Chicago.com
If you haven’t headed out to Wicker Park yet this summer, this weekend is the time to come. From Saturday to Sunday, this commercial strip, which under normal conditions is already rather bustling, will attract thousands of attendees to hear great local and national bands. Here are some of the highlights (click on links to view Youtube videos of songs):
The Ponys: Sunday at 7 PM on the Damen Stage
This garage rock band has been a staple in the Chicago indie music scene since their debut album in 2004. After a touring hiatus over the past few years, they inaugurated the Millennium Park New Music Monday series two weeks ago and now are ready to take on the Do Division festival. The audience should expect to hear classics from their older albums, but there might be some new material featured as well. All in all, it should be an extremely energetic show.
The Ponys’ “Turn the Lights Out”
YACHT: Sunday at 8:30 PM on the Damen Stage
YACHT is the pseudonym of Portland-based solo artist Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans which bills itself as a “Band, Belief System, and Business.” This triangle-obsessed band incorporates electronic and rock influences to create their music which has garnered positive reviews from a variety of print and online publications over the past year. A YACHT performance however, goes beyond simple performance of the music by also incorporating “PowerPoint presentations, immersive audio, live audience audits, and shamanistic video environments.” Sounds like an engaging performance to me!
YACHT’s “See A Penny (Pick It Up)”
The Hood Internet: Saturday at 8:30 on the Damen Stage
If you think Modest Mouse and Lil’ Wayne are not at all compatible, think again. The Chicago duo The Hood Internet, formed in 2007, has gained notoriety in Chicago and around the country for their mash-ups of popular hip-hop and indie rock songs. They even have a mixtape mashing up Chicago artists of each genre, featuring Kanye West, Tortoise, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Twista, among others. With numerous gigs behind them, The Hood Internet has perfected its live performance. If you haven’t seen them yet, do not miss this.
Dead Prez’s “Hip Hop” vs. Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks”