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Events are free unless noted. Donations to performers are suggested at free events. www.cafeballouchicago.com
March
5 Stockyards Theater Project — in honor of Women’s HIstory Month — 7 - 9 pm
6 Stockyards Theater Project — 7 - 9 pm
11 Film Night — 7 pm. Bring a SHORT 16mm film to share.
13 CJ/Cram — poetry — 6 - 8 pm
15 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Tom Roby & the Poetry Wheel and Laura Dixon
26 Stockyards Theater Project — 7 - 9 pm
27 Guitar Night — more info to come. 7 pm
28 Stockyards Theater Project — 7 - 9 pm
29 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry’s Extra Monday show — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Estevan Colon’s Edgar Avenue
April
2 Vegan cooking class and tasting — $12
5 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Jenene Ravesloot
19 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Wendy Brown-Baez
May
3 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Dena Pope
17 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Tom Curry
June
7 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Genimi Love
21 Waiting 4 Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Pamela Miller
July
5 No Show due to July 4 holiday
19 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Bob Rashkow
August
2 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Gregg Shapiro
16 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: tba
September
6 No show — Labor Day
20 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Bob Lawrence
October
4 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Chicago Calling
18 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Chris Gallinari
November
1 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Newman
15 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: John Amen
December
6 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: Scott DeKatch
20 Waiting 4 the Bus poetry — 7:30-9:30 pm
Featured: LaRaie Zimm
Hey all y’all!
Winter is stupidly and grumpily trudging our way, but Cafe Ballou’s events will keep you warm/entertained.
Literally, though: the more people who show up, the warmer it gets in there.
(THIS FRIDAY!) Fri, 11/20 - Cafe Cabaret - 7pm, $10 suggested donation - A monthly slew of characters, jokes, monologues, songs, and probably tap-dancing routines… FOR THE WIN.
Tue, 11/24 - Two With Water reading series & open mic - 7pm, free - TWW is in hot pursuit of the release of its first issue (first week of December!), so now’s the time to check it out! (And get ready for their release party on the 8th down the street at the Empty Bottle). http://www.twowithwater.com
Fri 12/4 - Chicago Poetry Love-in - 7pm, free - Join http://www.chicagopoetry.com curator/poet CJ Laity and the crew from the new issue of Cram - Cram 7: The Poetry of Celebration. Check out the site, come to the show, feel the love.
Sun 12/6 - Caffeine and Rhyme Schemes open mic - 7pm, free - We don’t stop because we can’t stop.
Thu 12/10 - Turmeric + Others TBA - 7pm, donations encouraged - Turmeric blew our minds a few months ago with their guitar/cello combination that features a surprising number of metal-style breakdowns, time-signature shifts and skewed melodies. Seriously amazing music! http://www.myspace.com/turmericsound … Oh, and while the backup acts are TBA, they’re guaranteed to be amazing.
Fri 12/11 - Alliance for Lupus Research beneft show with John Darragh & others - 7pm, donations go to ALR - John Darragh and another slew of talented folks will come in and do something good with our time & space! Check out John at http://www.myspace.com/johndarragh
Other things include a battle of the sexes poetry slam, songs about Pikachu, a night of covers, and holiday spice drinks that are totally worth the cheese factor because they are so delicious.
Remember: our free events stay free when you buy stuff, so hook yourself up with some tea or a snack while you’re in.
Keep up-to-date by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/cafeballou) or Tumblr (cafeballou.tumblr.com).
Check those out, y’all! And have a good thanksday!
Bring your costume, your ukulele, and your voice. We gonna sing it out!!
A couple people will be playing full sets, but we’re gonna open it up to you! So BYOUKE and be there around 7 o’clock.
Cafe Ballou,
939 N. Western Ave.
Chicago!
Indie pop/tight songcrafters tonight! Getalongs + Jesse Carsten and Kevin Wilson! And you! 7pm, freeeeeeeee! #Chicago
CAFE BALLOU UPCOMING SHOWS
October is looking saucy!
Tue 9/29 -TOMORROW NIGHT! - Two With Water Reading Series & Open Mic - Featuring Nick Sarno - 6:30ish signup; 7:30ish lit
- This month, Nick Sarno will be reading his piece from the upcoming first issue of Two With Water. Check it: http://www.twowithwater.com
Sun, 10/4 - Caffeine & Rhyme Schemes open mic, 7pm signup, 7:30 show, free
- Various roofs get torn asunder!
Mon, 10/5 - Chicago Calling - After Hours reading
- After Hours is one of Chicago’s best literary journals, and Cafe Ballou is happy to host a reading from a selection of authors associated with the journal. Read more about this more-than-a-week’s-worth of festivalling at http://www.chicagocalling.org
Thurs, 10/8 - Benefit for the Alliance for Lupus Research with John Darragh & others
- Once again, John Darragh is helping to line up an excellent set of performers who will be putting all funds towards the Alliance for Lupus Research. Last month’s show was great! http://www.myspace.com/johndarragh
Sun, 10/11 - Opera and classical night, donations encouraged for struggling opera singers
- Audrey Grieme and Nicole Hill have trained all their lives to fill huge concert halls with their incredible opera vocals, but we get to see them close up. It’s really an amazing experience. This is what it looked like last month (video download, brief samples): http://bit.ly/oPtyF
Sun, 10/18 - Caffeine & Rhyme Schemes open mic. 7pm, free
- Poetry is good for you! Eat some broccoli! Come to the show!
Tues, 10/20 - Something! A show TBA. Or should we say “MYSTERY SHOW TBA.” It’ll be good.
Fri, 10/23 - Cafe Cabaret hosted by Janet & Roberta. 7pm, $10 suggested donation
- A whole pile of eclectic performers. Last month, we saw glowstick-twirling, witnessed a lovelorn clown transform herself into a vampy lovelorn clown, and were pushed to nail the hook of “Chantilly Lace,” which we never quite got right. Who knows what will go down this time ‘round?
Sat, 10/24 - Classical guitar night - Neil Dixon Smith and Alfono Chacon 7pm, donations encouraged
- Come listen to some of Chicago’s real pros play some of the best guitar music in the world. Hear some samples at http://neildixonsmith.com/ and http://maestrochacon.com/demos.html …
Fri 10/30 - UKULELE NIGHT! - 7pm - $donations are always nice
- This is what many in the industry would call “the motherload.” Of ukulele action. Plucky Rosenthal is in. Vanya Schroeder is in. Phil Forsyth is in. Are you? This show will have the most possible fun crammed into one night. Come in costume, get jacked up on coffee while listening to some fancy strummin’, then go forth into the city. Sound fun?
Again, we’d love to hear from you if you have any ideas for future shows, events, meetings, circuses, whatever. We wanna host it! Just drop us a line at cafeballou@gmail.com and we will holler. We’re also on Facebook, Twitter (twitter.com/cafeballou), and we’ve started posting on Tumblr (cafeballou.tumblr.com)
- xo,
Cafe Ballou’s crew