Boeing’s Starliner is Ready for Liftoff: How to Watch the OFT-2 Launchon August 2, 2021 at 4:57 am

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Boeing’s Starliner is Ready for Liftoff: How to Watch the OFT-2 Launch

Boeing’s Starliner is Ready for Liftoff: How to Watch the OFT-2 Launchon August 2, 2021 at 4:57 am Read More »

With 10 men, Fire hold on for draw against UnionSun-Times wireson August 2, 2021 at 4:46 am

CHESTER, Pa. — Przemyslaw Frankowski scored in the 10th minute, but the Philadelphia Union netted the equalizer on a free kick and the Fire, with 10 men for more than 60 minutes, hung on a for a 1-1 draw Sunday.

“I’m proud of what they have done because it’s not easy, the situation where we are, where last week the results didn’t come and then you’re coming here and you’re winning 1-0,” Fire coach Raphael Wicky said. “And then you go down a man and immediately concede the draw, the 1-1, so great reaction, and that’s something I think everyone showed a lot of character.”

Kai Wagner tied it in the 36th minute after the Fire’s Wyatt Omsberg received a red card for contact with Cory Burke. Alejandro Bedoya had made a leading pass to Burke, who was battling Omsberg. When the two came together, Burke was sent into Fire goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, leaving all three worse for wear atop the box.

After a video review, the referee ruled that Omsberg’s foul was worthy of a red card, and the Fire lost him for the rest of game. On the free kick, the Fire (3-9-4) set up a wall, with Fabian Herbers lying behind it. But Wagner whizzed the ball under the jumping Fire players as Herbers rolled away to tie the game.

“I have seen it once. Look, I cannot say much,” Wicky said on the red card issued to Omsberg. “I mean, look, we have VAR. If they review it on VAR with slow motion, with a lot of people, and they think it’s a red card, we need to trust them that it’s a red card.”

The Union (6-4-7) put the pressure on in the second half, which included more than 10 minutes of stoppage time. But the Fire held them off to earn their first road point of the season.

Shuttleworth made four saves, including an excellent diving stop on Jose Martinez’s shot in the 79th minute and a close-range save on Bedoya’s chance in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

With 10 men, Fire hold on for draw against UnionSun-Times wireson August 2, 2021 at 4:46 am Read More »

‘The Chi’ Season 4 finale recap: Mayor Douda skips town and communication heals marriages — sort ofEvan F. Mooreon August 2, 2021 at 2:00 am

SPOILER ALERT: This recap of Season 4 finale contains explicit plot details.

Let’s get right to the two questions fans may have had after watching “The Chi’s” episode nine cliffhanger: Did Marcus (Joel Steingold) survive his attack by Mayor Douda? Yes. Did Jake, played by Michael Epps, tell Jemma (Judae’a Brown) what he saw? Yes.

In the aftermath of helping Marcus — and covering his tracks — Trig (Luke James) is aided by Shaad, played by Jason Weaver, whom he was on the outs with.

Marcus’ security system — we last saw in the season four premiere when he watched Kevin as he left Jemma’s room — appears to have rid Chicago of Mayor Douda (Curtiss Cook). Trig tells Douda he has the footage of him attacking Marcus, and tells him to leave the city.

As Douda appears to run, his wife, Roselyn (played by Kandi Burress), seems to be the interim mayor — for now.

As for the rest of the cast:

Nina (Tyla Abercrumbie) and Dre (Miriam A. Hyman) got their house order — and welcomed a young girl with a troubled home life, whom Kevin (Alex Hibbert) has taken an interest in.
Kiesha (Birgundi Baker) makes her relationship with Christian (Freedom Martin) official.
Tracy, played by Tai Davis, overhears Trig’s ultimatum to Douda, and breaks things off with him.
While playing cards, Trig and Shaad have a heart-to-heart in which Shaad finds out a friend who owed him money died. He opens up to Trig in a heartbreaking way.
Tiff, played by Hannaha Hall, realizes that Dante (Cory Hardrict) isn’t boyfriend material enough to leave Emmett.
Emmett, played by Jacob Latimore, and Tiff decide on staying married, promising each other to “do their best” when it comes to their marriage.
In a later scene, she’s seen kissing her business partner, played by basketball player Iman Shumpert.
Jada (Yolonda Ross) seems to be on the road to recovery, and thanks everyone in her corner during a surprise party Emmett organizes for her.
Shaad apologizes to Imani, played by Jasmine Davis. He later defends her — and describes her as family — after an altercation.

