Today in WTF: Another Concert Added At Wrigley Field

By Marcus Gilmer in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 19, 2009 6:45PM

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.]

As Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis points out in his column, the second show is an anomaly as, in previous years, Wrigley has only hosted one act per year, every other year (Buffet in '05, The Police in '07). DeRo also gives a helpful breakdown of the potential meaning behind the unusual "ticket swap" Live Nation is offering ticket-holders and the impending Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger. As for us, we're hoping the "multiple concerts a year" thing isn't a trend, though as long as someone is making money - and they are, lots of it - it probably will be.