Your Curated Chicago Weekend: 6/2-6/5
FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD-SUNDAY, JUNE 5TH
Do Division Fest, Division St. between Ashland and Leavitt
WHAT: One of Chicago’s best street festivals returns for another year of sidewalk sales, excellent music, and general summer-ness. It'll run from Friday afternoon all the way through Sunday night, and you should spend as much time there as you can this weekend. SO WHAT: Do Division has booked a pretty amazing lineup thanks to the Empty Bottle and Subterranean. Among the acts playing the festival are Al Scorch, Nikki Lane, BADBADNOTGOOD, NE-HI, Fruit Bats, and Doomtree. And the cost of all this is a $5 suggested donation. Check out the full schedule here. NOW WHAT: Go! And be sure to donate so this can keep happening every year. ALSO FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD More great music stuff is happening. There are still some tickets to see rising rapper Aesop Rock at Metro, and the Chicago Gospel Music Festival gets underway at Millennium Park. As a four-year bassist for the Vanderbilt Voices of Praise gospel choir—and its only Jewish member—I have a peculiar appreciation and love for gospel music, which transcends religion and strikes straight at the heart when it's well-made. Plus, with Chance the Rapper bringing God into the mainstream on Coloring Book, it's never been more crucial to experience gospel music. SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH Xanadu @ American Theater Company WHAT: Check out a preview performance of Xanadu, the roller disco musical with music by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, at the American Theater Company. SO WHAT: Previews are typically cheaper than the actual performances and just as good, so this is night to see the show. Lynne and Farrar are huge hitters in the songwriting world—Lynne achieved fame in leading Electric Light Orchestra, Farrar wrote many of Olivia Newton-John’s hits. Oh, and the American Theater Company usually puts on shows far more serious than this one, so it’ll be a solid breath of fresh, June air. NOW WHAT: Tickets are $48 and you can get them here. SUNDAY, JUNE 5TH Go back to Do Division. Easy.Zach Blumenfeld
Zach graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2015 and, seeking to put off law school, began writing about music and pop culture. Now he's hooked on concert reviews and the Chicago music scene and thinks he could be doing this for a while. Follow his random thoughts on Twitter @zachblumy