The season four finale is named “A Raisin in the Sun” after the 1959 play — and possibly the 1961 film starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett Jr. — written by South Side native Lorraine Hansberry, the first Black woman to have her work performed on Broadway.

Nina, played by Tyla Abercrumbie (left) and Dre (Miriam A. Hyman), agree to work on their marriage.

Storylines to think about for season 5 — assuming there is one:

What’s next for Douda?
How soon will Emmett find out about Tiff?
Will Papa continue to try to win back Maisha (Genesis Denise Hale)?
What are Roselyn’s plans for the city since it seems she’s taking over for Douda?
What’s next for Community Protection?
The state of the Williams household dynamic.

‘The Chi’ Season 4 finale recap: Mayor Douda skips town and communication heals marriages — sort ofEvan F. Mooreon August 2, 2021 at 2:00 am Read More »

Wrigley Field Hot Dogs: A Conspiracy Theoryon August 2, 2021 at 1:04 am

Hot Dog Diaries

Wrigley Field Hot Dogs: A Conspiracy Theory

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Wrigley Field Hot Dogs: A Conspiracy Theoryon August 2, 2021 at 1:04 am Read More »

Surviving the Metra Lollapalooza COVID Expresson August 2, 2021 at 1:48 am

One Cause At A Time

Surviving the Metra Lollapalooza COVID Express

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Crosstown Showdown: White Sox ready to steal every headline that isn’t bolted downSteve Greenbergon August 1, 2021 at 10:14 pm

Sunday afternoon kind of said it all, didn’t it?

At Nationals Park in Washington, Yadiel Hernandez homered off reliever Manuel Rodriguez in the ninth inning to beat the Cubs 6-5 and end a series filled with little-known baseball players doing little-viewed and even-less-talked-about baseball things.

Meanwhile, at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox were throwing their Craig Kimbrel-Liam Hendriks late-inning one-two punch at the Indians, enabling Brian Goodwin to stride to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and put a ball over the wall for a 2-1 walk-off. Tense, urgent, exciting — every pitch. Goodwin’s Andersonesque bat flip seemed to be for himself, for his team and for everyone who has that 2005 feeling all over again.

One team: all but forgotten.

The other: Ready to steal every headline that isn’t bolted down.

So what’ll it look like later this week at Wrigley Field when the Sox and Cubs finally meet head-to-head for the first time this season?

Will it be a total Sox takeover in the stands? One imagines a raucous family reunion spilling into the solemn space of an outdoor funeral.

How sad and empty will all the Cubs fans clad in Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javy Baez jerseys feel? Wait, we don’t need to guess at that one — the answer is very much so.

One team: The party is over.

The other: The party is just getting started.

Here’s what’s happening:

Netherlands v United States: Women's Football Quarterfinal - Olympics: Day 7 — Megan Rapinoe and Alyssa Naeher celebrate a win against the Netherlands.

MON 2

Olympic women’s soccer: U.S. vs. Canada (3 a.m., USA, 7 p.m., Ch. 5)

Canada — which won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Games — is desperate to knock off No. 1 in this semifinal and still has Christine Sinclair, who has scored more international goals than any woman or man in the sport’s history.

Olympic men’s basketball: U.S. vs. Spain (11:40 p.m., Peacock)

The top two teams in the world rankings meet again in a knockout quarterfinal, which reminds us: Do the Gasol brothers just not realize how old they’ve gotten?

TUE 3

Royals at White Sox (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

A second straight start against the Royals? Dylan Cease will take it. Then again, who wouldn’t?

WED 4

Olympic track & field (5 a.m., Peacock, 7 p.m., Ch. 5)

Finals include the 200, 800 and triple jump on the men’s side. What do those triple jumpers have that we don’t, anyway?

New York City at Fire (7 p.m., Ch. 9)

Fifteen games in, NYC had the best goals differential — plus-14 — in the league. The Fire? Hey, let’s not get bogged down in the details.

THU 5

Cubs at Rockies (2:10 p.m., Marquee)

Jake Arrieta is 5-10 with a 6.20 ERA and zero quality starts in his last 11 outings. Other than that, the man is locked in.

Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp — The Steelers have a potentially great one in Harris.

