Sound check: AWOLNATION, Bush hit town for PIQNIQ

PIQNIQ party

Be on the lookout when 101-WKQX unleashes PIQNIQ Bear and Plainfield's Marina City to kick off the festivities at its PIQNIQ music festival Saturday. The single-day fest features some of the radio station's favorite artists - AWOLNATION, Dashboard Confessional, Bush, The Neighbourhood, Greta Van Fleet, The Front Bottoms, Bishop Briggs and Welshly Arms - on two stages at Tinley Park's Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. Tickets start at $20. 101wkqx.com. Gates open at noon, show at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 30

American Music Festival

Whether your musical tastes lean toward jazz, funk, rock, soul, indie or good old Americana, one of the weekend's best bets is the American Music Festival at FitzGerald's. The annual fest - a collection of national acts and hot talent from Chicago's music scene including the Ike Reilly Assassination, James McMurtry, Eric Lindell, Devil in a Woodpile, Kevin A. Prchal, The Belvederes, Blackfoot Gypsies, Fox Crossing Stringband and many others - has become a destination for music-lovers over the last 37 years, offering more than 60 bands on three stages over four days. See the full lineup and schedule at fitzgeraldsnightclub.com. Single-day tickets and four-day passes are available. FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $40 Friday, $40 Saturday, $50 Sunday and $50 Tuesday; four-day pass costs $140; $10 discount for tickets bought at the door with cash during the first hour of each day. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com. 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 29; 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and July 1; and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 3

Homegrown battles

The Homegrown Arts & Music Festival is heading into its sixth year, and founder Aaron Williams is filling two final slots on the lineup with a two-night Battle of the Bands competition. One winning band from each night will earn a slot at the fest, set for Saturday, July 21, at BaseCamp Pub. Friday's lineup features The Red Moons, The Instinct, Eugeine Grey and The Bad Habits, The Roaches and Loose Cannons. Saturday's lineup presents Tonic Freight Train, Observing With Annie, The Wild and Social Que. Bands will be selected by a panel of guest judges and crowd draw, so be sure to attend to support your favorite local musicians. BaseCamp Pub, 5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle. $6 each night. (331) 777-4712 or aaronwilliamsmusic.com. Doors at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 29-30

Chicago Styles

Harry Styles, the erstwhile frontman of Britpop band One Direction who last year made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan's “Dunkirk,” brings his sold-out world tour to Chicago's United Center. Country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves will join Styles during his Chicago stop. United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. Tickets start at $29.50. (800) 745-3000 or unitedcenter.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, June 30

Are you the neXt2rock?

Calling all rockers! 101WKQX in conjunction with Cumulus Media launches year two of the neXt2rock national competition. The process culminates locally with an Aug. 17 show at Joe's Live Rosemont, where eight local finalists will perform two songs each in hopes of winning a slot at the Oct. 4 national finale in Los Angeles. The winner of the national finals ­- determined by a panel of judges including Korn's Jonathan Davis, Big Machine Label Group founder and CEO Scott Borchetta, songwriter and producer Desmond Child, wrestler and musician Chris Jericho and fashion designer John Varvatos - gets a major label recording contract and some national airtime. The submission process, which began Monday, is open now at 101WKQX.com.

Concert highlights

The Inventors, One Season, Kevin Conroy, Suspicious Fires: 7 p.m. Friday, June 29, at Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 549-5549 or elboroomlive.com.

Bryan Adams: 8 p.m. Friday, June 29, at Ravinia Festival, 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. $38-$95. (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org.

Dave Matthews Band: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30, at Huntington Bank Pavilion, 1300 S. Linn White Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $98. (312) 540-2668 or pavilionnortherlyisland.com.

Kings Rising, The Dead Seahorses, Jetpack Audible, The Bannermen, Church Bassment: 8 p.m. Friday, June 29, at Silvie's Lounge, 1902 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. $10. (773) 871-6239 or silvieslounge.com.

Dead Freddie, Dig Engine, Discoveries of the American Scientific: 8 p.m. Friday, June 29, at Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 227-7990 or debonairsocialclub.com.

Reanimate the Fallen, Wrecked, Two Ton Anvil: 10 p.m. Friday, June 29, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $7-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Nick Moss Band album release: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at S.P.A.C.E., 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $15-$25. (847) 492-8860 or evanstonspace.com.

Fire It Up, When Wealthy Fell, The Max Bet: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at The Outta Space, 6840 32nd St., Berwyn. $5. (773) 972-3307 or theouttaspace.com.

Matt Vrba, Rachele Lynae: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at RocHaus, 98 W. Main St., West Dundee. $10-$15. (815) 893-9768 or rochaus.com.

Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. Tickets start at $29.50. (800) 745-3000 or unitedcenter.com.

The Sane Abandoned, Caroline Lucius: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Silvie's Lounge, 1902 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. $10. (773) 871-6239 or silvieslounge.com.

Six to Midnight, OMFG: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $3. (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com.

Downers Groove, Mountain Brothers: 9 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Ballydoyle, 5157 Main St., Downers Grove. Free. (630) 969-0600 or ballydoylepub.com.

There Goes the Neighborhood acoustic: 9 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Spears, 723 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling. Free. (847) 353-8933 or spearschicago.com.

Twenty Over: 10 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Lamplighter Inn, 60 N. Bothwell St., Palatine. $3. (847) 991-2420 or lamplighters.com.

(SIC), Linkin Experience: 10 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $7-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

The Giving Moon EP release, Mary Vaughn, Burly Gates, Arbor Creek: 7 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $10-$25. (773) 549-5549 or elboroomlive.com.

Ciaran Lavery, Jess Robbins: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at S.P.A.C.E., 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $12-$20. (847) 492-8860 or evanstonspace.com.

Snarky Puppy, Damien Escobar, Jacob Collier: 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 2, at Ravinia Festival, 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. $20-$50. (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org.

Hello Weekend: 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Free. (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com.

Janelle Monae “Dirty Computer Tour”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. $99-$350. (312) 462-6300 or msg.com.

<i> Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music fanboy. You can follow him on Twitter at @thatshamieguy. Listen to Brian's “2018 Chicago Sound Check Vol. 5” Spotify playlist for a sampling of some of the local bands he's written about recently for the Daily Herald.</i>