Chicago Happenings This Weekend | Concerts 2026

Charli XCX captures her present life on the made-in-quarantine How I’m Feeling NowMegan Kirbyon May 22, 2020 at 4:38 pm

Charli XCX has no chill. The pop star has spent much of her time during the pandemic making a new album, How I’m Feeling Now, which came out May 15. The record’s 11 bittersweet electro-pop tracks document the minutiae of her life under lockdown, including her conversations with her therapist, her online shopping expenditures, her experiences sheltering in place with her boyfriend, and her intense nostalgia for pre-pandemic partying. Charli also churned out supplementary content through every step of her process, including Instagram Live songwriting sessions and a delightfully DIY green-screen video for the love song “Claws,” and this transparency made the project feel like performance art. Concert venues may be closed, but Charli invited her fans to watch and provide feedback over social media as her songs, themes, and visuals took shape in real time. Her lyrics often feel like journal entries: she kicks off “Anthems” with details of a mundane morning (“Wake up late / Eat some cereal”) before breaking into a yearning chorus about the things she misses most while confined to her home, including late-night adventures and exploring New York. Though musicians will likely create a lot of quarantine art in the months and years to come, the genius of How I’m Feeling Now lies in its immediacy–Charli has channeled the current chaos into a fully realized album in a little more than five weeks. v

Charli XCX captures her present life on the made-in-quarantine How I’m Feeling NowMegan Kirbyon May 22, 2020 at 4:38 pm Read More »

Chicago indie-pop upstart Damacy fits the serene vibe of the city’s young rock scene on Sun Spot EPLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 4:42 pm

Multi-instrumentalist Yuto Winston Kanii moved to Chicago a couple years ago, and he’s kept busy with his easygoing solo indie-pop project, Damacy. He grew up in the Louisville area, where he began playing in bands in high school, and by his early 20s he’d achieved a smidgen of local popularity as the front man for a good-natured indie-rock band called Ranger; their recordings are endearingly rough around the edges, and they assembled their 2013 debut album, The Bard, out of jam sessions recorded in an abandoned candy factory. Now 28, Kanii hasn’t found any Chicago collaborators since settling in Logan Square, but Damacy’s recent debut, Sun Spot EP (on his own Tanuki label), fits comfortably into the city’s contemporary indie-rock landscape: his laid-back, tropical vibes mesh well with the serene style loosely mapped out by the likes of Paul Cherry, Whitney, and Divino Nino. Kanii’s gentle vocals and sweet slacker guitar riffs on “Gvn n’ Lvn” feel like a gentle ocean breeze–and given that actual ocean breezes are out of reach for most us now, Sun Spot is the next best thing. v

Chicago indie-pop upstart Damacy fits the serene vibe of the city’s young rock scene on Sun Spot EPLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 4:42 pm Read More »

Chicago experimental electronic producer K-Rad makes serenity nowLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 5:02 pm

Since 1996, Chicago electronic producer Christopher Grabowski has experimented with IDM under the name K-Rad. The name initially represented a small, loose collective with Grabowski, Joe Hahn, and Mark Hardy at its center; all three producers worked on K-Rad’s debut for the Someoddpilot label, 2002’s Deli Mood Spot. Since then Grabowski has made K-Rad his solo project, and while he’s sometimes issued collaborations with other producers as K-Rad singles or full-lengths, in recent years he’s made all the material on his own. Grabowski began recording 127When on March 26, about a week after Illinois began sheltering in place, and he wrapped it up two days before its May 1 release. He intended the album to be an immersive experience, and he gave himself a running time of more than two hours to achieve that goal; he uses modular synthesizers to build serene moods, adding an ever-shifting matrix of fizzy, delicate percussion to provide a constant hum of energy. Grabowski also brought back original K-Rad collaborator Hardy to play sitar on “127_PouringOutDrumulation,” and its reverberating strings send gentle ripples through the track’s tight, rubbery bass loops and brittle percussive chatter. With any luck, the constantly evolving arrangements on 127When will occupy enough of your mind to shut out the hellscape that inspired Grabowski to make the album in the first place. v

Chicago experimental electronic producer K-Rad makes serenity nowLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 5:02 pm Read More »