Hall of Fame Game: Cowboys vs. Steelers (7 p.m., Fox-32)

Football arrives, folks. Hallelujah, God bless America and just wait until the Yinzers get a load of rookie running back Najee Harris.

Olympic women’s soccer: gold-medal game (9 p.m., USA)

Don’t forget, the mighty Americans failed to medal in 2016 in Rio.

FRI

Olympic track & field (5 a.m., Peacock, 7 p.m., Ch. 5)

Finals include the men’s and women’s 4×100 relays — and a real chance for the Japanese men, who took silver in this event in Rio, to become national heroes.

White Sox at Cubs (1:20 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH)

Anticlimactic? Not for the Sox and their gung-ho fans, who have no tears to give for the Cubs.

Olympic men’s basketball: gold-medal game (9:30 p.m., Ch. 5, Peacock)

Will a bunch of NBA dudes take the ball, overwhelm a vastly inferior foe and win gold for the fourth Olympics in a row? Gosh, we make it sound so easy.

SAT 31

Olympic men’s soccer: gold-medal game (6:30 a.m., NBCSN)

It’s the Mexico-Brazil winner against the Japan-Spain winner. Your snooty, scarf-clad neighbor and his fellow soccer snobs would love to see Brazil-Spain, but Mexico-Japan would be so much cooler.

Cincinnati Reds v New York Mets — Baez is blending in beautifully with his new team.

Mets at Phillies (3:05 p.m., FS1)

Don’t miss a chance to check out the Mets’ Javy Baez, who, according to our inside sources, has a chance to be a pretty dang decent second baseman someday.

Olympic women’s basketball: gold-medal game (9:30 p.m., Ch. 5)

A seventh straight gold for the U.S. women? It should be automatic, but that’s easy for us to say.

SUN 2

Olympic closing ceremony (6 a.m., Peacock, 7 p.m., Ch. 5)

Let’s just get to the finish line already so Tokyo — and all of Japan — can finally focus on its massive COVID-19 challenges in earnest. Not that we’re not up to our elbows in problems in this country.

Orlando at Red Stars (5 p.m., Paramount+)

Post-Olympics, the Red Stars will aim to play themselves off the postseason bubble and into the thick of the championship hunt.

White Sox at Cubs (6:08 p.m., Ch. 7)

You know what? These fan bases actually have more in common than meets the eye. For example, neither side of town can wait for the regular season to be over.

Crosstown Showdown: White Sox ready to steal every headline that isn’t bolted downSteve Greenbergon August 1, 2021 at 10:14 pm Read More »

Everything you need to know about Lollapalooza 2021Satchel Priceon August 1, 2021 at 9:09 pm

Lollapalooza officially returned to Grant Park this week for four days of music and good times despite concerns about how bringing together over 100,000 people each day will affect the ongoing pandemic.

The festival, which opened Thursday with vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test required for entry, represents the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March. Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show will go on this weekend.

Late Friday, the festival announced that masks would be required in any indoor space throughout the Grant Park grounds beginning Saturday. Attendees would be encouraged to bring their own masks.

Huge acts are in town luring giant crowds to the park, including Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Post Malone and Tyler, The Creator. Many surrounding streets will be closed through Sunday night.

The Sun-Times will be there all four days covering the big shows and big crowds. Keep this page bookmarked for updates throughout the festival.

Photo highlights

Set reviews

DAY 4: Radkey, Neal Francis

There was no rest on Sunday as Lollapalooza ushered in a day of pure rock with brothers in punk music (and real life) Radkey opening things up on the Grubhub Stage.

Based on their explosive sound, catchy hooks and gritty vocals, you’d expect these three to have been around a few blocks and hailed from one of the two rock meccas: Detroit or New York City. But they’re barely out of their teens. And from Missouri.

The flannel-and-denim-clad brothers paid a nod to their ages with the bombastic “Rock & Roll Homeschool,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to The Ramones, of course. And that’s just one of their well-educated influences. Guitarist and vocalist Dee Radke (whose name clearly paved the way for destiny) is a dead ringer in vocal style for Glenn Danzig and there’s a bit of The Stooges percolating in their songwriting too.

Read all of Selena Fragassi’s reviews from Sunday here.

DAY 3: Cannons, Michigander

Michigander’s Jason Singer swore he thought he’d only see about 20 people at his set, but there was easily 100x that amount of revelers taking in the easy-like-Saturday-afternoon performance delivering perfectly crafted indie pop.

