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If you’re as allergic to crowds as I am, Chicago’s many neighborhood music festivals can be a mixed bag. But one event I unequivocally associate with a certain kind of chill is the Square Roots festival in Lincoln Square. And that low-stress atmosphere seems likely to be by design. Launched in 1998, the weekend-long festival, which benefits the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town School of Folk Music, features a mix of local restaurants and business vendors, more than half a dozen (and counting) local breweries, and four stages of live music whose bookings are organized—albeit loosely—around roots and traditional music from around the world. As of this writing, the full schedule wasn’t yet available, but whatever additional acts are announced before the festival weekend will be a bonus given the already strong bill. The fun starts Friday evening with a bill headlined by DIY legend Bob Mould that also features Seattle pop-rockers Deep Sea Diver and high-energy local multicultural funk collective Ésso. Saturday’s lineup kicks off with unhurried electronic-inflected hip-hop and pop from Chicago act Ness Heads (Vanessa Ortiz) and sun-kissed psychedelic folk from Milwaukee-based Sleepy Gaucho (Andy Goitia), then weaves between styles all day en route to a rousing evening with California dance-rock cult favorites !!!, local indie-pop mainstays Dehd, and prolific Ohio indie-rock greats Guided by Voices. All three groups released a new album this spring, with the exception of GBV—they’ve released two, so far. Later that same night, the Old Town School hosts an indoor set from reggae and dancehall great King Yellowman with vocalist K’reema (Yellowman’s daughter) and the Sagittarius Band. Sunday’s bill is equally diverse, with a notable preponderance of country and Americana thanks to East Nashville singer-songwriter Lily Hiatt, Texas country-folk singer Hayes Carll, and Chicago honky-tonk crew the Lawrence Peters Outfit—plus other local acts such as moody indie rockers Bnny and soulful stalwarts the O’Mys. Come for a couple hours or for the whole weekend, and you’re bound to leave a little more refreshed than when you walked in.

Square Roots Day 1: Bob Mould headlines; Deep Sea Diver, Ésso, and the Reminders open. Fri 7/8, 5-10 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

Square Roots Day 2: Guided by Voices headline; Dehd, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Aeon Station, the Cactus Blossoms, Family of Geniuses, Tobacco City, Gerald McClendon, Sleepy Gaucho, and Ness Heads open. Sat 7/9, noon-10 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

Square Roots Day 3: Hayes Carll headlines; the O’My’s, Lilly Hiatt, Wild Pink, Bnny, the Altons, the Lawrence Peters Outfit, Quique Escamilla, Minor Moon, and Uncovered: John Prine open. Sun 7/10, noon-9 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

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Gossip Wolf has been on the record as a fan of Lollygagger since the local glam-punk goofballs dropped their debut EP, Life on Terminus, in 2018. The band followed it in 2020 with the hilarious sketch-comedy-style video album The Lollygagger Family Fun Variety Hour, but lately this wolf has hungered for something to slap on the ol’ turntable. Last month, Lollygagger obliged with Total Party Kill, released via What’s for Breakfast? and Molerat Records. It collects nine rippers on vinyl, and throughout this slab of urine-yellow wax, guitarist Matthew Muffin, bassist Kinsey Ring, and drummer Michael Sunnycide stay in piss-and-vinegar mode—they tear into rotten employers on “My Boss Is a Dick” and raise a fiery, revolutionary ruckus on “Sick Semper.” On Sunday, July 10, Lollygagger play the second day of the tenth and final DZ Fest at the DZ Records space at 8548 S. 85th Ct. in Hickory Hills. Tickets are $20 per day and available at the door.

