The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, September 10 through Tuesday, September 16

1 Riot Fest

Music: To celebrate this punk-rock’s carnival 10th year in Chicago (not to mention its best lineup yet), 10 of Riot Fest’s 100-plus billed bands will play their most seminal albums front to back, including Weezer (The Blue Album), Jane’s Addiction (Nothing’s Shocking), the Offspring (Smash), and Chicago locals Naked Raygun (Throb Throb).
9/12–9/14. $70–$290. Humboldt Park, W. Division and N. Sacramento. riotfest.org/chicago

2 Judah Friedlander

Comedy: Though he’s best known for his role as the bearded, ball-cap-wearing writer Frank on 30 Rock, Friedlander considers standup his first love. Expect deadpan boasts and bombast at this three-night stint.
9/11–9/13. $22. UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North. upcomedyclub.com

3 The World of Extreme Happiness

Theatre: The Goodman teams up with the Manhattan Theatre Club for a coproduction world premiere of this Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig drama, which explores how transformations in the global economy can result in tragedy and triumph for the workers at the bottom of that economy’s rungs.
9/13–10/12. $10–$40. Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn. goodmantheatre.org

4 The Big Interview Show

Readings: The Interview Show host (and Chicago contributing writer) Mark Bazer moves his popular monthly talk show to the larger confines of the Abbey Pub. Guests include Life Itself and The Interrupters documentary filmmaker Steve James and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
9/12 at 7:30 p.m. $15. The Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace. ticketfly.com

5 Eighth Blackbird

Classical: Last March, the Grammy-winning new-music chamber group planned the local debut of Colombine’s Paradise Theatre, a fantasy on classic commedia dell-arte written by the composer Amy Beth Kirsten that demands that the players act, dance, and sing in addition to wielding their usual instrumental virtuosity. But an injury sidelined one of the members, and because each one of the sextet is near irreplaceable in the piece, they shelved it till now.
9/12 at 7:30. $10–$28. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago. eighthblackbird.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 Susan Giles. She hosts a workshop at the Hyde Park Art Center’s 75th Anniversary BBQ Block Party Bash on Saturday, September 13.

“Well Friday, my husband and I like to get pizza at Floriole Cafe and Bakery. They have the best pizza in the Midwest and they only serve it on Friday nights. The toppings are seasonal. Then there are two openings we’re going to. One is at The Mission, the gallery that represents my work. They’ll be showing Marcelo Grosman, an Argentinean artist who has a show about light boxes and the still and moving image. Then we’ll see Edra Soto at Lloyd Dobler Gallery. She’s a mixed media artist.

“Saturday, the first thing I want to do is see this amazing sculpture exhibit by Carol Jackson. We saw it last Friday, but I want to go have a second look because her wall sculptures are incredible. It’s at Three Walls.

“Then we’ll head to the Hyde Park Art Center for the 75th Anniversary BBQ Block Party Bash. There will be an open studio preview of my solo exhibition that will open next April. A former student of mine will be conducting a sculptural workshop that’s open for families; it’s an intro to 3D forms. Then we’ll do the bouncy house and the petting zoos and then stay for the openings in the evening. They have got so much stuff going on.

“Sunday, there are a couple of things. Sabina Ott is opening at the Chicago Cultural Center; she also does mixed media and then she also has a space for other artists in her home called Terrain Exhibitions. She has an opening there in Oak Park so we’ll go and see what she puts together.” —As told to Tomi Obaro

Freebie of the Week

World Music Festival

Music: Never mind how nebulous the genre of “world music” is. This 11-day festival is stuffed with performances to whet every ear. Sixty-two acts come to town playing music as disparate as Afrobeat (Seun Kuti) and up-tempo Serbian jazz (Boban and Marko Markovic Orkestar). Malian singer Vieux Farka Toure, Tuareg guitarist Bombino, and Afro-Cuban fusion band Pablo Menendez & Mezcla headline.
9/11–9/21. Free. Various venues. worldmusicfestivalchicago.org