Weekend Agenda: July 31-Aug. 2

Mos Def

by Evan Minsker July 31, 2009

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FRIDAY

There are a few remnants of New Orleans culture lingering in Chicago, be it in the handful of Cajun restaurants or the occasional Neville brother coming to town. But New Orleans music doesn't get much better than the Rebirth Brass Band, who are playing at Martyrs'. The sizable ensemble's shows are always exciting, and always unpredictable, which is a great way to get a weekend rolling. But for a decidedly non-Nawlins experience, head to the House of Blues for a performance by Richard Cheese And Lounge Against The Machine. And at midnight, catch the 1982 sci-fi horror film with Kurt Russell, The Thing, at The Music Box. Here's a trailer:

SATURDAY

If you tend to skip literary readings because they aren't visually or aurally stimulating enough, consider the one at the Old Town School of Folk Music; Joe Meno will read from his latest novel The Great Perhaps, while The Astronomer plays original accompaniment, and local artists Jay Ryan and Todd Baxter project visual art in the background. Elsewhere, Baby Teeth, a local disco-rock band, celebrates its record-release show at Schubas for the sublime Hustle Beach. But if you want to be delivered fake news while you're out on the town (no, not while watching The Daily Show at a bar), check out Whirled News Tonight, the weekly news satire program at iO. In the meantime, here's Baby Teeth with "Intolerable":

SUNDAY

Mos Def garnered a lot of attention from his game-changing roles in Be Kind, Rewind and Cadillac Records, but his latest album, The Ecstatic, is a great reminder of why he's gained so much respect from his early days as one-half of Black Star. You can see him perform some of his new material at the House Of Blues. In the mood for some heavier and gloomier music? Catch the hilariously and straight-forwardly titled (and bleak) Mayor Daley at the Empty Bottle for its record-release show for the new Facial Expressions. The Chicago band will be playing with another local group, Cacaw, and the Iowa-based Black Vatican. Enjoy this taste of Mos Def freestyling during his Black Star days: