Considering Sears, Roebuck & Co. was founded in Chicago back in 1893, it’s no surprise Illinois boasts many of the company’s ready-to-assemble kit homes (second only to Ohio). The Sears Modern Homes and Honor Bilt mail-order catalogs sold about 70,000 homes of various architectural styles between 1908 and 1940. Once a buyer picked their preferred model — the popular “Osborn,” for example — it would be shipped by rail and include everything the owner would need to construct the home. Windows and flooring were just some of the 30,000 pre-cut and numbered parts, and the floor plans could be customized. Although mostly affordable to the immigrant and minority workers who built them, homebuyers easily obtained Sears mortgages, which did not ask for the applicant’s race, ethnicity or gender. Maybe that explains why a new generation is nostalgic for these charming dwellings, as it harkens back to a time when anyone could afford to build their American dream house.

Sears has become synonymous with any kit home, but there were other companies involved in their manufacturing and selling, including Montgomery Ward and the Harris Brothers (both based in Chicago). Even though this 1925 cottage isn’t an authenticated Sears house, it still has all the charm and coziness one expects of such kit dwellings. Although updated for modern tastes, there’s still plenty of character here with the adorable front porch and homey bedrooms. Did I mention there’s a picture-perfect she-shed in the professionally landscaped backyard? It’s a gardener’s paradise. The neighborhood is full of similar homes, while more quaint buildings can be found nearby in historic downtown Geneva and along the Fox River.

This 1929 Sears home in Oak Lawn has all the exterior details of “The Vallonia” with its sloping, overhanging roof, three-window dormer, distinctive porch columns and bump out on the side. The property, which includes a side lot, has great curb appeal. For a historic home, it’s no surprise the kitchen is small — but there is an abundance of cabinetry. And there’s plenty of space in the full separate dining room and cozy breakfast room. Some original details include wood trim throughout the house ,as well as the penny tile bathroom floors and the built-in drawers in the bedrooms.

Believed to be a Sears Rembrandt, this Dutch Colonial was built in 1924 for original owner J. Oscar Anderson and is located in Oak Park’s Ridgeland Historic District. The home might need some TLC, but inside you’ll find the high quality materials that Sears was known for, like the entrance hall with the beautiful wooden staircase and the French doors flanking a fireplace that leads to the large sunroom. Located on an oversized lot, there’s the possibility for an addition or a garden. Plus, the house was featured in an article about kit homes written by the late Jeannette Fields, first executive director of the Chicago Architecture Center, who had grown up in a Sears house in Iowa.  

If you’re searching for Sears homes, you can usually find them along the rail lines in Chicagoland’s historic commuter suburbs. The kits would be delivered by boxcar and then trucked to the building site. Located next to the Illinois Prairie Path, a converted railroad right-of-way, this 1924 bungalow is just one of an estimated 43 Sears catalog homes in Lombard. Although just 1,782 square feet, the home is located on a deep lot with lots of possibilities. Lovingly maintained and owned by the same family for almost 70 years, it has been updated with new windows, gutters, plumbing and architectural shingled roof.

Crystal Lake was the location of the American Terra Cotta & Ceramic Company. With factories came clusters of worker housing, which means there are a lot of kit houses in this far northwest suburb. In fact, the McHenry County Historical Society and Museum has a map and self-guided tour of them. Supposedly a Sears Sunbeam, this 1927 home has been modified over the years by its longtime owners but still retains much of its charm. The 2,250-square-foot home is located on a one and a half lot full of trees, which you can enjoy from the gazebo on the deck. Not only is it close to the commercial center and Metra station, but the home is also near the main beach of the town’s namesake lake.  

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Chicago’s latest mass shooting happened as a birthday party was breaking up in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

Parents and children were saying their goodbyes as they walked to their cars in the 300 block of East Kensington Avenue around 9:35 p.m. Saturday.

Shots were fired from a passing car and everyone ran. At least six people were hit, according to Chicago police.

