The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, April 9 through Tuesday, April 15

1 Isa Genzken

Art: For more than 30 years, the influential German sculptor has deconstructed American consumerism with colorful, kitschy pieces. She gets her due with this career-spanning survey.
4/12–8/3. $12. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago. mcachicago.org

2 The National

Rock: The moody Ohio quintet settles in for a four show run in support of its Grammy-nominated album Trouble Will Find Me.
4/15–4/18. $18–$38.50. Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State. thechicagotheatre.com

3 Visceral Dance Chicago

Dance: Expect impressive athleticism set to rocking music from this edgy new contemporary company founded by respected Chicago choreographer Nick Pupillo.
4/12-4/13. $25-$75. Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org 

4 St. Matthew Passion

Classical: The Chicago Bach Project cycles back to the St. Matthew Passion after Lenten presentations of Bach’s three choral colossi at St. Vincent de Paul, one a year for the past three years. The many fans of the tenor Nicholas Phan can catch him as the Evangelist.
4/11 at 7:30. $25–$55. Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org

5 David Koechner

Comedy: Most famous for playing boisterous, egocentric characters on NBC’s The Office and in the Anchorman movies, Koechner has a second life as a touring standup comic. His set features an array of disparate characters he’s honed over the years.
4/11 at 7:30. $25. Park West, 322 W Armitage. jamusa.com

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like, Louise Lincoln, director of the DePaul Art Museum. From Heart to Hand opens Thursday, April 10.

“Thursday night, my husband and I are going to the Siskel Center to see an assemblage of discarded and thrift store tape turned into a film called Doggie Woggiez. It’s by a film collective called Everything is Terrible.

“Friday, I will probably do a couple of openings. At Packer Schopf, there’s work by Ian Schneller and Anthony Adcock; it’s very elegant, beautifully constructed sculpture.

“Saturday, we’ll be hosting a visiting lecture from Carolyn Ducey for the opening of our show, From Heart to Hand. I’ll be taking her to lunch. She’s staying at the Hotel Lincoln, so maybe we’ll go to Perennial Virant.

“We’re very excited about the quilt show because it’s a very different medium and a set of issues for us. Quilting is usually completely anonymous, but the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has been really scrupulous about restoring the artists’ names to the objects. Anyone who walks in will be blown away; the quilts are so beautiful.

“After she talks, the photographer Dawoud Bey will discuss his show. He made a new set of portraits alongside photos he’s chosen from our permanent collection. It’s kind of like a dialogue between his subjects.

“Sunday, I’m going to the Hyde Park Art Center. They are opening a new sculpture installation by John Preus; it fills their whole atrium space.” —As told to Tomi Obaro

Freebie of the Week

John Preus

Art: A former fabricator for local art star Theaster Gates, Preus created a giant apparatus in the Hyde Park Art Center. Go see it, along with HPAC’s other exhibits at this reception.
4/13 at 3. Free. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell. hydeparkart.org