Things to do with kids in and around ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson August 5, 2021 at 5:53 pm

Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

Laurie Berkner

When: 11 a.m. Aug. 7

Where: Ravinia, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park

What: A pioneer in offering music geared to children and families, the singer will showcase an array of tunes that encourage everyone to get up and dance, including favorites such as “Waiting for the Elevator,” “We Are the Dinosaurs,” “Pig on Her Head” and “Superhero.” At Ravinia, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park. Tickets: $10, $20.

More information: ravinia.org

Chicago World’s Fair of Money

Presented as a gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson to the King of Siam in 1836, this famous set of rare coins will be displayed as part of a $100 million exhibit of early U.S. coins at the 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money.

When: Aug. 10-14

Where: Donald A. Stephens Convention Center, Hall A, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont

What: Early American coins and historic money from around the world are the highlight of the Chicago World’s Fair of Money. Sponsored by the American Numismatic Association, the show features hundreds of dealers specializing in rare coins, paper money and gold and silver. Plus there are educational programs, family activities and free evaluations of old money. Admission: $10, $25 for a three-day pass, ages 12 and under free and free admission for all Aug. 14.

More information: worldsfairofmoney.com

Neighborhood festivals

Celebrating all colors of the rainbow, Halsted Street Market Days offers music on six stages featuring DJs, live music and drag performers plus vendors selling arts, crafts and food. From Aug. 6-8, on Halsted from Belmont to Addison. Admission: $15. Visit northhalsted.com. … The music and craft beer festival Dancing in the Streets returns Aug. 6-8 with local bands, food trucks and more. On Hubbard from Paulina to Wood. Admission: $10. Visit westtownchamber.org. … The Printer’s Row Art Fest features art at all price points from a variety of artists. From Aug. 7-8, on Dearborn from Polk to Harrison. Admission is free. Visit amdurproductions.com. … Taste of Andersonville returns from 5-8 p.m. Aug. 11 from Edgewater to Carmen on Clark Street, where attendees can sample dinner, drink and dessert options. Tickets: $30-$65. For a list of participating restaurants, visit andersonville.org.

Chicago Fireboat Tours

When: Ongoing

Where: DuSable Harbors, 111 N. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Built in 1936, the Fred A. Busse was the largest, diesel-powered fireboat in the world at the time and served the Chicago Fire Department from 1937-1981. The current owners renovated the retired fireboat, which is now in its second season cruising Chicago waterways. Tickets: $35-$40, $19.50 ages 4-12.

More information: fireboattours.com

Merit School of Music

When: To Aug. 28

Where: Various locations

What: In July and August, the music school hosts a family-friendly series of interactive pop-up events throughout Chicago neighborhoods from Pilsen to Lincoln Park. “Pop-ups in the Parks” offers free instrument tunings, demos and performances by students and faculty, “Music at the Markets” features performances and giveaways at outdoor markets and “Musical Storytimes” is filled with stories and activities.

More information: meritmusic.org

Adler Planetarium

When: Ongoing

Where: 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The planetarium has partially reopened with a selection of its award-winning sky shows. On weekends in July and August two shows will play twice daily: “Imagine the Moon” (10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m.) and “Skywatch Live” (11:30 am., 1:15 p.m.). The full museum won’t reopen until March 2022. Tickets: $15.

More information: adlerplanetarium.org

Tempel Lipizzans’ stallions

A Tempel Lippizan stallion performs “Airs Above the Ground.”

When: Ongoing

Where: Tempel Farms, 17000 Wadsworth, Old Mill Creek.

What: The stallions return for a new season of equestrian dressage along with interactive, educational events. Performances feature synchronized movements set to classical music that show off the strength, beauty and intelligence of the Lipizzan horse. Following each event, there are self-guided tours through the stables to meet and pet the equine stars and ask questions of riders and trainers about how the Lipizzans are raised, trained and taught to “dance.” Tickets: $35, $25 for ages 4-14.

More information: tempelfarms.com

‘Par Excellence Redux’

When: “The Front 9” (to Sept. 16) and “The Back Nine” (Oct. 13-Jan. 2)

Where: Tee off at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill, Elmhurst

What: A fun new exhibit features a fully playable 18-hole mini-golf course created by more than 20 artists, designers and architects from Chicago and beyond. The family-friendly course pays homage to the School of the Art Institute’s wildly popular 1988 exhibition “Par Excellence.” Course themes range from social justice to the occult and include a fortune-telling hole that has the power to dramatically change scores as well as a hole that challenges players with an optical illusion. Admission is $5-$10 (online timed reservations); children 4 and under free.

