I hate to say it, but… summer is almost over… *cue the booing and throwing tomatoes*
I don’t know what to tell you, it happens every year, pandemic or not. August 31st is the technical last day of summer.
For some of you, this marks the beginning of the school year. Your summer break, which will never be long enough, has come to an end. Now it’s back to school, whether it’s high school or college.
For some of you, this changes nothing. You’ve been figuring things out and on the grind this whole time. August is just another month.
But for the City of Chicago, this August means bringing in some tunes. The Chicago “In Tune†Music Festival to be specific.
On August 19th, Chicago will be kicking off this citywide festival celebrating music in the key of Chicago. For 31 days (until September 19th); music will bring iconic neighborhood venues, presenting organizations, and musicians from across the city together to celebrate all music genres and forms — with both large and small, free and ticketed events at clubs, concert halls, and beyond.
Some highlights include
- The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in Douglass Park (August 20–22),
- Ruido Fest in Union Park (August 20–22),
- ARC Music Festival in Union Park (September 4 & 5),
- Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago in Union Park (September 10–12),
- Riot Fest in Douglass Park (September 17–19),
- and “Music Lives Here,†a new public art initiative.
If there’s some free time between your end-of-summer and start-of-fall plans; here are a few specific events I think y’all should hit up:
- August 24th- Singer, Musician, writer, and National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson at The Hideout in Bucktown [$12 tix]
- August 27th – FACES featuring prolific “RuPaul’s Drag Race†finalist Shea Couleé at Hydrate NIghtclub in Bucktown [FREE]
- August 31st – Adam Ness ( ‘Top 10 Artist to Watch in 2021’) at The Promontory in Hyde Park [Tix start at $15]
- September 18th- The Englewood Music Fest, featuring live music, local vendors and prizes, and an e-sports gaming tournament. [FREE]
Additionally, the City of Chicago DCASE will present four special evenings at Jay Pritzker Pavilion honoring music born and innovated in Chicago:
- Gospel music (September 3),
- Jazz (September 4),
- House (September 11),
- and Blues (September 18) — all at 5:30–8:30pm.
More highlights and details will be announced in the coming months. Venues, organizations, and artists may submit Chicago In Tune events by visiting do312.com/chicagointune.