In spite of opposition from the Southport Neighbors Association, the Chicago City Council gave the Chicago Cubs permission today to hold three concerts at Wrigley Field this July. Neighborhood Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) signed the plan and promised to “minimize the concerns of the community at large.” Pop legends Billy Joel and Elton John are slated to play a pair of shows together at the stadium (July 16 and 21) and country group Rascal Flatts will squeeze a date in between (July 18). Part of the protest from the Southport Neighbors Association centered on the fact that the Rascal Flatts show is during the same weekend as their annual Summer on Southport festival. The concerts come during an 11-day stretch during which the Cubs will be off for the All-Star break and then on the east coast. [Tribune] more ›

Yesterday's news that a second Elton John & Billy Joel concert had been added to the summer slate at Wrigley came as no surprise. The summer concert has become something of a tradition over the years, with boomer-centric acts like Jimmy Buffet and The Police playing multiple shows at the stadium and all the shows have sold quite well. Things, however, are starting to get ri-damn-diculous as news comes today that a third concert has been added to the slate for Wrigley. This one will be country rockers Rascal Flatts featuring Darius Rucker (formerly of Hootie & the Blowfish) and will happen on Saturday, July 18, between the two John/Joel dates. [In case you're wondering, the Cubs are out of town for the All-Star Break and trips to Washington and Philadelphia in that time frame.] more ›

The Sun-Times ran an AP wire story today that's mostly good news with a sprinkle of bad news for lovers of music, though that depends on your persepctive. Overall, music sales were up for the year 2006. While sales of physical albums declined 4.9 percent, digital album sales doubled, and sales of digital singles increased 65 percent. What’s refreshing about this story is that it doesn’t feature any dunderheaded analysis (or fulminating quotes from industry... more ›

First, a correction: Earlier this month, Chicagoist suggested that some of the bands scheduled to play Taste of Chicago were one or two years away from playing a state fair. In Lynyrd Skynyrd’s case, we were incorrect. Lynyrd Skynyrd will be playing the Illinois State Fair this year. more ›