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 26
Slowdown
BY DAY
Saturday, June 30 2012
Wavefront Music Festival
Grab your beach towel, sunblock and shutter shades because Chicago's first beach-side dance festival is hitting Montrose Beach this weekend. Performers with local, national and even international levels of success including MSTRKFT, Duck Sauce and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem will be bumping beats. Wavefront Music Festival takes place June 30 and July 1. Two days passes are $109.99 and single-day tickets are $59.99. Both are available here.
Chicago Craft Beer Festival
The Chicago Craft Beer Festival runs June 29 through July 1 at St. Michael in Old Town, 1633 N. Cleveland Ave. The event includes a street festival with music, arts and craft vendors, food and beer, as well as daily beer tastings. Admission is $5; the beer tastings are ticketed separately. See the site for full details. The festival is open from 11am to 10pm today.
Hyde Park Summer Festival
Everybody loves the sunshine! '70s soulster Roy Ayers and the Average White Band co-headline the 2-day Hyde Park Summer Festival in (you guessed it) Hyde Park this weekend. See the full schedule of events, which run from 11am-9pm each day, and also hosts kids' activities and vendors. The fest takes place on 53rd Street between Harper and Kimbark Avenues. Admission is free, with VIP concert seating available for a fee.
American Music Festival @ FitzGerald's
FitzGerald's, in Berwyn, hosts its 32nd annual American Music Festival June 29-July 3. Dozens of bands play on three stages, while concertgoers enjoy Cajun and Italian food and excellent beverages. Tickets are $30 per day at the door, with a $5 discount for the first hour of each day; children under 12 get in for $5 and can stay till 9pm. Four-day passes are available for $100 in advance or at the door. Doors open at 1pm today, with performances by WPA Barn Dance, Deadstring Brothers, Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound, Kevin Gordon, Joe Pug, the Randall Bramblett Band, Tyler Krienitz, Webb Wilder & The Beatnecks, Jon Dee Graham and the Fighting Cocks, Parlours, Kenny Neal, Ike Reilly Assassination, Chandelier Swingers, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound and Brave Combo. See the schedule for times.
The Hives @ the Vic
Earlier this month, the Hives released their fifth album, Lex Hives, that keeps them churning out frenetic garage rock with hooks galore over a smile and a wink. Over their career, they've made themselves into a premier live band not to be missed. The Hives headline the Vic. Tickets are $27.50. It's 18+ and starts at 7:30PM. The Vic's at 3145 N Sheffield.
Paul Williams: Still Alive @ Film Center
The Gene Siskel Film Center presents a week-long run for the 2011 documentary Paul Williams: Still Alive, featuring a look at the career of the singer, songwriter, and actor. Paul Williams will be at tonight's screening of the documentary for a discussion of the film, moderated by GB's own Steve Prokopy. The film screens tonight at 7:45pm, and runs at the Film Center through July 5. See the Film Center's Website for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets in advance. Film Center: 164 N. State Street. (312) 846-2600.
Facets Night School: Bettie Page, Alucarda, Normal Love
Facets Cinematheque continues its summer session of Facets Night School, a series of midnight screenings paired with lectures and conversations about cult films. Tonight's program consists of Bettie Page short films, the 1963 film Normal Love, and the 1977 nunsploitation classic Alucarda. Tonight's lecturer is Night School regular Bruce Neal. Facets Night School runs through August 25. Tickets are $5, and you can find a complete schedule and advance tickets at the Facets Website. Facets: 1517 W. Fullerton. For more information about Facets Night School, email nightschool at facets dot org.
L.A.T.E. Ride @ Buckingham Fountain
From the night of June 30 into the dawn of July 1, bring your bike and take a 25-mile ride around Chicago's neighborhoods and parks. Festivities begin after midnight at Buckingham Fountain, and the ride ends on the Lakefront Path with a (hopefully spectacular) sunrise over Lake Michigan. Tickets to participate are $45, which gets you refreshments and a T-shirt, along with a goodie bag. The proceeds support Friends of the Parks. For more info and to register, visit lateride.org.
Boobs and Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque @ Gorilla Tango
The world's most adventurous plumbers will finally rescue the Princess and consummate years of amorous toil, or be seduced along the way by their alluring enemies in "Boobs and Goombas: a Super Mario Burlesque" at Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave. Don't forget to bring a few "coins" (or dollars) for tips... If the cast collects enough coins along the way, the audience will unlock the alternate ending! Saturdays at midnight. Tickets are $20. 18+
