The heat is in full force this weekend and the events are sure to be just as hot! It'll be too nice to stay inside so why not head out to the city and discover some great and iconic events! Festivals are in full force ready to make the next few days fun and worthwhile!
Let's get on with your curated weekend!
THE WHOLE WEEKEND, JULY 11th - 14th
Taste of Chicago 2019 @ Grant Park, 11:00am - 9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: The big, over-the-top mainstay food celebration of Chicago
SO WHAT: It may happen every year to mixed results, but you can still find some great things at the Taste of Chicago.
There is a hefty list of restaurants participating including food trucks and pop up restaurants that will only be there a day or two. Plus there are tons of musical acts playing both
free sets at the Goose Island stage and
paid seated (
or in the Taste Oasis) sets at the Perillo Music Shell throughout the festival.
Take a look at their map for an idea of the scope of this annual food fest!
NOW WHAT: Make your way to Grant Park and have yourself a good time. The Taste of Chicago will be open 11am to 9pm Wednesday thru Friday, 10am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday. Getting into the event is free, but of course you'll have to shell out for food, the Perillo Music Shell concerts, and such.
The Taste of Chicago website has the full details.
THURSDAY, JULY 11th
Together Pangea / Tijuana Panthers / Ultra Q @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave, 7:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Some excellent tunes to make your night all the better
SO WHAT: Together Pangea are heading out on a summer-long tour in support of their new EP
Dispassionate, the second of back to back EPs from the LA band. It’s a companion piece to
Non-Stop Paranoia, a five-song release filled with anxiety and paranoia in the age of misinformation.
Dispassionate helps wash away those feelings with songs dealing with self-reflection and the love around us. Joining at Lincoln Hall will be
Tijuana Panthers and their rollicking sound and
Ultra Q’s (formerly MT. Eddy) catchy songs!
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $18!
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 12th & 13th
Mad Max: Fury Road 35MM Midnight Screenings @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, 11:59pm, All Ages
WHAT: Witness me… on the big screen!
SO WHAT: I live, I die. I LIVE AGAIN! A few years after its initial release, George Miller’s modern action masterpiece
Mad Max: Fury Road is getting a chance to shine once again at the Music Box with a special set of midnight screenings.
Fury Road is an incredibly remarkable film that blends intense action, pitch perfect archetypal characters, and subtext for days! Seriously, go see this in the theater again!
NOW WHAT: Oh, what a day… what a lovely day! Tickets are $9 for general admission
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, JULY 12th - 14th
Square Roots Festival 2019 @ Lincoln Square, on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson, Friday 5:00pm -10:00pm, Saturday Noon - 10:00pm, Sunday Noon - 9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Lincoln Square’s excellent summer party!
SO WHAT: Join this bustling neighborhood for the
Square Roots Festival featuring great food and regional craft beer, as well as unique and exciting market vendors. There will also be over 50 bands and artists from around the world entertaining the crowd on four stages throughout the fest! Artists include Son Volt, Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Mekons, Ohmme, and more!
NOW WHAT: Square Roots' suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 seniors/kids, and $20 for families. Your donations support Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s free concerts and farmers markets and Old Town School of Folk Music’s financial aid programs and outreach programming
FRIDAY JULY 12th
Live at Studio5: Metropolitan Jazz Octet & Dee Alexander @ Studio 5 (in Dance Center Evanston), 1934 Dempster Street Evanston, IL, 8:00pm - 10:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A tribute to Billie Holiday in honor of the 60th anniversary of her death
SO WHAT: Singer
Dee Alexander and the
Metropolitan Jazz Octet will come together for a tribute to the amazing voice of Billie Holiday. Alexander and the Octet will perfom music from their upcoming album
Dee Sings Billie, a re-imagining of classic Billie Holiday songs. This event is perfect for any fan of Billie Holiday and will feature performances of “The Blues Are a Brewin’,” “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, “I’m a Fool To Want You”, “Strange Fruit” and many more! This concert will be recorded live for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $20 for general seating, $25 for cabaret seating
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 13th & 14th
DZ Fest 2019 @ DZ Records, 8548 S 85th Ct, Hickory Hills, Noon - 11:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: The 8th annual DZ Fest!
SO WHAT: DZ Fest is a gathering of 40 bands ripping into their instruments on two stages for two days of excellent music. The lineup is wonderfully insane as usual including the likes of Emily Blue, Our Fathers, Girl K, Jordanna, Glad Rags, Pledge Drive, and so many more!
Check out their event page for the amazing full lineup!
NOW WHAT: Donations will go to Children First Fund: The Chicago Public Schools Foundation
SATURDAY JULY 13th
20x2: What Did We Miss? @ Schubas, 3159 N Southport Ave, 6:30pm - 9:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: 20x2 Chicago is an event where 20 people from all different walks of creative life--writers, musicians, filmmakers, web geeks and other bon vivants--are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose.
SO WHAT: The results may take any form, from spoken word to music to film, and can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "What did we miss?" The show is hosted by Andrew Huff, former editor and publisher of Gapers Block, and you can
see the impressive list of speakers at the 20x2 website.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $10 in advance or at the door, and the show is 21+
SUNDAY, JULY 14th
Yuna & Skylar Stecker @ Bottom Lounge, 1375 W Lake St., 6:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: Some wonderful music from an excellent interantional star!
SO WHAT: Yuna will bring her delectable pop sounds for a headlining set at
Bottom Lounge in support of her forthcoming album,
Rouge! Yuna’s rise in the Malaysian music scene allowed her to develop and hone her incredible musical style into what it is today. Her most recent single “
Blank Marquee“, which is a collaboration with her co writer Chloe Angelides and hip-hop star G-Eazy, takes her sound down a vintage '80s/'90s path while still maintaining Yuna’s modern perspective. If this is any indication of her upcoming album, then it’s sure to be a hit! Joining Yuna at Bottom Lounge will be
Skylar Stecker with her songs that tackle universal themes backed by her gorgeous voice.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $22 for this great lineup!