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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

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The 2016 World Series feels like a lifetime ago for some Chicago Cubs fans. Last year could be considered a step in the right direction, as the Cubs finished the 2022 campaign very strong.

Now that the offseason is in full swing, and free agency doors are open, fans are wondering whether or not their team will finally spend big again.

The Cubs have erred on the cheap side of things for a few years now. Since winning the title, it has seemed as though the front office is satisfied. Winning one World Series in over 100 years was enough for them, so why try to win another? That’s the attitude fans have felt, and it’s rang loud and clear through the moves they have made in the past couple of seasons.

But, it appears as though the Cubs are finally ready to spend big. According to the latest reports, the Cubs are going hard after a few big names: shortstops Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Are the frugal, selling days finally over with for the Chicago Cubs?

The North siders have gotten rid of just about every major name from that World Series run, trading away guys like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. They have let plenty of others walk in recent offseasons, too.

But finally — finally — it looks like the Cubs want to be winners again.

Sure, it’s only been six years — but it’s been a long six years. Since that title, the Cubs have never been the same. Now, Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer look like they’re ready to spend a whole lot bigger than recent offseasons.

Correa would, of course, be one of the biggest prizes of this free agency group. The Cubs would have to pay him far more than the other three, but he would be worth it. Last season, Correa posted his best batting average in five years, notching .291. He also posted his best OBP since 2017 at .366 to go with 22 home runs.

Turner would be another huge get for the Cubs, after he slashed .298/.343/.466 last season, scoring 101 runs, driving in 100 RBI, and hitting 21 homers.

Correa, 28, and Turner, 29, could flip the script for the Cubs. These guys are set to sign massive deals and would stick around for quite a few years at their age. Each have plenty of baseball in front of them and are in the thick of their primes.

For the sake of the Cubs’ future, signing one of these two could give them a whole lot more appeal to fellow free agents wanting to find new homes. Let’s hope the front office can get one of these guys in Cubbie blue and red, and as soon as possible.

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Guitarist Marisa Anderson, based in Portland, Oregon, is a veteran solo performer, but solitude isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when she plays. In concert and on a string of solo albums, her reverberant, gritty instrumentals tap into the capacity of blues, gospel, and folk music to bring people together. Anderson’s recent back-to-back duo projects with drummer Jim White and guitarist William Tyler achieve a synergy that could only have come from collaboration, but her new solo LP, Still, Here (Thrill Jockey), is a direct result of the stasis and isolation imposed by the COVID pandemic. Its layered construction, varied instrumentation, unhurried tempos, and melancholy vibes are all congruent with the circumstances of a touring musician who suddenly found herself with plenty of time to play but no live audience to hear her. But that doesn’t mean its songs are any less vivid than Anderson’s earlier recordings. “Night Air,” which suspends delicate piano lines over intertwined, Iberian-tinged guitar figures, evokes both the vastness of a nocturnal sky and the bereftness you might feel if you couldn’t share that view. The mournful slide guitar and restless acoustic fingerpicking on “The Fire This Time” convey the frustration and grief that Anderson experienced following the murder of George Floyd. And the album’s final track, a gorgeous, reflective performance of the traditional “Beat the Drum Slowly,” comes full circle back to the kind of music she was recording a decade ago.

Marisa Anderson Health&Beauty open. Proof of COVID vaccination is required upon entry. Sat 11/19, 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $20, 18+

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Guitarist Marisa Anderson, based in Portland, Oregon, is a veteran solo performer, but solitude isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when she plays. In concert and on a string of solo albums, her reverberant, gritty instrumentals tap into the capacity of blues, gospel, and folk music to bring people together. Anderson’s recent back-to-back duo projects with drummer Jim White and guitarist William Tyler achieve a synergy that could only have come from collaboration, but her new solo LP, Still, Here (Thrill Jockey), is a direct result of the stasis and isolation imposed by the COVID pandemic. Its layered construction, varied instrumentation, unhurried tempos, and melancholy vibes are all congruent with the circumstances of a touring musician who suddenly found herself with plenty of time to play but no live audience to hear her. But that doesn’t mean its songs are any less vivid than Anderson’s earlier recordings. “Night Air,” which suspends delicate piano lines over intertwined, Iberian-tinged guitar figures, evokes both the vastness of a nocturnal sky and the bereftness you might feel if you couldn’t share that view. The mournful slide guitar and restless acoustic fingerpicking on “The Fire This Time” convey the frustration and grief that Anderson experienced following the murder of George Floyd. And the album’s final track, a gorgeous, reflective performance of the traditional “Beat the Drum Slowly,” comes full circle back to the kind of music she was recording a decade ago.

