Storms Can't Stop Midsommar, Half Marathons & Byrne

Your daily guide to what’s popping in Chicago — indoor escapes for a stormy Saturday, then a clear-skies Sunday run.

By Raj Singh · Published June 6, 2026.

It’s a tale of two days. Saturday brings thunderstorms and a muggy 79°F, so today’s picks lean indoors — intimate jazz, a David Byrne mind-bender, and a free record-store hang you can duck into between raindrops. Then the sky clears: Sunday is cool and overcast with barely a 9% chance of rain, tailor-made for a West Side half marathon. Here’s how to ride out the storm and run wide open into the weekend.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Christian McBride & Ursa Major @ Garcia’s Chicago

Christian McBride has been, in the words of his own bio, “one of the most important and most omnipresent figures in the jazz world for 20 years” — hard to believe for a man barely in his 40s. The Philadelphia-born bassist moved to New York in 1989 to study classical music at Juilliard, only to get snatched up by alto saxophonist Bobby Watson before he could finish. Bassist, composer, arranger, educator, curator — he wears every hat in the genre. Tonight he brings his band Ursa Major (out of Long Island) to Garcia’s for a late 9:30PM set.

Garcia’s is the kind of room built for this: intimate, multi-level, fully ADA-accessible with wheelchair lifts and assisted-listening devices on request. Book a Premium Table and you’re seated closest to the stage with table service — the most intimate way to experience the show. This is sit-down, lean-in jazz, not a sweaty standing-room crush. Heads up on tickets: all sales are final, no refunds, though you can transfer through your Ticketmaster account.

You’re in the West Loop on Washington, steps from Randolph Street’s restaurant row — make a night of it and eat first. Au Cheval’s legendary cheeseburger is the move if the wait isn’t brutal; otherwise the whole strip from Fulton Market over is wall-to-wall options. And with thunderstorms in the forecast (79°F, 24% chance of rain), the best part of this pick is that the entire night happens indoors. Bring a layer for the AC, not an umbrella for the walk in.

David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind @ Reid Murdoch Building

If you only know David Byrne from Talking Heads or “American Utopia,” here’s his weirdest Chicago project yet. Theater of the Mind, built with collaborator Mala Gaonkar, is “part art installation, part psychological gauntlet” — an exploration of the self tucked inside a 15,000-square-foot office in River North’s landmark Reid Murdoch Building. Small groups of 16 or fewer move through a sensory-bending labyrinth where the real variable isn’t the set design, it’s the people you’re walking through it with.

Some straight talk from Time Out, who gave it three stars: group participation is central, which can be exhilarating but also awkward; the instructions are sometimes muddled, and the group’s responses shift the narrative in ways that don’t always cohere. Translation — your enjoyment genuinely hinges on the group you’re there with and your own state of mind. Go in loose and curious, not skeptical, and bring people who’ll play along rather than stand back and critique.

It’s in River North at 325 N LaSalle, the gorgeous old clock-tower building right on the river — about as central as it gets, with the Loop a short walk south. Timed entries run throughout the day and the run continues through late summer, so if today’s slots are gone, grab one later this week. Tickets run $66–$96. Best of all on a thunderstorm Saturday: it’s entirely indoors, and there’s no shortage of River North bars to dissect what just happened to your brain afterward.

Death Cab for Cutie “I Built You a Tower” Listening Party @ Loud Pizza Records

Death Cab for Cutie have returned to their indie roots, signing to ANTI- Records for their 11th studio album, “I Built You a Tower.” As Loud Pizza Records puts it, it only makes sense to celebrate that homecoming at an indie — an indie record store, that is. This is an official listening party: come spin the new record front-to-back with fellow fans. Even if the album’s already in your rotation, the shop is “pulling out all the stops” for it.

Here’s why this one’s a steal — it’s free with RSVP. Everyone gets a sticker sheet while supplies last (no purchase needed), a canvas tote comes with any format or variant of the album (including pre-orders picked up at the event), and there’s a giveaway for an autographed Death Cab art print drawn at the end of the hour. No purchase required to enter, but you have to be present to win. Spend over $50 in-store and you’ll walk out with a Loud Pizza slipmat, too.

It runs a tight 4–5PM at 1748 W. Lawrence in Ravenswood, and it lands right in the middle of the Great Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce Sidewalk Sale — so the whole block will be out shopping the racks. You’re a short walk from Lincoln Square’s pedestrian strip if you want a beer or a bite after; the Brown Line at Western or Damen gets you there. With thunderstorms rolling through (79°F, 24% rain), a free indoor listening party in the early afternoon is about the most weather-proof plan on this list.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Half Marathon @ Garfield Park

The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Half Marathon kicks off and ends at Garfield Park after a scenic 13.1-mile route through the city’s West Side. Whether you’re lacing up or posted on the sidelines with a cowbell, organizers promise the Sunday-morning event is “always a blast.” Finishers get a proper celebration at the Race Day Festival, where runners and fans alike can dig into live music, food and drinks once the medals are handed out.

The weather could not be cooperating more. After Saturday’s thunderstorms clear out, Sunday turns overcast with just a 9% chance of rain — and with an overnight low around 62°F, you’ll be running in cool, gray, near-perfect conditions before the afternoon high of 79°F kicks in. If you’re spectating, layer light and skip the umbrella.

Garfield Park sits on the West Side at Central Park and Washington, and it’s worth getting there early — the Garfield Park Conservatory next door is one of the great free gems in the city if you want to duck in before or after. Transit is easy: take the Green Line to the Conservatory stop, or the 20 or 82 bus. Race details and registration live at chicago13point1.com.

THIS WEEK

60th Annual Andersonville Midsommarfest @ Clark Street

One to plan ahead for: Andersonville’s Midsommarfest turns 60 this year, and it remains one of Chicago’s most beloved early-summer street festivals. Clark Street shuts down to traffic and fills up with multiple music stages, food vendors, and the kind of easygoing neighborhood energy that makes the North Side feel like a small town for a weekend. It kicks off Friday, June 12 at 5PM and runs through the weekend.

The fest is rooted in Andersonville’s Swedish heritage — this is the neighborhood with the Swedish American Museum and a water tower painted in blue and gold — but these days Midsommar is really a celebration of one of the best small-business strips in the city. Expect the boutiques, bookshops, and bars along Clark to throw their doors open, with patios packed and the whole street turned into one long stroll.

Come hungry: Andersonville eats well. Hopleaf is the neighborhood institution for Belgian beer and the famous mussels and frites, Big Jones does Southern cooking, and the strip is dotted with bakeries and coffee for the daytime stretch. It’s a suggested-donation street fest, so bring a few bucks for the entry tents and cash for vendors. The Red Line to Berwyn drops you a few blocks east.