Sound check: Hey Nonny brings music back to Arlington Heights
Hey Nonny's lineup
Signs are popping up that spring is creeping in to the area, one of which being the relaunch of Arlington Alfresco, the outdoor dining space created in downtown Arlington Heights. Last summer, Hey Nonny took advantage of that situation with a lineup of musicians performing over the dinner hours throughout the week. This year, the bistro and music venue is throwing open the doors with a solid lineup of indoor performances all falling within the recommended COVID-19 safety measures including limited audiences, stage shielding, a more open floor plan and reserved seating to preserve social distancing. Most show nights will also feature early and late sets to further separate fans. The show roster launched last weekend with Michael McDermott and Joanna Connor, and tickets are available for upcoming sets from Arlington Heights native Zach Pietrini Friday, March 19; Jon Langford and Nicholas Tremulis Saturday, March 20; Nick Cox and Adam Heisler (of 7th heaven) Wednesday, March 24; and Ralph Covert's The Bad Examples Thursday and Friday, March 25 and 26.
Hey Nonny is at 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights; get tickets and menu information at heynonny.com.
Lisa Loeb on cam
Grammy-winner Lisa Loeb takes to the livestreaming stage again with a show in conjunction with Chicago's City Winery. The singer-songwriter, who broke into mainstream fame when her single "Stay (I Missed You)" found itself on 1994's "Reality Bites" movie soundtrack, has been flexing her creativity toward acting and writing children's books. But music remains her true passion, and Loeb has been writing and recording regularly. She brings her whole catalog to this weekend's "All-Request Concert."
7 p.m. Saturday, March 20; $20 for livestreaming and on-demand general admission, $99-$199 for meet-and-greet and merch packages at stellartickets.com.
Ravinia's return
Dust off those picnic baskets! This week, Ravinia Festival organizers announced their plans to bring Ravinia back for the 2021 summer season. For safety's sake, all concerts will be held outdoors with reserved and distanced seating in the Pavilion, and limited audience numbers will be allowed on the lawn following safety protocols. "The experience will be a little different than in the past," said Jeff Haydon, Ravinia President and CEO, "but our science-based approach to carefully reopening the park puts safeguards in place so that audiences can again enjoy live performances." We don't know who's coming to play just yet, but Ravinia plans to announce the season schedule, which begins in July, sometime in late April. Watch for further details at ravinia.org.
• Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music junkie. Email him at bshamie@dailyherald.com, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter (@thatshamieguy) or Instagram (@chicagosoundcheck). Brian also keeps tabs on the local music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.