Schenia Smith, 42, a mother from Dolton, was hit in the arm and armpit and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Timothy Eiland, a Chicago firefighter, was shot in the face and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, family said. His 15-year-old niece was shot and went to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition.

Three other men were wounded: A 38-year-old hit in the stomach, a 31-year-old grazed in the head, and a 22-year-old shot in the arm and leg. All of them were listed in fair condition.

The mother of the 15-year-old said the teen has been released from the hospital and there are hopeful signs that her brother is recovering, though his injuries are serious.

“Pray for my brother, pray for my daughter, pray for the other people who got shot,” Elishama Wright told WGN-TV. “Pray for Chicago.”

In a year when the city is seeing its worst gun violence in decades, West Pullman is near the top for both murders and shootings, according to police data.

Murders are up about 40% from this time a year ago in the police district that covers West Pullman, rising from three to five. Shootings are up about 35%, from 141 to 189. Other crime has also spiked: Sexual assaults are up 38%, aggravated battery up 11%.

During the same time, murders are up 3.6% across the city, from 535 last year to 554 this year. Shootings are up 9.5%, from 2,909 last year to 3,185 this year. Compared to this time in 2019, shootings are up nearly 68%.

A year ago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a violence prevention plan that proposed flooding West Pullman and 14 other community areas with resources — not just violence intervention programs but help with jobs and housing and health.

The neighborhoods were targeted because they have accounted for 50% of the violence in Chicago over the last three years.

Yet West Pullman and six of the other areas have recorded more shootings since last year, according to Sun-Times data. The others are Great Grand Crossing, South Shore, East Garfield Park, Roseland, Englewood and Chicago Lawn.

Seven other areas are doing no better than last year: West Garfield Park, Auburn Gresham, North Lawndale, Chatham, West Englewood, South Lawndale and Humboldt Park.

Only one of the targeted areas — Austin — has seen fewer shootings though homicides are about the same as last year and it remains one of the deadliest neighborhoods in Chicago.

A Sun-Times analysis in July found that the Lightfoot administration had yet to funnel any extra assistance to some of these dangerous neighborhoods, particularly on the Far South Side.

The West Pullman community area had received none of the $36 million released so far by City Hall under the plan this year.

In the next few weeks, City Hall will announce how much of $1.8 billion in federal stimulus aid should go to West Pullman and the other neighborhoods it has targeted under the plan.

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NEW YORK — The long-delayed Tony Awards have landed two impressive master of ceremonies: Tony- and Grammy-winning singer and actor Leslie Odom Jr. will host a splashy TV special, and the awards will be hosted by Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning actor and singer Audra McDonald.

McDonald will host the award ceremony starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26, followed by a two-hour special celebrating Broadway’s return at 8 p.m. hosted by Odom. The four-hour event will be broadcast live from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre. Capping the evening will be the awarding of the three top awards: best play, best play revival and best musical.

Not everyone is happy with the way CBS is handling the awards this year. The bulk of the Tonys — the acting, directing and technical ones — will only be accessible to Paramount+ customers — with Odom’s special then airing on CBS.

Broadway theaters abruptly closed on March 12, 2020, knocking out all shows — including 16 that were still scheduled to open in the spring. The four-hour awards and special are an attempt to celebrate live theater and serve as a splashy advertisement that Broadway is inching back to normalcy.

“While we look back, my greatest hope is that this event marks the beginning of a new era for Broadway — one with renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging as well as appreciation for the sacred experience of live theater,” McDonald said in a statement.

This season’s nominations were pulled from just 18 eligible plays and musicals, a fraction of the 34 shows the season before. During most years, there are 26 competitive categories. This year there are 25 with several depleted ones.

Odom broke through as the Tony-winning Aaron Burr in “Hamilton,” but McDonald is a nominee this time. She’s hoping to break her own record for the most Tony Awards won by a performer for her work in a revival of the Terrence McNally play “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.”