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If you’re as allergic to crowds as I am, Chicago’s many neighborhood music festivals can be a mixed bag. But one event I unequivocally associate with a certain kind of chill is the Square Roots festival in Lincoln Square. And that low-stress atmosphere seems likely to be by design. Launched in 1998, the weekend-long festival, which benefits the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town School of Folk Music, features a mix of local restaurants and business vendors, more than half a dozen (and counting) local breweries, and four stages of live music whose bookings are organized—albeit loosely—around roots and traditional music from around the world. As of this writing, the full schedule wasn’t yet available, but whatever additional acts are announced before the festival weekend will be a bonus given the already strong bill. The fun starts Friday evening with a bill headlined by DIY legend Bob Mould that also features Seattle pop-rockers Deep Sea Diver and high-energy local multicultural funk collective Ésso. Saturday’s lineup kicks off with unhurried electronic-inflected hip-hop and pop from Chicago act Ness Heads (Vanessa Ortiz) and sun-kissed psychedelic folk from Milwaukee-based Sleepy Gaucho (Andy Goitia), then weaves between styles all day en route to a rousing evening with California dance-rock cult favorites !!!, local indie-pop mainstays Dehd, and prolific Ohio indie-rock greats Guided by Voices. All three groups released a new album this spring, with the exception of GBV—they’ve released two, so far. Later that same night, the Old Town School hosts an indoor set from reggae and dancehall great King Yellowman with vocalist K’reema (Yellowman’s daughter) and the Sagittarius Band. Sunday’s bill is equally diverse, with a notable preponderance of country and Americana thanks to East Nashville singer-songwriter Lily Hiatt, Texas country-folk singer Hayes Carll, and Chicago honky-tonk crew the Lawrence Peters Outfit—plus other local acts such as moody indie rockers Bnny and soulful stalwarts the O’Mys. Come for a couple hours or for the whole weekend, and you’re bound to leave a little more refreshed than when you walked in.

Square Roots Day 1: Bob Mould headlines; Deep Sea Diver, Ésso, and the Reminders open. Fri 7/8, 5-10 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

Square Roots Day 2: Guided by Voices headline; Dehd, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Aeon Station, the Cactus Blossoms, Family of Geniuses, Tobacco City, Gerald McClendon, Sleepy Gaucho, and Ness Heads open. Sat 7/9, noon-10 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

Square Roots Day 3: Hayes Carll headlines; the O’My’s, Lilly Hiatt, Wild Pink, Bnny, the Altons, the Lawrence Peters Outfit, Quique Escamilla, Minor Moon, and Uncovered: John Prine open. Sun 7/10, noon-9 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families, all ages

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Gossip Wolf has been on the record as a fan of Lollygagger since the local glam-punk goofballs dropped their debut EP, Life on Terminus, in 2018. The band followed it in 2020 with the hilarious sketch-comedy-style video album The Lollygagger Family Fun Variety Hour, but lately this wolf has hungered for something to slap on the ol’ turntable. Last month, Lollygagger obliged with Total Party Kill, released via What’s for Breakfast? and Molerat Records. It collects nine rippers on vinyl, and throughout this slab of urine-yellow wax, guitarist Matthew Muffin, bassist Kinsey Ring, and drummer Michael Sunnycide stay in piss-and-vinegar mode—they tear into rotten employers on “My Boss Is a Dick” and raise a fiery, revolutionary ruckus on “Sick Semper.” On Sunday, July 10, Lollygagger play the second day of the tenth and final DZ Fest at the DZ Records space at 8548 S. 85th Ct. in Hickory Hills. Tickets are $20 per day and available at the door.

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The NBA Finals might be over, but Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is still putting up numbers.

Less than a month after his historic performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the jersey Curry wore during his record-setting first quarter sold for $203,330 in an astounding 101-bid war on NBA Auctions.

Curry drained six 3-pointers in the first quarter of Golden State’s 120-108 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 on June 2, breaking a record for most 3-pointers made during one quarter in an NBA Finals game.

The $203,330 is not the record paid for an NBA jersey at auction, modern or vintage — falling short of the $3.69 million record game-worn Kobe Bryant jersey from his rookie season.

Stephen Curry sank six 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 1 against the Celtics, setting an NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers made in a single quarter. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

But mere months after he became the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, Curry’s collectability is soaring, as it has for the better part of the past year.

In late May with collectables marketplace Goldin, a 1-of-1 2009 Panini Absolute Memorabilia Signature Materials autographed Logoman Curry rookie card sold for $492,000 with buyer’s premium.

Last month, with PWCC Marketplace, a 2009 Playoff National Treasures Curry RPA (rookie patch autograph) numbered to 99 sold for $720,000; nine days later, with Goldin, a Curry jersey worn in Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals sold for $343,200 with buyer’s premium.

