Chicago, IL

If you are looking for something fun to do this Friday that will also help a good cause, consider attending The annual “Caring for Kids Day” at Alcocks sports bar in Chicago. They label the event “one huge gigantic street fest” and it will benefit LaRabida Children’s Hospital. As these photos from last year show, last year’s event included live music and a dunk tank!

Here are the details:
Friday July 20th
10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
411 S. Wells
312-922-1778
Event will take place outside the back door the bar.

This weekend is the Old St. Pat’s annual block party, which is described as the “world’s largest block party.” The event will take place Friday and Saturday as a fundraiser for Old St. Pat’s church, Chicago’s oldest public building.

Here is what the organizers have to say about the goal of this year’s event:

The Block Party proceeds support the on-going campus expansion. The campus expansion will ensure that the important outreach missions we share such as the Education Center, the Outreach Group, CARA Job Placement and Mentoring Program, Career Transitions Center of Chicago and Global Alliance for Africa will be able to call Old St. Pat’s home for decades to come.

In addition to great food and drink, there are several musical performances during the two day event. Here is the line-up:

Friday, July 20
WXRT Main Stage

* Michael McDermott (5:15–6:30)
* Back Door Slam (7:00–8:00)
* Rusted Root (8:30–10:30)

South Stage

* Weber Band (5:30–9:45)

Bud Light Beer Garden

* DJ music from Fig Media

Saturday, July 21
WXRT Main Stage

* Catchpenny (5:30–7:00)
* Jon McLaughlin (7:30–8:30)
* Big Head Todd and the Monsters (9:00–10:30)

South Stage

* Heligoats (5:30–6:30)
* Hello Dave (7:00–10:00)

Bud Light Beer Garden

* DJ music from Fig Media

The gates to the event are located at Madison and Des Plaines and open at 5:00 pm. both days. The event will run until approximately 10:30 p.m. each night. Cost is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at the official website here.

Friday July 13th, the Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island in Chicago will be host to the “World’s Largest Pajama Party,” brought to you by Victoria’s Secret. A similar event last year in New York city drew 3,000 people. The event will feature DJ AM and a live performance from Fergie.

You can obtain a ticket at www.vspink.com. The doors open at 6:00 p.m and admission will be limited. For more information, visit Victoria’s Secret’s website.

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Are you curious about the history of blues music in Chicago? You can download a free audio tour on the topic. It is narrated by famed Chicago blues man Buddy Guy. Download the tour to your iPod or MP3 player and take Buddy Guy along with you on a tour of blues in Chicago. The enhanced audio tour also includes “sounds and stories of Sweet Home Chicago.”

To download the audio tour, or to listen on your computer if you prefer, visit this site.

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SWEET UNCLE JACOB’S CORNCOB PIPE!! Forbidden Broadway is playing right now!!! Why didn’t someone tell me? Oh, right. That’s my job. Why did I tell ME!!!
If you know a Musical Theater Nerd, or you ARE a Musical Theater Nerd, this is the perfect show. Brilliant singers taking snarky jabs at Broadway headliners. What could be better?
Check it out! It will be running until September 3rd at the Royal George Theater Center.

Royal George Theatre Center
1641 N. Halsted, Chicago
312-988-9000

Off-Broadway’s longest running musical comedy revue comes to the Cabaret, featuring the current Off-Broadway cast. Show, which debuted 25 years ago and is constantly updated, pokes good-natured fun at such Broadway hits as Spamalot, Doubt, Jersey Boys and Wicked.

Forbidden Broadway, Chicago, Musical Theater, Special Victims Unit

This weekend, June 30 and July 1st, Chicago will host its annual Country Music Festival, as part of the Taste of Chicago. The event, which features local and national country music acts will take place at the Taste stage and the Main Stage of the Petrillo Music Shell.

The headliner this year is Kenny Rogers, who will perform at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Petrillo Music Shell. They will also be holding a Kenny Rogers look-a-like contest. Other top acts include Sara Evans and Craig Morgan, who will be performing at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, also at the Petrillo Music Shell.

In addition to the musical acts, there will also be an exhibition of country music artifacts from legendary performers such as Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. The over 250 items will be on display behind the seating area at the Petrillo Music Shell.

The best part about the Chicago Country Music Festival is that it is free!

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the official website here.

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In the mood for some Greek food this weekend? You should check out the “Taste of Greece on La Salle Street,” Friday June 22-Sunday June 24. Th event, part of the 2nd Annual Greek Festival of the Annunciation at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral runs from 4 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon-11 p.m. on Sunday.

