Summer is coming quickly, which means that new music will not be far behind. Artists of every style imaginable have freshly recorded albums waiting to be heard, and many will be promoting their work on tours and at music festivals. In Chicago alone, this summer promises to be exciting musically.
As always, Lollapalooza promises to be one of the biggest events of the summer. Scheduled for Aug. 3 to 5 at Grant Park, the festival will be headlined this year by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Keys, Jack White, and a reunion of Black Sabbath featuring founding members Ozzie Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler. Many younger artists will also be performing, including Florence + Machine, Fun., Bassnectar, and Passion Pit.
The annual Taste of Chicago festival will be taking place from July 11 to 15, promising great food and great music. Although the full lineup has not been determined yet, Jennifer Hudson, Death Cab for Cutie, Chaka Khan, and Dierks Bentley have all been announced as headline acts. Unlike in previous years, concert-goers hoping to enter the seating area will need to pay a $25 entrance fee. Those wishing to watch the performances at Grant Park from outside the seating area will still be able to for free.
Overlapping with Taste of Chicago, the Pitchfork Music Festival is scheduled for July 13 to 15 at Union Park. Known for highlighting indie rock, Pitchfork will be headlined this year by Vampire Weekend, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Feist. The festival will also feature many lesser-known bands like the Men, whose most recent Chicago show took place in a warehouse.
For people who prefer recorded music, this summer will still be an exciting one. On June 5, Neil Young will release Americana, the Hives will release Lex Hives, and the almost-forgotten grunge icons The Melvins will release the strangely titled Freak Puke. June 12will see the release of Usher’s Looking for Myself, Metric’s Synthetica, and Rush’s Clockwork Angels. The following week, Justin Bieber will release Believe, undoubtedly with much anticipation as well as scorn. Those who are more drawn to rock than pop might be happy to know that the Smashing Pumpkins will release Oceania the same day. Maroon 5’s Overexposed, featuring Wiz Khalifa on the single “Payphone,” will come out on June 26. On July 24, less than a month before they arrive in Chicago for Lollapalooza, Passion Pit will release Gossamer. Although not all final details have been released yet, new records by Mumford and Sons and Public Enemy are expected for an August release date.
With many students ready for another summer filled with fun, music, and friends, it is ardently clear that this summer will be successful for both live concerts and recorded music alike.
