Chicago simply cannot have enough record shops. It just can’t. Every one that opens is a treasure—including the latest vinyl vault, Signal Records (3156 W. Diversey). From now on, they’ll be open noon-7 PM seven days a week, and today and tomorrow they’re celebrating their grand opening with DJ sets all day. Saturday’s lineup includes Valdez, Lorelei, MTZ, Steve Summers, and Beau Wanzer; and Sunday’s lineup includes Millia, Alissa Reynolds, St. Stephen, N.O.D., and Redhot Khulman. A friend told me it’s one of the best places on the northwest side to find rarer and more affordable dance vinyl. Do you agree? Give me your full report on Twitter! (MC)
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Festivals, music-focused and otherwise, are on tap again this weekend. We mentioned the 44th annual Chicago Jazz Fest a few times this week: go here for recommendations for today and tomorrow (and go here to read Reader contributor Bill Meyer’s preview of William Parker’s headlining set tonight at 7:45 PM at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph). Jazz Fest isn’t the only free bill in town today: consider heading up to Rockwell and Irving Park for the Rockwell Blues & Jazz Street Stroll, featuring a slew of local jazz and blues acts playing for free behind Burning Bush Brewery (4014 N. Rockwell). There’s also plenty of dance music in town, as ARC Music Festival continues today and tomorrow at Union Park (1501 W. Randolph, 2-10 PM). Go to ARC’s website to purchase passes and see scheduled acts; Saturday highlights include Carl Cox, DJ Lady D, and Honey Dijon. Southwest side and south suburban readers looking for a different kind of dance and electronic experience might want to check out North Coast Festival at SeatGeek Stadium (7000 S. Harlem, Bridgeview, today from 2 PM-midnight, Sunday 2-11 PM); single day tickets for Saturday (including a headlining set by Diplo) are sold out, but full festival ticket packages are still available. And if you’re looking for something heavy, check out the last night of Scorched Tundra XII (8:30 PM at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western). Reader contributor Monica Kendrick previews the bands here, and tickets are available through Eventbrite. (SCJ)
If you follow my writing or event recommendations with any regularity, you know I love electronic music, so I’m pretty excited for the Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont) album release show for Lexicon by Lynyn, the solo synth project of Monobody guitarist and Nnamdï producer Conor Mackey. Mackey is a classically trained musician and composer who, as Lynyn, makes music that sounds like it belongs in a time-bending video game about hip-hop and ballet. Reader music writer Leor Galil described Lexicon as “exuding a crazed restlessness without dissolving into entropy.” Lynyn will be joined by Hausu Mountain superstar Fire-Toolz, whose prodigious output realizes meme culture and glitch art as audio, and the melancholy, pop-infused stylings of Warm Human. Tickets are $16 ($14 in advance). The show is open to those 21 and older and kicks off at 9 PM. (MC)
