Chicago Happenings This Weekend | Concerts 2026

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means that Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky and former Reader staffer Maya Dukmasova host their monthly live interview show at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). First Tuesdays tonight takes on the politics of the Pretrial Fairness Act (“It’s not a ‘purge law,’” they tell us). Join Maya and Ben along with their guests State Senator Robert Peters and attorney April Preyar as they discuss the PFA and the steps involved in abolishing money bail. It’s $10 to attend and open to those 21+; tickets are available here. (SCJ)

Jazz composer and musician Isaiah Collier brings the Celestials Project, a 12-piece ensemble to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago tonight. They will present a new composition as part of the museum’s In Progress series, which is designed to highlight new work from artists, thinkers, and curators and give patrons a glimpse into the creative process. It’s free to attend, and starts at 6 PM in the museum’s Edlis Neeson Theater. (SCJ)

What’s energy healing all about? Learn about different healing modalities that involve smell, taste, touch, sight, and our often ignored sense of intuition. Master teacher and practitioner Lillian Irene Lovas offers a crash course in energy healing tonight at the Chakra Shoppe (5034 N. Lincoln) which will include hands-on experiential work in crystal healing, Tibetan bowls, Reiki, and more. It’s $33 to join in and starts tonight at 7 PM; go to the Chakra Shoppe’s website to learn more. (SCJ)

In the 1970s, W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend To Cause Havoc) was the biggest rock band in Zambia, and tonight they’ll be bringing their incendiary hybrid of psych-rock and African beats to the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) stage. Opening for them is tripped out garage rocker Pedrum Siadatian, who performs under the moniker “Paint.” The show starts at 8:30 PM and is open to those 21 and older. Tickets are currently sold out, but contact the venue to see if any will be released at the box office. (MC)

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more Read More »

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and more Read More »

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and moreMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 4, 2022 at 10:43 pm

First Tuesdays at the Hideout, Isaiah Collier at the MCA, and moreMicco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julinon October 4, 2022 at 10:43 pm Read More »

PFF: Chicago Bears take QB in first round of 2023 Draft

Will the Chicago Bears move on from Justin Fields next year?

In the summer, local Chicago media and fans thought national media talking heads like Mike Florio were out of their minds for “hot takes” on the new regime. Florio’s theory in April was that first-year general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus weren’t sold on the previous regime’s second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

How four games can change a city. The fickle Chicago Bears fanbase is ready to throw in the towel on Fields’ career. Poor play in the passing game is a typical fall Sunday afternoon in Chicago. However, the early 2022 campaign has been exceedingly terrible.

Michael Renner with Pro Football Focus thinks the Bears will be done with the Fields experiment after this season. In their 2023 mock draft, Renner has the Bears taking Alabama quarterback and 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young with the 4th overall pick:

At 6-foot and 194 pounds, Young won’t tick all the boxes physically. When he steps on the field, though, he ticks boxes left and right. He’s already earned a 91.3 overall grade this season without the two top-50 draft picks he lost at receiver from last season.

This would be a terrible pick for the Chicago Bears

Young won’t tick any boxes for the Chicago Bears. Add three years of NFL experience, plug him into this offense, and he’s not doing any better than Fields. In fact, with his slight frame, center Sam Mustipher is probably calling Young’s mother Julie before Bryce’s wake in late September to apologize.

Renner must be looking at overall season stats instead of watching the games this season on Young. At this point in the season, Young’s stats should be sky high, like one’s blood sugar after eating dessert, as Alabama has had a month full of cupcakes to start the season. His only real tests, Texas and Arkansas, were ones Young hopes aren’t viewed by scouts before the NFL draft. Young had 173 yards passing against Arkansas. That doesn’t seem like a passing total that impresses Bears fans.

The Chicago Bears are too depleted all over the roster to draft a quarterback in 2023. Before considering a backup for Fields, the team needs to find help at the EDGE, defensive tackle, wide receiver, and offensive linemen positions. Young wouldn’t have a chance in Chicago without first-round help on the offense. And they can’t give that to Young if they draft him fourth overall. It would just repeat the cycle of the permanent rebuild.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

PFF: Chicago Bears take QB in first round of 2023 Draft Read More »

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

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.

