Gapers Block has ceased publication.
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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TODAY
Thursday, April 25
Slowdown
BY DAY
Saturday, November 12 2005
Just Good Art
The Hyde Park Art Center is holding their annual benefit auction, entitled "Just Good Art." Combined with a live auction, the benefit includes work by over 100 artists and the proceeds go toward the Center's exhibition and education programs. Everything starts at 7:30pm with tickets set at $25 for members and $30 for non-members. The Hyde Park art Center is located at 5307 S. Hyde Park Blvd. Call 773-324-5520 for tickets and information.
Billion Dollar Babes Sample Sale @ Skylight Studios
Register with Billion Dollar Babes by 11 November to confirm your attendance at this mega-sample sale, which offers high-end designer merchandise at 50 to 80 percent off retail. 1956 W Grand. The shopping starts at 8 AM and continues till you drop, or 6 PM, whichever comes first.
The Santa Abductions @ Neo-Futurarium
The Neo-Futurists present their first holiday show, The Santa Abductions, written and directed by Neo-Futurist Sean Daniels. The director promises evil puppet elves, musical numbers, and a tale of the extremes that people will go to for a happy holiday. The show opens tonight and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM through December 23rd. Tickets are $15 ($10 for students and seniors), or pay-what-you-can on Thursday nights. See the Neo-Futurist Website for more information on the play and to purchase tickets. Neo-Futurarium: 5153 N. Ashland (at Foster). (773) 275-5255.
American Indian Center 52nd Annual Powwow
The American Indian Center of Chicago is holding their 52nd Annual Powwow at the UIC Pavilion, 1150 W. Harrison St. There will be 500 dancers from across the country as well as a dance competition, traditional Native American music and over 60 Native American art vendors offering their wares. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children, with a weekend pass costing $18. Tickets are available at the UIC Pavilion Box Office and at the door. Advance and group sales can be bought by calling 773-763-5140. Call 773-275-5871 for more information.
Opening: Phoenix @ Johnsonese Gallery
The Johnsonese Gallery is holding an opening reception for "Phoenix," a show the celebrates the gallery's transition to a bigger and better place. Featured local artists include Joey Wozniak, Elizabeth Tyson, Joseph Innocenti, Doug Goessman, John Gibbs and Wade Chandler. Join them from 6-9pm tonight as they rejoice in their new location. 2149 W. Armitage Ave., 773-252-8750. "Phoenix" runs through December 24.
Jeffrey Sfire, Eliot Lipp and South Side Hitmen @ Tini Martini
Tonight brings a very special installment of Your Formula Life: Meiotic's biweekly Saturday night at Tini Martini. GB staffer Atomly battles Johnny Love as the South Side Hitmen. Hefty artist and former Chicagoan Eliot Lipp brings his unique lo-fi "hip-hop sampladelia," while Jeffrey Sfire plays as Menergy, dropping obscure Italo, electro, and Hi-NRG hits that get everyone's ass moving. 2169 N. Milwaukee, 21+, free before 11, $5 afterwards.
Ozu's Tokyo Story @ Film Center
The Siskel Film Center presents the 1953 film Tokyo Story, as part of their retrospective of Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Tokyo Story shows the visit of an elderly couple to the city in which their children live. How they are treated during this visit, and how the family deals with a tragedy after the visit, makes the movie a thoughtful meditation on generational differences between family members. The film screens this afternoon at 3:00 PM, and again on Wednesday the 16th at 6:00 PM. Tickets: $9, $7 for students, $5 for Film Center members, and $4 for SAIC students. Film Center: 164 N. State. (312) 846-2600.
Alterations Clinic @ Dame Couture
At $70 the class will cost you a little, but you'll likely make up for it in all the saved tailoring costs. From 9am-12pm, Dame Couture is holding an Alterations Clinic and will teach all the tailoring basics, from taking up a hem to pulling in a waist to making an ill-fitting shirt just right. You should have some sewing know-how and be comfortable using a sewing machine. Sign up online or call 773-463-2162 to save your spot. Dame Couture is located at 4316 N. Elston Ave.
Bluebirds Used to Croon @ Quimby's
Celebrating the release of Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir, Quimby's is hosting a slew of the anthology's authors tonight at 8pm. On site to read from the book will be Joe Meno, Megan Stielstra, Johnathan Messinger, Anne E. Moore and Susannah Felts, with music by Stephanie Morris. The free reading takes place at 1854 W. North Ave. Call 773-342-0910 for more information.
Pottersville launch party
A launch party and booksigning for Pottersville, a new book by local author Alfonso Mangione, at Gourmand Coffeehouse, 728 S. Dearborn, from 7pm to 10pm. The book will be available for $15, slightly cheaper than direct from Lulu.
Fast Forward Film Fest Screening
Come check out the latest crop of Fast Forward Film Festival shorts tonight at 8pm at Open End Gallery, 2000 W. Fulton St., This round's theme is "about growing up." It's $5, BYOB, and seating is limited to 100 people -- so get there early! More info here.
Noisy Outlaws: A Lemony Snicket Event
In six cities -- San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Ann Arbor and Chicago -- adults and children will gather with their 826 chapters to celebrate Noisy Outlaws. The book is a collection of stories for young adults, written by the likes of Nick Hornby, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, Lemony Snicket and more. On the inside of the book's dust jacket is an unfinished Snicket story for which children everywhere have the opportunity to provide an ending. Here, local authors Joe Meno and Anne Elizabeth Moore will be on hand to help the children in this endeavor. Snicket himself will also appear by satellite in all six cities to give advice to his ghost-writers. Free and open to all at 2pm, 1331 N. Milwaukee. Call 773-772-8108 for more information.
World on a String @ Chicago Cultural Center
From 10 AM to 4 PM today, the Bead Society of Greater Chicago presents beadwork demonstrations and a film. Demonstrations of beadwork, embroidery, and bead crochet begin at 10 AM. World on a String, which begins screening at 12 N, is a wide-ranging documentary about the impact of beads on human social development and history. A discussion with filmmaker Diana Friedberg will follow the first installment at 1:30. The documentary’s second episode will screen at 2 PM. 78 E Washington Street. For more information, call 312-744-6630 or visit the website.
Marshall Field's store windows unveiled
This morning at 8:30, the Marshall Field's store at 11 North State Street unveils its holiday window displays. This will be the last holiday season that Marshall Field's will be in existence (the stores will be converted to Macy's next year), so there's probably going to be a big crowd there to experience the thrill of the final Field's window displays. A unique Chicago event that you won't want to miss.
Documentary Filmmaking Class
How cool is this? The University of Chicago’s Human Rights Center, along with its Truth in Motion retrospective of Chicago’s Kartemquin Films, is offering a free class in making documentaries this morning at 10 AM. Cobb Hall, 5811 S Ellis, 3rd floor. Click here to register for the class (required).
