aiplannerevanston events & things to do in january
Exciting events and experiences happening this month in Evanston.
The Sullivan Sisters (Early)
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The Sullivan Sisters have dazzled audiences since childhood with their unique blend of fast bluegrass picking and captivating sibling harmonies, with music ranging from lyrical originals to timeless folk classics to blazing instrumentals.Inspired by the bluegrass community in North Carolina where they were born and raised, Soraya and Luciya began taking guitar and banjo lessons at ages 8 and 6. Their music drew influence from the bluegrass community surrounding them, and they carried their love of the genre with them when they relocated to Chicago.Over the past ten years, The Sullivan Sisters have toured the country as featured performers at Merlefest, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame s Romptober Festival, IBMAs Bluegrass Live Festival, the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Evanston Folk Festival. Their instrumental talents have garnered them national distinction, including First Prize in Banjo and Third Prize in Guitar at Rockygrass 2023, First Prize in Fiddle, Second Prize in Guitar, and Third Prize in Mandolin at RockyGrass 2025, and Second Prize in the 2024 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Bluegrass Banjo contest. Additionally, The Sullivan Sisters won Third Prize at the 2025 RockyGrass Band Competition.The sisters have recently formed a five-piece band by joining forces with three phenomenal teen pickers and longtime friends: Oscar Caudell on mandolin, Finn McGuinness on fiddle, and Sammy Mougin on bass. The new band launched its debut to a sold-out, standing room audience in Chicago in January 2025, and has multiple tours planned for 2025 and beyond.
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SOLD OUT - The Sullivan Sisters
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The Sullivan Sisters have dazzled audiences since childhood with their unique blend of fast bluegrass picking and captivating sibling harmonies, with music ranging from lyrical originals to timeless folk classics to blazing instrumentals.Inspired by the bluegrass community in North Carolina where they were born and raised, Soraya and Luciya began taking guitar and banjo lessons at ages 8 and 6. Their music drew influence from the bluegrass community surrounding them, and they carried their love of the genre with them when they relocated to Chicago.Over the past ten years, The Sullivan Sisters have toured the country as featured performers at Merlefest, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame s Romptober Festival, IBMAs Bluegrass Live Festival, the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Evanston Folk Festival. Their instrumental talents have garnered them national distinction, including First Prize in Banjo and Third Prize in Guitar at Rockygrass 2023, First Prize in Fiddle, Second Prize in Guitar, and Third Prize in Mandolin at RockyGrass 2025, and Second Prize in the 2024 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Bluegrass Banjo contest. Additionally, The Sullivan Sisters won Third Prize at the 2025 RockyGrass Band Competition.The sisters have recently formed a five-piece band by joining forces with three phenomenal teen pickers and longtime friends: Oscar Caudell on mandolin, Finn McGuinness on fiddle, and Sammy Mougin on bass. The new band launched its debut to a sold-out, standing room audience in Chicago in January 2025, and has multiple tours planned for 2025 and beyond.
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Northwestern Wildcats Mens Basketball vs. Minnesota Gophers Mens Basketball
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The Third Annual Celebration of the Songs of Michael Smith featuring Anne Hills, Michael Miles, Chris Walz, Flo Estes, Jonas Friddle, and Many Others
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The Third Annual Celebration of the Songs of Michael Smith Join us for the third annual celebration of the songbook of Michael Smith (1941-2020), an essential singer-songwriter in Chicago over five decades whose work spanned solo work (The Dutchman, Crazy Mary, Ballad of Dan Moody, Panther in Michigan, Spoon River, Sister Clarissa and countless other classics), a rock duo (with wife Barbara Barrow), folk ensembles (Weavermania), and compositions for theatre (Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Blair Thomas favorite Chicago songwriter.Performing Michaels songs this year are Anne Hills, Michael Miles, Mark Dvorak, Jonas Friddle, Chris Walz, Flo Estes, Emily Haden Lee, Robin and Jenny Bienemann, Rebecca Jasso, Jaimie OReilly, and Jim Gary.
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David Bowie Birthday Bash ft. The True Believers
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John Meads True Believers return for another Bowie Birthday set, this time featuring his 1974 album Diamond Dogs, plus their usual Plastic Soul and more surprises. The band features Evanstons own Chris Greene.
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SOLD OUT - Hot Flash Dance feat. DJ Mary Nisi. A Punctual Party for Rowdy Women
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Join Toast s Mary Nisi for Hot Flash Dance, the unapologetically early dance party for women and women-identifying folks (sorry, no dudes not sorry).Expect a killer mix of pop bangers, indie rock, hip-hop, disco, punk, Rs the night out youve been craving no late-night hangover required! Grab your crew and lets hit the dance floor! Whos in?
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Cocktail Class - Introduction to Amaro (Late)
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Join us for another Space cocktail building class curated and hosted by long-time Space bartender Lisa Zielke. This year, our cocktail classes will take place in Spaces new lobby!Please note, by purchasing tickets for this event you consent to having your photograph taken.
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Amythyst Kiah
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On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described anime-nerd mall goth, and much more. Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Kiahs second full-length for Rounder Records merges her revelatory storytelling with a darkly cinematic twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough Wary + Strangean LP that landed on Rolling Stones list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiahs exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright makes for a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery.The latest turn in a dynamic career thats included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), Still + Bright emerged from a deliberate transformation of the songwriting process Kiah adopted after composing her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. To that end, the album marks her first time opening up her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbells 400 Unit), and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. Although her third LP is an undeniable departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts each track with a hypnotic intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. Revealing her rare ability to spin her fascinations into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature, Still + Bright ultimately affirms her as an artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.
