Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Thursday, December 12
Hyde Park's perennial favorite rockers, First Coat, are playing a show at the Subterranian tonight with Starlister and Spouse. The show gets started at 9 pm, and it'll cost ya merely $5 at the door. This show also doubles at a release party for the latest compilation record from Mr Hyde Records.
Former actress and acclaimed author of Hideous Kinky and the just released paperback Sea House, Esther Freud's novels draw inspiration from her family history, a lineage that includes her father Lucian Freud and her grandfather Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. Nextbook.org hosts a talk with Ms. Freud tonight 7pm at Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, where she explores Jewish identity and family history. The show is free, but registration is encouraged. Standby tickets at the door as available. More information and online registration here.
As part of the East-West Perspective lecture series, historian and geographer Dennis McClendon will explore the history of Chicago's Near South Side. Among the many things Mr. McClendon has done, his graphic design firm contributed all of the maps to the Encyclopedia of Chicago. The 7pm lecture, which is free, begins with a 6:30pm reception at 816 S. Michigan Ave. in the Fourth Floor Auditorium. Call 312-939-0111 for more information.
The landmark women's health book Our Bodies, Ourselves turns 35 years old this year, and a new revised edition has just appeared in bookstores. OBOS Executive Director Judy Norsigian and some Chicago-based contributors will be at Women & Children First for a discussion about new issues in women's health. The discussion happens tonight at 7:30 PM, and is free and open to the public. Women & Children First: 5233 N. Clark. (773) 769-9299.
Roger Ebert presents his 7th annual Overlooked Film Festival, which showcases a handful of films from the last year (and some classics) that haven't received that much attention. The festival starts tonight and runs through April 24th. The festival happens in Ebert's hometown of Champaign, IL, so you're going to have to drive a couple hours south of Chicago to attend. But if you're a big film fan like Ebert is, you'll totally want to attend. Check the festival Website for a complete list of films, ticket information, and a list of hotels in the area.
Don't miss Sam Beam's breathy, ethereal roots music tonight when Sam Beam makes a tour stop in Chicago: Iron & Wine performs at the House of Blues tonight at 9 pm. Tickets will run you $16.50 plus $15 in Ticketmaster fees.
Join local writers and performers for tonight's Reconstruction Room. The regular event promotes poetry and performance in the Chicago area. The Reconstruction Room meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at the Black Rock Bar at Damen and Addison. Tonight's reading features a collaborative performance between the Rec Roomers and PAC alums Hermit Arts. Free, 21 and over.
I love Todd Oldham's look and was so excited when his Target line debuted a couple of years ago. Colorful, linear and smooth, Oldham's style is great whether you've lived on your own for a while or you're just starting out with your first apartment. In Handmade Modern, the designer delves into his love for mid-century modern homes and DIY with 72 projects for his fans. Today Oldham will appear at Barbara's Bookstore in Marshall Field's, lower level, 12pm, to sign copies of his new book. Call 312-781-3033 for more information.
Richard J. Daley served as mayor of Chicago from 1955 until his death in 1976, and was a major figure in national politics throughout his career. At the center of interest for the Forum is the history of Chicago and of American cities during the period of the mayor's public service, and the issues that concerned him during his life and that concern urban policy-makers and scholars today. Speakers include current Mayor Richard M. Daley, former US Senator Walter Mondale, former US Senator Adlai Stevenson, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, and journalists Carol Marin and Robert Novak.