Harvey rapper Ty Money bids adieu to the career-defining mixtape series Cinco de MoneyLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 5:38 pm

On May 5, Harvey rapper Ty Money released the fifth and final entry in his career-defining mixtape series, Cinco de Money, which he launched in 2015. Each volume has showcased what makes Money stand out: his vivid narratives of street life, freighted with pathos, delivered in a rush of syllables that cuts through the instrumentals like a souped-up car racing through a mountain tunnel. Cinco de Money 5 (self-released via SBMG LLC) highlights Money’s grasp of pop music: he dabs his clean, straightforward hooks with Auto-Tune, and on “Whoa Whoa” he delineates the honeyed sung chorus from the burly rapped verses with a precision that confirms the enduring magic of the old-school industry approach to pop songwriting. Money’s pop proclivities bear great fruit: his half-sung hook on “Whateva” manages to sound triumphant and sullen by turns, and these dueling moods create a strange, magnetic euphoria that only Money can capably deliver. v

Harvey rapper Ty Money bids adieu to the career-defining mixtape series Cinco de MoneyLeor Galilon May 22, 2020 at 5:38 pm Read More »

Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis releases a second record with his all-star quintetBill Meyeron May 22, 2020 at 5:41 pm

When you want to put together an improvising ensemble whose interactions will be unpredictable as well as satisfying, it helps to recruit someone who has your back and someone else who isn’t afraid to push the music somewhere you didn’t think it would go. For one night in December 2018, Chicago alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist Dave Rempis convened a personal dream team, full of musicians who can play both roles: Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love is Rempis’s long-standing collaborator in the ferociously aggressive trio Ballister, but his attention to detail and textural variety comes in just as handy for nurturing slow-building tension. Cellist Tomeka Reid and double bassist Brandon Lopez have each worked with Rempis in combos that mix classical sonorities with mercurial shifts of mood. And multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, who turned 79 one month before the concert, can transform the emotional tenor of an entire performance with a few grave notes. This splendid CD, which follows an LP-only first volume recorded at the same show, contains plenty of high-energy blowing, but it’s often the quiet, contrasting gestures hidden with the storms that make it so compelling. v

Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis releases a second record with his all-star quintetBill Meyeron May 22, 2020 at 5:41 pm Read More »

Rosebud Allday showcases its sunny sound on its first label compilation, Buds Volume 1Jack Riedyon May 22, 2020 at 6:02 pm

On its first compilation, Buds Volume 1, Chicago label Rosebud Allday showcases the talent of its roster and its friends from the local scene. Founded in 2018 by Bill Ocean and producer Jayson “Jsun” Rose, Rosebud Allday specializes in the overlap of pop, hip-hop, and R&B; its sunny sounds recall Chicago neosoul groups such as the Social Experiment and the O’My’s or the early work of Los Angeles collective Odd Future (minus the menace). The label operates a recording studio in Ravenswood that’s temporarily closed due to COVID-19, and the ten-track Buds compilation is intended as both a stopgap release and an introduction for the uninitiated. Wyatt Waddell’s “If I Don’t Want You” pairs the singer’s falsetto flirting with up-tempo Stevie Wonder-inspired keys, while Blake Davis’s “Persuade Me” features a busy hip-hop beat that chops up string flourishes, horn stings, and vocal phrases. Not all the songs are high energy: Drea the Vibe Dealer goes for something more minimal on “Aline,” building the track from little more than distorted guitar and lethargic drum programming. A few cuts feel like they would’ve been released in different forms if the collective hadn’t been forced into isolation: Jsun Rose’s hip-hop instrumental “Strange Times,” which features trumpeter Sam Veren and producer Lil Smoke, seems incomplete, like it needs a striking vocalist such as Waddell or squeaking rapper Manny 10x (also a Rosebud Allday artist). But while Buds sometimes feels sketchy, it’s more than the sum of its parts; it’s a compelling gateway to the label’s sound, and the way it re-creates the mellow high of sitting in on a crowded jam session is especially welcome while the Rosebud Allday studio can’t safely reopen. v

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ROSEBUD ALLDAY . VA – Buds Vol. I