With support from our sponsors

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

Just like we told you

The Bears finally make their play for public money to build their private stadium.

by Ben Joravsky
September 24, 2022September 29, 2022

The choice is yours, voters

MAGA’s Illinois Supreme Court nominees are poised to outlaw abortion in Illinois—if, gulp, they win.

by Ben Joravsky
September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

Hocus-pocus

All the usual TIF lies come out on both sides in the debate for and against the Red Line extension.

by Ben Joravsky
August 26, 2022August 26, 2022

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show Read More »

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon October 4, 2022 at 7:59 pm

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

With support from our sponsors

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

Just like we told you

The Bears finally make their play for public money to build their private stadium.

by Ben Joravsky
September 24, 2022September 29, 2022

The choice is yours, voters

MAGA’s Illinois Supreme Court nominees are poised to outlaw abortion in Illinois—if, gulp, they win.

by Ben Joravsky
September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

Hocus-pocus

All the usual TIF lies come out on both sides in the debate for and against the Red Line extension.

by Ben Joravsky
August 26, 2022August 26, 2022

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon October 4, 2022 at 7:59 pm Read More »

Lukas Reichel sent to AHL as Blackhawks whittle down NHL roster

Lukas Reichel needed to have an extremely impressive training camp to make the Blackhawks’ initial NHL roster.

Ultimately, Reichel had a good camp, but it wasn’t spectacular enough to change general manager Kyle Davidson’s mind about the best way to handle his top prospect.

Reichel was sent down to the AHL on Tuesday, headlining several large waves of cuts. Davidson and coach Luke Richardson met with him to break the news.

“Kyle said, ‘I’m sure this is not the news you want to hear, but we want you to go down and continue to play,'” Richardson relayed. “Instead of a guy like [him] staying here and battling to stay in the lineup in a fourth-line role…why not go down and be the best center down there?

“[You can] work on your game, get a little harder in 1-on-1 battles, manage the puck and light it up. So when you get a chance here, you’re firing on all cylinders and you’ll show your best. That was the message to him.”

Reichel predictably dominated the two prospect games in early September. He held his own in two preseason appearances, too, including scoring a beautiful, glimpse-of-the-future goal assisted by Kevin Korchinski against the Red Wings last week.

But Richardson thought Reichel’s defensive performance wasn’t as consistent, showing him two clips from that Wings game as examples. In one, Reichel turned the puck over to Dylan Larkin, resulting in a shift spent in the defensive zone. In another, Philipp Kurashev successfully dumped the puck in, leading to an offensive-zone shift and a scoring chance for Reichel.

The hands-on new coach described it as a learning moment for his 20-year-old German center.

“For an NHL-[caliber], elite-skills guy, [he’s] just not quite there yet,” Richardson said. “He had a pretty good attitude in the meeting. He took it really well. I’m pretty sure he knows there’s going to be opportunity here this year.”

Two other factors also help explain Reichel’s AHL assignment. Firstly, winning in Rockford –the IceHogs are built to be one of the AHL’s best teams –will boost Reichel’s confidence, whereas losing in Chicago would not.

Secondly, having Reichel in the NHL could counteract Davidson’s unstated goal of tanking. Reichel may not be flawless yet, but he’s almost certainly one of the Hawks’ 12 best forwards, and his elite puck-carrying and zone-entering abilities would be valuable alongside someone like Patrick Kane. But that could create more goals, more wins and potentially reduce the Hawks’ chances of earning a top-three draft pick.

In any case, Reichel has plenty of company en route to Rockford, including Josiah Slavin, Isaak Phillips and Arvid Soderblom. Korchinski was returned to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, as well.

Meanwhile, Dylan Sikura, Brett Seney, Luke Philp and Nicolas Beaudin were placed on waivers Tuesday and will be sent down if unclaimed.

Plenty more transactions will be made over the week ahead, including likely placing Boris Katchouk (ankle), Jake McCabe (spine) and Ian Mitchell (wrist) on injured reserve. Conversely, Jujhar Khaira (ankle), Connor Murphy (back) and Caleb Jones (shoulder) are day-to-day and should be ready for the season opener.

It appears Buddy Robinson might be the forward who unexpectedly earns an NHL spot in Katchouk’s stead. The towering 6-6, 232-pound 31-year-old touts a long AHL history but made a career-high 32 NHL appearances for the Ducks last season, tallying six points.

On defense, Swedish import Filip Roos outlasting Phillips means he’s the actual third candidate –in addition to Alec Regula and Alex Vlasic –battling for the two open roster spots.

Richardson mixed up lines in practice Tuesday, notably moving Jonathan Toews and Tyler Johnson next to Kane — and moving Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou elsewhere. The experimentation will continue during the Hawks’ final preseason games: Thursday at the Wild and Saturday at the Blues.

