Girlie-Q Variety Hour

The Girlie-Q Variety Hour is opening their fall season with the Back to School Episode at HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo. Doors open at 7pm for the 8pm show featuring a collection of performers from previous Girlie-Q shows and incorporating drag, burlesque, vaudeville, digital media, music and performance art. Tickets are $10, ages 21+. Later tonight you can catch the troupe at Estrojam at the Circuit Nightclub, 3641 N. Halsted. Doors open at 9pm and the girls go on at midnight. $5 before 10pm, $8 after.

Gen Art Shop Chicago

An evening filled with glamorous fashion and shopping opportunities, Shop Chicago comes around once again to entice all of the consumer inclined. From 5-10pm, the W Hotel City Center will be filled with more than thirty of the "best emerging Chicago designers and boutiques under one roof." And if that doesn't sound good, how about complimentary cocktails and pampering sessions? Yeah...I thought so. Free and open to the public, 21+. Call 312-229-1701 for questions; go here to make the required reservations.

Audrey Niffenegger @ Women & Children First

The wonderfully talented author of our May book club pick, Audrey Niffenegger, drops by Women & Children First tonight to read from her new book. Three Incestuous Sisters is what she calls a "novel in pictures" and showcases those talents she surely puts to use at Columbia College's Center for Book and Paper Arts, where she teaches. Tonight's reading starts at 7:30pm at 5233 N. Clark St. Call 773-769-9299 for more information.

Aloft Aerial Dance "Rolling Blackouts"

Aloft Aerial Dance's debut performance, "Rolling Blackouts" is an aerial performance that explores the power of electricity and darkness in human lives. The show is inspired by the blackouts that plunged much of the country into darkness and by the choreographer's own fear of losing her sight. Using aerial circus equipment, the performers employ contemporary dance techniques and eschew electricity to examine new ways of interacting with the environment. The doors open at 7:30pm with the show starting at 8pm at the Circus Factory, 4430 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $15-$20 and can be purchased at the venue. Email aloftaerialdance[at]yahoo[dot]com for more information.

Ephemera: Zine & DIY Event

Sponsored by the Visual Arts Education Program at DePaul University, Ephemera recognizes and celebrates Do It Yourself zine culture with a showcase of independent media makers, artists, speakers and zine readings. The event is free and open to the public and all kinds of artists, writers, teachers, activists and others are encouraged to get involved. If you'd like to participate in the event, or if you'd just like more information on it, contact Michelle Aiello at ephemera_festival[at]yahoo[dot]com. The event will run from 12-9pm today at the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield.

Opening: Random Acts of Silly

Burnette Entertainment Group presents "Random Acts of Silly," opening tonight at 8pm at the Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark. The show is a collection of sketch comedy mixed with pieces previously performed by Burnette over the years at such venues as Second City and The Producer's Club in New York. Tickets are $10 on Thursdays and $15 on Fridays and Saturdays. Call 773-338-2177 to purchase them through October 15.

Estrojam

Tonight's Estrojam starts at the Chicago Filmmakers theatre in Andersonville. The films are TBD as of this writing, but they promise to be enlightening and entertaining.

The after-party will be at Circuit, starting at 10 p.m. You just can't miss the B-Girl Battle and the Burlesque Revue, and other sexy acts.

The National @ Schubas

The National was the first band I ever heard classified as "sadcore," but I love them anyway. Their new album, Alligator, is a part of my main musical rotation. They're playing tonight at Schubas. Music starts at 10:30pm with Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah opening. From Schubas: "Armed with a deep, rusty baritone resembling that of the Tinderstick's Stuart Staples, singer Matt Berninger imbues each tune with a serene confidence. Meanwhile the lyrics pick through the scattered pieces of past relationships like a weary traveler with nothing but open roads and time on his hands. The band's understated arrangements teem with classic pop elements, which give the seemingly simple songs an extra depth. Vocal harmonies, piano melodies and slide guitar are used sparingly as tasteful embellishments, but never overshadow Berninger's vocals." Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport, at Belmont.