Of course hailing from Michigan (Detroit, to be specific), Singer and crew imbued that laidback Midwest attitude in both their music and their exultation for being tapped for a spot at Lollapalooza.

The frontman commented several times it was a “dream come true” and something he could only pine for as a high schooler when he first began writing music like the song “Fears.” But with his talent, it was really only a matter of time until people started listening – and they have.

Read all of Selena Fragassi’s reviews from Saturday here.

DAY 2: Tyler the Creator, Mick Jenkins, Polo G, Omar Apollo

Tyler, the Creator was trending on social media ahead of his headlining set to close out Day 2 of Lollapalooza. Half of the people were upset the festival was not yet streaming his performance on Hulu and had chosen to broadcast Marshmello instead, and the other half were pleading with the universe to make his rumored appearance with his Odd Future cohort Frank Ocean happen (though that seemed like a tall order).

One was righted as the livestream picked up the performance a half-hour later, thankfully allowing a much larger crowd to pay witness to the visionary, art-driven set that melded jazz, R&B, rap, trip hop, and darkcore.

The Grammy Award winner astutely merged the worlds of live theater and concert in his hour-plus set, sparing no effort to bring his full production stage the “creator” part of him is known for, even as live touring just starts to make its comeback and while most sets this weekend have been understandably scaled back.

Read all of Selena Fragassi’s and Matt Moore’s reviews from Friday here.

DAY 1: Miley Cyrus, Black Pumas, Orville Peck, Playboi Carti, Jimmy Eat World

Starting her Lollapalooza headlining set with “We Can’t Stop” (preaching the general theme of “it’s my party and I’ll do what I want to”), Miley Cyrus set the tone early on: It would be one helluva time and she would be making all the rules. In following those two tenets, the genre-bending star dominated the festival’s opening night.

There were fireworks, some memorable covers, a motley crew of guests, moments of nearly flashing the videofeed cameras, and the artist taking a stand on the important of freeing Britney Spears. During Cyrus’ performance Thursday of her hit “SMS (Bangerz),” which features Spears, the jumbo screens next to the stage broadcast the trending #freebritney message superimposed with caricatures of handcuffs. (Cyrus recently championed Spears’ conservatorship emancipation at a show in Vegas too.)

Read all of Selena Fragassi’s and Matt Moore’s reviews from Thursday here.

DaBaby’s performance canceled amid backlash over homophobic comments

Rapper DaBaby was pulled from Sunday’s Lollapalooza amid a brewing controversy over homophobic comments he made during another festival performance last week in Florida.

DaBaby, real name Jonathan Kirk, has come under heavy fire after he went on a controversial rant last Sunday at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami Gardens, Florida, that targeted gay people and those living with sexually transmitted diseases.

Read the full story here.

Lightfoot takes the stage: ‘Thank you for masking up and vaxing up’

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has been outspoken about her decision to keep Lollapalooza as scheduled despite the uptick in cases of COVID-19 and numerous variants spreading around the country, made a not-so-surprise appearance on the festival’s opening day.

Wearing a Black Pumas T-shirt, she introduced the group’s midday set at the T-Mobile Stage and hailed the Pumas as one of the greatest rock bands of today.

“The rate of vaccination in this crowd is off the charts,” she said.

Read the full story here.

First Lolla fans optimistic as 2021 festival kicks off amid COVID-19 precautions

Thousands of fans streamed into Grant Park Thursday marking the return of Lollapalooza after COVID-19 halted last year’s iteration of the 30-year-old music festival. While some fans said they were slightly worried about COVID-19, many expressed confidence in Lollapalooza’s new protocols.

But not everyone knew about the vaccine mandate in order to attend the music festival.

Read the full story here.

Lolla signs warn attendees they assume risk for COVID-19

The thousands of people entering Lollapalooza on Thursday are being greeted by signs explaining something that’s not included on their public health and safety website: By attending the festival, “you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19,” which they mention “can lead to severe illness and death.”

Read the full story here.

Must-see acts to check out

Some of the names on the Lolla lineup are a lot bigger than others. Selena Fragassi parses through the dozens of bands and artists to break down 10 must-see acts that attendees won’t want to miss this weekend. Here’s what Fragassi says about one of the festival’s earliest performers, Orville Peck:

No one exactly knows who this incognito Canadian country singer is (his trademark look is a long, fringed mask and cowboy hat) but the boudoir-looking John Wayne has heaped tons of due praise in his few years on the scene. Both for crafting a highly contagious psychedelic outlaw sound that refreshes the genre and for being an LGBTQ iconoclast whose work with Trixie Mattel and Gaga will soon put him in a new league.

