Three hairy jellyfish swimming
BIG HAIRY DEAL The Hairy jelly—also known by its scientific name, Spirocodon
Saltatrix—is one of ten jellyfish species on view in the Shedd’s new exhibit.

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 04.13.11 through Tue 04.19.11:

1

museums Jellies
If it’s been a while since a kid-centric exhibit left you weak in your creaky old knees, these otherworldly sea creatures, whose bodies are 95 percent water (no bones, brains, or blood), just might give you your own case of jellybones. Ogle as more than 100 animals representing ten different species swim languidly in the Shedd’s new 2,500-square-foot display.
GO: 4/15–5/28/2012. Through 4/30: Open daily 8:30–6. $22.95–$37.95. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S Lake Shore. sheddaquarium.org
2

film Fix: The Ministry Movie
The music. The drugs. The ear-splitting noise. From director Doug Freel, who embedded with the Chicago band Ministry and survived, comes this insider’s look at the beloved, if besmirched, industrial-music pioneers. The documentary makes its world premiere here, presented by Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis of WBEZ’s Sound Opinions; a panel discussion following the 7:30 screening features Freel and the band’s onetime bassist, producer, and engineer Paul Barker. The screening also marks the kickoff for this year’s Chicago International Movies & Music Festival; see “Freebies” below.
GO: 4/14 at 7:30 and 10:30. $15. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport. musicboxtheatre.com

ALSO THIS WEEK: One man’s trash is another man’s cinematic treasure: Found Footage Festival, that annual road show of clips salvaged from obscurity, hits the Music Box on 4/15. And on 4/13, the organist Jay Warren plays alongside the 1927 silent film Children of Divorce, part of the Northwest Chicago Film Society’s classic film series at the Portage.
3

concerts Ralph Stanley
It’s many a mile from Clinch Mountain in rural Virginia to Orchestra Hall, but if the 84-year-old Stanley’s fleet-fingered bluegrass can weather six decades of music-industry trends, it certainly can carry him all the way here and back. There may be pickers with more glory and fame (though Stanley did win a new generation of fans with the Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? a decade back) but none can rival his mastery or skill. Consider this a must-see for musical mountaineers of all ages.
GO: 4/16 at 8. $15–$70. Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org
4

dance The Trials of Busta Keaton
A hip-hop homage to silent film, Chicago Dance Crash’s new production, Busta Keaton—as in Buster Keaton meets “Bust a Move”—is loosely based on the life of the comedian known for his agile pratfalls. For full effect, the sets, props, costumes, and even the dancers in this unlikely hybrid will be painted black and white.
GO: 4/15–5/1: Fri–Sat at 8, Sun at 3. $20–$25. Hoover-Leppen Theatre at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted. chicagodancecrash.com

ALSO THIS WEEK: Two celebrations: River North Dance Chicago unveils a new commission by Frank Chaves trumpeting the Illinois-born jazz great Miles Davis on 4/16 at Auditorium Theatre; Trisha Brown Dance Company toasts its 40th anniversary 4/15–17 at the MCA.
5

theatre Eastland
The perfect entertainment for days like these, when you can’t bear to be inside any longer, but the weather hasn’t quite gotten around to cooperating? In the Works, the series of plays-in-progress onstage—but behind glass—at the Pritzker Pavilion. It’s not just the thermostat that makes this a tempting diversion. On deck this week is one of the productions we’re most eagerly anticipating from Chicago’s upcoming 2012 theatre season: Lookingglass Theatre’s original musical Eastland, on the pleasure boat that capsized in the Chicago River in 1915, killing hundreds. It’s a fascinating episode from the city’s history, and in the hands of director Amanda Dehnert (Lookingglass’s Peter Pan: A Play), we expect big things.
GO: 4/14–16 at 7:30. $10. Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Michigan and Washington. millenniumpark.org

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Indie-rock booker Matt Rucins and his son
Matt Rucins

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals (a.k.a. people we like): Matt Rucins, the La Grange native and nearly lifelong Chicagoan who has served as the booker for the taste-making indie-rock venue Schubas (and, now, Lincoln Hall) since 2000.

“On Friday, I’m going to dinner with my girlfriend at a place called Kohan [730 W. Maxwell St.; 312-421-6254] in University Village. After that, I’ll head to Lincoln Hall to see the band Shapers open up for Tobacco. My friend Steve Reidell, who’s one of the DJs from the Hood Internet, it’s his indie-rock band. Shapers play dreamy, airy psych rock that just sounds really amazing in that room.

“Saturday, I’m hoping to grab a couple of friends and head out west to this arcade in Brookfield. My parents still live in La Grange, so I keep passing it every time I go visit them, and my brother keeps pointing it out. You don’t have to use quarters; it’s all the old classic games; and you can play as much as you want. Galloping Ghost, it’s called. Then I want to go to Remember When Records [309 W. Ogden Ave., Westmont; 630-963-1957]. It’s a family-owned record store that’s really well organized and has a ton of 45s. I haven’t been there in years, but I was talking with some friends in the DJ troupe the Only Children when we were all DJing together at the Burlington [3425 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-384-3243] one night, and we decided to do a vinyl shopping trip. My son is five, and I’m trying to teach him how to use the record player—how to put the needle on the right spot and not scratch the record—so I’ve been buying a lot of 45s because they’re cheaper and easier to handle.

“I’ll get the aforementioned son about 5 o’clock on Saturday, so that’s when I’ll move from music-industry-person mode to dad mode. This weekend is the Hideout’s 15th anniversary party [closed to the public], so I’ll probably take him there for about an hour, then take him home and put him to bed. Then I might catch up on my sports. It’s the first Bulls playoff game, so I might watch that. Growing up in Chicago, I had a huge connection to the Bulls. They won their first three championships when I was in high school and their next three when I was in college, so my formative years were dominated by that team. It’s almost an involuntary reaction when they start winning: I think, Yes! I remember this.

“Sunday, I’m going with my parents and my son to see Born to Be Wild, a new IMAX documentary at Navy Pier about people who rescue elephants and orangutans in Africa. It looks fantastic. My mom worked at the Brookfield Zoo when I was a growing up, so it’s the perfect grandparent/kid thing to do.”

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

concerts Bloodshot Records Showcase
The third-annual Chicago International Movies & Music Festival is flush with concerts and screenings, but this lazy afternoon of whiskey and honky-tonk comes with a special incentive: It’s free of charge. Scheduled performers from the longtime Chicago label Bloodshot’s roster include Ha Ha Tonka at 4. Drinks are cash only, but ponying up seven bucks for a Roughneck Manhattan hardly seems like a hardship.
GO: 4/16 from noon to 5. Big Star, 1531 N Damen. cimmfest.org