Lukas Reichel sent to AHL as Blackhawks whittle down NHL roster Read More »

Suns likely to fetch record sale price, bankers sayon October 4, 2022 at 10:32 pm

5:30 PM ET

As Robert Sarver prepares to sell the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, investment bank officials who have managed the sales of professional sports franchises told ESPN that they expect the transaction’s final price to set a record.

“It’ll be the highest price ever paid for an NBA team,” one investment bank official said.

Joe Tsai bought the Brooklyn Nets for an NBA-record $2.35 billion in 2019. Prior to that sale, Tilman Fertitta purchased the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion in 2017, with Steve Ballmer buying the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014.

Factors playing into a potential record bid could be the Suns’ warm-weather climate, the team’s proximity to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Bay Area, as well as a new practice facility and renovated arena. Additional factors include a new television rights deal and CBA on the horizon, plus the NBA’s young and growing global audience and the potential for new expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.

“There’s going to be a tremendous amount of interest,” an investment bank official said.

2 Related

Sarver has chosen the investment bank Moelis and Co. to oversee the sale, a source close to the situation confirmed to ESPN. Sportico reported Monday that Sarver had chosen the bank. A spokesperson for Moelis and Co. declined to comment.

Moelis served as a financial adviser in the May 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, which bought the team for $5.3 billion. Moelis also acted as a financial adviser in the 2015 sale of the Atlanta Hawks to a group led by Tony Ressler for $850 million.

In recent days, Suns executive vice president and CFO Jim Pitman relayed to team employees that a fully executed sale of the team could take six to nine months, team sources said. That timeline would stretch through the 2022-23 season.

The Suns did not respond to a request for comment. The NBA declined comment.

Investment bank officials have been in contact with Sarver on behalf of potential bidders, team sources said, including reaching out on the day that Sarver announced his intent to sell.

Once a final bidder is chosen, that person — or group — must be approved by the NBA, which will conduct financial, personal and criminal background checks. For any transfer of ownership to be complete, the NBA Board of Governors will vote, with approval requiring a three-fourths majority.

Sarver, the majority owner of both the Suns and Mercury, announced Sept. 21 that he was seeking buyers for both franchises. That came in the wake of an NBA investigation into allegations of misconduct by Sarver, who had been suspended one year and fined $10 million.

The NBA commissioned that investigation in the wake of an ESPN story in November 2021 detailing allegations of racism and misogyny during Sarver’s 17 years as owner.

Suns vice chairman and minority owner Sam Garvin is the team’s interim governor. Sarver owns about a third of the franchise, but he has the authority as the team’s managing partner to sell the team in full.

Jerry Colangelo, who sold the team to a group led by Sarver in 2004 for a then-record $401 million, told ESPN that he’s optimistic about the franchise’s path ahead.

“I believe this — it’s one of the great markets in the country as it relates to the future,” Colangelo said. “It was a great free agent destination at one time. There’s no reason why it can’t be going forward.”

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights Children’s Online Privacy Policy Interest-Based Ads About Nielsen Measurement Do Not Sell My Info Contact Us Disney Ad Sales Site Work for ESPNCopyright: (C) ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

Suns likely to fetch record sale price, bankers sayon October 4, 2022 at 10:32 pm Read More »

Divino Niño rebuild their sound for maximum danceabilityMary Rettaon October 4, 2022 at 7:36 pm

It starts with the hips—that’s the first thing you’ll notice when you watch Divino Niño play live. The Chicago-based five-piece can’t seem to stand still onstage. First their swaggering hips get loose, then their long arms flail, and soon the musicians are completely unbound, the picture of freedom. To watch Divino Niño is to experience that freedom yourself: to move your body not because you came out ready to dance to anything, but because the group’s pulsing, hypnotic music reminded you how good it could feel.

The band’s 2019 debut album, Foam, is ethereal and psychedelic, gliding seamlessly through beach rock, dream pop, and indie rock, its pastiche held together by the mellow, breathy vocals of guitarist-singer Camilo Medina and bassist-singer Javier Forero. When Medina, Forero, guitarist Guillermo Rodriguez, and drummer Pierce Codina toured to support Foam in 2019—adding keyboardist Justin “JV” Vittori for the road—they danced through set after set. They were surprised when audiences didn’t do the same. So when Divino Niño set out to make their next album, the new Last Spa on Earth, they were determined to try something different.

“We kind of realized that music is at a certain BPM for a reason,” Codina says, laughing. “There’s certain sounds that just make people move. We started experimenting during our last tour right before the pandemic, playing our songs a bit faster or improvising jams that were a bit more dancey. It was a good start, but we wanted our next album to do that more intentionally.”

