Friday / October 31
Cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show shows at the Music Box Theatre at midnight. The screening includes a special pre-show performed by Rocky reenactors Midnight Madness and will undoubtedly have audience members performing and singing along with the film. Costumes are encouraged. (3733 North Southport Avenue, 12 a.m., $10)
For those sick of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, Rockefeller Chapel will be hosting a special Halloween screening of the silent film version of Phantom of the Opera. There will be live musical accompaniment featuring the chapel’s newly restored pipes. Don’t forget to dress up, as there will be a silent film costume contest. (Rockefeller Chapel, 8 p.m., $5)
Saturday / November 1
In the excitement of Halloween, many forget its more somber Mexican cousin, the Day of the Dead. The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen will be holding Noche de Muertos Para La Comunidad, a celebration in honor of lost loved ones, complete with hot chocolate and Day of the Dead bread. (1852 West 19th Street, 6 p.m., free)
Why Conor Oberst insisted on forming Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band when he’s best known by the public as the vocalist and songwriter of Bright Eyes is beyond the scope of this column. The tracks from the new band’s eponymous album don’t shake Oberst’s status as reigning king of emo’s signature whine, but his anguished warble is noticeably less prominent as backing instruments and vocals assume greater importance in this new project. (3145 North Sheffield Avenue, 7:30 p.m., $24)
Sunday / November 2
The Chicago Ensemble will premiere American composer Eric Moe’s quintet Time Will Tell at a special performance Sunday night that includes a pre-concert reception giving students the opportunity to mingle with the composer. The Ensemble will also be playing pieces from Telemann and Mozart, as well as the the rarely performed Quartet for Clarinet by Hindemith. (International House, 3 p.m., free)
Monday / November 3
The world never saw it coming, but Hanson is back. While the trio of brothers has not released a hit since “MMMBop,” the band is currently on tour to advocate AIDS research in Africa. To show that they are serious about this project, each show on the tour also features a one-mile shoeless walk made by the brothers to represent the hardships that a typical African child endures daily. (329 North Dearborn, 6:30 p.m., $28.50)
The series of short films in Ro. Go. Pa. G., each directed by a different European filmmaker (the title, incidentally, is an abbreviation of each director’s name), has sparked an ongoing debate over which filmmaker’s story was most significant. That’s no easy task: The film features a nuclear explosion and the crucifixion of Christ,s among other cataclysms. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 7 p.m., $5)
Tuesday / November 4
It’s not surprising that a Canadian decided to schedule a concert on Election Day, seeing as how Canada already reelected Prime Minister Stephen Harper two weeks ago. However, it’s likely none of this matters to Celine Dion, as she would probably be the Queen of Canada even if Canada had a real monarch with actual power. After three years in Las Vegas, Dion is embarking on a world tour that will feature songs from her third greatest-hits CD. (1901 West Madison Street, 8 p.m., $49.50)
Chicago’s favorite son Barack Obama will be holding an Election Day rally in Grant Park. Of course, if the rally turns out to be a celebration, expect the entire city to become Obama’s party pad. There is bound to be a large crowd—the city will spend around $10 on this, as it’s all paid for by the Obama campaign—so be sure to arrive early if you want a good view. (Grant Park, 2 p.m., free)
Wednesday / November 5
Summer Breeze act and Chicago natives The Cool Kids return to the Windy City, this time as headliners on their tour. The group, which gained popularity largely on the Internet through MySpace, was recently featured in a Mountain Dew commercial. (329 North Dearborn Street, 11:30 p.m., $30.50)
Thursday / November 6
The latest installment of the Poem Present Reading and Lecture features a reading by British poets (and husband and wife) Geraldine Monk and Alan Halsey. Monk and Halsey will also present a lecture on their poetry on Friday. Poem Present is an ongoing series that since 2001 has worked to bring various poets to campus for two-part speaking engagements. (Rosenwald 405, 4:30 p.m., free)
Andy Warhol’s eccentricity was nowhere better exemplified than in his response to a review in the Village Voice critiquing him for a film that “focuses on Taylor Mead’s ass for two hours.” Warhol’s rebuttal was the half hour long Taylor Mead’s Ass, featuring said ass. A short film starring dancer Lucinda Child’s shoulder precedes the main attraction. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 9:30 p.m., free)
Have an event you’d like to see in STD? E-mail christineyang@uchicago.edu
