Can the Admiral Theatre strip itself of the past?
Months after the strip club settled a federal harassment and discrimination lawsuit via a consent decree, we went inside to see whether management is keeping its promises.
news & politics
New federal lawsuit accuses feds, Indiana of human rights abuses in “Speedway Slammer” immigration jail
The lawsuit claims people detained at Indiana’s Miami Correctional Facility endure unsanitary conditions, violations of their constitutional rights, and abuse from jail staff.
Cook County groups want a budget freeze for the sheriff and state’s attorney
A coalition of more than 55 organizations wants Cook County to freeze spending on the sheriff and state’s attorney amid a $550 million deficit and redirect the money to public defenders and violence prevention.
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Sacred exploitation
Black Magic With Buddha (1983) and Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors (2026)
After decades of fusing dance and jazz, Takuya Nakamura’s audience has finally flocked to him
Sat 11/28 at Subterranean
The Atmospheric Music Alliance gives away $5,000
Three ambient artists will split the nonprofit’s latest pool of grant money. Plus: Beat-scene musician Megiapa returns to Chicago for a headlining show.
The Godfather of Steppin’ made every dancer feel like a star
Friends and family remember the late Sam Chatman and the seven decades he spent sharing music and spreading love.
The AmAuteur Film Festival champions no-budget filmmaking
Andy Krysiak and Luke Socie will host the second annual shorts fest at Bookclub on November 8.
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News & Politics
Automated license plate readers, explained
What you need to know about the network of surveillance cameras cropping up in communities across the U.S.
Feds tapped local surveillance networks in botched Chicago prosecutions
During their failed efforts to prosecute Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ruiz, federal authorities accessed a network of Chicagoland license plate readers and surveillance cameras.
Rally calls on Governor J.B. Pritzker to honor constitutional right to rehabilitation
Advocates gathered on September 17 in support of reinstating parole in Illinois, which has been abolished since 1978.
Music
A year of rap from #NewChicago
It might be a movement, it might be a scene, or it might be a secret third thing—but whatever it is, it’s got room for Thirteendegrees°, Your Stepdad, Xella Red, OkDeazy, and more.
Exhumed drive death metal through your skull on Red Asphalt
Wed 11/25 at Reggies Rock Club
Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten revives two projects from his Chicago days
Fri 11/27 at Hungry Brain
Stevie Wonder celebrates 50 years of his magnum opus, Songs in the Key of Life
Sat 11/21 at United Center
Film & TV
Goodbye, Captain Picard
Patrick Stewart, dead at 86, the actor who made championing art and justice sexy.
Review: La bola negra
Despite what seems like a corny premise, La bola negra artfully explores fascism and queerness.
Review: Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a celebration of Black artistry 50 years in the making.
Review: You Can See Everything
You Can See Everything smartly examines perception and truth in classic Nathan Fielder form.
Theater, dance, comedy
The Royale at Writers Theatre is a TKO
Marco Ramirez’s play dramatizes the story of Jim Crow-era Black boxer Jack Johnson.
A debate between a professor and a student carries profound implications in The Niceties
Eleanor Burgess’s two-character drama is stirring and relevant at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre.
Bertolt Brecht gets a suburban-mom makeover in Adirondack Chair Circle
Stephanie Alison Walker’s world premiere at Steppenwolf tackles book banning, women’s identity crises, and a scatological crow.
Three friends face religious trauma in Church Hurt
Red Theater presents the world premiere of Brynne Frauenhoffer’s smart and compassionate drama.
Visual Arts, books
Gaza in bloom, from memory
“New Forms of Survivance,” at Watershed Art & Ecology, foregrounds the resilience of Palestinian artists from Gaza.
‘Groundwork’ measures the lifeblood of the city
The sixth iteration of Æcumen investigates Chicago’s urban foundation.
The late Kenzi Shiokava gets his first solo museum exhibition
The MCA’s survey of the Los Angeles sculptor is full of motion.
CITY LIFE
Cooking traditions
Honoring tradition my own way
Indulge in pawpaw season
In a world of underripe produce shipped from thousands of miles away… celebrate what we have here.
Food & Drink
Yido relaunches Chicago’s craft makgeolli movement
With his fizzy flagship White Tiger, Peter Chung makes the city safe once again for artisanal Korean rice wine.
Immigrants power Chicago’s food industry
Still think anti-immigrant policies only impact immigrant communities? Your stomach would like a word.
Guava is a bridge between past and future for immigrant cafe and bakery owners
For Colombian, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Venezuelan, and Cuban cooks, the fruit allows the memory of home to live on.
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Spend your summer immersed in art and performance at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art
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For nearly 60 years, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) has sought to nurture and showcase some…
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