Marisa Anderson Health&Beauty open. Proof of COVID vaccination is required upon entry. Sat 11/19, 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $20, 18+

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Here are some interesting concerts going on tonight (with links to past coverage of the musicians by our music writers):

Jazz with pianist Ben Paterson’s trio (5:30 PM and 7:30 PM, Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Ct. on the promenade, $27.75-$32.75, 21+, tickets at the venue’s website)
Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale (7 PM, Judson and Moore Distillery, 3057 N. Rockwell, building five, $25-$30, 21+, tickets at Eventbrite)
Ye Gods brings electronic music to Sleeping Village, along with openers Club Music, Conjunto Primitivo, JS Alvarez, and Club Drippy (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $15, 21+, tickets at Etix) (SCJ)

Multidisciplinary artist Nikki Lynette’s Get Out Alive blew the doors off the Den Theatre in Wicker Park during its run with Haven this past summer. Through stories, songs, dance, and multimedia, Lynette laid out her struggles with abusive relationships, trauma, and her journey back after a suicide attempt, and also provided a larger framework for looking at depression, addiction, and self-harm in Black communities. (Lynette is also a frequent speaker on mental health and suicide survival.) Developed with Northwestern University’s American Music Theatre Project, Get Out Alive was also presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series of new work before the pandemic shutdown. Now a film adaptation of the show, directed by Roger Ellis, plays tonight at 7 PM as part of this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State). Lynette, Ellis, and creative producer Brannon Bowers will be on hand for a post-screening discussion; the film also streams 11/21-11/27. Single tickets for tonight and for the streaming version are $12 ($6 for Film Center members) and can be reserved at siskelfilmcenter.org (KR)

Queer Dance Freakout is an interactive night hosted at Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) inspired by the Neo-Futurist Ensemble’s Infinite Wrench structure. The Queer Dance Freakout company of queer, trans, and nonbinary choreographers and storytellers perform up to 30 dances, each happening for about one minute, and the audience calls out which dance they would like to see next in between numbers. Each performance includes new stories and choreography so no evening is exactly the same as before. It happens tonight, Sun 11/20, and Sun 12/4 at 7 PM; tickets are sliding scale from $20-$40 (available on Eventbrite) but no one will be turned away for lack of funds (reach out to [email protected] for a discount code). (SCJ)

Taneshia “Just Nesh” Rice has been seen on Comedy Central, Russell Simmons’s HBO comedy showcase All Def Comedy, TruTV, and comedian and actress Mo’Nique’s 2020 Showtime special Mo’Nique & Friends, but even after more than a decade in the biz, she can also be found hosting and doing her own stand-up at a variety of Chicago clubs. Tonight’s a chance to see Just Nesh’s energetic jokes in Old Town as she performs at Zanies Chicago (7 PM, 1548 N. Wells). Tickets are $20, and Zanies requires patrons to purchase two items (food or drink) minimum while seated. (SCJ)

Here are some interesting concerts going on tonight (with links to past coverage of the musicians by our music writers):

Jazz with pianist Ben Paterson’s trio (5:30 PM and 7:30 PM, Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Ct. on the promenade, $27.75-$32.75, 21+, tickets at the venue’s website)
Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale (7 PM, Judson and Moore Distillery, 3057 N. Rockwell, building five, $25-$30, 21+, tickets at Eventbrite)
Ye Gods brings electronic music to Sleeping Village, along with openers Club Music, Conjunto Primitivo, JS Alvarez, and Club Drippy (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $15, 21+, tickets at Etix) (SCJ)

