Mickey Mouse leads the holiday procession on Saturday.
Magnificent Mile Lights Festival All day Saturday along the Magnificent Mile; free
Let the holiday season begin! Mickey Mouse leads the parade of floats down Michigan Avenue as more than 1 million lights are illuminated to kick off the season. There will be music all day at the Harris Stage (401 N. Michigan Ave.) including Plain White T's at 3 p.m. There's also a fireworks display over the river starting at 7 p.m. Need some help getting into the holiday spirit? Check out our holiday guide.
Wine, women and shoes: everyone likes at least one of these things. Come October 1, you can get them all at UNICEF's fourth annual fundraiser.
Held at the River East Art Center (435 E. Illinois), the $85/head event includes sales of designer shoes, handbags, jewelery and accessories from nationally known boutiques (including locals Akira, Lori's Shoes and Shirise), samples of fine wines (including Alexander Valley Vineyards and Two Angels), a raffle and a silent auction.
Proceeds will benefit UNICEF’s Accelerated Child Survival Initiative, a program that helps to reduce the number of children who die each day of preventable causes. Want tickets? Go here.
The NFL season doesn’t start for another week. But if you’re already sick of football, take advantage of the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago “Getaway from the Gridiron Package,” available starting Sept. 13 (Bears opener) through Super Bowl Sunday. The $175 package includes a 55-minute massage, a spa lunch (read: no beer or brats), a pool/fitness club passport and a free make-up application session at Bloomingdale’s.
Might as well relax a bit. It’s gonna be a loooong season.
Here in Our Town, we like to keep things as easy (read: lazy) as possible. Why take the train when a cab will pick you up? And why take the time and energy to go hail one in the street when you can summon one with a simple text message?
That’s the idea behind GoFastCab, a new service to Chicago that makes getting a cab as easy as sending a text. Just send a text message with your address and city/zip code to 777222 (777CAB) and they’ll dispatch a ride ASAP. They’ll even send you a confirmation text so you know one is on the way and give your cab’s status if you text “STATUS” to the number.
Chicago is only the third market to offer this service (L.A. and San Diego were first) so we can be cutting edge in our laziness.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING SEXY?
Here's your chance to spend an evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who created the daffy performers in the movies "This Is Spinal Tap" (heavy metal) and "A Mighty Wind" (folk music). Appearing as themselves, and playing acoustically, the three will perform songs from their films and crack wise in Unwigged and Unplugged, at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State. Tickets are $35-$55. Call (800) 745-3000; www.thechicagotheatre.com.
1. Liberate your wardrobe by jettisoning your cargo (shorts)!
Part with what the guys in Boystown are calling a fashion faux pas, the cargo short. The clothing boutique His Stuff (3162 N. Broadway and 5314 N. Clark) will give you 10 percent off a new pair of shorts when you exchange a pair of cargo shorts. All trade-ins will be donated to the Brown Elephant resale shop. (773) 989-9111.
2. Exercise your right to vote.
You decide which of the eight improvisers is the “pHunniest” with “pHrenzy,” a spoof of reality shows that features audience-approved eliminations throughout the course of the fast-paced late-night show. $10; 12:30 a.m. at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield. BYOB. (773) 732-5450 for tickets.
3. See how Chicago’s political machine used to work (and, just possibly, how it still does).
Neil Giuntoli doesn’t just portray Richard J. Daley in “Hizzoner: Daley The First,” he seems to inhabit the role of the man who kept the wheels of Chicago’s political machine greased for years. $35. It’s at 7:30 p.m. at the Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont. Tickets: (773) 327-5252.
Neil Guintoli portrays Daley Sr. in the play "HIzzoner."(Sun-Times file)
First, the bad news. Lakeview's popular toy, clothing and sneaker boutique and art gallery A.Okay Official is closing, with Saturday being its last day in business, according to Gapers Block.
The good news? They're closing things out with a huge sale on Saturday, complete with a DJ and refreshments. It's not quite enough to soften the blow, but hey, it's something.
Audarshia of 312DD's got the scoop (we hope she heard via text) on a special celebrity appearance at Rockit Bar & Grill tonight. Ed Westwick (aka Chuck Bass) and his "Gossip Girl" co-star and possible real-life girlfriend, Jessica Szohr (aka Vanessa Abrams) will be on hand from 7-10 p.m. to help launch Target's new "Bullseye Bazaar" pop-up shop.
Want to meet the sneaky bastard and his occasional booty call (the two were actually caught kissing off set recently)? RSVP for the party, which includes cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, at vip@rockitranch.com.
Hey, bookworms! Three events for you to get out of the house for this week:
Steve Harvey, who's been sitting pretty atop the best seller lists for a few weeks, signs Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, 6 tonight at Borders, 830 N. Michigan.
Find those great editions you've been hunting at the Northwestern University Library Book Sale. Pick from nearly 8,000 books — including a 1920 edition of F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise — mostly priced from $3 (hardcovers), $2 (paperbacks) and less. It runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at 1970 Campus Drive in Evanston.
Actress Julianne Moore is in town promoting her children's book, Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully. She'll sign copies of the book from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Bloomingdale’s, 900 N. Michigan; and at 4 p.m. Monday at Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville.
Cory Campbell browses through vinyl at Val's Halla Records, a 40-year-old Oak Park establishment.(Sun-Times file)
For dedicated music lovers, every day is Record Store Day, but in these times of turbulent change in the music industry, Saturday has been singled out by retailers for a special celebration of the sort of independent, Mom-and-Pop shops that not only stock the great stuff you'll never find in the big-box stores but also remain invaluable centers of this city's musical community.