More information: elmhurstartmuseum.org

Chicago Children’s Museum

Where: Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand

When: Ongoing

What: Fun and learning are on the agenda at the popular family gathering spot, offering a wide variety of exhibits aimed at improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. Babies and toddlers can enjoy “Treehouse Trails” and “Kids Town” while “Tinker Lab” and “Dinosaur Expedition” will enthrall older children. Admission: $19.

More information: chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

‘Becoming Jane’

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a recreation of her field research tent, a hologram-like projection of Goodall who shares her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.

Tickets: Admission: $18-$32

More information: fieldmuseum.org

‘Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown’

Detail view of James Mesple’s Sun and Moon Image featured in the “Hello Helios” exhibit in Greektown

When: Through spring 2022

Where: Halsted from Monroe to Van Buren

What: Welcome summer with a new outdoor exhibit celebrating the start of summer with 24 artworks inspired by the sun and related mythologies from Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures.

More information: greektownchicago.org

Kayak for Conservation

When: Ongoing

Where: Kayak Chicago: 1220 W LeMoyne,

What: Get close to nature via the Shedd Aquarium’s popular Kayak for Conservation program, which features a variety of socially distant kayaking experiences on the Chicago River. Participants learn about the river’s environmental history and discover wildlife living in its ecosystem. Sessions are open to all levels of kayakers (including newbies) and are led by Shedd’s wildlife conservation experts. The cost is pay-what-you-can ranging from $20-$100 per participant, with a recommended $40, the base cost of the program.

More information: sheddaquarium.org/kayak

‘Take Flight’

When: Permanent

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.

More information: msichicago.org

Things to do with kids in and around ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson August 5, 2021 at 5:53 pm Read More »

Al Michaels to appear during White Sox-Cubs game Sunday night on ABCJeff Agreston August 5, 2021 at 6:40 pm

Before the White Sox play in a cornfield on Fox, they’ll play at Wrigley Field on ABC.

For the first time in the 32-year history of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” the broadcast will air exclusively on ABC when the Sox visit the Cubs this weekend. The “SNB” crew of play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian, analyst Alex Rodriguez and reporter Buster Olney will call the game from the ballpark donning classic ABC Sports patches. (Sadly, no yellow jackets.)

ESPN had been looking to put “SNB” on broadcast TV for a while, but ABC had been locked into programming on Sunday nights. A window opened this weekend, and ESPN chose Sox-Cubs. The network made the selection almost a month before the Cubs’ sell-off at the trade deadline.

To commemorate ABC’s first regular-season MLB game since 1995 (the network aired wild-card series games last year), the broadcast will include flashbacks to memorable baseball moments on ABC and tributes to announcers who called them. Al Michaels, the 2021 Ford C. Frick Award winner and former MLB on ABC voice, will join the broadcast via FaceTime in the fourth or fifth inning.

It feels as though what’s old is new again as ESPN puts games on broadcast TV despite the trend toward streaming. The network will simulcast its NFL Week 1 “Monday Night Football” game on ABC, as well as its Week 18 Saturday doubleheader. Parent company Disney is aiming to take advantage of all its platforms by putting some games on ABC, and it will look to add more “SNB” broadcasts next season.

Al Michaels to appear during White Sox-Cubs game Sunday night on ABCJeff Agreston August 5, 2021 at 6:40 pm Read More »

Chicago’s Cops Have Gone TIMID/ A WOKE ALDERMAN SAYS SO/ Well something HAS Gone wrongon August 5, 2021 at 6:30 pm

JUST SAYIN

Chicago’s Cops Have Gone TIMID/ A WOKE ALDERMAN SAYS SO/ Well something HAS Gone wrong

Chicago’s Cops Have Gone TIMID/ A WOKE ALDERMAN SAYS SO/ Well something HAS Gone wrongon August 5, 2021 at 6:30 pm Read More »

Hall & Oates primed for resuming their national tour, including Tinley Park stopMark Kennedy | AP Entertainment Writeron August 5, 2021 at 5:02 pm

NEW YORK — John Oates of Hall & Oates, the multi-platinum soul-pop duo behind hits like ?Private Eyes,” ?Rich Girl” and “Maneater,” is eager to return to concert stages again and prepared for an extra loud reaction when he does.

