The Chicago Traveler

I’ll be heading out of town this weekend, but for those of you staying here in Chicago, you’ve got lots to look forward to.
• The 11th Annual Chicago Improv Festival takes place at various locations and includes performances by Paul Scheer, Jack McBrayer, and John Lutz. (ends June
• The largest free outdoor blues event in the world, the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival, features local, national, and international entertainment on six stages in Grant Park with more than 90 performances. (ends June
• More than 170 current and classic films will be shown this summer in neighborhood parks throughout …read more

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• Learn about the causes and outcomes of earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and more at The Field Museum’s new exhibit, Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters. (through Jan 4)
• The Las Vegas male revue Thunder from Down Under is coming to Chicago for a 75-minute performance at Crobar. Meet and greet the hunky hotties after the show. (May 23)
• Grab your tent and your sleeping bags and head down to Three Sisters Park for Summer Camp 2008. The weekend event features over 60 bands, including moe., the Flaming Lips, and OAR. (May 23-25)
• The R-rated, Tony Award-winning musical comedy Avenue Q …read more

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Looptopia, the annual dusk-till-dawn artistic and cultural celebration, lights up the downtown area again this Friday, May 2. This all-night festivity features 300 artists in 100 venues for 14 hours. More than 100,000 people attended last year. Locals, tourists, students, families, artists, musicians—Looptopia invites and entertains them all.
Just to give you an idea, here’s what you can expect to find:

Over 50 groups and soloists offering everything from jazz to electronica to pop to classical.
20 performers show off their moves in ballet, bellydancing, tap, salsa, fire dancing, and more.
Acrobats, circus performers, shadow puppets, experimental artists, and a preview of the 2016 …read more

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This season of the Bravo Network’s Top Chef was filmed here in Chicago, exposing competing chefs from all over the country to all the culinary treats the Windy City has to offer.
This week’s Quickfire Challenge required each chef to make a unique dessert. It may sound simple, but desserts have been the downfall of many contestants in previous seasons. Desserts can be more complex than the entrees that precede them. While chefs can often throw ingredients together to make a meal, using “a pinch of this” and “a handful of that,” desserts frequently require exact measurements and recipes. Cooks may …read more

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Young hopefuls head to Los Angeles hoping to find their big break in Hollywood. Starry-eyed dreamers make their way to New York City looking for fame on Broadway. And what do budding performers find here in the Windy City? Chicago’s main reason for its improv-comedic fame: The Second City.
The term “Second City” has long been a nickname for Chicago, which once was the largest urban area second to New York City. In the 1980s, Los Angeles surpassed Chicago in population and area, but the moniker remained. Now it is the name of Chicago’s long-running (and perhaps most famous) improvisational comedy …read more

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• These are the last few days to take part in the Chicago Originals Restaurant Week Celebration. A select number of restaurants offer two- or three-course dinners specially priced at $20.08 in honor of the New Year. For a list of participating businesses, head to http://www.chicagooriginals.com/ (ends Feb 3)
• Brrrr… It’s cold out there, which is perfect weather for Chicago’s newest attraction, Paintings Below Zero. A brilliantly colored ice wall that is nearly 100 feet long (30 m) and over 10 feet tall (3 m) is the largest and perhaps most stunning work from Canadian artist Gordon Halloran. (Feb 1-29)
• …read more

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With so many appointments and tasks to keep track of, it’s not uncommon for us to forget things here and there. I can’t count the number of times I’ve left behind my wallet, keys, cell phone, etc. But have you ever forgotten… your pants?!
Improv Everywhere, a comedy group based in New York City, is holding their annual No Pants Subway Rides, and they’re encouraging cities across the nation to get involved. At about 2:00 p.m. on Saturday (Jan 12), Chicagoan pranksters will gather at the Loyola Red Line stop (map). Once everyone is together, these brave citizens will remove their …read more

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When you’ve had a rough day, you need a great place to blow off some steam. Pressure Billiards & Café in Edgewater is a chill place where you can play a little pool, have a few laughs, and even grab a few bites.
Wahib Merchant, owner and avid pool player, opened this neighborhood favorite back in 2005. This pool hall may be a bit upscale, but the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. I love to play pool, and even though I’m not very good at it, I never feel intimidated or out of place when I’m there. The hall has about …read more

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Head of Femur, a Chicago indie rock band, will be performing at the Logan Square Auditorium tonight. After going through several musicians to fill out and complete their sound over the years, the group is now settled on a five-piece lineup. Staying true to their trademark funky sound, they continue to produce inventive and bold music. Be sure to catch this free show before the band begins its three-week nationwide tour.
The popular open-end show “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” continues on this weekend as it has for the past nineteen years, making it the longest-running show in …read more

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