Chicago Best Weekend Bets December 29-January 1

RIP, Carrie Fisher. Here’s a non-Star Wars themed Carrie Fisher Best Weekend Bets.

Also, tell all your friends to subscribe to the Chicago mailing list. We give away stuff.

We write stuff. Here’s some of that stuff from the last week that may be applicable to your preferences!

Variety show The Gumbo, presented by up-and-coming comedy collective The MLK’s of Comedy, brings standup, music, dance, and more to the Laugh Factory. This thing looks rad.
Local indie rock institution Hemmingbirds is calling it a day, but only after one final show at Lincoln Hall, with guests Mutts, Archie Powell & The Exports, and Jesse W. Johnson.
Today’s the final day of the Music Box’s celebration of all things Indy, catch a screening of the first three Indiana Jones flicks
Progressive jazz and experimental jams takes over The Hideout, featuring Jaimie Branch, the Josh Berman Trio, and Bucket Brigade.
The Empty Bottle hosts Post Animal, Lucille Furs, and Jude Shuma.
Punch House has a Prince Tribute DJ night happening down in Pilsen.
At one point Billy Crystal was considered a valuable and charming presence as the leading man in a romantic comedy. The ‘90s were weird and you can go see for yourself at a screening of When Harry Met Sally at the Logan Theatre.
The Promontory hosts Brian Fresco, Smoke Ono, and Kay Karma for some pre-NYE partying.
Liquor and Latkes at Young Chicago Authors is a live variety show and inter-religious celebration of Hanukkah!
Winter has Come to the Fountainhead, and they’re celebrating by tapping three rare Game of Thrones-themed brews from Ommegang.
The Therapy Sessions is a nice show at the Hungry Brain all about feelings. Each week, artists from across different disciplines join host Seth Vanek to discuss their work through the lens of a different theme. This week’s theme is disappointment and features guests Ryan Joseph Anderson and Peter Margasak.
Booze Box in the West Loop celebrates all thing Sade for one night only at a very chilled out DJ night.

Head out to Rosemont for day one of React NYE, with sets from very good acts like Danny Brown, Anderson Paak, and Noname.
Diane Coffee kicks off a two night run at Schubas starting tonight, night one’s special guests are Modern Vices.
High on Fire and Oozing Wound play a heavy ass show at the Empty Bottle tonight, with DJ Mike Lust playing the hits between sets.
Go to the Music Box and see Mean Streets at either 2 or 7:15 today, it’s happening as a part of their Martin Scorsese screening.
The Wandering Boys play an early evening show at The Hideout.
And then Makaya McCraven plays the Hideout’s late show, joined by a bevy of special guests, I bet!
Beat Kitchen hosts some quality rock music from Bear Claw, Mint Mile, Rented Rooms, and Nonagon. Good stuff!
Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Desiigner, and more celebs are slated to appear at Alhambra Palace in the West Loop for a special pre-NYE bash.
Lincoln Hall has a “nearly new year’s eve” show from I Fight Dragons, Jennifer Hall, and Boy Meets Robot.
Smartbar’s got sets from Gene Hunt, DIZ, Jevon Jackson, and Noleian Reusse.
King jammers Umphrey’s McGee play the Aragon Ballroom alongside The Motet.

Do some daytime stuff:
Get up early for one last 5k for 2016, it’s the Chi-Town Rise & Shine 5k. Wow! Ok!
Catch an afternoon screening of underrated Scorsese flick Bringing Out The Dead at the mighty Music Box Theatre.
Or show up even earlier in the day for a pre-noon showing of Gold Diggers of 1933, a pre-code musical Hollywood romp.
Millennium Park hosts a fun afternoon celebration of NYE all around the world, with a family-friendly “countdown” at the bedtime-accomodating time of 6pm.
The Logan’s showing Elf, for those looking to preserve those holiday feelings for a few more days.
The Green Mill’s weekly “live magazine” event The Paper Machete kisses 2016 goodbye with one last show.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra offers a special Salute to Vienna for their final concert of the year, featuring hugely talented ballet and ballroom dancers from around the world!

