New and upcoming local food books you should read
Eat these words.
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How Maggie Andersen found her voice
No Stars in Jefferson Park is an important snapshot of the early aughts Chicago theater scene.
Where shore meets horizon
Andrea Carlson: A Constant Sky compiles 20 years of the artist’s paintings.
Latest Stories
Blackbraid celebrate Indigenous culture through black metal
Sat 10/4 at Reggies Rock Club
The Matthew Shipp Trio play free jazz of irreducible mystery
Fri 10/3 at Constellation
Water From Your Eyes find new ways to make confounding art-pop that sings
Thu 10/2 at Sleeping Village
Pancho García makes hardcore happen
He cofounded the Ruidosa Art Collective and books and plays DIY shows that help sustain the southwest-side Latine scene.
Get the latest issue of the Chicago Reader
It’s time to show up for the World Music Festival
Like so many things we love about Chicago, this spectacular ten-day string of free concerts is under threat from Trump’s xenophobia and racism.
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Southeast Spotlight
Southeast Spotlight: 200 Pharmacy & Home Medical Supplies
Excellent and empathetic holistic pharmaceutical care
Chase Infiniti is Chicago’s latest claim to fame
The young actor and Columbia College Chicago graduate makes her feature film debut in One Battle After Another.
Community members demand ICE leave Chicago
Plus: the CPD’s second in command is stepping down, Northwestern students boycott “antibias” training, and more.
Building a living, Black literary archive
Third World Press Foundation and the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection build upon the legacy of Chicago’s south side as “a hub of Black creativity, scholarship, and political imagination.”
News & Politics
And then came the tear gas
Federal agents use excessive force against protestors outside Broadview ICE facility.
Some immigrants in Chicago now fear ICE more than gunfire
Donald Trump’s deployment of federal agents to cities is based on the disproven claim that immigrants commit a disproportionate number of violent crimes.
What happened to Silverio Villegas González
An immigration agent shot and killed an unarmed 38-year-old father outside Chicago on Friday—and their initial narrative of events was quickly disproven by videos captured by witnesses.
Music
Chicago indie musicians organize to spurn Spotify via open letter
Plus: Indie rockers Wide Orbit open for Oracle Sisters, the 19th annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival lights up the neighborhood, and more.
Mayaka McCraven showcases the breadth of his creative approach on four new EPs
Wed 10/1 at Thalia Hall
Maruja shoot for the stars on their debut album Power to Pain
Tue 9/30 at Thalia Hall
Film & TV
Talk to the hand
Henry Fonda for President (2024), Riefenstahl (2024), and the Chicago Underground Film Festival
Review: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a colorful, midbudget studio film willing to take big swings.
Review: Riefenstahl
Riefenstahl paints a complex and contradictory portrait of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl.
Theater, dance, comedy
Friendship during revolution
Five Iranian women face different choices in Wish You Were Here.
A kidnapped child returns home in Mr. Wolf
Rajiv Joseph’s aching family drama gets its local premiere at Steppenwolf.
Vampire or victim?
The Blood Countess offers a deep dive into the story of an alleged 17th-century serial killer.
Visual Arts, books
‘Meet nice people who make art’
The goal of Pretty Good Fest is to get some form of art into everybody’s hands.
The pulsing portraits of Yukimasa Ida
In “Flaming Memory,” the artist embraces paint as a volatile, volcanic material.
CITY LIFE
Inside DeAnna Spoerl’s Chicago fashion advocacy
Fashionista and influencer DeAnna Spoerl uses her website Letty Sparrow and other platforms to promote Chicago fashion and lifestyle brands.
The pleasure of . . .
Chicago graphic artist and illustrator CHema Skandal! shares his take on recent pleasures.
Food & Drink
In Albany Park, a ‘secret’ Thai noodle pop-up thrives in plain sight
Mae Aomjai’s noodles are made “by Thais, for Thais”—and anyone who wants uncompromised Bangkok street food.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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Southeast Spotlight: Chicago Body Shop
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Chicago Body Shop2047 E. 79th Street, Mon–Fri 5 AM–8 PM, Sat 7 AM–2 PMthechicagobodyshop.com, @chicagobodyshop Situated at 79th…
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An excerpt from TAXI GIRL, a novel by Maria Schreiber
“All About Yogurt,” a four-minute read.
“All about Yogurt” Four-minute read On Monday, June 3, 1974, Tania and Dan began selling cartons of yogurt…
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At the California Clipper, everyone is welcome
The newly relaunched Humboldt Park lounge champions community, inclusivity, and fair labor practices Since the 1820s, Chicago’s pubs…
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Mubi Fest 2025 wants you to get lost in film and music
In its second year, the international cinema and culture festival offers a curated mix of film screenings, discussions, and live music as well as a pop-up market
MUBI FEST is back! Now in its second year, the acclaimed cinematic festival returns to Chicago. The two-day…
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Support local students pursuing higher education with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery is nationally recognized for its pioneering work with specialty lottery tickets dedicated to raising awareness…
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Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic
Acupuncture is a form of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into…