Looking for something to do around Chico?
Welcome to Listen Up — NSPR’s curated list of arts, culture and community happenings in the Chico area. From gallery shows to concerts, talks and local gatherings, we’re highlighting what’s happening around town each week and how you can be part of it.
Email events@mynspr.org to reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you!
ART
Foster Care Museum, Small Wonders, Uninvited Guests
- MONCA
- Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, May 3
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Free
Three different exhibitions will be on display at MONCA.
Celebrating the perseverance, talents and resilience of foster youth through stories and art.
Small Wonders is a juried art exhibition that features work inspired by the beauty, mystery, and profound significance of the microscopic and the overlooked.
Lastly, Uninvited Guests is an exhibition of artwork by Biology students, proudly presented by Chico State Assistant Professor Nicole Kilian.
Maker's Muse Art & Music Festival
- 603 Orange St.
- Friday, March 20 & Saturday, March 21
- 5 p.m. & 12 p.m.
- Free
An art lineup filled with live music and a comedy stand-up show will join various local art and food vendors as the Maker’s Muse Festival returns.
COMEDY
- Blue Room Theater
- Friday, March 20
- 7 p.m.
- $10
Laugh with the next generation of Chico's comedians! A special 90-minute evening showcasing a new batch of local comics, featuring headliner Jerm Leather and hosted by Roxanne Vitavec.
FILM + THEATER
- The Pageant Theatre
- Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22
- 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m.
- $9
Pillion is a queer romantic drama about a timid, unassuming traffic warden who lives with his parents and begins a relationship with a mysterious, reserved biker, brilliantly portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård.
The storyline details their BDSM dynamic as the pair finds unique ways to manage life and love.
MUSIC
- The Tackle Box
- Thursday, March 19
- 8 p.m.
- $90
Bay Area Rap Icon Too $hort is one of the original pioneers of Bay Area gangster rap. He sang about street life in Oakland and finding success in any way he could. He’s celebrating more than 40 years in the game by playing the hits like “Blow The Whistle” and “Gettin’ It.”
Bloodsugar + Ashley Jaguar + Salem St.
- Naked Lounge
- Friday, March 20
- 8 p.m.
- $10
Bloodsugar is a combination of singer-songwriter Lys Lourdes and The Chemicals. This month, they released their first EP, "Gut Feeling." They will perform alongside Sacramento's s Girl Fiend and Chico band Sarah Good.
NSPR spoke with the band about their music and work. Read the story.
- Naked Lounge
- Friday, March 19
- 8 p.m.
- $5
This month’s Friday Funky Function is one for the books. Not only is DJ Amburgers playing the best in funk, groove and disco, but special guests The Crooked Stuff, an electro-funk’d discopunk from the Bay Area, join in.
- The Allies Pub
- Saturday, March 21
- 1 p.m.
- Free
Get ready for the Surf Noir Kings! This Chico-based group fuses classic surf rock with elements of spaghetti western film scores, Latin rhythms and psychedelic flair, forging a distinctive neo-surf genre.
- Mulberry Music Station Brewery
- Sunday, March 22
- 12:30 p.m.
- Free
Musical duo Emma and Will will play timeless hits ranging from Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift and everything in between. The duo uses guitar, percussion, live looping and extensive vocal harmonies to re-create songs you know and love in unique, creative arrangements.
MOVE + MAKE + EXPLORE
Regenerating Paradise: Spring Equinox Celebration
- Cypress Family Apartments in Paradise
- Friday, March 20
- 9 a.m.
- Free
The morning will start with some coffee and a quick equinox ritual, then the planting of native plants will begin. This event is part of a fire mitigation project to help Paradise become more fire resilient.
Got an event? A hot tip? A brilliant idea? Email us at events@mynspr.org.
Listen Up also brings the area’s best events to your radio — listen to NSPR Thursdays during All Things Considered.
