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1 week ago | 
wbez.org | Morgan Ciocca |Nudia Hernandez
Chicago artist Dreamer Isioma has a penchant for cosmic themes. The Nigerian American musician, who uses they/he pronouns, often performs with a band called The Celestials and named their third solo album StarX Lover. The project, in the works for three years, finds Isioma in a brand new universe.
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1 month ago | 
chicago.suntimes.com | Miriam Di Nunzio |Morgan Ciocca |Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis
Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator, Doechii and TWICE are among the artists set for Lollapalooza 2025, it was revealed Tuesday morning. They’ll be joined by Korn, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Luke Combs, A$AP Rocky and many more when the festival returns July 31-Aug. 3 at Grant Park. Four-day, lowest-price tickets will be available for one hour only starting at 10 a.m. March 20, and fans will need to pre-register for the offer at lollapalooza.com.
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1 month ago | 
wbez.org | Morgan Ciocca |Nudia Hernandez
Bookclub co-founders Cam Stacey and K.O. Weakley didn’t plan on opening a venue. But a last-minute show cancellation made them realize the lack of easy access to small venues for local bands. “Our leap of faith was a tremendous one,” said Stacey, who with Weakley and co-owners Maren Rosenberg, Nick Heineman and Rupert Murray debuted Bookclub earlier this year in a Lake View space formerly belonging to Elbo Room. The new venue is a leap of legitimacy for a formerly underground operation.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Morgan Ciocca |Nudia Hernandez
Los Angeles-based producer Brian “Killah B” Bates didn’t know his song, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” would be the breakout hit from Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning country album Cowboy Carter. He was just honored to be included on the project, and he says he’s still processing it all. Before becoming a beatmaker-turned-producer, Bates and his brother lived with their grandparents in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. He grew up in drum and piano lessons, receiving classical training from the ages of 6 to 14.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Stefano Esposito |Mike Davis |Morgan Ciocca |Courtney Kueppers
Erin Harkey, who helped guide the city’s post-pandemic cultural reopening, has been picked to lead one of the nation’s leading arts advocacy nonprofits. Harkey is set to become CEO of Americans for the Arts at the end of March, the Washington, D.C.-based agency announced Wednesday. “Along with the AFTA board of directors, I am thrilled that Erin has accepted the role as our new CEO in the next stage of our journey,” Edgar Smith, chairman of the AFTA’s board, said in a written statement.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Mike Davis |Morgan Ciocca |Courtney Kueppers |Erica Thompson
February is packed with big-name shows, like the Helen Hunt–fronted Betrayal at the Goodman and the ensemble-drivenFool for Love at Steppenwolf, starring Broadway vets Cliff Chamberlain and Caroline Neff. Storefronts are taking big swings too with gutsy new works. In February, the video game–inspiredKitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon opens at The Factory Theater, and A Red Orchid Theater stages new thriller The Cave.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Mike Davis |Morgan Ciocca |Courtney Kueppers |Erica Thompson
Helen Hunt’s decorated acting career hit a peak in the 1990s, with her Emmy Award–winning performance in the hit ‘90s sitcom Mad About You and her Oscar win for best actress opposite Jack Nicholson in the romcom As Good as It Gets. But Hunt — whose father, Gordon Hunt, was a distinguished Hollywood director and acting coach — has always had a passion for the stage, building a theater resume that includes Broadway productions of Twelfth Night and Life x 3.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Morgan Ciocca |Courtney Kueppers |Robert Herguth |Erica Thompson
Sueños Music Festival will return to Grant Park on May 24 and 25 for its fourth year, featuring headliners Peso Pluma, Don Omar, Grupo Frontera and recent Grammy winner Shakira. The lineup, released Tuesday, also features Wisin, Omar Courtz, Bellakath and repeat Chicago DJ acts Dynamiqo, Fredy Fresco and Sorry Papi, featuring Miriam Paz. The festival sold out in five days in 2024 and is considered the start of the city’s summer music season.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Isabella Gomez Sarmiento |Robert Herguth |Erica Thompson |Morgan Ciocca
When host Trevor Noah closed out the 67th Grammy Awards, he spoke out loud what was on everyone’s mind. “We finally saw it happen everyone,” he said. “Beyoncé has finally won album of the year.”Her first album of the year win for COWBOY CARTERrepresents a new career-defining milestone for Beyoncé, who holds the record for being both the most nominated and most awarded artist in Grammy history.
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2 months ago | 
wbez.org | Robert Herguth |Erica Thompson |Morgan Ciocca |Hannah Edgar
Turns out it’s not a “holy molar” at the Art Institute of Chicago after all. A tooth inside an ornate, artistically significant container and frame has been in the Art Institute’s possession for decades and was believed to come from John the Baptist.