Then, night stuff:
Reaction New Year’s Eve brings the bloops, blips, and bruuuuuuuumpssss to Rosemont for a very EDM (with a touch of hip hop) NYE party, with sets from Zedd’s Dead, Tchami, Gucci Mane, and more!
Diane Coffee, Yoko & The Oh Nos, and The Voluptuals say bye bye to 2016 at Schubas.
High on Fire, Sweet Cobra, Moral Void, and DJ Adam Luksetich help you have a very heavy new years at the Empty Bottle.
MFK in Lakeview is a real good seafood place and they’re helping you to say Good Riddance to 2016 with a really excellent five course meal.
Lincoln Hall’s got a fire NYE show from The Hood Internet, Air Credits, and Celine Neon.
Head to the Logan Square Auditorium for the Windy City Soul Club’s annual takeover of the space for another NYE kissoff.
Head to the Metro for Freakeasy’s Badass New Years Eve, featuring Detroit techno architect Kevin Saunderson and plenty of special guests and live art installations.
Ada Street is one of the most underrated spots for real nice foods in the city. Check out their NYE dinner packages, two different seatings of good lookin stuff.
Houndmouth and The Kernal help you say farewell to 2016 at Thalia Hall.
Umphrey’s McGee plays three damn sets throughout the night at the Aragon. What a way to jam into the new year.
Smartbar’s Interstellar New Year’s Eve 2016 has guests like Garrett David, DJ Heather, Jeff Derringer, Justin Long, Olin, Sassmouth, Savile, Sevron and more!
The Chicago Theatre hosts a NYE Comedy Jam, featuring comics like Nephew Tommy, Bill Bellamy, Capone, and Melanie Comarcho.
Flynt Flossy and the rest of the Turquoise Jeep crew roll thru Subterranean for their NYE party, with guests Handsome Naked and Sophagus.
Ben Miller Band and Charlie Parr play Beat Kitchen for the New Year.
Big Freedia and Har Mar Superstar help you have a real freaky and wyld new years party if that’s what you’re looking for.
Cafe Mustache has a very ridiculous looking NYE dance party, hosted by local comedy ghoul Sarah Squirm and other Chicago-based comics who are here to help you danse your worries away.

The Empty Bottle’s Everyone’s Hungover party is the stuff of legends at this point, with DJ sets from local icons from open til close, helping you start 2017 with a boozy bang.
New Year, New Queen is the name of the game tonight at Smartbar, with DJ sets from Chez Damier, Michael Serafini, and Garret David.
Maybe go see The King of Comedy, a wildly demented and terrifying Scorsese movie at the Music Box today, to help set an unsettling tone to what will surely be a weird year.
Head to Sidetrack for a onesie day party and get afternoon drunk in some footie pajamas!
Catch Die Hard at the Logan tonight at 11pm if you’re into living dangerously.
Character Assassination, Chicago’s #1 collective of roasters of abstract concepts and fictional characters welcomes 2017 with a look back at the terrible year of 2016.
Nurse your hangover with a nice brunch and some unamplified tunes at Schubas weekly Acoustic Brunch, featuring Matt Brown and Vidar Skrede.
If you show up to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba before 3pm in your pajamas, you’ll get a gift card good for the full value of the brunch you just ate to spend the next time you come by. Unreal.
For those of you not hungover (or looking to run off your hangover), there’s the New Year’s Day 5k in Lincoln Park. You are a different kind of person than me!
The Neo-Futurarium in Andersonville pays tribute to the 28 years of work their collective has pushed out, nearly 10,000 plays in total before taking on a new approach in 2017.
Dance to Taking Back Sunday or whoever at Beauty Bar, which hosts their weekly Emo vs. Pop Punk night with a special guest DJ set from local legends Lucky Boys Confusion.