What to do in Chicago: Polish Parade, Japanese Breakfast and May the 4th Be With You
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 japanesebreakfast.rocks
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 lucydac.us
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 kevinkaarl.com
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 chicago.zanies.com
'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 goodmantheatre.org
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 southchicagodancetheatre.com
'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 ticketleap.events
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 bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org
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.gov
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
15 hours ago
- Eater
Who Needs a Labubu When You Could Have a Fried Chicken Bag Charm?
is the commerce writer at Eater, and an award-winning writer with bylines in GQ, VICE, The Daily Beast, and other publications. A curious home cook with a deep love of Polish cabbage rolls, her devotion to food service journalism knows no bounds. As lovers of all things food-related, the Eater shopping team is understandably passionate about paying sartorial homage to our love of filthy vodka martinis, mall pretzels, and Aperol spritzes. There's a special sense of camaraderie in the air when a fellow pickle-lover is spotted in the wild courtesy of a realistic pickle keychain; our love of food can feel so personal that it's a bit like spotting someone on vacation in a T-shirt of your favorite local band. When it comes to food-themed style moments, there's the bold (a radicchio-print dress) but also the more understated (a martini cell phone chain). The current accessory du jour: bag charms, which have taken off amid the popularity of 'Birkinifying' bags — named for Jane Birkin's practice of adorning her Hermès bag with scarves, tags, and keychains — and in the context of a larger consumer shift towards quirky accessories. In an interview with the New York Times about the trend, Marissa Galante Frank, Bloomingdale's fashion director for accessories and beauty, said that she noticed shoppers 'craving a way to show their personal style,' and that charms are 'a way to make a more serious handbag feel unique.' So it only makes sense that we, as food lovers, would want to deck out our bags with unique food-themed charms and keychains. There's the classic hot-sauce-as-keychain bit, which truly never gets old — check out this interchangeable sauce keychain flight from Tabasco — as well as newer bag swag splendors, like the Instagram-viral Loewe tomato bag charm: Fashion and lifestyle brands have become increasingly smitten with food-themed apparel and accessories recently, and the exploding popularity of bag charms has yielded a treasure trove of options for every kind of food freak and every budget. Thankfully, you don't have to spend $650 at a luxury Spanish fashion house to bring home a tasty food- or drink-themed bag charm or keychain, and your devoted Eater shopping team (hi) has trawled the internet to bring you the coolest bag charms for making your farmers market tote turn heads at the berry stands. Let's accessorize — and maybe make those Labubus a little jealous. This homage to Diet Coke The Japanese-inspired brand Smoko makes all kinds of cute food-themed home goods that are worthy of your next White Elephant party (see: this ambient dumpling light), including this metallic diet soda bag charm. For the lover of martinis and tapas Prove your martini fealty with a string of Castelvetrano olives as a keychain, or go for Michael Kors' metallic gold and silver martini bag charm. This designer banana is 60% off This Italian-made banana is admittedly a splurge, but it's one that will always stay ripe. Plus, it comes with the option of either a lobster clasp or a keychain. This tiny orange bag charm can hold your loose change Things that this delightful five inch-wide orange bag charm can also hold: mints, lip balm, condoms, magic beans — the options are endless. Auntie Anne's has entered the chat In addition to both the lobster clasp and keychain, this faux pretzel is made out of brass, which means it can handle all of the brouhaha of big city life (i.e. clanging against subway poles, your crush's drink spilling). Fasten a bundle of fruit to your farmers market tote Take your pick of these miniature avocados, oranges, lemons, potatoes, or peppers in recycled produce bags. You're partial to ketchup on your chicken nuggets, fries, and fried chicken I had a dream last night that every one of these was fastened to Jane Birkin's Birkin. Fendi's deliciously detailed leather bag charms Somewhere, there is a timeline in which I dip my fries into Kewpie mayonnaise on a yacht off the coast of Mallorca, whilst paying close attention not to stain my truly artisanal, $1,000 leather bag charms from Fendi. You save all of your ketchup packets In the poetic words of Moda Opernadi, it's 'a sachet of sauce, made from glossy red capra leather' complete with a tear marker. Details, my friend. It's always an Aperol spritz summer The beauty's in the details of the sparkling bag charm, which has different crystals and beads to bring dimension to its design. This elegant egg Next stop? Finding you a rhinestone garlic tank top.
