Friday | April 2
Contrary to what its Wikipedia page might say, the Dillinger Escape Plan is known as a “mathcore” band, not for its comprehensive understanding of differential equations, but for its complex and irregular rhythms. The band is currently on tour to promote its album “Option Paralysis.” (2109 S. State Street, 7 p.m., $18)
Saturday | April 3
Experience the grandiosity of a traditional South Asian wedding without the weekend-long time commitment at the 23rd annual SASA cultural show, “Jashan.” The event promises a night full of dancing and music, and a ticket also includes a full Indian dinner and a T-shirt. (Mandel Hall, 8 p.m., $12)
Sunday | April 4
Settle the debate once and for all over whether Avatar was snubbed for Best Picture at the Oscars this year…or just start it up again. James Cameron’s epic science fiction film follows a paraplegic marine dispatched to the ethereal world of Pandora who becomes torn between following orders and protecting his new home. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 12:30 p.m.)
Monday | April 5
In the wake of the healthcare reform, Illinois’ favorite Senator and Majority Whip Richard Durbin will be giving a lecture titled “Building a Strong Economy in the 21st Century.” The talk is sponsored by the Chicago Society and will also include a half-hour Q and A session for supporters and critics alike. (Ida Noyes Cloister Club, 5 p.m., free)
Tuesday | April 6
Learn more about the Asian carp invasion and its implications for the Great Lakes infrastructure at the Shedd Aquarium in an event co-hosted by the Program on the Global Environment and the Chicago Council on Science and Technology. This foreign fish species has continued to advance up the Illinois River and disrupt fragile ecosystems, despite the use of various electric barriers and poisons. (1200 S. Lake Shore Dr., 6:30 p.m., free)
Just when you think emo kids in tight jeans and ironic vintage t-shirts were a thing of the past, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional comes out with another album. Hear songs from Alter the Ending as Carrabba promotes his latest oeuvre at the House of Blues. And don’t despair if you can’t make it—the band will be opening for Bon Jovi’s The Circle tour this summer. (329 N. Dearborn Ave., 6 p.m., $27)
Renowned architect Frank Gehry will be giving the annual Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues at the Harold Washington Library. Fittingly, the 1989 Pritzker Prize winner will be interviewed by Tom Pritzker, son of the lecture series’ namesake. (400 S. State St., 6 p.m., free)
Wednesday | April 7
While few U of C students may have grown up in the ’80s, the awkwardness of coming of age in the decade is immortalized and universalized in John Hughes’ films. This week, Doc will be showing the classic tale of a birthday gone awry: Sixteen Candles starring Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 7 p.m., $5)
Thursday | April 8
The 2010 Chicago Presents Discovery Artist, Brasil Guitar Duo, will be performing in the annual Regents Park Discovery Concert. The two young musicians have been performing together since they met as teenagers and have been praised for their ability to seamlessly incorporate traditional Brazilian sounds into the classical canon. (Mandel Hall, 7:30 p.m., $5)
