Guest Post: Nick Shepkowski on His Favorite Anthony Rizzo Momenton July 30, 2021 at 1:43 am

World Series Dreaming

Guest Post: Nick Shepkowski on His Favorite Anthony Rizzo Moment

Guest Post: Nick Shepkowski on His Favorite Anthony Rizzo Momenton July 30, 2021 at 1:43 am Read More »

Lollapalooza 2021: Day 1 photo highlightsSun-Times staffon July 30, 2021 at 12:44 am

It’s officially here: Lollapalooza 2021.

The music extravaganza by the lake kicked off today in Grant Park. More than 100,000 music fans are expected to attend the four-day event.

Though a few things have changed this year — no Kidzapalooza stage and strict new COVID guidelines to be aware of before heading to the park — the stacked four-day lineup is an impressive feat to have pulled off in record time.

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 will go 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.

Here’s a look at some of the sights and sounds from Day 1:

Flo Milli preforms at the Grubhub stage.

Fans cheer as Flo Milli preforms at the Grubhub stage.

Black Pumas performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday.. — Black Pumas performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduces the Black Pumas at the T-Mobile stage.

Black Pumas lead singer Eric Burton, left, dances with Mayor Lori Lightfoot's wife Amy Eshleman at the T-Mobile stage. — Black Pumas lead singer Eric Burton, left, dances with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s wife Amy Eshleman at the T-Mobile stage.

Max preforms at the Lake Shore Stage Thursday.

Festival goers walk down Columbus Drive near Buckingham Fountain.

Festival goers line up at the food stalls located at Columbus Drive near Buckingham Fountain.

Orville Peck preforms at the T-Mobile Stage Thursday.

Eva Adams, black with cowboy hat, and Bridget Brazil, red checkers, cheer as Orville Peck preforms at the T-Mobile Stage.

Fans wave their hands in the air as Max preforms at the Lake Shore Stage.

Festival-goers show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as they pass through a health screening station Thursday at the main entrance on Michigan Avenue on day one of Lollapalooza in Grant Park.

Aly & AJ preform Thursday at the T-Mobile stage at Lollapalooza.

Fans cheer and wave as Aly & AJ preform Thursday at the T-Mobile stage at Lollapalooza.

Festival-goers line up Thursday morning before doors open on day one of Lollapalooza in Grant Park.

Festival-goers flock to Grant Park for day one of Lollapalooza on Thursday.

Festival-goers show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as they pass through a health screening station at the main entrance on Michigan Avenue on day one of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Thursday.

Chicago police officers keep watch as festival-goers flock to Grant Park for day one of Lollapalooza on Thursday.

Lollapalooza 2021: Day 1 photo highlightsSun-Times staffon July 30, 2021 at 12:44 am Read More »

Lightfoot takes Lollapalooza stage: ‘Thank you for masking up and vaxing up’Selena Fragassi – For the Sun-Timeson July 30, 2021 at 12:38 am

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.

She also took a moment to comment on the giant elephant roaming around the park. Pointing out that people were at “the largest music festival anywhere on the globe this year” in the midst of a world pandemic, she also applauded those who have chosen to get the COVID-19 vaccinations that have allowed events like Lollapalooza to proceed.

“The rate of vaccination in this crowd is off the charts,” she said, echoing data that the festival released on Twitter noting that 90% of attendees had shown a vaccination card at the front gates and an additional 8% provided proof of a negative COVID test. “Thank you for masking up and vaxing up.”

Amy Eshleman, the wife of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, dances with Black Pumas singer Eric Burton during the band’s Thursday set at Lollapalooza.

Lightfoot then encouraged fans to take care of one another. “Hate has no home here,” she said, decrying racism and xenophobia in Chicago and echoing the message of the Black Pumas, who gave an overwhelming display of unity and kinship in their set.

Lightfoot’s wife, Amy Eshleman, even danced a few steps on stage with Pumas frontman Eric Burton, but the mayor herself declined to show off her moves.

Selena Fragassi is a Chicago freelance writer.

Lightfoot takes Lollapalooza stage: ‘Thank you for masking up and vaxing up’Selena Fragassi – For the Sun-Timeson July 30, 2021 at 12:38 am Read More »

Lightfoot negotiating mandatory vaccination and testing regimen for city employeesFran Spielmanon July 30, 2021 at 12:01 am

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday hinted strongly that Chicago will follow New York City’s lead by requiring city employees to either show proof that they’ve been fully vaccinated or get tested weekly for the coronavirus.

