Corn Lagers, Foggy Wrigley & a Lolla Aftershow

Fog on the lakefront, Lollapalooza on the horizon, and a week that runs from unhinged Old Town comedy to a Wet Leg aftershow and a Yankees series at Wrigley.

By Raj Singh · Published July 28, 2026.

Fog's hanging over the lakefront today — 74 and mild, barely a chance of rain — and the whole city is bracing for Lollapalooza to take over Grant Park this weekend. Before the festival crowds land, here's a week that runs from unhinged Old Town comedy and free celestial theater in Chinatown to a Wet Leg aftershow and a Yankees series at Wrigley. Tonight leans indoors and easy; the weekend goes big.

TUESDAY, JULY 28

Pandemonium, Please Hold @ The Second City

The Second City's 114th Mainstage Revue is the newest chapter in the sketch institution that launched more careers than any comedy stage in the country. Pandemonium, Please Hold runs a six-person cast through a fast, loud, gloriously unhinged night of scenes and improv — the same format that once minted Belushi, Fey, and Colbert, still being written fresh every week here in Old Town.

The Mainstage is a tight, tiered room where nobody's more than a few rows from the cast, and the energy runs hot — expect improv sets after the scripted revue. It's on Wells Street in the heart of Old Town; grab a burger and a beer up the block at The Vig beforehand.

8PM show tonight, $40 a seat. The Sedgwick Brown Line drops you a few blocks east; street parking in Old Town is rough on a weeknight, so transit or rideshare is the move. Come ready to get pulled into a bit — the front rows are fair game.

Guardians of the Earth and Sky @ Ping Tom Memorial Park

Chicago's Night Out in the Parks series turns Ping Tom Memorial Park into an open-air stage tonight for an interactive performance built around the Four Celestial Guardians — the White Tiger of the West, Black Tortoise of the North, Azure Dragon of the East, and Vermilion Bird of the South — exploring seasons, elements, colors, and constellations through storytelling, music, and dance. It's free, all ages, and runs 6 to 8PM.

Ping Tom is one of the city's prettiest riverside parks, tucked along the Chicago River in Chinatown with pagoda-style pavilions and skyline views. The performance leans participatory, so kids and adults alike get pulled into the movement. Afterward, Wentworth Avenue's restaurants are a two-minute walk for dumplings or BBQ pork buns.

Free, no ticket needed — just show up. It's 74 and foggy today with barely any rain in the forecast (2%), but lake fog settles in after sunset, so bring a light layer. The Cermak-Chinatown Red Line is a short walk from the park.

Paris Paloma w/ Renee Christine @ Metro

UK singer-songwriter Paris Paloma brings her folk-tinged, storytelling songwriting to Metro tonight, with Renee Christine opening. Paloma broke through on the strength of 'labour,' the seething feminist anthem that turned into a generational rallying cry — live, her set trades the quiet of the recordings for something bigger and communal.

Metro is the legendary Wrigleyville room where Smashing Pumpkins and countless others cut their teeth — a two-level box with a balcony that wraps the stage and sightlines that stay good even when it's packed. It's an 18+ show, doors at 8PM, and it lands right as Lollapalooza week descends on the city, so expect the neighborhood buzzing.

Doors 8PM, 18+. The Addison Red Line stops steps from the door, which is the smart way in — Wrigleyville parking on a summer night is a battle. Grab a pre-show bite at Murphy's Bleachers around the corner for the full Clark Street experience.

Free Museum Day (Illinois Residents) @ the MCA

Illinois residents get into the Museum of Contemporary Art free every Tuesday, and the MCA stays open late tonight until 9PM — the one day a week you can wander four floors of boundary-pushing contemporary art without paying the door. Just bring proof of Illinois residency.

The MCA sits just off Michigan Avenue in Streeterville, a short walk from the lake and the Water Tower. Rotating exhibitions run from large-scale installation to performance, and the building's grand staircase is worth the visit alone. If you want to make a night of it, the museum's own Marisol restaurant, from Chicago chef Jason Hammel, is right on site.

Free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays; open until 9PM tonight, so the late hours make it an easy after-work stop. An indoor pick, perfect for a foggy evening — reviewers give it 4.4 stars.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29

Official Lollapalooza Aftershow: Wet Leg @ The Vic Theatre

Isle of Wight's Wet Leg — the Grammy-winning duo-turned-band that detonated onto the scene with 'Chaise Longue' — plays an Official Lollapalooza Aftershow at The Vic Theatre on Wednesday night. If you didn't score a Lolla wristband, aftershows like this are how you catch the festival's biggest names in a room a fraction of the size.

The Vic is a 1912 former vaudeville house in Lakeview with ornate balconies and a general-admission floor that gets sweaty and loud — exactly right for Wet Leg's deadpan, guitar-driven noise. Expect it to sell fast given the Lolla halo, with a 9PM start.

Wednesday, 9PM at 3145 N Sheffield. The Belmont stop (Red, Brown, and Purple lines) is a few blocks away. Pre-show, Crisp in Lakeview does excellent Korean fried chicken. Clear skies and 73 tomorrow — no weather worries for the walk over.

Corndoggers & Corn Lagers with Maplewood @ Beard & Belly

Edgewater's Beard & Belly is frying corndogs from 4PM til close on Wednesday, pouring alongside corn lager from local brewery Maplewood. It's free to walk in — you just pay for what you eat and drink — a low-key neighborhood night that beats fighting the Lolla crowds downtown.

Beard & Belly is a cozy Broadway spot in Edgewater, one of the North Side's most underrated eating-and-drinking stretches. The corndog-and-corn-lager pairing is a one-night gimmick worth showing up for — bring a friend and post up at the bar.

Wednesday, 4PM til close, free entry. It's at 6157 N Broadway; the Granville or Thorndale Red Line stops are the closest way in. Tomorrow's forecast is clear and 73 — a good night to walk the neighborhood.

ON THE HORIZON

Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees @ Wrigley Field

The New York Yankees roll into Wrigley Field this Friday for a three-game weekend series (Fri 7/31, Sat 8/1, Sun 8/2) — one of the marquee interleague draws of the summer, pinstripes in the Friendly Confines. These tickets move; a Yankees visit plus Lolla weekend means the North Side will be heaving.

Wrigley is Wrigley — ivy walls, hand-turned scoreboard, and a 4.8-star cathedral of a ballpark worth the price of admission in any season. Friday's first pitch is 1:20PM, a day game, so it's a full afternoon of sun. The neighborhood bars around Clark and Addison turn into a party on game day.

Friday 1:20PM, with Saturday (6:15PM) and Sunday (1:20PM) games to follow — pick your slot and buy ahead, because a Yankees series sells. The Addison Red Line drops you at the gate, and Murphy's Bleachers, right behind the outfield, is the classic pre- and post-game spot. Midweek is trending hot and muggy (Thursday hits 88), so plan for a warm, sunny afternoon at the yard.