Chicago Best Weekend Bets February 9-12

John Wick 2 is in theaters this weekend. He’s back. Again.

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!

The NFL is bad. So…
We interviewed the mind behind Tinder Live.
We have a new series entitled What’s Keeping Me Sane. What’s keeping us sane? Doggies!

No.

Real strong lineup of punk rock bands at the Beat Kitchen: Priests, Stef Chura, and Blizzard Babies are here for your enjoyment!
San Francisco cocktailery Trick Dog takes over Emporium Logan Square’s bar for one night only! Cool shit!
Mac Blackout Band, Modern Convenience, and City Slang play a free show at Emporium Wicker Park!
Excellent variety/feelings show The Therapy Sessions returns with another strong lineup, featuring guests Jessie Winslow, Kim Bellware, and Owen Ashworth.
Bearfish, Lonesome Still, and Found Hound play a bargain-priced show at the Empty Bottle tonight.
The Adler Planetarium’s ongoing Reel Science series hosts a screening of The Fifth Element which I haven’t seen but feel like I would like.
Minor Moon, Paul Moody and the Gloaming Roamers, and Night Tonic play The Hideout!
The Chicago History Museum hosts a screening of Hometown Heroines, followed Q&A session featuring director Kathleen Ryan!
Lookin to meet someone special high above one of Chicago’s most iconic tourist traps? Then Speed Dating on the Centennial Wheel may be for you!
Head to Berlin Night Club for Black Girl Magic, featuring Dida Ritz, Shea Couleé, Lucy Stoole, The Vixen, Kenzie Couleé, and more!
Humiliating storytelling showcase Mortified brings a special Valentines themed event to the Promontory tonight!
Spend an evening with pianist/jam band interpreter Holly Bowling at City Winery tonight.
Catch a screening of a series of works from Japanese filmmaker Rikuro Miyai at the Art Institute of Chicago!

Perse As Funk: A Live Band Tribute to the Music & Sounds of J-Dilla comes to 19 East for one night only! This will probably be so good.
Very cool shoegazers DIM are at the Hideout, with opening sets from Laffing Gas and Tuth.
Beauty Bar hosts a special early evening baby shower for Beyonce’s twins with very good drink specials and other surprises!
and THEN the Beauty Bar continues killing it with a GRRRL Power Dance Party/Planned Parenthood Benefit party.
Name havers Sable Beldam, Armored Assault, Sacred Monster, and South Arsenal all play an intensely brutal show at Beat Kitchen.
The Life and Times, Storm Clouds, and Trevor de Brauw play the Empty Bottle.
Myzica and Karma Wears White Ties play a show at Schubas.
Catch Leggy, T-Rextasy, Daymaker, and Blacker Face in the Downstairs space at Subterranean.
The Music Box has a midnight screening of 1990 dystopian flick Hardware, presented by our friends at the Chicago Film Society.
Check out Halloweencore rockers Gramps the Vamp at Emporium Wicker Park.
Greensky Bluegrass and Fruition play the first of two shows at The Vic Theatre tonight.
Space Jesus, Proko, and Of The Trees play Bottom Lounge tonight.
Bowie Tribute Oh You Pretty Things comes to Late Bar on Belmont!

Do some daytime stuff:
The Empty Bottle’s monthly local vendor showcase The Handmade Market returns for another afternoon of bespoke goods and artisanal wares.
Women & Children First hosts another edition of their very popular series Story Time with Drag Queens!
Grab your children and head out to Schubas for Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats’s 6th Annual Valentine’s Show For Kids!
Take in a series of somber ass short form docs at the first of two programs of Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts at the Music Box!
Another thing you and the kids can do is head to a live edition of the wildly popular children’s cartoon Paw Patrol at the Chicago Theater, happening six times between today and tomorrow. Gotta give it up for those folks grinding it out in the Paw Patrol costumes three times a day.
Hit up the Chicago Auto Show for some new, fun, weird looking cars, giveaways, and other weirdness down at McCormick Place!
The MCA hosts a showcase of work from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company!

Then, night stuff:
The Empty Bottle’s recurring Mirrored series returns with sets from Galaxxu and friends!
And then later swing by the Bottle for the always good Windy City Soul Club dance party!
Night one of the Hideout’s 11th annual Makeout Party happens tonight! Go get romantic~~
Dan Navarro headlines the early show at Schubas tonight.
Twin brother comedy duo The Sklar Brothers record their new standup special across two shows tonight at Lincoln Hall!
Woolymammoth and Lwky play the late show at Schubas tonight. A change of pace from what’s normally there, for sure.
Sango and Monte Booker are at the Metro tonight!
Check out The Peeves, Fast Decay, Modern Advances, and HighBall tonight at Downstairs Subterranean!
Semi-tribute/semi-reunion Pylon Reenactment Society headlines Beat Kitchen alongside Ovef Ow, The Baby Magic and more!
Yonas, Deem, Lucid, and Believe In Dreams play Subterranean tonight!
Bottom Lounge hosts Freelance Wrestling’s heavy duty event The Hammer of Dawn!
Emo folks Circa Survive, Mewithoutyou, and Turnover play the Riviera!
It’s time for night two of Greensky Bluegrass and Fruition playing at The Vic!
Check out a bunch of solid local rock bands, including Modern Vices, Bleach Party, Bunny, and Flamingo Rodeo at Cole’s tonight!

The Hideout’s got a nice family friendly afternoon fundraiser called Pal-entines Day!
Al Scorch’s Winter Slumber afternoon residency continues at the Empty Bottle!
I guess The Walking Dead is back on tonight and you can watch the season premiere with other deadheads at Emporium Wicker Park on their big screen!
Pillowhammer, Caleb Willitz, and Jen Hill all appear at the Empty Bottle this evening.
Schubas’ ongoing 100% Off Bands series brings you a free show from Brendan & The Black Jackets, Laverne, and Delmar & The Dedications.
Slippery Slope kicks off their 3 day love fest from now until Valentines day with a DJ set full of hot love tunes from Danny Leroy.
Night two of the 11th Annual Makeout Party at the Hideout happens tonight! How fucking romantic!
The Heartbeat Hoedown is a beenfit show for wounded veterans, featuring performances from Daphne Fleur and the Haggard Review, Les Haricots, and Can I Get an Amen.
The Music Box screens the 2nd of two programs of shortform Oscar Nominated Documentaries!
The Music Box ALSO has a sweeties-only singalong screening of Casablanca!
Jazz legend Maceo Parker plays the Promontory tonight! Very very cool.
Queensryche’s Geoff Tate plays an acoustic show at City Winery tonight.
High quality comedy debate show Arguments & Grievances returns to @North with another super strong lineup of local comedians debating arbitrary/inane topics!
Folkman Robert Ellis plays Space in Evanston with guest Jenny O.
Local garage rock boys The Orwells host a listening party for their new album at Chop Shop.