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The Chicago Reader

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Arts & Culture, Theater Preview Apr 12, 2021
For Your (Re)Consideration finds dramatic gems from the past with resonances for today

Ghostlight Ensemble's online festival celebrates overlooked women playwrights.
- By Kaylen Ralph
- Tags: Theater Preview, Ghostlight Ensemble, For Your (Re)Consideration, The Convent of Pleasure, Margaret Cavendish, Holly Robison, Andrew Coopman, The Enchantment, Victoria Benedictsson, Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler, August Strindberg, Miss Julie, Clare Bayley

Arts & Culture, Lit Feature Apr 7, 2021
What are human rights to the incarcerated?

Two books explore the creativity of people in prison while highlighting their lack of access to basic necessities.
- By Kerry Cardoza
- Tags: Lit Feature, Renaldo Hudson, Carving Out Rights from Inside the Prison Industrial Complex, Danville Correctional Center, Prisoners’ Inventions, Hat and Beard Press, Half Letter Press, Stateville Prison, Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Temporary Services, Aaron Hughes, Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, Alex Koehler, Alice Kim, Barbara Ransby, Marc Fischer, Angelo

Music, Music Review Mar 30, 2021
Recommended
Genghis Tron reunite and shift gears on Dream Weapon
- By Keidra Chaney
- Tags: Music Review, Genghis Tron, Dream Weapon, Relapse Records, New York, experimental metal music, Board Up the House, Hamilton Jordan, Mookie Singerman, Nick Yacyshyn, Michael Sochynsky, Tony Wolski, Recommended

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Mar 25, 2021
Video
Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one

This wrenchingly powerful vocalist toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
- By Steve Krakow
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Andrew Odom, Andrew “Big Voice” Odom, Big Voice, Winter Blues, blues, singer, vocalist, Denham Springs, Louisiana, East Saint Louis, Albert King, Johnny Williams, Johnny O’Neal, Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, Little Aaron, Willie Kizart, Marlo, Earl Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, Carey Bell, Freddie Roulette, Andre Odom, Nation Records, Farther on Down the Road, Andrew “Voice” Odom, Blues Boy, B.B., Johnny “Big Moose” Walker, BluesWay, Jimmy Dawkins, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Maxwell Street, All for Business, Otis Rush, Wasp Music, Frank Walker, I Got This Bad Feeling, “B.B.” Odom with the Ear Benders, Feel So Good, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Isabel, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Magic Slim, Griff Band, Steve Katz, Doran Katz, Gold Tops, Flying Fish, Goin' to California, Andew "B.B." Odom & the Gold Tops, Steve Freund, Going to California, Ma Bea’s, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Checkerboard Lounge, Storyville Records, The Chicago Blues Box 2, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson, Video

Music, Music Review Mar 24, 2021
Recommended
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson fuels resistance with poetry and song on Theory of Ice
- By Jamie Ludwig
- Tags: Music Review, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, You've Changed Records, Theory of Ice, Canada, First Nations, indigenous, Alderville, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, folk rock, Ansley Simpson, Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies, Willie Dunn, Recommended

Best of Chicago, Music & Nightlife Mar 17, 2021
Video
Billie Barrett Greenbey of gospel legends the Barrett Sisters left us in 2020

Chicago played an outsize role in the birth of modern gospel music, but few artists remain from that foundational era.
- By Robert Marovich
- Tags: Music & Nightlife, Best of Chicago 2020, Billie Barrett Greenbey, Barrett Sisters, gospel, obituary, Delois Barrett Campbell, Rodessa Barrett Porter, Barret and Hudson Singers, Thomas Dorsey, American Conservatory of Music, Morning Star Baptist Church, Roberta Martin, TV Gospel Time, Jubilee Showcase, Jesus Loves Me, Sweet Sisters of Zion, Regine Rene, Say Amen, Somebody, Lilydale Progressive M.B. Church, Lilydale Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, Johnnie Mae Hudson, Video

Best of Chicago, Music & Nightlife Mar 17, 2021
Rapper Ric Wilson pours generations of activism into “Fight Like Ida B and Marsha P”

Ric Wilson’s single arrived in the midst of this summer’s protests but carried the knowledge of uncounted protests that came before.
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Music & Nightlife, Ric Wilson, Fight Like Ida B and Marsha P, They Call Me Disco, Terrace Martin, Marsha P. Johnson, Ida B. Wells, Mariame Kaba, abolition, civil rights, Crista Noel, Women’s All Points Bulletin, protest, Best of Chicago 2020