Divino Niño, Little Jesus, PieriThis show is a release party for Last Spa on Earth. Sun 10/9, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $25, 18+

Last Spa on Earth is more vivid and energized than Foam, with grooves that are almost frenetic. The tracks span various sounds and genres: “Miami” cleverly mixes electronic sounds and beach pop; the effortlessly cool “XO” blends surreal psychedelic instrumentation and a refreshingly languid rap; the slow-building, disco-inspired “Ecstasy” feels playful and ecstatic. What connects the 12 songs is not genre, style, or instrumentation but rather the sensation they evoke: if Foam’s danceability simmers under the surface, then on Last Spa on Earth it leaps to the forefront.

Foam was written and recorded with all the band members in one room, but COVID pushed them to make Last Spa on Earth in what they call a “collage” style. Because they couldn’t make music together in person during the early stages of the pandemic, they began writing and recording instrumental parts remotely and sending them to one another, then using a computer to assemble everything into a song. “You make one part, and then add another part, and then you find yourself moving the Lego pieces endlessly until you find harmony,” Medina explains. “And that’s a whole different puzzle than before.”

Guitarist-singer Camilo Medina created the artwork for Last Spa on Earth.

Medina and Forero met in their mutual hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, when they were small children, and later reconnected in Miami—Medina’s family moved there when he was a teenager, and he had no idea Forero had already been in the city for several years. They first played music together in middle school, while entangled in what Medina calls a “bad Christian cult.”

They both moved to Chicago for college, where Medina met Rodriguez at the School of the Art Institute. In the early 2010s, when Divino Niño began to play shows around Chicago, they felt their sound wasn’t full enough—instead of a drummer, they’d been relying on electronic percussion loops. In 2014 they invited Codina into the group to help carry the delicious arrangements they’re now known for. When Vittori toured as a support player with Divino Niño in 2019, he liked it enough to become a full-fledged member the following year.

Watching Divino Niño perform or even just sitting with them as a group, you can pick up on the special chemistry among the musicians. You’ll frequently see them share knowing grins from across the stage or even a hug between songs. The band members clearly know that together they’re greater than the sum of their parts.

“There’s this genius mentality that’s kind of American,” Medina says. “But honestly, this pandemic has got us all on level zero—we’re all on an equal playing field. I sort of realized, damn, I wanted to be that individual hero and genius, but now it’s so clear we need to collaborate with everyone to survive. I used to think I could just do my own thing, but no, we’re all connected in this central web. Being in this band has been a spiritual way of exploring the importance of collaboration, and at the end of the day, our sound is more colorful than something I could have done by myself.”

“A lot of people are probably feeling like me, like they need to live a little bit,” says Camilo Medina. “There’s too much darkness in the world, and I think we’re all looking for a release.” Credit: Matt Allen

This dedication to collaboration is part of what drew the band to Chicago. When they first arrived in the city and didn’t yet know many people, they felt confused as to where they fit in Chicago’s music scene. Nowadays they have a better grasp of the different artistic communities around town, and they still enjoy checking out the local talent at occasional late-night shows—they’re especially fond of the Empty Bottle.

“Lately, I feel like another door has opened up to Chicago’s music scene,” Forero says. “There’s a crazy house scene, there’s a techno scene. I think the city is very colorful in that perspective—you just got to know where to look.”

Last Spa on Earth feels more personal than Divino Niño’s previous music: its themes include embracing loneliness, seeking catharsis after a period of desolation, and releasing guilt from a strict religious upbringing. While writing Last Spa on Earth, Divino Niño became fascinated with neoperreo, a wild subgenre of reggaeton pioneered in many cases by women. Though the scene’s epicenter is online rather than in a particular city or region, major figures are based in Mexico, Chile, Spain, and elsewhere. Divino Niño took inspiration from the likes of Ms Nina, Bad Gyal, and Argentinian group Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso, and the band got excited to put their own twist on the sound—which included writing more lyrics in Spanish.

When he was developing material for Foam, Forero didn’t feel confident using his native language. “I think at the time, for me, I didn’t think that Spanish could be cool when you’re singing,” he reflects. “I hadn’t found my voice. These people opened up a door of, ‘Actually, you can do it like this, and it’ll be really sick.’ That freed me up a lot.” The lyrics are almost all in Spanish throughout Last Spa on Earth.

Divino Niño have also provided a more transparent window into their inner world with their recent music videos. The clip for “XO,” for example, begins in what looks like a fairly typical Catholic church but quickly devolves into a scene of debauchery, with the congregants stripping, dancing wildly, and even smoking out of a bong in the shape of the baby Jesus. It’s a personal statement for Medina and Forero—a reaction to their painful, stifling experiences with Christianity as children. “We’re not saying, ‘Fuck you, Catholic shit,’ but it’s more like, ‘Yo, question everything,’ you know,” Medina says.