Rosebud Allday showcases its sunny sound on its first label compilation, Buds Volume 1Jack Riedyon May 22, 2020 at 6:02 pm Read More »

Xibalba plunge into new depths of metal and hardcore on Anos en InfiernoJamie Ludwigon May 22, 2020 at 7:05 pm

Named after a Mayan term that roughly translates to “place of fear,” Southern California trio Xibalba have been blending strains of metal and hardcore for nearly 14 years. They’ve increasingly leaned into their Latino heritage (they sing in both Spanish and English) and their death-metal influences, while expanding into new moods and song structures; on the 2015 album Tierra y Libertad they deviated from their relatively compact crushers for sprawling closer “El Vacio.” On their new fourth album, Anos en Infierno, Xibalba continue down their ferocious, groove-infested path to explore suffering, despair, and man’s search for meaning on personal, spiritual, and societal levels. “Santa Muerte” grinds along like one of Bolt Thrower’s best tracks as front man Nate Rebolledo questions those who judge or dismiss others’ pain until it grows too dire to ignore. The instrumental that follows, “Saka,” adds to the intensity, with powerful percussion girded by stony guitar chords and pummeling breakdowns. As they did for Tierra y Libertad, Xibalba save some of their most evocative songwriting for last. Delivered in two parts, album closer “El Abismo” (“The Abyss”) ruminates on the journey of the soul during an encounter with death: it establishes a contemplative, doomy soundscape, spins into rougher terrain, and then slowly culminates with a triumphant serenity. Interpret it how you want, but with Xibalba, you can be sure no one’s going “gently” into any kind of night. In an April interview with Hard Noise, Rebolledo addressed rumors that Xibalba are planning a hiatus following the promotional cycle supporting the album’s release: “As for the future, if it matters, we may play, but I wouldn’t count on it,” he said. The pandemic has sledgehammered us all, and whether Xibalba choose to hang up their hats now or celebrate Anos en Infierno with fans in person down the road, they’ve at least gifted us a tool to help us weather the storm. v

Xibalba plunge into new depths of metal and hardcore on Anos en InfiernoJamie Ludwigon May 22, 2020 at 7:05 pm Read More »

Sonic Boom uses retro-futuristic psychedelia to explore today on his first album in three decadesSteve Krakowon May 22, 2020 at 10:21 pm

This might go down in history as the year everything got completely fucked forever, but some people will also fondly recall it as the year when Sonic Boom finally released his glorious second LP, All Things Being Equal–three decades after his solo debut. Peter Kember, the multi-instrumentalist better known as Sonic Boom, made Spectrum way back in the innocent age of 1990, just before the dissolution of his long-running alt-rock outfit Spacemen 3. “Spectrum” also became the name of Kember’s next psych-leaning band, which by the mid-90s had morphed into his primary solo outlet; at the same time, he explored more expansive sonic territory with the loose collective EAR (Experimental Audio Research). Both projects have slowed down considerably in recent years, making way for relatively fleeting collaborations and production work, lending some 90s psych authenticity to the current generation of indie scenesters. I’d all but given up on ever hearing the old classic Kember sound again, so it’s pretty astonishing that All Things Being Equal picks up more or less where he left off on Spacemen 3’s final LP, 1991’s Recurring–created while he was feuding so bitterly with the band’s other creative engine, Jason Pierce (later of Spiritualized), that they made the album by each writing one side of it and recording separately. On Spectrum Kember had flirted with electronica while retaining his guitar-stormin’ edge, but on Recurring he revealed a new synthy sound indebted more to Kraftwerk than to Spacemen 3’s nods to the Velvet Underground and the 13th Floor Elevators. The initial backing tracks for All Things Being Equal were recorded in 2015, and Kember considered releasing them as instrumentals after encouragement from Stereolab’s Tim Gane. He never did, though, and three years later, Mr. Boom felt the need to “ice the cake,” as he put it: after moving to Portugal in late 2016, he’d started spinning 60s soul and pop records, and their catchy vocal vibes appear throughout the new album. But Sonic also does classic Sonic, which he clearly defines on opener “Just Imagine,” a mission statement of a song that features gurgling synths, Speak & Spell-style bloops ‘n’ bleeps, and the drony, catchy vocals Kember has used since day one of his psychedelic career. He consistently evokes the groovy sounds and shiny machine music of a 1960s vision of the future, and the womblike “Just a Little Piece of Me” pulses like a computer on Star Trek (or like the chill-out room at a 90s rave) while recalling the shoegaze era that S3 helped inspire. Drum machines invade “The Way That You Live,” which mines the new-wave territory of early OMD or New Order and adds rippling ambient accents reminiscent of the 1960s experiments of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. On “My Echo, My Shadow and Me,” Sonic brings back his trademark spoken-word ruminations, sounding either like the bored headmaster at a British school in outer space or like a malfunctioning B-movie supercomputer that’s somehow become sentient–when he exclaims “I am the fire,” you’re inclined to believe him. The Boomster says he was influenced by the numerology of the year 2020, and the songs on All Things Being Equal gesture toward the mathematical interconnectedness of human consciousness, memory, space, consumerism, and much more. The album is not only a reflection of the strange moment in which we find ourselves but also a timeless, retro-futuristic pop masterpiece that music scholars should be studying and deciphering for (fingers crossed) generations to come. v

