Sound check: Ember Oceans, Atlas Genius catch Bears spirit

Bears spirit

Kick off (ha-ha ... er, hmmm) football season when Palatine indie-popsters Ember Oceans bring a fun and funky vibe to the 2018 Miller Lite Chicago Bears Block Party along with The Punch, Bifunkal, ESSO, the Senn Alan Band, a DJ set by Emo vs. Pop Punk and national headliner Atlas Genius. The free party in Logan Square will also feature drum line performances, graffiti art, interactive football activities, food, drinks and photo ops. Noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, in Logan Square, along Milwaukee Avenue between Spaulding and Kedzie, Chicago. Free. More info at chicagobears.com.

FOB at Wrigley

The Wilmette-born punk-influenced rockers Fall Out Boy have been out touring in support of this year's release “M A N I A,” but the band returns for a homecoming show at Wrigley Field this weekend. Chicago's own Rise Against and Ohio rapper Machine Gun Kelly join them at the plate. “I grew up going to games with my dad at Wrigley,” says Pete Wentz, bassist for the band. “This stadium contains so much magic from being a kid.” Read our interview with Wentz at dailyherald.com. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Wrigley Field, 1060 W. Addison St., Chicago. $30.50-$90.50. mlb.com.

Hope for the Day

Rising Star Concert Promotions presents the Stop the Insanity Part 4 Anti Bullying/Suicide Awareness Show at RocHaus in West Dundee. The show — featuring Second Season, Invictus, The Arsonist on my Six and When the Sun Sets — will raise funds to benefit Hope for the Day, an outreach and mental health education organization founded here in Chicago. 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at RocHaus, 96 W. Main St., West Dundee. $10-$15. (815) 482-2870 or rochaus.com.

Christmas in September

Too soon for Christmas, you say? 101WKQX might have something to say about that! This week, the radio station announced the lineup for this year's four-night The Nights We Stole Christmas holiday bash at the Aragon Ballroom. Presale tickets are on sale now (general sale starts at 10 a.m. Friday) to see Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Houndmouth and Alice Merton Thursday, Nov. 29; The Smashing Pumpkins, Grandson and Albert Hammond Jr. Friday, Nov. 30; Walk the Moon, CHVRCHES and Flora Cash Saturday, Dec. 1; and Death Cab for Cutie, Elle King and lovelytheband. 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. $42 per night; $69 for Friday. See 101wkqx.com for tickets and further announcements.

Concert highlights

• Texas Hippie Coalition, Blackwater, The Radiomen: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at RocHaus, 96 W. Main St., West Dundee. $20-$25. (815) 482-2870 or rochaus.com.

• Youth & Canvas, Them Dead Poets, Ego Maniacs, Town Meeting: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $9-$10. (773) 549-5549 or elboroomlive.com.

• Car Seat Headrest, Naked Giants: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave., Chicago. $25. (773) 275-6800 or rivieratheatre.com.

• Invictus, Dalton Deschain & The Traveling Show, The Remedies, Bad Jokes, Who Knows?: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Penny Road Pub, 545 Penny Road, Barrington. $12. (847) 428-0562 or pennyroadpub.com.

• Brian Allison & Cheryl Rodey: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at The Rivers Edge Bar & Grill, 12 N. River St., Batavia. (630) 406-9200 or theriversedgebatavia.com.

• Grey Shore Avenue, Shy Technology, Mary Vaughn Band: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 227-7990 or debonairsocialclub.com.

• Riley Green “Outlaws Like Us Tour” with Trea Landon: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Joe's Live, 5441 Park Place, Rosemont. $8-$10. (847) 261-0392 or joesliverosemont.com.

• Billy Joel: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Wrigley Field, 1060 W. Addison St., Chicago. $65-$270. ticketmaster.com.

• Wynonna Judd & the Big Noise: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., Chicago. $75-$88. (312) 733-9463 or citywinery.com.

• Shinyribs, Cordovas: 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $20. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

• Kowloon Bay, Back Alley Riot, Lost Years: 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $7-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

• Erik Donner: 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Rep's Place, 3200 Kirchoff Road, Rolling Meadows. (224) 347-2916 or repsplace.com.

• Counting Crows, Live: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. Tickets start at $19. amphitheatertinleypark.com.

• Grain of Sand, Blacklist Regulars, Marwood's Fall, Doctor Death Crush: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $9-$10. (773) 549-5549 or elboroomlive.com.

• Warm Thoughts (of Touche Amore), Hi Ho, Fredo Disco, Mollow: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $8. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

• Childish Gambino, Rae Sremmurd: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. $79-$129. (800) 745-3000 or unitedcenter.com.

• From the Start, Blumenkohl, Debello: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Tivoli Bowl, 938 Warren Ave., Downers Grove. Free. (630) 969-0660 or tivolibowl.com.

• JC Brooks Band, Phillip-Michael Scales: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., Chicago. $18-$28. (312) 733-9463 or citywinery.com.

• Tony Bennett with Antonia Bennett: 8:30 p.m. (gates at 5 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 8, at Ravinia Festival, 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. $46-$153. (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org.

• Terrapin Flyer: 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $10. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

• Boy Band Review: 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $7. (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com.

• Fairview, Like Language, Pete Ford: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at Fitz's Spare Keys, 119 N. York St., Elmhurst. $10. (630) 379-5007 or fitzssparekeys.com.

• Bronze Radio Return, Elk Walking: 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $17-$20. (847) 492-8860 or evanstonspace.com.

• The Way Down Wanderers, The Mighty Pines: 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., Chicago. $15-$25. (312) 733-9463 or citywinery.com.

• Shades Of Indigo, The Dead Seahorses, The Radiations, Nick Sky: 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, at Burlington Bar, 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. (773) 384-3243 or theburlingtonbar.com.

• Silver Age, The Flips, romancer, The Moose: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $8. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

• 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. 7” Spotify playlist for a sampling of some of the local bands he's written about recently for the Daily Herald.