Surge Coffee Bar & Billiards

Chicago Park District Auditorium Theatre Finalist: Hearts to Art

Lawrence Fish Market Kai Zan Finalists: Ora Sushi, Arami, Tanooshi Sushi, Juno Sushi

Tue 8/30: Sixteen teams compete for prizes at the reception for the Tenth Annual Canstruction Chicago. See the canned good structures—drawing inspiration from Van Gogh, Warhol, Disney, an el stop, and more—in all their splendor at the Merchandise Mart (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza) before they are disassembled and distributed to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. 5:30-8 PM Thu 9/1: Get in the groove at the citywide Chicago Jazz Festival, beginning tonight with the Brown in Bronzeville Effect and Obert Davis’ Soul Migration at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (Michigan and Randolph)....

I suppose this story starts in the fall of 1977, when I got a job as a copy boy for the Chicago Daily News. I said: “Yes, sir—I understand.” I’d received notice about Albert from Josh, a high school friend who had a summer job at the paper. I believe Josh’s assessment went a little like: “Albert Dickens is so fucking cool!” Truer words were never uttered. Plus, he had a sneaky sense of humor and a lusty appreciation for dirty jokes and bawdy limericks....

Lao Sze Chuan House of Wah Sun Finalists: Chengdu Impression, Takie Outit

In a sense, all animation is experimental, because an artist can’t really see how his images will move until he throws them up onto a screen. But don’t tell that to the filmmakers featured in the traveling Eyeworks Festival of Experimental Animation, who’ve rejected the corporate world of commercials and children’s entertainment to pursue their own visions. Based in Los Angeles, the festival favors “works made by individual artists, drawing on the lineage of avant -garde cinema as well as the tradition of classic character animation and cartooning,” with two free programs on Saturday at Block Museum of Art....

Ba Le Sandwich Shop Nhu Lan Bakery

Jennifer Barnes Susie Pearson Finalists: Jason Cox, Sam Powell

Twin Peaks Sincere Engineer Finalists: Pool Holograph, Lever

Dinner at the Grotto Mia Francesca Finalist: Shmeal

ARTIST: Sarah Squirm SHOW: Helltrap Nightmare at Hideout on Sun 11/27 featuring performances by Bone Lattice, Ratboys, and more MORE INFO: sarahsquirm.tumblr.com

Street View is a fashion series in which Isa Giallorenzo spotlights some of the coolest styles seen in Chicago.

Mammoth art festival Expo Chicago is all the rage, but it’s not the only game in town. Here are some more weekend recommendations: 9/23-9/25: The city’s new (and only) ax-throwing center, Bad Axe Throwing (165 N. Loomis) celebrates its opening with an open house offering a chance to try out the sport for free. Axes are provided, but you can bring your own food and drink. Fri 6-11 PM, Sat 2-11 PM, Sun 2-8 PM...

Barney the Elf As a non-Christian, I have no brief for Christmas. But Other Theatre brings a whole chorusful of gold lamé briefs to this oddly compelling holiday tribute. I say “oddly” because the 90-minute show sure as hell doesn’t follow the usual path to Yuletide cheer. Santa Claus has died, to start, leaving behind a widow and one grown son, Junior, who’s expected to follow in dad’s footsteps. But Junior is a jerk, bent on introducing efficiencies at the expense of joy....

Jewel-Osco Foodsmart

Music Box lounge When the Logan Theatre was renovated in 2012, its primary draw wasn’t the new projection equipment or the more focused programming but the new bar and lounge that gave moviegoers a chance to get tanked up before the show. Not content to let a second-run venue steal its thunder, the Music Box bought up the storefront just to its north on Southport Avenue and built its own lounge, which has the Logan’s beat by a country mile....