Check out all of our recommended shows here.

How to watch performances live online

Unlike past years, Hulu is the exclusive live streaming partner for Lollapalooza 2021. All Hulu subscribers will be able to watch live performances for free as part of their subscriptions. Complete streaming schedules for all four days are already up on Hulu’s website, although they warn that set times are subject to change.

How will COVID-19 affect the festival?

With coronavirus case figures rising across the country amid lagging vaccination rates and the emergence of the Delta variant, Lollapalooza put in place security measures to help make the festival safer.

For those attending the festival, a vaccination card or proof of negative COVID-19 test will be required for entry. Get more information on how that’ll work here.

Chicago’s top health official, Dr. Alison Arwady, said Tuesday that the city’s virus situation is in “good control” ahead of the festival. However, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said recently that she would not hesitate to impose measures in Chicago such as face covering requirements if the city’s daily caseload keeps rising — and Arwady said she expects “some cases” of COVID-19 to result from the festival being held.

Lineup and schedule

Complete daily schedules for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday can be found here.

The after-show lineup includes Modest Mouse, Journey, Jimmy Eat World and Freddie Gibbs. Check out the complete list of official Lolla after-shows here.

Everything you need to know about Lollapalooza 2021Satchel Priceon August 1, 2021 at 9:09 pm Read More »

Rafael Ortega makes Cubs history with three-homer game in D.C.Russell Dorseyon August 1, 2021 at 9:39 pm

WASHINGTON – Center fielder Rafael Ortega was supposed to be a short-term solution when the Cubs recalled the 30-year-old from Triple-A Iowa in late May, but since joining the team all he’s done is hit. Ortega was arguably the Cubs’ best hitter in the month of July, slashing .368/.419/.544 with five doubles, a triple and a home run.

Ortega was starting to see more time in the lineup before the Cubs’ moves at the deadline and with more regular at-bats available, but in Sunday’s 6-5 loss, the veteran outfielder showed why he’s getting those chances.

The center fielder had a historic afternoon in the Cubs’ series finale in DC, slugging three homers in the Cubs’ loss to the Nationals.

“This is incredible,” Ortega said after his three-homer game. “it’s something that you don’t really think could happen, especially to me. I thank God for letting me continue this run that I’m on right now. To do what I’m doing. I really dedicate this to God first and my family, especially my family in Venezuela.”

Before Sunday’s game, there were a lot of things Ortega had never accomplished in the big leagues. One of those was hitting a leadoff homer in a game, but he got that out of the way quickly.

Ortega started off fast with a solo shot three pitches into the game that gave the Cubs a quick 1-0 lead. Not only was it the first leadoff homer of his career, it was also the first time he’s homered in consecutive days after his homer in Saturday’s 4-3 win.

“He’s on fire,” manager David Ross said. “He’s been such a catalyst at the top for us since moving up there. He was a really big bat off the bench. He’s locked in. Great approach. It feels like he’s in every bat.”

There was nothing Ortega couldn’t do on Sunday and when the Cubs needed a big hit, his spot in the order came up. magic wasn’t done there. In the sixth inning, Ortega blasted another homer, this time a two-run shot, making it a 4-3 game.

It marked the first multi-homer game in his career.

But Ortega had one more trick up his sleeve. After the Nationals scored a run in the seventh inning to give them a 5-3 lead, the Cubs’ lead-off man came through in another big spot.

Ortega crushed a two-run shot in the eighth inning into the upper deck to tie the game at 5 and put an exclamation point on an incredible day. He tied a franchise record with the three homers. It was the first time it’s been done since Kris Bryant did it on May 17, 2019, also in Washington.

“I never had a feeling like this like I have right now in my career,” Ortega said. “When you have bad days, I had bad days in the past, I just kept my head up. I think that’s what helped me to be here right now doing what I’m doing.”

He is also the first Cubs left-handed hitter with three homers in a game since Brant Brown on June 18, 1998 vs. Philadelphia. And the first Cubs’ lefty to hit three homers on the road since Rick Monday, May 16, 1972 at Philadelphia.

