Chicago Music Events That Will Make Your Summer

Posted May 1, 2017

The 2017 Chicago concert and festival season is upon us! For most Chicago natives, that statement alone is enough to add a little pep to their step. It’s everything we dream about, all winter long. It means beautiful weather, your favorite festival gear, music and a generally positive vibe in some of the busiest parts of the city. Unfortunately, most of us won’t be able to make it out to every single event this season, so we’re rounding up a list of our must-see picks for the 2017 season.

Wrigley Field Summer Series

The good people at our beloved Wrigley Field have done an incredible job of selecting our summertime talent. You’ll love the variety. Among your choices this season are:

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers + Chris Stapleton: June 29, 2017
Dead and Company: June 30, 2017 through July 1, 2017
Jimmy Buffett + Huey Lewis and the News: Saturday, July 15, 2017
James Taylor + Bonnie Raitt: July 17, 2017
Billy Joel: Friday, August 11, 2017
Green Day: Thursday, August 24, 2017
Lady Gaga: Friday, August 25, 2017
The Zac Brown Band: Saturday, August 26, 2017

Millennium Park Summer Series

If your tastes tend to lean more toward rock, jazz, and blues, then the Millennium Park Summer Series is for you. Every year, this series wins as a favorite for many, largely due to the low-key atmosphere, freedom from crazy concession lines, and the fact that entry is free.

There are a number acts lined up to set the tone for those relaxing summer nights. You can view that lineup here, courtesy of TimeOut Chicago.

Individual Concerts You Don’t Want to Miss

Summertime in Chicago is not all about the festivals. We also have some very exciting concerts to look forward to in May, June, and July. Here are just a few of them:

Ty Segall: Metro Chicago on Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14, 2017
The Weeknd: Allstate Arena on Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Local H: Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village on May 27, 2017
U2 + The Lumineers: Soldier Field on Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, 2017
Aretha Franklin: Ravinia Pavilion on Saturday, June 17, 2017
Metallica + Avenged Sevenfold: Sunday, June 18, 2017
Gorillaz: Huntington Bank Pavilion on Saturday, July 8, 2017
Phish: Northerly Island on Friday through Sunday, July 14-16, 2017

This list barely scratches the surface of the musical entertainment that is available to you this summer. If broadway is your thing, don’t miss The 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent on May 9-14 at Oriental Theatre, and be sure to keep an eye here on the blog as the summer progresses! We’ll be sure to update you on current event happenings and lineups as we hear about them!

Eric Booth