A year ago, alternative investment group Alt purchased a majority stake in a 1-of-1 2009 Playoff National Treasures autographed Logoman Curry rookie card, valued at $5.9 million — briefly making Curry’s most sought-after debut card the most valuable sports card of all time, before a T206 Honus Wagner card sold in August for $6.606 million.

Although the sports card and collectables market has cooled recently, Curry is undeniably one of the most collectable athletes in sports. This year, he became one of only 10 players in NBA history to win two NBA MVPs and one Finals MVP awards.

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Chicago-based percussionist Daniel Villarreal says his debut solo album, Panamá 77, is a soundtrack of his life and an introduction to who he is. “It’s about my upbringing and my experiences as a musician and artist in the city of Panamá and also in the city of Chicago,” he explains. “It’s a blend of all that, a mix of different experiences that I want to introduce to people sonically.” 

Panamá 77 came out in May via Chicago-based International Anthem, and its12 tracks fit smoothly into the label’s top-shelf catalog of intoxicating hybrid grooves. They fuse experimental psychedelic funk with jazz, rock, and reggae, plus traditional Latin rhythms such as cumbia and son jarocho, the distinctive tones of vintage keyboards (Farfisa, Rhodes piano, Mellotron, Hammond organ), the occasional synthesizer, and more. 

“Panamá 77 states where I am as an artist too, and where I stand at the moment. That’s why I put a title of something close to me, my homeland, my city of Panamá. And ’77 is the year I was born,” says Villarreal. “My main goal is putting good stuff out there and representing my race, my ethnicity, who I am, and keeping true to myself. That’s also important. You can’t lose your identity in whatever you do. Everyone has their own charm and magic.”

Daniel Villarreal, Anteloper, Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer
Fri 7/8, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $20, 17+

Villarreal’s own charm and magic come through in the music he creates, in his DJ sets across Chicago (he sometimes spins as “Brown Baby Jesus”), and in the confident way he carries himself, with a fashion sense that’s always on point. He adorns his fingers with bold statement rings that gleam and flash as he drums, and his retro outfits seem to pay tribute to the cool, carefree styles of the 60s and 70s. As flamboyant as Villarreal can be, though, he’s not full of himself—his approach to life exudes humility. His courteousness, his constant smile, and his laid-back personality make him easy to approach. 

Villarreal dedicates Panamá 77 to his paternal grandmother, Ofelia De León, known affectionately as Abuela Fella, who influenced him and inspired him with her glass-half-full outlook. He grew up with her in the town of Arraiján, just west of Panama City. He remembers his childhood fondly, despite the persistent presence of the military in the streets to suppress protests against the country’s dictator, Manuel Noriega—and despite the trauma of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 that culminated in the capture of Noriega. 

Villarreal laughs as he remembers the nickname he was given as soon as he was old enough to talk: because of his nonstop jibber-jabber, he was called “el polítiquero” (“the politician”). He would approach anyone of any age and start conversations that would go on and on. He was told he had an old soul. 

Villarreal’s parents, who worked and lived in Panama City, would visit him at his grandmother’s home on weekends, and music became a focal point in his life after an especially memorable visit when he was five or six years old: his father, a musician in a touring conjunto, started teaching him to play the organ. Soon he switched instruments and dedicated himself to drumming, and by his teens he was deep in the local punk-rock community—he’d eventually tour with punk bands (No Hay Día, 2 Huevos 1 Camino) across Panama and Costa Rica. 

It was during this time that Villarreal began to expand his musical horizons by taking lessons from acclaimed drummer Freddy Sobers, known for his work with reggaeton and dancehall legends Nando Boom and El General. Sobers taught Villarreal different styles and became his mentor, enlightening him about approaching music with an open mind.

Villarreal took his mentor’s advice, and after he relocated to Woodstock, Illinois, in the early 2000s, he began forming connections with local musicians and continued expanding into genres beyond punk and ska. In 2012, he moved to Chicago and dedicated himself to making his living as a full-time musician. In 2013 he cofounded the band Dos Santos, an experience that introduced him to playing cumbia. Since then he’s helped launch the groups Valebol and the Los Sundowns; he also plays with Mexican folk band Ida y Vuelta and Latin psych-pop artist Rudy De Anda, and he’s performed with Mucca Pazza and Wild Belle. 