Already, city employees must wear masks in “common areas” of City Hall and other city workplaces too tight to maintain social distance and wear masks full-time if they’re not vaccinated — not only for their own protection, but also to safeguard their colleagues.

Asked Thursday about the possibility of vaccine and testing mandates, Lightfoot said it’s “been on our radar screen for quite a long time — really going back into the spring.”

She left little doubt vaccine and testing mandates for the city’s 33,000 employees are coming in response to a troubling spike in coronavirus cases tied to the “Delta variant.”

“We’ve had more recent conversations about it. We’re starting the conversations with public unions that represent city workers and we’ll be making an announcement soon,” she said.

Lightfoot doesn’t “have a particular date” for the announcement because negotiations are ongoing. But she plans to announce the new policy “shortly.”

“We’re looking at what’s been done [around the country]. New York was probably the first big city to come out with a mandate there. It’s mandatory vaccines or weekly testing for those who are not vaccinated,” she said.

“The federal government … has or will soon be making a declaration about mandatory vaccine. So we’re looking at what’s happening in other circumstances and crafting a strategy that works for Chicago.”

Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter was asked about the status of those negotiations.

He issued a statement saying only that the federation is “currently reviewing our affiliates’ positions on workplace vaccinations. … However, we encourage everyone to make the decision to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their co-workers and their families.”

The Chicago Federation of Labor has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media.

Earlier this week, the mayor and city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady sent mixed messages about the troubling rise in coronavirus cases.

Lightfoot said she wouldn’t hesitate to return to a mask mandate and other safety mitigations if the daily level of coronavirus cases in Chicago “consistently go over” 200.

Arwady said the she would sound the alarm and tighten the screws if the daily case level tops 400.

Both women expressed no second thoughts about green-lighting Thursday’s start of Lollapalooza, which Lightfoot proudly declared as the “largest music festival in the world” to be held since the pandemic.

Thursday, the mayor was asked about the discrepancy.

“The goalposts haven’t moved. Our metrics have been consistent … certainly over the last year-plus, but we’re concerned about this steady creep up,” she said.

Chicago’s daily rate of coronavirus cases stands at 190. That’s up 63% from 117 cases-a-day just one week ago. Lightfoot acknowledged the city is poised to blow past her benchmark of “200-plus-cases-a-day.”

But she said “other important metrics” the city follows “do give us some reason for optimism.”

“That is, we’re not seeing a huge surge in hospitalizations. That’s important. Or ICU beds or people on ventilators. However, the people who are getting sick with the Delta variant — 97-plus percent of them are unvaccinated. And they’re getting very sick,” the mayor said.

“We need people to get vaccinated to protect themselves against the variant. Without that protection, you’re playing Russian roulette. This variant is real. It is deadly. It is devastating.”

Lightfoot negotiating mandatory vaccination and testing regimen for city employeesFran Spielmanon July 30, 2021 at 12:01 am Read More »

Online Poker in Illinois Could Start Moving Towards Regulation in Octoberon July 30, 2021 at 12:09 am

The Patriotic Dissenter

Online Poker in Illinois Could Start Moving Towards Regulation in October

Online Poker in Illinois Could Start Moving Towards Regulation in Octoberon July 30, 2021 at 12:09 am Read More »

Trade Updates: Rizzo to Yankees; Tepera to White Soxon July 30, 2021 at 12:04 am

Cubs Den

Trade Updates: Rizzo to Yankees; Tepera to White Sox

Trade Updates: Rizzo to Yankees; Tepera to White Soxon July 30, 2021 at 12:04 am Read More »

Earth gets a boost from suburban Chicago mayorsCST Editorial Boardon July 29, 2021 at 11:44 pm

As legislation to protect the Earth from climate change stalls in Congress and the Illinois Legislature, large cities have stepped up with their own pro-environment policies, but that gets us only so far.

Now, Chicago’s suburbs are getting into the act along with Chicago, and environmentalists say their strategies are solid.

The suburbs laid out their plans in a report earlier this month, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ 124-page “Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region.” The mayors caucus, which includes leaders from the region’s 275 cities, towns, issued the report to lay out guidelines for every community to follow.

The idea behind the Climate Action Plan, which received input from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other climate change experts, is that smaller communities can do a lot to mitigate the effects of climate change if they work together. The plan lays out goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 80% within 30 years, boosting clean energy, getting people to drive less, making buildings more energy efficient, sequestering carbon in ecosystems and doing a better job of managing water and waste.

If all the communities act together to meet these goals, it can make a big difference.

