Latest Stories
Remembering Marc Silvia, Debra Rodkin, and Ernest Perry Jr.
The three actors were all important and beloved players in Chicago theater.
Coming soon—to a theater near you?
Both chain and indie theaters are limited by accessibility and distribution, but the local scene is ready to adapt.
Balikbayan Worldwide takes Filipino dance music global
David Beltran of Feeltrip launches a new label to help boost grassroots southeast Asian street culture onto the same stage as American and European exports.
Izzi Vasquez, music-adjacent multimedia artist
“I get excited to help people get their album covers to the next level, especially since they’re gonna see it five million times. But I think seeing my work onstage has been even more exciting.”
Loona Dae opens up a new world of psychedelic R&B
The Chicago singer learned to skateboard with FroSkate, then fed that momentum into her first album.
Get the latest issue of the Chicago Reader
Public and private politics in Vietnamese art
“A Village Before Us” offers counternarratives on the Vietnam War.
The Reader’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Locally available items and gift ideas handpicked by Reader staff, from stepping and skate classes to handmade accessories and clothing, plus books, records, and more.
The inimitable but intermittent Roctober roars back with a hefty double issue
Plus: The Fallen Log books a live-music calendar worth watching, DJ Manny pairs a new album with an hour-long footwork mix, and more.
Lights, music, Scrooge, and Shostakovich
A short roundup of cultural events, seasonal and otherwise
News & INVESTIGATIONS
The moment met the CTA
The CTA’s Meeting the Moment plan marked a renewed effort to fill hundreds of vacancies reportedly left by the pandemic—but data shows new hires aren’t digging the agency out of its staffing shortages.
When the water wars come
Inside the plans for a pipeline between Joliet and Chicago
Howard Brown and Berlin Nightclub workers escalate fights for fair contracts
Unions at both organizations, well-known for serving the LGBTQ+ community, are fighting for better pay and workplace protections.
Columns & Opinion
Make police pay for their misconduct
We should go after the pensions of bad cops and shift the burden of settlements onto the department’s budget.
Rats have empathy for strangers, but do we?
In defense of rats
Navigating a rocky arts and culture recovery
Shorter runs, smaller seasons
Film
Review: The Shift
This sci-fi multiverse film is too full of white Christian self-pity.
Review: The Nomi Song
Nearly two decades later, The Nomi Song still bangs.
Review: May December
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore star in this electrifying slow-burn film about fame, trauma, and sensationalized scandals.
Arts & Culture
Paramount’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adds a touch of bitter to the sweet
Pure imagination mixes with deception in a smart twist on Roald Dahl’s tale.
Desire lines
At the Arts Club of Chicago, Rathin Barman investigates the migrant experience through sculpture.
Discover Chicago’s layered history
The fifth Chicago Architecture Biennial shows what the city could become.
Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol returns to Writers Theatre
This inventive take on Dickens finds sympathy for the Scrooge in all of us.
Noor Inayat Khan: The Forgotten Spy brings a footnote of World War II center stage
Almanya Narula’s award-winning solo show comes to Chicago.
Music
There’s still time to catch up with the Joy Poppers
This underappreciated band made some of the best, weirdest power pop of the 90s—and they’ve got new music in the works.
CITY LIFE
How Print & Object makes art collecting more accessible
A conversation with founders Anna Cerniglia and Kate Pollasch
The Jewish Deli, FORTS!, and more
Upcoming events and activities you should know about
Food & Drink
Cadinho Bakery explores the dazzling world of Portuguese pastry
Alejandra Rivera previews her upcoming McKinley Park cafe.
It’s a Balkan three-peat with the Brothers Milunovic at the next Monday Night Foodball
Check out Marko and Nemanja’s somun sandwich menu for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Sponsored
Sponsored
Visit Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art this holiday season and beyond
Established in 1967, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is one of the world’s premier institutions celebrating the…
Sponsored
Chicago area AFS-USA host families and students make the world more just and peaceful through intercultural exchange
It takes just one person to open your eyes to a new perspective and change your life forever.…
Sponsored
Support Illinois Veterans with your purchase of the Winter Riches Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
In 2006, the Illinois Lottery launched the first Instant Lottery ticket in the country that designated 100 percent…
Sponsored
The Chicago Public Library Foundation invites you to make the future now
Join Colson Whitehead, Rebecca Makkai, Richard Hunt, and Bob Wislow on November 1 to celebrate the power of…
Sponsored
Immerse yourself in the darkest side of humanity at Chicago’s Medieval Torture Museum
Learn the history of torture and execution, and chase ghosts at one of the Loop’s hottest attractions Have…
Sponsored
Best Dating Sites for Real Relationships in 2023
The top websites to meet someone special for a real relationship
If you’re open to giving online dating a try, these are the best dating sites to actually meet…