New lineup announcements for Wicker Park Fest, Green Music Fest

Posted by Frank Krolicki

photo via chadmagiera on flickr

What would Chicago summers be without music festivals? Significantly less fun, that's what. Thankfully we don't have to even entertain that that frightening idea because lineup announcements keep coming for this year's various fests, reminding us that there will be plenty to enjoy.

One of the most popular, Wicker Park Fest, just revealed more bands set to play. The current list is: 

North Stage – Saturday: WILD FLAG, Off With Their Heads!, Dead To Me, Riverboat Gamblers, Ha Ha Tonka, Chaperone, Brent Puls

North Stage – Sunday: Wavves, Murder By Death, Everest, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social, An Aesthetic Anesthetic, Biters

South Stage – Saturday: MiMOSA, El Ten Eleven, NiT GRiT, Ana Sia, AraabMUZIK, Break Science, Lynx, Loyal Divide

South Stage – Sunday: Blitzen Trapper, Joe Pug, Van Ghost, The Pimps of Joytime, Big Light, Netherfriends, Dastardly, Docs Delorean, Anna Soltys and The Familiar

Center Stage – Saturday: Flosstradamus, Porn N Chicken DJs, Dani Deahl, Chaotic Good, California Wives, Napalm Purple Apples

Center Stage – Sunday: Digital Tape Machine, ZEBO vs. Marco Morales, Midnight Conspiracy, Filligar, Kid Color, Ishi Hiroki

Initial music lineups announced for four Chicago fests

Posted by Frank Krolicki

The weather is finally starting to not be obnoxious here in Chicago, and every year the return of warmth signals that our city's many excellent music festivals are imminent. Over the past few days, initial music lineups have been revealed for a handful of fests, including Wicker Park Fest, Taste of River North, Green Music Fest and Do-Division Street Fest. Per usual Wicker Park Fest's roster is looking particularly impressive, with multiple well-loved, notable bands included so far. Check out the partial lineups for each of the four fests below, and keep an eye out for additional announcements.

Do-Division Street Fest 
June 4-5 on Division St. from Ashland to Leavitt

Acts announced so far: Bonobo (DJ set), Big Freedia, Omar Souleyman, Led Zeppelin 2, This Must Be The Band (Talking Heads tribute) 

Green Music Fest
June 25-26 in Wicker Park on Damen between North and Schiller

Acts announced so far: Yo La Tengo, Les Savy Fav, The Thermals

Weekend show picks: Ween, Steel Train, My Gold Mask and more

My Gold Mask (photo: A.Jayne)

If you're looking to catch some live music in an outdoor fest setting in Chicago this weekend, you have plenty to choose from thanks to the Taste of Chicago, which kicks off today, and West Town's second annual Green Music Fest, which runs Saturday and Sunday. For more information on cool bands to check out at each, see our respective posts here and here. If the unforgiving weather of late has you all shaken up and someplace with a roof and four walls is more your speed, there are quite a few great free-standing shows to choose from, too. Here are a few picks:

Friday, June 25

- Ween at Aragon Ballroom - 9 p.m., $29.75, 18 and over. Tickets.

- Crooked Fingers at Schubas with Small Awesome - 7 p.m., $14, 21 and over. Tickets.

Saturday, June 26

- My Gold Mask at Hideout with Brilliant Pebbles - 9 p.m., $8 advance, $10 at door, 21 and over. Tickets.

- Maps & Atlases at Subterranean with Fang Island - 10 p.m., $12, 17 and over. Tickets.

- Woven Bones at Empty Bottle with Red Mass, Mickey and Radar Eyes - 9 p.m., $8, 21 and over. Tickets. 

Sunday, June 27

- Steel Train at Lincoln Hall with Jukebox the Ghost and Via Audio - 7 p.m. $13 advance, $15 at door, all ages. Tickets. 

- Zola Jesus at Schubas with Dada Trash Collage and Jabon - 8 p.m., $8, 21 and over. Tickets.

Lineup announcements for Taste of Randolph, Green Music Fest & Wicker Park Fest

One of the best things about summer in Chicago is the selection of music festivals and all the standout acts they have to offer. This week brought both new lineup announcements and additions to initial announcements for a few of the fests:

Taste of Randolph:
One of the summer's earliest music fests in Chicago is the West Loop's Taste of Randolph, which is set to run from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20 along the Randolph Street Corridor, from Halsted to Ashland. The music lineup is as follows:

Friday, June 18: Lovehammers (8:30 p.m.), Matthew Santos Band (7 p.m.), Waco Brothers (5:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 19: Lucero (8:30 p.m.), One Eskimo (7 p.m.), Mucca Pazza (5:30 p.m.), Twin Tigers (4 p.m.), Spinach Prince (2 p.m.)