Sonic Boom uses retro-futuristic psychedelia to explore today on his first album in three decadesSteve Krakowon May 22, 2020 at 10:21 pm Read More »

50 Best Pizza Places in Chicago, RankedJessica Hamrickon May 22, 2020 at 3:52 pm

No explanation, no debate – these are the best pizza restaurants in Chicago, Illinois. Period.

best pizza chicago — Photo Credit: Pat’s Pizza South Loop

50. Pat’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

Originating in South Loop, Pat’s Pizza quickly took over Chicago with its flavorful pies.

49. Dante’s Pizzeria

2825 N Milwaukee Ave

New York-style, but we’ve forgiven them.

48. Barocco’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

So far south, it’s almost in the suburbs. But, lucky for Southsiders, Chicago can still claim this delicious pizza joint.

47. Michael’s Original Pizzeria & Tavern

4091 N Broadway

Nothing pairs better with a tall glass of beer than a Chicago tavern-style pizza.

Best Pizza Places in Chicago — *Photo Credit: Uno’s Instagram*

46. Pizzeria Uno & Pizzeria Due

29 E Ohio St | 619 N Wabash Ave

No, your eyes are not deceiving you — this Chicago pizza restaurant offers a specialty pizza that features Italian beef.

45. Home Run Inn

Multiple Locations

A Chicago original.

44. Roots

Multiple Locations

Damn good pizza, indeed.

43. Beggar’s

Multiple Locations

Finally, a place that perfectly balances the sauce and cheese proportions.

Best Pizza Places Chicago — *Photo Credit: Nancy’s Instagram*

42. Nancy’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

The stuffed pizza of your dreams.

41. Pie-Eyed

1111 W Chicago Ave

The neighborhood spot you never knew you needed.

40. Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza

4850 S Pulaski Rd

This Chicago pizza restaurant offers stuffed pizza, not deep dish — it’s an important distinction.

Looking For a Place to Get Dessert in Chicago?

These are the best desserts in the Chicago area that are perfect for any season.

The Best Desserts in Chicago

39. Rosati’s

Multiple Locations

We couldn’t leave it off, for obvious reasons.

38. Warehouse

1419 W Fullerton Ave

We’ll take a slice of that action.

37. Labriola

535 N Michigan Ave

Deep dish or classic, they’ve got it all.

36. Reno

2607 N Milwaukee Ave

Give us that thin crust.

35. Salerno’s

1201 W Grand Ave

A little slice of Chicago history.

34. Legno

4250 N Central Ave

Woodfired. ‘Nuff said.

*Disclaimer: pizzas do not actually float.

33. Ranalli’s

1925 N Lincoln Ave | 1512 W Berwyn Ave

Serving up pies for over 45 years.

32. Phil’s

1102 W 35th St

Cash-only heaven.

31. My Pi

2010 N Damen Ave

Prime “cheese pull” real estate.