“I think there’s definitely going to be an energy there that is very unique. No one’s ever experienced a time like this in our modern world,” he says. “Quite honestly, this is the longest I have not played live in my entire professional career.”

Hall & Oates had planned to tour in 2020 but only managed one stop at Madison Square Garden in late February before COVID-19 restrictions led to the nation’s concert venues being shuttered. The tour arrives Aug. 26 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, a rescheduled date from July 18, 2020.

“We really had a cool show planned. And so because we had invested time and energy into that show, we kind of just put it in mothballs, basically. And now we’re bringing it back up because no one’s really seen it,” said Oates.

The new tour kicks off Thursday in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and hits such cities as Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Denver, Los Angeles and Honolulu, before ending with a two-night stand Dec. 3-4 in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Squeeze and KT Tunstall will join the duo on certain concerts.

The tour kicks off just as the delta variant of the virus is spreading rapidly and Oates says he and the band will take it day-by-day. “Every day is going to be a new day,” he says. “You know, we don’t know what the world’s going to deliver to us in the next month. We’ll roll with it and take what we can get.”

Since the early ’70s, Oates and Daryl Hall’s brand of Philadelphia-born “blue-eyed soul” has scored six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Kiss on My List” and ?I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).” They also achieved six platinum albums and many more Top 10 singles like “Sara Smile” and ?She’s Gone.”

Fans can expect all the hits played live. Hall & Oates are not the kind of group that shrugs off their past work or distances themselves from commercial winners. They know what fills the venues.

“We have this incredibly good problem of having so many hits,” Oates says. “We love those songs. Believe me, it’s not a chore to play those songs because they are really great. And obviously they speak for themselves because they stood the test of time.”

He says he looks out at the audience at shows and sees more than grown-ups who grooved to his music decades ago. He sees teenagers and pre-teens, thirtysomethings and fortysomethings — people “straight across the board” — who come for the music.

“They’re well-crafted pop songs. They seem to have a connection that is not tied to a period of time. You know, they don’t sound old and nostalgic,” he says. “They seem to evoke the same response in young kids today as they did when they were new back in the ’70s and ’80s.”

And he jokes there’s one of their tunes that perfectly fits today’s COVID-19 mood. “We’ve got a song called ‘Out of Touch’ which I guess is totally appropriate.”

Hall & Oates primed for resuming their national tour, including Tinley Park stopMark Kennedy | AP Entertainment Writeron August 5, 2021 at 5:02 pm Read More »

French’s offering limited-edition mustard buns for National Mustard DayUSA TODAY Networkon August 5, 2021 at 5:27 pm

Variety is the spice of life, right?

French’s is hoping adding a little spice in celebration of National Mustard Day on Aug. 7 will be just the thing you need to pep up your summer.

In partnership with New England-based Piantedosi Baking Company, French’s is rolling out limited edition mustard buns, with the Classic Yellow Mustard baked right in.

The result? A golden yellow yeasty creation that the company says is perfect for a hot dog topped with extra mustard — or even grilled cheese or French toast. More on that in a second.

In years past, the company has released mustard ice cream and mustard beer to celebrate National Mustard Day.

“For over 115 years, French’s has delivered bold, all-American flavor to customers nationwide,” said Jill Pratt, chief marketing excellence officer for McCormick, French’s parent company.

“Year after year, we look forward to raising the French’s flag in celebration of National Mustard Day, by introducing exciting new ways to enjoy the bright, tangy taste of mustard.”

What do French’s mustard buns taste like?

So how do the mustard buns taste?

Surprisingly good.

Mustard seems a natural flavor to fold into the soft, chewy rolls. The yellow color takes a little getting used to, but the smell is heavenly (assuming you’re a mustard fan). Fresh-baked bread, with an aroma of mustard that is clear but not overpowering, invites you to dive in.

I tried the roll plain to get the full bread-y experience.

As promised, the tang of French’s mustard rang through, adding a slight bite to a flavor that was, still, largely bread. Careful not to overwhelm the palate, the flavors melded nicely. If anything, I’d prefer even a little more mustard taste.