A full list of participating stores can be found at www.recordstoreday.com, and most are planning free in-store performances as well as selling the soon-to-be-collectible special releases issued by many bands to mark the occasion.
Among the local highlights are appearances by Disappears (5 p.m.) and "a long-standing and well-liked Chicago punk band" at Reckless Records at 1532 N. Milwaukee; Azita (noon) at Laurie's Planet of Sound, 4639 N. Lincoln; Company of Thieves (call 708-456-0861 for time) at Rolling Stones Records, 7300 W. Irving in Norridge, and the Luck of Eden Hall (2 p.m.) at Vintage Vinyl, 925 Davis St. in Evanston. -- Jim DeRogatis
Women of Chicago: Tired of running your fingers through your boyfriend's gnarly hair? Do you keep encouraging him to wear hats, even though he still looks like a doofus? Well, Pete Wentz has a solution for you. Take a photo of the guy's ridiculous hair, then log onto Fall Out Boy's Friends or Enemies site and submit it. From there, we'll allow whoever wrote the copy on that Web page to explain: "Homeboy will then be in the running to win a brand new haircut and style at the Clandestine Industries Salon, thanks to our good friends at AXE Hair. Between 40 & 50 dudes will get restyled over 3 days and will then be ready to take on the world looking so fresh and so clean … with girl-approved hair."
For those of you who begin craving the return of farmer's markets — which always seem to start so laaaaaaaate — Crain's has an item mentioning Saturday's super-cool Andersonville Winter Farmer's Market at at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave.: "In addition to root vegetables, mushrooms and other goodies, the market will have baked goods, live music and kids' activities." It runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Andy Katzman slips into his Snuggie at a friend's apartment on a bitterly cold January night.(Sun-Times file)
Life is so much rosier now that I can stay warm and blog at the same time, thanks to the convenient sleeves on my Snuggie. If you, too, have joined the Snuggie cult (Or Slanket, or whichever brand of blankets with sleeves you choose), you'll soon find another glorious use for the hands-free function of the invention — hoisting a few, this spring during the Snuggie Pub Crawl along Lincoln Avenue.
Originally scheduled for March 21, news today via NBC Chicago has the event moved to April 18. (Er, will we still need the snuggliness of a Snuggie in April?) More than 2,300 people have signed up already. And, NBC adds, "Don't forget, it's BYOS – Bring Your Own Snuggie. You can purchase Snuggies at local retailers like Walgreens, or order them online by this Saturday, Feb. 28 to ensure delivery before the pub crawl. And a nice side note, the Snuggie Pub Crawl team is donating proceeds from the event to the AC-Orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania."
HYNDE & COMPANY The Pretenders will rock the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Expect songs from their most recent album, “Break Up the Concrete,” as well as hits from its 30-year repertoire. American Bang will open. Tickets are $43. Call (312) 559-1212; www.ticketmaster.com.
It may not be quite as cool as the bacon bra, but if you're looking for a way to combine meat and underwear, Isabella Fine Lingerie's "Beers, Brats and Bras" event could fit the bill. From 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today at 840 W. Armitage, guys can eat brats and drink beer while browsing for a Valentine's Day gift.
Not sure about your mate's bra size, and don't want to get caught snooping in her top drawer? Just ask Isabella's Boobologist, who can give you an accurate prediction just by looking at a picture. Where do you go to school for that?
In this economy, it's every fashionista for herself; if you see a good deal, you've gotta pounce. And so, it's with only the slightest amount of guilt that we point you to the 40-percent-off sale at independent boutique SoKo Fashion (1925 W. Chicago). The reason for the unholy discount? The place is going out of business at the end of February, says Gapers Block.
It's not too early to begin planning your summer style, and we think these new All-Stars emblazoned with Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco's lyrical opinions are pretty cool. Entitled the 100 Supplementaire, these kicks are part of the Product (Red) charity campaign, and they're due on shelves within the month at all Converse retailers.
1. Living like Dean Martin with stiff pours and 50s kitsch at the Orbit Room.
2. Cruising the Milwaukee Avenue strip of sausage shops in Jackowo, a k a the Polish Village.
3. Getting cozy at Karaoke Tuesdays and Saturdays at Alice's Lounge. A dearth of seating requires you strike up a conversation with the guy next to you ("Buy me a drink?") or else get up and perform ("Make that a double.")
ELECTRONICA SHOWCASE
Are you a former jam-fan who's found life beyond Phish? Do you think music made with only guitars and drums is soooo last century? If so, this showcase of top electronic artists is for you. Headliners the Disco Biscuits have been creating their electro-jam fusions for years, and recently have begun to add elements of hip-hop to their serious grooves. RJD2 and Prefuse 73 know a thing or two about that genre; RJ's 2002 album, "Deadringer," is considered a modern classic for beatheads, and Prefuse's glitchy soundscapes have been rapped over by MCs like local standout Diverse. Show time is 8 p.m Saturday at the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee. Tickets, $25. Call (773) 276-1235; www.congresschicago.com.
POLITICAL HUMOR
"Flock Around Barack" and "Monster Crash" are two of the songs the musical satirists the Capitol Steps will sing to usher in the new Obama administration through Sunday at the Centre East at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The Capitol Steps, with topical skits featuring the likes of the Supreme Court singers (pictured), was formed in 1981 when three staffers of former Sen. Charles Percy (R-Ill.) got bit by the performing bug. Tickets are $46-$48. Call (847) 673-6300; www.centreeast.org.
