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
Friday, April 19
Slowdown
BY DAY
Saturday, February 09 2008
Handmade Market @ Empty Bottle
Affordable, handmade, mostly local items. caveat: 21+ and parents with kids (same goes for sellers). Noon-4:30 p.m. 1035 N. Western Ave. Free. For more info, call 773-276-3600.
Chocolate Festival @ Garfield Park Conservatory
The 9th Annual Chocolate Festival at Garfield Park Conservatory is a celebration of all things chocolate. Educational seminars on the origins of chocolate, as well as the process of chocolate and candy making will be given, along with fun activities for the kids (and chocolate manicures and massages for adults--how Sybaris!). Suggested donation $1. Festival runs today and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
Love-o-Rama @ The Grand Central
Hosted by the Young Professionals Board of The House Theatre of Chicago. Guests can mingle with company members of The House as they enjoy drink specials throughout the evening along with a DJ, dancing, raffle prizes, a make-out booth and other surprises! Raffle tickets are for purchase during the event or in advance from members of the Board. Raffle prizes include a Nintendo Wii, Apple iPhone, spa package, certificates to various theatres in Chicago and much more. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. 950 West Wrightwood Ave. For more info, visit the Website.
Comptrollin' on a Saturday Night @ the Note
Following on the raucous success that was the first installment of Comptrollin' back in December, Comptroller Records shifts focus to The Note and drops more rock'n'roll science on the unassuming public. Snd on Snd opens the festivities with some driving, energetic punk rock sure to please the bodyshakers in the audience. The Sharks play second, celebrating their two-year anniversary with a collection of jams off their forth-coming LP. Bringing it all back home are Cookies and Dirt, a live-band hip-hop outfit that is destined to rock some bells. Tickets are $7 and the show starts at 9pm.
Philip Glass in Conversation @ AIC
As part of the yearlong American Perspectives series of events examining the interrelationships between visual art, music, and literature, composer Philip Glass gives a concert that includes a poetry and piano duet. In Fullerton Hall, 111 S Michigan. 6 PM. Tickets are $25 to $30; advance purchase is recommended. For more information, visit the website.
Lunar New Year parade on Argyle Street
Starting at 11:30am Saturday on Argyle Street and Broadway Ave., check out a spirited parade and festivities welcoming in the Year of the Rat this Lunar New Year. Look for specials at area businesses which include a plethora of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants and shops. Public transportation is easy, just take the Red Line to Argyle Street in Uptown, and you're there! Free!
Vegan Valentine's Party @ Framing Mode & Gallery
Mercy For Animals' 3rd annual valentine's party benefits MFA's animal advocacy work. $20 (advance) or $25 (door) includes spirits and vegan hors d'oeuvres & sweets. Best Dressed in Red Contest, cruelty-free silent auction and dance beats spun by DJ Veganinblack & DJ Microbe. Framing Mode & Gallery, 1526 S. Wabash. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Cupid's Day Out Craft Show
Cupid's Day Out is a six-hour showcase of 12 cool designers who make everything from funky jewelry and knitted items to clothing, handbags and fancy soaps. Shop to your heart's content from 11 am - 5 pm at Flourish Studios, 3020 N. Lincoln.
Marklund's 12th Annual Top Hat Ball @ Grand Ballroom
If you can't make it to New Orleans this February, this is the next best party! This year's Top Hat Ball is themed "Mardi Gras." Party-goers enjoy a New Orleans-style brass band, dancing, caricaturist, tarot card reader and fortune teller, and a full-out Mardi Gras parade. Since 1954, Marklund has provided quality, compassionate care for people with disabilities. 6 p.m. $300 per person includes gourmet dinner, all drinks, and entertainment. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. Call 630-624-9874 or visit here to register.
Peter Hoffman: Post-Paintings Reception @ mini dutch gallery
Peter Hoffman's Post-Paintings travel back to Chicago to be exhibited for the first time as a group. Post-Paintings are small, oil-on-canvas pieces, which Hoffman produces after taking into consideration a form submitted by a hopeful participant. The form, found on multiple websites, comprises of a series of yes or no questions. The completed forms are mailed to Hoffman, where he then produces a painting and ships it back free of charge. The end result is receiving a unique and intimate piece on the doorstep. The project, which has been in progress for about a year and a half, allows Hoffman to continuously produce a body of work, taking the responses into consideration, but also using improvisational sources and concepts during production. In this loose form of painting, Hoffman has the freedom to work figuratively or abstractly. He incorporates everything from animals, to color studies, to ancient Greek sculpture, all the while using these as a means to experiment with color and techniques. Through March 2. 7-10 p.m. 3111 W. Diversey, first floor. For more info, visit the Website.
Velnias, Oakeater, Locrian @ Mr. City (Fulton Market)
Saturday night's alright for blight - three exponents of far-field horror sound assemble at Mr. City (1133 W. Fulton Market - enter on May, one block east of Racine). Velnias is old-school Black Metal stylings - think Gorgoroth and early Darkthrone. Oakeater play with atmospheres and movements that resemble forest folk, black metal, power electronics, industrial, and free improvisation in equal measures. Locrian is two guitars spinning a web of terse rhythms and tonalities, no doubt set to a darker hue for this sun-impaired evening. 9 p.m., $5, BYOB, dress warm. More at Transmission.