Film, Movie Feature Feb 19, 2021
A new perspective at Sundance with virtual reality

The New Frontier program introduced groundbreaking multimedia series watched through a pair of VR goggles.
- By Sheri Flanders
- Tags: Movie Feature, Sundance Film Festival 2021, virtual reality, VR, COVID-19, Judas and the Black Messiah, Don't Go Telling Your Mama, BJ's Mobile Gift Shop, Jason Park, 4 Feet High, Maria Belen Poncio, Rosario Perazolo Masjoan, Oculus Quest 2 Virtual Reality, The Changing Same, Michèlle Stephenson, Yasmin Elayat, The Quantum Summer, Traveling the Interstitium with Octavia Butler

Film, Movie Review Feb 19, 2021
What we loved at Sundance 2021 . . . from our couch

The best of the virtual fest is coming to you soon.
- By Josh Flanders and Sheri Flanders
- Tags: Movie Review, Sundance Film Festival 2021, film festival, Ailey, Jamila Wignot, Captains of Za'atari, Ali El-Arabi, Eight for Silver, Boyd Holbrook, Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Homeroom, Oakland High School, Peter Nicks, In the Same Breath, Nanfu Wang, John and the Hole, Michael C. Hall, Charlie Shotwell, Pascual Sisto, Mass, Fran Kranz, Martha Plimpton, Jason Isaacs, Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Marvelous and the Black Hole, Miya Cech, Rhea Perlman, Mayday, Grace Van Patten, Pleasure, Bella Cherry, Ninja Thyberg, Rebel Hearts, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Rita Moreno, Mariem Pérez Riera, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, Jim Henson, Summer of Soul (. . . Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Questlove, Black Woodstock, Try Harder!, Lowell High School, Writing With Fire, Khabar Lahariya, Sabaya, Hogir Hirori, Philly D.A., Larry Krasner, Passing, Rebecca Hall, Ruth Negga, Tessa Thompson, Night of the Kings, Phillipe Lacôte, My Name is Pauli Murray, Betsy West, Julie Cohen, Faya Dayi, Jessica Beshir, At the Ready

Music, Music Review Feb 19, 2021
Recommended
German indie veterans the Notwist draw from Chicago’s jazz community for the new Vertigo Days
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Music Review, The Notwist, Vertigo Days, Morr Music, Germany, jazz, indie rock, Messier Objects, Superheroes, Ghostvillains & Stuff, Angel Bat Dawid, Ben LaMar Gay, Markus Acher, Recommended

Music, Gossip Wolf Feb 16, 2021
Video
Jessica Risker combines her two loves with the podcast Music Therapy

Plus: Shoegaze band Diagonal release a spacey new album, and footwork crew the Era drop a dreamy rap single.
- By J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
- Tags: Gossip Wolf, Jessica Risker, Music Therapy, podcast, Instagram, I See You Among the Stars, Brianna Tong, Cordoba, Angel Marcloid, Fire-Toolz, Isabel Cristina, Half Gringa, Malory Dahl, Chicago Counseling Center, Diagonal, Tomorrow, Anticipation, Negatives, Detroit, Little Cloud Records, the Era, footwork, Masks4Chi, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Eschecagou, She Pick the Speed, DJ Spinn, Video

Arts & Culture, Dance Feb 11, 2021
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell takes charge at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

She's the first company alum to head the 43-year-old ensemble.
- By Irene Hsiao
- Tags: Dance, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell Hubbard, Street Dance Chicago, Lou Conte, Baltimore School of the Arts, Juilliard, Nederlands Dans Theater, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jamison, Masazumi Chaya, Desmond Richardson, David Parsons, Dan

Film, Movie Review Feb 9, 2021
Recommended
Revolution vs. reform: Judas and the Black Messiah

With knockout performances comes an examination of the need for revolutionaries when pushing for real change.
- By Arionne Nettles
- Tags: Movie Review, Judas and the Black Messiah, HBO Max, Fred Hampton, Black Panther Party, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King, William O'Neal, Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, J. Edgar Hoover, Martin Sheen, Rainbow Coalition, the Young Lords, the Young Patriots, Roy Mitchell, Mark Clark, Akua Njeri, Recommended

