Don’t-miss picks for June 6 through June 13, 2017
1 Moby Dick
Theater:Captain Ahab sails again in David Catlin’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s seafaring classic (first mounted in 2015 to critical plaudits). Unlike the book (where you plod through 300 pages before the whale shows up), Catlin’s version is action-packed from start to finish.
6/7–9/3. From $35. Lookingglass. lookingglasstheatre.org
2 Chicago Film Archives Media Mixer
Film:The Chicago Film Archives possesses an extensive collection of locally made, independent avant-garde art films. Each year the organization invites artists to remix their holdings into new audiovisual collages. Alison Cuddy hosts the screening event, followed by a DJ’ed after-party.
6/8 at 8 p.m. $15. Hideout. chicagofilmarchives.org
3 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Dance:Hubbard Street’s summer series kicks off its 40th anniversary season. Founder Lou Conte’s The 40s and Twyla Tharp’s The Golden Section find their way back into circulation, along with a section of Alejandro Cerrudo’s exquisite One Thousand Pieces and favorites from the past two seasons.
6/8–11. $30–$102. Harris Theater. hubbardstreetdance.com
4 Lizzo
Hip-Hop:In the fall of 2016, this Minneapolis MC released her major label debut, Coconut Oil, a short, eclectic collection of catchy tunes that reflected a confident and capable new rapper. If 2016 was Lizzo’s breakout year, 2017 will test her all-but-inevitable staying power. Catch the rising star before she graduates to larger stages.
6/9 at 9 p.m. Metro. Sold out; available from resellers. stubhub.com
5 Chicago Blues Festival
Blues:Headlining this year’s fest are Austin guitarist Gary Clark Jr., genre pioneer William Bell, and a collaboration by local rapper Rhymefest and harmonica whiz Billy Branch. Read more here.
FREE 6/9–11. Millennium Park. cityofchicago.org
6 Midsommarfest
Festival:Midsommarfest boasts neither the hippest bands nor the trendiest food, but for 52 years it has served as the gold standard of Chicago street festivals. Call it Andersonville’s Old Faithful: laid-back, family friendly, and one of Chicago’s last neighborhood-oriented celebrations.
6/9–11. $10 donation. Clark between Foster and Catalpa. andersonville.org
7 Michael Che
Comedy:Michael Che is the rare standup comic who can get into the nitty-gritty on labyrinthine issues of politics and policies (chalk it up to years of pulling from the headlines for The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update”). Watch him poke fun at those issues on this tour, an extension of his 2016 Netflix special Michael Che Matters.
6/10 at 7 p.m. Thalia Hall. Sold out; available form resellers. stubhub.com
8 John Legend
R&B:Between earning acting credits on films (La La Land) and becoming a new father, this R&B crooner released a critically acclaimed album late last year. Darkness and Light, a collection of soulful piano tunes, harks back to Legend’s early-aughts debut. Catch the charismatic showman at this double bill.
6/10 at 5 and 8 p.m. $153–$173. Ravinia. ravinia.org
9 World Naked Bike Ride Chicago
Recreation:Strip down and saddle up: This clothing-optional (and technically illegal) ride comes but once a year. Last year’s event drew more than 2,000 bicyclists in the buff, riding to promote body positivity and green transportation. Don’t let the name keep you away; participants are invited to wear as little or as much clothing as they like.
FREE 6/10 at sundown. West Loop. (official starting location and time posted online June 10). chicagonakedride.com
10 Pilsen Food Truck Social
Food:This Lower West Side shindig, in partnership with Chicago’s Revolution Brewing, reliably draws some of the city’s best mobile eats, not to mention musicians and local artisans. In years past, acts like CumbiaSazo!, the Hood Internet, and the Chicago Mariachi Project have turned this block of 18th Street into one big dance floor. Performing this year are Sonorama, Ganser, Escort, Dos Santos, Luke Henry, and more.
6/10–11. $5 donation. 18th and Allport. pilsenfoodtrucksocial.com