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Five things to do in Chicago, from the obvious to the absurd.

Thursday Aug 20, 2009.     By Matt Wood

Lifestyle Feed

Glamorama 2009
Friday at 8 p.m. at Chicago Theater, tickets start at $50
Fashion and music come together in a star-studded evening at an iconic theater. Grammy winner Ne-Yo headlines the music performers (joined by Kristinia DeBarge and The New Standards). Designers such as Marc Jacobs, Max Mara and Jean Paul Gaultier will showcase their goods for the fashion portion of the show, which raises funds for Ronald McDonald House and Children's Cancer Research Fund (and reportedly will include a special appearance by Miss Piggy).

Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Ravinia, $27-$80
If you haven't been to Ravinia yet this year, time is running out. And there's no better show to see than these two blues icons, who will come together for a collaborative set at the end of the show.

Ukrainian Days Festival
Saturday and Sunday at Smith Park, noon-10 p.m., $5 donation
If your only knowledge of Ukrainian culture come from hailing a cab outside of the Empty Bottle (in Ukie Village) and eating chicken Kiev, it's time to expand your horizons. This fest offers authentic Eastern European food, dancing and a new musical act literally every 15 minutes. Opera soloist Roman Sydoruk headlines and is preceded by more than a dozen different performers each day.

2nd Annual HRC Pub Crawl
Saturday, 1-7 p.m. at various Boystown bars, $10
If there's one thing they know how to do well in Boystown, it's party. And this time it's for a good cause, namely the Human Rights Campaign - the nation's largest civil rights organization promoting the rights of the GLBT community. Registration begins at noon at Halsted's and there are specials at every bar on the crawl. The rundown: Halsted's Bar & Grill (1-2 p.m.), Roscoe's Tavern (2:15-3:15), Cocktail (3:30-4:30), Minibar (4:45-5:45) and Spin (6-7).

John Oliver
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., at the Lakeshore Theater, $20
Comedy Central fans will know Oliver as "the British guy from The Daily Show." There's probably much worse ways to be known, and Oliver promises to put on a hilarious, politically-tinged stand-up show. He's joined by local comedian Hannibal Buress, who spent the summer on the nationwide F You Tour.

Just missed the cut: Pearl Jam, DeKalb Corn Fest, Lakeview Music Fest, Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest & Open Studio Walk, Chicago Dancing Festival, Clipse