Music, Music Feature Feb 3, 2021
Bandcamp Friday returns for 2021

You can jump-start your browsing with nearly 100 newly Reader-recommended releases.
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Music Feature, Bandcamp, Bandcamp Day, 7Cicadae, Battle Hag, Cam Be, Beautifulish, Blind Adam & the Federal League, Boris with Merzbow, Patricia Brennan, Buggin, Casper McFadden, Cinchel, Cinco de Gatos, Cookie, Crazy Doberman, Tim Daisy, Tim Daisy & Ikue Mori, DJ Corey, DJ Earl, Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger, Steve Earle & the Dukes, Electric Hydra, 엔도 Endo, Josephine Foster, Freddie Old Soul, Good Willsmith, Grayceon, Jason Hawk Harris, Harvey Waters, Hospital Bracelet, Hushdrops, Kara Jackson, Jesu, Joan of Arc, Mia Joy, Jungheim, Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroishi, Katatonia, The Keener Family, Daniel Knox, Live Skull, Local Nobodies, Marv & Rindy Ross / Quarterflash, Megalophobe, The Miyumi Project, Moğollar, Sen Morimoto, Jon Mueller, Matt Muse, Nnamdï, Neptunian Maximalism, New Goo, Old Growth, Orwell, Owls, Matt Piet, Piss Piss Piss Moan Moan Moan, The Primeridian & Rashid Hadee, Professor Downfall, Reality Anonymous, Rempis / Piet / Daisy, Running, Säge, the 64th Wonder, Shame, Snooze, Sonny Falls, Sour, Understudy, Angry Peasants: Volume 10, Art Is Love, Vol. 1, For a Life of Sin: Insurgent Chicago Country, Situationchicago, Warm Violet: A Compilation for Chicago Community Jail Support, Viagra Boys, White Suns, Yagalith, Mars Williams

Columns & Opinion, On Politics Feb 3, 2021
So outrageous

It’s hard to get outraged about the Steans-to-Cassidy handoff when Marjorie Taylor Greene’s on the scene.
- By Ben Joravsky
- Tags: On Politics, Heather Steans, Kelly Cassidy, Adam Kinzinger, Harry Osterman, Robert Peters, Tribune, Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Teachers Union, Mayor Rahm, Lincoln Yards, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mary Miller, Lou Lang, Mark Kalish, Denyse Wang Stoneback, Luis Arroyo, Eva-Dina Delgado, Nidia Carranza, Carol Ronen

Arts & Culture, Theater Preview Jan 28, 2021
Missed Connections starts with the human, not the trick

Jon Tai's intimate take on magic and storytelling comes (virtually) to A Red Orchid.
- By Catey Sullivan
- Tags: Theater Preview, Jon Tai, A Red Orchid Theatre, Missed Connections, Haruki Murakami, Marshall McCluhan, Derren Brown, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Grey House, Levi Holloway, Alex Gruhin, Ricky Jay, Jeffrey Cowan, Steve Cohen, Lance Burton

Music, Music Review Jan 21, 2021
Recommended
Patricia Brennan makes delicate music for mallets
- By Noah Berlatsky
- Tags: Music Review, Patricia Brennan, Maquishti, Valley of Search, vibraphone, New York, Midori Takada, Recommended

Columns & Opinion, On Culture Jan 20, 2021
Video
Tim Samuelson may be retiring, but he's not history yet

Chicago's first and only cultural historian goes on emeritus status, but there's plenty of work ahead of him.
- By Deanna Isaacs
- Tags: On Culture, Tim Samuelson, Geoffrey Baer, Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Cultural Center, Richard Nickel, John Vinci, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Chicago Historical Society, Barbara Koenen, Mike Lash, Department of Cultural Affairs, Lois Weisberg, Mana Contemporary, Chris Ware, Video

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Jan 14, 2021
Video
A memorial to Alejandro Morales

