Sound check: Pitchfork, Warped and a party for Special Olympics

Pitchfork time

Pitchfork Media's annual summer celebration of rock, indie, hip-hop and electronica rolls into town, bringing the likes of Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, Fleet Foxes, Blood Orange, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan and more to Chicago's Union Park. Don't forget to give some love to hometown talent - Melkbelly, The Curls, Noname, Saba, Ravyn Lenae and more. Gates open at noon Friday through Sunday, July 20-22, at Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., Chicago. $75 for single-day general admission passes; three-day passes for $175; Pitchfork-Plus pass for $375. pitchforkmusicfestival.com.

Warped's last stand

Traditionally a musical haven for punky youthful rebellion, the Vans Warped tour is calling it quits after this year - at least the touring part of the festival. The lineups have skewed a little heavier the last couple years, but this year it's back to embracing its roots with 3OH!3, Simple Plan, State Champs, The Maine, Bowling for Soup, Beartooth, Senses Fail and more. And don't miss Chicago-area bands Mest, Sleep On It, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends and Harm's Way. Gates open at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 21, at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. $45-$55. vanswarpedtour.com.

Chance, Usher fete Special Olympics

Chicago's Chance the Rapper joins Usher, Francis & The Lights, Daya, Smokey Robinson, Jason Mraz and O.A.R. for a concert marking the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics this weekend. The show, at the Huntington Bank Pavilion, is a celebration of the spirit of inclusion and unity the Special Olympics have fostered over the last five decades. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S. Linn White Drive, Chicago. Tickets are sold out, but are available through third-party sources online. pavilionnortherlyisland.com.

Heroes of Rebellion!

Cairo Ale House hosts Heroes of the Rebellion, with performances by Chicago-area artists Goose Wayne, Welcome to Jonestown, The Beta Waves, LC/50 and OUTDrejas. Come check out some of the area's hottest new house and hardest-rocking punk bands. 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Cairo Ale House, 2009 Franciscan Way, West Chicago. $8-$10. (630) 876-9600 or cairoalehouse.

neXt2rock voting open

The bands have submitted their songs to Cumulus Media's neXt2rock contest, so now it's up to you, the fans, to vote on them. The highest-rated bands will have a better chance at one of eight slots performing for judges at Chicago's local finals in August. Voting runs through Sunday, July 29, at 101wkqx.com.

Concert highlights

Lower Automation (EP release), The Land Before Tim, Terrior, 13 Minutes to Mannheim: 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Subterranean Downstairs, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $8. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

Wayland, Perry Hutchins, 45 to Argos: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, at RocHaus, 98 W. Main St., West Dundee. $15-$20. (815) 893-9768 or rochaus.com.

Twenty Over: 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Danny's on Douglas, 231 Douglas Ave., Elgin. (847) 742-5400 or dannyspizzaelgin.com.

Remember Jones, Bassel & the Supernaturals: 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Reggies Rock Club, 2109 S. State St., Chicago. $15-$20; $30 for VIP. (312) 949-0120 or reggieslive.com.

DJ noDJ vs Disclosure, My Boy Elroy: 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $12-$15. (773) 404-9494 or martyrslive.com.

Goodie Mob: 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago. $30-$150. parkwestchicago.com.

Mary J. Blige: 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Ravinia Festival, 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. $55-$99. (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org.

Metalachi, The Polkaholics, Green Jelly, Villainois Grinn: 9 p.m. Friday, July 20, at BrauerHouse Live, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $20-$25. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Craig Gerdes: 9 p.m. Friday, July 20, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $7-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Homegrown Arts & Music Festival: 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at BaseCamp Pub, 5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle. $15 online; $20 at the door. (773) 988-6324 or homegrownartsandmusicfestival.com.

Pidgin album release show: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Free. (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com.

Pet Symmetry, Baggage, Reaganomics, The Cell Phones: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave., Chicago. $15-$18. (773) 537-4440 or chopshopchi.com.

Myspace Emo Prom with Taking Back Emo: 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $5-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

8-Track, Otherwise Civilized: 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $3. (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com.

Melkbelly, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya: 10 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $12. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

Third annual Summer Breakout featuring Aunt Kelly, Boats, Everglaze, Left in the Rain, Love Lay Silent, The Angel Colón Band, GoodLuckLucy, Stolen Goods and New Age Americans: 3 p.m. Sunday, July 22, at Reggies Rock Club, 2109 S. State St., Chicago. $10-$15. (312) 949-0120 or reggieslive.com.

3 Doors Down and Collective Soul's “Rock & Roll Express Tour” with Soul Asylum: 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Huntington Bank Pavilion, 1300 S. Linn White Drive, Chicago. $16-$32. (800) 854-2196 or pavilionnortherlyisland.com.

Dionne Warwick: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Rotary Green and Village Green, 150 Lions Drive, Elk Grove Village. Free. elkgrove.org.

Adelitas Way, Dead Girls Academy, Zero Theorem, Small Town Titans: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at RocHaus, 98 W. Main St., West Dundee. $20-$25. (815) 893-9768 or rochaus.com.

Paper Hero, Farseer, Oni and Rising Deity: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $7. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

Coheed and Cambria & Taking Back Sunday: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at Huntington Bank Pavilion, 1300 S. Linn White Drive, Chicago. $19-$54. (800) 854-2196 or pavilionnortherlyisland.com.

Niall Horan's “Flicker World Tour” with Maren Morris: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. $18.75-$138. (800) 745-3000 or livenation.com.

Knox Hamilton and Brother Sundance “The Beach Boy Tour”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $12. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

The Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $39-$69. (630) 962-7000 or arcadalive.com.

The Trolls, Problem People, Romancoke: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave., Chicago. $6-$8. (773) 537-4440 or chopshopchi.com.

Traffick Free Benefit Show featuring Jesse W. Johnson, Mutts, Impulsive Hearts, DJ Mykol: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago. $10-$12. (773) 276-3600 or emptybottle.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. 6” Spotify playlist for a sampling of some of the local bands he's written about recently for the Daily Herald.</i>