Chicago Reader
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Chicago Reader
Unwritten
In the project 60 wrd/min art critic, writer Lori Waxman explores how art writing can serve an expanded field of artists—including those incarcerated, trying to gain visas, working to establish themselves professionally, or just wanting feedback for a secret hobby. For this iteration, Waxman reviews an exhibition by recent SAIC MFA student Abdulrahman Hamdi. Abdulrahman […]

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3/23/2026, 10:34:27 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego is a fanciful take on a well-worn story
El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego , through 4/4 at Lyric Opera

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3/23/2026, 10:28:32 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Evanston faith leaders denounce Chicago real estate firm for contracting with ICE
Interfaith clergy, immigrant rights advocates, and a former prisoner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gathered at Evanston’s Sherman Plaza on Friday to announce their opposition to Chicago-based real estate investment trust Highlands Real Estate Investment Trust’s plan to lease a vacant jail near Denver to the federal government for immigration detention.  “Our message […]

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3/23/2026, 5:41:19 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Filter Photo’s annual survey show
“Context 2026" through 4/18 at Filter Photo

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3/23/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The trippy vibe at Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
After my son’s basketball games, it’s not uncommon for us to take the kids out for ice cream. But this time, we got a lot more than a simple sugar high. It was late in the evening, and we innocently headed to the closest ice cream shop Google Maps had to offer. Little did we […]

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3/20/2026, 2:03:47 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Acoustic guitarist Gwenifer Raymond plays sci-fi-themed fingerstyle blues at escape velocity
Gwenifer Raymond Sun 3/29 at the Hideout

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3/20/2026, 11:54:35 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Local witch-house artist Häxa welcomes spring at Reggies Music Joint
Häxa Sun 3/29 at Reggies Music Joint

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3/20/2026, 11:54:33 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
One TRiiBE, divided?
*Disclosure: Chicago Reader social justice reporter Devyn-Marshall Brown is a unionized employee represented by the Chicago News Guild, which currently represents workers who are unionizing at the TRiiBE.  What do the Christian Bible and the National Labor Relations Board have in common? They both say you only need a minimum of two people to start […]

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3/20/2026, 11:39:47 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Blowouts, quince curls, and 27 years of miracles at Margarita’s Hair Design
In October 1998, Margarita Duarte did not know that a short walk with her husband would lead her to the hair salon that would shape nearly 27 years of her life. She thought they were headed to the corner store near their home in Avondale. Instead, he opened the door to the space and told […]

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3/20/2026, 9:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The fight over Illinois’s data center boom is coming to a head
At a packed and contentious Joliet City Council meeting on Tuesday night, opponents outnumbered supporters of a proposed data center at the edge of the city, not far from a large warehouse development. People spilled out of the chamber. Some wore union shirts bearing the names of their local chapters, and representatives for IBEW 176 […]

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3/20/2026, 7:35:57 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
You’ll feel beautiful when Eat Steak Chips and Late Night Noods unite at the next Monday Night Foodball
Last week, Tony B and Chef T were shopping for fresh chicken paws at Costco. At roughly $11 for a five-pound package, that’s a good score. B, the chef and steak chip tycoon formerly known as Tony Balestreri, gave pedicures to the paws he purchased, with rainbow polish and a topcoat. “It took forever,” he […]

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3/19/2026, 2:44:46 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Memories of a Window captures a revolutionary portrait of Iran
In Memories of a Window, revolution arrives framed by a phone screen. The documentary short by Chicago-based Iranian filmmakers Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar had its world premiere in February at the 2026 Berlinale. Assembled from footage the pair recorded as students in Tehran alongside videos posted online during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, […]

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3/19/2026, 12:11:33 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Colors that rhyme, clash, and dance
“Matisse’s Jazz : Rhythms in Color" through 6/1 at the Art Institute of Chicago

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3/19/2026, 10:54:49 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The Drowsy Chaperone delights at Theo
The Drowsy Chaperone , through 4/19 at Theo, Evanston

