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- BEST OF CHICAGO
- NEWS
- CITY LIFE
- MUSIC Open dropdown menu
- Early Warnings
- Secret History of Chicago Music
- VISUAL ARTS
- PERFORMING ARTS
- BOOKS
- FILM & TV
- FOOD & DRINK
- ABOUT Open dropdown menu
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## Indie rockers Cusp celebrate their first album as a fully functional five-piece

Plus: The Promontory says farewell, and the CheckOut hosts a live-scored screening of *Häxan*.

by Leor Galil October 21, 2025October 21, 2025

## music

Chicagoans of Note

### Dewey Burtker, hardcore-scene artist and musician

“Young kids who are stoked on the right stuff, that is hands-down what’s keeping me interested. A lot of people age out.”

by Leor Galil October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Music Feature

### J.T. IV’s wild horror trash joins the Blu-ray canon

The outsider musician, writer, and filmmaker born John Henry Timmis IV made zero-budget movies with a punk urgency that carries across the decades.

by Leor Galil October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Concert Preview

### New York rapper Lexa Gates puts the ‘work’ in working artist

Wed 10/29 at the Promontory

by Jamie Ludwig October 17, 2025October 20, 2025

* * *

## Latest Stories

The Moviegoer

### Round and round

Music Box of Horrors and *Dead or Alive* (1999) at Doc Films

by Kat Sachs October 22, 2025October 23, 2025

Food & Drink Feature

### Middle Eastern restaurant Old School keeps it commercial-free

At Mohd Mahd’s Palos Hills restaurant, the poet, philosopher, free thinker, food scientist, and chef offers his own style of radical hospitality.

by Mike Sula October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Reader

### Find a print copy of this week’s *Chicago Reader*

Newspaper circulation information and map of distribution locations

by Chicago Reader October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Sponsored Southeast Spotlight

### Southeast Spotlight: Mayfair Arts Center

Making movement accessible for all.

Sponsored by the Southeast Chicago Chamber of Commerce by Cortlyn Kelly October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Sponsored

### Empower Illinoisans affected by breast cancer and reduce stigma with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery

Sponsored by Illinois Lottery October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

News & Politics

### The Internet is ruining sex

What the lack of privacy means for intimacy in the digital age

by Micco Caporale October 21, 2025October 23, 2025

* * *

## Get the latest issue of the *Chicago Reader*

Middle Eastern spread from Old School in Palos Hills. Credit: Kirk Williamson

View/Download the PDF

**Read the Issue**

Find a print copy of the *Reader.*

The Moviegoer

## Round and round

Music Box of Horrors and *Dead or Alive* (1999) at Doc Films

by Kat Sachs

Food & Drink Feature

## Middle Eastern restaurant Old School keeps it commercial-free

At Mohd Mahd’s Palos Hills restaurant, the poet, philosopher, free thinker, food scientist, and chef offers his own style of radical hospitality.

by Mike Sula

Chicagoans of Note

## Dewey Burtker, hardcore-scene artist and musician

“Young kids who are stoked on the right stuff, that is hands-down what’s keeping me interested. A lot of people age out.”

by Leor Galil

Music Feature

## J.T. IV’s wild horror trash joins the Blu-ray canon

The outsider musician, writer, and filmmaker born John Henry Timmis IV made zero-budget movies with a punk urgency that carries across the decades.

by Leor Galil

Sponsored Southeast Spotlight

## Southeast Spotlight: Mayfair Arts Center

Making movement accessible for all.

Sponsored by the Southeast Chicago Chamber of Commerce by Cortlyn Kelly

* * *

## News & Politics

### Leaving Hotel California

Night time is prime time for releases at the Cook County jail.

by Dave Byrnes

### Chicago’s Damen Silos demolition resumes—activists demand more robust oversight

Environmental activists have been monitoring the site since the process began in July, capturing photos and videos to protect residents from potential pollution before the demolition was paused last week.

by Aydali Campa and Borderless Magazine

### Illinois rideshare drivers organize for labor rights

Uber and Lyft drivers are joining together to fight for better working conditions

by Devyn-Marshall Brown (DMB)

## Music

### Pink Siifu shapes his wild and inventive raps with help from his friends

Tue 10/28 at Subterranean

by Leor Galil

### G Herbo celebrates his 30th birthday with ten thousand of his closest friends

Sun 10/26 at the Wintrust Arena

by Leor Galil

### Cincinnati psych rockers Electric Citizen grow into a lavish new sound on *EC4*

Fri 10/24 at Reggies Music Joint

by Jamie Ludwig

## Film & TV

### Review: *The Secret Agent*

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s *The Secret Agent* plays like a 70s paranoia thriller with well-crafted characters.

by Soham Gadre

### Review: *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You*

Despite a strong performance by Rose Byrne, *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You* feels too neatly engineered.

by Soham Gadre

### Review: *Highway Hypnosis*

Ken Camp’s 1984 trance-slasher film *Highway Hypnosis* asks something prescient: Could the impression of death be scarier than the real thing?

by Cassandra Gillig

## Theater, dance, comedy

### Bloodthirsty baggage

City Lit and Black Button Eyes team up for *Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter*.

by Albert Williams

### Love is in the air

Teatro ZinZanni Chicago’s latest celebrates immigrants and dreams.

by Kimzyn Campbell

### Cellblock shenanigans

Redtwist’s reimagined take on the original *Chicago* is criminally entertaining.

by Kerry Reid

## Visual Arts, books

### Rooted in home

At Hyde Park Art Center, Yasmin Spiro channels the psychic landscape of Jamaica.

by Natalie Jenkins

### Love lives here

Amid a flurry of state-sponsored violence, “NEPO” offers a vision of community care.

by Erin Toale

## CITY LIFE

### Even in darkness, life finds a way

Staff note: 2025 Night issue

by Micco Caporale

### Night shift

The people who keep Chicago going from dusk till dawn.

by Delaney Eubanks

## Food & Drink

Reader Bites

### Chai leche flan doughnut at Sarima Cafe

by Mike Sula October 7, 2025October 7, 2025

Food & Drink Feature

### New and upcoming local food books you should read

Eat these words.

by Mike Sula September 23, 2025September 23, 2025

* * *

##### COMMUNITY CALENDAR

## Sponsored

Sponsored

### Southeast Spotlight: Chicago Body Shop

Well-rounded wellness comes from community

Chicago Body Shop2047 E. 79th Street, Mon–Fri 5 AM–8 PM, Sat 7 AM–2 PMthechicagobodyshop.com, @chicagobodyshop Situated at 79th…

Sponsored by the Southeast Chicago Chamber of Commerce

Sponsored

### An excerpt from TAXI GIRL, a novel by Maria Schreiber

“All About Yogurt,” a four-minute read.

“All about Yogurt” Four-minute read On Monday, June 3, 1974, Tania and Dan began selling cartons of yogurt…

Sponsored by Maria Schreiber

Sponsored

### 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…

Sponsored by California Clipper

Sponsored

### Mubi Fest 2025 wants you to get lost in film and music

In its second year, the international cinema and culture festival offers a curated mix of film screenings, discussions, and live music as well as a pop-up market

MUBI FEST is back! Now in its second year, the acclaimed cinematic festival returns to Chicago. The two-day…

Sponsored by MUBI

Sponsored

### Support local students pursuing higher education with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery

The Illinois Lottery is nationally recognized for its pioneering work with specialty lottery tickets dedicated to raising awareness…

Sponsored by Illinois Lottery

Sponsored

### Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into…

Sponsored by Chicago Healing Center

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