The Preakness Stakes, close relative to the Kentucky Derby, will happen this Saturday. Toast the winning horses with a mint julep, “Black-Eyed Susan,” or “Belmont Breezer,” made with whiskey, sherry, and lots of juice.
Arts
Indie Darling Koenig’s Modern Vampires doesn’t suck
An ambivalent fan discusses why “Step” and “Hannah Hunt” are the high points of Vampire Weekend’s latest release.
A Guide to Summer Breeze 2013
This weekend, eat soft pretzels and burgers, and listen to the recently-booked Smith Westerns.
Hunger Strike: The strange case of Dr. Gelée and Mr. Fries
The Promontory, the Hyde Park branch of Longman & Eagle, will be opening soon.
Weekend Warriors: The Northwest Chicago Film Society
Next week at The Portage, Sean Connery’s “sci-fi odyssey” Zardoz will be playing for $5.
At Goodman, Vera Stark confronts race, Hollywood
Tamberla Perry plays the titular character, a black actress struggling to make it in early Hollywood, in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage’s new work, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.
Luhrmann’s Gatsby looks so cool, but nobody’s loving it
Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of the classic American novel finds stability in Carey Mulligan, and little else.
All that was: Salter novel tries to reflect a life of love
It’s been 34 years since novelist James Salter published a book. In All That Is, the life of the protagonist, Philip Bowman, might be meant to mirror Salter’s own.
Trouble finds The National stripped down and on repeat
The band’s sixth studio album is “rife with thoughtful, brilliant lyrics” and boasts “a shining anthem.”
British darling Daughter plays to sedate crowd at Lincoln Hall
Performing with New York-based band Wilsen, the London trio played from their latest album, If You Leave, as well as from their much adored previous EPs.
Ladies’ night draws crowd for Midwest Indie
At the Midwest Independent Film Festival, “tremendous range was shown” in the selected eight shorts, all directed, written, and/or produced by female Midwesterners.
Ongoing discussion series at Incubator engages artist and audience
Edgar Arceneaux, a contemporary artist from L.A., discussed his body of work in a broader art and community context at the Arts Incubator in Washington Park on Wednesday.
Do What You’re Told
This weekend get your Joan Crawford on for Mommy’s Day, eat some French food, and shop a new kind of pop-up.
With new album, Deerhunter bucks trend
In their sixth studio album, Deerhunter treads new territory while maintaining their trademark good game.
Iron Man 3 burnishes gold legacy
Robert Downey, Jr., carries the movie in his struggle to define himself without his iron suit.
Virgin Suicides author to read work as part of residency at Logan
Jeffrey Eugenides, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Middlesex, will be on campus to read from his latest work and to conduct a craft seminar for creative writing students.
With latest mixtape, Chicago-born rapper’s stars are out
Chance the Rapper and the Save Money Crew “have the opportunity to lead a Chicago renaissance of sorts.”
Gatsby offers tunes to float in the pool to
The Great Gatsby soundtrack looks to stylistically infuse modern beats with jazz aesthetic.
Purity Ring fits Metro Chicago just right
Playing with Blue Hawaii, the indie darling shone in spite of its limited discography.
Documentary powers discussion at Logan
Pandora’s Promise screened in the Logan Center on Sunday evening, leading into a panel discussion about nuclear power with the director.
With first pourover bar, dotCross hits the grounds running
For dotCross’s first public outing with its Uncommon Funds, it served up two different blends of coffee for free in Common Knowledge Café.
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila for Cinco de Mayo
This Sunday, have a shot at love with tequilas Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo.
Latest programming from Netflix lacks bite
Hemlock Grove drops the ball “with little enough punch to make sure it’s fun for no one.”
Sem Co-Op hosts reading for homegrown publication
Local magazine The Point held a reading of their latest issue on Wednesday evening at the Seminary Co-Op bookstore, welcoming students, faculty, and community alike.