“I think it’s huge,” Highland Park Councilwoman Kim Stone, who also is co-chair of the Transit Electrification Task Force of the Climate Reality Project Chicago Metro Chapter, told us. “Each municipality can take actions that collectively have a much bigger impact than we have on our own.”

It’s encouraging that local leaders are rolling up their sleeves on climate change without waiting for stalled reforms in the Legislature and Congress. Environmentally-minded lawmakers in Springfield have been trying to pass a major climate bill for years, but have been unable to do so. Congress can’t seem to agree on enacting anything comprehensive.

They are running out of time. Somebody has to act. Just look around.

A burned classic car sits among the smoldering remains of a home during the Dixie fire in the Indian Falls neighborhood of unincorporated Plumas County, California on Monday. The Dixie fire has now burned more than 190,000 acres and continues to edge closer to more residential communities.

The American West is the driest it’s been in four centuries. Heat domes this summer have spread misery around the country. People have died, and another triple-digit heat dome is expected next week, nicknamed “The Ridge of Death.” The magnitude of Europe’s floods earlier this month stunned scientists. A storm last week poured a year’s worth of rain on Zhengzhou, China. As of Saturday, 86 wildfires had scorched 1.5 million acres across the country.

Lake Michigan’s rapid rise in six years from a record low to a record high last year raises questions about whether Chicago can cope with steep swings in water levels. No place is safe.

‘Untold suffering’

On Wednesday, almost 14,000 scientists released a climate emergency paper warning the human race faces “untold suffering” if people don’t get serious about global warming immediately. Emissions of greenhouse gases are at an all-time high, and glacial ice thickness is the lowest on record.

Environmentalists say the action plan’s call for local collaboration is a big deal because so many policy decisions happen at the municipal level, including building regulations and land-use policies. That makes municipal leaders collectively significant figures addressing climate change. Collaboration is especially important in the Chicago area, which is fragmented into many municipal governments.

That said, some environmentalists say they wish Chicago would assume a stronger leadership role in the effort. They say that after Rahm Emanuel took the helm, Chicago stopped being as active in the mayors caucus as it was in the days of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, which may be why Highland Park, Evanston and Geneva, for example, have been doing a better job of building up infrastructure for electric vehicles. Chicago also has disbanded its Department of the Environment.

Opinion This Week

A weekly overview of opinions, analysis and commentary on issues affecting Chicago, Illinois and our nation by outside contributors, Sun-Times readers and the CST Editorial Board.

The suburban mayors don’t have the financial resources to bankroll big projects, such as vast solar installations or meaningful subsidies for electric vehicles. Funding for those has to come from the Legislature and Congress. But there is much they can do acting as a unit.

The Climate Action Plan, which took about two years to draw up and will take years to implement, is important at a time when fires, flooding and extreme heat are showing the effects of climate change are already here, not something that will happen far in the future. Municipalities that were built up in a different era are not ready.

The mayors caucus have laid the groundwork for a greener metropolis. It’s an important step, but they need to follow through.

Send letters to [email protected].

Earth gets a boost from suburban Chicago mayorsCST Editorial Boardon July 29, 2021 at 11:44 pm Read More »

Everything you need to know about Lollapalooza 2021Satchel Priceon July 29, 2021 at 11:14 pm

Lollapalooza officially returns 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 opens 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.

Huge acts will be 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

DAY 1: Sights and sounds from Thursday

Check out more sights and sounds captured by our photographers on the first day of Lolla here.

Day 1: Musical act reviews

Lollapalooza is bringing live music is back to Chicago in a big way. The Grant Park festival is one of the country’s first large-scale events post-pandemic, and it was ushering in the tunes — and the good feels — from the start on Thursday afternoon.

Here’s how the lineup — from Orville Peck to Miley Cyrus — stacked up.

Read the full reviews 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 July 29, 2021 at 11:14 pm Read More »

Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo is off to the New York YankeesVincent Pariseon July 29, 2021 at 10:56 pm

It finally happened. We knew it was coming. Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin, and Ryan Tepera were signs that a Chicago Cubs teardown was imminent. It wasn’t going to feel real, however, until some of the core that won the World Series in 2016 were gone. Now, that time has come. Anthony Rizzo has been traded to the New York Yankees in a deal that will send shockwaves across the league. This is as big of a trade as the Cubs have ever made.

Rizzo is one of the greatest players in the history of the Cubs. He was the leader of the team when they won in 2016. It was a great moment for him personally and the city of Chicago because the Cubs finally did it.

