Chicago is one of the best cities in the world for outdoor summer concerts. Both Ravinia and Jay Pritzker Pavilion are great venues at which to catch some live music during the summer. Here are some events we’ve caught so far this summer!
John Prine
Tree of Forgiveness Tour
Ravinia Festival & Outdoor Concert
An outdoor venue that is surprisingly intimate, in the northern suburb of Highland Park, Ravinia hosts its infamous concert series annually in the summer. John Prine made a stop to Ravinia on his Tree of Forgiveness world tour in June, along with supporting artist Tyler Childers who opened the evening. Our Assistant Engineer and Music Supervisor, Annabelle Howell went to catch the show:
“It was my first time seeing Prine and he created a great set list with songs from his early albums, including the opener “Six O’Clock News”, to some tracks from his latest album Tree of Forgiveness.
Prine is a great storyteller as a songwriter and also knows how to connect with his audience; there were so many anecdotes throughout the evening, including recollections of his time living and working in Chicago. His story of inspiration for the song and title “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967” was great!
The atmosphere at Ravinia when the sun sets and candles on picnic tables are all lit is great. Prine’s performances of “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” and “All the Best” are really memorable moments from that evening for me. Another being an appearance from Dave and Fiona Prine who, along with Tyler Childers, joined John onstage for a rendition of “Paradise” near the end of the evening.”
Orchestral Interpretations of J Dilla
Directed by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Millennium Park Summer Music Series & Outdoor Concert
Millennium Park’s free summer music series offers the chance for everyone to experience great music in the heart of Chicago.
In July, Annabelle and our Associate Producer, Lily Shallow, made their way to Millennium Park to see Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and his 13-piece orchestra. They performed his arrangements of work by renowned producer J Dilla, also featuring arrangements of unreleased tracks.
Having previously arranged and performed his “Suite For Ma Dukes”, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson is no stranger to J Dilla’s work. His passion for this project and admiration for the late producer are clearly evident, both in his careful curation of the set list, and in his description of his journey in arranging these pieces.
The vibe at these outdoor concerts at Pritzker is perfect. It offers a combination of a summer festival atmosphere, but with the intimacy of an indoor venue. The electroacoustic setup surrounding the Great Lawn creates an unbeatable atmosphere for the audience out there.
Here’s a special shoutout to drummer Xavier Breaker. He ripped an intense 6-minute solo on one of the hottest days of the year so far.
Friedrich Gulda’s ‘Cello Concerto
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake
Grant Park Music Festival & Outdoor Concert
As part of the Grant Park Music Festival, the Grant Park Orchestra also came to Jay Pritzker Pavilion to play Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
Following an open rehearsal earlier in the day, the orchestra opened the evening with Gulda’s Concerto for ‘Cello and Wind Orchestra. This piece blurs lines between genres, and includes elements of classical and jazz, with improvisatory sections for the solo ‘cellist. This was five movements of great diverse orchestral music.
Grant Park Orchestra then returned for the “Suite from Swan Lake”, opening with the immediately recognizable theme. Audience members gathered along the walls of the Great Lawn to listen. Once again, the weather delivered a perfect temperature for the evening’s music.
What about you?
Any good shows lately?
Whether you’ve been hitting up outdoor summer concerts or hanging around nightclubs, we’d love to hear about any and all the gigs you’ve attended so far this summer! Get in touch on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and let us know!