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Lil Nas X won video of the year at Sundays MTV VMAs on a night that Justin Bieber triumphantly returned to the stage as a performer and as winner of the artist of the year.

“I do not take this for granted,” Lil Nas X said while accepting the night’s final award for the music video for his song, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”

Much of the early show belonged to Bieber, who for his first VMAs performance in six years rappelled from the ceiling of the Barclays Center at the start of the show for an energetic performance of “Stay” with Kid LAROI and then his single “Ghost.”

The VMAs celebrated MTV’s 40th anniversary, mixing moments between early network stars like Cyndi Lauper and show opener Madonna with high-octane performances by newer stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Camila Cabello and Chloe.

Bieber was the leading nominee going into the ceremony. He took home the best pop honor for “Peaches,” a song that featured Daniel Caesar and Giveon – who accompanied him onstage.

Justin Bieber accepts the award for artist of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on Sunday night in New York. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Sporting baggy clothes and a hoodie, Bieber showed his appreciation for the awards being in-person and thanked his wife, Hailey, for supporting him.

“As we know, there’s so much going on in the world as we speak,” Bieber said during his acceptance speech after winning artist of the year. “I know you guys have probably heard it a lot. We are in unprecedented times with this COVID thing that’s happening right now. It’s a big deal. Music is such an amazing outlet to be able to reach people and bring us all together. That’s why we are here right now. We’re all here together.”

Opening the show, Madonna told the screaming crowd: “They said we wouldn’t last. But we’re still here.”

Moments after Olivia Rodrigo performed her hit “good 4 u,” she collected the night’s first award for her massive hit song “Drivers License.” She later won best new artist.

“I feel so grateful that I get to write music, make stuff that I love and call it my job,” said Rodrigo, the first-time nominee. Earlier in the awards, the singer called this the “most magical year of my life.”

Jennifer Lopez, who three days earlier made her re-kindled romance with Ben Affleck official on the red carpet of his new film “”The Last Duel” at the Venice International Film Festival, presented Rodrigo her trophy.

Billie Eilish won the fan-voted video for good for her song “Your Power.” In her acceptance speech, she said Alicia Keys kissed her on the cheek, spoke about the satisfaction of writing the song and women empowerment.

Eilish and Rosalia won best Latin video for their song “Lo Vas A Olvidar.” BTS won three awards including group of the year, best K-pop and song of summer for “Butter.”

“We need to protect our own women at all costs,” said Eilish, while her brother-producer Finneas applauded his sister from his seat. “We need to remember that we all have power. We have to remember not to abuse it.”

Lauper, who presented Bieber with his first award, advocated for equal rights for women.

“Girls still want to have fun,” said Lauper, known for classic melody “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” “But we also want to have funds, equal pay, control over our bodies, you know, fundamental rights.”

Lil Nas X hit the stage with Jack Harlow, then he performed his controversial song “Montero (Call Me kpezby Your Name).” Kacey Musgraves and Shawn Mendes also hit the stage.

Olympic gymnastic champion Simone Biles introduced Doja Cat — the show’s host — who went aerial during her performance. With wires holding her up, Doja Cat glided over the crowd and landed on stage as she performed “Been Like This” and “You Right.”

Madonna appears at the MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in New York.Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Before the show, Machine Gun Kelly got into a heated argument on the red carpet with UFC fighter Conner McGregor. Video showed McGregor being held back by security from Kelly who later won best alternative for his song “My Ex’s Best Friend,” featuring Blackbear.

Kelly said he initially didn’t want to release the song, but thanked his label for going against his wishes. He also gave thanks to the director of the song’s music video, despite their squabble on set.

“I haven’t talked to you since we did because we got into a fight on set, but it’s a great video and I’m so glad we won,” he said. “We won!”

Megan Thee Stallion entered the show as the second-leading nominee with six nominations. BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and Rodrigo each had five nods.

