo lab and continued to write songs, a habit that started more than a decade earlier. A friend asked her to record some for part of his school project. Less than 24 hours of work at a Nashville studio with an ad-hoc band resulted in her 2016 debut 'No Burden.' It received rave reviews and attracted a feeding frenzy of labels. After signing with Matador Records, Dacus experienced a whirlwind ascension. Her second album, 'Historian' (2018), enjoyed considerable acclaim. A few months later, Boygenius issued its debut EP. Dacus kept gigging and creating, releasing an EP of holiday-themed fare in 2019 and a third celebrated full-length ('Home Video') in 2021. That building momentum, coupled with that generated by Baker and Phoebe Bridgers' solo careers, culminated in the success of Boygenius' 'The Record' (2023). Nominated for seven Grammys, it affirmed the trio's mainstream status and influential standing amid a culture reverting back to conservative ideas of women's place in society. Having assumed prior positions in favor of abortion and transgender rights, Dacus upped the protest ante on Boygenius' tour by performing in drag and calling President Obama a 'war criminal' on Twitter. Controversies aside, she could've used more bite and tension on Thursday. Or at least some rough edges to tear at the fabric of formal, delicate arrangements underpinned by washed-out keyboards, restrained guitars and violins. A hushed stillness and atmospheric glaze floated atop a host of light, leisurely paced songs. The inquisitive 'Modigliani' evaporated into thin air. A sorrowful 'Big Deal' never dared to rise above a whisper. The maudlin 'Best Guess' ambled its way into easy-listening territory. Chamber-pop flourishes on 'Ankles' — which referenced sexual desires without resorting to cheap, explicit language — suffocated Dacus' understated vocals. Warm, transparent, soft, controlled, a touch smoky: Dacus' medium-low vocal register emerged as a continual strength. Whether crooning, sighing, pleading or apologizing, she treated phrases as personal disclosures that deserved close inspection. Escaping to a private world for the piano ballad 'Limerence,' Dacus expressed uneasy thoughts while seated on a small riser. She looked as if she had fled the commotion of a house party, made her way to the roof and bared her soul to the moon. Amid the country jangle and radiant hooks of 'Most Wanted Man,' Dacus navigated the disbelief of her good fortune and delivered the equivalent of an engagement proposal with disarming sincerity. The acoustic-based portion further highlighted Dacus' interpretive skills. She scaled 'I Don't Wanna Be Funny Anymore' back to an acoustic foundation and layered her deceptively casual vocals over a rubbery riff. On a gently strummed 'For Keeps,' she sang the final couplet with measured slowness and lethal finality. When a microphone wielded by special guest Julia Steiner (singer for the Chicago indie-rock group Ratboys) failed to operate on a duet of 'Bullseye,' Dacus shared hers and picked up the slack. Having displayed visual signs on certain songs ('Talk,' 'VBS') of wanting to rock only to be thwarted by muted distortion and one-and-done sequences, Dacus' quintet finally broke through on the coda to 'Lost Time.' Punchy and emphatic, the layered section illustrated the dynamics and liveliness missing from much of the other material. Relatedly, during the encore, a rendition of Boygenius' 'True Blue' burst with welcome textures and toughness. Along with the amplified spasms of the closing 'Night Shift,' it drew by far the most enthusiastic reaction of the evening. A high-note exit to an otherwise moderate performance, and an indication that next time through, Dacus needs to inject more hot blood into the heavy memories. Bob Gendron is a freelance critic. Setlist at the Chicago Theatre May 1: 'Hot & Heavy' 'Ankles' 'Modigliani' 'Limerence' 'Big Deal' 'First Time' 'VBS' 'Talk' 'Nonbeliever' 'Best Guess' 'For Keeps' 'Partner in Crime' 'I Don't Wanna Be Funny Anymore' 'Bullseye' 'Most Wanted Man' 'Lost Time' 'Forever Is a Feeling' Encore 'True Blue' (Boygenius cover) 'Night Shift'
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What to do in Chicago: Polish Parade, Japanese Breakfast and May the 4th Be With You
Chicago Polish Constitution Parade: The streets of Chicago will be draped in red and white as one of the oldest and largest parades in the city steps off this weekend. This year's theme celebrates the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of the first Polish king. More events celebrating Polish culture will be held throughout the weekend. 11:30 a.m. May 3 on Columbus Drive, between Balbo Drive and Monroe Street; more details on the free parade and related events at Japanese Breakfast: A bounty of indie shows roll into town this week, starting with Japanese Breakfast. In March, the band released its fourth album, 'For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).' 