Opening This Weekend…
August 20, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
A domesticated Shrek hatches a plan to recapture his mojo and discovers what life in Far Far Away land would have been like had he never existed in this final chapter of the popular animated film series. There used to be a time when the villagers would run in terror at the mere mention of the name Shrek, but these days the big green ogre is married to Princess Fiona and raising triplets. Maintaining your fierce public persona is no simple task when you’re juggling infants and changing diapers, so when Shrek realizes that nobody is afraid of him anymore he recruits mischief-maker Rumpelstiltskin to restore his once-mighty roar. Unfortunately for Shrek, that plan hits an unexpected hitch.
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Walt Dohrn
Director: Mike Mitchell
Genres: Children’s Fantasy, Fantasy Comedy, Fairy Tales & Legends, Comedy, Fantasy, Children’s/Family
Watch Trailer | Get Showtimes |
Tuesday Evening Starlight Concert
August 10, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Upcoming Events
Each year, the Starlight Concert Series presents an amazing array of music for the whole family. From the traditional to the innovative, these concerts present an eclectic mix of musical genres and the most exciting talents from Chicagoland and far beyond! [source]
Performer: Fred Anderson Trio
Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 7:30pm-9:00pm
Where: Dawes Park, Sheridan Rd. at Church St. (at the lagoon)
Admission: FREE
Please Note: The Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston will be the rain site for Dawes Park and James Park concerts.
37th Annual Lakeshore Arts Festival
July 27, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
Celebrate Evanston’s Lakeshore Arts Festival this weekend! The festival showcases live jazz and classical music, a silent art auction, and the popular Family Activity Area, including the Children’s CraftTent and ongoing family entertainment. The festival hosts a dozen restaurateurs serving a variety of culinary delights. Since 1973, the City of Evanston has presented the annual Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival. The festival takes place the first weekend in August on Evanston’s stunning, historic lakefront at Dawes Park, Sheridan Road at Church St.
Free parking is available at the NorthwesternUniversity parking lot, three blocks north of festival site (look for the signs). A free shuttle bus runs non-stop between the parking lot and the festival site between 8 a.m. and 7p.m. For more information, please call 847.448.8260. [source]
Dates: August 1 & 2, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 6:00pm
Location: Dawes Park
Cost: FREE
Entertainment | Events | Food | Artists
Opening This Weekend…
July 23, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Upcoming Events
The Ugly Truth
Opens today July 24, 2009 | Runtime:1 hr. 35 min.
[ R ] sexual content and language
Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a lovelorn TV producer who, despite a long and arduous search for the perfect mate, is hopelessly single. The battle of the sexes heats up when her employers team her up with Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), an opinionated TV celebrity who plans to put Abby through the wringer to prove his own theories about what makes men and women tick.
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Cheryl Hines, John Michael Higgins, Nick Searcy
Director: Robert Luketic
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Comedy
Get Showtimes for Evanston Theatre | Watch Trailer
G-Force
Opens today July 24, 2009 | Runtime:1 hr. 30 min.
[ PG ]some mild action and rude humorArmed with the latest high-tech spy gear, a guinea pig named Darwin (Sam Rockwell) and his team of specially trained rodents are often the last line of defense against chaos and destruction. But when the government shuts them down and ships them off to a pet shop, Darwin and his gang will have to find a way to break out and prevent a mad billionaire (Bill Nighy) from taking over the world.
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Genres: Animal Picture, Children’s/Family
Get Showtimes for Evanston Theatre | Watch Trailer
S.P.A.C.E Rocks!
July 21, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
The S.P.A.C.E (Society for the Preservation of Art & Culture in Evanston) provides a flexible creative canvas for the community. Serving as an ideal venue for music, dance, visual arts, theater, and literary arts, the versatile 3,000 square foot area offers exceptional sight lines and sound. [Source]
S.P.A.C.E has a summer lineup with performers ranging from Folk to Rock. Below is a list of the upcoming performances.
Wednesday, July 22
Jay Nash with Claire Stahlecker
Jay Nash makes the kind of music that defies categorisation, but for the sake of this article let’s call it alt-acoustic-folk-piano-rock. Nash makes the kind of music that is fit for any occasion, warm, soulful, energetic, adult, intelligent, just a little bit country, just a little bit rock. It may not be the kind of music that pop 40 aficionados want to hear on the radio; but it is most certainly the kind of music anyone of sense and substance wants to hear on the radio, wafting from the speakers of their convertible, while driving down the Pacific Coast Highway on a warm summer Sunday afternoon.
Genre: Acoustic, Folk
8PM - $8 in advance | $12 day-of | $18 reserved table seating visit Jay’s site | visit Claire’s site
Thursday, July 23
Curtis Peoples & Keaton Simons with Arden Kaywin
A songwriter with an understanding for what it takes to make a great pop record, Curtis Peoples crafts songs that fans of rock to acoustic folk and pop can enjoy. With a mix of big choruses and jumping rhythms, Curtis’ style of “coffee shop arena rock” incorporates the radio-friendly and inspiring sounds of U2 and Bon Jovi as well as the rhythmic jazz-folk fingerprint of John Mayer and Jason Mraz into his songs. Music Connection Magazine raved that Curtis Peoples “performs music that is pure pop with a classic-rock vibe,” and went on to name him one of the “100 Artists to Watch in 2008.”
