Stony Island Arts Bank
6760 S. Stony Island Ave.
With 5,000 records from the late DJ Frankie Knuckles, 60,000 art history slides, a massive Johnson Publishing library (pictured), and a collection of racist memorabilia, this 17,000-square-foot South Shore space is artist Theaster Gates’s kingdom of curiosities.
Up Next 1975, a collection of work by the late Noah Davis rebuild-foundation.org
The Silver Room
1506 E. 53rd St.
On any given night at this recently relocated gallery-meets-jewelry-shop, you might find owner Eric Williams spinning records from his personal “dusties” collection or a group of young poets testing new material at an open mic. “It’s coprogrammed by the community,” says Williams of his sleek, minimalist salon.
Up Next Poets Kevin Coval and Nate Marshall will read on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. thesilverroom.com
Southside Hub of Production
1448 E. 57th St.
This ever changing, roving art space shapeshifts every few months, morphing into anything from a gallery to a film screening. “All we need is an empty space and an idea,” says founder Laura Shaeffer.
Up Next The Teachers Lounge, a community-led arts project, through March 31. southsidehub.wordpress.com
Bing
307 E. Garfield Blvd.
Sourced from secondhand shops and private collections, the carefully curated titles in Theaster Gates’s bookstore read like a syllabus for the world’s most radical art history class.
Up Next Boozy browsing: A wine bar is set to open soon (no date yet) in the back of the shop. bingartbooks.com
The Promontory
5311 S. Lake Park Ave.
Credit booker Jake Austen for what has fast become one of the city’s hottest music clubs, with regular gigs from the likes of the South Side Big Band and Corey Wilkes.
Up Next Jeezy’s Juke Joint: A Black Burly-Q Revue (March 11 to 12) promontorychicago.com
The Revival
1160 E. 55th St.
“Improv comedy was born on this corner,” says producer John Stoops. He’s referring to 55th and University, where his three-month-old comedy club now stands. Sixty years after the Compass Players (a troupe that included Mike Nichols and Bernie Sahlins) performed in this neighborhood, Stoops pays tribute four times a week with a lineup of standups and improv groups.
Up Next The Revival Hour, a comedy-variety show every Saturday at 8 p.m. the-revival.com