7 p.m. May 2 at Salt Shed, 1357 N. State St.; tickets from $59.50 at Lucy Dacus: Following on the new album, 'Forever Is a Feeling,' Lucy Dacus performs at the Chicago Theatre. Perhaps best known as part of the Grammy-winning band Boygenius, Dacus is an indie powerhouse in her own right. Katie Gavin will also perform. 7:30 p.m. May 2 at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.; tickets from $69.50 at Kevin Kaarl: Maybe you heard the buzz about Kevin Kaarl's 2024 Coachella performance. Or his 'Tiny Desk' concert on NPR. The introspective indie-folk star, originally from Northern Mexico, brings his world tour to the Salt Shed. One show is already sold out, so don't wait. 7 p.m. May 4-5 at Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave.; tickets $50 at Laura Peek: You've got four more chances this weekend to see comedian Laura Peek. Her self-deprecating brand of standup is so relatable that it might just distract you from how well it's written. 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. May 2-3 at Zanies Chicago, 1548 N. Wells St.; tickets $30 (ages 21+; two-item minimum) at 'Bust': Zora Howard's 'Bust' centers on a police confrontation that ends when a Black man simply vanishes. A Tribune review says, 'Howard really hits a chord: She's writing about anger and trauma, for sure, but also about the perennial dilemma as to whether to engage and struggle, politically and within a family, or disengage for greener pastures.' A timely piece, to be sure. Through May 18 at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; tickets $25-$85 at South Chicago Dance Theatre: Deemed 'the next big thing to hit Chicago's dance scene,' in a 2022 Tribune story, the South Chicago Dance Theatre continues to thrive. Catch their performance of 'In/Within' this weekend. 7:30 p.m. May 3 at Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets from $39 at 'Star Wars' Day: May the 4th be with you! Sure, you can stream the entirety of 'Star Wars' at home, but it's better in a theater. Head to Patio Theater for a double feature of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.' (Yeah, OK, admittedly not the most logical double feature, but they're both strong installments.) Get there early to meet characters and play games. 1-8 p.m. at Patio Theater, 6008 W. Irving Park Road; tickets $11.20 at Best Buddies Friendship Walk: Support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by participating in the Best Buddies Friendship Walk. So far, the charity has raised about half of its local goal of $142,500. Proceeds will go to programs designed to end the social, physical and economic isolation of those with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities. Noon May 4 at Soldier Field, 1410 Special Olympics Drive; more details at Chicago Farmers Markets: 'Tis the season to get out of the supermarket. Lincoln Park's Green City Market is already open, and several other farmers markets begin this week — including those in the West Loop, Wicker Park, Pilsen, Beverly Hills and Lincoln Square. During high season, you can find a farmers market somewhere in the city on every day of the week. Various dates and locations; more at
Chicago Tribune
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Music is not a recipe': Violinist Itzhak Perlman talks about putting his life into an autobiographical show
For once, Itzhak Perlman was in the audience, not onstage. Years ago, the violinist, conductor and pedagogue attended Billy Crystal's autobiographical one-man show, '700 Sundays.' He left inspired. 'I thought that it might be fun to do this with my life and music,' Perlman says. That seed sprouted into 'An Evening with Itzhak Perlman,' an autobiographical recital coming to the Chicago Theatre April 21. Technically, it's not a one-man show — Perlman will be joined by pianist Rohan de Silva, a longtime collaborator — but it's every bit as intimate, interspersing musical selections with personal anecdotes, photos, and clips from the 2017 documentary 'Itzhak.' If anything, the challenge will be confining Perlman's story to a single evening. A polio survivor, he was born in 1945 to Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Tel Aviv. Israel is now a major player in the world of classical music, churning out many a high-flying musician, but in Perlman's day, that wasn't so. That, atop Perlman's disability — he uses crutches and a motorized scooter — made him, in the eyes of many, an underdog. 'The Ed Sullivan Show' changed his life overnight. Appearing on the show for the first time in 1958, as a preteen, Perlman was brought to the attention of the faculty at Juilliard in New York, where he himself now teaches. His career since has more than proved his naysayers wrong, building a résumé and name recognition rivaled by few others in classical music and beyond. At nearly 80, Perlman still giddily transcends genre, whether playing klezmer, duetting with jazz pianist Oscar Peterson or appearing onstage with Billy Joel. Perlman connected with the Tribune from his home in New York to talk about his upcoming show at the Chicago Theatre. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: So much of your career is about interpreting the works of other artists — in your case, composers. For this show, in a way, your life is the artwork you're interpreting. How did you decide what you wanted to include, as opposed to what you wanted to keep private? A: That's a good question. All I know is that I know what I don't want to do and I know what I do want to do. When you think about it, there's so much stuff about anybody that you can read online. There's very little privacy. What this show does is give my personal point of view as to what was happening in my life. Q: It seems challenging to pick just a few pieces for this program. How did you begin to curate this show? A: Well, I don't want to tell you everything … but we tried to make the music fit the story. There were some stories from when I was developing as an artist, so of course I had to play those pieces: pieces I played for a contest, pieces I studied when I was 6 or 7 years old, pieces my teacher (the legendary Dorothy DeLay, who taught Perlman at Juilliard) gave me when she first met me, and so on and so forth. Q: You used the word 'development.' One of the things I admire about you is that you've continued to develop musically during your whole career, sometimes very publicly. For example, the documentary 'In the Fiddler's House' captured your experience learning klezmer for the first time, at a point when your classical career was already well established. How did you go about letting people into this intimate experience of learning an art form for the first time, with cameras rolling? A: When I was approached by PBS to host a show about klezmer, I had absolutely no experience playing it. But to be the host of a show sounded very, very good. There were three or four klezmer groups participating in the show. I met with them, and they asked, 'Would you like to jam with us?' I said, 'Gee, I don't know; I've never done it before.' But I'd heard that kind of sound growing up; it was not foreign to me at all. One thing led to another, and we started to play. (Eventually) they said, 'Why don't we do some (live) shows, and instead of being the host, you could be part of the show!' That's how it started to develop, and now it's been almost 30 years. We did a couple of concerts just two days ago, in Cleveland and near Washington. We're still having a fantastic time. There is a kind of improvisation involved in klezmer, (whereas) in classical music, there is very little improvisation. Instead, the improvisation is very subtle — it's musical improvisation, not so much a note improvisation. So, for me, this is something that I always look forward to. Q: Are there ways in which that freedom has inspired or changed your classical playing? A: I always say to my students, you don't play something now the same way you did yesterday. If you repeat the same piece over and over again, that's when the improvisation (becomes) so important: you still keep the interest of the piece in your head. To play a recital for the first time is good, but to play it for the second or third time? That's when it becomes a little bit of a challenge. … How do we play the Beethoven C minor Sonata or Kreutzer Sonata today, as opposed to five years ago? I always say that it's not like baking a cake, where you have that much flour, that much sugar. Music is not a recipe. It's maybe like an eating contest! It becomes spontaneous. Q: You mentioned your students. In fact, a former student of yours I'm excited about, Randall Goosby, is playing in Chicago soon. Being so attuned to the younger generation of violinists coming up, I'm curious if there's anything you've noticed about them that differs, maybe, from the students you taught when you first began teaching decades ago. A: I don't know if there is anything absolutely different today than before. All I can tell you is that the level of playing today is absolutely incredible. I've been lucky to teach extremely good musicians at the Juilliard School and Perlman Music Program, (which) my wife and I started 30 years ago. We always listen to the audition tapes, and they're mind-boggling. But that special 'thing' is just as rare as it used to be — this thing that makes you cry. Every now and then, you get that. Q: You're turning 80 this year. Why did you feel this stage of your career was the right time for an autobiographical show? A: Well, I've been doing this show for a while — like, two, three years. It's so I can give people a choice of what I can do. I can do a straight recital, or I can do something like this, (because) I love to talk to the audience. When I first started talking to the audience, there was a concert where I just felt like I wanted to play, and I didn't say anything. Then, I got a letter: 'I heard you play, and you didn't say anything.' People got so used to to me talking! So, this is just another experience of mine. So far, the audience has liked it. Well, either that, or they pretended that they liked it. (Laughs) Hannah Edgar is a freelance critic.