His death doesn’t just leave a hole in Chicago’s DIY music scene—it’s a loss to community activists, to affordable housing advocates, and to countless friendships.
- By Steve Krakow
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Alejandro Morales, Alex Morales, Alejandro José Morales-Aponte, RIP, memorial, tribute, obituary, Malagüez, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, Running, Piss Piss Piss Moan Moan Moan, PPPMMM, Cookie, Rories, Yagalith, Falta de Juicio, Ono, Willo, Dianid, Spitshine, Muncie, Ball State University, Keith Helt, Pan y Rosas Discos, Defeat the Hydra, Josue Aguilar, Nicole Miller, Catholic Tapes, Dream Root Recordings, Kim Gordon, The Noise Paintings, P. Michael Grego, Travis, Arvo Zylo, Mister Fuckhead, Dawei Wang, Matthew Hord, Jeff Tucholski, Brett Naucke, Ben Billington, Parsley Flakes, Maria Jenkins, Reversible Eye Gallery, Loto Ball, Brandon Davis, Indian Jewelry, Vaguely Ethnic, Wake Up Applauding, Permanent Records, Castle Face Records, John Dwyer, Thee Oh Sees, Marian Tsikalas, Matt Urban, John Clark, Bobby Burg, Smith’s Night, Mark E. Smith’s Night, the Fall, Guided by Voices, Que4 Radio, Alien Lanes, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Resurrection Project, Whitney Johnson, Matchess, Ryley Walker, Luca Cimarusti, Luggage, Annihilus, Zack Weil, Oozing Wound, Lawrence Peters, Haley Fohr, Circuit des Yeux, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, San Jose Obrero Mission, affordable housing, Josh Condon, Glyders, Video

Arts & Culture, Dance Jan 12, 2021
Examining the white spaces in Chicago dance

A community townhall reaffirms the need for communication and representation.
- By Irene Hsiao
- Tags: Dance, Dance in Chicago 2021, Chicago Dancemakers Forum, Chicago Dancers United, Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, High Concept Labs, Links Hall, Museum of Contemporary Arts Chicago, Pivot Arts, See Chicago Dance, Christy Boling

Music, Music Feature Jan 12, 2021
Insomniac Studios nurtures a music-business community on the far south side

With internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, and workshops, this Black-owned recording studio in Blue Island bypasses white industry gatekeepers.
- By Corli Jay
- Tags: Music Feature, Insomniac Studios, Blue Island, Marlon King, Marlon “Solitaire” King, Martin Johnson, Martin “Shadow” Johnson, Morgan Park, West Pullman, Wild Hundreds, Pullman, Roseland, Kroc Center, Berklee College of Music, 35th Street Studios, Brian Sykes, Keenan Davis, Low, Mykah Estelle, Sonny Trill, IS Pro Team, G Herbo, BJ the Chicago Kid, Shawnna, Brittney Carter

Music, Music Review Dec 21, 2020
Recommended
Josephine Foster keeps the freak-folk flame burning with the catchy but unnerving No Harm Done
- By Steve Krakow
- Tags: Music Review, Josephine Foster, No Harm Done, Fire Records, freak folk, folk music, folk-rock, Little Life, Children's Hour, Born Heller, Josephine Foster & the Supposed, Colorado, Mystery Meet, Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You, Matt Schneider, Moon Bros., Nashville, quarantine, Recommended

City Life, Public Service Announcement Dec 18, 2020
Give it away, give it away, give it away now

Upcoming events and distractions from our listings coordinator
- By Salem Collo-Julin
- Tags: Public Service Announcement, winter, events, Andersonville, Chicago Dance Supply, McCutcheon Elementary School, Peirce Elementary School, Santa Claus, gifts, GoodKids MadCity, TGi Movement, Evening Star Ministries, Chicago Park District, toys, Soldier Field, drive-in, Darrell Gordon, holiday music, Constellation, FitzGerald's, Hideout

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Dec 10, 2020
Recommended
Yule be home for Christmas with Manual Cinema and Hell in a Handbag

A Dickens chestnut and a spoof of 1970s celebrity specials join the online holiday theater lineup.
- By Kerry Reid
- Tags: Theater Review, Manual Cinema, Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, N. LaQuis Harkins, Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, Kyle Vegter, Hell in a Handbag, David Cerda, Ed Jones, Stevie Love, Scott Lamberty, Alexis Castelvecchi, Nicky Mendelsohn, Michael Rashid, Grant Drager, Danne W. Taylor, David Lipschutz, Robert Williams, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Dec 3, 2020
Independently connected: Fefu and Her Friends meet virtually

Maria Irene Fornés’s feminist masterpiece Zooms in to help Season of Concern.
- By Kaylen Ralph
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Fefu and Her Friends, Maria Irene Fornés, Season of Concern, Mary Beth Fisher, Mark Kaplan, Stacy Stoltz, Matt Hawkins

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