Chicago.com
Last year's Takin' It to the Streets crowd.
The epic lineup for America’s biggest hip-hop festival, Rock the Bells, was announced a few weeks ago, and to the dismay of many Chicago hip-hop fans, the tour isn’t making a stop in the Midwest for the first time in years.
Mos Def
Not to be missed, then, is Chicago’s biggest summer event for aspiring rappers, emcees, producers, and simply hop-hop aficionados: Takin’ It to the Streets – Urban International Festival, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 19. With heavyweights Mos Def, Brother Ali and Tinariwen hitting the stages, among dozens of other performers, the event is the only one of its festival kind in Chicago. It’s not just the music that sets Takin’ it to the Streets apart, however: the festival has a very distinct socio-politcal purpose, with a Muslim concentration setting the stage for social change. Although not all of the performers are Muslim, they all share a common trait of social conscientiousness and spirituality–factors that go unnoticed in the typical street festival.
You can expect four diverse stage offerings at the festival: the Unity Stage, Hip Hop Pavilion, World Music Stage, and Streets Stage. It’s not only music that will be showcased on these stages; rather, everything from yoga to a workshop titled “Healin’ the Hood” will go on throughout the day to encourage social consciousness and change. Outside of the stages, activities will include faith and justice dialogue, an international bazaar, a health and wellness fair, 3-on-3 basketball, a family zone, and a prayer center.
In its tenth year, Takin’ it to the Streets will provide a unique experience for the whole smorgasbord of summer festival-goers: the religious and non-religious, the hip-hop fans and the hip-hop haters, the meditation-minded and the partiers. Just bring an open mind.
For the complete schedule of events and for more information, head to http://www.streets2010.com
As 225,000 festival-goers take over downtown Chicago every August for Lollapalooza, many Chicagoans overlook its smaller, wiser counterpart taking place every July: Pitchfork Music Festival. Maybe it’s because of the less central location in the Near West Side’s Union Park, or maybe because of its lack of blockbuster music names, but every year Pitchfork goes down as Chicago’s “second” music festival. That isn’t to say that it goes completely unnoticed–this year, three-day passes to the festival sold out in under a week–but the 48,000 hipsters who attend the festival will notice many fewer corporate sponsorships, music stages, vendors and attendees… which aren’t such bad things, after all. The best part is that the indie performers often turn up at bigger festivals a year or two after Pitchfork, setting you a step…or year… ahead of the Lollapalooza folks.
If you haven’t heard of what Pitchfork has to offer, never fear– here’s a guide of what you can expect from the forward-thinking music fest in its fifth year.
Friday, July 16
Rock fans, I suggest you head straight to Modest Mouse’s set. The first Friday act to be announced this year was coincidentally my favorite of the entire festival, and the Seattle alt-rockers aren’t ones to disappoint. Not new by any means (their first album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, debuted in 1996), Modest Mouse have remained on the cutting edge of indie music with intricate instrumentation, unconventional vocals, and thought-provoking lyrical work. For those of you who haven’t heard the Modest Mouse sound before, I suggest you tune into my favorite track, “Dramamine,” for a glimpse of what they might have to offer.
Interested in heavy beats and smooth rhymes? Look no further than alternative hip-hop pioneer El-P. Like Modest Mouse, El-P is no newcomer to the scene, releasing his first single at age 17 in 1993. Still, he has remained an entrepreneur in the underground hip-hop game, and is preparing the release of an instrumental album this August. He recently released the first single, “East River Float,” and if it’s at all indicative of his Pitchfork performance, expect multi-layered jazzy, funky, head-nodding, old-school hip-hop.
Electronica is your calling? Check out Robyn, a Swedish electropop singer/songwriter with recent production work from electronic music mavens Royksopp and Diplo. She stated earlier in the year that she’s preparing to release three albums in 2010, so expect plenty of new material and dance-worthy anthems that make Lady Gaga look silly.
Saturday, July 17
Saturday’s line-up is full of progressive acts melding traditional genres into one big indie dance party. Of course there’s the ubiquitous LCD Soundsystem, headed by James Murphy, bringing dance-punk-disco-indie rock to hip stages since 2005. Beyond LCD, however, there’s plenty to boogie down to, likely with a far smaller crowd: check out Panda Bear, a founding member of indie darlings Animal Collective, for experimental neo-psychedelia; Delorean, a Spanish indie pop/dance band, released their most recent album Subiza to widespread acclaim; and Dam-Funk, a California singer, DJ and producer, brings funky electro that’s somehow retro (reminiscent of 80s funk melodies) and futuristic at the same time.
For rock and hip-hop, go for indie rockers with an alternative hip-hop edge WHY?, and undoubtedly head to Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon’s set showcasing the emcee’s rhymes that earned him the title “Best Emcee of 2009″ from major hip-hop website HipHopDX.
Sunday, July 18
Major Lazer
Festival endings are always bittersweet, but Pitchfork made sure to stack the last day with acts ranging from dancehall electro to old-school rock reunions to keep those sad feelings at bay… at least until it shuts down at 10 p.m. Start the day off dreamy and slow with the shoegaze duo Beach House or multi-instrumental singer/songwriter St. Vincent. The schedule heats up later, with a hip-hop set from Outkast rapper Big Boi, an electric dancehall carnival from DJ duo Major Lazer, and the long-awaited reunion of 1990s lo-fi rockers Pavement.
Hope your feet and ears hold up long enough to brave that outlandlishly long line for the El on the way home! Festival organizers are encouraging attendees to travel to and from the festival by bike–saving you both time and carbon impact. Just don’t drink too many PBRs!
For 41 years, Chicago’s annual Pride Parade has taken place, rain or shine, on the last Sunday of June at 12 noon. Having attended the Pride Parade for three years already, I can safely say that the event is unlike any I have ever witnessed in Chicago, or any other city for that matter–hundreds of organizations, performers, and citizens coming together for a common celebration of LGBT pride. What makes it most unique is not the event itself, but the diversity of attendees and participants; although the parade takes place in the ‘Boystown’ gay-friendly area of Lakeview, many of the participants and attendees of the parade do not consider themselves LGBT, but simply come out for the celebration and support.
Hundreds of thousands of people can be expected at the parade, which features 250 registered entries that include floats, decorated vehicles, performance groups, marching bands, and walking groups. This year’s Grand Marshal is singer/songwriter Chely Wright, who can be considered the first American country music artist to come out as publicly LGBT–a landmark for both music and the parade.
Although the parade is considered the cornerstone of Pride events in Chicago, it actually follows dozens of events, attractions and celebrations in Chicago honoring Pride Month. Most notably, two days of the Chicago Pride Fest preclude the parade on June 25 and 26, with live music, food, arts and crafts, and vendors stretching along the same Halsted block where the parade takes place. The $7 suggested donation benefits the Northalsted Business Alliance.
With a full weekend of Pride festivities and entertainment for an affordable price, there’s no excuse to don your best rainbow gear and support the LGBT members of Chicago’s citizens, businesses and organizations–41 years strong.