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3/18/2026, 11:04:13 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
White Rooster examines ghosts, longing, and desire at Lookingglass
White Rooster , through 4/26 at Lookingglass Theatre

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3/18/2026, 10:49:22 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The Jackie Wilson Story returns to Black Ensemble Theater
The Jackie Wilson Story , through 4/26 at Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center

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3/18/2026, 10:25:17 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
When words fail
Song About Himself , through 4/5, Theater Oobleck at Facility Theatre

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3/18/2026, 10:06:49 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
A tasty amuse-bouche
Fully Committed , through 3/28 at the Den Theatre

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3/18/2026, 9:53:08 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
A nose for sweetness
Cyrano , through 4/12, Theatre Above the Law at Jarvis Square Theater

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3/18/2026, 9:40:17 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary in wide release in theaters

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3/18/2026, 8:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Heavy Crownz aims for the Chicago rap canon with Trench Baby Turned Farmer
Last week, Englewood rapper Heavy Crownz released his accomplished new album, Trench Baby Turned Farmer. “Clap for Me!” makes a great showcase for his earthy vocals, emotive flow, and forthright lyrics, and its lightly funky, dragging melody sounds like a sun-beaten G-funk track played backward. Crownz clearly wants to canonize himself in Chicago hip-hop history, […]

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3/18/2026, 6:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
How the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin got their land back
The Oneida people have inhabited the Great Lakes region for millennia, and their ancestral lands include approximately six million acres in present-day New York state. During the American Revolution, the Oneidas served as crucial allies of George Washington’s colonial army, delivering hundreds of bushels of corn to feed his starving soldiers at Valley Forge. After […]

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3/18/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The Sunny Naqvi case shows how outrage, politics, and incomplete information collide
As a journalist, it’s always been important for me to center the people directly impacted by injustice and tell stories that capture their full humanity, not just ones that fixate on their trauma. So, when I opened Instagram last Friday and learned that 28-year-old Sundas ‘Sunny’ Naqvi, a U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent, had allegedly […]

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3/17/2026, 11:34:53 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Undertone
Undertone in wide release in theaters

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3/17/2026, 8:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
After O’Grady
“I Dream I Cross the River in One Stride" through 3/28 at Mariane Ibrahim

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3/17/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Divine Hammer
Divine Hammer screening Wed 3/18 at Facets

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3/16/2026, 2:26:04 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: André Is an Idiot
André Is an Idiot in limited release in theaters

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3/16/2026, 2:26:02 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Framing a new Butterfly
Madama Butterfly , through 4/12 at Lyric Opera

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3/16/2026, 1:03:56 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Rapper Chris Patrick hopes his good luck holds on Pray 4 Me
Chris Patrick Wed 3/25 at Subterranean

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3/16/2026, 9:01:12 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Lamb of God hew to their antiauthoritarian roots on Into Oblivion
Lamb of God Wed 3/25 at Aragon Ballroom

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3/16/2026, 9:00:58 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Footballhead prove that butt-rock nostalgia is real
Footballhead Sat 3/21 at Reggies Rock Club

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3/16/2026, 9:00:46 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Portland’s Spoon Benders will transfix you with their timeless vintage grooves
Spoon Benders Fri 3/20 at the Hideout

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3/16/2026, 9:00:44 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Imagining a world where the people win
Ask an independent Chicago bookseller what’s been a consistent bestseller over the last few years, and they’ll point you to an aqua blue paperback emblazoned with a New York City subway map and the five boroughs in varying shades of red. It’s called Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune 2052-2072, […]

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3/16/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Drawing is magic
“Cataclysmic Ecstasy and Apocalypse" through 3/15 at UIC 5th floor gallery