*Photo Credit: Paulie Gee’s of Logan Square*

30. Paulie Gee’s

2451 N Milwaukee Ave

Brooklyn, meet Logan Square.

29. Gino’s East

Multiple Locations

The pizza offered at this pizza restaurant in Chicago is a total classic.

28. Dimo’s

3463 N Clark St | 1615 N Damen Ave

Your late-night pizza craving, cured.

27. Marie’s Pizza

4129 W Lawrence Ave

There’s a liquor store next door, but people still come here for the pizza. If that doesn’t tell you anything…

26. La Crosta Woodfired Pizzeria

2360 N Lincoln Ave

*inserts Italian chef hand motion here*

*Photo Credit: Aurelio’s Pizza Instagram*

25. Aurelio’s

1212 S Michigan Ave

Family-owned, family loved.

24. Palermo’s of 63rd

3751 W 63rd St

Get the Beef Pizza for a good time.

23. Bacci

Multiple Locations

By. The. Slice.

22. Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe

5159 N Lincoln Ave

Some of the best New York-style pizza in the Chi.

Pizza Places Chicago — *Photo Credit: Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Instagram*

21. Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company

2121 N Clark St

Pizza pot pie, anybody?

20. Bartoli’s

1955 W Addison St

A fork and knife kinda slice.

19. Pizza Castle

3256 W 55th St

A Southside mainstay.

18. Pequod’s

2207 N Clybourn Ave

The caramelized crust you crave.

17. Homeslice

938 W Webster Ave

One pretty pie.

16. Lou Malnati’s

Multiple Locations

An essential.

15. Craft Pizza

1252 N Damen Ave

Artison pizza you have to taste to believe.

14. Bungalow by Middle Brow

2840 W Armitage Ave

A neighborhood brewpub that just opened this year, Bungalow is already known more for its pizza than its beer, which is also delicious, by the way.

13. Bob’s Pizza

1659 W 21st St

Pilsen-style pizza ain’t so bad.

12. Sono Wood Fired

1659 W 21st St

Under the influence… of Tuscany.

11. Art of Pizza

3033 N Ashland Ave | 727 S State St

A true masterpiece.

Pizza Places in Chicago — *Photo Credit: Coalfire Instagram*

10. Coalfire Pizza

1321 W Grand Ave | 3707 N Southport Ave

Burnt in the best kind of way.

9. Piece Brewery & Pizzeria

1927 W North Ave

Pizza and beer — need we say more?

8. Forno Rosso

1048 W Randolph St | 3719 N Harlem Ave

This pizza restaurant in Chicago offers crust just like your Italian Grandma used to make.

chicago pizza — *Photo Credit: Pizano’s Instagram*

7. Pizano’s

Multiple Locations

Pizano’s is supposedly Oprah’s favorite. Maybe it should be yours, too.

6. Spacca Napoli

1769 W Sunnyside Ave

Brb, drooling too much to think of something witty.

5. Giordano’s

Multiple Locations

Did you really think we’d skip over this OG?

4. Vito and Nick’s

8433 S Pulaski Rd

An institution.

3. Bonci

161 N Sangamon St | 1566 N Damen Ave

This pizza restaurant in Chicago serves Roman-style pizza as you’ve never seen before.

2. Pizzeria Bebu

1521 N Fremont St

Real-deal Italian for the win.

*Photo Credit: Connie’s Pizza Instagram*

1. Connie’s

2373 S Archer Ave

A Chicago tradition since 1963.

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Connie’s

The 10 Best Bars to Visit in Logan Square of Chicago

Are you looking to experience the unique culture and residents of Logan Square? Logan Square has risen in popularity in recent years among Chicago residents. If you’re looking for places to party in Logan Square, these are the best bars to visit with friends.

Best Bars in Logan Square

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50 Best Pizza Places in Chicago, RankedJessica Hamrickon May 22, 2020 at 3:52 pm Read More »

Iconic Chicago Food You Can Get for Takeout TodayNicole Hamzelooon May 22, 2020 at 5:08 pm

As Illinois restaurants are still closed for dine-in seating (until May 30), there are still ways we can get food from Chicago’s iconic spots. Many of our favorites are still offering delivery and takeout so you can still get your guilty pleasures.