The Foo Fighters performed and then accepted the Global Icon Award, an honor handed out for the first time at the VMAs. The award recognizes an artist or band “whose unparalleled career and continued impact and influence has maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond.”

The prestigious award was previously presented at the annual MTV Europe Music Awards. Past recipients include Queen, Eminem and Whitney Houston.

The rock band – comprised of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee – performed several of their hits including “Learn to Fly” and “Shame Shame.” It was their first performance at the VMAs since 2007.

Eilish presented the Global Icon Award to the group, who thanked MTV veterans from Kurt Loder to Tabitha Soren.

“Thank you very much for this award,” Grohl said. “We’ll see you in another 26 years.”

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When team president Jed Hoyer spoke to the media after an 11-game losing streak that changed the course of the 2021 season and the future of the Cubs franchise, he would not use the word “rebuild” to describe what would come next.

At the time, Hoyer referenced teams like the Red Sox or Yankees as templates he might like to follow. In both cases, those teams had success, let go of key players, and then retooled and were quickly competitive again.

Or there’s the Giants. San Francisco was arguably the best team of the 2010s, and as the new decade gets underway, they’re at the top of the standings again.

Either way, the thinking within the Cubs organization seems to be that they plan to take their own course back to being a winning team.

“I think when you start chasing other organizations’ ways of doing things, you might lose sight of what you find important,” manager David Ross said Sunday.

Even while his team was being swept by the Giants, Ross felt comfortable with the Cubs’ blueprint for success.

“We also want to stay true to the things that we have been a part of here and recognize in winning, and make sure we do things the way the Cubs do,” he said.

In the past, the Cubs way of building a winner meant a full teardown. It meant 100-loss seasons and top draft picks. And it worked.

But Cubs fans aren’t likely to be patient through seasons like 2012 and 2013 again, when the team was at its nadir. The good news is that the recipe for fielding a competitive team again, and quickly, isn’t complicated.

“I think pitching and defense,” Ross said. “We want to be able to compete on the mound, play solid defense.”

Defensively, the Cubs are fine, but not excellent like they were during their championship season in 2016. This year, they rank 11th in MLB in defensive runs saved (34). In 2016, the Cubs were tops in baseball by 30 runs saved at 107.

Poor pitching is one of the main reasons the Cubs have had two 11-game losing streaks this season — as a whole, the pitching staff’s 4.75 ERA is the seventh-highest in baseball. The starting rotation’s 5.16 ERA has them in company with the Twins, Pirates, and Orioles at the bottom of MLB.

And though Ross does not want his team emulating the rebuild or retooling processes of other organizations, he has found himself looking across the diamond and taking note of things he wants to see from Cubs teams in the future.

“Some of the things I think I’ve noticed in the group over there and some of the teams, like commanding the strike zone, having calm at bats no matter the moment,” Ross said. “Doesn’t matter who the opposing team brings in, you get the same quality at-bat, things like that.”

Back in July, weeks before Hoyer traded the core of the 2016 team — Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez — his sights were set on what it would look like to build “the next great Cubs team,” as he described it.

What pieces from the current iteration will be a part of the next core aren’t clear yet, but what is clear is that Hoyer isn’t planning for a drawn out rebuild, and Ross has a distinct vision for the kind of team he wants to manage.

Both visions could mean the Cubs are active in the offseason. Pitching is an obvious need, and there will be a decent market. Offensively, they’re trending toward higher contact rates and fewer strikeouts and will need to bolster with at least one power bat.

On the whole, the next winning team will be about consistency.

“Things that you can bring every single day,” as Ross puts it.

CUBS AT PHILLIES

Tuesday: Adrian Sampson (0-2, 2.20) vs. Kyle Gibson (10-6, 3.38), 6:05 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM

Wednesday: Alec Mills (6-6, 4.35) vs. Ranger Suarez (6-4, 1.38), 6:05 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM

Thursday: Kyle Hendricks (14-6, 4.54) vs. TBD, 5:05 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM

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Chicago’s latest mass shooting happened as a birthday party was breaking up in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

Parents and children were saying their goodbyes as they walked to their cars in the 300 block of East Kensington Avenue around 9:35 p.m. Saturday.

