Peeved? Provoked? Check out the Complaints Choir
From gripes and protestations, the Complaints Choir creates entertaining (and unburdening) music this weekend when the ensemble makes its U.S. debut at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Finnish artist Tellervo Kalleinen and German artist Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen introduced the choir in 2005 in Birmingham, England. Since then they have performed in Hamburg, Jerusalem, Melbourne and Budapest among other cities. The duo orchestrate complaints submitted by ordinary folks into a grand composition, which a choir made up of local volunteers, performs. Chicago composer/conductor Jeremy Jacobsen, also known as the Lonesome Organist, leads the Chicago ensemble in performances at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday at the MCA, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago.
The choir presents an encore performance at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago, $5 cover. (773) 276-3600 and at 4 p.m. Sunday at "Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago.
Nerds unite: Nerds At Heart hosts a cocktail party for smart singles who've read "Ulysses" and have great board game skills from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Globe Pub, 1934 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and include a cocktail, prizes and ticket giveaways to "The Sparrow," The House Theatre's heartwarming homage to nerds running at Chicago's Apollo Theater. Register at www.nerdsatheart.com or call (312) 265-6085.
CJE kicks off annual jazz series: Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble kick off their ninth annual American Heritage Jazz Series today at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago.
Composer/conductor/pianist Lalo Schifrin (whose scores include "Mission Impossible," "Mannix," "Dirty Harry" and "Rush Hour") joins the orchestra for a performance of Schifrin's "Gillespiana" and "Latin Jazz Suite."
The concert is at 8 p.m. Faddis and Schifrin will join writer and radio host Neil Tesser for a pre-concert interview beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $45 for the series, which continues in December with a performance of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert. Tickets are available by phone at (312) 344-6600 or (312) 334-7777 or online at www.harristheaterchicago.com. For information on CJE's series, see www.chijazz.com or call (312) 344-6270.