Sunday, June 20: Superchunk (8:30 p.m.), Califone (7 p.m.), Headlights (5:30 p.m.), The Love Language (4 p.m.), Environmental Encroachment - The Magic Marching Band (3 p.m.)

Green Music Fest:
West Town's second consecutive Green Music Fest will take place on Chicago Ave. between Ashland and Noble on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27, and will feature the following acts:

Saturday, June 26: The Wailers, The Aggrolites, Deals Gone Bad, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps

Sunday, June 27: Cloud Cult, David Bazan, Maps and Atlases, Fang Island

The fest runs from noon to 10 p.m. both days, and for more information on specific set times keep your eyes on the event website.

Wicker Park Fest:
The partial lineup has also been announced for Wicker Park Fest, scheduled for July 31 to August 1, including headliners Local H. Here's the list of acts so far:

Saturday, July 31: Holy Fuck, BoomBox, Auto Body, The Gaslamp Killer, Signal Path, Tokimonsta, Prepschool, Alex B (Tweener DJ sets), Cap ‘n Jazz, Only Children (DJ SET), Moneypenny, Bayside High (DJ SET), Gemini Club, Kid Color (DJ SET), Blah Blah Blah

Sunday, August 1: Local H, fun., Plants & Animals, Van Ghost, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, B.S. Brass Band, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Jamie McClean Band, Save the Clocktower, DJ Lou Dooben, Baroness, Torche, The Hood Internet, Shapers, Zebo, Matt Roan, John Simmons.

Click here for more information.

The Wailers, Cloud Cult to play Chicago's second Green Music Fest

Reggae mainstays The Wailers and Minneapolis-based indie rock unit Cloud Cult will perform at Chicago's second annual Green Music Fest, set for Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 on Chicago Ave. between Ashland and Noble in West Town. The fest debuted last year, fusing environmentally-friendly local vendors with notable live performances. The lineup announced so far, programmed by Subterranean, is as follows:

Saturday, June 26
The Wailers
The Aggrolites

Sunday, June 27
Cloud Cult
David Bazan
Maps and Atlases

Additional bands and specific set times are TBA. Admission is a suggested donation of $5. For more information, click here.

Shows this weekend

Art Brut

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

- Art Brut at Subterranean - It seems the tongue-in-cheek British rockers are quite fond of Chicago. a few short months ago they were in town for a residency at Schubas, and now they're back for this gig as well as a Saturday slot at West Town's Green Music Fest. Team Band will open. Doors 9:30 p.m., show 10:30 p.m., $15, 17 and over. More info and tickets.

- Del Rey at the Empty Bottle - Chicago-born instrumental, experimental rock. The band has been around since 1997 and are known for tight, dynamic live shows. Also with Dark Fog and OnYou. 10 p.m., $8, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

- The Duke & the King at Schubas - Indie roots-rock out of New York. The band has just released a new record called Nothing Gold Can Stay. 10:30 p.m., $10 advance, $12 at door, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

- Green Music Fest - West Town will host the first Green Music Fest this weekend, which will be held in Eckhart Park at 1330 W. Chicago Avenue. The fest will include all green, environmentally-conscious vendors and services, as well as some great bands. Saturday's lineup includes Art Brut in the 9 p.m. headlining slot, as well as tapes 'n tapes (7:40 p.m.), Say Hi (6:35 p.m.), Maritime (5:30 p.m.), Sybris (4:25 p.m.), Elsinore (3:20 p.m.) and Brilliant Pebbles (2:30 p.m.). One-day passes are $11.50 advance, $15 at door, and two-day passes are $20 advance, $25 at door. More info and tickets.

- Harvey Danger at Schubas - The Seattle band recently announced plans to break up after 15 years together, and this will be their final Chicago gig. The initial 10 p.m. show sold out, but a second, 7 p.m. show has been added. 7 p.m., $14, 18 and over. More info and tickets.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

- Green Music Fest - The second and final day of the fest will feature headliners Lucero (9 p.m.), plus Murder by Death (7:40 p.m.), These United States (6:35 p.m.), Catfish Haven (5:30 p.m.), The Saps (4:25 p.m.), Minneapolis Henrys (3:20 p.m.) and Canasta (2:30 p.m.). More info and tickets.

- Colin Hay at the Abbey Pub - The former front man of Men at Work is much more than a great singer-songwriter - he's a downright amazing entertainer. Hay's shows typically skew toward part music performance, part stand-up comedy act and are always worth catching. He's set to release a new album, American Sunshine, this month. Doors 7 p.m., show 7:30 p.m., $30 advance, $35 at door, 21 and over. More info and tickets.