Shots were fired from a passing car and everyone ran. At least six people were hit, according to Chicago police.

Schenia Smith, 42, a mother from Dolton, was hit in the arm and armpit and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Timothy Eiland, a Chicago firefighter, was shot in the face and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, family said. His 15-year-old niece was shot and went to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition.

Three other men were wounded: A 38-year-old hit in the stomach, a 31-year-old grazed in the head, and a 22-year-old shot in the arm and leg. All of them were listed in fair condition.

The mother of the 15-year-old said the teen has been released from the hospital and there are hopeful signs that her brother is recovering, though his injuries are serious.

“Pray for my brother, pray for my daughter, pray for the other people who got shot,” Elishama Wright told WGN-TV. “Pray for Chicago.”

In a year when the city is seeing its worst gun violence in decades, West Pullman is near the top for both murders and shootings, according to police data.

Murders are up about 40% from this time a year ago in the police district that covers West Pullman, rising from three to five. Shootings are up about 35%, from 141 to 189. Other crime has also spiked: Sexual assaults are up 38%, aggravated battery up 11%.

During the same time, murders are up 3.6% across the city, from 535 last year to 554 this year. Shootings are up 9.5%, from 2,909 last year to 3,185 this year. Compared to this time in 2019, shootings are up nearly 68%.

A year ago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a violence prevention plan that proposed flooding West Pullman and 14 other community areas with resources — not just violence intervention programs but help with jobs and housing and health.

The neighborhoods were targeted because they have accounted for 50% of the violence in Chicago over the last three years.

Yet West Pullman and six of the other areas have recorded more shootings since last year, according to Sun-Times data. The others are Great Grand Crossing, South Shore, East Garfield Park, Roseland, Englewood and Chicago Lawn.

Seven other areas are doing no better than last year: West Garfield Park, Auburn Gresham, North Lawndale, Chatham, West Englewood, South Lawndale and Humboldt Park.

Only one of the targeted areas — Austin — has seen fewer shootings though homicides are about the same as last year and it remains one of the deadliest neighborhoods in Chicago.

A Sun-Times analysis in July found that the Lightfoot administration had yet to funnel any extra assistance to some of these dangerous neighborhoods, particularly on the Far South Side.

The West Pullman community area had received none of the $36 million released so far by City Hall under the plan this year.

In the next few weeks, City Hall will announce how much of $1.8 billion in federal stimulus aid should go to West Pullman and the other neighborhoods it has targeted under the plan.

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Just when you thought you had seen it all at Riot Fest — a John Stamos sculpture made of butter, a circle pit breakout at a Village People set, and that current petition to nab ABBA for next year — festival organizers have gone and upped the ante yet again, adding a fourth day for the first time ever to help usher in the anticipated return of the Chicago music extravaganza.

As one of the nation’s remaining truly independent festivals (still with ever-humble founder Mike Petryshyn at the helm), Riot Fest organizers can do whatever they want. And they do it really well.

Head to Douglass Park early on Thursday for the fest’s kickoff at 2:30 p.m. — with proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 48 hours required for entry on all days — and get a first look at the 2001 edition of the festival. The day includes a headlining set by Morrissey, with additional sets by Patti Smith and Her Band, Alkaline Trio, Joyce Manor, WDRL and Kristeen Young, free carnival rides, sideshow performers, Thursday-only merch, a crack at an ‘American Idol’-style singing competiton and, for those so inclined, a walk down the aisle at the Riot Fest Wedding Chapel.

The remaining three days will be just as entertaining with a stacked lineup including homegrown heroes, tomorrow’s up-and-comers and every music genre possible (where else could you see NOFX, Devo and GWAR?).

