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City Life

American music, Black Pride, and the Chosen Few

Things to do and see in the next seven days

by Kerry Reid, Micco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julin

Latest Stories

Reader events

Lawyers for Social Justice Reception

benefitting The Reader Institute for Community Journalism, Publisher of the Chicago Reader

by Chicago Reader

Music

Mister Goblin beefs up his heart-on-sleeve indie rock with Chicago collaborators

by Leor Galil

Film

Did my ‘bonding hormone’ get stage fright?

Investigating one man’s failure to romantically attach to a vacation rando

by Dan Savage

Film

Arts & Culture

Swinging for the Fences with Monty Cole

The writer-director-filmmaker talks about what drew him to August Wilson; plus changes in faces at Broken Nose Theatre

by Kerry Reid

Indulgence and illusions

Lucy Darling opens up the Rhapsody Theater.

by Kerry Reid

Native tongues

Madeline Sayet’s Where We Belong traces her journey to reclaim her Mohegan heritage.

by Irene Hsiao

Flying feathers

Hell in a Handbag’s whodunit parody is a little overstuffed.

by Dan Jakes

Film

Music

Chicago’s greatest postpunk obscurity returns from oblivion

Forty years ago, Stations made a brilliant EP with Joy Division producer Martin Hannett. It was never finished or released—until now.

by Steve Krakow June 30, 2022June 30, 2022

Metro hosts a joyful send-off for the late Cynthia Plaster Caster

Plus: A video celebration of footwork culture and the Bud Billiken Parade debuts on the side of the Merchandise Mart, and Chicago Film Archives pairs musicians and movie makers for its Media Mixer.

by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil June 28, 2022June 28, 2022

Steve Von Till of Neurosis gets stripped-down and cinematic with his solo material

by Luca Cimarusti June 28, 2022June 21, 2022

Food & Drink

The House of Wah Sun abides, in Irving Park

The classic Chinese American restaurant will be reborn in a former Golden Nugget.

by Mike Sula

Umamicue brings Texas barbecue—via Asia—to the next Monday Night Foodball

Check out pitmaster Charles Wong’s menu of new-school barbecue for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up series at the Kedzie Inn.

by Mike Sula

News & Politics / Columns & Opinion

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

by Ben Joravsky

A flexible position on free speech

Looks like Elon Musk believes in free speech for everyone except his SpaceX employees.

by Ben Joravsky

A note from an editor

The Reader’s Theater and Dance Editor on our Summer Theater & Arts Preview issue.

by Kerry Reid

Pride, prejudice, and the ‘bamboo cage’

On giving thought to the cultural forces that may have shaped “preferences”

by Dan Savage

Assessing the assessor

Fritz Kaegi discusses his role in reforming an office known for patronage and favoritism.

by Kelly Garcia

Second time’s the charm?

Gun-violence advocate Kina Collins takes another run at Danny Davis.

by Jim Daley

Donate now

Tap into your inner street artist and receive a special Pride discount when you book a workshop at their Chicago or Evanston location this June. Street art is a familiar sight around Chicago, but the average Chicagoan has probably never imagined painting a mural across an expansive brick wall or adding graffiti to an outdoor…

Magic Ride

“I like to go for anything that draws attention and is kinda funky and out there,” says 20-year-old Joey Prette, already a senior stylist at Free People and a musical theater student at Roosevelt University. “Usually I’d be wearing my flower earrings, but I forgot them today,” they say while sporting green, their favorite color. …

by Isa Giallorenzo

City Life » Public Service Announcement

American music, Black Pride, and the Chosen Few

Things to do and see in the next seven days

by Kerry Reid, Micco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julin July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

Get the latest issue of the Chicago Reader

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Included with the print issue and also part of the full issue PDF: Check Your Judges: Special pullout section PDF from Injustice Watch

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Summer Theater & Arts Preview

Irregular Girl is leading the fight for trans utopia

“I don’t perform positivity as much as hope.”

by Micco Caporale

Plus: Making Theater Outdoors | Primary Election Guide | Prince

A note from an editor

The Reader’s Theater and Dance Editor on our Summer Theater & Arts Preview issue.

by Kerry Reid

Rethinking concert safety

Do police and hired security have a place in live music? Or is the community of fans, artists, venues, and presenters better able to keep itself safe?

by Kira Leadholm

After two years online, historic Chicago house collective the Chosen Few return to Jackson Park for a 30th-anniversary picnic and festival

by Leor Galil