Fun. to headline Taste of Chicago
Fun. is getting all the attention after the announcement that it's headlining Taste of Chicago July 10 (with buzzy opener Delta Spirit), but the local acts deserve notice, too. Kelly Hogan, a former Hideout bartender who made a splash last year with her Anti- debut, I Like to Keep Myself in Pain, will headline the Bud Light stage on July 14. Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, frequent presences around town, play July 12, as does hometown soul troupe the Congregation. On July 13, fellow local Canasta performs its kitchen-sink indie, followed by Company of Thieves' hard-hitting rock & roll. More performers will be announced later.
Taste of Chicago runs July 10–14 in Grant Park. Tickets for the fun. show are $25 in the seating area and free on the lawn, and go on sale in May. For more information, see tasteofchicago.us.
Lollapalooza 2013 | Lineup predictions
So, who's headlining this thing? Lollapalooza and C3 Productions are maddeningly tight-lipped when it comes to spilling the beans. But the world has only produced a couple dozen or so rock bands that can demand a seven-figure paycheck, so it's not too hard to speculate. Plus, taking a peek at summer itineraries for touring acts always provides telling clues. Just look at who's not scheduled a Chicago date yet.
With that in mind, here are the likely candidates:
Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago taps David Guetta and Tiësto
Big electronic dance music festival producer Insomniac announced the first tier of the lineup for the Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago, which makes its debut at Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway during Memorial Day weekend, May 24–26. Chicago is the latest addition on the road to EDC's June blowout in Las Vegas, which already includes stops in New York, Puerto Rico and Orlando.
The first wave of DJs and live acts announced for EDC Chicago includes big names such as David Guetta and Tiësto as well as critical faves like minimalist Michael Mayer, Welsh drum 'n' bass DJ High Contrast and the multi-talented Tiga. The Speedway festival (perhaps channeling the original Lollapalooza vision) will also feature fire twirlers, aerialists and stilt walkers plus amusement rides and large-scale art installations alongside the DJ stages.
Pink and the Hives at the United Center | Photos
Touring behind her latest record, The Truth About Love, Pink brought her high-flying live show to the United Center on Saturday night. The set found the singer engaging in a series of acrobatic feats between performances of singles like "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" and "Give Me A Reason." Swedish export The Hives kicked the night off with an energetic batch of their punk-tinged tunes.
Booking Ahead | Pitchfork Music Festival adds Joanna Newsom, the Breeders and more
This summer's Pitchfork Music Festival is shaping up to be one of the strongest yet. This week we learned that in addition to previously announced headliners R. Kelly, Björk and Belle & Sebastian, art-folk harpist Joanna Newsom will play the Union Park fest along with the Breeders, who are set to embark on a reunion tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's breakout, Last Splash (and no, that doesn't make us feel old at all). Other lineup addictions include the epic, angst-ridden Swans, electronic acts Rustie and TNGHT, hip-hoppers El-P and Killer Mike, synth-pop duo Chairlift, upstart pop singer Sky Ferreira, indie enigma Mac DeMarco, postrock crusaders …And You Will Know Us by the Trail Of Dead, '60s nostalgists Foxygen and Odd Future–affiliated punks Trash Talk, plus two locals: folk songbird Angel Olsen and rapper Tree. A couple dozen more artists have yet to be revealed, so stay tuned. Other concert announcements include Detroit folk hero Rodriguez at the Arie Crown Theater May 17, taking a victory lap after the documentary tracing his unlikely success in South Africa, Searching for Sugar Man, picked up an Oscar, and perennial crowd-pleasers the Shins, who stop by the Aragon a couple days later. Find these and many other new dates below or visit timeoutchicago.com/bookingahead for a more extensive list of upcoming shows.
Sons of the Silent Age at Mayne Stage | Photos
Thursday night was round number two of Sons of the Silent Age: Chris Connelly's tribute to all things David Bowie. Connelly brought his band on the first round to the packed Metro in January, and decided that another go round was in order.
The Mayne Stage was a perfect fit for this kind of production: nine awesome musicians helping push forward the sound of Bowie in the '70s—songs such as "Station to Station," "TVC 15" and "Look Back in Anger."
If not done right, this kind of performance can easily come off as a karaoke act in a one-star motel lounge in the suburbs, but Connelly personified Bowie in look, voice and fashion.
The show was a fan's set list, delving into the fertile period of mid- to late-'70s Bowie, with meticulous focus on creating the sound, the look and the feel.
The band, tight as ever, pushed the spine-tingling versions of Bowie songs front and center, leaving no stone unturned with "Queen Bitch," "Under Pressure," "Let's Dance" and finally closing with "Heroes."
Off the Record: Low + Jeff Tweedy at Saki
Listening to Low's latest record, The Invisible Way, it's difficult to fathom that its inception was essentially a matter of chance. After numerous invitations, the band finally stopped by Wilco's studio last year and witnessed Jeff Tweedy at work on the next Mavis Staples album. Hearing the intimacy and warmth of these recordings, the Duluth-based group was inspired to book some time in the Loft, with Tweedy acting as producer. Last night's monthly Off the Record event at Saki homed in on the inspirations and process behind Low's new album, culminating in a lengthy Q&A session with the band and Tweedy.
Muse at United Center | Photos
Muse brought its heady anthems to the United Center Monday. Check out our photos.
Best concerts this weekend | Mar 8–10
This weekend offers a busy slate of great concerts, including Buddy Guy, My Gold Mask and the annual SXSW Send Off Party.
Friday 8
Dillon Francis + Flosstradamus
8pm, Congress Theater, Sold Out
Championed by Mad Decent tastemaker Diplo, L.A. beat maker Dillon Francis quickly took over the scene with his infectious moombahton and dubstep productions. You'd also think he had a second home in Chicago, he plays here so often. Tonight, he heads up the cavernous Congress with local heroes Flosstradamus doing their genre-busting, bootie-quaking thing.
Tame Impala at the Vic Theatre | Review and photos
After seeing Tame Impala at the Vic Theatre last night, listening to their music over headphones or crummy laptop speakers just seems like a waste of time. Kevin Parker and his psych-rock quintet added plenty of studio flourishes to both Innerspeaker and 2012’s Lonerism, giving them more dimension than most contemporary rock albums, but this is a band to see live. Most of the capacity crowd seemed to know that already—the band also sold out the smaller Metro last fall.
