- WES FRAZER
- Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires
Looking for something to do today? Agenda‘s got you covered.
In anticipation of the Chicago International Film Festival, the fine people of the fest and the Department of Cultural Affairs host a pair of events that explore the history of the festival and the power of movie magic. Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom screens at 6:30 PM at Millennium Park, while Expo 72’s exhibition “Because Everybody Loves Movies” traces the festival’s history through photography, video, and posters.
Tonight at the Whistler, artist-cabdriver-writer Dmitry Samarov reads from his new book Where To? with musical accompaniment by Bill MacKay on the guitar and Matt Lux on the bass. Samarov’s book blends all three of his careers: through original illustrations and first-person writing, it chronicles his cabbie run-ins with cops, bureaucracy, and potholes.
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires rock out at the Empty Bottle tonight. Performing alongside Flesh Panthers and Le Tour, they revitalize the Alabama rock beats of the 70s. “The band’s lacerating attack is granite hard, but the only thing excessive about it is its loudness: the meaty guitars of Bains and Eric Wallace grind, pivot, and collide over the loose grooves of bassist Adam Williamson and drummer Blake Williamson, summoning the spirit of vintage ZZ Top and early-70s Rolling Stones,” says the Reader‘s Peter Margasak.
For more on these events and others, check out the Reader‘s daily Agenda page.