Friday / January 13
It’s the last day of Kuvia and time for the infamous Polar Bear Run. Get ready to proudly bare it all, gawk from the sidelines, or assiduously avoid the stampede of naked and near-naked U of Cers. (3 p.m., main quads)
Fans of FOUND Magazine may appreciate an exhibit opening today at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art. “Accidental Mysteries: Extraordinary Vernacular Photographs from the Collection of John and Teenuh Foster” displays 65 vintage snapshots taken by unknown amateurs and found by the Fosters. Feast your eyes on the images at the opening reception. (5 to 8 p.m., free, 756 North Milwaukee Avenue)
The Chicago Swing Dance Society’s weekly Java Jive is spicing it up this week with a special 15-minute performance at 10:30 p.m. by two members of The Harlem Hot Shots, among the best swing dancers in the world. Sakarias Larsson and Frida Segerdahl are leading a workshop weekend tomorrow and Sunday, but see their moves tonight in the Ida Noyes third-floor theatre for free. (9 p.m. to midnight, 1212 East 59th Street)
Catch three movies in one night at the Film Studies Center in Cobb 307. Screenings of Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising, Jack Smith’s Flaming Creatures, and Andy Warhol’s My Hustler kick off the Lesbian and Gay Studies Project’s third annual Winter Queer Film Series. A symposium follows the films. (7 p.m., free, 5811 South Ellis Avenue)
The second concert in the U of C Music Production Organization’s quarter-long series brings you student musicians Sha Liu, Chase Stanley, and Tapirs Prey? On Dreams. The C-Shop’s not exactly conducive to dancing on top of tables, but you can still bop along to the electronic music. (8:30 to 10:30 p.m., $3 suggested donation, 5706 South University Avenue)
Saturday / January 14
Fight the cold with some hot dancing. Join I-House Salsa on their club outing to Club Nacional 27, which is hosting a Salsa and Hip-Hop Party. No age restrictions, but leave the jeans and sneakers at home. Meet at the I-House front desk at 8 p.m. to go on this free trip. The party itself starts a few hours later. (11 p.m., free, 325 West Huron Street)
Witness Hillel’s transformation into the Collaborative Community Coffeehouse as students showcase their talents. Appetizers, snacks, and warm drinks (some courtesy of Hillel’s new cappuccino machine) are provided. (7 to 10 p.m., $5, 5715 South Woodlawn Avenue)
Check out a three-part Vintage Punk Show hosted by AvantGaudy.com. Happenings include a trunk show from 7 to 10 with crafts and vintage items for guys and gals alike; a rock show from 10 to midnight with the Kinetic Stereo Kids; and a vintage punk show following that. (7 p.m., 5468 South Hyde Park Boulevard)
Sunday / January 15
Indie rockers Shoemaker Levy headline at Empty Bottle, along with Dark Country and Lacona. (9:30 p.m., $7, 1035 North Western Avenue)
Monday / January 16
Happy Martin Luther King Day! A memorial service with keynote speaker Valerie Jarrett, a University trustee and executive vice president of the Habitat Company, takes place at Rockefeller, followed by a reception in Ida Noyes. (noon, free, 1156 East 59th Street)
Take advantage of the day off and go see We Are Scientists play Subterranean with Oxford Collapse and Aberdeen City. (9 p.m., $10, 2011 West North Avenue)
Tuesday / January 17
For the 21-and-over jazz crowd, the Empty Bottle puts on a Chicago Improvisers Series every Tuesday night. Tonight the featured jazz outfits include Herculaneum and Loose Assembly with Josh Abrams, Jason Adasiewicz, Tomeka Reid, Mike Reed, and Greg Ward. (9:30 p.m., $7, 1035 North Western Avenue)
Wednesday / January 18
Law School professor Geoffrey Stone discusses wartime civil liberties and his latest, critically acclaimed book, Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism, at the Div School’s weekly luncheon. (noon, $4 for lunch, 1025 East 58th Street)
Thursday / January 19
Not enough discussion about the press? The Chicago Society hosts Media and the Public Interest: Debating the Responsibility of the Press in a Democratic Society, featuring panelists from The Nation and the Chicago Tribune, and with Dean of Humanities Danielle Allen moderating. (6:30 to 8 p.m., free, 1155 East 58th Street)
Camper Van Beethoven takes the stage at Abbey Pub. (9 p.m., $20, 3420 West Grace Street)
