Gapers Block has ceased publication.
Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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TODAY
Thursday, July 17
Slowdown
BY DAY
Friday, September 16 2005
Hideout Block Party
Though perhaps the smallest of Chicago's block parties it's undoubtedly the coolest. The lineup this year includes Autumn Defense, The M's, The Pony's, Eleventh Dream Day, The Redwalls and many other fine performers. All proceeds benefit P.L.A.Y., Tuesday's Child, and Literacy Works.
Moistboyz, Minibosses @ Double Door
The Moistboyz, a side project of Ween's Dean Ween, play tonight at the Double Door. The opening act: the Minibosses, a group that plays classic videogame music. See this write-up in WiReD magazine about the Minibosses. Show starts at 10:00, doors open at 9:00, and tickets are $15 (available through Ticketmaster, feh). Double Door: 1572 N. Milwaukee. (773) 489-3160.
Sarah Jessica Parker @ Marshall Field's
Ladies, put on your stilettos, grab your cosmos and head over to Marshall Field's at noon today to meet the fashion icon and role model of the decade, Sarah Jessica Parker. Now, not only can you model your life after her and her three televised friends, you can smell like her too! Or, at least, smell pleasing to her. Today Ms. Parker unveils Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker, her new perfume which you can find on the first floor of the Marshall Field's State St. store. Make sure to tell her how your group of friends is exactly like the Sex and the City girls! Call 1-800-MFIELDS for more information. Part of Marshall Field's Fall Fashion Week 2005. (I kid because I love. And it's funny because it's true.)
An Evening of Fashion and Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Marshall Field's team up to present their annual show, An Evening of Fashion and Art. This year's show features such fashion giants as Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake. You can see all the glamour at the Marshall Field's State Street store. Cal 312-397-3857 for more information.
Opening: On the Mark: Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 1989-2004
The Chicago Cultural Center celebrates 15 years of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative with a two-month retrospective. The opening reception starts at 6 PM tonight in the Cultural Center’s Michigan Avenue Galleries, and the exhibit runs until November 6. For more information, check the website or call 312-744-6630.
Butoh Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center
Groping Towards Dance: Butoh and the Origins of Music, the only U.S. butoh festival that features emerging artists, continues tonight in the Sydney R. Yates Gallery of the Chicago Cultural Center at 7 PM. Butoh is an avant-garde dance form developed in Japan in the 1960s. “The first public performances were wild and primal and shocked the conservative Japanese dance community.” Performances in this free program will be followed by talk-backs with the artists. For more information, see the website or call 312-744-6630.
Goodman Theatre furniture and prop sale
The Goodman Theatre is running out of storage space, so they're having a sale today and tomorrow. They'll be selling off an assortment of furniture and props from various Goodman productions. And no, as the Chicago Reader pointed out already, they will not be selling off Del Close's skull. Still, this should be a great place to find some deals on furniture, so check it out. The sale runs today from noon to 6:00 PM, and tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The sale will be at the theater's scene shop, which is at 2040 W. Carroll Street (between Grand and Lake, just west of Damen). For more information on the sale, contact Alice Maguire at (312) 243-7295.
World Music Fest Opens/DJ Ron Trent
Once again, I'm overwhelmed by the myriad of performances at this year's World Music Festival. Starting tonight, and running through September 22, the festival offers a ton of free performances along with some great (and cheap!) shows at venues around town. Something to consider: almost every day has at least one musician either from or based in Chicago. (tonight's local musician: DJ Ron Trent at Sonotheque, 10pm [tickets are $12, not free, as this page proclaims]) Check out a full schedule online and fill your week with some "world music" that doesn't some out of the stereo at the local Starbucks.
