Illinois Guide and Deals

Maritime Promise Ring vets Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier bring Maritime’s mature melodies to Subterranean’s stage  It’s easy to lose track of a band. Take Maritime, for instance. The ongoing post-Promise Ring project of Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier, the group made some critical racket in the mid-aughts with 2006’s We, the Vehicles before gradually slowing down to part-time status. Rumors of their demise were premature, though: they’re still around, and they still pack more bittersweet melodicism into a single chorus than most bands can muster on an entire album. They’ll show the whippersnappers how it’s done during a Saturday-night show at Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.), with their first Chicago appearance in more than two years giving Von Bohlen ample opportunity to remind fans why they fell in love with his lisp to begin with. (Saturday, 8:30 p.m.; doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10+; purchase here.) “Pigeon Hill: Then and Now” Artist Jeffrey Wolin blends photography and writing in his chronicle of Bloomington, Indiana’s impoverished Pigeon Hill neighborhood Artist and writer Jeffrey Wolin’s photographs have documented the faces of Holocaust survivors and Vietnam veterans, but some of the most hauntingly personal images come from the people in his own hometown. Shot over the course of two decades, Pigeon Hill: Then and Now traces the hardscrabble lives led by residents of Bloomington, Indiana’s most impoverished neighborhood. The visual narratives hit even harder thanks to Wolin’s words, which snake through each picture and provide poetic (and usually devastating) context. Wolin will be on hand for tonight’s opening reception at Catherine Edelman Gallery (300 W. Superior St.), where he will also lead an artist talk at noon on Saturday. (Opening reception Friday, 5 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; show runs through March 1. Admission is free.) Chicago Contemporary Circus Fest Inaugural festival celebrates the aerial feats and audacious buffoonery of modern circus performance In case you couldn’t tell already, we’re very excited about the Chicago Contemporary Circus Fest. Filling the stages of Links Hall (3111 N. Western Ave.) and the Athenaeum Theatre (2936 N. Southport Ave.) with cutting-edge aerial, acrobatic, and clown acts, the fest offers no shortage of globe-spanning spectacle for fans of the modern cirque. Since we’re all about Chicago pride, we’d be remiss if we didn’t give a double shout-out to Dean Evans, the masterful Chicago clown performing this weekend as Honeybuns. Fresh off his appearance in The Ruffians’ well-received production of Burning Bluebeard, the Chicago Physical Theater vet should have no trouble holding his own with the festival’s slew of international acts. Windy City, this is your clown. (Shows run Friday–Sunday. See the full schedule and purchase tickets here.) Public Hours at the Poetry Foundation Library Explore the Poetry Foundation Library’s massive collection during special Saturday hours Since 1912, the Poetry Foundation has been one of America’s most significant archives of verse in all its forms. Since the foundation is only open during weekday business hours, you usually need to burn a vacation day to visit the foundation’s stockpiles of stanzas and similes. On one Saturday each month, though, the Poetry Foundation Library (61 W. Superior St.) throws open its doors for extended weekend hours. In addition to browsing more than 30,000 books, anthologies, and author monographs from across the decades, visitors can also listen in to the library’s extensive audio collection. Carefully restored for quality, the recordings capture the cadence and intonation of legendary poets including Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Graves, and Langston Hughes. (Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Admission is free.) Solar-Lighted Trail Hikes Solar-powered lights illuminate the path of evening walkers on the Old School Forest Preserve’s fitness trail As the winter night gathers around the trees of the Old School Forest Preserve (698 N. St. Mary’s Rd., Libertyville), vigilant hikers might notice soft orbs of light glowing in the darkness. These glimmers don’t belong to any will-o’-the-wisp, though—they emanate from the rows of solar-powered lights lining the preserve’s 1.3-mile fitness trail. The lights stay lit until 9 each night, giving evening strollers the chance to draw in a bracing breath of night air. Of course, the preserve also features plenty of daytime hiking opportunities. We recommend braving the snow and slush for a trip around the full 3-mile loop trail, a gravel-lined path that joins up with the Des Plaines River Trail at its most scenic point. (6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. daily through Monday, March 3. Admission is free.) Photo courtesy of Maritime

