Friday
Nora O’Connor (shown above) @ Evanston SPACE
You might not know Nora O’Connor by name, but odds are that you’ve heard her stunning voice. She has contributed to albums by Neko Case, Andrew Bird, The New Pornographers, Mavis Staples, Otis Clay, Archer Prewitt, and a score of other musical heavyweights, and she boasts a beautiful solo album on Bloodshot. Her real claim to fame, however, is being married to a coworker of the girlfriend of web editor Scott Morrow.
Riot Fest @ House of Blues, Double Door, Cobra Lounge, and the Congress Theater
Music editor Jamie Ludwig will be bringing whomever she can to Riot Fest, a three-day bonanza of punk rock, highly anticipated reunions, and special guests. Check back on Friday for our festival picks.
Blind Faith Café, My Morning Jacket (canceled)
Before Friday’s show at the Evanston SPACE, Scott and his lady will be eating at the Blind Faith Café, an inventive vegetarian restaurant that also resides in Evanston. The meals aren’t overly cheap, but if you’re veg around Chicago, it looks like a dream; Blind Faith lays claim to a lengthy menu that includes tofu crab cake, eggplant lasagna, lemon seitan, Tunisian couscous, roasted butternut squash, and a pear and goat cheese salad.
Editor, publisher, and all-around boss man Chris Force planned to see My Morning Jacket later in the evening at the Chicago Theatre, but the group had to postpone its Chicago shows after vocalist Jim James sustained injuries in Iowa City.
Dan Deacon @ Epiphany Episcopal Chicago Church
What? Spastic electro nerd Dan Deacon performs on sacred ground. This can only be awesome.
After Deacon’s show, some of us may see Bill Maher’s potentially brilliant documentary Religulous or Oliver Stone’s unprecedented biopic W., a film about the travails of George W. Bush’s life that opens on Friday.
97th Anniversary of National Day in Republic of China
Earlier in the day, Scott and his Chinese-American lady (and maybe his Chinese-American boss) may attend the Double Ten Parade in Chicago’s Chinatown (celebrating Chinese independence and featuring a 100-foot mystical dragon). Either way, Scott, Chris, and Jamie will be drinking bubble tea somewhere.
Sunday
Millennium Chamber Players @ Chicago Cultural Center
With beautiful renditions from classical and contemporary canons, the Millennium Chamber Players perform for free at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall. This mid-afternoon performance includes music by preeminent Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, Cuban pianist Rubén González, and a host of others.
Monday (Columbus Day)
When we’re not posting something on this here site, we’ll likely be sleeping or going to a barbeque.