Sound check: The Chainsmokers headline Pride in the Park; plus suburban music festivals
Pride in the Park
Superstar acts The Chainsmokers and Alesso headline this weekend's Pride in the Park, a two-day festival of music and stunning visual displays featuring queer and ally artists. The lineup for the fest in Grant Park also includes YouTube breakout Rebecca Black, Daya, Saucy Santana, Chicago native producer J. Worra, Spencer Brown, Joel Corry and many others.
2 p.m. Saturday, June 25, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at Butler Field in Grant Park, 377 E. Monroe St., Chicago. General admission is $50 for Saturday, $45 for Sunday, or $95 for both; GA+ and VIP packages are available. prideparkchi.com.
25 years of Wild Onion
Wild Onion Brewery in Lake Barrington is brewing up something new for its 25th Anniversary celebration with a two-day music festival this weekend. Friday, Barrington High School grad and area favorite Pat McKillen treats fans to a long set of his acoustic music; Saturday, Bourbon Aristocracy brings traditional bluegrass to the stage. Hear the tunes, get a tour of the facilities and sample a special 25-hop brew being unveiled in honor of the event.
5-9 p.m. Friday, June 24, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at Wild Onion Brewery, 22221 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington. $20 per day, $35 for a two-day pass. Get tickets at toasttab.com/the-onion-pub-and-brewery.
Dry City Music Festival
Dry City Brew Works, in conjunction with the Underbelly Hours local music podcast, is throwing a two-day banger to help recoup losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Friday night, Cheryl Rodey, Dave Ramont, Zachary Sonny Edwards and Jone of Art start off the weekend. Saturday, catch Ditchwater, Demi Clara, Tall Doug, Rob Noonan, The Handpan Project, Nikki Neal, Olivia Ports, Westline, Pocket, Big Fans and your hosts, Dan Asio & Adela. Visual artists will be showcasing their pieces, and merch will be on sale at the free event to help raise funds for the cause.
5-9 p.m. Friday, June 24, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at Dry City Brew Works, 120 N. Main St., Wheaton. Free, but donations and purchases are encouraged. For details, visit facebook.com/events/704910284060138.
PravdaFest in Skokie
Chicago indie label Pravda Records celebrates 38 years of Chicago-area music with a two-years-postponed anniversary party at Skokie's Sketchbook Brewing Co. this weekend. The two-night PravdaFest, hosted by James Van Osdol, will highlight current artists and musical reunions from the label's roster; Josh Caterer, Steve Dawson, Hushdrops and Boom Hank take the outdoor stage Friday night, while The Slugs. The Service, Diplomats of Solid Sound and The Handcuffs hit the spotlight Saturday. Sketchbook Brewing will also unveil Pravda38, a new lager brewed up for the event.
7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, at Sketchbook Brewing Co., 3901 Main St., Skokie. $30 per night; $50 for both nights; $75 for a two-night VIP package. eventbrite.com.
Soundboard Sessions
Andrew Moore of Elgin's Watch City presents a new concert series putting area artists up close and personal with fans. This first episode of Soundboard Sessions invites groove-rock band Rotten Mouth and psych-grunge rockers The Waterfall King to record stripped-down, acoustic performances in the intimate speak-easy setting of Vern's Tavern in front of a live audience.
6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at Vern's Tavern, 76 S. Grove St., Elgin. $15 general admission; $35 VIP includes early seating and a preshow cocktail hour with premium open bar and specialty cocktails. eventbrite.com.
Modern English
British rock icons Modern English head to the Raue Center in Crystal Lake on its long-awaited tour (originally scheduled for 2020) to celebrate the band's 1982 album "After the Snow," featuring "I Melt With You," the song that made them breakout stars on the American new wave scene. A playthrough of the album in its entirety will be followed by other favorites from the band's extensive catalog.
8 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $27-$33, $18.90-$23.10 for RaueNOW members. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org.
Evanston goes Indigo
Iconic Grammy-winning folk duo the Indigo Girls - Amy Ray and Emily Saliers - visit Evanston next week with their nearly 40 years of music and camaraderie. Their gold, platinum and double-platinum-selling records have drawn diverse audiences together behind their stirring and heartfelt songs, and their shows are often punctuated with audience singalongs. Singer Lucy Wainwright Roche joins them for this stop on their tour.
8 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. $245. ticketsmarter.com.
Craig Finn solo-ish
Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn visits Evanston's SPACE next week, bringing his newly released fifth solo album with him. The singer and his live band, The Uptown Controllers, will be joined by OTHERPEACE for the Wednesday night appearance.
8 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $25-$35. (847) 492-8860 or evanstonspace.com.
• 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). He also keeps tabs on the Chicago music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.