This is the final weekend for”Outsider Art: An Exploration of Chicago Collections,” a seriously flawed show that nonetheless fills the largest gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center (fourth floor, 78 E. Washington St.) with more than 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures and objects. Ours is virtually the only city in North America that makes quite so much of the works, but a few of the pieces on display are actually worth it. The carnival closes at 5 p.m. Sunday. 312-744-6630.
— Alan G. Artner
CLASSICAL: STRINGS ATTACHED
An impressive number of composers have enjoyed a significant association with the city of Chicago, even if not all of them happen to be natives. Six such composers are represented in a special concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Chicago String Ensemble at 3 p.m. March 2 at the Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street and North Avenue. The program, which is being co-sponsored by the society, holds works for string orchestra by Leo Sowerby, Alan Stout, Vivian Fine, Florence Price, William Russo and Ned Rorem. Saxophonist Jim Gailloreto will be soloist in Russo’s”An Image of Man.” Music director Allan Lewis is the conductor. 312-332-0567.
— John von Rhein
JAZZ: THE SHOWCASE REAWAKENS
One sure sign that spring is near: The Jazz Showcase, Chicago’s top jazz room, returns to featuring major headliners Tuesdays through Sundays. The club resumes its all-star policy on Tuesday, when Steve Turre’s Quartet opens a weeklong engagement. Turre’s work on trombones and seashells is not to be missed. The Jazz Showcase is at 59 W. Grand Ave. 312-670-BIRD.
— Howard Reich
TV: WILD AGAIN
You may remember Ben Hollis as the creator and original host of WTTW-Ch. 11’s”Wild Chicago,” a show that continued after he left in 1992. Hollis is back with a fine new weekly series called”Ben Loves Chicago” (11 p.m. Sundays, WPWR-Ch. 50). It’s a magazine format, too, and Sunday’s episode reveals a sprightly venture onto the turf-feature reporting-that local news stations have mostly abandoned. Highlights include an”instant talk show” on a CTA train, a visit to an old-style women’s undergarment shop and salmon snagging on the South Side.
— Steve Johnson
ROCK: HOT MUSICAL CLIMATE
On his latest release,”Love is a Gas,” Paul K fashions a cycle of redemption songs that make it an early front-runner for album of the year. With his stylistic boundary-hopping-he’s equally at home with Appalachian folk forms as he is with scalding noise-rock-K’s music is not for pigeon-holers. But he has been performing steadily with an outstanding rhythm section the last few years, and they shadow his every move with passion and empathy. Paul K and the Weathermen will be part of a three-act bill Friday at Lounge Ax. 312-525-6620.
— Greg Kot
THEATER: EAST OF EDEN
With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, Mike Houlihan is back with”Goin’ East on Ashland,” his one-man-show about growing up Catholic in Chicago. The show will play Friday and Saturday and again on March 17 and 18 at Candlelight’s Forum Theatre in Summit. The show will also play March 14-16 at Trinity High School Auditorium in River Forest. For Forum tickets: 708-496-3000. For Trinity tickets: 312-578-8700.
— Sid Smith
