Robert Plant and his new-ish project The Sensational Space Shifters have announced that they'll be embarking on a summer U.S. tour. That tour includes a performance at Grant Park's Petrillo Music Shell on July 12 as part of Taste of Chicago 2013. Ticketing information for the Chicago show is forthcoming. Plant's six-member backing band includes Justin Adams (Tinariwen, Sinead O'Connor), John Baggot (Massive Attack, Portishead), Billy Fuller (Beak>, Massive Attack), Liam "Skin" Tyson (of The La's offshoot Cast), Juldeh Camara, and Dave Smith.

All known Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters tour dates and a couple of videos are below...

Continue reading "Robert Plant and his band The Sensational Space Shifters playing Grant Park on summer U.S. tour"

Delta Spirit @ Metro, March 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

The annual Taste of Chicago Festival is set to take place from July 10-14 in Chicago's Grant Park this year. The initial music lineup features an opening night performance from fun. on July 10 at the Petrillo Music Shell, with openers Delta Spirit. There are more Petrillo shows to be announced, and tickets will go on sale sometime in May. As per usual, lawn seating is free. According to Greg Kot, there will also be a second stage at the South side of the festival. It'll feature Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials and The Congregation on July 12, Company of Thieves on July 13, and Kelly Hogan on July 14.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more details on Taste of Chicago 2013.

Continue reading "Taste of Chicago 2013 - dates, initial lineup"

Mucca Pazza @ Auditorium Theatre earlier this month (more by James Richards IV)

30-piece circus punk marching band Mucca Pazza are set to release their new album, Safety Fifth, on June 12 via Electric Cowbell. The album's packaging was designed by Kathleen Judge, who we have to thank for many Chicago-centric concert posters, and you can grab a full-color poster by preordering Safety Fifth. Check out the album's cover art/tracklist, and a new video for the LP track "Boss Taurus" at the bottom of this post.

Mucca Pazza will celebrate the release of Safety Fifth with a show at the Hideout on June 12. They'll be playing the new record in its entirety. Advance tickets are on sale. They'll also be playing a FREE show at the Garfield Park Conservatory on June 20, Taste of Chicago on July 12, and New Belgium Brewing Co.'s Chicago Tour de Fat stop on July 21.

All dates are listed below, alongside Safey Fifth's album info, and their new video.

Continue reading "Mucca Pazza welcome 'Safety Fifth' (new video), playing a release show @ Hideout, Taste of Chicago & other dates"

Calexico @ Outside Lands in San Francisco in 2009 (more by Chris Graham)

Calexico, whose most recent Chicago show was Cultivate Festival in October, have been tapped by Death Cab For Cutie to open their Taste of Chicago show at the Petrillo Music Shell on July 12. Ticketing info is still forthcoming.

The Chicago show is currently Calexico's only US date. The band are gearing up for a fall European tour and aside from a performance at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal in August, don't seem to have too much going on this summer. Their full tour schedule and some videos below...

Continue reading "Calexico are opening for Death Cab @ Taste of Chicago"

As mentioned, the 2012 edition of Taste of Chicago is set to take place from June 11-15 in Grant Park. The city have announced that Jennifer Hudson, Death Cab For Cutie, Chaka Khan, and Dierks Bentley will each headline one night of the festival at the Petrillo Music Shell. For the first time in the history of Taste these events will be ticketed, though you can still sit on the lawn and listen for free. Ticking info is said to arrive in mid-May. Stay tuned for more details.

Unlike Taste Of Chicago 2011, The Chicago Tribune reports that:

Taste of Chicago will be chopped in half to a five-day event next summer, and the city's annual smorgasbord will be moved to the middle of July from its traditional late June start.

The festival will run from July 11 to July 15 in Grant Park, according to a news release from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

After the Chicago Park District oversaw a 10-day 2011 Taste that drew 2.35 million people -- 300,000 fewer than in 2010 and the smallest overall crowd since 1986 -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel put the festival back under control of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Cultural Affairs officials said they would consider shortening the event in an attempt to move the Taste back toward profitability, and that the focus would remain on the food served by local restaurants in Grant Park, rather than on big name entertainers like Stevie Wonder who have appeared at Taste in years past.