How to try French’s mustard buns, including at-home recipes

You’ll need a little bit of luck to try French’s newest creation, with its release limited to landmarks and baseball stadiums in select cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore and Boston. In Chicago, you can sample the buns starting at noon on Aug. 7 (while supplies last) at The Lodge Tavern, 21 W. Division Street.

If you aren’t able to snag the French’s mustard buns , the company released two recipes to make your own treats at home — French’s Mustard Challah Bread and French’s Mustard Beer Bread, which they suggest may be perfect for French toast, grilled cheese, sandwiches and more.

You can find the recipes at Frenchs.com/MustardBuns.

If you get to try mustard buns or try your hand at a home-baked version, French’s encourages you to tag @Frenchs on social media, with the hashtag #MustardBuns.

French’s offering limited-edition mustard buns for National Mustard DayUSA TODAY Networkon August 5, 2021 at 5:27 pm Read More »

Chicago police officer charged with battery, official misconduct in on-duty Red Line shootingMatthew Hendricksonon August 5, 2021 at 5:35 pm

A Chicago police officer was released on her own recognizance Thursday for shooting and wounding a man while on-duty at the CTA Red Line’s Grand station.

Officer Melvina Bogard, 32, is facing aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct for the Feb. 28, 2020 shooting.

In her order, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz said she neither found Bogard to be a danger to the community, nor at risk of not showing up for her court hearings.

The state’s attorneys office, which announced the charges against Bogard Thursday, has not filed charges against Officer Bernard Butler, who was with Bogard at the time of the shooting and was recorded by a bystander yelling “shoot him” before Bogard opened fire.

Shortly after 4 p.m. that day, Bogard and Butler tried to arrest 34-year-old Ariel Roman after he was seen walking between cars on a northbound Red Line train.

The officers followed Roman when he got off the train and tried taking Roman into custody at the bottom of a set of stairs leading up to the station’s main concourse.

Roman struggled with Butler and was eventually able to stand up. Video footage showed two deployed stun guns on the station’s floor.

As Roman ran up the stairs, Butler repeatedly yelled for Bogard to fire, the video shows. Bogard shot once at Roman when he was a few feet away from her and then again when he neared the top of the stairs.

Roman was shot in the hip and buttocks, according to his attorneys Andrew M. Stroth and Greg Kulis, who filed a lawsuit against the city and both officers.

“Based on his injuries, his life will never be the same,” Stroth and Kulis said in a statement Thursday.

“The State’s Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI conducted a comprehensive investigation and today’s charges are consistent with the unjustified actions of these officers. Ariel Roman was unarmed, did not present a threat and was shot as he ran away,” the statement also said.

Roman was taken into custody after the shooting and faced resisting arrest and narcotics charges, which were later dropped by the state’s attorney’s office.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability submitted findings from its investigation to Supt. David Brown in October. The Chicago Police Department later moved to fire both officers.

Federal authorities also have opened a criminal investigation into the high-profile police shooting.

“The case is currently pending before the Chicago Police Board,” police spokesman Tom Ahern said in a statement. “The officer was relieved of police powers in March 2020.”

Bogard is expected back in court on Aug. 18.

Chicago police officer charged with battery, official misconduct in on-duty Red Line shootingMatthew Hendricksonon August 5, 2021 at 5:35 pm Read More »

It wasn’t ‘Give me liberty AND give me death!’Neil Steinbergon August 5, 2021 at 5:45 pm

No, I did not wear a mask when I stepped into the Goodman Theatre lobby Monday evening. Yes, I had read the explicit instructions in their email earlier that day.

“Remember that face coverings are required for all patrons attending the performance, regardless of vaccination status. We will provide a mask if someone in your party is in need.”

Why? The usual selfishness that greases our slide through life. I got my vaccination in April. So I’m OK. Besides, you never know how strict such instructions are. An actual, bar-you-at-the-door requirement, like the Lyric Opera’s iron rule that if you arrive 10 seconds past curtain you have to stand there like an idiot, watching a monitor? Or mere cover-your-butt legalese winked at by those in the know?

I grasped it was the former when a polite young man intercepted me three steps through the door, offering a basket of paper masks. I apologized, fumbling for the familiar lump in my pocket. I had brought my own, just in case.

Why not? I shovel the sidewalk in front of my house, use my turn signal, all the usual concessions to being part of a community. I can do a mask, too. Though I am human, and don’t like being inconvenienced. Sitting in the theater beforehand, it occurred to me that once the play started, I could slip my mask down in the darkness and nobody would be the wiser.

