Innovative hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa—"whether you know it or not Bambaataa's ideas have had as much impact on the past 20 years of global culture as Bill Gates's," writes Miles Raymer—spins at Smart Bar

The North American Bike Polo Championships kick off tonight in Garfield Park.

The 2007 documentary The Axe in the Attic examines the physical and emotional wreckage of Hurricane Katrina from the periphery inward, as the filmmakers travel from New England to New Orleans; it screens daily at Facets.

Trombonist T.S. Galloway presents his commissioned piece "Red and Black" at the Petrillo Music Shell as part of the second day of the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Chicago Jazz Festival Our complete critical guide to the 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival, including afterfest jams around the city
By Peter Margasak, John Corbett, and Bill Meyer

How Sonny Defeated the Dragon In his six-decade career, legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins has claimed many a triumph. But his greatest may have come during a quiet period in Chicago.
By Neil Tesser

The List This week's best live bets, including Nico Muhly, Afrika Bambaataa, Greg Osby, Don Caballero with Ponytail, N*E*R*D, Ellen Allien, and more

Festivals this Week: the African Festival of the Arts, featuring Rhymefest, Big Daddy Kane, and more; and the Bash on Wabash, featuring Murder by Death, Mucca Pazza, and more

Best of Chicago Readers' and the Reader's picks for best rock act, Best MC, best DJ, and more.

Early Warnings Buy tickets to upcoming concerts.

Search our music listings.

The Local Wiener A Vienna Beef veep publishes a tribute to the people who sell the product.
Omnivorous by Mike Sula

Plus: Hot dogs, from classic to Coney

Best of Chicago Readers' and the Reader's picks for the best restaurants, bars & clubs, food and drink stores, and more.

See our Alfresco Guide for outdoor dining around Chicago.

See our guide to this year's farmers' markets.

Search the Reader Restaurant Finder.

Politics Versus Values In Gore Vidal's 1968 satire Weekend, a Republican senator faces a timeless dilemma.
By Albert Williams

The Short List Now searchable by date, neighborhood, and more: recommendations, openings, and closing

Misadventures in Urban Rehabbing Ed Zotti, the longtime editor of the Straight Dope, has a new book on the house he and his wife bought to rehab in 1993. They're almost finished. Here's an excerpt.

Search our lit and lectures listings.

Our Galleries & Museums page features works by the Sumi Ink Club, Stina Kaczmaryn, Nancy Pirri, and others. We offer the city's most comprehensive listings for galleries, museums, and special events

Best of Chicago Readers' and the Reader's picks for the best gallery, best emerging artist, and more.

The Peace on Earth Film Festival at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater

Search our movie listings or our archive of 20,000+ brief movie reviews

Photo by Lauri Apple

Visit our Flickr group or see our You Shoot page for more information and more of our favorite pictures.

The Food Chain Mike Sula: KFC customers! Run for your lives!
Friday at 11:25 am

Chicagoland Whet Moser: Barack Obama closes the DNC with a barnburner.
Friday at 3:02 am

Clout City Mick Dumke: An environmental group asks for a pollution crackdown--for the Olympics, if not for city residents.
Thursday at 8:07 pm

News Bites Michael Miner: Roger Ebert wishes Jay Mariotti godspeed.
Thursday at 4:35 pm

Post No Bills Peter Margasak: Delightfully odd Los Angeles combo Lucky Dragons makes its Chicago debut this weekend.
Thursday at 1:12 pm

Crickets Miles Raymer: LeRoy Bach's Duels and Duets series, every Thursday at the Rainbo
Wednesday at 8:02 pm

Free Shit Reader staff: 8/27: Anchor Graphics hosts a free reception for artist Joel Feldman.
Wednesday at 3:17 pm

On Film J.R. Jones: Frank Borzage's History Is Made at Night screens tonight at Doc Films.
Wednesday at 7:30 am

Onstage Tony Adler: Between Cafe and Lounge hosts a series of benefits for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Monday at 6:36 pm

The Sports Page Kate Schmidt: Obama shows some south-side pride.
Monday at 3:07 pm

Never mind the war on terror—what about the war on the undead?
By Cecil Adams

Be careful what you wish for (on Craigslist, anyway).
By Dan Savage

"Ahmadinejad never said he wanted to wipe Israel off the map. This was a deliberate mistranslation."

Send a letter to the editor.

This week’s crossword: Dropping E (PDF)
By Ben Tausig

The issue of August 21, 2008

Readers' choices and the Reader's choices, in music, restaurants, bars, movies, and more

See our roundup of fairs, festivals, and other fun stuff in Chicago as well as Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the rest of Illinois. Plus: Our guide to area flea markets and antique fairs, annotated by master scavenger Ron Slattery.

Barack Obama The Reader goes way back with Barack. Here's an archive of stories about or concerning him, including Hank De Zutter's 1995 profile.

Latin School Soccer Field The Reader has been covering the Latin School's plan to build a soccer field in Lincoln Park since July of 2007.

Green Chicago A selection of stories on the environment, green technology, and food production

Property Taxes Wondering what your property tax assessment actually means for your next bill? Don't understand why your landlord just raised your rent again? Curious how you can be paying more taxes when all the politicians say they’re not raising them? Here's a free archive of Ben Joravsky’s illuminating property tax stories.

TIFs Reader columnist Ben Joravsky has written extensively on the issue of TIFs, or tax increment financing districts, their virtual lack of oversight, and their devastating effects on city services. A free archive of his TIF stories is here.

Police Torture Reader staff writer John Conroy was the first journalist to report that there was a pattern of police torture at Chicago's Area Two headquarters. A free archive of his stories on the subject is here.