Well, first off, let me say that I goofed in last week’s column. The Festival of the Arts (FOTA) starts this week, so that means that the opening party is today, not last week. Sorry about that. There’s a lot of stuff happening at the U of C this weekend, thanks to Summer Breeze and FOTA. And, as always, don’t forget University Theater productions like The Medium, running through Saturday, and Off-Off, running through next week.
Friday, May 21
Festival of the Arts Opening, Smart Museum, 9 p.m. (for real this time!). The annual two-week festival begins tonight. Check out all the things happening around campus at fota.uchicago.edu.
Summer Breeze. Doc is showing Office Space (hilarious) on the main quads at 9 p.m. and COUP is having a dance party (hilarious?) in the Classics Quad starting at 11 p.m.
The Annual Young Composers Concert, Mandel Hall, 7:30 p.m. Works by student composers will be performed by the Pacifica Quartet and Eighth Blackbird.
Shrek 2 opens. Can it top its predecessor? Admit it, you saw Shrek and you liked it.
Dashboard Confessional, Allstate Arena, 7 p.m., $23.50.
Tommy Lee, Oasis 160, 8 p.m., $20.
Saturday, May 22
MAB’s Summer Breeze Concert, Hutch Courtyard, doors open at 5 p.m., concert at 6 p.m., $15 for students, $20 for staff. Jurassic 5; Medeski, Martin & Wood; and Guided by Voices for this year’s line-up. It should be a great concert. I hope you’re going. I mean, what reason could you possibly have to not go? Good bands, decent ticket prices, tickets still available, good weatherÂ…it’s a no-brainer.
Summer Breeze. Music, food, and activities on the quads all day.
Herbert Kline retrospective at Doc, 2 p.m., $4. Check out last Tuesday’s Voices section for an in-depth look at Kline and his films.
The Center is Anywhere: Chicago-based Artists from the MCA Collection opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art. This new exhibition focuses on Chicago-based artists in the mid-1980s, including some associated with the U of C.
Ginuwine, Chicago Theater, 8 p.m., $55.75-$65.75.
Godsmack, Tweeter Center (Tinley Park), 5:15 p.m., $15-$20.
Moody Blues, Star Plaza Theatre (Merriville, Indiana), 8 p.m., $44-$54. OK, so this one’s rather far away, but maybe the people with access to cars would like to know about it.
Sunday, May 23
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (Skokie), 3 p.m., $39. This long-running band plays the best of New Orleans jazz, past and present. I’ve seen them at Preservation Hall in New Orleans and it was a great experience. I recommend them to any jazz aficionado.
University of Chicago Wind Ensemble, Mandel Hall, 3 p.m.
University of Chicago Chamber Music Showcase, Fulton Recital Hall, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, May 25
Fire Escape Films Spring Festival, Doc Films, 9:30 p.m. (also same time Wednesday). Fire Escape is showing student-created short films on Tuesday and the best student films of this year on Wednesday. Go support your fellow students and see what they’ve cooked up.
Wednesday, May 26
The Rover, Third Floor Theater, Reynold’s Club, 8 p.m. (also Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), $5. The last UT play of the quarter opens today. I don’t know anything about it, so I can’t tell you more than that, but I’m sure it’s good.
Zero 7, Park West, 8 p.m., $18.50. This talented UK electronic group, backed by a live band, is touring the States promoting their second album, When It Falls. I’m a big fan, so I’m really looking forward to this concert—they’re supposed to be great live.
2003-2004 Collectors Forum Acquisitions at the MCA. This is an interesting opportunity, in that you get to see works that the Collectors Forum, a group that donates art to the MCA, is considering acquiring.
Thursday, May 27
Art Spiegelman lecture titled “Comix 101,” Court Theatre, 4:30 p.m., free. So I haven’t listed many (any?) lectures here in the past, but this one looks very exciting. Spiegelman is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus comic books, and I’m sure his talk will be very interesting. Based on the title of the talk, I’m assuming it’s about getting started writing or drawing comic books.
