Gangsters and Gurus Opening Night

In Gangsters and Gurus: A Search for Something Sacred in America, brothers John and Rich Green talk and play songs "to create the story of one man’s search for his own personal voice in the midst of the endless noise of today’s American culture." Showing Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 3, through April 7 at the No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood. Tickets are $20, $10 for students. For reservations, call 312-464-0093.

Beasts! Release Party @ Quimby's

Beasts!, an illustration collection curated by Jacob Covey and featuring several Chicago-based artists, celebrates its release at Quimby's, 1854 W. North Ave., tonight at 7pm. A bunch of the contributors will be on hand to sign books, including Dan Grzeca, Jason Robards, Little Friends of Printmaking, Anders Nilsen, Julie Murphy and Justin B. Williams. Read Kara Luger's preview and interview with the Little Friends in Book Club.

Alejandro Escovedo @ Old Town

Alejandro Escovedo, a musician who might define his own genre, plays 2 shows (7 & 10 pm) at the Old Town School of Folk Music (4544 N. Lincoln). Chuck Prophet opens.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Old Town's box office or online at Ticketweb. For more information call 773.728.6000 or visit the website.

Reverend Horton Heat @ Metro

Psychobilly superstars Reverend Horton Heat bring their search for girls with bad reputations to the Metro for two nights. Liquor in the front, poker in the back. Metro, 3730 N. Clark, 6PM, $22. 18+. Tickets available through Ticketmaster (boo, hiss). With The Tossers and and Murder By Death.

Joe Colley & Jason Lescalleet @ Odum

Joe Colley & Jason Lescalleet, two experimental musicians who work with tape loops and malfunctioning equipment, will bring their surreal soundscapes to Odum (2116 W. Chicago) on Friday and Saturday. Friday night's show will be solo performances; Saturday night will be performed as a collaborative duo. $12 for one night admission, and if you attend Friday night's show, you get in on Saturday for free. Sponsored by Lampo. More info at Transmission.

Jon Brion @ Steppenwolf

Producer, composer, musician, and mad musical genius Jon Brion plays at Steppenwolf as part of Traffic Jam 2007. At last year's Intonation Music Festival, Brion wowed the crowd with his energetic performance jumping from drums to piano to guitar. Just like his Largo shows in Los Angeles, expect special guests. For more information, visit Steppenwolf or call 312-335-1650.

Demons, Dead Machines, Failing Lights etc. @ Enemy

Tonight at Enemy (1550 N. Milwaukee (3rd Floor), Chicago), members of the underground industrial group Wolf Eyes will be performing in a variety of non-WE permutations. Nate Young appears in duo project Demons; John Olson with his wife Tovah as Dead Machines; and Mike Connelly solo as Failing Lights. Also on tap: Solotroff/Soliday collaboration, and Vertonen. More info at Transmission.

March of the Chefs @ Timo

Slow Food Chicago presents the March of the Chefs tonight at 6:30pm at Timo, 464 N. Halsted. Chefs from across the country who attended the Terra Madre Congress in Turin, Italy last October, will be holding special benefit dinners in their restaurants to share their Terra Madre experiences. A portion of the proceeds from these dinners will go towards Slow Food Nation, a four-day celebration to promote and reinvigorate America’s diverse food traditions, planned for May 1-4, 2008, in San Francisco. Tonight's event is hosted by Terra Madre chef John Bubula and features a four-course dinner with wine pairings and hors d’ouevre, with grass-fed beef from TallGrass Beef Company. Tickets are $50 per person and space is limited, so call 312-226-4300 now to reserve your spot.

Chicago Dance Crash at Lakeshore Theater

The KTF Championship: Battle for the Belt

An army of dancers battle it out in four rounds of fast-paced, head-to-head contests to earn your vote and ultimately win "the forty pounds of gold." Chicago Dance Crash presents its first ever dance-improv showdown, packaged with raucous entertainment and a rowdy disposition! Enter the arena and help crown the new "Keeper of The Floor."

The show runs March 9th & 10th at 8 pm at the Lakeshore Theater on 3175 N. Broadway. Tickets are $13 in advance or $18 at the door. Call 773-472-3492 to reserve your tickets.

For more information read this article.

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