San Francisco Chronicle
16 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Want to get married at a concert? Lucy Dacus is now officiating weddings on tour
Indie rocker Lucy Dacus is offering something more lasting than an encore at her upcoming Bay Area show — a chance for fans to say 'I do' onstage. The singer-songwriter declared she is now ordained to officiate weddings and is inviting couples to tie the knot during her 'Forever is a Feeling' tour, which is set to reach Berkeley's Greek Theatre on Aug. 16. 'Do you want to get married at one of my shows?' Dacus announced on social media on Wednesday, July 23. 'I asked last week if people would be interested if I figured out how to officiate weddings from the stage, and many people said yes.' A Google form for interested couples is linked in her bio, and logistical information — including how to obtain and submit a marriage license — is provided on her website. Dacus, who also performs in Boygenius with musicians Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, said she would provide the service for free. Couples need only bring their license to the venue's box office before the show. Dacus will return the completed document after the ceremony. While most stops on her tour are eligible for these pop-up nuptials, a handful of cities — Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Lewiston, NY, Montreal, Vancouver, Oklahoma City and Richmond — may have local restrictions, she noted.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Young singer-songwriter Alyssa Allgood makes the Jazz Showcase Wall of Fame
Alyssa Allgood started singing when she was in the sixth grade and she is singing still, as she was last weekend at Jazz Showcase, that South Loop treasure. She and her band — Greg Ward (alto sax), Ryan Cohan (piano), Ethan Philion (bass) and Jon Deitemyer (drums) — spread their music over four nights. 'It was very special. [Club owner] Wayne Segal hung my photo on the Wall of Fame Sunday night,' she said. 'There was a great turnout of warm and engaging audiences. I could feel the love in the room. My band brought such beautiful energy, sensitivity and joy to my original songs and arrangements. We created honest and open music that was truly in the moment, in every set.' She now shares that aforementioned wall with some of her heroes, such as Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. And she can remember the many times she has played the room. One of the earliest was in July 2017. In the audience was my then-colleague, the astute Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich. He wrote that 'there's nothing more encouraging in jazz than hearing a young musician asserting herself. … Though she has plenty of room for growth, she clearly has learned a great deal quite early in her career.' She was 24 then and had just released her first CD, 'Out of the Blue,' which Reich lauded for the 'creativity of her songwriting,' ending his review with these prophetic words, calling her 'a young singer of unusual accomplishment and extraordinary potential.' The great singer Paul Marinaro had joined Allgood on stage for a couple of songs that night and then told Reich that Allgood was 'one of the most fully formed young vocalists I've heard in a long time.' Allgood came to music early, growing up in suburban Westmont, supported and encouraged by her parents and allowed to sing with local bands. 'I never had a thought of doing anything else,' she says. 'When it came to what I would study in college, well, of course, it would be music.' And it would be North Central College in Naperville where she earned Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies & Organizational Communication, and she followed that up with a Master of Arts in Jazz Studies from DePaul University. 'I learned so much. I learned from folks in the business that jazz does not make for the easiest life,' she says. 'I was told by more than one person, 'If you can see yourself doing anything else, do it.' But I could not do that. Music is who I am.' She has performed in clubs across the country and aspires to international clubs and concerts. Now she has four CDs, the latest titled 'From Here,' with all original songs. If you want to be of the moment, her sensitively stirring version of Frank Loesser's 'I've Never Been in Love Before' from 'Guys and Dolls' is being released on various platforms this Friday. Many singers, of course, do not write their own songs, but Allgood has been exploring that creative road for some time. 'I just decided that I had to give myself permission to try,' she says. 'At first, it was hard. In doing this, was I comparing myself to Cole Porter and other great songwriters, to the people I'd been hearing and singing and studying? But I kept at it, and followed a philosophy that another musician imparted. He said, 'Everything you write is good because it comes from you.'' Thus free of intimidation, she tells me that her songwriting is 'taking the forefront,' and you can hear the confidence in her latest CD. She also plans to continue teaching, as she has done for some time, at Loyola University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. 'Teaching,' she says, 'makes me a better musician.' Accolades have come at a steady pace. A couple of her songs were finalists in the 2023 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the 2023 International Songwriting Competition. She was voted best individual jazz musician in the 2024 Chicago Reader poll. She was recently named, for the second year in a row, a 'Rising Star Female Vocalist' in the 2025 DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll. She has lived for a decade in the Lincoln Square neighborhood and has been married since October to Jon Podulka. 'He is a very creative person who has brought a lot of adventure to my life,' she says. He worked as an advertising copywriter for 10 years before becoming a narrative game designer at Hasbro. He recently went out on his own and will soon launch a board game publishing company. He also knows his way around a stage, regularly performing improv comedy. 'He always has a good joke ready,' Allgood says. 'He is incredibly supportive of my career and I love that we share a passion for the creative process.' He was in the showcase audiences last weekend and she was glad. 'I realized that I grew up on that stage,' she says. 'This weekend felt like an important marker and celebration of the work I've done over the last decade, to hone my craft as a performer, songwriter, and bandleader. I'm so grateful and inspired.' She remembered too. 'That night almost a decade ago. Joe Segal [Wayne Segal's late father and the founder of the Jazz Showcase] was there. He sat on the couch and listened to me sing and then gave me a nod of approval. That was a moment I will never forget.' No doubt there will be more to come. Goodness, she's only 32. rkogan@
