Friday 12/22 – Thursday 1/4
23 SATURDAY The winter solstice was actually Thursday, but the folks at Charybdis Multi-Arts Complex are marking the change of seasons this weekend with a blowout that promises pagan rituals, music, trance dancing, a drum circle, a community altar, plenty of seasonal art, and the chance to play in or on the venue’s attractions, which include a 30-foot slide, basketball court, and game room. Attendees are encouraged to bring “something to pound on” and vials of water, which will be poured together “to signify that there really are no boundaries between us,” says Charybdis founder Gregor Mortis. Winter Solstice: A Celebration of Life takes place Friday night and tonight at 8 at Charybdis, 4423 N. Milwaukee (773-427-9970). Admission is $10.
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In January, actress Lusia Strus, whom you may know from Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind–or her throaty public radio and yogurt ad voice-overs–is going to seek her fortune in LA. But she’s giving it only three months. “I have no true, deep desire to be out there, but I’m going to try it,” she says. “A fate worse than death to me is being the big-breasted, cigarette-smoking, wisecracking best friend next door on a sitcom. But that’s probably where I’d end up.” To say farewell she’s put together a full-length solo show called Too Busy to Be Famous. She’s been planning to do this for a decade; she was just too busy to get around to it. She performs tonight at 10, and the show runs through January 13 at Second City, Donny’s Skybox Studio, 1608 N. Wells (fourth floor). Tickets are $12; call 312-337-3992.
26 TUESDAY Umoja, or unity, is the first of the seven principles that Kwanza, which begins today, was created to celebrate. H. Mark Williams and the Cultural Messengers will riff on this and the other six–self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith–at a free music and spoken word Kwanza performance today at 12:15 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington (312-744-6630).
Most of the chants Dave Stringer leads at his kirtans (participatory ecstatic chanting events) are in Sanskrit, but he also throws in some Hindi. Between the chants he sings songs, most of which are bluesy and in English. Stringer, who plays harmonium, and his backup band will lead a kirtan Sunday, December 31, at 8 PM at Moksha Yoga, 700 N. Carpenter. Admission is $25. It’ll be followed by a free satsang and meditation, which run from 10:30 to 1. Call 312-942-9642.
