Come see Evanston's first performing arts festival as it showcases more than a dozen local performing arts organizations.

Advance admissions are available by calling 847-328-2204
Purchase tickets online by clicking brownpapertickets.com.

Each participating organization will present a 5 minute performance to showcase what it offers.  The performances will take place in one theatre; the second theatre will be filled with tables representing the organizations, as well as food and drink

Free hors d'oeurves & sweets; cash bar with wine, beer, soft drinks

Participating arts organizations will offer discounted tickets and subscriptions that will be available only at this event

Participants: Actor's Gymnasium, Evanston Dance Ensemble, Evanston Symphony Orchestra, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Giordano II, The Lakeside Singers, Light Opera Works, The Musical Offering, Music Institute of Chicago, Next Theatre, North Shore Choral Society, Northwestern University Theatre Dept, Piccolo Theatre, Piven Theatre Workshop, Theatre Zarko,

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Come see Evanston's first performing arts festival as it showcases more than a dozen local performing arts organizations.

Advance admissions are available by calling 847-328-2204
Purchase tickets online by clicking... more

Each year, hundreds of young people, from pre-school to high school ages, receive art education at the Evanston Art Center’s school, in classes such as ceramics, digital arts, drawing and painting, fashion, photography, and printmaking.  Examples of student work will be exhibited in all four galleries at the Center beginning August 29th. The Exhibition will include work from the five Summer and Specialty Art Camps and the High School Intensives, Multi-Level Ceramics, and Exploring digital video and photography classes.  In addition, the second floor gallery will feature work from students participating in Generation F-Stop, an Art Center outreach program run in conjunction with the Evanston community organization, Family Focus.

The opening reception will be Sunday, August 29th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Please, mark your calendars to come view the exhibition and attend the reception!   Refreshments will be provided.  This reception is free and open to the public.

A non-profit organization, the Evanston Art Center is one of the largest community art centers in Illinois. The Evanston Art Center is located at 2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL. Limited, free parking is available. Gallery hours are Monday - Thursday, 10 AM - 10 PM; Friday & Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM; Sunday, 1 - 4 PM. For more information please visit us online at www.evanstonartcenter.org.

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Each year, hundreds of young people, from pre-school to high school ages, receive art education at the Evanston Art Center’s school, in classes such as ceramics, digital arts, drawing and painting, fashion, photography, and printmaking.&nbs... more

Eric Lugosch

Eric Lugosch

The Chicago Blues Harp Bash is coming to SPACE on Sunday September 12, 2010.  The Bash is committed to showcasing the finest blues harmonica talent in the greater Chicago area.  This years event will be headlined by the Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton sideman, Jerry Portnoy, and also include Highway RickEy, Harry Garner, Lamont “Harmonica” Harris, Shoji Naito and “Corporate” Kirk Manley.  Grammy Award winning Billy Flynn will head the backing band and the legend, Willie Buck, will be making a special guest appearance.  This event was SOLD OUT the last 2 times!

Genre: Blues

CBHB's site

Order Tickets Here

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The Chicago Blues Harp Bash is coming to SPACE on Sunday September 12, 2010.  The Bash is committed to showcasing the finest blues harmonica talent in the greater Chicago area.  This years event will be headlined by the Muddy Waters and ... more

A Call Girl (2010. 91 min. Slovenia)

Having grown up in small-town Slovenia, 23-year-old Alexandra embraces the excitement and anonymity of big city life when she moves to the capital. She styles herself as a call girl, planning to take advantage of everything the city has to offer. But her isolated existence—English studies and mortgage payments by day, call girl by night—is shattered when one of her clients dies of a heart attack on her watch. Alexandra must suddenly confront fear, guilt, and desperation as she finds herself pursued by a band of local pimps, as well as the cops. The old village life she had escaped from might now become her only refuge.

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A Call Girl (2010. 91 min. Slovenia)

Having grown up in small-town Slovenia, 23-year-old Alexandra embraces t... more

The African American Literature Book Group will discuss Sap Rising by Christine Lincoln.

Through her collection of stories set against a vividly evoked rural southern landscape, Christine Lincoln, delves into the hearts and minds of African Americans, whose lives are shaped by unseen forces. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the second floor Reader's Services desk. Register online or by calling (847) 448-8620.

Small Meeting Room, Main Library

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The African American Literature Book Group will discuss Sap Rising by Christine Lincoln.

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When you think of “grassroots” and “down to Earth,” you don’t normally think of a movie star. You especially don't think of a movie star the caliber of Jeff Daniels. Yet that is exactly what Jeff has accomplished with his second CD Grandfather’s Hat.

With the follow-up album to Live and Unplugged, Daniels has proven that he is not an actor who sings, but an accomplished singer/songwriter who’s musical talent does not require the support of his acting. Further proof of his talent is supported by the musicians Daniels has performed with over the last couple of years. Although it took him some time to feel comfortable on stage behind his guitar, Daniels’ confidence has matured with his songwriter, being invited on stage to perform a few songs with legends Lyle Lovett, John Haitt, and Guy Clark during their rare “Songwriters” tour. Having his pal Keb Mo’ join Jeff on stage was equally rewarding (Jeff calls it a “free guitar lesson”). From time to time he’s also been fortunate to expand his shows to sold out venues outside of the Midwest.

Grandfather’s Hat showcases Daniels’ range as a songwriter, from the laugh-out-loud humor of “Have a Good Life (Then Die)” to the quiet and poignant lyrics of “Middle of the Night.” His honest, sincere, and relatable approach to the songs on the CD remind us of our own lives, hopes, and dreams.

