Have you scheduled your monkeypox (MPV) vaccine yet? While the virus is spreading rapidly among people who have sex with MSM (men who have sex with men), anyone can catch it. Intimate skin-to-skin contact with someone who has MPV is the highest risk activity (note that condoms alone are likely not enough to prevent transmission), but kissing, cuddling, and dancing inside at crowded parties could also be risky as MPV can be spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact. While less likely, even sharing drinks and intimate-contact items like bedding and towels can put you at risk. It is highly unlikely you will catch it generally passing through public spaces or from fabrics or surfaces during routine activities like working out, taking transit, or trying on clothes. The CDC is maintaining an updated guide to MPV and social gatherings here. So who should be concerned with getting an MPV vaccine right now? Anyone who knows that they have been exposed to it by a close contact is the highest priority for a vaccine, but the Chicago Department of Public Health also advises it for “gay, bisexual, and other (cis or trans) men who have sex with men who are 18 or older and have had multiple or anonymous sex partners, sex at a social or sexual venue, or sex in exchange for money or goods within the last 14 days.” Only you can know your risk level, but safer sex is sexy! To schedule your appointment, check out the health department’s website for an expanding list of providers. (MC)
Monday Night Foodball offers a “summer-centered, South Indian” menu tonight in the form of Thommy’s Toddy Shop, a pop-up chef takeover at the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie) by chef Thom Padanilam. Padanilam will offer more than a few choices including curried Kerala Fried Chicken tossed in red chutney and served with coconut rice and zucchini achar. And behind the bar for those who want to make an evening of it, Jon Pokorny will mix a special cocktail including mezcal, mango puree, and ginger pickle. Pre-orders are available at Tock, but a limited amount of food will be available for walk-in purchase. The deliciousness will happen from 5-9 PM. (SCJ)
Are you a fungi? Have mushrooms in your life for more mycological knowledge? OK, I’ll stop there but if you picked up what I put down, you might be interested in tonight’s Illinois Mycological Association online social Zoom dedicated to Show and Tell–mushroom style! (I was working on another pun for that sentence, but I didn’t want to get in truffle.) Join Mycological Association members and friends at 7:30 PM to hear fun memories gathered while mushroom hunting, see participants’ collections of mushroom- themed objects, and explore mushrooming and foraging as a hobby. The public is invited, but you’ll need to email illinoismyco@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. (SCJ)
If you didn’t get out to see live music over the weekend, there are some great options tonight. At Constellation (3111 N. Western), the Baltimore-based duo Matmos will perform their experimental electronic music and sound, focusing on material from their Thrill Jockey releases including The Consuming Flame and Plastic Anniversary. Jeff Carey opens, and the 18+ show starts at 8:30 PM. Proof of vaccination from COVID-19 is required upon entry to the venue. And at Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western), you’ll find a completely different duo offering up their wares: Telekinetic Yeti, the Iowa doom band that Reader contributor Monica Kendrick called trippy and fuzzy (for psychedelic doom bands, that’s ample praise) in her preview of the 2018 Scorched Tundra Festival. Yet another duo opens for them: the New York City-based psychedelic rockers White Hills, who start at 8:30 PM. Advance tickets are available at Eventbrite. (SCJ)