THE SUMMER OF ROCK
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cians and hipsterdom can still be had for $40 each. Pitchfork lasts from July 16 to 18 and brings St. Vincent, Modest Mouse, Surfer Blood, Local Natives, Free Energy and Lightning Bolt, along with other indie and underground acts, to Union Park in Chicago. The official lineup and tickets are available at www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com.
After a 12-year hiatus, seminal Seattle grunge outfit Soundgarden is reunited and touring, stopping at along the way. A bizarre cross-pollination of pop, indie, alternative and punk music, this year’s festival runs Aug. 6-8 in Grant Park and includes performances by Green Day, Lady GaGa, The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Phoenix, Devo, Wolfmother, Grizzly Bear and more.
No list of summer music in Chicago would be complete without the , June 11-13, the largest of its kind in the world. This year’s hosts Los Lonely Boys, Rob Thomas, the Steve Miller Band, Passion Pit and more from June 25 to July 4. The will be Sept. 4 and 5 in Grant Park.
The continues its reign as the oldest outdoor music fest in the United States, bringing a variety of sounds to Highland Park from June 5 to Sept. 4. Among the artists slated are the Temptations, Steve Martin, the B-52s, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Carrie Underwood. The full calendar and tickets are available through www.ravina.org.
Those who don’t mind traveling farther north can take advantage of Illinois’ largest street festival, Rockford’s . More than 80 performers are scheduled, including Hinder (Sept. 3), American Idol’s Adam Lambert (Sept. 4) and Billy Idol (Sept. 5). Festival passes are $12 until May 31 and can be purchased at www.onthewaterfront.com.
Finally, if old-school music is your thing, really old-school music, there’s the in Woodstock July 31- Aug. 1, Aug. 7-8 and Aug. 14-15. This festival brings out internationally-recognized musicians to play classical tuneage such as Mozart’s Jupiter, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and selections from Chopin. Head banging is not encouraged, but don’t let us stop you.
Matthew Schroyer is an independent journalist based in Springfield, where he grew up. He enjoys blogging about political events, natural disasters, music and journalism. He can be reached at [email protected].