He finished the game, going 4-for-4 with three homers and drove in all five Cubs runs in the game, which the Cubs lost on a walk-off homer by Yadiel Hernandez. It capped an incredible series against the Nationals, going 8-for-13 with a double and four homers.

“I think he’s just getting comfortable,” Ross said. “He didn’t have a lot of run early on and coming off the bench and the role he was in, just getting hits. … It’s a lot of line drives left center, right center. The power is just showing up as the ball is getting in the air. But he’s been hitting the ball hard.”

Rafael Ortega makes Cubs history with three-homer game in D.C.Russell Dorseyon August 1, 2021 at 9:39 pm Read More »

Lollapalooza 2021: Day 4 photo highlightsSun-Times staffon August 1, 2021 at 8:34 pm

The last day of Lollapalooza began with a change in the lineup early Sunday morning.

Rapper DaBaby was pulled from Sunday’s schedule amid a brewing controversy over homophobic comments he made during another festival performance last week in Florida.

Young Thug is performing in DaBaby’s place Sunday at 9 p.m. on the Bud Light Seltzer stage, with G Herbo set for the 4 p.m. slot on the T-Mobile stage.

Amid the numerous COVID-19 safety restrictions in place for the festival, Friday night saw the release of a new indoor mask requirement by Lollapalooza organizers. The requirement was in full force Saturday. The areas include the box office, merchandise shop, two hospitality lounges and wristband help tents.

If you missed our coverage of the festival’s third day, check out our reviews of Megan Thee Stallion, Michigander, Cannons, Freddie Gibbs, Post Malone and more, as well as our photo highlights from Saturday and reviews from Friday, including Tyler, the Creator’s closing set here.

Keep in mind there are numerous COVID safety restrictions in place for the fest. You’ll need proof of vaccination or proof a negative COVID-19 test for entry to the festival grounds. Lolla is the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March. Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show went on this weekend.

We’ve got the festival covered from every angle. For a complete guide to all things Lolla, check out our guide here. If you want our tips of the acts to catch, you can find our Top 10 picks here. And keep in mind, there are gobs of street closures in place; you can find the details here.

Neal Francis performs on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Fans gather to watch Neal Francis perform on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Dee Radke of Radkey performs on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Isaiah Radke of Radkey performs on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Radkey performs on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Lollapalooza 2021: Day 4 photo highlightsSun-Times staffon August 1, 2021 at 8:34 pm Read More »

Lollapalooza 2021 reviews, Day 4: Radkey, Neal Francis rock out under the sunSelena Fragassi – For the Sun-Timeson August 1, 2021 at 8:37 pm

There was no rest on Sunday as Lollapalooza ushered in a day of pure rock with brothers in punk music (and real life) Radkey opening things up on the Grubhub Stage.

The trio (also including the incredibly physical bass player Isaiah Radke and the solid Solomon Radke on drums) is currently doing some summer dates with Foo Fighters, and were a great warmup for that rock band Sunday as well. Advocating for “the future of rock ‘n’ roll” as they exited the stage, behind well-hewn numbers like “Dark Black Makeup” and “Seize,” they clearly fit the bill.

Neal Francis

If you’re not discovering bands at Lollapalooza in addition to catching the acts you came for, it’s really a missed opportunity to get on the groundswell of some incredibly talented, dedicated musicians. Case in point: Neal Francis.

A well-rounded product of Chicago, Francis looked like something out of the ’70s with his mop-top shag, aviators, and red velvet suit coat — and he sounded like it, too. There are hints of ’70s Brit Rock (including a very visceral touch of Elton John) as well as New Orleans jazz-funk, gospel soul, and some lighthearted Randy Newman — and the amalgamation felt like a time-stamped treasure.

According to his bio, Francis was a child piano prodigy who played with Muddy Waters’ son and other blues artists, and that pedigree comes out in his set, buoyed by an ensemble of well-oiled musicians that shows Chicago still rears the best of them. On songs like “Changes,” Francis plays well into the current revival movement for classic sounds at a time when many are rediscovering vinyl and is a great act to check out around town when he books more dates, hopefully soon.

Selena Fragassi is a Chicago freelance writer.

Lollapalooza 2021 reviews, Day 4: Radkey, Neal Francis rock out under the sunSelena Fragassi – For the Sun-Timeson August 1, 2021 at 8:37 pm Read More »

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Crosstown Showdown: White Sox ready to steal every headline that isn’t bolted downSteve Greenbergon August 1, 2021 at 10:14 pm