Kurt Chiang

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Kurt Chiang, a local performer and writer of the new experimental piece, Analog, performed by the Neo-Futurists. Analog opens on Monday 3/4 at 7:30 p.m.

“Friday, after our first preview, it is likely we'll go to the friendliest Turkish bar in Andersonville, Konak, with its calming blue lighting aesthetic. This place is the Neo-Futurists’ second home. Try the chicken chops. Either that, or Simon’s, just down the street. Great jukebox there.

“Saturday, it'd be nice to spend some money on music. Laurie's Planet of Sound in Lincoln Square carries a wide selection of used vinyl, and they dedicate a section to the unique Chicago-based “archival record label,” Numero Group. Then there’s Permanent Records on the West Side, with their super-nice, super-unpretentious staff. Permanent’s website is telling me if I buy the album of a selection of artists playing at the Empty Bottle, they’ll add my name to the guest list of those upcoming shows. Good news, considering I'm already planning to attend three of those—Talk Normal, Pissed Jeans, and White Lung.

“Let’s imagine I wake up before 1 o’clock on Sunday for a leisurely brunch at Svea. Try the limpa. Then, comic books! Alley Cat Comics is a few blocks north, and I pass it every time because it’s hidden. That night, it’ll be nice to see our very own Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. This isn’t so much a shameless self-promotion as much as a desire to see more of our brand new Neo-ensemble members we just cast. Both Lily Mooney and Malic White are in the show right now. And I’d like to see their work, and steal all their ideas for my own plays.” —As told to Abigail Tracy