When considering the roll call of rock’s most influential icons, the artists that pose a triple threat are the ones that consistently stand out. Musicians who seize the spotlight through their singing, songwriting and instrumental prowess are increasingly less common in popular music; Keaton Simons qualifies as one of these triple threats, given that his multifaceted talents have garnered him a presence on radio, television, film and the concert circuit. It’s an especially auspicious distinction for an artist who is only now on the cusp of releasing his debut album, the prophetically titled tour de force, Can You Hear Me, on CBS Records.
Genre: Pop, rock
8PM - $12 in advance | $15 day-of |$25 reserved table seating - Curtis’ site | Keaton’s site | Arden’s site
Friday, July 24
Johnny Burns with Al Day Trio featuring Don Stiernberg and Marc Edelstein
Son of Country Music Hall of Famer Jethro Burns and nephew of musical legend Chet Atkins, Johnny Burns is a chip off of a very impressive block. A long time member of the Chicago folk/rock/Americana scene, Johhny rose through the ranks as a vocalist/ guitarist with the late Steve Goodman and founder and leader of John Prine’s recording and touring band.
“It’s Johnny Burns’ inspired guitar playing that makes you want to roll your bobby sox down and boogie. Son of famed mandolinist Jethro Burns, Johnny has inherited his father’s exceptional talent. The younger Burns’ considerable talent helps create a formidable performance.” - Louisville Times
Genre: Americana
8PM - $15 in advance |$20 day-of |$25 reserved table seating | Johnny’s site | Al’s site
Saturday, July 25
Patty Larkin with Ingrid Graudins
Even after 10 albums and a career spanning over 25 years, singer and multi-instrumentalist Patty Larkin continues to evolve creatively. Her latest release “Watch the Sky” allowed her to take on yet another role: producer. Playing every instrument on the album and self-producing resulted in a raw, graceful album that Billboard called “ethereal and elegant.” The New York Times picked the album as a critic’s choice, writing, “Her voice can be breathy and confiding, tinged with the blues or infused with Joni Mitchell’s pearly depth…Larkin is deeply attuned to the resonances of her many instruments.”
Genre: Folk, pop
8PM - $17 in advance | $20 day-of | $32.50 reserved table seating | Patty’s site
Address
Evanston SPACE
1245 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, Illinois 60202
Phone:847.492.8860
Email: info@evanstonspace.com
The Evanston Bike Race is Back!
July 15, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Upcoming Events
Downtown Evanston will be bustling all day for the annual NorthShore University HealthSystem Grand Prix (formerly the ENH Grand Prix of Cycling). Get up close and personal with Olympics-level cyclists as they careen around the city streets clocking in at more than 30 mph.
The NorthShore Unversity HealthSystems Grand Prix features several cycling and festival events throughout the day beginning at 9:00 a.m. Spectactors can watch racing for FREE from any point along the course, any time of day. Spend Sunday, July 19, visiting local shops along the multi-lap, closed course. Choose from more than 30 restaurants and enjoy outdoor dining along the race course all day. The races go on rain or shine.
Date: Sunday, July 19, 2009
Time: 9:00am-9:00pm
Location: Downtown Evanston
Visit Website | View Schedule | Kid’s Bike Race
Ethnic Arts Festival Video
July 15, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
The Ethnics Art Festival was filled with live music, dance performances and art and craft work of juried artists. Click here to view the video.
Evanston’s Farmers Market Opens
May 14, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
Date: Saturdays, May 16 - Nov. 7, 2009
Time: 7:30am to 1pm
Place: 1090 University Place Evanston, IL 60201
(Intersection of University Place and Oak Avenue).
Contact: Alisa Dean, (847) 866-2958
Enjoy the bounty of Midwest farmers every Saturday throughout the summer. For over 30 years, the Evanston Farmers’ Market has been a crowd-pleaser with 30+ vendors of fruit, vegetables, meat, flowers, cheese and bakery items.
Now We’re Cookin’ and Home Grown Artists are going to be at the Market certain Saturdays throughout the summer. Stay tuned for dates.
Free parking is available in the Maple Avenue Parking Garage.
Special Events at the Market:
Saturday, May 16
The Department of Recreation
Saturday, May 30
The Department of Public Works
Celebrate Fall
Saturday, Oct. 31, Halloween
Make pumpkin crafts with the kids and take those decorations home to make your house a festive place for trick-or-treaters. Win prizes by guessing the weights of Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkin.
[Source]
FREE Comic Book Day
April 26, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores.
This Saturday, May 2, Comix Revolution, 606 Davis Street in Evanston, will be offering free comic books in the Children’s Room at the Evanston Public Library as well as at their store. Stop by the Library to look and take home a free comic book and then visit Comix Revolution on Davis Street!
Visit Comix Revolution Website | Get Directions to Comix Revolution
Evanston’s First Film Festival!
April 26, 2009 by Mr. Ofni
Filed under Feature, Upcoming Events
May 1-3
The Talking Pictures Festival highlights independent films from around the world mixed with brand new offerings by local filmmakers. The three-day festival is jam packed with animated films, documentaries, fiction films and shorts that promise to offer something for everybody.
The Talking Pictures Festival is organized by Percolator Films, a brand new Evanston media arts organization that’s also behind the popular, ten-year old Reeltime film and discussion series, founded by independent filmmakers Ines Sommer and Kathy Berger.
For the festival, Percolator Films has partnered with Northwestern University’s Block Cinema, the Evanston Public Library, Boocoo Cultural Center and Café, and After Hours Movie Rentals to bring new independent films to the North Shore.
Schedule (click for details)