Here’s our picks for the acts not to miss.

Patti Smith And Her Band

While everyone might be scrambling for a spot at Morrissey to see what shenanigans he will attempt to pull off this year (lest you forget the infamous meat ban of 2016), the real draw for the opening night preview party is the incomparable Patti Smith. One of the greatest songwriters of our era, imbuing poetry and activism into robust songs, rallying anthems like “People Have The Power” still take on renewed relevance decades later. The unseated “punk rock poet laureate,” Smith still oozes all the New York City rebel chic that turned heads in the ’70s and basically gives you cool points for just having seen her. (Thursday, 6:05 pm, Riot Stage)

Amigo The Devil

Amigo The Devil is what happens when you mix true crime and folk rock. A mix of Johnny Cash’s Southern gothic appeal and Tom Waits’ wry sense of humor, the evocative singer-songwriter, born Danny Kiranos ,muses about serial killers (“Dahmer Does Hollywood”), scribes really dark love ballads (“I Hope Your Husband Dies”) and goes for Biblical sidejabs on songs like “Cocaine and Abel” that surprisingly haven’t made the Westboro flock come for him yet. But within the macabre is a beautiful talent — one who just likes it really really dark. (Friday, 1:30 pm, Radical Stage)

Living Colour

Living ColourTravis Shinn

Thirty years ago, the New York rock provocateurs were playing the inaugural Lollapalooza, and you can count on them to bring the same gusto to this festival appearance. With a seamless mix of alternative rock, funk, blues and punk, Living Colour may be one of the most rhythmically dynamic bands in the heavy scene, buoyed by singer Corey Glover’s honeyed vocals and Vernon Reid’s slick guitar work. Their groundbreaking and timeless 1988 hit “Cult of Personality” may be their claim to fame, coming of age in the early days of MTV by bringing much-needed diversity to the rock genre, but they’re no one-trick pony. Their latest album “Shade” levels them up with songs like “Program” and a superb cover of Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya?” (Friday, 4:25 pm, Radical Stage)

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins perform at the 2019 Alive Festival in Oeiras on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, on July 13, 2019. The band headlines Riot Fest on Friday nightAFP via Getty Images

It wasn’t so long ago that Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin were finding their footing at Metro and putting Chicago’s indelible rock scene on the map. Okay, actually it was 30 years ago, as the band just recently feted the pearl anniversary of their genre-making debut “Gish.” But with the near original lineup back together (sans original bassist D’arcy Wretzky) and playing as polished as ever, the Pumpkins are a living, breathing time capsule of a gilded era of music – and few local acts have ever done it better. Go for the hits like “Zero” and “Cherub Rock” but stay for the new zingers on latest album “Cyr.” And if you really want the full Billy Corgan experience, make a pit stop at his Highland Park tea shop Madame Zuzu’s beforehand. (Friday, 8:20 pm, Riot Stage)

GWAR

Gwar performs on day two of Riot Fest in Douglas Park in 2019. They’re playing this year’s fest on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Whether it’s your first time or your 50th time — and lord knows they’ve played Riot a few — seeing GWAR on stage truly never gets old. The no-filter, blood-spurting, crass act are satire and shock rock at its finest, done by grotesque alien life forms that aim to take over the human race in very R-rated fashion. (There’s always that Ferris Wheel where you could leave the kids to be unscathed.) Celebrating 30 years of their 1990 release, “Scumdogs of the Universe,” all bets are on an album-in-full set this weekend. And if you’re hungry for more, Kuma’s is also celebrating with their GWAR burger of the month all September. (Saturday, 2:45 pm, Radical Stage)

Vic Mensa

Vic Mensa attends Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club 18th Anniversary at 40/40 Club on August 28, 2021 in New York City. The Chicago rapper performs Saturday night at Riot Fest.Getty Images