The fact that the Yankees are the team that landed Rizzo is incredibly surprising. They aren’t close to a playoff spot and aren’t playing well as a team. They also made a big trade for Joey Gallo the night before. Clearly, they believe that they are still in contention for a spot in the American League playoffs. Now, they are adding a first baseman that is on an expiring contract.

Rizzo is currently slashing .248/.346/.446 for an OPS of .792. He also has 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. He is going to be a valuable piece to the Yankees as they try to come back from the hole they have dug themselves into. With big bats in the lineup like Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, and Giancarlo Stanton amongst others, they might be able to.

The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. First on the scene was @JackCurryYES.

In the last 24 hours, the Yankees have gotten Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo, two high-OBP lefties. Big moves in Bronx.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2021

The Chicago Cubs were given everything and more by Anthony Rizzo in his time there.

Chicago owes Anthony Rizzo a lot. He has been an amazing player both on and off the field. It is hard to remember a player on any team that has had the same level of impact in the community that he has. He has been amazing for them in that aspect in addition to being an All-Star caliber first baseman for years.

In return for Rizzo, the Cubs are getting two of the Yankees’ top 15 prospects. Alexander Vizcaino (RHP) is their number nine prospect. Kevin Alcantra (OF) is their number 12 prospect. We don’t know if they are ever going to mature into MLB players but the Cubs are certainly going to try their best to develop them.

The pitcher, Vizcaino, might be the biggest key to the trade because the Cubs really need to start getting better at developing pitching. Anthony Rizzo is certainly going to be missed by Cubs fans. We all knew that this day was coming but it still doesn’t feel real.

Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo is off to the New York YankeesVincent Pariseon July 29, 2021 at 10:56 pm Read More »

Joe Cassidy dies at 51; musician, songwriter, producerMaureen O’Donnellon July 29, 2021 at 10:08 pm

Joe Cassidy was welcome on stages and in recording studios from London to Los Angeles to Chicago.

With his musical talent and gentle Irish greeting of “Hey, lovely fella,” the Belfast native made other performers believe in themselves.

“Working in the studio with Joe Cassidy was a very positive experience — he was a creative and generous producer,” said legendary composer Jimmy Webb, who wrote “Up, Up and Away,” “Wichita Lineman,” “MacArthur Park” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” “But more importantly, he was a creative and generous friend.”

A musician, singer, producer, manager and prolific composer of ethereal songs infused with longing, Mr. Cassidy died of congestive heart failure July 15 at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center in Chicago, according to his family. The Humboldt Park resident was 51.

Joe Cassidy playing at Tommy Nevin's Pub in Evanston in 2001 when Butterfly Child opened for John Cale, a founding member of Velvet Underground. — Joe Cassidy playing at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston in 2001 when Butterfly Child opened for John Cale, a founding member of Velvet Underground.

“He had a beautiful, pure, bell-like singing voice, with a gorgeous lilt and an ache to it that would rip your heart out,” said musician Jonny Polonsky. “His music was always emotional, romantic and cathartic; never, ever saccharine, trite or contrived.”

Mr. Cassidy — who played guitar and keyboards — was frontman and lead songwriter for the band Assassins, which got signed by Antonio “L.A.” Reid at Arista Records. He also founded the one-man project Butterfly Child, in which he invited collaborators to make music.

As his career shifted to producing and managing others, “He would lend parts or help mix or do string arrangements. He did so much more than manage an artist,” said Assassins co-founder Aaron Miller. “It is a giant, irreplaceable loss to have lost this ‘mind palace’ of his.”

“The amount of stuff he is credited on is just a small amount of the work he actually did because he was recklessly generous,” said Justin Webb, a son of Jimmy Webb and member of the Webb Brothers band, which backed Mr. Cassidy on his song “Holding On.” “He was just constantly helping people — ‘In case of emergency, call Joe.'”

Mr. Cassidy managed drummer-producer Cal Campbell, who played on “Holding On,” and singer-songwriter Ashley Campbell, children of the singer Glen Campbell. On Instagram, Ashley Campbell mourned, “My bold, wonderful, kind, passionate friend and manager.”

“I’d never seen a man so committed to service — the service of others,” said Michael McDermott, another singer-songwriter he managed. McDermott wrote liner notes for Mr. Cassidy describing him as a “Belfast Byron” — “cool, handsome, brilliant, talented, respected, dreamy and kind.”

“So many artists benefited from his production skills, his songwriting . . . his wise advice on how to navigate the music industry,” said Metro owner Joe Shanahan, who loves the Butterfly Child song “Drunk on Beauty.” “He connected people. If he knew you were looking for a publishing deal, he might know someone. . . .he could listen to a song and say ‘Oh, you’ve got something there.”

