Danilo Pérez
ALL THAT JAZZ The CSO’s Keys to the City Piano Festival opens this week with
headliners such as the jazz man Danilo Pérez, who shares a double bill with the
husband-and-wife duo Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap on 5/25.

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 5.23.12 through Tue 5.29.12:

1

jazz Danilo PÉrez, Renee Rosnes, and Bill Charlap
The Keys to the City Piano Festival, Symphony Center’s three-week, multi-genre celebration of the infinitely versatile ivories, kicks off today—and its main jazz offering, on 5/25, is one of the highlights on this season’s jazz calendar. A powerhouse doublebill features a Monk-influenced solo set by Danilo Pérez, the brilliant Panamanian composer and improviser, plus a two-Steinway performance from the husband-and-wife duo Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap.
GO: 5/25 at 8. $28–$85. Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org
2

theatre I Am Going to Change the World
From Andrew Hinderaker (author of the deeply affecting Suicide, Incorporated) comes the tale of a boy who plans to be a billionaire by 35. He seems arrogantly close to achieving his goal when a small failure sends his life careening in another direction.
GO: Previews 5/24–31, $20. Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W Chicago. chicagodramatists.org
3

festivals Festival of Aloha
Roughly translated, the Hawaiian word “pono” means goodness. Chicago’s inaugural fest for all things pono—from Tahitian dance to ukulele technique, including an attempt at assembling the world’s largest-ever lesson for the wee instrument—could be as good as it gets.
GO: 5/24–27. Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544-45 N Lincoln Ave. Prices, schedule: festivalofaloha.com
4

galleries Adriane Herman at Western Exhibitions
Few sights are as blissful to the compulsive listmaker as a page full of scratched-out to-dos. The artist Adriane Herman collects all kinds of lists and transforms the completed ones into large, colorful wall appliqués that seem tailor-made for type A personalities.
GO: 5/25–6/30. Western Exhibitions, 119 N Peoria, 2A. westernexhibitions.com
5

rock/pop Red Hot Chili Peppers with Little Dragon
The funk-punk pioneers are closing in on 30 years together, and their rubbery rhythms and acid-rock guitar are as half-baked and fun as ever. But our money’s on the opener Little Dragon, a Swedish electro quartet that plays soulful, sly, down-tempo dance jams.
GO: 5/28 at 7:30. $40–$60. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim, Rosemont. ticketmaster.com

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

What I’m Doing This Weekend is crossing its fingers for a rain-free, sun-filled long weekend at backyard barbecues, the newly reopened public beaches, and free outdoor concerts (such as the one below).

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

rock/pop Downtown Sound: Kelly Hogan
Hogan, who spent a good chunk of the last 20 years singing sweet-as-honey backup for big voices such as Mavis Staples’s, has a lot of friends. And she asked a few—including M. Ward, Robyn Hitchcock, and Robbie Fulks—to pitch in with her latest solo album, I Like to Keep Myself in Pain. She hits the road this summer—starting here—for a cross-country tour, which later ropes in a few more pals, including Neko Case and Andrew Bird.
GO: 5/28 at 6:30. Millennium Park, Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street. explorechicago.org

 

Photograph: (PÉREZ) COURTESY OF TKA