When Villarreal hits the road, though, it’s not always to tour: he’s a proud father to two daughters, Estelle and Fania, and he visits them often in their hometown of Ocean Beach, California. Estelle graduated from high school in 2021 and is pursuing a degree in anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, while Fania will start at the University of San Francisco this fall to study psychology and music.

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Chicago-based percussionist Daniel Villarreal says his debut solo album, Panamá 77, is a soundtrack of his life and an introduction to who he is. “It’s about my upbringing and my experiences as a musician and artist in the city of Panamá and also in the city of Chicago,” he explains. “It’s a blend of all that, a mix of different experiences that I want to introduce to people sonically.” 

Panamá 77 came out in May via Chicago-based International Anthem, and its12 tracks fit smoothly into the label’s top-shelf catalog of intoxicating hybrid grooves. They fuse experimental psychedelic funk with jazz, rock, and reggae, plus traditional Latin rhythms such as cumbia and son jarocho, the distinctive tones of vintage keyboards (Farfisa, Rhodes piano, Mellotron, Hammond organ), the occasional synthesizer, and more. 

“Panamá 77 states where I am as an artist too, and where I stand at the moment. That’s why I put a title of something close to me, my homeland, my city of Panamá. And ’77 is the year I was born,” says Villarreal. “My main goal is putting good stuff out there and representing my race, my ethnicity, who I am, and keeping true to myself. That’s also important. You can’t lose your identity in whatever you do. Everyone has their own charm and magic.”

Daniel Villarreal, Anteloper, Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer
Fri 7/8, 8:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $20, 17+

Villarreal’s own charm and magic come through in the music he creates, in his DJ sets across Chicago (he sometimes spins as “Brown Baby Jesus”), and in the confident way he carries himself, with a fashion sense that’s always on point. He adorns his fingers with bold statement rings that gleam and flash as he drums, and his retro outfits seem to pay tribute to the cool, carefree styles of the 60s and 70s. As flamboyant as Villarreal can be, though, he’s not full of himself—his approach to life exudes humility. His courteousness, his constant smile, and his laid-back personality make him easy to approach. 

Villarreal dedicates Panamá 77 to his paternal grandmother, Ofelia De León, known affectionately as Abuela Fella, who influenced him and inspired him with her glass-half-full outlook. He grew up with her in the town of Arraiján, just west of Panama City. He remembers his childhood fondly, despite the persistent presence of the military in the streets to suppress protests against the country’s dictator, Manuel Noriega—and despite the trauma of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 that culminated in the capture of Noriega. 

Villarreal laughs as he remembers the nickname he was given as soon as he was old enough to talk: because of his nonstop jibber-jabber, he was called “el polítiquero” (“the politician”). He would approach anyone of any age and start conversations that would go on and on. He was told he had an old soul. 

Villarreal’s parents, who worked and lived in Panama City, would visit him at his grandmother’s home on weekends, and music became a focal point in his life after an especially memorable visit when he was five or six years old: his father, a musician in a touring conjunto, started teaching him to play the organ. Soon he switched instruments and dedicated himself to drumming, and by his teens he was deep in the local punk-rock community—he’d eventually tour with punk bands (No Hay Día, 2 Huevos 1 Camino) across Panama and Costa Rica. 

It was during this time that Villarreal began to expand his musical horizons by taking lessons from acclaimed drummer Freddy Sobers, known for his work with reggaeton and dancehall legends Nando Boom and El General. Sobers taught Villarreal different styles and became his mentor, enlightening him about approaching music with an open mind.

Villarreal took his mentor’s advice, and after he relocated to Woodstock, Illinois, in the early 2000s, he began forming connections with local musicians and continued expanding into genres beyond punk and ska. In 2012, he moved to Chicago and dedicated himself to making his living as a full-time musician. In 2013 he cofounded the band Dos Santos, an experience that introduced him to playing cumbia. Since then he’s helped launch the groups Valebol and the Los Sundowns; he also plays with Mexican folk band Ida y Vuelta and Latin psych-pop artist Rudy De Anda, and he’s performed with Mucca Pazza and Wild Belle. 

When Villarreal hits the road, though, it’s not always to tour: he’s a proud father to two daughters, Estelle and Fania, and he visits them often in their hometown of Ocean Beach, California. Estelle graduated from high school in 2021 and is pursuing a degree in anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, while Fania will start at the University of San Francisco this fall to study psychology and music.

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