The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, January 14 through January 20, 2015

1 Tomorrow Never Knows Festival

Music: The indoor music festival sponsored by Lincoln Hall and Schubas returns for its 11th year. 2015’s lineup features 25 bands and four comedians at five venues across the city. Musical highlights include noir pop star Zola Jesus and Aimee Mann and Ted Leo's new supergroup the Both.
1/14–1/18. $15–$100. tnkfest.com

2 Waiting for Godot

Theater: You can sum up the plot of Samuel Beckett's challenging existential masterpiece in three words: Nothing happens, twice. But in that confounding narrative, there's dazzling poetry. Actors A.C. Smith and Allen Gilmore anchor a show (helmed by director Ron OJ Parson) that ruminates on the meaning of life itself.
1/15–2/15. $35–$65. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis. courttheatre.org

3 Visibility Machines

Art: Trevor Paglen returns to Chicago to present his final collaboration with acclaimed indie filmmaker Harun Farocki (who died last July). Using pictures created by machines, the artists expose the US military’s use of imaging technology to aid in warfare. It promises to be a gripping show.
1/16–3/7. Free. Gallery 400, 400 S. Peoria. gallery400.uic.edu

4 Trevor Noah

Comedy: The Daily Show’s newest foreign correspondent has a chameleonic ability to impersonate different accents. Consider it a product of his polyglot upbringing, growing up as a biracial kid in South Africa.
1/16–1/18. $20. Up Comedy Club, 230 W North. upcomedyclub.com

5 The Jazz-Gospel Messiah

Jazz: One hundred chorus members, a brass orchestra, and three soloists team up for this annual gospel-infused version of Handel’s Messiah.
1/17–1/18. $25–$70. Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy. auditoriumtheatre.org

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: artist Sally Ko. I AM American runs from Friday, January 16 through Friday, February 20.

“Friday, I’m in the I AM American group exhibition at Zhou B Art Center.  The show is about the artist’s individual interpretation and experience with immigration. My first memory having to do with the transition of coming from Korea and moving to this country was when I was two years old. My given Korean name, Hee-Sing, was difficult for people to pronounce and so I remember my family gave me a different name, Sally. My piece in the show is about Hee-Sing; it’s an abstract painting and photograph. The gallery 33 Contemporary on the fourth floor is also having a reception that I'll be attending.

“Saturday afternoons, I teach one-on-one classes in my studio. I like to go for brunch at a diner nearby called Bridgeport Restaurant. I always get the village omelette. Then Saturday evening, my friend Sergio Gomez has a show at Union Street Gallery called Pedagogy. I'll go check that out.

“Sunday, my family goes to church and then we go to brunch either at Soho House or Wishbone. Wishbone has amazing shrimp and grits.” —As told to Tomi Obaro

Freebie of the Week

Nick Bastis

Art: The emerging artist uses unusual materials such as sleeping snails and a ventriloquist's puppet in his work.
1/17–2/28. Free. Regards, 2216 W. Chicago. regardsgallery.com