Latest Stories
Review: Back to Black
Back to Black lazily tells the story of Amy Winehouse, committing the usual sins of the biopic genre.
Review: Doctor Who (Season one/Series 14)
New stars and a legacy showrunner bring Doctor Who into a new era.
Review: In the Fade
In the Fade is a bleak almost-classic about the horrors of right-wing violence.
CCPSA nominees advance, Mohawk Johnson takes plea deal, First Nations Garden vandalized
A weekly column from the Chicago Reader covering the top stories on our radar and how they impact our communities.
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Tary Coffee House brings ancient preservation techniques from the central Asian steppes to River North
The first U.S. outpost of a Kazakh cafe can do anything with millet and fresh milk.
News & INVESTIGATIONS
Bosses beware
Chicago’s service and cultural workers are unionizing like never before.
Campus protests, sexual abuse in youth prisons, May Day for Palestine
A weekly column from the Chicago Reader covering the top stories on our radar and how they impact our communities.
Queer justice
A new exhibit at the Center on Halsted explores 50 years of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights—and the midwest’s role in it.
Columns & Opinion
“Missing in Chicago” wins the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting
The Reader, in partnership with Invisible Institute and City Bureau, ran the story in November 2023
Publisher’s note: why the Reader is returning to weekly publishing
The Chicago Reader’s print publication will return to weekly publishing in June 2024. The paper pivoted to a biweekly print schedule in June 2020.
Film
Review: The Big Cigar (Miniseries)
Black Panther Party cofounder Huey Newton gets the Hollywood treatment—for better or for worse—in this new biodrama.
Review: Thelma the Unicorn
Netflix’s adaptation of the hit Aaron Blabey book is cute, if a little expected.
Review: Mother of the Bride
Netflix’s newest rom-com is middling and mindless.
Arts & Culture
Levi Holloway’s Turret is a 21st-century Endgame
His world premiere with A Red Orchid Theatre is bleak, brilliant, and a little Beckettian.
For the labor of art made transparent
Tony Lewis, Devin T. Mays, and Ellen Rothenberg discuss “WORKS BY,” their group show at the Neubauer.
Meet the Author puts the spotlight on a store appearance gone wrong
Joe Janes’s latest comedy takes place at bookstores around the city.
Orphan black comedy
Hell in a Handbag’s Poor People! serves a satirical feast.
Murder in the Cathedral has fresh relevance
City Lit stages T.S. Eliot’s classic about political violence.
Music
‘This is deeply rooted in who I am’
The Palestinian diaspora enriches our city’s music scene. Three Chicagoans show how in their own words.
Goalden Chyld transforms drill music by pushing for peace
His new debut album, War Cry, reached number three on Apple Music’s rap chart, but what he really cares about are the neighbors he serves.
Remembering Steve Albini
Friends, fans, clients, and coworkers share their memories of the beloved and influential recording engineer.
CITY LIFE
Chicago’s arcade evolution
Nothing can rival the video game boom of the 1980s, but with the majority of today’s arcade options catering to alcohol-consuming adults, the city’s youth are cut out of vital community spaces.
The Raven Room shuts down despite strong community support
The Ravenswood bar and entertainment venue formerly known as Redline VR announced their intention to close at the end of April.
Food & Drink
Tita Tootsie’s brings vibes of paradise to the next Monday Night Foodball
Check out the future Filipino lounge at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Frank and Mary’s Tavern.
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Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic
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At the California Clipper, everyone is welcome
The newly relaunched Humboldt Park lounge champions community, inclusivity, and fair labor practices Since the 1820s, Chicago’s pubs…
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Bright Endeavors provides a guiding light for young mothers in Chicago
The social enterprise of Chicago nonprofit New Moms empowers local mothers ages 18-24 through their comprehensive job training program
As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The folks at Bright Endeavors know…
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In Motion: Metamorphosis explores the intersection of art and technology
As the leader of the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Princess Mhoon is on a mission to raise…