Chicago as seen through the lens of activist artists like rapper Vic Mensa has been an incredibly powerful thing to pay witness to in the past couple of decades. An alum of the acclaimed Young Chicago Authors program and currently signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, Mensa is not only keenly aware of the harrowing environment around him (“16 Shots,” detailing the murder of Laquan McDonald) but is also able to vocalize it in masterful ways while advocating for how we can do better for at-risk communities (“We Could Be Free”). Though words never fail him, Mensa’s performances are art pieces of their own — and for a festival appearance of this scale, expect him to go all out in getting the message across. (Saturday, 6:20 pm, Riot Stage)

Run The Jewels

El-P and Killer Mike of Run the Jewels perform onstage at Atlantic Station on February 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo headlines Riot Fest on Saturday night.Getty Images

They’ve aligned forces with Bernie Sanders. “Killer Mike for president” became a thing that many, including Bill Maher, got behind. Rage Against The Machine tapped them for their reunion tour. So, really, if you’re not listening to this hip-hop super duo, are you really even listening at all? Though “woke” gets thrown around a lot, the talented sidekicks El-P and Killer Mike are the epitome of music with a higher consciousness. Often giving away their albums for free, it’s not just their accessibility (and beer and cannabis collaborations) that have brought in droves of followers, but also their on-point messaging that is ripe for the revolution. (Saturday, 8:45 pm, Riot Stage)

The Gories

The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Black Pistol Fire. Without The Gories who knows if we would have ever had those uber-popular acts today. The quintessential garage rock act out of Detroit formed in 1986 with a super minimalist approach that also incorporated a hearty dustbin of blues influences — and they in turn became inspirational to the legions that followed. Though the trio took a pause in the ’90s, they’ve been active again since 2009, but there’s no time like the present to see them — especially in this setting. (Sunday, 12 pm, Roots Stage)

Fever 333

Though we have to wait a bit longer to get that Rage Against The Machine reunion tour, now slated for 2022, this L.A. rapcore trio is poised to follow in those big footsteps as the new whistleblowers on a whole host of important societal issues from racial disparity to police brutality and systemic abuse. Calling their performances demonstrations, there are few bands that bring the sheer energy and passion to their set the way Fever 333 does with every rafter something to climb on, everything in sight a prop as they unleash a full theatric blitzkrieg to get people to pay attention. And boy does it work. (Sunday, 4:15 pm, Radical Stage)

Slipknot

Corey Taylor of Slipknot performs at Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. The band headlines Riot Fest on Sunday nightAP Photos

Sunday’s top billing is a crowded pool of talent and though any of the main players — Mr. Bungle, Devo, The Flaming Lips or Machine Gun Kelly — are worthy of your time and attention, Slipknot gets an official nod here for the top pick. The rowdy ensemble are not only pinch hitting for Nine Inch Nails (who recently canceled all tour dates due to the ongoing pandemic), but frontman Corey Taylor just recovered from a case of COVID himself and is primed to get back on stage. The nu metal heroes are a brutal display of power and bring out their trademark fire effects and masked personas for each show, somewhere in the middle of a haunted house and stadium showstopper, that will be the perfect finale to Chicago’s major music festival season. (Sunday, 8:30 pm, Riot Stage)

Selena Fragassi is a freelance writer.

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At least 64 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, including a 12-year-old boy killed by his mother, and an off-duty firefighter and his 15-year-old niece wounded in one of two mass shootings in the city, according to police.

At nine killed, the weekend was deadlier than the extended Labor Day holiday weekend, when 67 people were shot, six of them fatally.

Several children were shot over the weekend. Two boys, 12 and 13, were wounded Friday night while standing on a front porch in the Austin neighborhood. Five shooting victims were 16 years old.

Mother charged with killing 12-year-old son

A 12-year-old boy, Kaden Ingram, died Saturday morning in the South Chicago neighborhood. He was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head about 10:30 a.m. in the 8000 block of South Bennett Avenue, police said.