“All patrons must wear a mask before, during and after the performance,” a voice announced. Twice.

Darn, I thought.

I didn’t fear that if I slipped the mask under my nose, someone would hit me with a handheld spotlight, the way Blue Man Group shamed patrons slipping into the theater after the show began while a voice boomed “Late! LATE! LAAAAAAATE!!!”)

In this Dec. 22, 2020 file photo, signs advising facial covering requirements are shown as travelers stand in line at a Delta Air Lines desk at San Francisco International Airport. — Travelers stand in line at a Delta Air Lines desk at San Francisco International Airport in December.

But I can take instruction. The theater is full of conventions. You must have a ticket and — this one I learned the hard way at Chicago Shakespeare — the date on the ticket must correspond with that day’s date. Joining the action onstage is generally frowned upon, as is turning to your neighbor and loudly commenting upon the performance (unless you are sitting behind me at the aforementioned Lyric. Then, heck, you can whip out a concertina and start playing “Lady of Spain” and it’s OK, apparently).

At the Goodman, as soon as “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play” began, I completely forgot I was wearing a mask, lost in the laugh-out-loud funny doings at the Aburi Girls’ Secondary School.

As to why masks are such a huge honking deal in the old Confederacy, remember, these are the same people who felt the need to break away from the United States if staying meant they couldn’t keep slaves. They have odd notions of freedom. There is something in psychology called “compensation” where deficiency in one area prompts overemphasis in another. So if you, say, surrender all critical thought, sheeplike, to a jabbering fraud, you might turn around assert your independence by refusing to wear a strip of cotton over your face. Even if it means your kids could die.

They’re used to this. Sandy Hook didn’t prompt passage of even one common-sense gun ordinance to discourage such carnage. So don’t expect jammed ICUs and schools swept by COVID-19 to inspire many diehard anti-maskers to consider changing their minds. Following orders? That’s Communism!

A packed meeting of the Duval County School Board in Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 3, 2020. — A packed meeting of the Duval County School Board in Jacksonville, Fla., earlier this week. Over 40 people signed up to address the board at Tuesday’s meeting about mandatory masking of teachers and students. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has forbidden mandating masks in Florida’s public schools despite CDC recommendations to wear masks due to the recent surge of COVID-19 infections, which are particularly high in Northeast Florida.

Not to be mean. If there is an upside to this, it is a creeping sympathy. Supposedly we are so divided against one another. But seeing the ignorant, self-immolating pushback against masks, any scorn I once had has melted into genuine pity. Those stories of deathbed conversations. “I had no idea I could get sick; why didn’t somebody tell me?!”

Some people are just so stupid. And selfish. I would be ashamed to stand up in a public meeting and claim my liberty is being infringed because I have to mow my lawn. Others, obviously, not so much. I don’t hate them. I can’t. Not when this punishment, almost Biblical in scale, is bearing down, marching from home to home.

“Here neighbor,” I say, “smear this lamb’s blood over your doorway and the Angel of Death will pass your household by.”

“No, not me. Do you know how hard it is to get lamb’s blood off stucco?”

“Ah, well, OK. Suit yourself.”

It wasn’t ‘Give me liberty AND give me death!’Neil Steinbergon August 5, 2021 at 5:45 pm Read More »

Things to do in Chicago for music fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson August 5, 2021 at 5:47 pm

Welcome to our highlights for concerts, festivals and live music in Chicago. From free shows at Millennium Park to large festivals like Ravinia and Lollapalooza, and intimate shows at small local venues, our guide has all the latest music entertainment. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on concerts and events.

Yue Bao

What: Conductor Yue Bao makes her Ravinia debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at 5 p.m. Aug. 8. Her selections for the program include Chen Yi’s “Duo Ye” No. 1 for chamber orchestra, Mozart’s “Sinfonia concertante” for violin and viola featuring Stella Chen and Matthew Lipman and Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 4 (“Mozartiana”).

When: 5 p.m. Aug. 8

Where: At Ravinia, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park.

Tickets: $10-$115. Visit ravinia.org

LatiNxt Music Festival

Sotomayor -- featuring siblings Paulina and Raul Sotomayor -- is among the lineup for the LatiNxt Music Fest. — Sotomayor — featuring siblings Paulina and Raul Sotomayor — is among the lineup for the LatiNxt Music Fest.

