The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, January 13 through January 19, 2016

1 Tomorrow Never Knows

The ballooning indie and comedy festival from Schubas and Lincoln Hall mounts its 12th year with performances by snarling sludge-punks Bully and rising indie troubadour Lady Lamb.
1/13–17. $15–$20. Various venues. lh-st.com

2 Abby Geni

Readings The Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate celebrates the debut of her first novel, The Lightkeepers, with a reading. The story follows a nature photographer who embarks on a one-year residency on a dangerous archipelago off the coast of California.
1/14 at 7:30. Free. Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark. womenandchildrenfirst.com

3 Chicago Sinfonietta

Classical The orchestra’s annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. features bassist Victor Wooten and the Chicago premiere of his piece The Bass Whisperer. The concert also includes the gospel revelries of the Apostolic Church of God’s sanctuary choir.
1/17 at 3. $10–$60. Wentz Concert Hall, North Central College, 171 E. Chicago, Naperville. 1/18 at 7:30. $10–$60. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. chicagosinfonietta.org

4 Bob Saget

Comedy Most famous for his kid-friendly roles in Full House and as the inaugural host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, the Grammy-nominated comic has a staunchly R-rated standup act.
1/17 at 8. $39–$85. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. thaliahallchicago.com

5 Le Switch

Theater Marriage is at the heart of playwright Philip Dawkins’s new romantic comedy, which follows a commitment-shy gay man uncertain about how to act as wedding fever spreads through his circle of friends. Stephen Brackett directs the world premiere from the author of the acclaimed The Homosexuals.
1/15–2/21. $20–$35. About Face Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. aboutfacetheatre.com

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals: Abby Geni, who reads from her debut novel, The Lightkeepers, Thursday, January 14 at Women & Children First.

“Thursday, I have my reading at Women & Children First in Andersonville. Rebecca Makkai is interviewing me, and afterward we'll probably get together at Hopleaf with my husband and some friends to keep drinking and talking about writing.

“Friday, I'm going to take my three-year-old son to the Kohl Museum of Greater Chicago out in Glenview. It's an amazing, amazing place for kids under school age to run around and be in the world and experiment. Later that day, I'm meeting a writing student at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. It's one of my favorite independent bookstores in the city, other than Women & Children First, of course.

“Saturday, my husband and I will take our son to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. He loves the butterfly exhibit, and they also sometimes have these lizard exhibits where you can touch and hold snakes and turtles.

“Sunday, I'm meeting a friend for brunch at Kopi Cafe. It's this hippie-ish place down the street from Women & Children First. They have all sorts of wonderful veggie dishes and teas, and just a great vibe. It's one of my favorite places to visit in the city.” —As told to Matt Pollock

Freebie of the Week

National Wet Paint MFA Biennial

Art The Zhou B Art Center receives more than 300 submissions for its prestigious MFA painting biennial. Several dozen artists are selected to exhibit, assuring the cream of the crop from recent graduates of national masters’ programs.
1/15–2/13. 1029 W. 35th. zhoubartcenter.com