Riot Fest surreptitiously dropped a bomb with last night's announcement that its 2012 incarnation would be its most ambitious yet. In previous years the once-punk-rock, now-all-encompassing music festival held shows all over Chicago and used the Congress Theatre as a central hub for its primary festivities. This year they're taking the party outside and creating a concert space AND a carnival in Humboldt Park in the fall. more ›

According to a press release, after feedback from within Occupy Chicago, organizers will make some major changes to “ensure the event is done in a way that is consistent with the principles of the movement.” more ›

Dinosaur Jr. and The Raveonettes are scheduled to headline Green Music Fest, and the rest of the festival season is starting to come together nicely. more ›

Photographer Jim Kiernan tells us there's more to The Gathering of the Juggalos than meets the eye. more ›

This weekend, some of the best in hardcore music hits town when The Rumble comes to Bottom Lounge. more ›

The opening of Lincoln Hall means that this year the annual winter indie-rock focused music festival, Tomorrow Never Knows, now has twice as many stages on which to provide Chicago music fans with five nights of emerging talent on local, national and international levels. Both Schubas and Lincoln Hall host two shows an evening, beginning tonight with a couple additional weekend days shows tossed in for good measure. We're planning to attend quite a few of the shows listed below and you can look forward to us sharing some reviews of our favorite moments across next week. Five-day passes are sold out, but some of the shows are still available to purchase as individual tickets in advance or at the door. Check each venue's website for up-to-date details on that front. more ›

This year, to help avoid the long lines that have caused folks to miss the first act or two in recent years, Lollapalooza has added a second north entrance to the park and have made the original main entrance even larger. Check out the map and figure out which one is best for you. We are very happy about that. Want to cut down your waiting time even further? Trade you ticket in for your wristband early! The box office on Columbus--between Congress and Balbo--is open to do just that on Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m until 8 p.m. more ›

The Old Town School of Folk Music presents its twelfth annual installment of the Chicago Folk and Roots Festival this weekend in Lincoln Square. The Festival, spread across Welles Park, brings a steady stream of activities to a usually friendly, laid-back crowd: performances by Old Town staff, open jam sessions by the gazebo, dance lessons with live music, and a tent for kids, although we should point out that that's an area with entertainment for children, not a place to store them. more ›

Charles Hamilton's cancellation at the upcoming Pitchfork Festival has fans disgruntled and calling foul on the now almost nonexistent hip-hop offerings. Even Lollapalooza, a festival that just last year toted the likes of Lupe and Kanye feels sparse on the hip-hop booking this summer. Last weekend, for the fourth consecutive year, Rock The Bells took over First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. For those willing to make the trek, a day full of both up-and-coming talent and The Greats delivered. more ›