What; The LatiNxt Music Festival features artists from the Latin American diaspora as well as Chicago’s burgeoning Latinx music scene. Among the performers are hip-hop duo Los Rakas, Afro-Dominican fusion group Yasser Tejeda & Palotre, singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia and the Latin rhythms/electronic beats of Sotomayor featuring siblings Paulina and Raul Sotomayor.

When: From at 5:30-11:30 p.m. Aug. 6 and 2-11:30 p.m. Aug. 7

Where: Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand.

Tickets: Admission is free. Visit navypier.org.

Canal Shores — ‘Out of Space’

Patti Smith and Her Band perform on day three of Riot Fest in Douglas Park, Sunday evening, Sept. 15, 2019. — Patti Smith and Her Band perform on day three of Riot Fest in Douglas Park in 2019.

What: This August version of Out of Space features its continuing great roundup of artists. Two of the concerts Emmylou Harris and Los Lobos (Aug. 5) and Caamp with Madi Diaz (Aug. 8) are sold out. Tickets remain for Patti Smith and Her Band with Gregory Alan Isakov (7 p.m. Aug. 6, $50-$125) and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals plus Jake Etheridge (7 p.m. Aug. 7, $45-$115).

Where: The concerts take place under the stars at Canal Shores, 1030 Central, Evanston. Visit evanstonspace.com.

Bette Smith

What: Sassy rock and soul dynamo Bette Smith tours behind her recent album “The Good, The Bad and the Bette.” The Brooklyn-based singer has been hailed by American Songwriter as “swaggering proof that there is nothing dated about soulful rock and roll sung with attitude, defiance and a take-no-prisoners aesthetic.”

When: 8 p.m. at Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston.

Tickets: $12, $20; visit evanstonspace.com.

Lindsey Stirling

What: Platinum-selling artist Lindsey Stirling, known for her futuristic violin-driven electronic music and unique live show; her music incorporates elements of classical music, hip-hop, pop and dubstep. Also on the bill: electro-pop artist Kiesza.

When: 7 p.m. Aug. 10

Where: Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island.

Tickets: $23+

Visit pavilionnortherlyisland.com.

Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret

What: Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret reopens with Joan Curto’s “Back in Business” (8 p.m. Aug. 5-8, $30), featuring vocalist Curto with Beckie Menzie (piano), Jim Cox (bass) and Tim Davis (percussion). Other performers in the Cabaret include Cathy Glickman and Anna Palermo with “Judy and Liza, Don’t Tell Mama” (8 p.m. Aug. 14, 7 p.m. Aug. 15, $25) a tribute to Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli; singer-songwriter Kelly Tansor (8 p.m. Aug. 19, $10) performing songs by Billy Joel, Regina Spektor, Olivia Rodrigo and more; and David Edelfelt with “Broadway Baritones: The Men, the Music, the Magic” (8 p.m. Aug. 20-22, $25). Cabaret shows require advance tickets and a two drink minimum for each show. The Piano Bar has a variety of performances each week that do not require advance tickets. Masks optional for the vaccinated; the non-vaccinated must wear a mask.

Where: 1383 N. Milwaukee. Visit davenportspianobar.com.

House City Series

What: The Departments of Cultural Affairs and Special Event’s tribute to house music continues with House City, a new series of free events popping up throughout the summer in the neighborhoods that helped create the house music genre over 35 years ago.

When/Where: vent dates and communities are July 23 in South Shore, July 31 on the Southeast Side, Aug. 14 in Humboldt Park, Aug. 28 in Englewood, Aug. 29 in Lakeview, Sept. 12 in South Shore and Sept.19 in Bronzeville. DJs playing include Traxman, Lori Branch, Deeon, Elbert Philips, Duane Powell and more.

Info: For locations and times, visit chicagohousemusicfestival.us

Chris Foreman at the Green Mill

What: The Green Mill has reopened and that means the return of Chris Foreman, a Friday night fixture at the popular jazz club. Foreman, a jazz organist blind since birth, is a master on the Hammond B3 and regarded as Chicago’s best. His playing is a blend of blues-gospel and jazz honed in his professional experience, which has included work with Hank Crawford, Albert Collins, Bernard Purdie, The Deep Blue Organ Trio and The Mighty Blue Kings.

