Contretemps Contemporary Ballet challenges the stereotypes of the form in Heat Lightning. Ethereal visions of swans, sylphs, shades, and sugarplums? A way of moving that puts the court in courtesy and curtsy ..read more

Founded by Lorna Donley and David Thomas of DA!, the Veil broke up in 1989 without a formal release—but this month they finally get one. Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who've been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place ..read more

A playwright's playwright, Sally Nemeth planted seeds of encouragement and collaboration. Editor's Note: Sally Nemeth, an early force in the growth of Chicago as a city that nurtures new plays, died on July 30 at age 62 in Los Angeles after a long illness. Though she had moved away from Chicago in 1995, her influence continues to be felt by those who worked with Nemeth here in the 1980s and 90s ..read more

The vintage reseller Luvsick Plus focuses on extended sizes that can be hard to find in thrift and consignment shopping. Finding a good selection of clothes that not only fit but tell a style story is a challenge for most plus-size people ..read more

An immersive art exhibition in DuPage County brings the Sistine Chapel to the former site of the Sears store at Oakbrook Center. It had been almost exactly 30 years since I’d seen my favorite gorgon ..read more

This is the first time I’ve reviewed a soundtrack without seeing the movie, but a good soundtrack should stand on its own. And in the case of Annette (which comes out August 6), the soundtrack was created by Sparks—a band I’ve loved since I was a young lad—so I was more than up for the challenge ..read more

I routinely scroll through all the new music people have uploaded to Bandcamp using the “Chicago” tag, and in January I noticed something curious: Still Paying, the previously unreleased second album by local hip-hop duo Abstract Mindstate. The group recorded it in 2004 and planned to release it in ’05, but the material got shelved and they broke up that year ..read more

Upcoming events and recommendations for the next seven days Here are some events, screenings, exhibitions, performances, and other activities to help you continue to enjoy summer, this weekend and beyond. Fri 8/6, 7 PM: American Blues Theater presents a live Zoom reading of the award-winning play Refugee Rhapsody, about an Arab American woman going through a mental health evaluation to determine what led to the violent crime she committed against a rich heiress ..read more

Just what the doctor ordered! 30-something suburban doctor (Skokie) in search of 20-something city dwelling playmate for conversation and sensual play dates ..read more

Jackie Hayes left behind a devout Christian upbringing in Waukegan to move to Logan Square at age 19 and pursue her music career on her terms. As a frequent opener at Schubas and other local clubs, she refined her attitude-heavy vocal melodies supported by simple, sludgy guitar lines and loose hip-hop drums ..read more