Chicago Jazz Festival

The Chicago Jazz Festivalcontinues today with several performances at the Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph, and at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

Chicago Cultural Center
Randolph Café
12-1pm: Hector Silveira Septet
1:30-2:30pm: The Grilly Brothers Sextet

Claudia Cassidy Theater
12:15-1:15pm: James Dapogny: "Art of the Solo"
1:45-2:45pm: AACM Experimental Ensemble

Preston Bradley Hall
12:30-1:30pm: Tomeka Reid's Hear In Now Trio
2-3pm: Jim Cooper's Mallet Madness

Pritzker Pavilion
4-4:50pm: Lincoln Park High School Jazz Ensemble and Noteworthy
5-5:50pm: James Dapogny
6-6:55pm: Mike LeDonne Trio with special guest Eric Alexander
7:10- 8:10pm: Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Orchestra
8:30-9:30pm: Ramsey Lewis 75th Birthday Celebration

All performances are free. See the festival website for more details.

North Coast Music Festival @ Union Park

The inaugural North Coast Music Festival is taking over Union Park this weekend for three days of primarily electronic, hip-hop, jam, and rock music. North Coast is the collaborative effort of a handful of independent promoters in Chicago, and is a fine addition to the packed summer music festival scene in our city.

North Coast kicks off tonight with headliners The Chemical Brothers and Paul Van Dyk.

Tickets are $40 (with a $5.99 processing fee) and are available online here. Gates open today at 4pm, and the festival goes until 10pm. There is no re-entry, and Union Park is located at 1501 W. Randolph St, just at the corner of Lake and Ashland.

Midnight @ The Music Box: Back to the Future

Robert Zemeckis' iconic 1985 film is back! For two nights only, tonight and tomorrow, come out to the Music Box to see Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, the film that made time-traveling DeLoreans cool again. Show starts at midnight! 3733 North Southport Avenue.

Street Anatomy @ International Museum of Surgical Science

Street Anatomy, a group exhibition focusing on representations of human anatomy in contemporary art and pop culture will open tonight from 5pm to 9pm at the International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive. More information about the exhibition is available on the corresponding blog.

The Cremaster Cycle @ The Music Box Theatre

The acclaimed five-part Cremaster Cycle is an evocation of the creative process by sculptor and performance artist Matthew Barney. Barney's celebrated Cremaster Cycle is not now, nor will it ever be, available to consumers on DVD. Music Box Theatre is extremely proud to present all five parts along with the Chicago premiere of De Lama Lamina. Opens tonight and runs through September 9.

Opening Reception for Rar Rar Press show @ Inkling

Lakeview shop/gallery Inkling is throwing an opening reception for letterpress artist Rebecca Ann Rakstad, the maker behind RAR RAR PRESS. Snarky sentiments meet positive reinforcement with these original prints, notebooks and stationery. Each are hand set using wood and metal type old school style. The show runs until September 27th. Inkling is located at 2917 1/2 N. Broadway St., Chicago. (773) 248-8004. The reception tonight runs from 6pm-10pm. Free admission.

The Sicilian Girl @ The Music Box Theatre

The true story of a 17-year-old girl who broke the Sicilian Mafia's code of silence and testified against the "family business" after her father and brother were murdered - is brought to vivid life in this hard-hitting drama. The Sicilian Girl opens tonight at the Music Box Theatre and runs through Sept. 16.

Patricia Treib @ GOLDEN

Come out to 6:00PM to Golden Gallery, 816 W. Newport to the opening reception of an exhibition of new paintings by Patricia Treib. Featured in this exhibition will be two corresponding bodies of work which include intimate paintings on paper and large gestural paintings on canvas. The two different modes operate on different scales and tie abstraction to a process of un-naming.

New Work from New York @ GOLDEN

Starting at 9:00 at GOLDEN, 3319 N. Broadway wil be a debut of New Work
from New York. Running through October 16th, this is a group exhibition featuring the work of Richard Aldrich, Jessica Dickinson, Josephine Halvorson, Erik Lindman and Eric Palgon.

First Fridays: MAZES @ MCA

Come out tonight to at 6pm to the MCA, 220 E. Chicago Ave, for their First Fridays! This issue is fashion focused, featuring a cinematic performance with Ben Russell and Joe Grimm entitled MAZES. Tickets are $18 at the door and $13 in advance, available through the MCA Box Office at (312) 397-4010 or online. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.

The Hudson Branch, Camera, Reds and Blue, and My My My @ Metro

Tonight Gapers Block and CHIRP welcome a host of Chicago talent to the stage at the Metro. Headlining is The Hudson Branch, and the evening will include Camera, Reds and Blue, and My My My. Tickets are $6 adv/ $9 day of show (or FREE with this special flyer (designed by GB staffer Antonio Garcia) before 9pm, $6 if you bring the flyer after 9pm) 18 +. Doors open at 8pm with My My My starting the night off at 9pm. The Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark St. 773-549-4140. RSVP on Facebook if you like!