The “XO” video, directed by Ambar Navarro

The new album is out—the end of a complicated process, complicated further by the pandemic—but Divino Niño still have a long road ahead of them. They’re currently on a North American tour with Mexico City group Little Jesus, and they’ll arrive at Lincoln Hall for a release party on Sunday, October 9. They’ve already started to play their new music at shows, and little by little, they say, listeners are starting to move and groove.

“We played at this festival in Wisconsin, and it was at a farm, but yo, it was kind of like a party,” Medina says. “We lit that shit on fire. During the pandemic, I just accumulated too much pent-up energy, because I’m a social person. And then I went dancing once and I was like, whoa! I get the feeling that a lot of people are probably feeling like me, like they need to live a little bit. There’s too much darkness in the world, and I think we’re all looking for a release.”

Divino Niño cement their position as Chicago rock darlings with their debut album, Foam

by Leor Galil
June 13, 2019September 24, 2022

Divino Niño concoct melty musical caramelos

by Catalina Maria Johnson
January 3, 2020August 18, 2021

Demolición makes room in the north-side scene for Latinx rock

Chicago label Dumpster Tapes books this daylong festival because segregation won’t undo itself.

by Leor Galil
May 8, 2019August 18, 2021

Divino Niño rebuild their sound for maximum danceabilityMary Rettaon October 4, 2022 at 7:36 pm Read More »

Bulls rookie Dalen Terry not opposed to G-League if it means minutes

Dalen Terry did check some boxes throughout training camp.

The Bulls rookie admittedly started to get a feel of the speed of the NBA game, continued the work in progress that will be his three-point shot, and brought a promised intensity with that second unit.

That doesn’t mean that Terry will be a factor when the games start to count in a few weeks. Heck, as long as there are no further injuries, he might not even be in the rotation at the start of the regular season.

That’s the reality Terry has been dealing with, hoping to use the four preseason games to change that narrative.

“Do whatever I can do to stay on the floor,” Terry said Tuesday, when asked about a role. “If Coach [Billy Donovan] says he needs me to play defense and not even shoot the ball, that’s what he needs me to do. If he tells me I need to go out there and try to score the ball and do little things and all that, I’ll do that too. It’s just whatever they ask of me is what I’m gonna try to do.”

And that included eventually going down to the G-League if the organization feels he needs to get minutes down there.

It’s that mentality that might be the most impressive trait Terry has displayed so far. Even though he’s a first-round pick (18th overall), he’s not above whatever will be asked of him.

That hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“He’s a hell of a passer and like a Swiss army knife,” All-Star guard Zach LaVine said of what the rookie has shown. “He’s gonna have to go through every rookie up and down just like everybody. He brings a great attitude to the locker room, I think that’s very important.”

What Terry has in his favor? A precedent.

Last year, second-round pick Ayo Dosunmu was in a similar situation. He entered the regular season promised little in the minutes department, and early on had a two-minute stint and even a DNP [Did Not Play] Coach’s Decision.

Once the injuries hit, however, Dosunmu showed his value and never looked back. That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Terry.

“[Dosunmu] gives me tips every day,” Terry said. “He’s actually one of the guys on the team that talks to me the most, just talks me through stuff. I give credit to him, because I watched the Bulls last year and I saw what he did and how he went from playing nothing to a lot.”

Turning up the Heat

These three remaining preseason games are nice little pick-up exhibitions for the Bulls, but the veterans know the real test of what this group will start to look like doesn’t come until the regular-season tip-off on Oct. 19, in Miami.

Then it’s right into the fire of dealing with “Heat Culture.”

Few are more acquainted with that than Goran Dragic, who spent seven seasons playing with Miami and knows what awaits.

“It’s way different,” Dragic said of how the Heat handle training camp and every-day practices. “I mean they hold you accountable. You have to [have] body fat [measured] every week, have to come in and do pre-practice, practice, every practice is basically Hunger Games. You have to put the pads on, tape your ankles, and it’s basically like [regular-season] games. Iron sharpens iron, and that’s how they approach it.”

Asked where the Bulls training camp stacked up, Dragic did call it “intense.”

“From Day 1 through the last day of training camp, the guys worked hard,” Dragic said. “[Donovan] said the main focus was they needed to get better than last year, and I felt like everybody that came in had that mentality.”

Bulls rookie Dalen Terry not opposed to G-League if it means minutes Read More »