“He would work very quick and very spartan, although his sound would end up being massively layered, Brian Wilson-type work,” said Brian Liesegang, a former member of Nine Inch Nails and co-founder of Filter.

He played at Metro, Schubas Tavern, Debonair Social Club and Lollapalooza. With Assassins, he opened for Muse at the Double Door. In 2006 they opened for Duran Duran at the old Sears Centre Arena. At Shanahan’s suggestion, New Order booked Assassins as their opener at the Aragon Ballroom in 2005.

Mr. Cassidy had loved the band as a teen, so “opening for New Order was kind of a high point,” Miller said.

Young Joe grew up in Belfast, the son of civil servants Anne and Michael Cassidy. “There was always music in the house,” said his brother, also named Michael.

He listened to My Bloody Valentine and the Police, especially the guitar of Andy Summers. The Troubles were at their height so he immersed himself in sports, idolizing John McEnroe and playing tennis and making music.

After hearing his recordings, the Manchester, England, band BFG recruited him to perform on their 1987 release “Western Sky,” said his friend, Sarah Marmor.

The duo A.R. Kane, who helped create the hit “Pump Up the Volume,” later signed Butterfly Child, which received ravishing reviews over the years. Neil Kulkarni wrote in Melody Maker in 1995 that Butterfly Child’s “Honeymoon Suite” LP was the “record the term ‘perfect pop’ should have been invented for.”

Mr. Cassidy moved to London in the “Cool Brittania” era of the ’90s and hung out with Oasis, Blur and Pulp. For a time he lived in a flat with Alexander McQueen. Mr. Cassidy answered the phone when David Bowie called for the fashion designer. He didn’t believe it was Bowie and hung up, according to Marmor.

“He had this kind of soft swagger,” said his sister Frances Macklin. “He had this walk and he had this way of standing in a room, it wasn’t like anybody else.”

After moving to the U.S., a stranger approached him on a New York City street and invited him to a party at his home. When Mr. Cassidy arrived, he realized the stranger was Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and the other guests included Jeff Buckley, Debbie Harry and Patti Smith.

Later in life, he was a successful commercial composer for Hidden Valley Ranch, Lexus, McDonald’s and State Farm, said his former girlfriend Merritt Lear, a member of Assassins and collaborator with Butterfly Child.

Mr. Cassidy also worked on music for TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”

He collaborated with NOISE, a musical project with Lear, John Goff and artist Shepard Fairey, creator of the Barack Obama “Hope” poster.

And the Vienna Symphony Orchestra recently recorded one of Mr. Cassidy’s compositions.

Mr. Cassidy said on his website, “I usually work with people who have a very open mind about what they are looking to achieve with a song, an arrangement or the type of production necessary. Artists or clients who are not ‘boxed in’ to a genre are the ones I usually find knocking at my door.”

He loved animals and they loved him. When Mr. Cassidy visited a friend’s garden, Marmor said, a crow flew down and rested on his shoulder.

He once rescued a dove that somebody left inside a storage closet filled with film props. “He walked by and heard the ‘coo-coo,’ ” Lear said. He called his new pet Dovey, and “Dovey ended up happy and loved. The dove would come when Joe called.”

If Mr. Cassidy saw a bug in his house, “He would insist on picking it up and putting it outside and wishing it well on its journeys,” she said.

His rescue dog, Fozzy, made an appearance at the end of Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing” video.

Joe Cassidy and a wild crow that came to rest on him.

Mr. Cassidy collected Star Wars figurines and enjoyed hunting at yard sales for midcentury modern treasures.

In addition to his parents, sister and brother, he is survived by a nephew, William Macklin. A July 31 funeral is planned in Belfast.

“He was the person who taught me the religion of making music,” Miller said. “You have to work on it every day, and sometimes it winds up in the trash or winning a Grammy or ending up in a commercial on TV.”

“What he brought was beauty to our world,” Shanahan said.

After he died, the sign at Metro was changed to reflect what Mr. Cassidy used to say in greeting.

“You lovely fella.”

Joe Cassidy dies at 51; musician, songwriter, producerMaureen O’Donnellon July 29, 2021 at 10:08 pm Read More »

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Lolla signs warn attendees they assume risk for COVID-19

Must-see acts to check out

How to watch performances live online

How will COVID-19 affect the festival?

Lineup and schedule

The Chicago Cubs were given everything and more by Anthony Rizzo in his time there.