Multidisciplinary artist Nikki Lynette’s Get Out Alive blew the doors off the Den Theatre in Wicker Park during its run with Haven this past summer. Through stories, songs, dance, and multimedia, Lynette laid out her struggles with abusive relationships, trauma, and her journey back after a suicide attempt, and also provided a larger framework for looking at depression, addiction, and self-harm in Black communities. (Lynette is also a frequent speaker on mental health and suicide survival.) Developed with Northwestern University’s American Music Theatre Project, Get Out Alive was also presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series of new work before the pandemic shutdown. Now a film adaptation of the show, directed by Roger Ellis, plays tonight at 7 PM as part of this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State). Lynette, Ellis, and creative producer Brannon Bowers will be on hand for a post-screening discussion; the film also streams 11/21-11/27. Single tickets for tonight and for the streaming version are $12 ($6 for Film Center members) and can be reserved at siskelfilmcenter.org (KR)

Queer Dance Freakout is an interactive night hosted at Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) inspired by the Neo-Futurist Ensemble’s Infinite Wrench structure. The Queer Dance Freakout company of queer, trans, and nonbinary choreographers and storytellers perform up to 30 dances, each happening for about one minute, and the audience calls out which dance they would like to see next in between numbers. Each performance includes new stories and choreography so no evening is exactly the same as before. It happens tonight, Sun 11/20, and Sun 12/4 at 7 PM; tickets are sliding scale from $20-$40 (available on Eventbrite) but no one will be turned away for lack of funds (reach out to [email protected] for a discount code). (SCJ)

Taneshia “Just Nesh” Rice has been seen on Comedy Central, Russell Simmons’s HBO comedy showcase All Def Comedy, TruTV, and comedian and actress Mo’Nique’s 2020 Showtime special Mo’Nique & Friends, but even after more than a decade in the biz, she can also be found hosting and doing her own stand-up at a variety of Chicago clubs. Tonight’s a chance to see Just Nesh’s energetic jokes in Old Town as she performs at Zanies Chicago (7 PM, 1548 N. Wells). Tickets are $20, and Zanies requires patrons to purchase two items (food or drink) minimum while seated. (SCJ)

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There’s two opportunities to spend all your money today if you’re a music lover! Delmark Records (the oldest continuously operating jazz and blues independent record label in the U.S.) opens the vaults for a warehouse sale today, offering vintage office and recording equipment, CDs, vinyl, and more (open until 5 PM, 4121 N. Rockwell). And Numero Group opens their warehouse today as well, with about 7000 items including LPs, box sets, cassettes, and CDs ready for the picking (open until 6 PM, 2533 S. Troy). (SCJ)

The Reader’s Gossip Wolf column this week tipped us off to two music events tonight, and there’s a few more concert options to consider if you’re in the mood for music:

It’s the final evening of Suelta, a three-day celebration of music and art hosted by local indie rockers Divino Niño and Chicago visual artist Roland Santana at House of Vans. Paintings and other installation art from Santana, as well as collaborative works from Santana and Divino Niño member Camilo Medina will be on display as band members DJ. (6-10 PM, 113 N. Elizabeth, free but reservations required at Eventbrite, all-ages).
Reader contributor Joshua Minsoo Kim wrote about performer, musician, and artist Nour Mobarak this week, calling her projects “intriguing on paper and thrilling in execution.” She performs twice this weekend at the Renaissance Society, turning the gallery into an instrument controlled by her movements (tonight at 6 PM and Sun 3 PM, 5811 S. Ellis, free but reservations suggested at Eventbrite, all-ages).
Perennial Chicago jam band favorite Umphrey’s McGee takes over the Riviera for night two of their Umbowl IX (7 PM, 4746 N. Racine, $45.50-$64.50, 18+, tickets at AXS).
Virginia Beach punk band Turnover visits House of Blues tonight, with New Zealand’s Yumi Zouma and Boston band Horse Jumper of Love opening (8 PM, 329 N. Dearborn, $30, 17+, tickets at Live Nation).
Gossip Wolf also mentioned Chicago indie rockers Late Nite Laundry, who released a self-titled EP yesterday. They headline a show tonight at Sleeping Village, with Desert Liminal and Sonny Falls on the bill (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $16, 21+, tickets via Etix). (SCJ)