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Cocktail Class - Introduction to Amaro (Early)
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Join us for another Space cocktail building class curated and hosted by long-time Space bartender Lisa Zielke. This year, our cocktail classes will take place in Spaces new lobby!Please note, by purchasing tickets for this event you consent to having your photograph taken.
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FUNDAMENTALS OF DIRECTING with Jonathan Berry
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FUNDAMENTALS OF DIRECTING -Developing a creative process Taught by Jonathan Berry Sundays, January 11, 2026 - February 15, 2026, 10 AM - 1 PM $299 CLASS DESCRIPTION: A director invites collaborators to be in conversation with the play. Over six weeks, we will explore how to clarify our own perspective and aesthetic while learning how to invite other collaborators into the creative process. We will learn preparation techniques and engage in conversations that will result in a clearer, more cohesive, and ultimately more effective production. Participants will choose the play they would like to explore, and we will take that play through the process leading to a first rehearsal. This is a great class for people who are showing early interest in directing, as well as more established directors looking to clarify their own collaborative process. Instructor Bio: JONATHAN BERRY is back in Chicago having served for 3 years as the Artistic Director of Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor, Maine. A director and teacher, he is also a proud ensemble member of both Steep Theatre and Griffin Theatre and a former Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He directed the Steppenwolf productions of: Lindiwe, The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, and the SYA productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, The Crucible, and A Separate Peace. Steep Theatre Company: Paris, Red Rex, Earthquakes in London, Posh, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, If There Is I Haven’t Found it Yet, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment, The Hollow Lands and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. At Griffin, productions include: The North American premiers of Simon Stephens's Punk Rock (Jeff award Director, Lead Actor, and Ensemble), Port, and On the Shore of the Wide World, as well as The Harvest, Winterset, Pocatello, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, The Burnt Part Boys, Spring Awakening Company, Picnic, Time and the Conways, Dead End, The Hostage and Journey’s End. He was the Assistant Director for Anna D Shapiro’s Broadway productions of Of Mice and Men and This is our Youth. Gift Theatre: The world premiers of both Dirty and Suicide, Incorporated, as well as Othello. Goodman Theatre: The Solid Sand Below and The World of Extreme Happiness for their New Stages Festival. Other work includes: American Theatre Company: Kill Floor, American Blues: Little Shop of Horrors and Sideman; Redtwist: Look Back in Anger and Reverb, Chicago Dramatists: I am Going to Change the World, Jackalope Theatre: The Casuals, Strawdog: Conversations on a Homecoming, Remy Bumpo: The Marriage of Figaro, Theatre Mir: The Sea and Caucasian Chalk Circle, Lifeline Theater: The Piano Tuner (Afterdark award – Best Production). He pursued his MFA in directing from Northwestern University. He has taught acting, directing, and viewpoints at University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Act One Studios, Columbia College and is incredibly proud to have served as the director for the ensemble training program The School at Steppenwolf. Questions? Email education@brambletheatre.org.
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G. Love & Special Sauce - Lemonade 20th Anniversary Tour with Special Guest MAKUA
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G. Love s unique vocal delivery, blending rap-like spoken word with bluesy singing.Their debut self-titled album, G. Love Cold Beverage, which became popular on alternative radio stations and MTV, solidifying their presence in the music scene. The bands style has been described as a mix of slacker blues and alternative hip-hop, as they frequently incorporate elements of 90s hip-hop beats with classic blues rhythms.Over the years, G. Love s That Easy (1997), The Electric Mile (2001) and the GRAMMY nominated The Juice (2020). Their sound evolved to include more soul, R&B, and rock influences, though they retained their laid-back vibe and clever lyrical play. Their 2014 album Sugar saw a reunion of the original lineup after several years, and they continued to tour and produce music with a loyal fan base.Known for their energetic live performances, G. Love & Special Sauce has played at festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Garrett Dutton also frequently collaborates with other artists, including Jack Johnson, with whom he shares a similar vibe, and has released solo projects that dive deeper into his blues influences. G. Love & Special Sauce remains a beloved name in the music scene, blending genres in a way that feels fresh and authentic.
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Blue Monday: Donna Herula Band
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Hailed for her superlative guitar prowess (Living Blues Magazine), Donna Herula is a blues singer, songwriter, resonator slide guitarist and Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee. Her last album, Bang at the Door, received international critical acclaim and charted #1 on the acoustic blues album Best of the Year list (RMR) and on other best album lists (Living Blues, IBBA).Donna performs original songs that tip the hat to the blues and folk tradition as well as plays fun and lively versions of Delta Blues, Hill Country Blues and early Chicago Blues songs. She won Independent Blues Awards for Best Traditional Blues Artist and Best Acoustic Blues Album, and her award-winning songs have been played on the BBC and SiriusXM BB Kings Bluesvilles Top 15 Rack of Blues (most played songs).She has performed throughout the US and Deep South, Europe, and South Africa. Band members include Marc Edelstein (upright and electric bass), Tony Wittrock (guitar, mandolin, banjo guitar) and Grammy winning drummer, Kenny Smith.Donna will be releasing a new album of original blues and folk songs in 2026. Visit: https://donnaherula.com/
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