His mother, Fallon Harris, 37, was charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors said Harris shot the boy after she pressed him about the whereabouts of a digital memory card she had removed from her car the previous night.

Harris’ family told authorities they had been worried about her mental health.

Firefighter, niece hurt in West Pullman mass shooting

The firefighter and his niece were wounded in a mass shooting in West Pullman that killed a woman and injured three other people Saturday night, according to police and family.

The group was walking toward their cars after a birthday party in the 300 block of East Kensington Avenue when someone in a passing car opened fire around 9:35 p.m., police said.

Schenia Smith, 42, was hit in the arm and armpit, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, police said.

The girl was also struck in the arm and taken in fair condition to Comer Children’s Hospital, police said.

The off-duty firefighter was shot in the face and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. The 32-year-old man remained in critical condition Sunday night, fire officials said.

Three other men, in their 20s and 30s, were hospitalized in fair condition.

Mass shooting in Grand Crossing

Hours earlier, in another mass attack, a man was killed and three others were hurt in a drive-by shooting in Grand Crossing on the South Side. The men were standing outside about 4:55 p.m. in the 900 block of East 79th Street when a dark-colored SUV drove by and someone inside fired shots, police said.

A 24-year-old was shot in the head and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Three other men in their 20s were hospitalized in good condition.

Other homicides:

Early Monday, a man was killed on a ramp to the Bishop Ford Expressway. The shooting happened around 1:45 a.m. on the southbound ramp to 130th Street, Illinois State Police said. The man, a 49-year-old Calumet Park resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A person was killed in Park Manor Sunday afternoon. The male victim was shot in his head around 12:30 p.m. in the 300 block of East 68th Street, police said. He died at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
A man died in a double shooting early Sunday in Lawndale. Two men, 27 and 29, were shot outside about 2:40 a.m. in the 2900 block of West Congress Parkway, police said. The older man died after he was taken to Stroger Hospital. The younger man was in critical condition.
In Lawndale, a man was killed and a woman wounded Sunday morning. The 54-year-old man was found dead in a car near where a 42-year-old woman was shot about 4:15 a.m. in the 2700 block of West Flournoy Street, police said. The woman was shot once in her knee and stabilized at a hospital.
In Chatham, a woman was killed in a car early Saturday. The 34-year-old was shot in her head while sitting in the driver’s seat with a group of people in a parking lot in the 8700 block of South Lafayette Avenue, police said.
In Englewood, a person was shot dead on Friday afternoon. The person was near the sidewalk in the 7200 block of South Yale Avenue when someone opened fire, striking him in the armpit and hand, police said.

Children shot

Early Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was wounded in Gresham on the South Side. The teen was walking through a gas station about 12:55 a.m. Saturday in the 7600 block of South Green Street when he was shot in the leg, police said. He went to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
Minutes later, a 16-year-old who was shot and critically wounded was dropped off at Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side. The teen was dropped off about 1:20 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital in with a gunshot wound to his back, police said. He was listed in critical condition.
Another 16-year-old boy was shot Sunday in West Elsdon on the Southwest Side. He was riding his bicycle about 1:45 p.m. in the 3600 block of West 56th Street when he noticed a white Jeep Wrangler quickly drive by, police said. The teen dropped his bike and ran as someone opened fire, striking him in the leg, police said. He was hospitalized in good condition.
Hours later, a fourth 16-year-old boy was hurt in a shooting Sunday afternoon in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side. The teen was attacked about 4:50 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Lawndale Avenue, police said. He was hit in the ankle and was taken to Stroger in good condition, police said.
A fifth 16-year-old was shot early Monday in South Austin on the West Side. The teen was walking his dog about 12:25 a.m. in the first block of South Leamington Avenue when someone got out of a car and opened fire, striking him in the leg, police said. He was taken to Stroger, where he was listed in good condition, police said.

At least 40 other people were wounded in gun violence in Chicago from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

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