Renaissance Society gets a rise out of Pope.L’s new exhibit
William Pope.L, a DoVA professor, opens his first solo Chicago exhibit to collective engrossment.
Hunger Strike | One of these wings (is not like the others)
At Rickshaw Republic, “embrace the glorious cacophony…that is the essence of Indonesian cuisine.”
With his latest collection, Sedaris finds his readers in fine feather
David Sedaris’s latest book finds the author revisiting themes he has previously explored, like cross-cultural interaction, though they feel no less relevant.
Art cache proves there’s life in business school, after all
The Booth School of Business has an art collection unknown to most UChicagoans, including its own students.
Find XXX: Does UChicago have one sex culture?
Fourth-year Eliza Brown wonders, “If, first and foremost, we have a sex culture, and if we do, what it looks like?”
Sem Co-Op documentarians write new chapter with Reg exhibit
Remember the good ol’ days, before the Becker Friedman Institute moved in? Us, too.
Ebert gives last thumbs up to Malick’s To the Wonder
Terrence Malick’s latest film explores the institution of love in a post-Tree of Life world, much to the pleasure of the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Dax magazine promises to be the best thing since Sliced Bread
Campus’s latest literary magazine promises to be “The New Yorker on acid.”
Do What You’re Told
This weekend watch Dr. Who, get your anarchy on, and eat boiled crawfish.
Old favorites, fresh tracks: Spring album roundup
Check out the springtime latest from a slew of bands you might’ve thought had gone extinct by now.
Storytelling collective gets personal
Memoryhouse literary magazine brings intimacy and honesty to Logan in an evening hosted by 2nd Story.
MFA exhibitions spotlight talent
Logan’s ongoing MFA exhibitions create community around UChicago arts.
Weekend Warriors | Repo Man is always intense
The Doc Films Thursday night lineup, “Headbangersploitation: Heavy Metal on Film,” is a much-needed exercise in sincerity and maintaining one’s capacity for life.
Chicago Manual of Style | Second City chic
StyleChicago.com’s fashion show, “The Art of Fashion,” shows that local designers succeed when they hone in on the fashions most deliberately their own.
On campus stage, comedy troupe finds heart of sharpness
At their first show of the quarter, Occam’s Razor plans to poke fun at all the Metcalfs you didn’t get.
At Franke Institute, writer David Shields on the defensive
Responding to student questions at a talk on campus Monday, Shields said, “I have already answered the question, and I would not reinscribe that.”
Artists destroy matter to create meaning at MCA
In an exhibit that will run through this spring, artists cut, slash, and burn their way toward reappropriation of wartime experiences.
Do What You’re Told
This weekend, get your foodie swag on, hear storytelling at Logan, and experience “girl-on-girl action at its very best.”
GastroConference takes a bite of Chicago’s food scene
EnvisionDo’s food fest, loaded with all-star panels, attracted foodies from far and near.
Happy trails for HPAC resident
Artist-in-residence Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford’s exhibit, Hall of Khan, finds itself muddled in disparate media.
Where fun comes to eat fondue and dance in Skechers
In its second year, the Pierce Tower Awkward Ball finds laughter and questionable dance moves. Due to the planned demolition of Pierce, the ball’s future is uncertain.
At Music Box, Carruth premieres Color feature
With his second film, Upstream Color, Shane Carruth finds success in writing, directing, scoring, and starring.
Trance parks itself firmly between opposing ideals
From Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle, Trance is a gorgeously-filmed study in dichotomies.
In Mandel, OLAS show a success for two years running
OLAS staged a 19-act show on Saturday night that incorporated campus performers as well as talent from Chicago at large.
Logan, meet DoVA: Undergrads share work in open studio night
Fourth-year DoVA majors opened up their Logan Center studio spaces for a night of art, drinking, and conversation.
In seeking a city, AIC’s latest misses connection
The Art Institute of Chicago’s latest exhibit, They Seek A City, misses the opportunity to situate universal themes of otherness in the present, and instead focuses on “turbulent and often tragic pasts.”