 

Genre: Blues/Folk

Jeff's site

Order Tickets Here

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When you think of “grassroots” and “down to Earth,” you don’t normally think of a movie star. You especially don't think of a movie star the caliber of Jeff Daniels. Yet that is exactly what Jeff has accomplish... more

Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut album, Midón unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style — a syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused approach in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process. It’s a virtuosic performance, and one that reveals what has made Midón such an exciting artist to watch over the past few years. 

Having toured with prestigious national and international artists, Lowe is a journey-woman through and through; armed with a beaten-up backpack stuffed with sentimental keep-sakes of a woman both beloved and scorned.  The songs on her debut solo CD, “From the End of this Hallway”, play like bittersweet battle-cries of a great victory won against fallen relationships and personal struggles in a coming-of-age war.  And when the dust settles, there’s the lone voice of Jen’s soul, swaying gently, beautifully, between each song like a feather dropping from the heavens between the limbs of Oak trees.

Johnny Rabb is an active live and studio drummer living in Nashville, TN.  He stays busy drumming and composing music with partner Clay Parnell in the innovative group BioDiesel. He has performed with a wide range of artists such as Maynard Ferguson, Alain Caron, Frank Gambale, Larry Tagg, Tanya Tucker, DJ Hype,  Hank Williams III, SheDaisy, Deana Carter and Mindy McCready.

Genre: Singer Songwriter Guitar

Raul's site - Jen's site - Johnny's site

Order Tickets Here

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Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut... more

South Branch

This month the South Branch Book Club will be discussing Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa.

"Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter is a comic novel by Mario Vargas Llosa. Vargas Llosa uses counterpoint, paradox, and satire to explore the creative process of writing and its relation to the daily lives of writers. One half of the story is an autobiographical account of an aspiring writer named Marito Varguitas, who falls in love with Julia, the divorced sister-in-law of his Uncle Lucho. Marito's success at writing and romance contrasts with the fortunes of Pedro Camacho, the protagonist of the other half of the story, who is a devoted but declining author of radio soap operas." - The Merriam-Webster Encylopedia of Literature

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South Branch

This month the South Branch Book Club will be discussing Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa.

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Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, and continuing with his unique and legendary Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Dan Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roots music. Having earned a reputation as a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor, Hicks continues to carve his way through a number of genres from proto-psychedelia to western swing and jazz, from tin pan alley to country blues -- all the while cultivating his own unique sound.

The original Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks recorded five ground-breaking and Billboard-charting records for the Columbia, Blue Thumb and Warner Bros. labels. They toured worldwide, and Dan appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine three times.

The newest incarnation of Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks released the wildly successful "Beatin' the Heat" in 2000, featuring collaborations with Bette Midler, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones and Brian Setzer. USA Today called it "one of the blessings of the new millennium." That release was followed by the live CD "Alive & Lickin" in 2001.

Genre: Folk/Jazz/Country

Dan's site

Order Tickets Here

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Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, and continuing with his unique and legendary Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Dan Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roo... more

Community Meeting Room, Main Library
Not sure what to do on a Friday evening? Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with movie night at the library!  Join us for a special after-hours showing of the movie, Frida, starring Selma Hayek, Alfred Molina, and Antonio Banderas.

2002 Running time:  123 minutes  Rated:  R

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Community Meeting Room, Main Library
Not sure what to do on a Friday evening? Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with movie night at the library!  Join us for a special after-hours showing of the mov... more

After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that reunion and reflects John’s continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting. Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John’s trademark twist of lyric and attention to the details that so effectively evoke a time, a place, a person, or a range of emotion. But there are also the stirrings of new musical directions with the evocative addition of percussion from Ani DiFranco’s drummer Andy Stochansky. John also shares his joy at recent changes in his life (namely a 1996 marriage and move to Minnesota, followed by the 1997 birth of a baby boy — Bocephus Mahatma Sinatra Gorka) with cuts such as “Cypress Trees,” “After Yesterday” and “When He Cries.” There is a hardened knowledge, vented and voiced in “Thorny Patch” and “Wisdom.” Story songs and character studies, “Amber Lee,” “Silvertown” and “Zuly” engage the imagination, while a song like “Heroes” invites introspection.

Though a long way from Godfrey Daniels, John Gorka is still honored to be a part of the folk tradition — energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life. After Yesterday is the embodiment of that expression — another classic release where his rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave together in a way that can only be described as “Gorka.”

Genre: Folk

John's site

Order Tickets Here

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After Yesterday represents the first fruits of that reunion and reflects John’s continuing commitment to the craft of songwriting. Longtime fans will find in its twelve songs John’s trademark twist of lyric and attention to the details that so... more

A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by Decca Records in June 2008 and debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Several of its songs were featured on various television shows including Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, and Army Wives. After releasing the album, James hit the ground running to support it from coast to coast.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

Brendan's site

Order Tickets Here

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A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by De... more

The Mudhounds

The Mudhounds

written by Rohina Malik
Directed by Kevin Heckman

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. • Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Racism. Hate crimes. Love. Islam. Culture. Language. Life.

Five Muslim women in a post-9/11 world serve tea and uncover what lies beneath the veil in this compelling one-woman show. Unveiled was originally performed at Live Bait Theater’s Fillet of Solo Festival, July 2008. In May 2009 Unveiled World Premiered at 16th Street Theater, directed by Ann Filmer.

A “terrific show… intellectually engrossing work of theater” — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune

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written by Rohina Malik
Directed by Kevin Heckman

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. • ... more