According to this website, the Taste of Greece will feature traditional Greek food, beer, wine, ouzo, soft drinks, Greek pastries, a Greek souvenir shop, a tour of the cathedral, Greek dancing, and live Greek music provided by The Linardakis Band. The church will also be hosting a raffle with cash prizes.

The event address is: 1017 N. La Salle St. For more information, or to buy raffle tickets prior to the event, call the church at: 312-664-5485.

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This weekend, June 23 and 24, the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Belmont Arts and Music Festival.

The event will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Belmont Avenue between Damen and Leavitt.

BAM will feature two stages of live music from acts such as Bob Mould, The Redwalls, and the Omega Moos. In addition to the bands, there will also be entertainment for the kids from 12-3 on both days.

For more information and a full list of bands, check out this link.

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So, awhile ago, I wrote about a smaller-cast version of Ragtime: the Musical that was playing at the Theater Building. Well, as it turns out, that production was a booming success, and it has re-opened at the Apollo! Wahoo! The upside is that it is a great show, and it’s playing in town. The downside is that the tickets are $41.50 - $46.50. Ugh. So, I guess you should go see it, if you have cash to burn.

Opened June 16.

Open End

Sundays : 3:30 p.m.
Thursdays : 7:30 p.m.
Fridays : 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays : 7:30 p.m.

Price: $41.50-$46.50
Ticketmaster: 312-559-1212
Box office: 773-935-6100
Produced by: Porchlight Music Theatre

Ragtime, Chicago, Apollo Theater

It’s still not too late to do something fun tonight. I was going to go to a Women in Film - ONLY advance screening of Evening, but I don’t have any clean clothes, so it looks like I’m stuck doing laundry! Lame! If you don’t know anything about it, Women in Film Chicago is a great networking organization for women involved in film and television in the area. They put on great events and have a lot of advanced movie screenings. Check out their website: HERE.

If you aren’t a WiF member, you could hit Tuesdays on the Terrace to see free evening jazz concerts on the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace overlooking Lake Michigan. “Enjoy cocktails and light dinner fare while listening to Chicago’s finest jazz musicians, hosted by local radio personalities. In addition to a dinner menu, Puck’s cafe also offers boxed meals and blankets, perfect for those who prefer to relax on the sculpture garden lawn.”
Dinner reservations are recommended, call 312.397.4034
In case of rain, the event takes place in Puck’s.
Check out the website: HERE

Women in Film Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jazz

Are you one of those people that thinks that there’s nothing fun to do on a Wednesday night? Well, America’s Next Top Model ended weeks ago, it’s time to get out of the house.
Here’s a few things you could be doing tonight…

International Summer Screenings Program
Claudia Cassidy Theatre, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St

To encouraging a better understanding between cultures through the art of cinema, Cinema/Chicago is collaborating with various consulates and cultural organizations to provide free summer screenings of international films to the public.

Wednesday, at 7:30PM, at the Claudia Cassidy Theatre, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street, Chicago. FREE ADMISSION.

See web details here: TOOT!

The Right-Handed Polar Bear

Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N Milwaukee, Chicago

BonusFunTime presents The Right-Handed Polar Bear, a sketch show that dissects the issues of dishonesty and embarrassment with subtle, and sometimes silly, comedy. There’s no agenda here. Think of it as an open dialogue between the truth and what we parade around as the truth every day. The Right-Handed Polar, a show, which if we’ve done are jobs correctly, will have you dropping any façade you had worn previously to let the “real” you shine through.

Produced by Gorilla Tango and BonusFunTime. Starring: (Your’s truly) Peggy Entrop, Nikhil Gahlawat, Leonardo Adrian Garcia, and Courtney Hummel.
Show Rating - PG-13
Every Wednesday in June - 8pm
For online tickets ($10), visit the website here: SMASH!

Rock Culture Music Festival
Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago

Rock Culture Music Festival is a two day music festival that features 8 bands each night (6 local bands, 1 or our artists, and a national headlining act) similar to Vans’ Warped Tour and Oz Fest.
Check out headliners: Before Their Eyes (June 6) and Spitalfield (June 5) with many others! Doors open at 5:30pm at Logan Square Auditorium- tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door! ALL Ages!!

www.rockculturemusic.com

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Have you been looking for a new painting for your living room? Maybe a sculpture for the hallway near the bathroom? Me too. Clearly, we need to be at the 33rd Annual Wells Street Art Festival this Saturday and Sunday (June 9th and 10th).

I remember going to these art shows as a kid and just wandering through tables and booths filled with photography, glass sculptures and weird abstract paintings. There were always some hippies selling jewelry and a place you could get your face painted. I guess it contributed toward some kind of appreciation for art, but mostly I just remember having a lot of fun.

If you aren’t that interested in art, The Wells Street Art Festival also boasts a main music stage featuring continuous live rock, jazz, and top-name, nationally-renowned headline entertainment. And, of course, you’ll get access to a vast assortment of Chicago’s best food, live musicians along Wells Street, and a silent auction. For the first time ever, there will be an art tent where School of the Art Institute faculty and students offer art advice, lessons and demonstrations.

Entertainment schedule:

Saturday
1:30 p.m.: BMR4
3 p.m.: Linsey Alexander
4:45 p.m.: Jesse White Tumblers
5:15 p.m.: Weber Band
7:30 p.m. American English

Sunday
1:45 p.m.: Happiness Club
3 p.m.: Lisa Rene Band
4:45 p.m.: Jesse White Tumblers
5:15 p.m.: Lynn Jordan & The Shivers
7:30 p.m.: The Buckinghams

Jun. 9: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Jun. 10: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Price: $7-$10 donation benefits Old Town Merchants and Residents Association
Phone: 773-868-3010

Wells Street Art Festival, Chicago, Art Institute, BMR4, Linsey Alexander, Jesse White Tumblers, Weber Band, American English, Happiness Club, Lisa Rene Band, Jesse White Tumblers, Lynn Jordan & The Shivers, The Buckinghams

Well, it looks like this weekend marks the beginning of a long series of neighborhood music festivals around town. I’m going to check out the Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival. This festival not only has a truly banal name, but promises “national, regional and local bands, plus food, beer, crafts and more.”
Sounds great, you say, but how much does it cost? $5 donation benefits Central Lake View Merchants Association

Here’s the lineup…

Saturday
Noon: Cook County Jazz Commission
1:30 p.m.: The August
3 p.m.: Mike & Joe
4:15 p.m.: Mike & Joe
6 p.m.: Alternate Routes
8 p.m.: Josh Kelley

Sunday
Noon: Forte
1:30 p.m.: Soulio
3:30 p.m.: Catfight
5:30 p.m.: The 1900s
7:30 p.m.: Carbon Leaf

Jun. 2: noon - 10 p.m.
Jun. 3: noon - 9 p.m.

Located at 3200 N Sheffield…
Apparantly, if you just get off the Red Line at Belmont and walk Northwest, you’ll run right into it.

Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival, Carbon Leaf, the 1900s, Catfight, Soulio, Josh Kelley, Alternate Routes, Mike and Joe, The August, Cook County Jazz Comission, Chicago

The annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival will take place this weekend, starting on Friday June 1. The festival takes place in Millennium Park and includes performances in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Gospel Youth Tent on the North Promenade and the Walgreens Day Stage on the South Promenade. The festival runs from 4:00p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Friday and 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Among the performers are Donald Lawrence & Co., Myron Butler and Levi and Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson.

Admission to the festival is free of charge. For full schedule information at each of the performance areas, check out the official website.

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I recently saw what I believe to be a magical theatrical experience…

Arm Soup: The Story of How Five People Went West And Ate Each Other

Directed by my personal hero, Mr. Pat O’Brien, Arm Soup presupposes that the events that happened in 1846 to the Donner Party could happen in Modern America. A mismatched band of five modern residents of Loami set out on the road to California in a covered wagon. The actors (and writers) masterfully balanced the absurdity of the plot on the edge of pandemonium. They were the perfect example of controlled chaos.

Did I mention that this is a musical?
Riiiiight.
Basically, I was in heaven.

The cast was made up of a lot of actors that I normally associate with Improv Comedy: Beau Golwitzer (The Reckoning, Shotgun, Testify), Emily Wilson (Johnny Roast Beef, The Ragdolls), George McAuliffe (Revolver, 21st Century Men). And they all sang their little hearts out to songs written by the amazingly talented Tony Mendoza and Sam Locke.

Arm Soup is in an open run Friday and Saturday Nights at 10:30 at the Annoyance Theater on Broadway and Lawrence. It’s a couple of doors down from the Green Mill.

You can get tickets online: HERE
General Admission: $15

Arm Soup, Pat O’Brien, Annoyance Theater, Musicals, Improv Comedy, Chicago