Events

Friday 7/10 Mystery Loves Company 7 PM - $15 suggested donation

Mystery Loves Company is a multi-genre cello/guitar and vocal duo from Houston, TX. The unlikely pair is comprised of Maddy, a conservatory-trained cellist and singer, and Carlos, a self-taught guitarist from Venezuela with a passion for songwriting. They met by chance at an open mic in 2012 and began to collaborate. Almost immediately, the two struck upon a mystifying sound, rich with natural acoustics, and laced with deeply felt sentiments regarding human struggle, safety, worth, and equality. Their captivating songs find a receptive audience in those who appreciate the art of live performance and the combination of classical and jazz instruments in a rock/folk setting. Maddy and Carlos will perform songs from their 6 studio projects, as well as new, unreleased songs.  

Saturday 7/11 Eardrum Series Presents: Tim Daisy (solo); Robbie Hunsinger/Beth McDonald/Lily Finnegan

Doors at 7:30 Show at 8 PM

[What is Eardrum?]

BMC’s Eardrum series focuses on bringing improvised music to the south side. The series aims to feature diverse artists and types of improvisation and to celebrate Chicago’s rich culture of creative and experimental scenes.  Supported by the Neighborhood Access Program grant through Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Thursday 7/16 Songwriter's Circle 7-8 PM free event

Song Writer's circle is an opportunity for those who identify as songwriters as well as those who have never tried songwriting but would like to learn more.  Our music therapist facilitates music and writing exercises designed to inspire you and give you songwriting tools, and the floor is opened up to participants interested in workshopping their song ideas with others.  Join us to start a new creative hobby, bring community and support to your songwriting practice, or to try something new.  Free event provided by grant funding through DCASE.

Friday 7/17 Third Friday Series Presents: Adam Shead/ Jason Stein/ Damon Smith + Caroline Jesalva

Doors 7 PM

Community music 7:15-7:45

Performance: 8 PM

Stein / Smith / Shead Trio is a long-standing working ensemble featuring Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Damon Smith (double bass), and Adam Shead (drums). The trio is dedicated to extended collective improvisation, long-form development, and a deep commitment to listening, allowing form and structure to emerge organically through duration, density, and group decision-making. Their work has been featured in The Wire, Point of Departure, Free Jazz Collective, All About Jazz, The Chicago Reader, Jazz Times, and The New York City Jazz Record.

Across five albums, the trio has developed a sustained practice rooted in continuity rather than isolated projects, cultivating a shared language that privileges risk, restraint, and structural clarity. This approach is especially evident in their ongoing collaboration with NEA Jazz Master Marilyn Crispell, which has resulted in two acclaimed recordings. The trio has also worked with Roscoe Mitchell, situating their work within a lineage closely connected to the Midwest’s history of creative music while maintaining a distinctly contemporary voice.

At the center of the ensemble’s sound is Jason Stein’s bass clarinet, marked by physical engagement with the instrument, an expanded timbral palette, and the ability to sustain narrative over extended durations. Damon Smith and Adam Shead complete the trio with a rhythm section defined by elasticity, precision, and acute responsiveness to subtle shifts in time, texture, and density. Together, the Stein / Smith / Shead Trio creates music that reflects a commitment to exploratory practice, lineage-aware experimentation, and artist-driven music-making.

Caroline Jesalva (b. 2000) is a Chicago-based musician, improviser, multidisciplinary artist, and curator. She studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA where she developed a practice centered on contemporary, improvised and experimental music composition and performance. Her music continually concerns the experimentation and intermingling of violin and vox, finding an expressive home in many disciplines, including experimental theater, songwriting, puppetry, performance art, classical music, and free jazz. Her self-led projects include the experimental-art-rock quartet 20/20 Plastic, and two solo projects for violin and voice: ‘out of context’ and ‘rotations around the sun’. Caroline’s work has been championed, curated, and funded by the Ear Taxi Festival, Edgefest Music Festival, Elastic Arts Foundation, New England Conservatory of Music, International Museum of Surgical Science, and the 3Arts Foundation. A nomadic performer, Caroline can be seen improvising with music collective BananaAcid, exploring the performance of the body with Katinka Kleijn, violining in the pit for puppets with Manual Cinema, creating electric-acoustic improvisations with Sarah Clausen, singing and fiddling with Janelle Finton’s Joygarden, and more. 

Sunday 7/19 Synth Sunday Workshop

Kid friendly workshop 4 PM

Adult workshop 6 PM

Sliding scale $0-30

A basic introduction to musical synthesis! Come learn what the heck oscillators, waveforms, filters, and envelopes are. Get your hands on some analog synthesizers and make some fun sounds while understanding how they get made.

This workshop is taught by Bridgeporter Malcolm Brown (Whitney). The workshop will be available to the first 15 participants, with additional attendees welcome to observe. In person registration will open 30 minutes prior to the event. Attendees are welcome to bring their own synthesizer or midi controller or can use one provided at the event. Event price is sliding scale $0-$30.

This educational programming has been made possible in part thanks to support from Chicago DCASE Neighborhood Access Program.