Jazz bassist Cleveland Eaton had a career almost too vast to imagine
Playing for years with Ramsey Lewis and Count Basie, exploring funky fusion, running a club, teaching in a university—he did it all and then some.
Best of Chicago
Best chocolate cake to eat to feel like a woodland creature in a Disney movie
Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert of all time. I pick up a slice at Whole Foods at least once every two weeks,…
Latest Stories
Cronenberg, comedy, and weirdo music
Upcoming events and ongoing activities you should know about
Review: All Man: The International Male Story
The fashion documentary immortalizes the impact of the International Male mail-order catalog.
Review: Fast X
To its own detriment, the tenth film in the Fast and Furious franchise splits up the family.
Review: The Little Mermaid
The long-awaited live-action remake is entertaining and nostalgic—but nothing new.
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Who’s afraid of stanley brouwn?
Why the Art Institute wants to keep you guessing about the late conceptual artist
News & INVESTIGATIONS
’People of all generations healing together’
Ammie Kae Brooks, LCSW, creates therapeutic healing space for Black families.
’Inmates are extremely manipulative‘
Hundreds of lawsuits against Wexford Health Sources, a for-profit medical corporation operating inside Illinois prisons, allege substandard care. An employee handbook describes how clinicians were trained to be skeptical of incarcerated patients.
Locked up for cannabis, locked out of work
Recreational use is legal in Illinois, but the state still has prisoners incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses, and those convictions prevent future work in the cannabis industry.
Columns & Opinion
The father, the son, and the archivist
The bitter legal battle over Art Shay’s photos
Little treat season
A note from an editor for the Reader’s 2023 Food & Drink issue
Food, glorious food!
Why is it so costly?
Film
Review: You Hurt My Feelings
The new film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus feels like a sitcom—and not in a good way.
Review: Love to Love You, Donna Summer
This music documentary is a daughter’s exploration of her mother’s identity and stardom.
Review: Master Gardener
The thriller-drama hangs too much on one revelation.
Arts & Culture
BoHo Theatre calls it quits
After 19 years, the company closes up rather than choose “desolation”; the Michael Merritt Awards honor excellence in design
Fool’s journey
A screenwriter’s quest for “truth” blows up in his face in The Whistleblower.
The state of our rights
What the Constitution Means to Me feels both mournful and defiant at TimeLine.
The Gospel at Colonus gets a rousing revival at Court
The second piece in the company’s planned Oedipus trilogy closes the season with spirit.
The Dream King delivers heartbreaking hilarity
Teatro Vista’s “silent musical” finally gets its world premiere.
Music
Elijah Montez and Kaitlyn Murphy of Daydream Review decamp for the west coast
Plus: Lincoln Hall hosts zine makers and indie rockers at the second annual Hallogallo Fest, the in-house label at Signal Records celebrates its first two releases, and more.
Rest in power to the King of Blackabilly
Powerhouse singer Eric “Shoutin’” Sheridan was the only other Black man I knew on Chicago’s roots-rock scene.
Chicago trio French Police play darker and tour bigger
When the Mexican American postpunks switched to a stark retro sound, their audience blew up.
CITY LIFE
Black high school lacrosse is here to stay
Chicago’s south-side high schools are adding lacrosse teams in their sports programs.
Brick by brick
An Instagram account focuses on the everyday details.
Food & Drink
Worlds collide with DaNang Kitchen’s Vietnamese brunch
Chef Sydney Le’s steak and egg skillets fit right in—somewhere between breakfast and lunch.
Crust Fund Pizza presents School Pizza Night at the next Monday Night Foodball
John Carruthers and Dennis Lee have discovered the secret to your fondest lunchroom memories for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
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In Motion: The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project centers equity and opportunity while celebrating local artistry
Amid an inequitable arts landscape, an innovative, multi-year initiative called the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project [CBDLP] has emerged…
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Help support Multiple Sclerosis research with your purchase of a “It Takes 2” specialty ticket from the Illinois Lottery
In 2008, the Illinois Lottery launched a specialty ticket benefiting the Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society…
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Immerse yourself in the darkest side of humanity at Chicago’s Medieval Torture Museum
Learn the history of torture and execution, and chase ghosts at one of the Loop’s hottest attractions Have you…
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The YWCA and Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline support Chicagoland’s sexual assault survivors
Volunteer as a sexual assault victim advocate, and make a difference in people’s lives when they need it the…
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Support Special Olympics Illinois with your purchase of Illinois Lottery’s “Fat Wallet” Instant Ticket
In 2014, the Illinois Lottery launched the nation’s first specialty lottery ticket benefiting the Special Olympics, the world’s largest…
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Transit 4 All campaigns for equity, accessibility, and improved service for Chicago transit riders
By Reader Staff
Chicago has one of the largest transit systems in the United States, but despite its size, it has many…