Weekend Events Around Town: 1/20 - 1/22

Need some ideas for what to do this weekend? Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on!

Fourth Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago’s Hip-Hop Arts

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It’s never too cold for WBEZ’s hip-hop block party. Part of WBEZ’s Off-Air series, the party will feature a street art and graffiti gallery, a hip-hop barbershop, the Vocalo DJ Collective, breakdance crew battling, and an emcee Olympics, where contestants prepare a 16-bar verse and a whole song, and compete in freestyle challenges. The final event is “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3,” at 8:00 pm, a retrospective on Chicago’s breakdancing history with archive footage and a live 3-on-3 dance battle. Daytime events are free; tickets for BodyRock are $15.

Metro
3730 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60613

Kathy Griffin

Since 2005, Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List on Bravo made her self-deprecating and caustic humor famous. Now she’s announced she’ll be hosting a weekly talk show for the network in the spring, incorporating her stand-up routine and celebrity interviews. Catch her at the Chicago Theatre this weekend for a taste of what Griffin can dish out. Tickets are $47-67.

Chicago Theatre
175 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60601

Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival

Playing catch up to Chicago’s longstanding blues and jazz festivals, the fourth annual Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival has one of its most diverse lineups over two weekends of performances. Kicking off Saturday at the Auditorium Theatre, there will be 10 hours of music across three stages, including Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident, The Travelin’ McCourys and a tribute to bluegrass legend Bill Monroe with Del McCoury Band and David Grisman. Alt-country band Drive-By Truckers and local Joe Pug perform next weekend at the Congress Theatre. Tickets are $50-70 this weekend; $35 next weekend.

Auditorium Theatre
50 E. Congress Pkwy.
Chicago, IL 60605

Blizzard ‘67

See Windy City Winters or danc(e)volve on Chicago Tonight and want to see more? The Chicago History Museum’s slides of early 20th Century blizzards are a blast from the past, but Blizzard ’67 at Chicago Dramatists gives a humorous take on a snowstorm that paralyzed the city for days. Coinciding with the blizzard’s 45th anniversary, the play follows four rival businessmen carpooling through the storm to reach their Holy Grail—a comped hotel room. Tickets are $32, through February 12.

Chicago Dramatists
1105 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60642

danc(e)volve: New Works Festival

The Hubbard Street dance company is giving its dancers the opportunity to choreograph a series of short pieces, performed this weekend and next at the Museum of Contemporary Art, with the chance that some will be developed into full works for the an annual workshop. The performances have a wide range of inspirations, including Scandinavian reindeer herders and traveling vaudeville of the 1920s and ‘30s. The nine pieces are divided into two programs, one running Thursday/Friday, and the other Saturday/Sunday. This weekend’s shows are sold out as of Thursday, but the box office says some seats may open up as tickets are exchanged. Tickets are $35; $28 for MCA members.

Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611

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