Magas

Already broke your New Year’s resolutions? Don’t sweat it, Agenda‘s got some events that will lift your spirits:

Synth maestro and longtime Reckless Records employee Jim Magas performs at the Empty Bottle in support of his latest EP, Pspoilers, which was released on cassette tape by local label Notes and Bolts. “Instrumental, semi-improvised, and recorded mostly in one take . . . the EP is raw electronic minimalism that recalls the work of artsy predigital composers as well as the soundtracks to bizarro 70s horror movies,” according to Miles Raymer. Jeremy Lemos & Peter Speer, Andy Ortmann, and Matt Zivich (DJ set) open.

As Chicago’s most notable improv theater, Second City has fostered the careers of comedic geniuses both old (Bill Murray, John Belushi) and new (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler) for over 50 years. Its latest sketch revue also happens to be its 100th, a political satire titled Who Do We Think We Are? that pokes fun at contemporary American government.

If you’re more in the mood for stand-up comedy than for sketch, Chicago native Dwayne Kennedy (Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell, Last Comic Standing) performs just down the street from Second City at Zanies.

For more on these events and others, check out the Reader‘s daily Agenda page.