Friday/ April 6
Play ball! Baseball season is back once again, and tonight is University Night as the South Side’s finest, the Chicago White Sox, battle the Minnesota Twins. You can get discounted tickets from Xperience Chicago, and with the Sox contending for another World Series title, every game matters in baseball’s toughest division. You’ll be hard-pressed to find tickets this cheap at any other time this season. (U.S. Cellular Field, 7:11 p.m., $10)
You may have missed it while away on spring break, but this weekend is your last chance to see Flyin’ West, the latest show at the Court Theatre. The play, which follows an black woman who settles in an all-black town in Texas, has been getting rave reviews, and Friday night is student night. After the show, stick around for pizza and a discussion with the cast and staff. (Court Theatre, Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., $10 for students)
For festivities centering around everyone’s favorite subject—sex—head to Hutch for Operation Sexucation: Celebrating Activism, Responsible Information and Pleasure, which will feature free food from Chipotle, live music, circus and other performances, as well as a Kama Sutra and sex-toy workshop. So swallow your superego and enjoy a fitting end to the week. (Hutchinson Commons, 6 p.m., free).
Saturday/ April 7
I imagine some of you metalheads feel left out among the indie-leaning music fans that dominate the U of C and Chicago in general. But fear not, Zakk Wylde is here to save you. Perhaps best known as Ozzy Osborne’s right-hand man, Wylde and his equally reputable side project Black Label Society will hit Chicago for another night of killer riffs, wicked guitar solos, and a crowd more intense than any American Apparel–wearing posse you’ll see at the Metro. (Pearl Room, 7 p.m., $25)
In case you missed the other films of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival at Doc Films, you don’t want to miss the finale. The last film, Senator Obama Goes to Africa, may be the most relevant. The film chronicles the Hyde Park legend as he explores the issues past and present facing African nations, as well as his trip to his father’s hometown in Kenya. Stick around after the film for the awards ceremony. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 8 p.m., $7 for students)
Sunday/ April 8
On a religion-oriented day, you’ll be welcome whatever your religion at the inter-denominational Social Justice Seder. With vegetarian, vegan, and kosher cuisine, the festivities turn the traditional seder into a focus on social justice issues. Now in its fourth year, the Social Justice Seder is becoming as much of a U of C tradition as the Latke-Hamentashen Debate (Ida Noyes Hall, 7 p.m., free).
If Easter, Passover, and the season premiere of The Sopranos won’t do it for you, what about an opera by a Chicago artist incorporating Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, and Faust? Hyde Park Arts Center hosts the closing live performance of God’s Punk, an opera by Chicago artist Max King Cap. God’s Punk features a video opera and a sculptural aexhibition in one of the most original and ambitious works you’re likely to see all year. (Hyde Park Arts Center, 5 p.m., free with $5 suggested donation)
Monday/ April 9
If you’re more faithful to the pride (or shame) of Chicago’s North Side, good luck finding tickets to the Chicago Cubs’ home opener, as they take on division rivals Houston Astros. You’ll probably find more success at one of the multiple bars around Addison, some of which are kicking off festivities as early as 9 a.m. (Wrigley Field, 1:20 p.m., $19-$67)
Tuesday/ April 10
Sun Volt, created from the other half of Jeff Tweedy’s former band Uncle Tupelo, hits the Vic for a one-night-only event. Fresh off the release of their most recent album, The Search, Jay Farrar and the rest of the band have taken their alt-country act in a different direction from the one Tweedy has taken with Wilco, but the concert should be just as satisfying for Chicago urbanites. (The Vic, 8 p.m., 18+, $20)
Wednesday/ April 11
Computer-controlled music hits campus with Archimedes: A Planetarium Opera, a new work by James Dashow. Featuring digital art and a libretto, the work is the product of a new school of digital music that comes straight from the University of Padova. It’s very rare to see the U of C take on such a new direction in classical music, so the event is not to be missed. (Fulton Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m., free)
Thursday/ April 12
The HotHouse is hotter than ever, and this time it’s for a cause. For a taste of Chicago’s hip hop scene, head on over to the Columbia College campus for their Hip Hop Showcase & Breast Cancer Benefit, which features breakdancing, live DJs, and a 20-minute short film supporting breast cancer awareness. It’s a great chance to see a side of Chicago you don’t usually see from the Hyde Park bubble, and free food and drinks come with your admissions fee. (33 East Balbo Street, 10 p.m., $15)