In Memorabilia, presented by Humboldt Park’s La Vuelta Ensemble and created by cofounder Jean Claudio, a shy inventor named Salvador invents an apparatus to preserve his most precious memories—and to perhaps help him face the darker ones. Claudio’s partner in life and with La Vuelta, Raquel Torre, directs this solo that incorporates acrobatics, juggling, dance, and storytelling to unfold Salvador’s tales involving “days of chaos, memories, and wonder.” It opens tonight at 7:30 PM at UrbanTheater Company’s Batey Urbano venue (2620 W. Division) and continues through 11/20, Sat 7:30 PM and Sun 3:30 PM. Tickets are $20 at brownpapertickets.com. La Vuelta notes that while Memorabilia is not intended as a children’s show, it is appropriate for all ages. The venue is wheelchair-friendly; masks required. (KR)

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There’s two opportunities to spend all your money today if you’re a music lover! Delmark Records (the oldest continuously operating jazz and blues independent record label in the U.S.) opens the vaults for a warehouse sale today, offering vintage office and recording equipment, CDs, vinyl, and more (open until 5 PM, 4121 N. Rockwell). And Numero Group opens their warehouse today as well, with about 7000 items including LPs, box sets, cassettes, and CDs ready for the picking (open until 6 PM, 2533 S. Troy). (SCJ)

The Reader’s Gossip Wolf column this week tipped us off to two music events tonight, and there’s a few more concert options to consider if you’re in the mood for music:

It’s the final evening of Suelta, a three-day celebration of music and art hosted by local indie rockers Divino Niño and Chicago visual artist Roland Santana at House of Vans. Paintings and other installation art from Santana, as well as collaborative works from Santana and Divino Niño member Camilo Medina will be on display as band members DJ. (6-10 PM, 113 N. Elizabeth, free but reservations required at Eventbrite, all-ages).
Reader contributor Joshua Minsoo Kim wrote about performer, musician, and artist Nour Mobarak this week, calling her projects “intriguing on paper and thrilling in execution.” She performs twice this weekend at the Renaissance Society, turning the gallery into an instrument controlled by her movements (tonight at 6 PM and Sun 3 PM, 5811 S. Ellis, free but reservations suggested at Eventbrite, all-ages).
Perennial Chicago jam band favorite Umphrey’s McGee takes over the Riviera for night two of their Umbowl IX (7 PM, 4746 N. Racine, $45.50-$64.50, 18+, tickets at AXS).
Virginia Beach punk band Turnover visits House of Blues tonight, with New Zealand’s Yumi Zouma and Boston band Horse Jumper of Love opening (8 PM, 329 N. Dearborn, $30, 17+, tickets at Live Nation).
Gossip Wolf also mentioned Chicago indie rockers Late Nite Laundry, who released a self-titled EP yesterday. They headline a show tonight at Sleeping Village, with Desert Liminal and Sonny Falls on the bill (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $16, 21+, tickets via Etix). (SCJ)

In Memorabilia, presented by Humboldt Park’s La Vuelta Ensemble and created by cofounder Jean Claudio, a shy inventor named Salvador invents an apparatus to preserve his most precious memories—and to perhaps help him face the darker ones. Claudio’s partner in life and with La Vuelta, Raquel Torre, directs this solo that incorporates acrobatics, juggling, dance, and storytelling to unfold Salvador’s tales involving “days of chaos, memories, and wonder.” It opens tonight at 7:30 PM at UrbanTheater Company’s Batey Urbano venue (2620 W. Division) and continues through 11/20, Sat 7:30 PM and Sun 3:30 PM. Tickets are $20 at brownpapertickets.com. La Vuelta notes that while Memorabilia is not intended as a children’s show, it is appropriate for all ages. The venue is wheelchair-friendly; masks required. (KR)

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