"Fear of Nostalgia" Images of contemporary Cuba occupy giant black-and-white triptychs from photographer John Michael Rusnak  Once the embargo of 1962 took full effect, Cuba ceased to occupy a rational part of the American consciousness. Half the country saw the island nation as a Communist stronghold, while the other pictured a country frozen in an eternal 1950s where the rum never ran out and the Oldsmobiles always ran great. As tensions eased, a more nuanced view has returned—for example, take the photos of Fear of Nostalgia. The show, which closes its three-month run at KM Fine Arts (875 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2515) this weekend, is the product of artist John Michael Rusnak’s visit to the once-forbidden nation. Shot over the course of more than 100 days in 2011, the photo triptychs that followed capture scenes as notable for their familiarity as they are for their sense of remove. Rusnak doesn’t play up the time-lost qualities, though; he’s more concerned with his subjects, whom he depicts with the tenderness of an artist trying to reach past political quarrels to find something more universal. Luckily for everyone involved, he succeeds. (free; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; the show runs through Saturday, December 21) "Dallas Buyers Club" Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto headline this tale of redemption and audacity in the early days of the AIDS epidemic  In 1985, AIDS was a death sentence. Marginalized by societal stigma and short on promising treatments, those with the disease had few options save grim resignation. Some, however, found ways to fight back. Dallas Buyers Club tells the true story of Ron Woodroof, a homophobic rodeo rider who finds common cause with the people he hates when his HIV test comes back positive. Haltingly gaunt, Matthew McConaughey brings tenacious life to his portrayal of Woodroof, whose second act as a smuggler of international antiviral drugs made him a target of the FDA and an unlikely ally in the early days of AIDS activism. Catch the 7:45 p.m. showing tonight at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.). ($12; buy tickets here) The Runaway Five, Game Genie, Brett Knickerbocker Local nerd-rock masters blast out muscley riffs from the back room of Quenchers Saloon When you run across a band that borrows its name from one of the most underrated Super Nintendo RPGs of all time, you might not expect much rock. Oh, how wrong you would be. Rock is exactly what you get from The Runaway Five, the EarthBound-inspired four-piece that turns 16-bit influences into 3D, face-scorching stompers. They’ll bring their brand of synth-tinged mayhem to Quenchers Saloon (2401 N. Western Ave.) tonight, aided in their mission by fellow NES aficionados Game Genie and stalwart songwriters Brett Knickerbocker and Sam Vicari. If you feel like grabbing a drink or three between sets, never fear: tonight’s specials include $4 well drinks, $1 off select drafts, and the ever-popular $3 Malört shot. Poison never tasted like such a bargain. ($5; 9 p.m.; buy tickets here) Photo by John Michael Rusnak

On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself drooling over a set of curtains in Anthropologie, only to realize they’re priced at $200. It’s at this point that I must abandon my Maria von Trapp–inspired fantasies and head for the exit. But necessity truly is the mother of invention. Moments like this have motivated me to find a window-dressing solution that doesn’t involve forking over a hefty amount of dough or hanging colorful beach towels from the windows. With some basic sewing skills and an afternoon to kill, you can transform your living room or bedroom by sewing your own rod-pocket curtains. Not only is this project super simple and inexpensive, it also gives you the freedom to choose the exact fabric you want. Note: If you’re a novice sewer, consider enrolling in some beginner (or refresher) classes from a local sewing store. In Chicago, the staff at Northcenter’s The Needle Shop hosts a range of courses, including Sewing 101. And they’ll even let you use their machines if you don’t have one or don’t feel like lugging yours around town. What You’ll Need: Iron and ironing board Pins Measuring tape Sewing machine (or a needle and thread if you have a lot of patience) Scissors Thread Fabric What To Do: 1. Measure Determine how much fabric you’ll need. When in doubt, err on the side of getting extra fabric. For the length, measure from the top of the curtain rod down to where you’d like the curtains to fall. Add 9” to account for the rod pocket and the bottom hem. This is your yardage, the length that will be cut from the fabric bolt. For the width, measure from one end of the curtain rod to the other. To attain fuller curtains, you’re going want to to add some extra inches—anywhere between 1.5–3 times the actual measurement. The formula for determining total width is as follows: (Actual Width x Fullness Factor) + 2” (for side seams) = Total Width For instance, let’s say the width measures 36” across. Because we’re making two panels, cut this number in half to get 18”, then multiply by 1.5 (the fullness factor) to reach 27”. To account for side seams, add 2” for a total of 29”. So for two panels, that makes a total of 58”. Most fabric bolts come in 45”–60” widths—double check the width of the fabric bolt before determining if you need more than one cut of fabric. TIP: If your fabric is machine washable, wash and dry it before measuring in case the fabric shrinks. 2. Cut Before you cut, it’s always a good idea to iron the fabric thoroughly to smooth out any wrinkles leftover from its life on the bolt. If your fabric has a selvage edge, make sure to cut that off to prevent the fabric from puckering. Using the measurements from step 1, cut the fabric with a sharp pair of sewing scissors. Once the fabric is cut, turn it wrong-side up. 3. Finish the Edges Iron down ½” of the raw edge along the entire length as you go. Then, fold the fabric another ½” and iron that down along the length. Pin this edge down, placing pins perpendicular to the fabric every 5” or so. Sew a straight stitch about ¼” from the inner fold all the way down the length. Repeat this step on the other side. 4. Make a Pocket for the Curtain Rod Still working on the wrong side of the fabric, begin by ironing down ½” of the raw edge along the width on one side of each panel. Then fold down another 3”. Make sure to measure at both sides so your rod pocket is even. Iron that down, and pin in the same manner as you did with the side seams. Sew a straight stitch about ¼” from the inner fold to create the pocket. TIP: Remember to backstitch on both ends to prevent the seams from unraveling. 5. Hem To form the bottom hem, follow the above rod-pocket steps, except after ironing down the ½” raw edge, fold and iron down 5” (instead of 3”). Then pin and sew, backstitching again to prevent your curtains from falling apart. Snip off any leftover thread. Repeat this same process to create the other panel. 6. Hang your curtains, and admire your handmade work!