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.
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Friday, November 15
Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper present a special screening of the new Joaquin Phoenix-Reese Witherspoon film Walk The Line, a biopic about the late Johnny Cash, this evening at 7:00 at the Siskel Film Center. Proceeds benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Tickets are $100, and are available through Ticketmaster. Film Center: 164 N. State. (312) 846-2600.
Aloft Aerial Dance's debut performance, "Rolling Blackouts" is an aerial performance that explores the power of electricity and darkness in human lives. The show is inspired by the blackouts that plunged much of the country into darkness and by the choreographer's own fear of losing her sight. Using aerial circus equipment, the performers employ contemporary dance techniques and eschew electricity to examine new ways of interacting with the environment. The doors open at 7:30pm with the show starting at 8pm at the Circus Factory, 4430 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $15-$20 and can be purchased at the venue. Email aloftaerialdance[at]yahoo[dot]com for more information.
The Chicago Composers Forum presents Musicircus, a four-hour performance piece featuring over 500 performers, each one doing their act simultaneously, as specified by composer John Cage when he first put together a Musicircus performance at the University of Illinois in 1967. The event runs from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the event is free and open to the public. Museum of Contemporary Art: 220 E. Chicago. See the Musicircus Website for full details.
Part of the Empty Bottle & Wire's "Adventures in Modern Music - Outsider Sounds Festival", Four Tet headlines at the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave). Four Tet's new record Everything Ecstatic is a hot slab of acoustic-influenced electronic music with some heavy-heavy grooves. Khanate, Hot Chip, and Phill Niblock will open. Show starts at 9:00pm and is $15.
After taking this craft fair on the road to Brooklyn, NY earlier in the summer, it's now finally time for the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair to set up tents in Wicker Park this weekend. Come out and stroll through booths of over 150 crafty types (check out vendors through the Renegade website) from around town and around the country at this fantastic event. You'll find knitters, purse makers, artists and even independent magazines like Bust and Venus on the scene, and you can't beat the day for people watching. Check out GB staffer Anne's booth with The Crafty Ladies while you're there. Wicker Park is located at 1425 N. Damen right by the Damen stop on the Blue Line. The fair runs from 11am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine.
The brainchild of (lest-we-forget, local boy) Dave Eggers, 826 Valencia is a tutoring program/storefront for kids in the San Francisco area. Lucky for us, they're opening up a Chicago branch this fall. To raise money (literally) for the security deposit on the space at 1331 N. Milwaukee (soon to be home to The Boring Store) and they're having a special concert at the Metro tonight. With performances by The Watchers, Baby Teeth, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Archer Prewitt this is sure to be a kick ass evening. If you're interested in helping out 826CHI or in volunteering your time as a tutor, you can find out more information here or just talk to the folks that night. Doors open at 7pm, tickets are just $10 (quite a deal!).
Ryan Howard, co-owner of Chicago Soydairy, will speak on his company's products and provide samples as part of EarthSave Chicago's potluck tonight, 6:30 to 9pm. Howard's talk is aimed at developing awareness of conscious foods and the business challenges faced by small start-ups. The event takes place at Healing Earth Resources, 3111 N. Ashland. Attendees should bring a vegan dish to share, an appropriate serving utensil, and a place setting (plate, napkin, cup, utensils). The potluck is free to members of EarthSave Chicago; cost is $5 for non-members and $2 for students with ID.