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3/13/2026, 10:39:36 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Sandy Shinner: a godmother of Chicago theater
Women’s History Month can feel like a joke sometimes (a whole month? For us? Golly!), given the ways that women’s rights are being torn apart here and elsewhere. But one thing I’ve learned in my many years of covering the performing arts is that women are often the backbone of these organizations as administrators, artists, […]

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3/13/2026, 9:56:47 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Bland ambition
The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film buff, collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to offer. “Ambitious” can mean many things when it comes to a movie. Sometimes it’s used reverentially—for example, one might call a film like Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 […]

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3/12/2026, 2:00:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Vladimir
Vladimir streaming on Netflix

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3/12/2026, 9:31:18 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: The Bride!
The Bride! in wide release in theaters

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3/12/2026, 9:31:16 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Age gaps and power traps
“Emancipation Park" through 3/28 at SkyART South

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3/12/2026, 6:51:43 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best NSFW AI Character Chat Sites of 2026
The rise of AI porn chat sites in the last several years, especially those designed to simulate romantic or erotic connections, signals more than just a shift in how we relate to technology, it touches on something deeply human: the desire to be seen, heard, and wanted. Whether you’re texting a synthetic girlfriend over lunch […]

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3/11/2026, 11:01:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Chekhov in the tropics
Two Sisters and a Piano , through 3/29 at Writers Theatre, Glencoe

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3/11/2026, 1:43:34 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
The Dress-Up Play encourages kids to embrace their identities
The Dress-Up Play , through 3/29, Jackalope Theatre at the Broadway Armory

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3/11/2026, 1:29:37 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
The ‘Red Scare’ and the small screen
Changing Channels , through 4/12 at City Lit Theater

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3/11/2026, 1:08:45 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Scratching under the surface
Cats , through 3/29, Music Theater Works at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie

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3/11/2026, 12:54:42 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Walkabout jumps back onstage
Poor Poor Lear , 3/12-3/15, Walkabout Theater at Chopin Theatre

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3/11/2026, 10:55:55 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
What are REITs—and what do they have to do with immigration jails?
The rapid growth of immigration jails across the U.S. is an unfolding horror story—one financed by more ordinary Americans than many would care to imagine, often without their knowledge. On February 27, Chicago Reader news editor Shawn Mulcahy reported on one such prospective detention facility, Big Horn Correctional Facility in Hudson, Colorado. The 1,200-bed prison […]

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3/11/2026, 9:23:30 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Preview the new and uncompromising Kimski menu at the next Monday Night Foodball
Won Kim plated up the kimchi-topped Polish sausages at Maria’s to keep the freeloaders from taking advantage of the bar. The year was 2015, and Kim, a culinary student, graffiti artist, and DJ, had become a regular at Bridgeport’s Maria’s Packaged Goods. On Mondays—industry nights—Ed and Mike Marszewski began offering free Polish sausages topped with […]

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3/11/2026, 8:16:53 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
In Pursuit Of updates Crime and Punishment
In Pursuit Of , through 3/15, Sub Rosa Theatre Collective at Greenhouse Theater Center

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3/11/2026, 7:39:23 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
The new Roadhouse Magazine comes with an OK Cool option
Since its launch as an online publication in 2023, Roadhouse Magazine has been covering Chicago’s independent rock and punk scene. Its turf includes classic-rock lovers Damager, good-vibes queer pop-punks Pinksqueeze, and art-punk imps Background Character, who often play at venues such as Gman Tavern, Beat Kitchen, and the downstairs space at Subterranean. Readers of the […]

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3/10/2026, 12:10:05 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Hoppers
Hoppers in wide release in theaters

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3/10/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Review: Sirāt
Sirāt in limited release in theaters

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3/10/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best AI Hentai Generators of 2026
AI-generated hentai sits at a provocative crossroads where fantasy meets technology, and desire is woven into each and every line of code. Once a niche corner of anime fandom, hentai has since evolved into a dynamic, digitally-driven genre shaped by both cultural taboos and creative experimentation. Now, with the rise of inexpensive, accessible generative AI […]

