Friday/ April 13
In case you didn’t get a taste of the Chicago film fest scene when the International Documentary Festival was at Doc, don’t miss the Chicago Latino Film Festival, which is even bigger and has a longer history. Festivities kick off tonight with a high-priced gala event at the Chicago History Museum, but you can find films across Chicago at Piper’s Alley, Landmark Century, and the Facets Cinematheque. The festival will continue for the next week and a half, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see some of Latin America’s best filmmakers in action. Acme and Co. will be the first film screened to the general public. (Piper’s Alley, 6 p.m., $10)
The Broken Compass, a hotshot theater company founded by University Theater alums, opens its second production with the Midwest premiere of Philip Ridley’s Mercury Fur. The Broken Compass made a big splash on the Chicago theater scene with their first production, The Bloody Romantic. Mercury Fur, a dystopia set in England, should be yet another visceral night of theater. Opening weekend is your chance to get discounted tickets. (1806 West Cuyler Avenue, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., $5)
Saturday/ April 14
The Music Department has two shows Saturday for campus music enthusiasts to sink their teeth into. First, Emily Robinson, who has been the lead soprano in multiple campus performances, will be giving her senior recital performance, featuring pieces from Mozart to Mennoti. Later that night, the Middle East Music Ensemble performs with musicians from across Chicago. The selections of Middle Eastern folk and classical music span three continents and a millennium of Middle Eastern musical culture. (Fulton Recital Hall, Robinson at 2 p.m. and Middle East Ensemble at 7 p.m., free)
This Saturday, come dance at Ida Noyes to help support AIDS research. Odds are you won’t outlast some of the more hardcore participants, who will be dancing for 12 hours on end as part of the Dance Marathon, the largest collegiate philanthropy program in the world. It’s been at the U of C for six years, and considering the energy students expend each year, the enthusiasm is not dying down anytime soon. (Ida Noyes, 2 p.m.–2 a.m., donations encouraged)
Sunday/ April 15
No longer the world’s forgotten boy, Iggy Pop and his legendary band, The Stooges, hit Chicago for a sold-out show in their highly anticipated reunion tour. The Stooges now feature legendary punk bassist Mike Watt, and as if that weren’t enough, Steve Albini, the face (and mouth) of Chicago alternative rock, opens with his band Shellac. Their lackluster reunion album The Weirdness hasn’t taken away the raw power of their live shows, which feature one of rock ’n’ roll’s all-time wildest frontman, still going strong while pushing 60. (Congress Theatre, 7 p.m., $40)
If aging punk rockers don’t do it for you, maybe Carribbean Jazz in a Hyde Park institution will be more your pace. The Checkerboard Lounge features Carazz, a Caribbean jazz act as part of their weekly Checkerjazz program. You probably heard about the Checkerboard Lounge in the “You Are Here” video screened during O-Week. Now’s your chance to see it in full force. (5201 South Harper Avenue, 7:30 p.m., $5 with student ID)
Monday/ April 16
The life of the mind does not prevent you from enjoying the simple pleasures of mini golf. In fact, it might even encourage it. To build hype for Earth Day, Green Campus Initiative is sponsoring Mini Golf on the Quads, featuring a course made entirely out of recycled materials. If the cause is not enough, the spirit of competition should get your adrenaline running, as the tournament ends in a final showdown on Friday. (Pick quad, 11 a.m., free)
UT kicks off its spring season with its third annual New Works Week, a week of student-written works performed in seated readings. Monday night features four one-act plays and a song revue, while the longer pieces will be coming later in the week. Featuring some new faces in the University’s theater scene, as well as some of UT’s most experienced members, each night should be a diverse, unique collection of U of C minds beginning to flesh out a dramatic voice. (Francis X. Kinahan Third Floor Theater, 7 p.m., $6)
Tuesday/ April 17
One of America’s foremost journalists is a visiting professor at the U of C this quarter, and he is giving a lecture titled “Shakespeare: The Terror of Pleasure” Tuesday afternoon. Ron Rosenbaum has written for the The Village Voice, Esquire, Slate, and countless other prominent publications. He spent 10 years researching Hitler for his fifth book and moved unphased to Shakespeare for his most recent book, The Shakespeare Wars. Rosenbaum’s electric personality and insightful wit is not to be missed by any budding writer. (Social Sciences 122, 5 p.m., free)
If comedy writing is more your style, you don’t want to miss “LOL 101: Comedy as Commentary,” sponsored by the Chicago Society. While you may know Homer Simpson and Jay Sherman quite well, this is your chance to get to know Mike Reiss, the man behind The Simpsons and The Critic. Other panelists include a co-creator of The Daily Show, the creator of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Jordan Carlos, better known as “Stephen Colbert’s black friend, Alan.” It’s time to see if the men who write lines that split your sides can do the same while delivering those lines. (Cloister Club of Ida Noyes Hall, 7:30 p.m., free)
Wednesday/ April 18
Interesting narratives, Beatles-esque pop, and youthful melancholia come to Chicago as The Decemberists, an increasingly iconic twee pop band, perform Wednesday and Thursday nights. Releasing four albums in four years and the birth of his first child hasn’t stopped Colin Meloy from being an inspired performer, and the crowd should be as excited as ever in the wake of The Crane Wife, the Decemberists’ first album on a major label. (Riviera Theater, 7 p.m., $25)
Thursday/ April 19
Ron Rosenbaum isn’t the only speaker coming to campus this week who’s spent 10 years researching mass murderers. Eliot Jaspin, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, comes to campus to discuss his book Buried in Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America, the product of a decade of tireless research. It may be a chilling discussion, but you certainly won’t regret going (International House, 6 p.m., free)