When: 5-7:30 p.m. Fridays

Where: The Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway

Cost: No cover charge

Visit greenmilljazz.com

Ravinia Festival

What: The Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the country, returns with reduced capacity. As usual, the lineup is a varied slate of music from classical to pop, jazz and rock. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns for a six-week run with conductor Marin Alsop leading seven concerts in her first season as Ravinia’s chief conductor. Also on the roster are: Garrick Ohlsson, Cynthia Erivo, Counting Crows, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band, The Roots, John Legend, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.

When: July 1-Sept. 26

Where: Highland Park

Tickets: prices vary

Visit: ravinia.org.

Grant Park Music Festival

What: The Grant Park Music Festival is fully open for capacity audiences in the seated area and the lawn.

When: July 2-Aug. 21

Where: Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Michigan and Randolph.

Admission: free

Visit: gpmf.org

Chicago Philharmonic

What: Chicago Philharmonic returns with a three-concert outdoor chamber series at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts parking lot, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. The opening performance at 7 p.m. June 27 is “Chicago Phil Brass: Brass with Sass” and features Edward Elgar’s “Chanson du Matin,” Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion,” Fats Waller’s “That’s a Plenty,” Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and more. There’s also a free streaming concert “Redemption” (June 29-Aug. 27), which features spirituals and gospel songs conducted by Adrian Dunn.

When: Subsequent concerts are July 25 and Aug. 5.

Tickets: $36-$42

Visit: chicagophilharmonic.org

Summer Nights with Northlight

What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).

When: Performances times are 6 p.m.

Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.

Tuesdays on the Terrace

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays June 1-Aug. 31

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden, 220 E. Chicago

What: Tuesdays on the Terrace returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden. The popular jazz concert series features an array of Chicago jazz musiciansFirst up on June 1 is Alexis Lombre’s Ancestral Awakenings. Free with advance reservations. Visit mcachicago.org.

Things to do in Chicago for music fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson August 5, 2021 at 5:47 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Louis Riddick has a shocking Justin Fields takeAnish Puligillaon August 5, 2021 at 5:44 pm

On “Get Up!” this morning with Mike Greenberg, Louis Riddick was asked to predict whether or not rookie Chicago Bears‘ quarterback Justin Fields will start less than or more than 10 games this upcoming season.

Normally, these predictions are meaningless but Louis Riddick is one of few in the national media that is very plugged into the Chicago Bears’ organization.

This is an extremely significant prediction because of how connected Louis Riddick is in Chicago. In fact, his connections to the organization made him a strong contender for the general manager position last offseason had ownership decided to clean house.

Before his appearance on “Get Up”, Riddick tweeted this out over the weekend:

Not going to say how crazy good some of things I have been told about Justin Fields the professional have been thus far. Don’t want to hear the “it’s only training camp” brigade puff up their chest and scream at the top of their lungs. BUT…it has been THAT good. Just sayin. ????

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) August 2, 2021

Chicago Bears fans should be excited knowing that Louis Riddick loves Justin Fields.

Now, three days later, on national TV, Riddick is predicting that Justin Fields will start more than 10 games this season. Anyone who follows the Bears would also agree with the sentiments that Riddick has expressed about Fields. In four years with Trubisky, we heard a fraction of the positive feedback that we have heard about Justin Fields in just his first training camp.

The stories about Fields have been mesmerizing, to say the least, especially for a fan base comprised of fans – none of whom – have ever experienced this type of stability and promise at the quarterback position. Fields is always there working even when he doesn’t need to be.

Matt Nagy also believes that Fields has been amazing with the homework they have given him. He said Justin has already mastered calling the plays and has been so prepared that he’s been correcting players who are out of position in practice. All of this development in the span of rookie camp, minicamp, and OTAs has to be what people in Chicago (aka Matt Nagy) have raved about to Louis Riddick.

Louis Riddick would not have said what he said or predicted that Fields will start 10-plus games without having an idea about what Nagy is thinking. Andy Dalton himself is having a good camp too but Riddick completely bypassed that because he knows just how highly the coaching staff and organization thinks of Justin Fields.

All in all, there is a lot of reason to be optimistic in The Windy City. Of all the analysts who make their predictions about Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears, no one’s opinion matters as much as Louis Riddick’s. It’s telling that he believes Fields will start more than 10 games this season and makes the Bears’ QB situation even more interesting to watch as the preseason gets underway next weekend.