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3/9/2026, 10:42:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
‘What does real investment look like to you?’
What if the $500 million in state dollars dedicated to the development of a sprawling quantum computing campus in South Chicago was instead given to local residents to invest in their community as they see fit? That was the question at the heart of the Southeast Side People’s Assembly, a gathering organized by the community […]

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3/9/2026, 10:12:04 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best Free Sexting Websites and Apps for NSFW Messaging Online in 2026
‘The days of romantic ink and parchment love letters are long gone, and digital seduction has become all the rage. Why wax poetic when you can hammer out a few crass lines and toss in some dubious emojis? Whether we like it or not, sexting has become a widespread and normalized part of modern communication, […]

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3/8/2026, 11:26:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Reader-recommended Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr events
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan—a time when Muslims come together for prayer, shared meals, charity, and moments with family and community. After a month of fasting from dawn to sunset, Eid arrives as a celebration and a time of togetherness for Chicago’s Muslim communities, which span many cultures, traditions, […]

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3/6/2026, 1:07:50 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
The death of diversity
The University of Illinois (UI) system’s administration emailed department heads on October 14 that it was pulling funding for scholarships awarded to students based on race. Jeremiah Abiade, head of a program created to support Black students pursuing careers in science and engineering at the college’s Chicago campus, didn’t get the message. “Communication was not […]

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3/6/2026, 12:56:35 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Ed Wilkerson Jr. has helped Chicago jazz turn a sound into a community
On November 1, 2025, I saw an incredible show at the Empty Bottle as part of the club’s 33⅓ Anniversary Series. The concert also celebrated the release of a new box set of live recordings from the Empty Bottle Jazz & Improvised Music Series, which John Corbett and Ken Vandermark ran from 1996 till 2005. […]

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3/6/2026, 12:29:45 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Wao wows at the Goodman
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , through 4/12 at Goodman Theatre

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3/6/2026, 12:29:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
Chicago Opera Theater’s Der Silbersee
Der Silbersee , through 3/8, Chicago Opera Theater at the Studebaker Theater

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3/6/2026, 9:30:13 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Chicago experimental duo Cleared make drone tracks for ambient dance heads
Cleared Sat 3/14 at Constellation

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3/6/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Clarinetist James Falzone makes solo music that imagines a long-overdue better world
James Falzone Sat 3/14 at 2156 W. Fulton

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3/6/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Chicago’s Broken Left Foot draw from alt-rock’s deep well on Adaptor
Broken Left Foot Wed 3/18 at Beat Kitchen

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3/6/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
South siders Lost Legion make oi! for everyday people fighting back against the feds
Lost Legion Sat 3/14 at Cobra Lounge

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3/6/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Nuestro Chicago Archives and the power of family photographs
Social Fabric is a glimpse into the vibrant lives, objects, and spaces that shape our city, cocurated with community archives and local photographers. shira@chicagoreader.com Nuestro Chicago Archives values the nostalgia of physical media. The act of printing photographs, picking them up from Jewel or Walgreens, and placing them in a physical photo album is now a […]

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3/6/2026, 5:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Paletero bells to whistles: Latine creation is an act of resistance in Chicago
I grew up on Chicago’s south side, in the heart of Little Village, surrounded by the sounds of paleteros ringing the bells of their ice cream carts, the bright colors of freshly cut fruit, and the aroma of tamales filling the streets. The bells meant summer. They meant joy. They meant children running outside with […]

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3/5/2026, 2:02:00 PM PDT
Chicago Reader
An AI character comes to life in Morning, Noon, and Night
Morning, Noon, and Night , through 3/28, Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit

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3/5/2026, 11:14:18 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Theatre Y’s Charges (The Supplicants) updates Aeschylus for the urgency of our times
Charges (The Supplicants) , through 4/12 at Theatre Y

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3/5/2026, 10:53:42 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
A wedding and a funeral
Pivot , through 4/4 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

