Carrot Top Records bands showcase at Millennium Park

The announcement today of the summer Downtown Sound series at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavillion brings great news for Carrot Top Records! Speck Mountain kicks off the summer with Sharon Van Etten on June 3rd, and The Handsome Family will be celebrating their new release Wilderness by playing a free show with Azita on July 22nd.

Full Downtown Sound Schedule
Mondays, 6:30pm (headliners first)

May 27: Lee Ranaldo Band, Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

June 3: Sharon Van Etten, Speck Mountain

June 10: An evening with Glen Hansard featuring Lisa Hannigan and members of the Frames

June 17: Daniel Lanois, Brokeback

June 24: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Angela James

July 1: Lee Fields & the Expressions, Theo Huff & the Platinum Band

July 8: Dawes, the Cairo Gang

July 15: Fatoumata Diawara, Alasdair Roberts and friends

July 22: The Handsome Family, Azita

July 29: Dessa, Psalm One

7/1 - 7/5

Shows this week:

7/1 - Codeine @ Lincoln Hall
7/2 - Joan of Arc & Daniel Knox @ Millennium Park (FREE)
7/3 - Windy & Carl @ Lincoln Hall
7/5 - A Winged Victory For The Sullen @ Millennium Park (FREE)

Participate in Chicago's Cultural Planning

Chicago is looking to gather the ideas of Chicagoans for its 2012 cultural plan. Read a bit of history about why they want us to help HERE.

The upcoming meetings start tonight and go through the the beginning of next week:
Wednesday, February 15: 6pm to 8pm @ Columbia College
Stage Two- 618 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor
Thursday, February 16: 6pm-8pm @ Nicholas Senn High School Auditorium
5900 North Glenwood Avenue

Saturday, February 18: 10am-12pm @ DuSable Museum
749 East 56th Place
Tuesday, February 21: 6pm-8pm @ National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 West 19th Street
RSVPs & Maps

Reich Fest @ Millennium Park

Millennium Park Reich Fest with eighth blackbird & Third Coast Percussion from eighth blackbird on Vimeo.

Monday August 22, 2011
@ Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park
6:30pm / FREE

Orchestra Baobab, Chicago, IL 6/28/2008

Finally got a chance to see one of my very favorite bands ever in the whole wide world of favorite bands, and I'd pretty much given up on even having the chance. Thanks to Mayor Daley and the folks doing an excellent job booking the amazing run of free shows we've been having all summer down at Millennium Park. (No! NOT Blues Fest! The acts at the more civilized and infinitely more aesthetically and sonically pleasing Pritzker Pavillion across the street.)

Seeing a show there on a nice summer night is the best showcase I can think of for our amazing city, and it's one of the best reasons to live here that I can imagine.

The music was amazing and the city really put on a show as well.

Click the post title for the rest of my pics of the night.