The Ten
Don’t-miss picks for November 1 through November 7, 2017
1 A Tribe Called Red
World:This trio has made a career of blending First Nations music—a catchall term for songs penned by the indigenous people of Canada—with hip-hop, electronica, and even dubstep. Here, the group hits the road in support of its third album, We Are the Halluci Nation, which has already earned plaudits in the trendsetting blogosphere.
11/2 at 9 p.m. $15–$18. Bottom Lounge. ticketweb.com
2 COCo. Dance Theatre
Dance:COCo.’s artistic director Cynthia Oliver makes her Chicago debut in Virago-Man Dem, which examines masculinity within African American and Caribbean cultures through choreographed movement and spoken word.
11/2–4. $24–$30. Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. colum.edu/dance-center
3 Peacebook
Festival:Theater, dance, and spoken word take over La Follette Park in the second annual Peacebook series. Saturday’s notably jam-packed lineup includes a dance-off in an iridescent “dome of dance,” a family-style meal, and a community discussion about peacemaking in Chicago.
FREE 11/2–4. La Follette Park. collaboraction.org
4 SOFA
Art:One of the season’s most satisfying events for art collectors, SOFA—which stands for “sculptural objects and functional art and design”—fills the pier with thousands of stunning pieces of art and handcrafted objects. New this year: an ask-a-curator booth, where experts dole out pro advice about the best galleries.
11/2–5. $20–$150. Navy Pier. sofaexpo.com
5 Colleen
Electronic:This avant-garde French artist (real name Cécile Schott) has a new album, A Flame My Love, a Frequency, which was inspired by her brush with the Paris terrorist attacks (she was near the site hours earlier). The result is a deeply experimental LP probing Schott’s perception of death via Moog keyboards and pedal synths (and reminiscent of groundbreaking artists like Arthur Russell and Mary Lattimore).
11/3 at 6 p.m. $10–$20. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. mcachicago.org
6 Gallery Weekend Chicago
Art:The art scene gets an autumnal boost with two weekends of pop-up galleries, performances, and artist talks, all surrounding the theme of “No Borders”—a nod to the spread of galleries across Chicago. The 25 participating locations include Western Exhibitions, Linda Warren Projects, Goldfinch, and the new Logan Square space M. LeBlanc.
FREE 11/3–5 and 11/10–11. Various venues. galleryweekendchicago.com
7 The Consul
Opera:Chicago Opera Theater, a company with less financial heft than the major houses, scored a coup two seasons ago by landing superstar Patricia Racette for half a double bill. She returns for Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Pulitzer-winning opera The Consul, a story of personal struggle under totalitarian rule.
11/4–12. $45–$145. Studebaker Theater. chicagooperatheater.org
8 Lucky Plush Productions
Dance:Julia Rhoads and Leslie Buxbaum Danzig present their third collaboration, Rooming House. Using dance and text, the pair stage a game of whodunit within the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice—all in Lucky Plush’s quirky, comedic style.
11/4–18. $30–$40. Lucky Plush at Steppenwolf. luckyplush.com
9 Bill Walker
Art:The Chicago muralist’s later works get the spotlight in Urban Griot. See “Exhibit Shows Rarely Seen Works by the Father of the Urban Mural” for more.
FREE 11/5–4/8. Hyde Park Art Center. hydeparkart.org
10 Kelela
R&B:This L.A. singer has built a career on singles, mixtapes, and EPs. Here, she tours behind her first proper LP, Take Me Apart. The release deviates from the propulsive sounds that put Kelela on the map, but her flawless vocals are present as ever.
11/6 at 8 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. Promontory.