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3/5/2026, 10:39:24 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Going through the motions
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Winter Series, which ran February 26 to March 1 at the Harris Theater, featured a mixed bill of three full company works by Amy Hall Garner, Juel D. Lane, and Nacho Duato. The works by Garner and Duato were created on different cohorts of the company, 17 years apart.  In Garner’s […]

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3/5/2026, 7:54:07 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Estrella del Mar’s pan-Latin-Hawaiian coastal cooking comes to the next Monday Night Foodball
It is often said that the best poke on Oahu is served at Foodland Farms supermarkets. But for Star Urquidi, her best poke was her first poke: at a little restaurant near her junior high school in Honolulu. “Me and my friends would go whenever we could come up with some money and get spicy […]

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3/5/2026, 7:03:51 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Meet me in the middling
The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film buff, collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to offer. As many of my fellow film critics will attest, the hardest films to write about are often the middling ones. Perhaps you even liked such a film, enjoyed the time you […]

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3/5/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Gasoline and slot machines
It’s long been frowned upon to drink beer at a gas station. But a quirk in Illinois law has recently led such businesses across the state to secure liquor licenses that let customers drink on premises. It’s not really about the booze. It’s about gambling. In 2009, Governor Pat Quinn signed the Video Gaming Act, […]

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3/5/2026, 4:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Reform in reverse at the State’s Attorney’s Office
It has been just over a year since Eileen O’Neill Burke took office as Cook County state’s attorney. Now is an appropriate time to assess how her policies are impacting our communities. The state’s attorney is one of the county’s most powerful elected officials, determining who receives mercy and who faces lengthy sentences, whether law […]

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3/4/2026, 7:24:34 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best Chicago DJ bottling music into scent
I first heard of Zernell Gillie when midwest perfumer Alie Kiral (Pearfat Parfum) mentioned him on Instagram, which led me to discover his fragrance House, a lush scent named for the homegrown electronic music style. One whiff and I was back at Smartbar in 2016 with my husband, bodies in motion under the dance-floor lights, […]

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3/4/2026, 7:09:58 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 Music & Nightlife poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: Music & Nightlife

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 Food & Drink poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: Food & Drink

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 Sports & Recreation poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: Sports & Recreation

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 City Life poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: City Life

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 Buy Local poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: Buy Local

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
2025 Arts & Culture poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago's best—and runners-up: Arts & Culture

