1 The 4th Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival
Comedy:Every spring, The Onion hosts this comedy jubilee in its native Chicago. Patton Oswalt headlines this year’s stellar lineup, which includes everything from screenings by Nathan Fielder (Nathan for You) and Mike Judge (Idiocracy) to live tapings of the podcasts Bitch Sesh and Guys We Fucked.
5/31–6/4. $10–$325. Various venues. 26comedy.com
2 Chicago Underground Film Festival
Film:Showcasing independent, experimental, and documentary films from around the globe, this fest prides itself on being the longest running underground film event in the world—now in its 24th year. Among the highlights: Xenoi, Chicago filmmaker Deborah Stratman short about the Greek island of Syros, and The Dundee Project, Mark Borchardt’s documentary about a UFO festival in Wisconsin.
5/31–6/4. $10–$90. The Logan Theatre. cuff.org
3 Pivot Arts Festival
Theater:This annual fest boasts a plethora of performance genres, including spoken word, hip-hop, puppetry, improv, performance art, and children’s theater. There’s even a parade slated for June 3. Among this year’s participants: Barrel of Monkeys, the Neo- Futurists, Storytown, and Ayako Kato with Synapse Arts.
6/1–11. Free–$25. Various venues. pivotarts.org
4 Darrell Roberts
Art:At this up-and-coming fringe space, longtime Chicago painter Darrell Roberts debuts a series of sculptures made by drawing lacy patterns with a hot-glue gun. Roberts says he makes art “as a meditation to work out issues of being a gay man, ranging from feelings like being invisible and ashbacks.”
FREE 6/1–30. Ignition Project Space. ignitionprojects.org
5 Do Division
Festival:Thanks to bookings by local clubs Empty Bottle and Subterranean, this street fest always sports an impressive lineup. On June 3, the Ponys share the stage with younger indie acts Girlpool and Hoops. Pallbearer and Protomartyr close out June 4.
6/2–4. $5 donation. Division between Damen and Leavitt. do-divisionstreetfest.com
6 Party 2017
New Music:An annual shindig thrown by new-music whiz kids Ensemble Dal Niente, the Party offers noshing, sipping, and mingling in an arty atmosphere with contemporary music. This year’s bash centers on a world premiere by Joshua Fineberg called Take My Hand, where audience members may participate in the work and its promise of “collective transcendence.”
6/3 at 7:30 p.m. $15–$60. Ruth Page Center for the Arts. dalniente.com
7 Pop-Up Magazine
Multimedia:This “live magazine” returns to Chicago for a night of multimedia storytelling, featuring illustrations, animations, sound, and a live score performed by Magik*Magik Orchestra. Among the presenters: Podcaster Robin Amer, artist Carlos Javier Ortiz, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Fazeelat Aslam.
6/3 at 7:30 p.m. $25. Harris Theater. popupmagazine.com
8 Sigur Rós
Rock:Known for theatrical, atmospheric live shows, the otherworldly Icelandic band comes to Chicago for a performance at the regal Auditorium Theatre. Expect deep cuts as well as new material from their anticipated eighth album.
6/3 at 8 p.m. $80–$100. Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University. auditoriumtheatre.org
9 57th Street Art Fair
Art:Regarded as one of the city’s best art fairs, this seven-decades staple boasts pop-up artist talks and live jazz and blues curated by Buddy Guy’s nightclub, Legends. The event is also alcohol-free (not your typical raucous street fest).
FREE 6/3–4. 57th and Kimbark. 57thstreetartfair.org
10 Candide
Theater:Cross 20th-century composer Leonard Bernstein with 18th-century satirist Voltaire and you get Candide, a biting satire of the rich set to an even richer score. With a 23-piece orchestra, expect this marquee spectacle to be well worth the ticket price.
6/3–11. $34–$96. Music Theater Works at Cahn Auditorium. musictheaterworks.com