Best bets: Lollapalooza, Lionel Richie, Fan Expo Chicago, Bruce Springsteen and more
Lollapalooza
More than 170 acts - including headliners Billie Eilish, Karol G, Kendrick Lamar, The 1975, Odesza, Tomorrow X Together, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey - flock to Chicago for the annual celebration of music taking over Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St., starting Thursday. Make sure you give some local love to Ax and the Hatchetmen, Sincere Engineer and all the Chicago and suburban bands who made the lineup. Some ticket packages are sold out, but Saturday single-day passes ($135) and some multiday, VIP and Platinum packages, as well as aftershow tickets, are still available at lollapalooza.com; sign up for waitlists or purchase resale tickets on the site. Noon to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 3-6
Bier Rock Fest
Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Lane, Long Grove, rolls out a new event with its Bier Rock Fest, featuring a lineup of specialty and craft beers and music from Let Fate Decide and Esculis on Friday and Timeless Ideals and WHT.RBBT.OBJ on Saturday in its outdoor Bootcamp Biergarten. Free admission; food and drinks available for purchase from the bar and food trucks. buffalocreekbrewing.com. 4-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5
Hello ...
Legendary R&B artist and 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lionel Richie stops at Chicago's United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., with his “Sing A Song All Night Long Tour” along with Earth, Wind & Fire for a night of music that'll have fans dancing ... er, all night long. Tickets are $45-$389 at unitedcenter.com. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5
Happy Birthday, Andy!
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art celebrates what would have been seminal pop artist Andy Warhol's 95th birthday with a disco birthday bash followed by a conversation with former Warhol associate Joseph Freeman. The party/panel is in conjunction with CCMA's “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop | Works from the Bank of America Collection,” which runs through Sept. 10 at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 942-4000 or theccma.org. Disco bash from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6, followed by the Freeman talk at 2 p.m.
Fan Expo: The Return
The comic and fan convention Fan Expo Chicago returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Among the highlights is a “Back to the Future” cast reunion with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson, and a 40th anniversary reunion of “National Lampoon's Vacation” with cast members Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley, Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid and Dana Barron. Other TV, film and comic artists scheduled to appear are Kiefer Sutherland (“Rabbit Hole,” “24,” “The Lost Boys”); Andy Serkis (“The Batman,” “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings”); Henry Winkler (“Barry,” “Arrested Development,” “Happy Days”); Giancarlo Esposito (“The Mandalorian,” “Better Call Saul,” “Breaking Bad”); director/producer/writer Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man,” “A Simple Plan,” “Evil Dead”); Northwestern University grad Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend's Wedding,” “August: Osage County,” “Young Guns”) along with comic pioneer Frank Miller (“Sin City”) and anime voice actors. There also will be a Japanese arcade, gaming booths and cosplay opportunities. Tickets start at $27. fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago. 4-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 11-12; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13
The Boss at Wrigley
Following up a jaunt around Europe, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band make a return to the U.S. for a 31-date tour, kicking things off with two nights of powerful heartland rock at Chicago's Wrigley Field, 1060 W. Addison St. Tickets start at $144 at ticketmaster.com. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, and Friday, Aug. 11
Adults night out
Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, invites adults 21 and older to sip beverages while strolling through the gardens as part of its summer nights series. The evening includes garden and tank park tours, history hikes and a tour of the First Division Museum. $15 for adults, $12 for seniors; one drink ticket and parking included. (630) 668-5161 or cantigny.org. Tours at 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10
Summer jazz
Jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut, a founding father of jazz fusion who has played with Kathleen Battle, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Wynton Marsalis, among others, is joined by Grammy Award-winning drummer Lenny White and bassist Buster Williams for a concert at Lighthouse ArtSpace, 108 W. Germania Place, Chicago, as part of its Live at Lighthouse summer concert series. Tickets start at $65. lighthouseartspace.com/chicago. 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10