Friday | April 19
A wise man named Woody Allen once said in a movie of his, “To be unhappy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you’re getting this down.” In this vein of deep, philosophical comedy that doesn’t give answers so much as raise the same question over and over again, catch “The God, Sex, Death Variety Hour” with host comedian Danny Black at The Hideout. This show keeps things fresh with performances by musicians, clergy, morticians, and sex workers. An “itinerant juggling act” will be on hand to ensure maximum suffering. 1354 West Wabansia Avenue. 6:30 p.m., $5 at door.
2nd Story—a story maker and storyteller collective that does everything from theater paired with wines to workshops and podcasts—will perform “I Got Schooled: Stories from the Classroom of Life” at the Logan Center. Each of the three narratives communicates a lesson learned well outside of any lecture hall (and not in a seminar, either). The event is presented in conjunction with Memoryhouse, a campus lit mag that publishes student memoirs. Keep your eyes peeled for the first issue, coming to a library near you sometime during sixth week. 915 East 60th Street. Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts at 6:30, free, first-come, first-served.
Saturday | April 20
Go back to brew basics with AlphaBeer X at John Barleycorn’s in River North. Not only will you have the chance to taste 26 beers in alphabetical order, you’ll learn the differences between them and what food they pair best with, all with a focus on the wholesome ales of the Midwest. This event is your chance to acquire the skills needed to order a craft beer in a hip bar with confidence, unless, as with preschool, you don’t end up remembering any of it. 149 West Kinzie Street. 12–3 p.m., $45 in advance, $50 at door. 21+.
Graze, the Logan Square–based lit mag that blurs the line between life and food, is unveiling a third issue with its See Food party at Intuit: Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art. As the name of the soiree would suggest (phonetically, at least) there will be fish from Burhop’s Seafood, with additional catering provided by Peerless Bread & Jam and Très Jolie Patisserie. There will also be a cash bar, a performance by Sidewalk Chalk, and the catch of the day—a complimentary copy of Graze. 756 North Milwaukee Avenue. Starts at 8 p.m., $10.
In case you need reminding, it’s Record Store Day nation-wide, and this year nearly two dozen Chicago shops are participating. Among them, Café Mustache is giving away free coffee with the purchase of an LP; Dave’s Records will roll out discounts, candy, and cupcakes; and our own Hyde Park Records will have the Thursday Night Dusties Party DJs on hand while you shop the sales at its Soul Reunion. Grab a bud and go. Soul Reunion: 1377 East 53rd Street. 12–8 p.m., free.
Sunday | April 21
Disney gets dragged through the mud yet again at Gorilla Tango’s “The Roast of Cinderella,” hot off the 2012 Chicago Fringe Festival circuit. This rude-girl show features “girl-on-girl action at its very best,” smack-downs, and a refreshing lack of Prince Charming. The show only runs this weekend and next, so book it to the ball before this happily-never-after turns into a pumpkin. 1919 North Milwaukee Avenue. 7:30 p.m., tickets $20.