Kaki King @ MoMA in February (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in Chicago
* Taste of Chicago
* Kaki King @ SPACE
* Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard @ Chicago Theatre

Stream Washed Out's forthcoming LP, Within and Without via NPR.

What else?

Yo La Tengo @ the Bell House in May (more by Winnie Cheung)

today in Chicago
* Taste of Chicago (Day 2)
* Green Music Fest (Day 1)
* Neko Case @ Poetry Foundation
* Yo La Tengo (DJ Set) @ Big Star
* Les Savy Fav, Big Science @ Subterranean
* Matt & Kim, The Thermals, and Autobot @ the Vic
* Puro Instinct, John Maus, Geneva Jacuzzi @ Empty Bottle
* Burning Love, Gaza, All Pigs Must Die @ Double Door (Free Show w/ RSVP)
* L'Orchestre Super Vitesse, Rabble Rabble, Thin Hymns @ IL Centennial Monument in Logan Square (Free Show)

What else?

Junior Boys

today in Chicago
* Taste of Chicago
* Geoff Farina @ The Whistler
* Junior Boys, Miracle Fortress @ Metro
* Givers, Pepper Rabbit, 1,2,3 @ Schubas
* White Mystery, BBU, Vamos @ Viaduct Theatre
* Avicii, Yolanda Be Cool, Moguai @ Congress Theater
* Chaperone, Whisker Music, The Ragtones, Natalie Grace Alford @ Beat Kitchen
* Black Jet Radio, Curio, Radical Dads, Brain Vacation, Future Passion @ Memories

The Antlers played "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out" on Leno last night.
Check out the footage below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

FRIDAY
Green Music Fest kicks off in Wicker Park, and lasts through Sunday.

Junior Boys, and Miracle Fortress are playing Metro.

Givers, Pepper Rabbit, and 1,2,3 are playing Schubas.

Chicago's own Chaperone will headline Beat Kitchen, with support from Whisker Music, The Ragtones, and Natalie Grace Alford.

White Mystery, BBU, and Vamos are playing the Viaduct Theatre.

Taste of Chicago kicks off this weekend, with various events happening through July 3rd.

Geoff Farina (of Karate) kicks off his Friday residency at The Whistler.

Avicii, Yolanda Be Cool, and Moguai are playing the Congress Theater.

SATURDAY
Les Savy Fav, and Big Science will play Subterranean.

Puro Instinct, John Maus, and Geneva Jacuzzi will play the Empty Bottle.

Matt & Kim, The Thermals, and Autobot will play the Vic.

Burning Love, Gaza, and All Pigs Must Die are playing a Scion A/V presented show at the Double Door. RSVP (21+) for free entry.

The Whistler presents: L'Orchestre Super Vitesse, Rabble Rabble, and Thin Hymns at the IL Centennial Monument in Logan Square. This is a FREE show; no RSVP necessary.

SUNDAY
Califone, and Bloodiest will play a FREE; 4PM show at the IL Centennial Monument in Logan Square. RSVP (All Ages) for entry. Later on, they'll play the Empty Bottle.

Yo La Tengo will play Subterranean.

Matt & Kim will spend a second night at the Vic, this time with The Hood Internet.

The Chicago Pride Fest Parade starts at noon on Halsted Street, and goes from Belmont Ave. to Fullerton Parkway. Berlin will host the official afterparty.

Distractions play a FREE; 5PM in-store at Reckless Records - Wicker Park.

Group Doueh will play the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Dark Star Orchestra will play Park West.

Taste of Chicago

The 2011 edition of Taste of Chicago is slated to take place from Friday, June 24th, to Sunday, July 3rd at Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park.

Some of the festival's headliners include: Jessica Lea Mayfield, Generationals, White Mystery, The Jayhawks, The Lemonheads, Everest, and MORE!

Admission is 100% FREE, and the festival is open to all ages.

Head below to view the full lineup by day.

Continue reading "Taste of Chicago 2011 - full lineup & details"