Again, we should reiterate that Sonar did a fine job in regards to its Pritzker and Smart Bar shows. And, again, the acts featured at CCC were worthy of playing the festival and should most definitely be seen and heard as forward-thinkers in experimental music. However, if this festival is going to survive here, we need some punch--not listening sessions, but concerts. more ›

It's been a season of milestones for the city-sponsored music festivals. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the World Music Festival. What started out as a small festival centered in Chicago's notable places for international music has evolved into a city-wide event, with artists performing throughout the city limits. WMF highlights Chicago's reputation as a city of neighborhoods. In incorporating most of the major club venues, WMF also does more to shine a positive spotlight on our vibrant music club scene in one week than venue owners often do themselves. Only the ongoing resistance to the promoters ordinance can unite club owners as well. more ›

Button up your sweaters and pack a picnic, because Wilco is set to give the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park a proper inauguration tonight. The skies don’t appear to hold the same nasty storms that plagued the Decemberists’ show there in July, so the full beauty and potential of the space should be on display this evening. Not to mention, it’s freakin’ Wilco. A beautiful Lollapalooza 2006 performance aside, it’s been a while since perhaps... more ›

If you were visiting the city yesterday and hoped to see Millennium Park you were SOL. From 6am to 11pm, Large portions of the park were closed for a private party thrown by Toyota Motor Sales USA. more ›

In a post earlier this week on the city’s concert scene, commenter Hugh objected to the city charging people to sit on the lawn in Millennium Park during last night’s Tori Amos show. Now the Friends of the Park group is adding their voice to those who question the private vs. public nature of the park system’s pride and joy. more ›

It’s a well-established fact that Chicagoist is a big nerd. And it’s also well established that nerds like books. So by the transitive property, Chicagoist likes books. Especially when said books are written by (or associated with) the fine folks at McSweeney’s. Having enjoyed Dave Eggers’s work as well as the various collections released under the McSweeney’s banner, we’re pretty stoked about his upcoming book tour with his younger brother Toph (immortalized in Eggers’s quasi-memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) which starts right here in Chicago Friday night at 7 PM. (Yeah, stoked. We mentioned the nerd thing, right?) more ›