The Reader’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide
Locally made goods, unique experiences, and Chicago organizations to support with your shopping list
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Chicago Record Report: November 2024
New releases from Alkilith, Mother Nature, Annalee Koehn, and more
Latest Stories
Find a print copy of this week’s Chicago Reader
Newspaper circulation information and map of distribution locations
Bettye LaVette brings the soul to the Old Town School of Folk Music
12/8 at the Old Town School of Folk Music
Asha Omega wants to remind you of your power
The east-side rapper’s long-gestating debut album, The Star, speaks to the importance of self-knowledge and healing.
Metalcore icons Coalesce return from hiatus older and wiser but just as vicious
Fri 12/6 at Beat Kitchen
A Moment with Shawnee – The Sit Down hosted by Shawnee Dez
On this episode, I sit myself down and talk through some feelings and thoughts surrounding the current times. I touch on topics such as the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the current astrological shift of Pluto in Aquarius, the timeliness of Octavia Butler's 1998 fiction novel, Parable of the Sower, and last but certainly not least, Kendrick Lamar's new project, GNX and how they all relate in one way or another. I invite you to join me in this mind mapping episode with an open mind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sergio Vicente–The Jake Paul Generation – The Ben Joravsky Show
Sergio Vicente explains how the rise of Jake Paul is a metaphor for the age of Trump. An age of women-hating white guys, entitled brats. Don't get him started. Also, a few words about the Black vote. And was the Mike Tyson fight rigged? And could he, Sergio, beat Jake Paul, if he had a year to get back into prime fight shape? And then a little icing on the cake–the great LeBron-MJ debate. Sergio hosts The Fight podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Avian hijinks
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! returns to Young People’s Theatre of Chicago.
New Scrooge, same spirit
Christopher Donahue steps into the miser’s shoes for the Goodman’s A Christmas Carol.
Street-rap royalty converge on Wintrust Arena for the WGCI Big Jam
Sat 12/7 at Wintrust Arena
News & INVESTIGATIONS
Renters’ rights
Your guide to the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
Shedd workers approve union
Aquarium staff join a burgeoning labor movement among Chicago’s cultural workers.
Home truths
Residents of the Leland—one of Uptown’s few remaining affordable housing options—fear they’ll be pushed out amid foreclosure proceedings that followed Heartland Housing’s collapse.
Columns & Opinion
Ex-Chicagoan says Chicagoans don’t understand violence or corruption
In a recent Chicago Tribune commentary, Hollywood writer David Mamet told our city how to vote.
Trumped up
How did we get here again?
A note on our Occult Issue
. . . and a spell to cast at your convenience!
Film
The enduring truths of “My Weekend as a 28-year-old in Chicago”
Judd Crud’s viral parody video has long outlived the trend that inspired it.
Review: Spellbound
Spellbound tries to Disney-fy painful family drama with limited success.
The midwest roots of Jason Park
A look at the director’s latest film, Transplant, which just premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival
Arts & Culture
How artists respond to technology
“The Living End” is “both of and about painting,” says curator Jamillah James.
The sprawling practice of Frank Lloyd Wright
A Driehaus Museum exhibition contrasts the messiness of his personal life with his obsession with neatness.
The women who made Florence Price
Samantha Ege’s South Side Impresarios reminds us that no woman is an island.
Sexy Merry Men
Throbbin Wood gives a naughty panto twist to Sherwood Forest.
The Secret Garden blooms at Theo
The musical version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel feels joyous and timely.
Music
The Story of 400 Years invokes hope through the Black experience
Thu 12/5 at DuSable Black History Museum
Detroit techno legend Robert Hood brings the spirit of resistance to Smart Bar
Sat 12/7 at Smart Bar
Pharmakon revels in human-made havoc on Maggot Mass
Tue 12/10 at Empty Bottle
Food & Drink
Jeremy Leven introduces Gilda at the next Monday Night Foodball
Get a taste of his future northern Spanish tavern at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Frank and Mary’s Tavern.
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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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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…
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Help the United Negro College Fund provide scholarships to Illinois students by playing the $200,000! Bingo Tripler!
For nearly two decades, the Illinois Lottery has been a pioneer in creating specialty lottery tickets dedicated to…
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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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Bright Endeavors provides a guiding light for young mothers in Chicago
The social enterprise of Chicago nonprofit New Moms empowers local mothers ages 18-24 through their comprehensive job training program
As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The folks at Bright Endeavors know…
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Art Design Chicago platforms local perspectives and histories through diverse exhibitions and events
The sprawling arts initiative features dozens of free and low-cost exhibits and programs throughout the city and suburbs…