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago, our love letter to the city
The choice to exist in a community is holy.  Every pause to say hello to a neighbor on the block, every moment to make sure we’re collectively good, the plucking of thick, waxy greens from a backyard garden for shared nourishment, every swap of the neighborhood broom and shovel (yes, we have communal ones on […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: Sports & Recreation
The post Best of Chicago 2025: Sports & Recreation appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: Food & Drink
The post Best of Chicago 2025: Food & Drink appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: Music & Nightlife
The post Best of Chicago 2025: Music & Nightlife appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: City Life
The post Best of Chicago 2025: City Life appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: Buy Local
The post Best of Chicago 2025: Buy Local appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best of Chicago 2025: Arts & Culture
The post Best of Chicago 2025: Arts & Culture appeared first on Chicago Reader .
3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best experimental cocktail bar that still feels like home
There are a lot of places that make Albany Park the neighborhood I want to live in forever, but one spot that I hold dearly is Bokeh. It’s the rare type of neighborhood bar that redefines what experimental cocktails can feel like and who they’re actually for. Tucked into an unassuming storefront on Kedzie Avenue, […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best third-party food delivery platform inspired by the theories of a late 19th-century Russian anarchist
If he were alive today, Pyotr Kropotkin probably wouldn’t recognize a tamal. But the Russian philosopher, who popularized the concept of mutual aid, would definitely understand the principles guiding this five-year-old volunteer bike squad that got its start delivering hundreds of burritos every month to hungry Chicagoans in collaboration with the Chicago Burrito Brigade. Last […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best vegan restaurant doing comedy and giving back
I first heard about Kale My Name in 2020 when it opened in Albany Park during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, at a time when most restaurants were only offering takeout or closing their doors completely. A mutual friend, Chicago comedian Tina Youkhana, kept posting about it on Instagram, and it stuck in my head. Growing […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best gay time machine
Visiting Second Story Bar is like stepping into a time machine that takes you somewhere that shouldn’t exist at the place and time that it does. Its low-key Streeterville entrance feels like a secret—yes, it’s up those dingy, carpeted stairs—and leads to a cozy, cash-only joint with a mere 36-person capacity. Bartender Jack Kinsella calls […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best coffee and community hub started by a young entrepreneur on the far south side
Local businesses are often cornerstones of Chicago neighborhoods, creating spaces that foster community and connection. There are just a handful tucked into the corners of my far south-side neighborhood—including the renowned sandwich shop, Home of the Hoagy—but one of my favorites is Erin’s Cup & Cookies. Alongside her partner at the time, Khale Hunter, Erin […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best leaf-wrapped brick of deliciousness
Vietnamese and Vietnamese-adjacent people don’t need me to tell them about bánh chưng, not any more than my fellow white folks need me to explain that fruitcake exists. But maybe, like me, you’ve been shamefully slow to try all the glossy green leaf-wrapped packets sold at bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores in Uptown’s Asian enclave. […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best combination of food and vibes at an African restaurant
If you feel like tasting food from the motherland, you don’t have to travel as far as you might think. In the heart of Hyde Park is Mahari, a charming restaurant that hits the vibes and flavors of the African diaspora with a Creole interpretation. “Mahari” means “gift” in Swahili, and Chef Rahim Muhammad provides […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best mommy and me boutique with baby clothes cute enough for a doll
BabyDolls Boutique On a cold December night, I stepped into BabyDolls Boutique on Southport. I’m in the middle of my surrogacy journey, and I was hoping to find something sweet to hold onto while waiting for my little one. Inside feels like a daydream you can shop. A surreal bow mural adorns the wall, and […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best feminist gift shop that turns browsing into community time
The stretch of Damen south of Winnemac Park has the sort of magic that keeps you walking, just to see what surprises the street is hiding. I first wandered into Bon Femmes with my friend Anna Martin, a vintage seller with a soft spot for 80s excess and bright accessories, who wanted to see what […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best informal dining spot where you can order lepeshka after 11 PM on a Wednesday
Albany Park has the broadest array of international dining options of any neighborhood in the city. Stand at the nexus of Lawrence and Kedzie, pick a direction, and you’ll have more restaurants you can explore in two blocks than your stomach can accommodate over the course of a few weeks. That is, of course, if […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best coffee shop ‘made possible by immigrants’
Walking into Bueno Days, the first thing you notice is the sound. It doesn’t have the quiet, screen-glow stillness most coffee shops chase. People are greeting someone they know, catching up at the community table, moving through the space as if it belongs to them. It feels like the heart of Little Village, warm and […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best connection-sparking, intimate dinner party
Ommi Foods was founded in 2023 with the goal of showcasing the cuisines, cultures, and stories of mother figures through intimate pop-ups. Their first was “A Palestinian Ghada,” with subsequent events celebrating Bosnian, Sri Lankan, and Nigerian food. Then, in March 2025, Ommi collaborated with Vietnamese and Lao comfort food pop-up Về Lại to host […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT
Chicago Reader
Best beet-centric wellness resource
These are yucky times, and it’s easy to feel yucky. The solution? Beets. Better yet: Bani’s Beets. The beet-centric wellness spot, located in Beverly, began as a health experiment while founder Auriel Banister was navigating an autoimmune disease. In search of something that made her body feel better, Banister began juicing regularly and experimenting with […]

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3/4/2026, 7:00:00 AM PDT