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
What to do in Chicago: C2E2, J Balvin and a very different kind of bingo
J Balvin: All those 'Colores,' and now 'Rayo.' Expect a set list jam-packed with hits as the Colombian reggaeton phenom brings his 'Back to the Future'-inspired North American tour to the United Center. 8 p.m. April 13 at United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets from $41 at Sheng Wang: The Taiwan-born, Houston-bred, Berkeley-educated stand-up offers his low-key brand of observational comedy. Sheng Wang's seemingly meandering sets often mask just how masterfully he writes. 7 p.m. April 12 at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.; tickets from $49.50 at C2E2: Finished your costumes yet? — or maybe you just go to gawk? Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo gets underway at McCormick Place, featuring cast reunions of 'The Lord of the Rings' and the Chicago North Shore classic 'The Breakfast Club.' Celebrity nostalgia not your thing? You still have plenty to see amid the aisles and aisles of comic books and pop culture ephemera. April 11-13 at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive; tickets from $70 at 'Bingo Loco': Ready for a bingo rave? The event promises that it 'is not your grandma's bingo,' instead offering a match punctuated by dance-offs, lip-sync battles, confetti showers and more. Past prizes have included a cruise, household appliances and a giant inflatable flamingo. 8 p.m. April 11, April 25, May 10 and May 23 at Morgan MFG, 401 N. Morgan St.; tickets $35 (ages 21+) at 'The Book of Grace': The Steppenwolf's production of Suzan-Lori Parks's 2010 play, updated and focused on a Black family whose patriarch patrols the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, 'feels very of the moment, especially to the degree it probes the dangers of instability and panic,' according to a Tribune review. See it for the lead actors' 'blistering performances.' Through May 18 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.; tickets from $20 at Ani DiFranco: The feminist folk-rock-crossover musician is touring on the eve of the release of her 23rd album, this one promising a different sound crafted in part by producer BJ Burton. Listen to the title single, 'Unprecedented,' for a taste of what's coming. 8 p.m. April 11 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St.; tickets from $45 (ages 17+) at Parsons Dance: The New York-based contemporary dance company returns to Chicago for the first time in 30 years. The group performs a range of works — old and new — by such choreographers as David Parsons, Trey McIntyre, Monica Bill Barnes, Robert Battle and Paul Taylor. 7:30 p.m. April 12 at The Auditorium, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets from $30 at 'Golf Watch Party': So you can't make it to the Masters; neither did Tiger Woods. Head to Wrigleyville instead to watch the tournament on the big screen at Gallagher Way. Putting greens and other golf activities will be available. 2-6 p.m. April 13 at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St.; more details on the free event at Handmade shopping: Consider these two opportunities to indulge in a little day drinking while perusing homemade goods crafted by Chicago artists and makers. On Saturday, the 20-year-old Handmade Market (noon-4 p.m. April 12 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.; free, offers affordable jewelry, paper crafts and clothing made by Chicago artists. On Sunday, Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar hosts South Side craft and food vendors. While you're there, check out the workshops and DJ Sean Alvarez of We Love Soul (11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 13 at The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave.; free,
